The Sri Lankan government rejected the claims made by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, including among other things that “significant gaps exist particularly in upholding accountability and access to justice as well as ensuring non-recurrence of human rights violations.”

^{File photograph: Sri Lankan soldiers in Jaffna.}

Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned that “a state of fear is being re-established in Sri Lanka” as it reiterated calls for an international tribunal for war crimes and urged countries around to world to place sanctions on those accused of committing human rights violations.

“Tensions among ethnic and religious communities persist” the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief said in his report.

“Significant gaps exist particularly in upholding accountability and access to justice as well as ensuring non-recurrence of human rights violations,” the report added.

Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur, conducted his country visit to Sri Lanka 15 August to 26 August 2019.

In recent weeks, the Sri Lankan military has constructed several new checkpoints across Mullaitivu as the intensified militarisation of the Tamil homeland since Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected president continues.

New checkpoints were reported by locals on the Mankulam-Mullaitivu main road, as well as on the Kokkilai main road, amongst others.

The latest checklpoints come as the Sri Lankan military has ramped up search operations across the Tamil homeland,

A Sri Lankan brigadier who was found guilty by a British court of threatening Tamil protestors in London, has once more been promoted in Sri Lanka, taking up the post of 15th General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 58 Division Headquarters this week.

A Buddhist religious ceremony was held at the military base in Puttalam, as Brigadier Priyanka Fernando took up the post.

The US embassy in Sri Lanka sent its congratulations to the Sri Lankan navy this week, after the security forces claimed to have seized a record drug haul worth over $33 million, in an operation conducted 600 nautical miles away from Sri Lankan shores.

“Congrats to @srilanka_navy  on your latest success!,” tweeted the US embassy. “We remain committed to combating illegal drugs around the world & are happy to collaborate w partners who are likewise committed”.

Four men from Poonakary have been arrested by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) after being accused that they were in possession of gunpowder used in the production of domestically manufactured bombs.

Five persons have been arrested and taken into custody for allegedly sword possession in Vavuniya by Special Task Force officers.  

The Office of Missing Persons (OMP) released a statement yesterday, on their second anniversary of its establishment, calling for the “unstinted cooperation of the Government and state agencies”, so that truth and justice for the missing and disappeared persons’ and the protection of the rights of their relatives are ensured.

The Geneva Director of Human Rights Watch urged on the Core Group of countries at the United Nations Human Rights Council to lead the call for an international justice mechanism on Sri Lanka “instead of placing faith in empty government promises”.