“It is not an illegal construction. We have accurate deeds and the building has been there for so many years,”

“I sent a team to inspect the area and we have found that the Madarasa is an illegal construction and we have summoned them to court on Monday. Even before the legal aspect could be done the villagers and the monks have begun a protest.”

The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, John Rankin, has criticised the large military presence in the Northeast of Sri Lanka.

In a video message, answering questions about last month’s report on human rights, Mr Rankin said Sri Lanka has serious human rights issues that need to be addressed.

He questioned the need for maintaining such a huge military contingent in the Northeast and called for the number to be scaled down to make it resemble the number of soldiers in other parts of the island.

Mr Rankin also pointed out that any accusations of breach of international humanitarian law by British soldiers are always fully investigated and held responsible, if found guilty. He said he hopes that Sri Lanka will act in the same way and apply the same standards.

The troika tasked with serving as rapporteurs for Sri Lanka’s Universal Periodic Review, consists of Benin, India and Spain.

Sri Lanka’s review is due to start in November this year.

The UPR process examines the human rights situation of each member state of the UN every four years.

The UPR provides the opportunity for each country to present the progress it has made since its last review, but also allows other stakeholders, such as human rights organisation and other countries, to submit information detailing lack of progress or continuing abuses.

The review is conducted by the 47 members of the Human Rights Council and is assisted by the troika.

The selection of the troika reviewing each country is determined by the drawing of lots.

Benin, India and Spain all voted in favour of the US-backed resolution on Sri Lanka in March.

“These reports, which the United States Government has published for nearly four decades, make clear to governments around the world: We are watching and we are holding you accountable.  And they make clear to citizens and activists everywhere:  You are not alone.  We are standing with you.”

“The major human rights problems were unlawful killings by security forces and government-allied paramilitary groups, often in predominantly Tamil areas, which led many to regard them as politically motivated, and attacks on and harassment of civil society activists, persons viewed as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sympathizers, and journalists by persons allegedly tied to the government, which created an environment of fear and self-censorship.”

“Other serious human rights problems included disappearances, as well as a lack of accountability for thousands who disappeared in previous years.”

“Discrimination against persons with disabilities and against the ethnic Tamil minority continued, and a disproportionate number of victims of human rights violations were Tamils.”

“The government continued to refuse the request by the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for an expanded mission and an independent presence in the country.”

“So we are supporting efforts around the world to give people a voice in their societies, a stake in their economies, and to support them as they determine for themselves the future of their own lives and the contributions they can make to the future of their countries.”

“But this is at the core of who we are.  This is central to what we believe.  And this is the work that will continue administration after administration, secretary after secretary, because of its centrality to our foreign policy and national security.”

“There are no unlawful killings taking place in Sri Lanka and also no paramilitary groups operating as mentioned in the report.”

“We will investigate those complaints and take action where necessary”

"Fonseka also said that he believed civilians were given weapons and put in the front lines by the LTTE and as a result the Army would not have been able to identify them from the terrorists."

"At the same time he has said that he rejected accusations that thousands of civilians had been killed in the final phase of the offensive."

These two statements are contradictory. As the ex-army commander he should not make these types of comments as they will help some Western countries, such as the USA, to work against Sri Lanka."

"But some people try to get that credit for them. But the President or the government never tries to get that credit."

Tamil political detainees have called off their hunger strike, after the government promised to deal with the grievances raised by them.

The Sri Lankan Government has said it will establish four new special courts to deal with Tamil detainees swiftly.

Over 200 political prisoners were on a hunger strike for six days, demanding that they either be charged or released from prison. Some of the detainees had been imprisoned for over five years without being charged.

The government has now promised to commence legal proceedings within a month.

The ‘killers’ of the Canadian Tamil, Anthonypillai Mahendrasa, have been caught, according to the pro-government newspaper, The Island.

The newspaper claims that a police investigation discovered the ‘mastermind’ of the murder. According to the police, the murder was committed as the suspect believed the victim was carrying a lot of cash.

Four men in total were arrested. The police allegedly recovered a laptop and two telephones, owned by the victim, as well as the axe and iron rods used in the killing. 

In a country where injustice for crimes committed against Tamils is endemic, for the police to have 'solved' this crime in less than three weeks truly is a remarkable feat.

Perhaps they can also find out why the suspects tortured and mutilated the victim, for  ‘just’ an alleged robbery.

It has been reported that the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) secretary Maurice Nicolas told Sri Lanka, that their elections for the Sri Lanka Athletics Association (SLAA) were not held fairly and were not recognised by the association, resulting in postponement of the games.

However, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Sports has said the event would go ahead as scheduled, despite Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage statement on Monday, which confirmed the postponement.

According to the Colombo Page, state-owned Dinamina newspaper stated that a former athlete supplied the AAA with “false information”, after candidates for the elections attempted to buy votes.

The elections, and subsequent change in administration, along with the incompletion of the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo have been cited as reasons as to why the  games had been postponed.

See our earlier posts:

The link between Sports and Politics (20 June 2011)

Impossible to ignore (21 June 2011)

Members of the Tamil National Alliance and its constituent parties are to go on hunger strike in Vavuniya on Wednesday, to show solidarity with the over 300 reported Tamil detainees protesting across the island.

According to Ceylon Today, TNA Spokesperson and the Jaffna District Parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran stated that various parties, including the TULF, PLOTE, EPRLF, TELO TAK, TNLF and DPF would be on hunger strike on Wednesday, urging the government to release all Tamil political prisoners.

The hunger strike, now entering its sixth day, has now grown to include an approximate 300 Tamil detainees, including 32 female prisoners. 

TNA leader Sampanthan told the Sri Lankan Parliament on Tuesday, 

"The prisoners have refused to call off their fast stating that several assurances given in the past have not been kept and that this time they are determined to fast unto death."

The protest movement, at prisons across the country, has seen the detainees call for their release, with many prisoners having been held for years without charge.

See our earlier post:

Over 200 Tamil prisoners on hunger strike (21 May 2012)

The recent murder of Canadian-Tamil  Anthonypillai Mahendrarasa, has underscored the “enduring ethnic violence” in Sri Lanka, reported the Globe and Mail on Tuesday, after the slain businessman’s funeral last week near Montreal.

Commenting that Mr Mahendrarasa felt that his Canadian citizenship would protect him when travelling in Sri Lanka, they noted how he told friend “They can't do anything to me”, despite their cautions regarding his travel plans.

Rathika Sitsabaiesan, a Canadian-Tamil MP from Toronto commented, 

“Our Canadian brother, who is also Tamil, was murdered there, and this type of thing cannot continue to go on. We need to make sure the Canadian government is pushing for an investigation – a lot of members of the community are outraged.”

Also speaking to the Globa and Mail, TNA MP Suresh Premachandran stated,

“We are totally under army occupation still in the northern provinces. So many people want their property back, their shops and houses back. But the military says, ‘Whatever was occupied by the LTTE now belongs to us.’”

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Canada, Chitranganee Wagiswara continued to deny what she called the “wild allegations” made by “groups sympathetic to the Tamil Tigers”.

See the full report from the Globe and Mail here.

See our earlier posts:

Embassy examines murder site of Canadian Tamil (07 May 2012)

Canadian Tamil found murdered in Vanni (05 May 2012)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has criticised pressure on Sri Lanka to allow an international probe into war crimes and human rights abuses, Russian media reported on Wednesday.

Speaking at a meeting with Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister GL Peiris, Mr Lavrov stressed that Sri Lanka has already had a home-grown and trustworthy commission to look into war crimes.

“We believe, attempts to force international investigation on Sri Lanka without the sovereign state’s permission and bypassing the UN Security Council are absolutely wrong, they also contradict our aspirations in the human rights sphere,” said Lavrov.

A group of young Tamil activists burnt copies of the 1972 constitution, at the same spot where the mother of the LTTE’s leader, Parvathi Amma, was cremated, TamilNet reported today.

Over 40 youths burnt the copies at Oorani cemetery in Valvettithurai on Tuesday afternoon.

According to TamilNet, the youths raised some slogans and distributed leaflets to the public before leaving the scene.

A draft of the constitution was burnt by ITAK leader SJV Chelvanayakam and others, 40 years ago in Jaffna.

See full report on TamilNet.