The European Union’s delegation in Sri Lanka has expressed concern over recent incidents concerning the rule of law and individual freedoms on the island. In a statement , the EU said it looks towards Sri Lanka to ensure “that all citizens, including students, journalists and opposition politicians, are able to exercise their fundamental rights without impediment.” See full statement below. “The European Union Delegation in Colombo is concerned by a number of recent developments in Sri Lanka surrounding the rule of law and individual freedoms. "The European Union looks to the Sri Lankan...
The Bishop of Mannar has written to Australian authorities calling on them to halt deportations of people from the North-East of Sri Lanka, stating it was “ highly dangerous” for them to return. Revealing the fate of those who have been returned to the island following deportation, Bishop Rayappu Joseph stated that they were considered “traitors by the Government and its armed forces” and forced to become “informants”. In a letter dated 3rd of December, the Bishop Rayappu Joseph went on to say that those who are forced to return from Australia are subjected to “ restrictions, threats, intimidation, questionings, surveillance and other forms of harassments and discrimination by the military, police and intelligence officers”. His letter comes as more than 50 Australian asylum seekers filed an injunction against their scheduled removal from Australia, claiming that the Australian government has ignored their pleas that they face persecution upon return to the island. See the full text of the letter reproduced below.
Photograph @rkguruparan Published 10:58 GMT Protesters have gathered since the morning by the Jaffna main bus stand, condemning the arrest and intimidation of Jaffna University students by the Sri Lankan military and police. Organised by the students and the Tamil National People's Front, the protest has been supported by a wide range of political figures, such as TNA MPs as well as civil society activists. Photograph Uthayan Video courtesy of TamilNet
Photographs Uthayan Tamil students at Eastern University protested against the arrest of students at Jaffna university on Monday, condemning the military's presence at a civilian institution of education. The protest by students in Eastern University, took place amidst the watchful eye of not only the Sri Lankan security forces, but several notorious paramilitary groups. Demanding the immediate release of all four arrest students, students at the Eastern University said they stood by the side of their brothers and sisters in Jaffna.
Published 2038 GMT 04 Dec. Updated with more photos and videos 05 Dec 10:53 GMT. In act of solidarity, British Tamils protested on Tuesday, demanding the immediate release of the four Jaffna university students arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Department for defying the Sri Lankan security forces and marking Tamil remembrance day on the 27th November. Echoing Tamil youth in Jaffna, Tamil youth in the UK, from university Tamil societies across the country and the Tamil Youth Organisation UK, tied black clothing across their mouths, condemning the silencing of the freedom of speech of youth back home. Tamils across the generations joined the youth by 10 Downing Street, in London on a bitterly cold Winter's evening, to campaign for the release of the four students and for an end to the militarisation of the North-East. Carrying placards condemning the militarisation and on-going genocide, Tamils shouted, "stop attacking Tamil students", "self-determination, for the Tamil nation", "Sri Lankan Army, get out of Tamil Eelam" and "let us remember our heroes". Follow @TamilGuardian on Twitter for our live coverage of events.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has congratulated Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on his country’s successful bid to become a non-member observer state at the United Nations. Rajapakse wrote in a letter that the people of Sri Lanka have “steadfastly stood with the Palestinian people in their decades long struggle for justice”. “It is with great pleasure that I extend my heartiest congratulations and sincere best wishes to Your Excellency and the people of Palestine on behalf of the government and people of Sri Lanka on this happy occasion of the adoption of the historic resolution on the enhancement of the status of Palestine in the United Nations General Assembly,” said the letter.
A group of 56 asylum seekers who were due to be deported from Australia have applied for an injunction halting their deportation, stating the Australian government has ignored pleas that they face persecution upon their return. Whilst the injunction has not been granted, the asylum seekers will see their case return to court on Thursday. Ian Rintoul, a campaigner with the Refugee Action Coalition slammed the Australian screening process for asylum seekers as "entirely unaccountable, non-transparent, non reviewable", stating , "We don't know the criteria on which these decisions are made; but they are clearly life and death decisions,"
Wimal Weerawansa has said at a public meeting in Amparai that the West was behind political instability on the island. He said that the US had caused rifts between the judiciary and the parliament in Pakistan, and is now doing the same in Sri Lanka, reported The Island. Weerawansa also added that those subverting the country were taking orders from Washington and London. See report here .
Thirty-seven Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy off the eastern coast of Pulmoddai at 5am, reports the PTI. The navy spokesperson Kosala Warnakulasuriya, who announced the arrest, said the fishermen were to be brought to Trincomalee where there would be handed over to the police.
The Jaffna University adminstration is believed to have been given the list of at least ten students that are wanted by the Sri Lankan security forces, reports JDS, adding to fears of further arrests. Speaking to JDS, a source from Jaffna said, “ The University area looks virtually like a battlefield with the unusual presence of heavily armed military personnel . You could see hundreds of soldiers guarding all the roads and lanes leading to the Jaffna University and carrying out random checks using sniff dogs on almost all the commuters in a threatening manner ,” “This has increased a very...