Sri Lanka has declared to have done everything "humanly possible" since July 2012 to implement the National Plan of Action on implementing the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). Lalith Weeratunga, secretary to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, briefed the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday on 'progress in the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka'. Weeratunga's explanations come in the wake of international criticism over Sri Lanka's lack of progress. See more on Colombo Page . See also ‘Little progress on rights’ – HRW
The parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) Affairs, Mark Simmonds, outlined today, that the FCO was already working to gain the necessary majority at the United Nations Human Rights Council to pass a resolution calling for an international investigation into war crimes committed in Sri Lanka. Responding to questions regarding the UK position on Sri Lanka’s lack of progress in working towards a credible investigation, Simmonds said , “I want to ensure that the House understands that if a credible domestic process has not properly begun by March 2014, we will...
The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal has released the full report of their high profile session held in Bremen, Germany last month, where they unanimously ruled that Sri Lanka was guilty of genocide. Released at the Geneva Press Club, the full report discloses the panel’s findings, where they ruled that not only was Sri Lanka was guilty of genocide, but that the UK and USA were also guilty of complicity. The role of India was decided to be examined further. The panel, which included the former assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, prominent lawyers and academics in the field of...
Sri Lanka’s opposition has denied reports from the government that it had assigned two of its MPs to join the government delegation travelling to the UN Human Rights Council session in March. UNP MP Kabir Hashim said the decision had not yet been made, but the party is ready to discuss participation if the government extended an invitation, denying that one had been received. UNP to join Govt's team against resolution at UNHRC (22 Jan 2014)
The US embassy in Colombo announced a new program to revive the fishery community in the Maradankerny Division of Jaffna. The initiative, in partnership with Sevalanka, is part of a “significant USAID livelihoods project worth $1.5 million USD that focuses on empowering economic opportunities and accelerating permanent resettlement for many displaced families”, in the North-East, a press release by the embassy said. “We know this community has repeatedly faced the hardship of rebuilding lives after numerous displacements,” Ambassador Sison said at the opening ceremony in Jaffna, accompanied...
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s secretary, Lalith Weeratunga, will visit the United States today , to hold discussions over progress made by Sri Lanka on recommendations from the highly discredited Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission. Weeratunga, who has been assigned responsibility of the National Action Plan for the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), spent the past week briefing envoys of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. The Sri Lankan envoy’s actions come as the lack of progress in...
Excavations at the site of the Mannar mass grave revealed another skeleton today, reported the Uthayan . The latest discovery brings the total number of human remains found at the site in Thirukketheeswaram to 44. The mass grave was unearthed when construction workers found two human skeletons on December 20th when digging in Thirukketheeswaram. The following week, a further four skulls were unearthed , with more over subsequent weeks (see also here , here , here and here ). Last week the Bishop of Mannar, who has called for an international investigation into the mass grave due to the lack...
The Sri Lankan government has decided to include two members of the opposition United National Party (UNP) in its delegation to travel to the forthcoming UN Human Rights Council sitting in Geneva, according to ColomboPage . The UNP MPs, Lakshman Kiriella and Thalatha Atukorale will join the delegation which will be lead by Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management Nimal Siripala de Silva and President Rajapaksa’s special envoy for human rights Mahinda Samarasinghe, who is also the Plantation Minister. Government sources said that the names were put forward by the UNP, after they...
Sri Lankan politician Sampath Vidanapathirana has been re-arrested by police over the murder of British aid worker Khuram Shaikh, after he went into hiding two weeks ago. Vidanapathirana, who is the Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman, was found hiding in a house in Kotte, after an arrest warrant was issued following the suspect breaking his bail conditions. The suspect, who is reported to be a close associate of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested alongside 5 others for the 2011 Christmas Day killing and rape of Shaikh’s Russian girlfriend, Victoria Alexandrovna. However...
Three more human remains were found at the site of the Mannar mass grave today, as excavations continued, reported the Uthayan . The latest find brings the total number of remains found to 43. The mass grave was unearthed when construction workers found two human skeletons on December 20th when digging in Thirukketheeswaram. The following week, a further four skulls were unearthed , with more over subsequent weeks (see also here , here and here . Last week the Bishop of Mannar, who has called for an international investigation into the mass grave due to the lack of credibility associated with...