Horrible rise of disappearances in post-war Sri Lanka continues unabated

 Watch Dog
Twenty nine disappearances (including an attempted abduction) have been reported in Sri Lankan media between February and March 2012. There have been fifteen in March and fourteen in February. This brings the total number of disappearances reported in the last six months to fifty six.

I.C.J Writes to Justice Minister Hakeem on protection to victims of crime and witnesses

This is the text of letter sent by International Commission of Jurists in association with the Law and Society Trust in Colombo to Justice minister Rauff Hakeem

Buddhist Stupa to become ‘cultural landmark’ of Jaffna harbour

A massive Buddhist Stupa that is being constructed at the Beach Road of Jaffna harbour by the occupying Sinhala military will be the new ‘cultural landmark’ of Jaffna city for vessels coming towards its harbour. The Stupa with pre-fabricated parts and statues, brought from the South, is being built day and night by the Sinhala soldiers.

SL Army restricts NGO movement in Batticaloa district

The occupying Sri Lanka Army has imposed restrictions on the movement of Non Governmental Organizations to Paduvaankarai from Batticaloa via Kiraan Bridge, civil sources in Batticaloa city told TamilNet Wednesday. The SLA soldiers at Kiraan Bridge are reported to have refused permission to several NGOs in recent days to travel beyond the bridge without SL Defense ministry authority.

A popular Colombo Tamil businessman Sinagnanam Ravichandan gone missing

The latest victim in the long cruel series of crimes of abductions and persons gone missing under the MaRa regime administration is Sivagnanam Ravichandran , a popular Colombo Tamil businessman. Ravichandran is 45 years old and his native town is Jaffna.

Army Restricts Kankamigai Amman in Kilinochhci from regular Street Procession - GTN Reporter

The street procession of the Amman which takes place along the normal route hitherto taken has been restricted this time. The street procession of Kannaki amman of the Kanakambigaikulam Kannaki Amman temple in the Kilinochchi district has been curbed by the Sri Lankan army.

Non-communal voters of North must be given leadership - Defence Secy

It should be a priority of the state to ensure that communal politics are removed from Northern politics, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said.

COPE concerned over lack of supervision by Treasury

The Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) yesterday expressed concern over the supervision of public enterprises by the Treasury, which is the controlling arm of state owned ventures.

Factual Supplement to the Report to Congress on Measures Taken by the Government of Sri Lanka and International Bodies To Investigate and Hold Accountable Violators of International Humanitarian and Human Rights

 Office of Global Criminal Justice /April 4, 2012
This factual supplement explains, in greater detail, issues of international humanitarian law and international human rights law addressed in the Department of State’s March 2012 Report to Congress on Measures Taken by the Government of Sri Lanka and International Bodies to Investigate and Hold Accountable Violators of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law.

Measures Taken by the Government of Sri Lanka and International Bodies To Investigate and Hold Accountable Violators of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law

Office of Global Criminal Justice, US Dept of State
April 4, 2012
This report is submitted pursuant to the Conference Report (H. Conf. Rep. No. 112-331) accompanying the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2012 (Div. I, Pub.L. No. 112-74). Since the last report by the Department of State to Congress on August 11, 2010, significant new allegations of violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) have been raised regarding the conflict in Sri Lanka.

Christian Council urge to implement LLRC .

The National Christian Council today urged the Government to fully implement the LLRC recommendations.
 The statement issued by the NCC said “The National Christian Council of Sri Lanka calls on those who are in authority, and very specially the Government, to formulate a constructive position on the resolution adopted by the UNHCR in Geneva. 

White van abduction in Grandpass - Mano

A 45 year old man has been abducted by a white van in Nawa Kelanipura also known as ‘Tamil Nadu’ in the Grandpass police zone today, The Democratic People’s Front Leader and Civil Monitoring Commission Convener Mano Ganesan told Ada Derana.

To protect human rights I will go to any where not only to Geneva, - MR in 1992

To be a Dharmasoka or a Mugabe? Decision up to president – Mangala
 Noting that both the Rajapaksa administration and the nation are now at a decisive juncture, UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera urges the government to decide whether it will follow the footsteps of the Emperor Dharmasoka or the dictator Robert Mugabe.

Halt the Slander Campaign Against Sri Lanka’s Journalist Union Leader

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins partners and affiliates in condemning a campaign of slander and vilification that has been launched against the leader of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) through state-controlled media.

Sri Lanka hid vital information, ran into brick wall: legislator

Sri Lanka has suppressed information, ignored warnings from independent analysts, manipulated data and markets until the economy ran into 'brick wall' a legislator who is an economist has said.

Don't implement the LLRC report in full - Nalin de Silva

Nalin de Silva
The UNHRC wants Sri Lanka to implement the LLRC report and to monitor the implementation. The UNP shouts from roof tops that if the government had implemented the LLRC report then nothing would have happened in Geneva as far as Sri Lanka is concerned.

University education: Victim of the dysfunctional political system

Shamala Kumar
Reliable information suggests that the University of Peradeniya will receive a 30% cut in recurrent expenditure this year. Neither the promise to change salaries to those negotiated by FUTA last year nor the promises to include the academic community in forums that make policy decisions on higher education have materialized.

Distressingly for Rajapaksa administration ‘Accountability’ will be the elephant in the room

Gibson Bateman
Sri Lanka’s Minister of External Affairs, G.L. Peiris, has recently given one additional reason for the passage of a resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN’s Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva: “collective commitments.”  Evidently, Mr. Peiris had been informed by one of his European counterparts that certain members of the European Union (EU) were unsupportive of the resolution, but were compelled to vote in favor of it, since a group decision had been taken by the EU.

Dayan Jayatilleke accused of ‘corruption, fraud and breach of trust’

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to France, Dayan Jayatilleke and the External Affairs Ministry are on a collision course over the former being accused of ‘corruption, fraud and breach of trust’ by a senior ministry official.

“Power hungry elements trying to 'white van' my reputation - Dayan Jayathilaka

Sri Lanka Ambassador to France, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka hit back hard at the External Affairs Ministry yesterday, claiming “Power hungry conspiratorial elements are now trying to 'white van' my reputation, instead of examining how, why and where they failed in Geneva."

No LTTE camps in India: Chidambaram

New Delhi: Centre on Tuesday termed as "completely baseless" a Sri Lankan newspaper report about existence of LTTE camps in Tamil Nadu, saying there was no such facility anywhere in the country.  "It is completely baseless. There is no LTTE camp anywhere in India, including Tamil Nadu," Home Minister P Chidambaram told a press conference here.

Sri Lanka still has to answer for human rights violations

A sense of outrage pervades Sri Lanka after the passing of a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council critical of that country.

The unabating problems of the Rajapakshes

The cowardice of the honest people ensures the success of the scoundrels – Voltaire
These words of the great French philosopher just about captures the feelings of the combined miserable plight of Lankan in the four corners of the bleeding country – ever since the self-centred Rajapakses took over what passes as governance. It is not that most of the people are not aware of the problem the country has been brought to.

Buddhist monks, SL military step up Sinhalicisation of Kuchchave'li in Trincomalee

Large tracts of lands adjoining in vicinity of an ancient stupa site in Thiriyaay and newly installed Buddist monks in at least three places in Kuchchave'li Divisional Secretariat division of Trincomalee district are behind grabbing lands of Tamils and blocking Tamils from re-settlement, civil officials in Kuchchave'li division said.

SL Army threatens to destroy Sivan temple to construct Buddhist Vihara in Ki'linochchi

The occupying Sri Lanka Army is said to have planned to demolish the historical Chivanakar Siva temple in Uruththirapuram in Ki'linochchi district and to construct a Buddhist Vihare in that site, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian S. Sritharan has said.