LLRC

Image:  by SP Pushpakanthan. Can the Office of Missing Persons provide answers in a country with the world’s second highest number of disappearances? by Drew Ambrose & Sarah Yeo 21 hours ago Sasikumar Ranginithevi can’t hide her tears as she looks at four faded photographs in her trembling hands. Two brothers, a husband and her […]

Mangala Samaraweera. We are fortunate to witness this moment when the Government led by President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has given life to an important promise made to the people of this nation. The Office on Missing Persons Act was passed in August 2016 and on 27 February, a seven-member commission was announced to […]

Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena, pictured after being sworn in at the Independence Square in Colombo, on Jan 9, 2015. — AFP COLOMBO: Sri Lanka vowed Wednesday to grant greater autonomy to its Tamil minority in a new constitution after an influential Buddhist monk said the clergy opposed the plan. President Maithripala Sirisena has said […]

The United States had “a detailed coordinated plan” with the Indian and Sri Lanka Governments for its Navy to rescue trapped displaced persons in Puthukudiyiruppu during the final stages of the separatist war, according to Ambassador Robert Blake, then Washington’s envoy in Colombo. However, the Sri Lankan Government killed the idea for fear that Erik […]

Image: Samaraweera speaking at a side event during the HRC 34 ©s.deshapriya. By Maangala Samaeaweera. Response to Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Media Release of 13 March 2017. On 13 March 2017 the former President of our country, Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa, issued a media release titled “Constitutional and legal reforms to destroy the nation”. My initial inclination, […]

Minister for Megapolis Patali Champika Ranawaka has labelled the final report of the Consultations Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms (CTF SL) as a fulfilment of needs of the LTTE loyalists, reports Sri Lanka Mirror. In a press conference held on 11th  January 2017 Ranawaka has told journalists in Colombo that  the report elaborated on the […]

(Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera speaking at yesterday’s press conference. Picture by Wimal Karunathilake) Talks progressing on type of mechanism; Of the type all stakeholders can agree;Truth Seeking Process first. Consultations are taking place to determine the type of Mechanism for Accountability, the architecture of which can be finalised by the end of the year, […]

A new constitution will be enacted in 2017 when Sri Lanka completes 70 years since the setting up of the legislature, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said today. “Parliament will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2017. We will discuss with the Speaker and the party leaders as to how we should mark this event. By that […]

Issuing a Advocate Letter  ARTICLE 19 says that Right to Information Act put forward by the cabinet of Sri Lanka, which if passed as is, would be one of the best in the world. It has urged the lawmakers to pass the act. The Advocacy Letter reproduced here in full: ARTICLE 19 urges the Sri Lankan […]

Muslims will be an integral part of the truth, justice, reparations and non-recurrence process and  Muslims’ grievances and concerns will be a part of the consultations, design and operationalization of the domestic mechanisms; including the Commission for Truth, Justice, Reconciliation and Non-recurrence, the Judicial Mechanism, the Office of Missing Persons and the Office of Reparations, […]

The Full report is here as a PDF.Paranaggama Commission report Here is what the report mention as possible war crimes: It is clear to the Commission that this doctrine may be engaged as it concerns the allegations relating to the ‘white flag killings’ of LTTE leaders and the images of executions that have formed the […]

(Justice Maxell Paranagama ) ECONOMYNEXT – The war crimes investigation set up by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has made startling revelations that senior military commanders should be hauled up for criminal prosecutions. The Maxell Paranagama commission appointed in 2013 in what many at the time feared was an attempt to white wash the security forces […]

“Even locally, most of the people are not happy with the Commission and they have no faith in its process. However, we will not abandon its procedure” The government is to abolish the Missing Persons Commission and replace it with a new commission or system to continue procedures of the former. Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe […]

The Government will hire counsel and pay legal costs to military personnel who may face charges of war crimes. The assurance has been given to military officers by Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka. He has been tasked by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to speak to officers and men of the armed forces […]

( American Ambassador to UNHRC at the Sri Lanka informal meeting) The United States Department of State noted that the resolution on Sri Lanka is a key U.S. outcome at the 30th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The U.S. is the main sponsor of the consensus resolution “Promoting reconciliation, accountability and […]

International Participation, Monitoring Crucial for Reforms. (Geneva) – The United Nations Human Rights Council should adopt a resolution ensuring a robust international role in Sri Lanka’s justice mechanism for abuses during the country’s brutal civil war, Human Rights Watch said today. The resolution, expected to be adopted on October 1, 2015, contains a number of […]

Opposing the Hybrid Court System proposed by the UNHRC, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday stressed that justice for alleged war crime victims would be ensured only through a credible Domestic Inquiry into alleged war crimes. Addressing the media at the JVP office yesterday, Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath said there are no provisions within the constitution […]

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka Thursday escaped a “hybrid” war crimes investigation involving foreign judges and prosecutors as the United States tabled a watered down resolution in line with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s stand. Instead of prescribing external involvement in the accountability process, the resolution leaves the involvement of any foreigners at the discretion of the […]

(Sri Lanka’s prime minister on Tuesday (Sep 22) rejected a UN call for international involvement in an investigation into alleged war crimes.-  Photo: AFP/Prakash Singh) COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s prime minister on Tuesday (Sep 22) rejected a UN call for international involvement in an investigation into alleged war crimes. Ranil Wickremesinghe said talks were under way […]

( The core group which presented the Sri Lanka resolution to the HRC  in March 2014 at the head table today © s.deshapriya) Head of the Sri Lanka mission in Geneva  raised serious objections and concerns over the first draft text of the resolution on Sri Lanka which is to be tabled during the 30th […]

Today new battle lines are being drawn in Sri Lanka in relation to accountability, reconciliation and human rights. This issue of Sri Lanka briefing note provides a detailed information and analysis of the changes that have taken place in Sri Lanka since the January 8th victory of the reform oriented common opposition now being led […]

By Dr T Jayasingam, (Officer in charge of the Vantharumoolai refugee camp, 1990). Many may not know that when September 5, 2015 dawns it will be 25 years of waiting for 158 families who ‘lost’ a member or two on that day in 1990 from the VANTHARUMOOLAI REFUGFEE CAMP at the Eastern University. They did […]

( Waiting for justice: Family members of missing Tamils speaking at a UNHRC side event) The second interim report of the Presidential Commission to Inquire into Complaints on Missing Persons will be handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday, by Commission Chairman Maxwel Paranagama. Meanwhile, a highly placed diplomatic source told Daily Mirror the […]

  Law enforcement bodies, such as Army, Navy, Police and the CID (Criminal Investigations Department) are supposed to protect the country from any kind of disturbances with the devotion towards the country. Security personnel have many responsibilities in the profession as such they deserve due respect. With the rise of white van abductions and illegal […]

Overview. The outcome of the presidential election of January 2015 created expectations of change, hope and reform among considerable sections of Sri Lankan society. For Muslim communities, who played a pivotal role in the election, the change in Government was willed into being in part due to the insecurity and violence suffered by Muslims particularly […]

AFP. Sri Lanka’s proposed war crimes investigation has been delayed by several months until September as the government focuses on impending parliamentary elections, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said Wednesday. Samaraweera said he hoped the composition of the investigating team along with its terms of reference would now be finalised just before the UN Human Rights […]

( Commander Karannagoda ) CID tells Magistrate’s CourtRoshan Thushara Former Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda was aware of the abductions of children by commandos of the Sri Lanka Navy. Sub Inspector Nishantha Silva of the CID told Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya yesterday that information has surfaced to the effect that the former Navy Commander […]

Two additional commissioners will be appointed to the Presidential Commission Investigating Cases of Missing Persons (PCICMP) in Sri Lanka to conduct investigations and prepare the final report by the stipulated deadline. President Maithripala Sirisena is expected to appoint a retired judge and a retired senior officer from the administrative service within this week to help […]

The government had commenced devising an indigenous mechanism to investigate alleged human rights violations and war crimes said to have taken place during the last phase of the conflict with the LTTE, parliament was told yesterday [11th June]. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the government had begun holding talks with various parties to work out […]

Two hundred and seventy eight political prisoners whose release the Tamil community has been agitating for several years will soon be granted their freedom following talks with the Tamil National Alliance, party frontliner M.A. Sumanthiran MP told the Sunday Observer. The TNA will this week discuss with Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe the procedural methods and […]