Category: Featured Headlines

People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), an advocacy group based in Washington, reject Sri Lanka’s campaigns and claims against the US Congress resolution, which urged the international mechanism to investigate the war crimes.

A member of the US House of Representatives, Deborah Ross, introduced the resolution ‘H.Res.413 – Recognizing 12 years since the end of the war in Sri Lanka on May 18, 2009, honoring the lives lost, and expressing support for justice, accountability, reconciliation, reconstruction, reparation, and reform in Sri Lanka to ensure a lasting peaceful political solution and a prosperous future for all people of Sri Lanka,’ at United States of Houses of Representatives on May 18, 2021.

Following that, the Sri Lankan government initiated their diplomatic moves and started their campaigns against the resolution.

The PEARL have criticised Sri Lanka’s move, and their statement says, “PEARL wholly rejects the false assertion from the Sri Lankan state that Tamil Americans, exercising their constitutional rights in advocating for human rights, are “terrorist sympathizers”. Such dangerous claims not only cast aspersions upon the Tamil American community but compromise the safety of human rights activists and their families.

Considering Sri Lanka’s history of abuses, including the harassment of diaspora activists and the threats to family, friends and colleagues on the island, their increased targeting of diaspora activists is deeply concerning. We are also disturbed by Sri Lanka’s claims about elected US representatives who chose to support the resolution, including the primary sponsor of H.Res.413, Rep Deborah Ross, who has been highlighted in Sri Lankan media campaigns against the resolution.”

The statement further says that the responses from the Sri Lankan Government do not address the core message behind the resolution: the egregious human rights violations that occurred during the armed conflict must be dealt with through an international mechanism.

“This again demonstrates Sri Lanka’s refusal to take meaningful action towards acknowledgment, let alone accountability, for the grave human rights violations committed. It is this refusal that strengthened the calls for international accountability over the years. Sri Lanka’s reaction since May 18, 2021, continues to amply demonstrate why H.Res.413 is so important.

H.Res.413 represents an important and growing global call for an international accountability mechanism in Sri Lanka to meet the demands of the Tamil people for justice. PEARL stands in full support of those who enabled the resolution and exercised their democratic right as Americans and as elected representatives, and continues to stand by the call for an international justice mechanism to investigate mass atrocities that occurred during the war,” the statement added.

The opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) today insisted that it is not against China.

SJB Parliamentarian Kabir Hashim said that his party is against the Sri Lanka Government and not China.

“Some people assume we are against some countries. We are not against the Chinese Government, India or the US. We are against the Sri Lankan Government. Because it is the Sri Lankan Government that is betraying the country,” he said.

The former Minister said this while speaking in Parliament today.

He said that when dealing with any country only decisions favourable to Sri Lanka should be taken.

Hashim said that Selendiva Investments Limited has been formed to sell local assets to foreigners.

Multiple properties in Colombo are to be opened up for investments under a Private Public Partnership (PPP) model through a new company formed with Cabinet approval.

The Grand Hyatt in Colombo, Hilton Hotel and the Gaffoor Building are to be offered to private investors through Selendiva Investments Limited.

Three Ukrainian-built Antonov-32 transport aircraft belonging to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) which were sent to Ukraine for overhaul purposes, will be brought back to the country on Friday.

SLAF Spokesman Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe said the three AN-32B aircraft belonging to the Sri Lanka Air Force were sent to Ukraine in August last year to undergo repairs and a life extension.

He said a SLAF team had also left for Ukraine to assist and supervise the process.

SE SSFTIF Ukrinmash together with SE Аntonov and SE 410 CA Plant signed the contract to undergo repairs, with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defense last year.

Prior to this, six Ukrainian aviation engineers visited Sri Lanka in May 2020 to inspect the aircraft and recommend a complete overhaul.

The airforce spokesman said the SLAF pilots had already left Ukraine with the AN-32B aircraft and will land in Sri Lanka on Friday.

AN 32B was inducted to the SLAF in 1995 to replace the Avro HS 748 aircraft. SLAF purchased four AN 32B aircraft and all of them were grounded. Sri Lanka is also expecting to send the remaining AN-32 to Ukraine for similar overhauling.

Chennai: Congress Legislature Party leader in the Tamil Nadu assembly, K. Selvaperunthagai, has called upon the state government to pass a resolution urging the Centre to provide proper security to the state as China is dominating Sri Lanka.

He said in a statement on Monday that the recent developments relating to the China supported Colombo Port City project were a major security threat to India.

He said the Narendra Modi government has failed in its foreign policy and this has turned into a major security threat to the country.

Selvaperunthagai called upon the state government to urge the Centre to pursue legal action over this Chinese domination and not to allow a Galwan like situation to develop in Tamil Nadu.

The Sri Lankan government had passed the Colombo Port City Economic Commission bill giving complete control of Hambantota port to the Chinese.

There was huge criticism in Sri Lanka that the new law would provide much control to China and that it would affect the sovereignty of the island nation.

The Tamil Nadu Director General of Police had issued an alert to all the 37 district police chiefs over possible protests from ultra Tamil groups including some groups which are supportive of the Tamil Eelam cause.

Sri Lanka on Tuesday (June 08) registered 54 more victims of COVID-19, marking the highest number of deaths recorded in a single day.

The latest fatalities have moved the country’s death toll to 1,843, the, the Department of Government Information said.

The Department of Government Information stated that 15 of the victims had succumbed to the virus infection between the period of May 10 – May 31. The rest of them have died between June 02 – June 07.

The deceased were identified as residents of Katana, Uduwela, Mawanella, Aranayake, Maligawatta, Eravur 02, Kadawatha, Moratuwa, Alubomulla, Wadduwa, Walasmulla, Kolawenigama, Colombo 15, Ja-Ela, Wattala, Bathgammulla, Thalathuoya, Badulla, Kilinochchi, Nikaweratiya, Maradankadawala, Medawachchiya, Athurugiriya, Elpitiya, Karandeniya, Periyaneelavanai, Kantale, Matale, Rattota, Horampella, Batugoda, Veyangoda, Kandy, Akurana, Udispattuwa, Lunuwatta, Thorapitiya, Mahiyanganaya, Ragama, Colombo 13, Kandana, Avissawella, Wathupitiwala, Pannipitiya and Marawila areas.

As per official data, 26 victims in total were aged over 70 years. Eleven victims were in the age group 61-69 years and ten were aged between 50-59 years. Remaining seven victims were in the age group of 30-49.

COVID pneumonia and complications from chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease have been recorded as the cause of death of the victims.

The Tamils for Biden has urged the Tamils and Tamil politicians in Sri Lanka not to support Chinese aggression.

In its statement, it has said,

We, the Tamils for Biden, are urging the Tamil politicians and the Tamil journalists not to support Chinese aggression.

If anyone from the Tamil community should support or somehow facilitate the Chinese incursion, history will paint them with indelible dark black marks.

China is a very greedy nation, with a selfish and rude attitude. The People’s Republic of China is known for notorious human rights violations.

The Chinese currently hold Chavachcheri and three Islands north of the Tamil Homeland: Nainativu, Delft or Neduntheevu, and Analaitivu.

The Chinese have done much damage to the Tamils, including playing a major role in the genocide of 2009. In addition,

China sent millions of shells and cluster bombs to attack the “No Fire Zone” in 2009 to kill 146,000 Tamils.

In 2008 and 2009, China threatened to veto the UN Security Council for any pro-Tamil or anti-Sri Lankan resolutions. Now once again, especially after the completion of Colombo Port City, the Chinese have told the world that they will still veto any resolution against Sri Lanka at the UN Security Council.

Worst of all, the Chinese helped the Sri Lankan army to destroy evidence of the use of chemical weapons to massacre Tamils in the northeast. This was reported by the local Tamils.

The Chinese always will support Sri Lanka’s efforts to continue the Tamil genocide. China has no moral values. Its own agenda is to destroy the other powerful nations.

The U.S. says China is committing genocide against the Uyghur people. The Uyghurs, similar to the Tamils, are a predominantly non-Chinese ethnic minority that the Chinese government views as a threat in part because some have sought autonomy.

The world suspected China was trying to destroy the world’s economy because Chinese authorities refused to provide World Health Organization investigators with raw, personalized data on early Covid-19 cases that could help them determine how and when the coronavirus first began to spread in China. Now, the Tamils are suffering from Coronavirus as China undertakes an economic invasion of the Tamil homeland.

Tamils made many mistakes in the past during colonial times. They paid too much attention to individual prosperity and became good slaves to the colonizers. In the process, they changed their religion and sacrificed important values. Tamil leaders since have failed to defend Tamils’ political sovereignty and failed to protect their people from the Sinhalese genocide.

Tamils must not repeat the same colonial mindset with Chinese aggressors. If they do so, history will call these collaborators and passive observers the cause of the destruction of the Tamils and the reason for the end of their existence in Sri Lanka.