Posts by pearlaction
Sri Lanka accused of ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Tamil areas
[ Telegraph ] Aid officials, human rights campaigners and politicians claim Tamils have been driven out of areas in the north-east of the country by killings and kidnappings carried out by pro-government militias. They say the government has simultaneously encouraged members of the Sinhalese majority in the south to relocate to the vacated villages. One…
Read MoreUN faces fierce clash over call for Sri Lanka war crimes inquiry
[The Times] Sri Lanka is to clash with Western powers at the United Nations Human Rights Council today in an effort to ward off any investigation into alleged war crimes committed during its military offensive against the Tamil Tigers. The country has marshalled a team of powerful allies led by China, Russia and India to…
Read MoreCult of personality grows around Sri Lanka’s leader
[Globe and Mail] As the President’s motorcade passed slowly through Colombo Monday, 20-year-old university student Chaturi Waidyasekera pressed her head to the ground, then rose and chanted, “Praise our king” Dozens of others did the same, beneath billboards that pictured Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the white robes of a Buddhist deity. Ms. Waidyasekera…
Read MoreSri Lanka rejects Tigers’ offer
[BBC] Sri Lanka’s defence secretary has rejected the Tamil Tigers’ offer to enter a democratic process after their military defeat by government forces. In an interview with the BBC, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said the LTTE rebels could not be trusted to give up “terrorism”. “I do not believe the LTTE can enter a democratic process after…
Read MoreClaims Of Abuse In Sri Lankan Refugee Camps
[Sky News] There are numerous reports of sexual assaults in the government-run camps, and claims that groups of young men are being rounded up and taken away. United Nations Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon will demand unfettered access to the camps during his visit to the country, as well as access to other areas which have been…
Read More