A senior US official confirmed that Washington will be looking to send yet another vessel to the Sri Lankan navy – its fourth so cutter so far – despite the military’s history of human rights abuses, as ties with Colombo grow even closer.
The Sri Lankan navy has barred fisherfolk from fishing along the Mathagal Sampilthurai area in Jaffna, warning them that they are banned from fishing close to the coast where a military-run Buddhist vihara is situated. This is not the first time the navy has enforced such a rule in this area. In 2013, fisherfolk were also warned to stay away from fishing close to the same vihara. Fishermen say there have been occasions when the navy has chased them out of the sea if they are found to be fishing in that area. Restrictions on Tamil fishermen in the North-East continue, despite almost 15 years...
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) lawmaker and Rajapaksa ally Angajan Ramanathan called on the Sri Lankan military to release all lands occupied by the Air Force in the North-East, as the occupation of the Tamil homeland continues. “The 73rd anniversary commemorating the Air Force is to be held in Jaffna this time,” he said. “It is only apt that lands occupied by the Air Force be released to its rightful owners. It is unacceptable to grab land under the guise of national security and then use it for other purposes such as commemorations.” Ramanathan has spent several years with the SLFP and is a...
Sri Lanka’s president has formally appointed Deshabandu Tennakoon as the incumbent Inspector General of Police in Sri Lanka, an official who the Supreme Court found had personally participated in torture and whose appointment had not been approved by the state's Constitutional Council.
Sri Lanka's foreign minister said his government must follow a policy that ensures they are “not forced or coerced into a camp to make sovereign decisions,” as he spoke in Colombo last week. “Countries like Sri Lanka if we learn from our history cannot take sides," claimed Ali Sabry. "Sri Lanka must be open to working with anyone. Non-alignment means not becoming a bystander... Non-alignment means you are not forced or coerced into a camp to make sovereign decisions. But you make decisions. And you take your own choices.”
Marking 7 years of continuous protests by Tamil families of the disappeared, a statement from a coalition of organisations recalled how countless Sri Lankan government commissions have been appointed but none have brought answers or served justice, with many still to publish their findings.
Sri Lanka’s state minister for foreign affairs admitted that “majoritarianism in Sri Lanka led to discrimination of certain communities which led them to take up arms,” and called for power sharing – even as his government continues to refuse to do so. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue forum in New Delhi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya, told the audience “although we believe in democracy, we have to be wary of majoritarianism, which took place in the 1970s”. “It discriminated against certain communities and led them to take up arms. Development then cannot be limited to...
Despite a boycott by Indian fisherfolk, the annual St. Antony’s church festival at Katchatheevu saw a significant turnout, with over 4,000 devotees attending the two-day event, including a heavy Sri Lankan military presence The pilgrimage, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, attracted 4,354 devotees from across Sri Lanka. Some of the attendees included members of Sri Lanka’s navy, officials from the Presidential Secretariat, and the Indian consulate in Jaffna. As in previous years, the Sri Lankan military maintained a heavy presence in the region, as their occupation of the Tamil homeland...
The Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) of the Union Ministry of External Affairs has issued an emergency travel document for Santhan, one of the accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, to return to Sri Lanka immediately. Santhan is currently at the special camp in the Trichy Central Jail and will be escorted by officials to the International airport there. The New Indian Express (TNIE) reported that “acting on a request from Santhan, the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission issued a temporary travel document to him and now the FRRO has given an exit permit. “Once Santhan...
Mullaitivu Judicial Medical Officer Dr Kanagasbapathy Vasudeva confirmed that the bodies of 40 individuals whose remains were excavated from the Kokkuthoduvai mass grave were buried "in a hurry" without any religious rites, sometime between 1994 and 1996. “The remains recovered date back to a period between 1994 and 1996,” he said. “We believe these bodies have been buried hurriedly and no religious rites were conducted. However, we are awaiting funds from the government to carry out further investigations. We hope to receive this soon; by the first of March, we will have more updates in time...