The Sunday Times has reported of an increase in sexual assaults on tourists in Sri Lanka. Last week, the chairman of the Weligama local government body was arrested for sexually harassing a 22-year old Swedish tourist at a resort in the town. Earlier this month two police officers were arrested for sexually assaulting a German tourist, who was dragged into a rickshaw by the constables. In another case an Australian University student was allegedly raped by a tour guide in Ambalangoda.
A US delegation is scheduled to attend a workshop in Colombo, co-hosted by the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development and the United States Pacific Command on behalf of the US Department of Defence. The Multinational Planning Augmentation Team (MPAT) Tempest Express – 24 Staff Planning Workshop will take place from April 1, 2014 to April 9, 2014 at the Galadari Hotel, army spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said.
A United States-based company has been selected to build a $50 million project to lay a 5.8 km pipeline from the Colombo Port to the Kolonnawa fuel storage facility to expedite unloading of fuel from ships, the Sunday Times reports . Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminal Ltd (SPSTL) Chairman MRW de Soysa said although the main contract would be carried out by the US company, the civil engineering sub contract would be handled by the Sri Lanka Army. Chairman de Soysa is a retired Major General. The proposal would be submitted to the Cabinet soon, the paper reports.
Sri Lanka’s ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) party swept up the votes to win majority seats in the Western and Southern Provincial elections held yesterday. In what, the President’s son and UPFA parliamentarian, Namal Rajapaksa, described as a ‘profound’ victory, the ruling UPFA party gained majority rule over both provincial councils. Rajapaksa rallies at a Buddhist function days before the elections. Photo:Mahinda Rajapaksa Facebook page
Commenting on the resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council calling for accountability in Sri Lanka via an international investigation, the US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power said "accountability was overdue". Describing the passage of the resolution as "significant", Ms. Power tweeted: Significant that the Human Rights Council passed a resolution yesterday calling for a UN investigation into abuses in #SriLanka . — Samantha Power (@AmbassadorPower) March 28, 2014 After 5 years in which the #SriLanka gov't has undermined democracy & refused to investigate war crimes...
A coalition of Tamil organisations welcomed the UN Human Rights Council's adoption of the resolution on Sri Lanka, paving the way for a comprehensive international investigation, and expressed hope "that submission of the findings to the UN Security Council would pave the way for International Criminal Court prosecution for those crimes to ensure justice." In a joint statement published Sunday, British Tamils Forum (BTF), Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FETNA), Ilankai Tamil Sangam , People for Equality and Relief in Lanka ( PEARL ), Solidarity Group for Peace and Justice in Sri Lanka , Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), United States Tamil Political Action Council ( USTPAC ) and World Thamil Organization (WTO), stressed that violations against the Tamil people continued, and there was an urgent need for demilitarisation, and for international oversight on the protection of witnesses, survivors and human rights defenders.
A group of Buddhist monks disrupted a seminar for journalists from the North-East, forcing it to be abandoned, reported The Sunday Times . The seminar, organised by the US-based NGO “Search for Common Ground”, was held in Polonnaruwa for 30 journalists from Amparai, Batticaloa and Trincomalee, when it was disrupted by around 20 monks who said they would not allow US funded programmes in the district, after a resolution was passed on Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council.
British university students have called the passing of a resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council "another step in a long and arduous path towards justice", in a statement released this weekend. The Tamil Students Initiative (TSI), an inter-university British organisation,stated that the authorisation of an international investigation was “a significant movement by the international community towards identifying and obtaining accountability for the past war crimes and ongoing genocide committed on the island”.
Indian fishermen, fishing in the Palk Strait, were given sweets and soft drinks by members of the Sri Lankan navy, a few days after India abstained from voting on the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka. Local fishermen association leader Emerit said the Sri Lankan navy treated the fishermen with kindness and was talking with hundreds of them, from various places including Ramanathapuram and Jagadapattinam, reported PTI .
President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a statement on Sunday that the victory of his part at provincial council elections is a clear mandate by the Sri Lankan people against the resolution on Sri Lanka passed at the UN Human Rights Council. Rajapaksa thanked voters in the Western and Southern Province for placing theuir trust in the government, adding that he would not let any force ruin the independence and the sovereignty of the country.