Sri Lanka: Disgusting! Suspect wants water – Police Sgt. urinates in his mouth

 RUWAN LAKNATH JAYAKODY AND SAMAN WADUGE

On 8 May 2014, Sanjeewa having received a call from his mother on 4 May left his home at 164, Heenagara, Medagama, Panirendawa, with the intention of visiting his father who had been brought home after a stint in hospital. He arrived in Ampara (two kilometres from Priyangala, to Rajiwelathenna) at 6.30 p.m. Then Sunil, the owner of the cycle repair shop at which Sanjeewa works, called him at around 7.30 p.m. and inquired whether eight university friends of his could stay at Sanjeewa's parents house in Ampara for a couple of days from 8 May onwards, to which he agreed and gave him the address when asked.

Sri Lanka: Locals protest against rape of 11y girl by SL navy in Karainagar

Locals in Karainagar protested on Friday against the rape of an 11 year old girl by Sri Lankan navy personnel in the town earlier this week. Marching across the town, locals held placards demanding the Sri Lankan military end their occupation of the Tamil areas. Politicians from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) joined locals in protest. The girl was admitted to Jaffna hospital on Wednesday following the attack.

Let the Opposition be urged to continue with its fact finding missions! Police say UNP planned to disturb the peace

UNP MPs explain the incident

Workers as hirelings, Editorial, The Island

An attempt by some UNP parliamentarians to inspect the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) refinery at Sapugaskanda was thwarted by some pro-government workers who staged a protest on Thursday. The situation, however, was not as bad as in Hambantota, where a group of UNP MPs came under a rotten egg attack during a fact finding mission. But, the denial of entry to Opposition lawmakers who seek to visit a public venture after obtaining prior permission is condemnable.

Aluthgama anti Muslim violence: Vital questions that need be answered

''There are a number of vital questions, not limited to who organized the mobs; who provided them the weaponry, powerful flashlights and fuel for the burning and in some cases the intoxicants; who provided them who provided the lorries and vans to loot entire households of furniture, and warehouses and shops of goods; who pointed out Muslim houses and other properties, that need to be inquired into and answered. It is also imperative to examine the role of the police and the STF, especially given the eye-witness accounts of these State forces watching and not taking action to stop the rioting and looting.''

One month after the anti-muslim violence in Aluthgama-Statement by Secretariat for Muslims

June 16, 2014

Lawyers Collective condemns move to intimidate the President of the BASL and calls for an impartial investigation

Mr. Upul Jayasuriya, the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka has been followed by an unidentified group (a motor bicycle and a three wheeler)  today (15th July 2014) for  hours. Mr Jayasuriya has been a strong leader of the Bar who has spoken strongly and fearlessly against the breach of Rule of Law, abuse of constitutional norms and erosion of democracy in Sri Lanka.  Mr. Jayasuriya has made a formal complaint at the Kurunduwatta Police station (Colombo 7)  around 5.00 p.m. today,  in this regard.

Anura Kumara comments on recent incidents and the rule of law

News1st provided footage of the incident in Divulapitiya to the Minuwangoda police upon a request made by the Police.

The footage was provided to the Minuwangoda Police a few days after the incident took place on June 23, which resulted in the death of an individual in police fire. We provided the footage to a police officer identified as M.B.C. Sampath on June 27  at 5 p.m.

Fathima Thahir,the Family Owned Provision Store in Battaramulla and a Rock Flung in the Dark.

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Fathima Thahir is a Muslim woman in her forties who manages a small provision store owned by her family in the Colombo suburb of Battaramulla. The store “Fathima Stores”was named after her by her father who founded it in 1949 long before Battaramulla experienced the current scale of urban development.”Fathima Stores” on 192 Main Street is the only Muslim owned shop in the vicinity and is well-known for selling bulath/vettrilai/betel.

Sri Lanka: EU calls for LLRC full implementation; Welcomes appoinment of experts to UN probe

The European Union (EU) today called for the full implementation of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and advancing a sustainable political solution saying they are essential for peaceful growth and stability in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka: New [ visa] regulations for foreign invitees for non state orgnisation funtions

President Rajapaksa's Code is an eight-page memorandum [presented] by External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris. It calls for significant changes. He has said that the NGO Secretariat (now coming under the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development) and the Registrar of Companies will be tasked “with clearing NGO requests on hosting events and arranging necessary visas for the participants.” He has proposed “to designate a focal point at the NGO Secretariat and the Registrar of Companies in order to streamline the visa process.”

Suspicion Over Reports : BASL to seek order to exhume bodies of Aluthgama victims

Nirmala Kannangara

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) is to submit an application to court and seek an order to exhume the bodies of the Muslims who were killed during the recent riots in Aluthgama and Beruwala and investigate the circumstances that led to their deaths after suspicions were raised over the postmortem reports.

Following a meeting held yesterday the BASL said it had decided to ask the court to direct a qualified Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) or head of the Forensic Department at the University of Colombo to conduct a postmortem seeking accurate and comprehensive reports into the deaths.

Sri Lanka: STF looked on as Aluthgama burned?

A senior English teacher in Dharga town says that a group of youth stormed into her home, vandalised its belongings and broke windows and threatened her before handing her over to a group of STF personnel who were nearby. Ms. Sahabdeen has taught English to Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim children in Dharga town for 37 years.

Police call on public to identify these monks

Police have requested public assistance to identify the Buddhist monks of Bodu Bala Sena who stormed into the ministry of commerce on April 23, 2014. It has become unable to identify the Buddhist monks who are facing charges, police say. The police informed the courts thus after the case on this regard was taken up by the Fort Magistrate court. Police have requested the court for more time to continue investigations.

In complying with the request, the magistrate ordered to take up the case on June 31.

SRI LANKA: Why are the police allowed and encouraged to lie?

Basil Fernando

The video footage is fairly clear. First we see a tall policeman wearing a helmet standing with his arm stretched towards the other side of the road. Then we see a scooter stopped just next to him. There is one man sat on the scooter. Looking closer, we see that the policeman is carrying a pistol in his outstretched hand. The pistol is directed towards somebody on the other side of the road. Then we see the rider of the motorbike stretching his hand out towards the policeman, in an obvious gesture telling the policeman not to shoot.

Later, we get to know the story. The policeman shot somebody who was on the other side of the road. The person had been taken to a nearby hospital and there he died.

Police fail to identify BBS monks who stormed rishad’s ministry ( form a clear video)

one of the Monks in the video

Kollupitiya Police today informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate today that they have failed to ascertained the suspects of the case pertaining to the incident where a group of BBS monks stormed the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, led by Minister Rishad Bathiudeen. The Kollupitiya Police informed the Fort Magistrate that they have observed video footage given by six media institutions, but failed to ascertain the suspects of the case.

Medical reports of Muslims killed by gunfire at Welipitiya were fabricated to indicate they were hacked to death to cover up role of “Defence Personnel”

Welipitiya shops burned (Camp4justice )

In yet another instance of a flagrant abuse of the judicial process, the medical and autopsy reports of three Muslim civilians killed at Welipitiya on June 15th 2014 have been fabricated to show that the victims were hacked to death instead of being killed by gunshots. This blatant cover up by the powers that be is aimed at shielding the actual perpetrators who are suspected to be personnel from the Police Special Task Force (STF).  When Bodu Bala Sena (BBS)instigated anti-Muslim violence broke out on a large scale in Aluthgama and Beruwela on Sunday June 15th 2014 ,one of the places affected badly was the ethnically mixed area of Welipitiya which is in close proximity to the Muslim enclave of Dharga nagar.

13 BBS goons arrested over anti-muslim violence in aluthgama released after Gnanasara Thero threatens self-immolation

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

In a shocking revelation that further erodes Sri Lankan public confidence in the upholding of the rule of law and in the impartiality of law enforcement agencies ,it is now leant that 13 Bodu Bala Sena goons who spearheaded much of the anti – Muslim violence in Aluthgama have been released from Police custody due to threats of self –immolation by BBS General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero.

Sri Lanka: All three Muslim victims of BBS violence were shot to death

Blood inside the Mosque

Dharisha Bastians
“They hold harthals now even for small, small incidents. When the LTTE was killing all communities indiscriminately, nobody held harthals” – President Mahinda Rajapaksa, at the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport on Sunday, 22 June
Inside the Welipitiya mosque premises, the floors and walls of the little scripture learning room are smeared with fresh blood. Benches and desks are strewn around, chairs upturned, as villagers bore the wounded and bleeding into the small room beside the main mosque, tending to them there until the fighting subsided and they could be taken for medical treatment.

UNP makes fresh charges against Govt. over Aluthgama clashes

Muslims in Sri Lanka (Reuters)

Chamitha Kuruppu

The United National Party claims the Government has distorted evidence of the two murders and incidents related to the Aluthgama and Beruwala riots, and alleged there is a plot to divide the communities while trying to damage the long-term friendship with Middle Eastern countries. “There is a conspiracy taking place and it is the Government that is behind the ongoing violence in the country. It is not the United States or Saudi Arabia or any other international force that is behind these unfortunate incidents,” UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera charged yesterday at a media briefing.

Student leader Bandara’s arrest part of witch hunt: IUSF .

Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) Convener Najith Indika said student leaders were subjected to a witch hunt by the Government and this had led to the arbitrary arrest of former IUSF convener Sanjeewa Bandara.  He was produced before the Kandy Magistrate and remanded till July 23 on charges of breaking bail conditions.

“Three of our student leaders visited the Peradeniya Police Station because we asked to make a statement after the university security personnel made a false complaint against us.

Sri Lanka: Police bail for 23 of 62 Aluthgama/Beruwala riots

Police have so far released a total of 23 suspects, who were arrested in connection with the Aluthgama and Beruwala riots, without producing them in Courts, Police Media Spokesman, SSP Ajith Rohana said yesterday. The Police had arrested a total of 62 suspects in connection with the riots by yesterday.