Sri Lanka president receives US court summons
[BBC] The summons is linked to three civil cases filed under the Hague Convention by relatives of Tamil victims of alleged extra-judicial killings. The alleged killings took place during the Sri Lankan civil war. The petitioners are claiming financial damages under the US Torture Victims Protection Act. [Full Story]
Read MoreSri Lanka president rejects US court summons
[AFP] Sri Lanka’s president Mahinda Rajapakse has cited constitutional immunity and refused to go before a US court where he is being sued for $30 million over the killing of a Tamil man, an official said Sunday. A US-based Tamil lobby had filed the case claiming damages from him as commander-in-chief of the Sri Lankan…
Read MoreSri Lanka Tamil MPs ‘beaten up by troops’
[AFP] Sri Lanka’s main minority Tamil political group on Friday accused army troops of assaulting its lawmakers and breaking up a party meeting on the northern peninsula of Jaffna. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said troops stormed their venue on Thursday evening and attacked members of parliament and party supporters who were discussing local elections…
Read MoreSri Lanka: Fears for Tamils deported from UK
[BBC] A BBC reporter said that the deportees were questioned and later released and that they appeared to be a mixture of failed asylum seekers and overstayers. Human rights groups have criticised Britain, saying the mainly Tamil asylum seekers may not be safe. The UK government dismissed the fears. [Full Story]
Read MoreSri Lanka Tamil party says military attacked its poll campaign
[Reuters] Legislators of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which backed the now defeated Tamil Tiger rebels, said supporters were chased away at a meeting in the main town of Jaffna by the military at the start of the first election campaign for 52 local bodies in northern district. The July 23 polls are the first…
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