“It is not an illegal construction. We have accurate deeds and the building has been there for so many years,”

The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, John Rankin, has criticised the large military presence in the Northeast of Sri Lanka.

In a video message, answering questions about last month’s report on human rights, Mr Rankin said Sri Lanka has serious human rights issues that need to be addressed.

The troika tasked with serving as rapporteurs for Sri Lanka’s Universal Periodic Review, consists of Benin, India and Spain.

Sri Lanka’s review is due to start in November this year.

The UPR process examines the human rights situation of each member state of the UN every four years.

“These reports, which the United States Government has published for nearly four decades, make clear to governments around the world: We are watching and we are holding you accountable.  And they make clear to citizens and activists everywhere:  You are not alone.  We are standing with you.”

“The major human rights problems were unlawful killings by security forces and government-allied paramilitary groups, often in predominantly Tamil areas, which led many to regard them as politically motivated, and attacks on and harassment of civil society activists, persons viewed as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sympathizers, and journalists by persons allegedly tied to the government, which created an environment of fear and self-censorship.”

“Other serious human rights problems included disappearances, as well as a lack of accountability for thousands who disappeared in previous years.”

“Discrimination against persons with disabilities and against the ethnic Tamil minority continued, and a disproportionate number of victims of human rights violations were Tamils.”

“The government continued to refuse the request by the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for an expanded mission and an independent presence in the country.”

“There are no unlawful killings taking place in Sri Lanka and also no paramilitary groups operating as mentioned in the report.”

Tamil political detainees have called off their hunger strike, after the government promised to deal with the grievances raised by them.

The Sri Lankan Government has said it will establish four new special courts to deal with Tamil detainees swiftly.

Over 200 political prisoners were on a hunger strike for six days, demanding that they either be charged or released from prison. Some of the detainees had been imprisoned for over five years without being charged.

The ‘killers’ of the Canadian Tamil, Anthonypillai Mahendrasa, have been caught, according to the pro-government newspaper, The Island.

The newspaper claims that a police investigation discovered the ‘mastermind’ of the murder. According to the police, the murder was committed as the suspect believed the victim was carrying a lot of cash.

It has been reported that the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) secretary Maurice Nicolas told Sri Lanka, that their elections for the Sri Lanka Athletics Association (SLAA) were not held fairly and were not recognised by the association, resulting in postponement of the games.