• GSK has 'increased investment' in Sri Lanka

    Global pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has invested $11m in expanding its Sri Lankan operations.

    The investment will be welcomed by the government and its struggling economy.

    Sri Lanka is facing difficulties in financing the upkeep of its military, proportionally one of the largest in the world.

    A significant part of its national budget is dedicated to the defence ministry, headed by war crimes accused Gothabaya Rajapakse.

    In a media statement, T. S. Dayanand, Managing Director of GSK Consumer Healthcare said, “Over the years, we have consistently invested in the Sri Lankan business.  This new investment will enable us to bring more new products to our consumers.  It will also help us localise more of our products and reduce dependence on imports.” reported The Sunday Times.

    Every little kills... in Sri Lanka (12 Dec 2012)

    Boycott, divestments and sanctions call against Sri Lanka (07 Sep 2012)

  • Greens challenge Carr on Sri Lanka visit

    Australian Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon has criticised Foreign Minister Bob Carr’s decision to strengthen the country’s strengthening of military and intelligence co-operation with Sri Lanka amid increasing reports of human rights abuses.

    In a statement released on Monday, Senator Rhiannon said,

    "I urge Minister Carr to acquaint himself with reports out of Sri Lanka that on 12 December, 17 Tamil women were admitted to a hospital in Northern Sri Lanka. There is concern that these women had been sexually abused and brutalised by the Sri Lankan military”

    "I have been contacted by a number of Tamils living in Australia who are very distressed about these latest developments.”

    "Australia's standing as a country committed to promoting peace and protecting human rights is at risk if Minister Carr seeks to strengthen military ties while turning a blind eye to ongoing abuses in Sri Lanka".

    See her full statement here.

    Her statement follows on from Australia Greens Leader Christine Milne urging Carr last week to hold Sri lanka to account for alleged human rights abuses. She stated,

    "Submissions to the UN Human Rights Council from international and Sri Lankan human rights organisations have documented the continued extrajudicial killings by military operatives, suspicious deaths in police custody, disappearances by paramilitary groups, white van abductions, torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, arbitrary arrests and detention of alleged members of armed groups, their family members and colleagues, as well as outspoken critics and perceived political opponents of the Government, including journalists.

    "It is time for the Government to explain how our diplomats in Geneva can condemn human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, while our bureaucrats in Canberra can send asylum seekers back to this very violence and persecution they are fleeing."

    "I have raised concerns with Minister Carr about these human rights abuses and have asked the Minister how the Government can guarantee the safety of returned asylum seekers. I have also raised with the Minister my concerns about the level of engagement between the Sri Lankan navy and the Australian Federal Police in the disruption and interception of asylum seeker vessels.”

    See her full statement here.

  • Singapore refuses access to Australian doctor

    Dr. Brian Senewiratne, a Sinhalese activist who has voiced for the Tamil rights in Sri Lanka was refused access into Singapore on Saturday.

    According to the 
    Bangkok Post, Dr. Senewiratne was scheduled to give a speech in Johor Bahru in Malaysia about the political nature in Sri Lanka and the factors that’s contributing to the rise in Sri Lankan asylum seekers.

    Salem-news reported that, Dr. Senewiratne was held in a small cell for more than five hours before he was sent back to Australia.

    Dr. Senewiratne told Salem-news,

    “If an Australian citizen is barred from talking to people in Malaysia and Indonesia about the refugee crisis, which involves them, then we are living in a very bad world. And if the Australian Government doesn’t do something then, as I said on the plane to the staff, an Australian passport isn’t worth the paper it is written on. I would rather have a passport for Guatemala.”

  • Floods submerge parts of Batticaloa

    Photograph Tamilwin

    Heavy rain has left parts of Batticaloa district submerged in flood water, with more rain expected over the next 24 hours.

    One hundred fifty-four villages in the district are reported to be affected, including: Sithandi, Vantharumoolai, Aiyankeni, Thalavai, Eravur, Kommathurai, Murakoddanchenai, Thevapuram, Koppaveli, Iralakkulam, Periyavaddavaan, Poolakkaadu, Pondukalchenai, Ilakku, Santhiveli, Kiraan, Villages on Badulla Road, Mayilavaddavaan, Veppavadduvaan, Senkaladi. 

    Sri Lanka's Meterological Department warned: “People should be careful about possible floods, landslides, earth slips and rock falls,”

     

  • World Bank data shows over 100,000 Tamils went missing in war's final months

    Leaked population data from the World Bank, indicates that over 100,000 Tamils remain unaccounted for after the final months of Sri Lanka's military onslaught, writes the former BBC journalist, Frances Harrison in the Huffington Post.

    Citing World Bank spreadsheets, Harrison states that 101,748 people, or roughly 28,899 households are missing from Mullaitivu District, and asserts that "an international investigation is required to establish the truth about what may be one of the least reported but worst atrocities of recent decades - both in terms of the speed and the scale of the killing."

    See here for full article in Huffington Post.

    Extract reproducted below:

    "The leaked World Bank spreadsheets broken down by village for the north of the island estimate numbers of returnees to the former conflict area in mid 2010. The Bank also cites Statistical Handbook Numbers for population in 2007 - before the fighting intensified. The two sets of data reveal 101,748 people missing from Mullaitivu District - the area that bore the brunt of the final fighting. This is the equivalent of 28,899 households. This number has been confirmed to me by the World Bank, though they add "other interpretations about the population data that are not included in the document can not be attributed to the World Bank".

    A similar conclusion about the missing population can be drawn when comparing the 2010 World Bank data with census numbers from 2006. The latter were the result of a joint government and rebel head count in the area.

    Sceptics might argue the 2006 figures were probably exaggerated by the Tigers and local officials close to them in order to secure more aid. However exactly the same argument could be made for inflating numbers in 2010, which were similarly used for allocating aid.

    It's also not clear if the 2010 World Bank resettlement estimates include the 11,000 Tamil combatants held in detention at that point - or many thousands of Tamils who bribed their way out of the internment camp and escaped to southern India. It's also possible some of the missing Tamils settled elsewhere in the island but unlikely very large numbers because they do not appear elsewhere in the northern provinces judging by the Bank's own data. The onus is now on the Sri Lankan government to explain why huge numbers of people appear to be missing from their own population data."

  • SL Army in Jaffna hold medical clinic for civilians

    The Sri Lankan Army’s 552 Division recently facilitated a medical camp for Tamil civilians in the town of Iyakkachchi, near Elephant Pass in Jaffna, says a report on the defence ministry’s website.

    The ministry claims over 900 Tamil civilians took part in the event, with the army transporting people to the school where the clinic was held.

    See here for full report on the defence ministry’s homepage.

  • Australia assures support for Sri Lanka hosting CHOGM

    Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr has pledged support for Sri Lanka to host 2013 Commonwealth heads of Government Meeting, whilst visiting the country.

    Speaking alongside Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs G L Peiris, Carr said,

    “Australia will be at the Commonwealth Summit next year and will provide Sri Lanka with the technical assistance necessary for a successful summit.”

    When questioned about Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s boycott call over Sri Lanka’s human rights situation, Carr responded,

    “There needs to be engagement with Sri Lanka by way of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commissions (LLRC) report to resolve any issues it may have with regards to human rights. As far as engagement with Sri Lanka is concerned the LLRC is the best instrument.”

  • Australia plans to boost SL spy operations

    Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr has announced plans for Australia to help expand Sri Lanka’s spy network, as part of efforts to stem the flow of asylum seekers to the country.

    Carr announced that Australia would be providing extra surveillance equipment to Sri Lanka as well as hosting training programs  on maritime surveillance for the Sri Lankan Navy.

    Speaking in Colombo he said,

    ‘‘We’re setting a clear agenda for intelligence sharing, naval co-operation and helping rebuild Sri Lanka - all designed to reduce people smuggling.”’

    Carr also announced a $700,000 advertising campaign planned in Sri Lankan towns and villages identified by authorities as vulnerable to smuggling, aiming to discourage those from making the perilous journey to Australia.

    He further went on to say,

    "We've got an interest in a stable Sri Lanka and when it comes to the whole problem of human trafficking, people smuggling, irregular immigration."

    "Seeing that you help a stable society with good prospects of economic growth is the smartest thing to do.”

    "That's why I say aid like this is a good thing to do, it's the right thing to do for a good global citizen like Australia, but it's also in Australia's interests."

  • China blocks loan, demands insurance payment from Sri Lanka

    China has blocked a loan of over $69m, saying it will only release the funds once Sri Lanka pays fees to China’s state-run insurance company, reported The Sunday Times.

    Beijing is blocking the payments, demanding that 7% of the loan should be paid to the insurer Sinosure, although Sri Lanka has offered sovereign guarantees.

    The loan was offered by the state-run Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to fund 90% of a hydro power project in the south of Sri Lanka.

    The power plant will be built by China National Electric Equipment Corporation (CNEEC), another Chinese state owned company.

    Who benefits from Chinese loans to Sri Lanka? (21 Nov 2010)

  • Chief of the Indian Army to visit Sri Lanka

    The Chief of the Indian Army, General Bikram Singh will visit Sri Lanka this week, with the intent of discussing ways to strengthen their bilateral defence ties.

    Despite strong opposition from Tamil Nadu political parties regarding Indian co-operation with Sri Lankan defence forces, the Indian Army chief will be looking to find ways to enhance the Sri Lankan Army’s training, military and hardware capabilities.

    General Singh is set to visit the newly established Sri Lankan army headquarters in the northern provinces. The 3-day visit is scheduled to start on December 18, and will include meetings with the Sri Lanka’s senior leadership family, President Mahinda Rajapasa and Defence Secretary Gotobhaya Rajapaksa.

    "This visit will mark another important milestone in the warm and cordial relations between the Indian and Sri Lanka armies", a statement said.

  • SL police warns of more arrests

    More arrests of Jaffna University students are feared, as Sri Lankan security forces claim those arrested had previous LTTE links.

    The police's media spokesperson SSP Prishantha Jayakody said,

    “All those arrested were involved with LTTE activities in the past and we are arresting them,”

    “It is a long process and we have been gathering intelligence on these people and the training they have undergone during the war for a long time,

    “We have identified the people already and they will be arrested from their homes or places of residence,”

  • Canadian MP condemns Jaffna student arrests

    The Canadian NDP MP for Scarborough-Rouge River, Rathika Sitsabaiesan, condemned the arrests and attacks on Jaffna university students by Sri Lankan security forces as a "clear assault on freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and breach of human rights" and asserted it was "completely unacceptable".

    In a statement published on Friday in English and Tamil, Sitsabaiesan called on the Canadian government to make clear to Sri Lanka that the international community "will not tolerate these oppressive measures".

    "In Canada, our government must work with our partners in the international community to pressure the Sri Lankan Government to improve its treatment of Tamils and bring those responsible for this violation of human rights to justice. Holding individuals without charging them, along with having no clear evidence linking them to any alleged crime is inexcusable."

    In a separate statement, Wayne Marston of the NDP urged that the "Sri Lankan Government must ensure an end to attacks by security forces against students and peaceful demonstrators and ensure those responsible are brought to justice."

  • EU to fund 4,000 homes in North-East

    The European Union has announced it will assist 4,000 families to build permanent homes in their "villages of origin" in the North-East of Sri Lanka.

    EU Ambassador H.E. Bernard Savage said:

    "I am extremely pleased with the signature of this new agreement which constitutes the fourth major housing reconstruction programme funded by the EU since 2006. By 2015, the EU will have financially assisted 20,000 families in North and East Sri Lanka to rebuild their houses, many of whom have endured displacement for over a decade.

    "The EU's total contribution to housing will amount to approximately LKR 7.5 billion (EUR 50 million). These grants add up to ongoing EU-funded programmes (approximately LKR 19 billion or EUR 120 million) supporting livelihoods and socio-economic development in selected districts.

    "By moving from humanitarian assistance to long-term sustainable development projects, the EU will have significantly helped Sri Lanka achieve its main development targets by the year 2016".

    The Swiss Development Cooperation and UN Habitat will provide technical help to complete the project by 2015.

  • Sri Lanka ‘concerned’ at North Korean rocket launch

    The Sri Lankan have expressed concern at the launch of a rocket by North Korea earlier this week, in a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs.

    The full statement says,

    "Sri Lanka is concerned at the launch of a rocket using ballistic missile technology by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874.

    Recognizing the imperative need for dialogue and cooperation between the relevant stakeholders at this juncture, Sri Lanka urges the concerned parties to work in close coordination within the existing UN Security Council Resolutions, in order to ensure peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula."

    See how Sri Lanka itself reacted to a resolution passed at the UN Human Rights Council earlier this year in our post Sri Lanka remains stubbornly defiant after UN resolution (23 March 2012)

    Also see our earlier post: UN Security Council condemns North Korean rocket launch (12 December 2012)

     

  • Gasoline prices raised to record levels

    Sri lanka's state run Ceylon Petroleum Company has increased fuel prices by 6.7% to help stem further losses, an official announced on Saturday.

    The announcement was quickly followed by the country's only private sector fuel retailer, Lanka Indian Oil Company, deciding that it would also raise prices in line with the CPC.

    Managing director of CPC Susantha Silva stated that by the end of October, the state run firm had run up losses of 75 billion rupees. HE further said that despite the hike in prices, the company would still be losing 5 rupees per litre.

    Similiar prices hikes occured in February, with gasoline having been increased by 8.8 percent, diesel by 36.9 percent, and kerosene by 49.3 percent.

    Sri Lanka has been struggling with importing crude oil into the country, in the wake of sanctions on Iran, the country's previous main supplier.

    Adding to Sri Lanka's woes is the falling rupee which has depreciated by more than 14% since February also.

Subscribe to Tamil Affairs