by Tamil Guardian, London, November 27, 2016 Today, Tamils across the globe will collectively light candles, lay flowers and bow heads in memory of those who gave their lives resisting state oppression. Marking the legacy of these heroes has become an integral moment of solidarity for the entire nation. In the Tamil homeland, commemorations have… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Politics
Jayalalitha Tribute
by M.K. Eelaventhan, Toronto, December 7, 2016 Jayalalitha, the voice of the voiceless Eelam Tamils, have been prematurely muted. We feel politically orphaned, but her name is etched deeply in the hearts of Eelam Tamils. The untimely demise of Jayalalitha, the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu at age 68 is an irrepairable loss not only to… Read more »
Torture Is ‘Common Practice’ in Sri Lanka
by Nick Cummings-Bruce, ‘The New York Times,’ December 7, 2016 GENEVA — President Maithripala Sirisena swept to a surprising election victory about two years ago promising political changes and human rights protections in Sri Lanka. On Wednesday, a United Nations committee questioned the government’s commitment to fulfilling those promises, pointing to the continued use of… Read more »
UN Committee Against Torture Concluding Observations on Sri Lanka
int_cat_coc_lka_25983_e Key Points: – The UN Committee Against Torture is calling for an independent mechanism to investigate allegations of torture and sexual violence in the “rehabilitation” programme for 12,000+ suspected former cadres. (paragraph 26). – The Committee says allegations of unlawful detention, torture and sexual violence by security forces in Sri Lanka should be investigated… Read more »
ACPR: Subcommittee on Centre-Periphery Relations
by Adayaalam, Jaffna, December 2, 2016 The Sub-Committee on Centre-Periphery Relations and the Unitary State acpr-2016_november_issue_brief_no-_1 ACPR is cautiously optimistic about the report of the CPR Sub-Committee which contains recommendations that have the potential to positively contribute to a genuine restructuring of the State that accommodates the concerns of the numerically smaller communities vis a… Read more »
US Navy at Galle Dialogue 2016
US Policy and Objectives in Building Strategic partnership with Navies in the Indo-Asia-Pacific by US Admiral Harry B. Harris, Galle, November 28, 2016 USN, Commander US Pacific Command adm-harris-galle-dialogue-2016 All speeches at http://galledialogue.lk/index.php?id=53 Thanks, Admiral Wijegunaratne for that kind introduction. In addition to being an expert in asymmetric naval warfare and special boat operations, the… Read more »
USS Somerset Supports Exchange with Sri Lanka Marines
By 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Pacific Command, Hawaii, November 28, 2016 TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka – U.S. Marines and Sailors of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked aboard amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25) recently arrived in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, for a theater security cooperation (TSC) exchange with the Sri Lankan Navy’s marine forces, Nov. 23-25…. Read more »
TNA: Conciliatory Approach Not Weakness
TNA warns Colombo not to take its conciliatory approach as weakness – YouTube TNA report on full speech: Hon. M A Sumanthiran’s Speech in Parliament on Sri Lanka’s new Constitution and the reconciliation Process (30th November 2016) – TNA Full speech on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBwzLRgLtB0 ————– Interview with TNA MP M A Sumanthiran: the Constitution, Transitional Justice and… Read more »
In Colombia, Turning a Peace Deal Into Reality
by the Editorial Board, ‘The New York Times, December 2, 2016 Among the dozens of people who addressed Colombia’s Congress this week before lawmakers ratified a peace deal with the country’s largest guerrilla group, Richard Moreno stood out. Men like him don’t often get to confront the ruling elite. So when he got his turn at… Read more »
Five Takeaways from the UN Torture Review
by Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace & Justice, London, November 18, 2016 Five takeaways from the UN Committee Against Torture review of Sri Lanka This week saw the conclusion of the UN Committee Against Torture’s review of Sri Lanka, a regular process of expert-based scrutiny designed to monitor implementation of the Convention Against Torture. The… Read more »
Committee Against Torture Considers Report of Sri Lanka
by UN Committee Against Torture via UN Information Service, Geneva, November 16, 2016 The review may also be viewed at http://webtv.un.org/meetings- events/human-rights-treaty- bodies/committee-against- torture/59th-session/ Committee against Torture CAT/16/27 16 November 2016 COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE CONSIDERS REPORT OF SRI LANKA … Read more »
Business Is As Usual
by Thambu Kanagasabai LLM [Lond.], November 14, 2016 Former Lecturer in Law University of Colombo With the support of 6.2 millions, the present Sri Lankan Government swept into victories at the both Presidential and general elections on the slogan of ‘Good Governance’ to remove the ‘Bad Governance’ of former President Mahinda Rajapaksha who was hailed… Read more »
200th Anniversary of the Establishment of the American Ceylon Mission
by US Mission to Sri Lanka & Maldives, Colombo, October 31, 2016 [As prepared] Rev. Dr. James Moos, Executive Minister, Co-Executive Global Ministries Rev. Dr. Deenabandhu Manchala, Area Executive for Southern Asia, Global Ministries Rev Devasagayam Devanesan, Chairperson Rt. Rev Bishop Duleep De Chickera, Former Anglican Bishop of Colombo Rev Asiri P. Perera, President of the Methodist Conference in Sri… Read more »
No Justice without Foreign Input – Wigneswaran
by Ceylon News, Colombo, November 7, 2016 Pointing out that the Sri Lankan government has not taken any step to include foreign judges, prosecutors and investigators in the war crimes accountability mechanism as agreed in the UN, the Northern Chief Minister C.V Wigneswaran has told a visiting UK Minister on Monday that there would no… Read more »
Call for Autonomous Unit in North-East Renewed
By Shamindra Ferdinando, ‘The Island,’ Colombo, November 6, 2016 The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) on behalf of the Sri Lankan Tamils resident overseas has called for the creation of an ‘Autonomous Tamil Region’ (ATR) in a re-merged Northern and Eastern Province to address their grievances. The two provinces comprise eight administrative districts. The GTF has… Read more »
Atrocities Prevention Experts Report Released
A major task was to identify ways to improve the ability of U.S., foreign, and international courts to prosecute atrocity crimes. To this end, the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and State were tasked with developing proposals that would strengthen the U.S. Government’s ability to prosecute perpetrators of atrocities found in the United States, and permit… Read more »
Comparing Contentious Post-war Politics in Nepal and Sri Lanka
By Jonathan Goodhand and Oliver Walton, ‘East Asia Forum,’ Australia, October 27, 2016 Sri Lanka and Nepal may have turned their backs on protracted and bloody conflicts but the fault lines that fuelled these wars have not gone away. One key challenge now facing political elites is that of constitutional reform. But long-standing central-peripheral tensions threaten… Read more »
The ICC, Out of Africa
by Thierry Cruvellier, ‘The New York Times,’ November 6, 2016 In just a few weeks, Burundi, South Africa and Gambia have announced that they would withdraw from the International Criminal Court, a permanent tribunal investigating war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Since its creation in 1998, the I.C.C. has been hobbled by the refusal… Read more »
Why Facebook Won’t Help Heal War Torn Sri Lanka’s Wounds
by Senel Wanniarachchi, ‘The Sunday Leader,’ Colombo, November 6, 2016 Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict, one of the world’s most protracted and destructive conflicts of our time was brought to a bloody, military end in May of 2009. Seven years have passed since, but the communities in the country remain divided along narrow ethno-religious lines. In… Read more »
Devolution of Land Powers
by Verite Research, Colombo, October 2016 Devolution of Land Powers_A guide for decision-makers Executive Summary This is a practical guide for decision-makers on devolving land powers in Sri Lanka. It is meant to help comprehend the complex and sometimes contradictory provisions in relation to the devolution of powers over land. The guide is presented in… Read more »