Day: 17 September 2015

Taking a dig at comments made by Namal Rajapaksa MP in describing the country’s judicial system Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said “we all know how Namal baby passed the law exam and his father subjugated and ruined the judicial system in the country”. Mangala Samaraweera addressing both local and international journalists today said neither Namal nor his father had any right to comment on the judiciary. The Foreign Minister went on to say that Rajapksa senior had appointed judges and other senior officers in the Judicial system, not depending on competency and…

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The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) has urged the 47-member United Nations Human Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to accommodate all recommendations made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid. GTF spokesperson Suren Surendiran told The Island yesterday that the grouping expected the establishment of the internationalised Special Court for criminal prosecution. Responding to a query, Surendiran stressed that they wouldn’t compromise under any circumstances, and therefore expected full implementation of the recommendations. The Island received the following statement from the UK based Surendiran: The Global Tamil Forum (GTF)…

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by Shamindra Ferdinando The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has joined the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a project to garner support for their on-going efforts to reach an understanding with the Maithripala Sirisena-Wickremesinghe coalition. Asanga Welikala, Senior Researcher of the CPA will represent the CPA. President of the influential GTF, Rev. Father S.J.  Emmanuel is scheduled to preside at a meeting at the Birbeck College, University of London on Saturday (19) to create awareness among the community regarding the rapid developments taking place…

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By Waruni Karunarathne Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Shanthi Sriskandharaja who was appointed to parliament through the national list is a newbie in the Sri Lanka parliament. Speaking to The Sunday Leader, MP Sriskandharaja said that she believes it to be a rewarding opportunity for her to serve the people in the north, especially, with the war affected, vulnerable groups. Sriskandharaja contested the last general election under the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) ticket from the Wanni District yet failed to secure enough votes to enter parliament. While some main…

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Governments Need to Follow Through to Ensure Justice for Civil War’s Victims (Geneva) – The call by the United Nations’ top human rights officer for a domestic-international hybrid court to address allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka should receive strong endorsement by members of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, Human Rights Watch said today. OISL Report on Sri Lanka On September 16, 2015, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, released a report on human rights abuses by…

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The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) today called on the government to accept a report released by the UN which calls on Sri Lanka to establish a special court to probe war abuses. The report which was released at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, called on the Sri Lankan government to establish a hybrid court which included international judges and lawyers to try all those involved in war crimes during the island nation’s civil conflict between government troops and…

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Mahinda didn’t do enough to bring about reconciliation – DEW by Dasun Edirisinghe The Sri Lanka Communist Party (CP) yesterday welcomed Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s statement at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva as it had promised a solution to war crimes allegations through a domestic inquiry. CP Leader D. E.W. Gunasekera said that his party had been calling for such action since the end of the conflict in May 2009. Gunasekera said he had always appreciated President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s leadership to ending the war. “As the acting foreign minister at the…

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Jehan Perera of Sri Lanka’s National Peace Council responds to the UN Human Rights Council’s report on the civil war. The much anticipated UN Human Rights Council’s report on Sri Lankan war crimes is a grave indictment of the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil rebels, accusing both sides of crimes against humanity. The Council has called for a special court – part international, part local – to try those involved in war crimes and give justice. Will the new regime in Colombo under Maithripala Sirisena succumb to international pressure…

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Although a definitive response was not expressed concerning the OHCHR recommended ‘hybrid special court’ to deal with accountability issues, Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera today confirmed an international role in the domestic inquiry mechanism and added the government plans to conclude the proposed processes within 18 months. Addressing the media at a special briefing at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Minister Samaraweera said he planned to have the consultation processes on the domestic inquiry mechanism underway by the second week of October, upon their return from partaking in the UN General…

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by P. Krishnaswamy Dr.Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Renowned human rights activists Dr.Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, founder Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), Dr.(Mrs) Nimalka Fernando, Convener of the Platform for Freedom (PF) and Attorney-at-Law K.S.Ratnavale when asked whether they considered an international mechanism or a domestic mechanism as appropriate to conduct probes on the purported war crimes, on release of the UNHRC report end of this month, they expressed mixed views. Excerpts of their views: Dr.Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu: It is clear that for many families of victims no mechanism can be credible…

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Responsible for extra judicial killings and rape –  Mahinda Rajapaksha, Palitha Kohana, Basil Rajapaksha and Major General Shavendra Silva………. ECONOMYNEXT – The first UN war crimes report on Sri Lanka has identified several top militrary and police personnel in charge of key units held responsible for extra judicial killings, rape and degrading treatment of civilians. Individual culpability is not specified in the 261-page report, but it has clearly identified the command structure of the armed forces, down from commander in chief Mahinda Rajapaksa to field commanders. It also names individuals such…

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