As attacks and harrassment of journalists in Sri Lanka ramps up, the British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka met with Sri Lankan government officials, including Minister of Mass Media and former Sri Lankan government spokesman, Keheliya Rambukwella, to discuss media freedom in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Hulton tweeted,

Heavily armed security teams have been deployed in Sampithpura and Mattakkuliya in Colombo under the order of accused war criminal and army head, Shavendra Silva. The measure was taken on the grounds of enforcing safety precautions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Two boys aged 12 and 13 were critically injured in a grenade blast on Sunday in the Iranai Iluppaikkulam area in the Madhu division of Mannar. They were both taken to Vavuniya hospital.

<p>Sri Lankan Muslim Congress MP, Hafiz Naseer Ahamed, has called for a boycott of French products following French President's statements this month describing Islam as a religion "in crisis".</p>

A video of a Tamil youth alleging that he was excluded from taking part in Navarathri festivities at a Kilinochchi temple has exposed the presence of casteist practices in Hindu temples across the North-East.

 

 

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has condemned Sri Lanka’s 20^th amendment to the constitution, which seeks to centralise power and limit the power of parliament and the courts, as a “blow to the rule of law”.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned of China’s “predator” relationship with Sri Lanka as he held high level meetings with Sri Lankan leaders in Colombo today, with trade, accountability for rights abuses and a US travel ban on army commander Shavendra Silva also discussed.

As coronavirus cases continue to spike across the island, Tamils are denied of essential and urgent public health information due to a lack of translators.

The Sunday Times reported that the lack of translators in state offices means that official public communications are only published in Sinhala.

US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has arrived in Sri Lanka as part of his larger trip which includes stops at India, the Maldives, and Indonesia.

Responding to US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Dean Thompson’s, statement that US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, will “continue to urge Sri Lanka to advance democratic governance, human rights [and] reconciliation”, China accused the US of coercion and bullying.

The United National Party has alleged that Sri Lankan Muslim Congress (SLMC) has betrayed their voters made a “secret deal” with the Rajapaksas in exchange for votes on the 20^th Amendment.

The 20^th amendment, which seeks to centralise power within the executive presidency and removes checks and balances on the presidency, passed on 22 October. The amendment was passed with support from opposition MPs voting alongside Rajapaksa’s Sri Lankan Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), including four MPs from the SLMC. Only SLMC leader, Rauff Hakeem, opposed the measure. The amendment passed with 156 parliamentarians voting for the amendment whilst 65 votes against.

In response to US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo’s, visit Sri Lanka Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), accompanied by Sinhala Buddhist monks, have staged a protest outside the US Embassy in Colombo against what they see as US “imperial ambitions” attempting to undermine Sri Lankan sovereignty.

As US Secretary of State Mike Pomepo lands in Colombo today, close attention will be paid to his meetings at Temple Trees, where he will meet with Sri Lanka’s war crimes-accused president and prime minister. The Sri Lankan government will no doubt spin this as an US attempt to court the regime in Colombo or even as international applause for how the Rajapaksa siblings have ruled since they returned to power. The Secretary of State must make clear that this is far from the case.