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Jaffna University students condemn circulation of false party aligned election statements

Aug 14, 2015

The Jaffna University Student’s Union (JUSU) condemned the circulation of false political statements that aligned the organisation to political parties.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the JUSU said,

Wigneswaran urges Tamils to vote for 'justice, homeland and self-determination’

Aug 13, 2015

The Chief Minister of the Northern Province called on Tamil voters across the North-East to vote for the party that assures "individuality" and "self-determination" without hesitating in "seeking justice for the genocide perpetrated against the Tamil people" in next week’s general election.

This week C V Wigneswaran released a statement in Tamil urging voters to back the party that is committed to the principles of a traditional Tamil homeland, Tamil individuality and the right to self-determination.

"It should be a party that will not hesitate to seek justice for the genocide perpetrated against the Tamil people and.. be firm in the manner of an independent international investigation," he added.

His statement did not name any political parties, however criticised politicians of making election promises and then muting demands when dealing with southern politicians.

Accusing Tamil politicians of acting “selfishly” and contradicting their elected manifestos when dealing with politicians in the south of the island, the Chief Minister said,

“Importantly they think that there is no redemption if they do not move amicably with Southern politicians, forgetting all their emotive talks on the election platforms among the Tamil people. They attempt to act in a way that will not vex the minds of the Southern politicians."

The Chief Minister continued to say that several parties contesting in the elections have released manifestos that do not respect those principles.

“I shouldn't have to tell you that our people live in the North-East cannot benefit by them,” he added, labelling such parties “opportunists”.

Furthermore, Mr Wigneswaran called for a strengthening of the "relationship with international countries willing to work” with Tamils. “We can pave a way for a permanent political solution by doing this,” he said.

Sri Lanka’s president calls on Rajapaksa to not damage chances of SLFP victory

Aug 13, 2015

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena reiterated that former president Mahinda Rajapaksa would not be appointed as prime minister if the Sri Lanka Freedom Party wins the upcoming elections and called on him to refrain from splitting the party.

In a 5 page letter sent to Mr Rajapaksa, Sirisena criticised the former president’s conduct and asked him not to allow rifts in the party, calling on Rajapaksa to give the party the opportunity to win a majority in elections.

‘Separatist forces are destabilising the country’ claims Rajapaksa

Aug 13, 2015

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed Sri Lanka was under threat from “separatist forces” as he urged voters to go to the polls and vote for him at the general election.

In an interview with The Island, Mr Rajapaksa, who is the UPFA prime ministerial candidate, claimed that “today, we don’t have a stable government, national finances are in a major crisis and separatist forces are once again destabilising the country”.

“This is an election that will decide the entire future of our country both in economic and political terms,” he said, adding “everyone should cast his or her vote at this election because so much is at stake”.

Mr Rajapaksa went on to slam the United National Party who accused him of giving money to the LTTE, by stating that the UNP had given money and weapons to the LTTE in 1990. “The fact that president Premadasa gave money and even weapons to the LTTE is an established fact,” he said.

He went on to say “later the leaders of the UNP tried to hand over the entire North and East to the LTTE on a platter by signing the 2002 Ceasefire agreement”.

His comments came as he signed an agreement with 130 civil society organizations on Wednesday, who pledged to back him.

TNPF calls for internationally mediated political solution acknowledging 'two sovereign nations' in one country

Aug 13, 2015

The Tamil National People’s Front election manifesto, released on 02 August, called for a “durable” federal political solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka that was formed through a new constitution that acknowledged the existence of two sovereign nations in one country.

Highlighting the party's view on the importance of a “internationally mediated process” to achieve a federal solution between two sovereign nations, the manifesto said,

“Achieving a federal solution via devolution would only amount to a power sharing mechanism., and therefore can be arbitrarily eliminated by the Sinhala nation in the future by creating a new unitary constitution. Instead a federal system created jointly by two sovereign nations cannot be unilaterally eliminated by one nation alone. This will be a durable solution.”

The manifesto outlined the TNPF's intention of working with the experts and civil society organisations “both at home and in the diaspora” to achieve its pledges.

Extracts of the manifesto are reproduced below.

‘No room for LTTE regrouping’ warns government minister

Aug 13, 2015

The Jathika Hela Urumaya General Secretary and Sri Lankan government minister Champika Ranawaka warned there was no room for the LTTE to regroup on the island, stating that “national security” would be maintained.

“We will not leave room for democracy to be threatened,” said the minister. “We are actually going through a new stage of democracy in the country and we will not allow that process to be harmed. We give a firm assurance on National Security,” he said.

Ranil rules out federalism for Sri Lanka

Aug 13, 2015

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe ruled out implementing federalism in Sri Lanka, as he denied having shown favour to “pro-LTTE groups”.

Farmers protest in Jaffna after 90% of new posts go to Sinhalese

Aug 13, 2015

Photographs Tamil Guardian

Farmers in the North protested on Wednesday after it emerged that 90% of new posts for agricultural research assistants in the province went to Sinhala people.

Of the 361 available appointments, 332 have been filled by Sinhala people.

Chief Buddhist monks from across the world slam UNP for 'Eelam poster'

Aug 12, 2015

High ranking Sinhala Buddhist monks from across the world have criticised the United National Party for endangering "national security", over an election poster in Jaffna which features one of their candidates alongside a map of Tamil Eelam.

Speaking at a press conference in Narahenpita in the South of the island, Buddhist monks from the US, Singapore, Australia and India slammed the UNP for allowing the poster to be distributed.

The Mahanayake of Singapore and Chief Incumbent of the Bellanwila Rajamaha Vihara in Colombo Dhammarathana Nayaka slammed the incident as a "a serious threat to national security”.

“The reconciliation process that was moving forward smoothly in the aftermath of defeat of the LTTE,” claimed the monk. “It is the duty of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to explain to the nation what really is happening and what his party’s position on the issue is,” he said.

"There was security in the country before January 8th,” he said, after former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was ousted and Maithripala Sirisena came to power. “Today the country is unstable."

The Mahanayake of the US and Chief Incumbent of the Dhammavijaya Vihara in Los Angeles Aggmahapanditha Walpola Piyananda Nayaka agreed with his fellow monks, saying, the “majority of Lankan Sangha community living abroad are worried about the situation at home in the post January 8th period”.

Ranil says torture report will be addressed after OISL report is released

Aug 12, 2015

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that reports of torture of Tamils under the island’s new government, as detailed by the charity Freedom From Torture in a report today, would be addressed after the UN Human Rights Council session in September.

Speaking to Reuters, Mr Wickremesinghe was asked about the latest report by Freedom From Torture, which detailed the ongoing torture of Tamils by Sri Lankan security forces.

"All this will be addressed after the final report of the U.N. Human Rights Commission will be made available," said Mr Wickremesinghe.

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Jaffna University students condemn circulation of false party aligned election statements

Wigneswaran urges Tamils to vote for 'justice, homeland and self-determination’

Sri Lanka’s president calls on Rajapaksa to not damage chances of SLFP victory

‘Separatist forces are destabilising the country’ claims Rajapaksa

TNPF calls for internationally mediated political solution acknowledging 'two sovereign nations' in one country

‘No room for LTTE regrouping’ warns government minister

Ranil rules out federalism for Sri Lanka

Farmers protest in Jaffna after 90% of new posts go to Sinhalese

Chief Buddhist monks from across the world slam UNP for 'Eelam poster'

Ranil says torture report will be addressed after OISL report is released

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