• Torture would not stop' - President's counsel

    Jun 02

    Commenting on a bill proposed by the Ministry of Justice which seeks to extend the time that police are allowed to detain a suspect from 24 to 48 hours, the President's Counsel, MP Wijedasa Rajapaksha, asserted that “even if the amendments were not brought and the law stayed as it is the torture would not stop."

  • Rajapaksa's 'words of wisdom'

    Addressing United Nations Day of Vesak celebrations in Bangkok on Saturday, Sri Lanka's president Mahinda Rajapaksa said:

  • Body found by Bambalapiti Hindu College

    The mutilated body of a male was found by Bambalapiti Hindu College on Friday morning, reported Uthayan.

    The Sri Lankan police believe he was believe he was murdered the night before.

    According to Uthayan, the victim is from Batticoloa.

  • Buddhist monk convicted of child abuse

    A senior Buddhist monk from south London has been jailed for sexually assaulting an underage girl.

  • Military marks 4000 acres for construction in Mullaitheevu

    Sri Lankan Army has been constructing houses in Thirumurukandi, Mullaitheevu district, after seizing 4,000 acres of land reports Uthayan.

  • To go back to the IMF for more

    Sri Lanka is to request a further US$500 million after the completion of the Standby Arrangement (SBA) of US$2.6 billion next month, the International Monetary Cooperation Senior Minister, Sarath Amunugama, revealed on Wednesday.

    Amunugama said,

  • More evidence of Tamils facing torture - TAG

    A report by the Tamil rights group, Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), provides primary evidence supporting the claims of torture against failed asylum seekers, and Tamils deemed to be political active.

    Find report here.

    See TamilNet article here.

    One signed witness statement, which we should warn is extremely distressing, said:

    "... about 5 CID officers beat me. And pushed me roughly and tightly. They hit my head against the wall and tore my T shirt off. Then one person untied the knots in my hand and ordered me to undress. They forced me to undress and then beat me left and right with their booted legs..."

  • 36 deported asylum seekers arrive in Sri Lanka
    A group of 36 asylum seekers have arrived in Colombo after being deported from Britain on Thursday.
  • Mervyn Silva cleared at ‘disciplinary hearing’

    Sri Lankan Minister Mervyn Silva has been cleared by a party ‘disciplinary hearing’, following comments made by the Minister threatening journalists and human rights activists after the 19th UN Human Rights Council session.

  • TAG calls for arrest of Rajapaksa
    Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) have submitted a formal complaint to the UK’s Metropolitan Police Service, over Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapksa visit for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations next week, and called for criminal proceedings to commence against him.

    In a complaint sent to the Metropolitan Police on Friday, the organisation noted that Rajapaksa stands accused of involvement in war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, stating,
    “In light of the UK’s obligations under universal jurisdiction provisions, we invite the Metropolitan Police to investigate these allegations and arrest Rajapaksa in order to commence criminal proceedings.”
    Speaking to the Tamil Guardian a TAG spokesperson said,
    “TAG has submitted a formal complaint with the aim of bringing justice to the victims of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Sri Lankan state.

    While TAG appreciates that there are immunity issues involved, it is our understanding that this will not prevent the Metropolitan Police from opening a case file and commencing investigations.”
    Sending a copy of the recent case submission in the United States against Rajapaksa, TAG highlighted the case of Dr Kasipillai Manoharan, father of one of the ‘Trinco 5’ students killed by Sri Lankan security forces in 2005, and a UK resident.

    The group went on to cite sections of the UN Panel of Experts report, commenting
    “the report characterizes the systematic shelling of civilians and intentional deprivation of access to food and medicine as “calculated to bring about the destruction of a significant part of the civilian population”. This characterization is identical to the definition of genocide in Article 2(c) of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.”
    Noting that the Sri Lankan President is also “Commander-in-chief” of the armed forces and bears command responsibility, the complaint concluded,
    “The strength of these credible allegations clearly meets the threshold for an arrest to be made and charges to be brought. TAG urges the Metropolitan Police to take necessary steps in accordance with the UK’s universal jurisdiction and international law obligations to arrest Rajapaksa and bring him to justice.”
    Read the full text of the formally submitted complaint below.

  • Protest at Commonwealth Secretariat over Rajapaksa visit
  • Ruling coalition partner calls for British HC deportation

    The National Freedom Front (NFF), a constituent party of the ruling coalition in Sri Lanka, has called for the deportation of the British High Commissioner John Rankin, after he criticised the disproportionate military presence in the Northeast of the island.

  • British judge orders halt in deportation of Tamil asylum seeker
    A British judge has halted the removal of a Tamil asylum seeker who was due to be deported today (31st May), after evidence from a Human Rights Watch report released earlier this week.
  • Deportation halt widely welcomed

    Welcoming the High Court ruling halting the deportation of Tamil asylum seekers from the UK on Thursday, David Mepham, the UK director of Human Rights Watch said,

  • Protest in Colombo calls for release of political prisoners
    A protest was held outside Welikada prison in Colombo earlier Tuesday, calling for the release of political prisoners, some jailed for years without charge.

    A group called the Movement to Free Political Prisoners staged the protest, with relatives holding photographs of those detained and placards calling for their release.
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