Category: News

In an act of commemoration, British MPs and ministers, have issued statements marking Maaveerar Naal and stressing the right of Tamils to remember their war dead and the need for justice and accountability in Sri Lanka.

The statement comes as Sri Lanka’s security forces ramp up their repression across the North-East and have brutally assaulted Tamil journalists for attempting to cover memorialisation events.

In his message, Colburn stressed that “the fight for peace justice and accountability and the answers to the questions families have about the whereabouts of their loved ones is still being fought for till this day”.

He further added that “Tamils are still facing human rights violations in Sri Lanka even now”.

“The fight for truth and justice goes on” he maintained.

Paul Scully marked the event by stating:

“My heart goes out to all those who have lost their family, who have either gone missing or died, throughout the terrible conflict. We want to make sure that we redouble our efforts to get truth, reconciliation, and justice for those families”.

Sam Tarry, MP for Ilford South

Tarry’s message called upon the British government to “play a leading role in calling out the Sri Lankan state” and stressed that any future trade deal “must begin with human rights and those conditions must be met with tangible progress”.

He further reiterated calls for magnitsky-styled sanctions on Sri Lanka’s notorious army commander Shavendra Silva, who has already been subjected to a US-travel ban for allegations of credible war crimes.

“It’s high time to act on Sri Lanka”, Tarry stressed noting that “Tamils have faced acts of genocide” and calling for an international investigation to look into the crime of genocide.
Tarry also emphasised Britain’s responsibility for the conflict in Sri Lanka due to its colonial roots. He added that Britain must respect the right of Tamils to self-determination.
“The Labour party has and always will stand by Tamil people in their struggle for justice and self-determination” he stated.

Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East

In his statement, Blackman emphasised that today marked a day to “pay respect to all those who fought for freedom and justice in Sri Lanka”.

In noting the genocidal violence during the final months of the armed conflict, he stressed that an estimated 280 thousand people remain unaccounted for and that over 70,000 died in the final months.

“Government of Sri Lanka appears determined to prevent remembrance, prevent people from remembering what happened, and indeed commemorating their loved ones. Instead, we got symbols of triumphalism and victory celebrations which led to pain and anger amongst the victim communities” he stated.

“Tamils have been prevented from remembering the father, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters, they lost during the armed conflict” he added.

He further stated that “despite the harassment, intimidation, threat of arrest, and violence by the security forces Tamils have commemorated their dead in private”.

“We mourn with those families who have lost loved ones and indeed those who still have relatives which are not accounted for” he stated.

Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet

Villiers marked the day stating:

“It’s important to remember all those who lost their lives during the long dispute and conflict in Sri Lanka which has seen for decades Tamils disadvantaged, oppressed, discriminated against and culminated in the civil war, including horrendous war crimes and human rights abuses”.

She further added:

“I stand with my Tamil constituents on this national remembrance day and reflect on all those who have lost their lives as part of this tragic history to which the Tamil people have been subjected”.

Steve Baker, MP for Wycombe

Barker commemorated the event stating:

“We bring to mind all the Tamils who suffered discrimination and violence in Sri Lanka. We know that hundreds of thousands were incarcerated, went unaccounted for, or died. It’s really important acts of remembrance go ahead uninterrupted so I’ve been incredibly disappointed that this has not always happened. My thoughts and prayers are with you as you remember those you loved and lost”.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena today warned the Government of the consequences as a result of the statements being made against him by Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage.

The former President and leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) warned that such statements could have repercussions on the relationship between the SLFP and the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).

Sirisena said that Aluthgamage has been repeatedly making statements against him in Parliament, despite the SLFP being part of the Government.

SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera also spoke saying that the SLFP has 14 MPs in Parliament.

He said that as a party, the SLFP will not tolerate its leader being attacked by a Government MP.

Jayasekera warned that if Aluthgamage continues to make unfounded allegations then the SLFP will also not remain silent.

However, Aluthgamage stood by his statements and insisted that all he said were facts.

He said that he was trying to compare the expenses of the former President and current President.

Aluthgamage said that he had a right to show that the current President had reduced expenses as compared to the expenses of the former President.

Sirisena responded saying that he set an example as President by not travelling frequently in helicopters and reducing overseas travels.

He also warned that the Government has 2/3rd majority because of the SLFP.

The Biden administration has invited Taiwan to its “Summit for Democracy” scheduled to be held next month, a move that infuriated China, which views the democratically governed island as its territory.

The first-of-its-kind gathering was announced in the first foreign policy address of President Joe Biden in February, when he stated that he would return the United States to global leadership to face down authoritarian forces led by China and Russia.

China and Russia have been excluded from the 110 participant list on the State Department’s website for the virtual event on 09 and 10 December, which aims to help stop democratic backsliding and the erosion of rights and freedoms worldwide.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said the Government would be represented by Digital Minister Audrey Tang and Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador in Washington.

“Our country’s invitation to participate in the ‘Summit for Democracy’ is an affirmation of Taiwan’s efforts to promote the values of democracy and human rights over the years,” the ministry added.

China’s Foreign Ministry said it was “firmly opposed” to the invite.

“U.S. actions only go to show democracy is just a cover and a tool for it to advance its geopolitical objectives, oppress other countries, divide the world and serve its own interests,” ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing.

Meanwhile, several other countries, including Sri Lanka have not been invited while India, Pakistan, Nepal and Seychelles have been invited to the summit.

Sri Lanka will tap a Chinese company for a port project in Colombo, its largest city, that had been awarded to Japan and India before the partnership was scrapped early this year.

The decision highlights Colombo’s balancing act and comes a month after Indian conglomerate Adani Group was awarded another deal worth over $700 million to develop the West Container Terminal at the Colombo port. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said he wants to be “neutral” in Sri Lanka’s relations with India and China as the nation struggles with a shortage of foreign currency.

His cabinet on Tuesday agreed to have state-run China Harbour Engineering develop the Eastern Container Terminal while stipulating that local authorities would handle all operations. It cited recommendations by a cabinet-appointed committee as the basis for the decision.

The apparent pro-China tilt of Rajapaksa’s government is seen as a factor in the change of plans. Beijing has invested heavily in projects on the strategically positioned island under its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

Sri Lanka had signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan and India in May 2019, under previous President Maithripala Sirisena, to jointly develop the Colombo terminal. The operating company would be 51% owned by the Sri Lankan government, with the rest held by Japan and India.

Rajapaksa, who took office in November of that year, indicated at first that the project would stay on course.

That changed this past February, when the cabinet decided that the operating company would be wholly owned by Sri Lanka, pushing Japan and India out of the project. The Japanese government called the unilateral move “regrettable.”

China has continued to provide financing for Sri Lankan infrastructure, taking control of projects such as roads and port facilities in the process. Concerns have been raised that this support is pushing the country into a debt trap, as was seen in a 2017 lease deal of the Hambantota port in the southern coast of the island. The previous government leased it out to a Chinese state-run company for 99 years, in return for $1.1 billion as a part of Colombo’s efforts to repay debt to China.

Source:Nikkei Asia

A special team will be dispatched to inspect the quality of all ferries currently in operation in the Eastern Province, Eastern Province (EP) Governor Anuradha Yahampath said.

She said the team will be headed by the Police, Engineering Division of the Provincial Road Development Authority and the Navy, she said.

She made this statement when she visited the Kinniya Hospital this morning to see the people receiving treatment for injuries after a barge capsized in the Kurinchankerni area in Kinniya.

“We all need to make sure that such incidents do not happen again. This is not the time to point finger at each other. After the war, higher number of bridges in Sri Lanka were built in the Eastern Province. That is during the Mahinda Rajapaksa government. The longest brige in the Eastern Province also included with this. There was an alternative route but people did not want to use it. We will take further action on the recommendations contained in that report.

If there are culprits, we will not hesitate to take action against them. She said no one can evade responsibility.

However, at present, the transport facilities required by these people are being provided by the Navy, she said.

In addition, the government has paid attention to completing the work on this bridge as soon as possible, the governor added.