Sri Lnaka's Catholic church today warned the government of foreign interventions unless it worked towards reconciliation and addressed allegations of war crimes during the three-decade conflict with Tamil rebels.
Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the main ethnic Tamil party to thrash out a political settlement or risk an international investigation.
In a significant development the British judiciary has upheld that Sri Lankan authorities have been involved in “a widespread and systematic attack” against the Tamil population “as a part of the government’s strategy”, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, in the North-East Sri Lanka.
The UK’s Upper Tribunal, the Immigration and Asylum Chamber’s judges Lane and Pitt, a couple of weeks ago have made these finding while determining an asylum appeal of an anonymity direction protected appellant, a Sri Lankan Police Officer, who has been named as “Mr. AS”
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), has called for urgent intervention to protect the rights of human rights defenders and Ms Nimalka Fernando, attorney-at-law, women’s rights activist and President of the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) in Sri Lanka, who has been subjected to smear campaigns by pro-government supporters.
Police Media Spokesperson SSP Ajith Rohana said 900 Tamil police officers and 1,500 Sinhala police officers fluent in Tamil have been deployed to police stations in the Northern and Eastern provinces to help Tamil speaking people to record their statements in Tamil and avoid delays in carrying out services, because of language barriers.
The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (THTE) has announced that it will begin its second Parliamentary term on 6 December, 2013
During this session, TGTE MP’s will elect the Prime Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Several dignitaries from around the world, including legislators and political leaders are expected to address the opening Session.
Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officers has arrested three persons in connection with the murder of Delft Pradeshiya Sabha (Local Government Council) Chairman Daniel Rexigan (44 years), on 3rd December.
The Provincial Council Chairman was a member of the EDPD party. Among the suspects arrested includes, Rexian Anida the wife of the victim, the opposition leader of the Northern Provincial Council Kamalendran Kandasamy and his assistant Sasindran. Daniel Rexigan was found dead with head injuries in a storeroom near his residence in Punkudithivu on November 26.
Father SS Johnpillai, priest of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the diocese of Trincomalee in Eastern Province says two gunmen threatened to kill him, accusing him of saying a Mass for Velupillai Prabhakaran, Leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The attack took place on 26 November, but local authorities did everything they could to keep the affair under wrap.
The same day, the Sri Lankan government had declared illegal any commemorative events connected to the LTTE rebels.
Concerned over the rising presence of the Chinese in the Indian Ocean region, India has offered to boost defense ties with the southern island nation of Sri Lanka.
Indian Navy Chief Adm. D.K. Joshi was on a five-day visit to Sri Lanka last week where he offered to help train Sri Lankan sailors at Indian training establishments.
China has emerged as Sri Lanka’s largest foreign direct investor accounting for 24 percent of the inflows in 2013.
The Sri Lankan government has set a target of $2 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) for 2013 and as of November had achieved $1.2 billion of the target, reported Xinhua.
Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene said companies from China accounted for the largest amount of FDI into the country followed by Hong Kong with 12 percent.
