"In addressing all these issues, the human rights and humanitarian concerns, human lives should be given the first and foremost priority,"

"It is the right time for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to address the issues in a speedy and judicious manner.”

“hoping that Ban Ki-Moon will show leadership and deliver on his promises of accountability and set up a commission of inquiry to look into these very serious allegations.”

“internationally condemned as one of the most atrocious acts perpetrated against humanitarian aid workers”.

“the United Nations and the international community must adequately address Sri Lanka’s utter failure to fulfil its international  obligations”.

“set up an independent body of international experts having the necessary expertise to investigate into violations of human rights and international humanitarian laws.”

Cluster bombs found in Mullaiththeevu, January 2009. Courtesy of TamilNet

The confirmation comes after a young boy was killed and his sister injured after trying to prise apart explosive device for scrap metal to sell.

Cluster munitions are packed with small “bomblets” that break up upon release, spreading over a large area. They often indiscriminately harm civilians, lying unexploded long after their initial deployment, leading to them coming under intense international scrutiny.

In an email on Tuesday written by Allan Poston, the technical adviser for the U.N. Development Program's mine action group in Sri Lanka, he states,

“After reviewing additional photographs from the investigation teams, I have determined that there are cluster sub-munitions in the area where the children were collecting scrap metal and in the house where the accident occurred. This is the first time that there has been confirmed unexploded sub-munitions found in Sri Lanka,"

"Cluster sub-munitions are extremely dangerous items of (unexploded ordnance) and can explode with the slightest movement or touch,"

Sri Lankan government spokesman Lakshman Hulugalla immiediately said the military had not used cluster munitions.

"We are denying that information," he said.

Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director for Human Rights Watch, commented,

"If there is evidence that cluster weapons were used, it would show yet again, the government's constant attempts at deception and underscore our demand that there should be an independent international investigation into all allegations of laws-of-war violations.”

The UN Panel of Experts Report on Sri Lanka confirmed that witnesses had reported explosions consistent with the use of cluster munitions by the Sri Lankan military, with several reports confirming their use. See here and here.

In March of this year, TamilNet also reported the discovery of cluster bomb containers by de-miners working in the North-East. See here for their report.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions treaty, which came into force in 2010, has been ratified by 70 states, and prohibits the use and stockpiling of cluster munitions. Sri Lanka is not a signatory to the treaty.

Two children were killed by a landmine blast in Pazhai, Jaffna on Wednesday.

Thamilkumaran Mukunthan, 4, and his 2 year old brother Thanujan were killed after playing with a unexploded ordnance found near their house.

One child died on the spot and the other died on the way to hospital.

The children and their family recently resettled in Pazhai after it was declared free of mines by the government.

Meanwhile a leading Danish de-mining group is winding up its operations in Jaffna, sparking complaints by civil groups.

Read full report on TamilNet.

A Sri Lankan army soldier attacked and attempted to rape a 16 year old Tamil girl in the Nedungeeni area of Mullaitheevu district on Monday, reports Tamilwin.

The incident took place at around 10:30am, when the girl's parents were at work and her younger sister, at school. The soldier, who has been deployed to that locality to conduct government registration, entered the house.

The soldier then reportedly wrote his phone number on a calendar and threatened to kill the girl's youngest sister unless she contacted him. As the girl screamed for help and tried to run out of the house, the Sri Lankan soldier grabbed her by the neck and attempted to sexually assault her.

On hearing her screams, local people rushed to the house and surrounded it, attempting to capture the soldier. However he managed to escape.

The incident has been reported to Kankarajan Kulam police station.

No sooner had the cross-party Indian delegation, led by the opposition Lok Sabha leader Sushma Swaraj, left Sri Lanka than the Sri Lankan government began refuting Indian press reports that the president had assured Swaraj of implementing the 13th Amendment and going beyond.

On Monday, the pro-government newspaper, The Island, published an article asserting that Sri Lankan government sources rejected such claims, and that the president had not given such assurances. Instead during a meeting at Temple Trees, Rajapaksa had in fact recalled how India had forced the 13th Amendment on Sri Lanka's then President, JR Jayewardene.

This is not the first time that visiting Indian diplomats have left Sri Lanka buoyed in the belief that they had secured such an assurance only to find out that this is not case.  

Following a visit by India's external affairs secretary, S.M. Krishna, earlier this year, Rajapaksa said, "Oh, No! How can I make promises like that?", prompting this cartoon in the Daily Mirror.

Sri Lankan Army Commander Jagath Jayasuriya has backtracked from statements made by him at an event in Kurunegala.

According to the Daily Mirror the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Army has said there was an error on the Sri Lankan Army website in regards to his speech and has amended it accordingly.

Jagath Jayasuriya was first reported to have said that President Rajapakse personally gave him a call instructing him to 'complete the operations as planned'.

See both paragraphs below:

Original:

“I still remember, the President, personally giving me a call instructing me to pursue the operations as planned, though he remained under enormous pressure to stop it. It was the country’s political leadership that gave strength to us to be successful.”

Amended:

“HE the President Mahinda Rajapaksa was determined and did not give in to pressures of the international community when the Wanni humanitarian operations were entering decisive phases around April 2009. I still remember, HE the President, telling me that he remained under enormous international pressure.”

Sri Lanka's security and intelligence agencies launched a search operation in the Eastern province looking for 'ex-LTTE cadres' who had returned from overseas, the Daily Mirror reports.

Authorities have stated that individuals that had not gone through the government's 'rehabilitation' program would be detained, questioned and their details registered.

President Mahinda Rajapakse ‘personally’ instructed the Sri Lankan military to pursue the military operations in 2009, despite enormous international pressure, the army commander has revealed.

Speaking to soldiers at an event in Kurunegala, the head of the Sri Lankan Army Jagath Jayasuriya said President Rajapakse was ‘determined’ to see the operations through till the end.

“President Mahinda Rajapaksa was determined and did not give in to pressures of the international community to suddenly stop the military operations when the Wanni humanitarian operations were entering a decisive phases around April 2009,”

“I still remember, the President, personally giving me a call instructing me to pursue the operations as planned, though he remained under enormous pressure to stop it. It was the country’s political leadership that gave strength to us to be successful,”

For report in the Daily Mirror please see here.

Last Friday a mob of about 2,000 Sinhalese, led by a group of Buddhist monks, stormed into a mosque in Dambulla.

The mosque and a Hindu temple have been long standing in an area now designated a sacred Buddhist site.

The above video of the incident, some of which was broadcast on TV, shows leading members of the Buddhist clergy (Sangha) engaged in the violence.

The security forces, as ever, stand by.

The incident ends with speeches to the mob by the monks ... and a bit of worship and chanting.

This article on groundviews.org offers a commentary on the incident and a translation of the Chief prelate’s comments to the mob.

The comments are noteworthy for the wider logic of Sinhala-Buddhist politics.

Extracts from the article:

There is a member of the Sangha who disrobes, jumps up and down and exposes himself, in public, against the mosque. Others break down the entrance of the mosque.

A Chief Prelate from the Dambulla Temple suggests that the mob is a shramadaanaya, and that destroying the mosque is something that they should in fact be helped by the government.

[At around 3.47 in the video,] there is a particularly chilling exchange between one of the Chief Prelates of the Dambulla Temple and a Hindu resident of the area.

The female resident says that from when she was small, she had worshipped at a Kovil in the area.

The Prelate’s immediate answer is whether she is referring to the 1800′s.

In a menacing Sinhala idiom that loses a lot of its original violence in translation, the Chief Prelate threatens to either remove the Kovil, or have it removed along with the homes of the Hindu residents, noting that they are all there illegally.

The Chief Prelate notes, through a Sinhala adage, that not only are the crows attempting to fly over their heads, they are now attempting to enter the nest as well – a clear reference to the Hindus and Muslims in the areas.

The woman assures the Chief Prelate, in a very deferent expression, that there is nothing for him to fear about their worship.

However, the Prelate’s answer is again menacing in Sinhala, noting that she can take her gods wherever they want to, but away from the sacred ground of the Temple.

Addressing the UK House of Commons last week, the Labour MP for Mitcham and Mordem, Siobhain McDonagh, questioned the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs’ decision not to declare Major General Prasanna Silva persona non grata.

McDonagh said,

"Three months ago a dossier about war crimes committed by the defence attaché at Sri Lanka’s high commission in London, Major General Prasanna De Silva, was sent to the Foreign Office. However, the Foreign Secretary has reportedly refused to strip him of diplomatic immunity so that he can be questioned about these terrible accusations."

"I hope we can have a debate about the case and about the abuse of diplomatic immunity, because if the attaché is allowed to leave without being questioned, that will undermine Britain’s proud reputation for not tolerating war criminals."

"If we are soft on Sri Lanka, other shady regimes will surely also begin to regard us as a refuge for people who commit atrocities."

The Leader of the House Sir George Young replied,

"I understand the hon. Lady’s concern. It is important that diplomatic immunity is not abused. There was an opportunity on Tuesday to raise this with the Foreign Secretary. I am not sure that it will be possible to raise it again before Prorogation, but I will ask the Foreign Secretary to drop her a line explaining what action he is taking in response to her concern about the continuing diplomatic immunity of the individual to whom she referred."

Prasana Silva, the Defence Attaché at the High Commission of Sri Lanka in London, has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Related articles:

GTF takes action against British Foreign Secretary over SL diplomat (31 Mar 2012)

The Sri Lankan government has decided to demolish a mosque and a Saiva temple located in a Buddhist sacred area.

Thousands of Singhalese, led by Buddhist monks, attacked the mosque in Dambulla on Friday, calling for its destruction as it was constructed illegally. The protest only dispersed after officials promised an answer by Monday.

Videos show Buddhist monks addressing the crowds saying the campaign against the mosque was a success for "those who love the race, have Sinhalese blood and are Buddhists".

The BBC’s Charles Haviland reported a monk was seen exposing himself against the mosque.

Buddhist monks say a total of 72 buildings, including the mosque and a Tamil Saiva temple will be demolished.

Mohammad Saleemdeen, a board member of the mosque, told AP news agency the mosque has been in existence long before the area was declared a sacred Buddhist area around 20 years ago and his father and grandfather were officials at the mosque.

While Muslim coalition partners of Mahinda Rajapakse’s government have condemned the decision to demolish the mosque, Prime Minister D M Jayaratne, who is also Buddhasasana and Religious Affairs Minister, instructed officials to to build a new mosque at a different location and said there is no need to create conflict over 'a minor issue'.

Directly contradicting the statement made by Mr Salamdeen the prime minister said,

“This mosque was constructed for traders coming to Dambulla 10 years ago. Nobody gave me information about this mosque,”

Meanwhile, a high level meeting about the Dambulla mosque issue, attended by senior Muslim politicians including Rauff Hakeem and Rishath Bathiutheen, was stormed by individuals who hurled abuse at Muslim MPs.

“Certain hooligans forced their way into the building and started hurling insults on all Muslim ministers and MPs, shouting anti-government slogans and blaming the Jammiyathul Ulema Leader, Moulavi Rizvi Mufthi for proceeding to Geneva to help the Sri Lankan cause – which he successfully did for the good of the motherland”, MP A H M Azwer said.

Monks and the mob in Dambulla (23 Apr 2012)

Responding to the Indian delegation currently visiting Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa said it would be "unreasonable" to expect Sri Lanka to remove the military from Northern province.

Rajapaksa retorted, "Can I send them to India?" 

It was "deployment in Sri Lanka, not on foreign soil," he added.

Rajapaksa's remarks come less than a month after a resolution was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council specifically calling for the demilitarisation of the North, as documented in the government's own inquiry, the LLRC.

NGO workers and government employees in Kallady, Batticaloa were subject to questioning by the Sri Lankan military who were collecting personal information on employees, reported Tamilwin.  

According to reports foreign NGOs were particularly targeted.

According to a senior employee at one NGO, who wished to remain anonymous, affected employees were very concerned by the army's actions.