Photograph walk-for-justice.org/blog/ Tamil activists, on the second day of the 'Walk for Justice' , met with representatives of the European Union and Members of the European Parliament, and urged them to push for an independent, international investigation at the 19th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The EU representatives felt the demands were both "reasonable" and "timely", and pledged to create discussion regarding passing a resolution calling for such an investigation at the EU parliament, said activists. The 'Walk for Justice' activists began their journey Sunday at the...
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), widely criticised for its perpetual dithering, slammed the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka's constitution as "full of flaws" on Saturday. The TNA's spokesperson, MP Suresh Premachandran, said, “If the government is genuinely committed to it, there is no need for them to have a dialogue with us. Today, the 13th Amendment is full of flaws . The government can devolve powers to the governors of the provincial councils instead of empowering the boards of ministers. It is a constitutional lacuna,” “ The provincial councils need land, police and fiscal powers. If the...
The Vice President of the International Executive Service Corps stated that the “biggest issue” in providing loans for US enterprises to carry out projects in Sri Lanka, is the much berated expropriation bill. The bill, which allows the government to acquire enterprises and assets deemed to be underperforming, has been criticised by numerous organisations, including Moody’s credit rating agency and the Economist Intelligence Unit. Whilst the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) signed an agreement with the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (AmCham SL), Conconi spoke out...
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa laid the foundation for a Buddhist Stupa dedicated to Sri Lankan Army soldiers in Anuradhapura earlier this week, the first of such religious monuments to be built across the country. The Stupa in Anuradhapura will be built from 30 million bricks and 40,000 cement bags, with similar Stupas “giving due recognition to the memory of those War Heroes who defended the country from threat of separation”, being built in each of the provinces of the country. Since May 2009, over 28 statues of the Buddha have also been constructed along the A9 highway, the main...
Dismissing Mahinda Rajapaksa's address on Sri Lanka's independence day, TNA MP Sumanthiran, said that the recommendations of the LLRC has not been implemented. He added that the TNA believes the Sri Lankan government had received a letter from the US urging action. The "US have warned that if the government did not take action, it will pursue on certain international actions,” said Sumanthiran. The Assistant US Secretary of State for South Asia, Robert O'Blake, is said to be visiting Sri Lanka on the 11th February, ahead of the 19th session of the UN Human rights Council. Sri Lanka's external...
It was just this week Mahinda Rajapaksa asserted that only the Parliamentary Select Committee would decide on devolution , dismissing India's external affairs secretary, SM Krishna's statement that 13+ changes had been promised by Sri Lanka. On Thursday his words were: "The PSC, in which all parties in parliament would be represented, was the best forum to discuss and take a decision on the matter.” “I cannot reveal it. If I say anything on it, people will say, I am biased. Let parliament decide. I’ll accept its recommendations.” Yet speaking Saturday, at celebrations for what Sri Lankans commemorate as their independence day, Rajapaksa revealed his devolutionary vision and his guiding light: " Ethnic communities have no separate regions. The entire country belongs to all ethnic communities." " what is required today is the formulation of policies based on a vision that is commonly applicable to the whole country ." "The words of the Buddha show the path we should take and how we should solve problems. Akkodhena jine kodham – asadhum sadhuna jine Jine kadariyam danena – saccena alikavadinam "Let this thought guide all in making the freedom of our motherland meaningful!"
Gavin Barwell, Conservative MP, Croydon Central. Photographs Tamilnet British MPs and peers endorsed the call for an international, independent investigation, at an exhibition organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPGT) and the British Tamil Forum (BTF). Photographs Tamilnet.
A group of students from the University of Virginia’s School of Law visited Sri Lanka as part of a Human Rights Study Project (HRSP). Eight students spent their time interviewing many people, including judges, military and government officials, NGO’s and individuals within camps, to study different areas of human rights within Sri Lanka. Here is a description of the group’s experience by the President of the HRSP, John Akin: "The current government of Sri Lanka has a history and a reputation of being very unfriendly to NGOs and human rights organizations. "The second day we were in the...
Around 200 tamil refugees who have fled from Sri Lanka have found themselves stranded in the West African country of Togo, where they are now held by the army, reported the BBC . The refugees, who include at least 19 women and 11 children, are being detained in an open stadium in the capital of Lome, where they are held under tight security. It is thought that they travelled by ship to India, then to Ethiopia before flying to Togo, where they were promised to be taken to Ghana and onwards to Canada. But now they are stranded in Togo, after their “agent” vanished, after having paid more than $...
The United States Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary Luke Bronin visited Sri Lanka on Thursday to discuss Sri Lanka’s options, as US sanctions on Iran look set to cut off Sri Lanka’s crude oil imports. The US Embassy stated that Bronin’s visit was to “discuss how the Iranian sanction legislation will affect Sri Lankan financial institutions and to discuss the legislation and its implementation.” Sri Lanka is almost totally dependent on Iranian oil, which makes 93% of its oil imports and the single refinery on the island capable of processing only Iranian crude oil. President Mahinda...