The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on ‘Archaeological Heritage Management in the Eastern Province’ is to conserve all archaeology heritage sites in the East irrespective of religion, says Kamal Gunaratne, Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary.

 

Former Chief Minister of Northern Province in Sri Lanka and Secretary-general for Thamizh Makkal Thesya Kootanii (TMTK), C.V. Wigneswaran, has written an appeal for the 91 Tamil political prisoners who have been detained for the past 10-15 years under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

<p>The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has granted Sri Lanka £3 million, financed from the Japanese government, in response to the coronavirus pandemic despite concerns over the island’s human rights record.</p> <p>This grant was approved on 2 June for the purchase of test kits, diagnostic reagents, personal protective equipment, and further essential medical supplies.</p> <p>Chen Chen, ABD’s Country Director for Sri Lanka, warned that:</p> <blockquote><p>

<p>Former SriLankan Airlines manager, Rajeewa Jayaweera, has been found dead at Independence Square, Colombo this morning.&nbsp;</p> <p>He was also a well known freelance journalist who exposed corruption at SriLanka Airlines.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Colombo Gazette <em><a href="https://colombogazette.com/2020/06/12/body-found-near-independence-squa…">reported </a></em>that a pistol and note were also found with the body.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

Sri Lankan police banned Tamils from commemorating those who were killed by the Sri Lankan air force in Sumanthirapuram on June 10, 1998. 

Twenty-two years have passed since the tragic massacre that left 33 dead and 52 injured, when a temple was struck by Sri Lankan air force. 

Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice has released a statement warning against Sri Lanka’s slide into authoritarianism and calling for the international community to push back against the increasing militarisation of Sri Lanka.

Noting this turn to authoritarianism, Sri Lanka Campaign highlights continued unconstitutional executive rule of the administration, the establishment of Presidential Task Forces, and the aggressive state-sponsored “Sinhalisation” of traditional Tamil and Muslim provinces.

Once upon a time, a common man made history. Nelson Mandela, alongside the thousands of Black South Africans that fought against Apartheid by his side, changed the course of history. In fact, he built the foundation upon which many liberation struggles around the world stand on today. Without this man’s perseverance and determination, South Africa and the world could be very different as we know it. However, he did not make history for his name to be tarnished as an accompaniment to modern-day politics and oppression. This is in the context of reports emerging last month that a statue of Nelson Mandela will be hoisted in Sri Lanka. The statue of a freedom fighter in a land where Tamils still have no freedom.

Bodu Bala Sena’s (BBS) secretary general, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara claimed the North-East was “not Tamils homeland” and instead said Sri Lanka is a Buddhist Sinhala country, according to comments reported in the Uthayan last month.

The United States 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom said Sri Lankan government officials “continued to engage in systematic discrimination against religious minorities,” according to reports received from religious communities and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

The report highlighted how during 2019, “local government officials and police reportedly responded minimally or not at all to numerous incidents of religiously motivated violence against minorities”.

A former senior Sri Lankan front line commando has been announced as the new Commandant of the Special Task Force (STF), a police unit accused of widespread atrocities.

Waruna Jayasundera, an STF officer with frontline combat experience during the armed conflict, was appointed the new Commandant in a reshuffle this week.