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Sri Lanka Timeline ­ Year 2015

Date Incidents

January 5 The campaign for the upcoming presidential polls in Sri Lanka ended withsporadic violence having marred the final day. Three opposition activists wereinjured when unidentified gunmen shot and injured them while they were engagedin putting up a dais for the opposition leader, Maithripala Sirisena, on the finalday of campaigning in the southern town of Kahawatte in Ratnapura District.

The UN Secretary­General Ban Ki­moon called on the Sri Lankan governmentagain to ensure a peaceful election that is inclusive of minorities. Responding toa media query on the election violence in the run­up to the election Presidentialelection on January 08, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary­General, said the Secretary General's call to the Government to ensure that theelections are peaceful and that they're inclusive, including for minorities is muchmore important now on the backdrop of the election violence.

A clash between supporters of the UPFA and the NDF at Rambukkana inKegalle District had left four government supporters injured and one Oppositionsupporter injured. The NDF supporter with cut injuries was admitted to theKegalle hospital while the four injured UPFA supporters have been admitted tothe Rambukkana hospital. Five persons have been taken into custody inconnection with the incident along with a firearm they had in their possession,Police said. Three vehicles and several shops were also attacked.

January 6 The CMEV said there had been a rise in major incidents of election violencebetween November 20 and January 5 whereas the number of incidents ofelection violence seemed to have dropped when compared to the previouselections. The CMEV Coordinating Secretary D.M. Dissanayake said it haddocumented 420 incidents of election violence with 237 categorised as majorincidents while 183 as minor incidents. He said the highest number of majorincidents was reported from Jaffna District with 22 incidents followed by Badulla,Kurunegala and Kandy with 19, 18 and 17 incidents respectively. Dissanayakesaid CMEV had recorded 26 incidents involving firearms and 03 incidents ofpetrol bombings. He said CMEV had recorded 132 incidents of gross misuse ofState resources for election purposes with excessive use of State media by theincumbent and very limited airtime for opposition candidates.

Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu from the CMEV at a media briefing, said thatconcerns have been raised that voter intimidation on election day will lead to alow voter turnout, especially in the North. Saravanamuttu said that communitiesand political leaders have raised concerns about the vote in the north inparticular and about the deployment of security forces that could have anadverse impact on the voter turnout.

January 7 The victim of the shooting incident at an opposition rally in Kahawatta onJanuary 5, succumbed to his injuries. The victim, one of the three people, whowere shot by the supporters of the Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara, hasbeen treated in the Intensive care Unit at the Ratnapura Hospital for the pastthree days. The other two persons who received gunshot injuries are stillreceiving treatment at Ratnapura hospital.

Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Elections Mahinda Deshapriya said the Police areempowered to use maximum force if anyone tries anything unlawful at the pollingstations during tomorrow's presidential election. Addressing a media briefing, theElection Commissioner the Police had been given authority to use maximumpower, even shooting a violator, if any one tries to intimidate or attempts toobstruct a voter using their right to vote.

The Sri Lankan government said the UN recent call to the government to ensurethat the elections are peaceful and inclusive, is "gratuitous and inappropriate."Issuing a statement, the External Affairs Ministry said Sri Lanka notes withconcern the recent remarks by the Spokesperson of the Secretary­General ofthe UN recalling the Secretary­General's call to the Government to ensure thatthe forthcoming Presidential elections are peaceful and inclusive. "The

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Spokesperson's comments are gratuitous and inappropriate," the statement said.

January 8 A high voter turnout was reported at the just concluded 2015 Presidentialelections, based on information provided by returning officers in the Districts.Officials said that Pollonaruwa recorded 80 percent voter turnout by 4pm as thedeadline to cast votes ended with Nuwara Eliya also recording 80 percent,Anuradhapura recording 76 percent, Trincomalee 72 percent, Kurunegala 77percent, Puttalam 71 percent, Batticaloa 60 percent, Badulla 61 percent, Matara73 percent, Kandy 75 percent, Hambantota 70 percent and Puttalam 70 percent.

The local election monitor, CMEV has received a report that ruling UPFA DeputyMinister Sarana Gunawardena and a group of supporters have hit two women inAttanagalle electorate of Gampaha District. The women were assaulted by theDeputy Minster and his supporters at around 1.00 pm near the Yatiyana JuniorSchool polling center. The Deputy Minster and his group of supporters havebeen roaming the area in 7 vehicles, the CMEV report says.

Despite hospitals being alert to possible emergencies during the Presidentialpolls that lasted from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., no incidents were reported. Director ofthe National Hospital, Dr. Anil Jasinghe when contacted said that the hospitalhad not received any patients with injuries sustained during voting. The Hospitalhad functioned normally despite large number of its employees taking time off tocast their vote.

January 9 Sri Lanka's incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa conceded defeat, said hisofficial media unit, following clear signs of his opponent Maithripala Sirisena'svictory in the presidential elections. Rajapaksa vacated Temple Trees, hisofficial residence, following a meeting with Opposition Leader RanilWickramasinghe, assuring him of smooth transition. With final result yet to bedeclared, Sirisena is expected to be declared winner by around 4,00,000 votes.

CMEV has received a report that North Central Chief Minister S.M. Ranjith andhis supporters had assaulted opposition supporters in Senapura, Mihinthale. Theassailants have carried wooden rods and guns. The victim, Wimalasiri A.H.M.has been admitted to the Senapura Hospital. No complaint has been lodged. TheCMEV said three explosions have so far been reported on the day of polls. Thefirst was in Point Pedro reported and a second incident involved an explosionfrom Beruwala targeting a house of a Muslim businessman. No injuries werereported. The third incident is from Vavuniya where a grenade exploded near thePolling Station at Nelukkulam Kalaimagal Maha Vidyalaya. No injuries werereported and the police are investigating. It has been reported in Jaffna that themembers of the government ally, EPDP were intimidating TNA party members.

The winner of the 2015 Presidential Election Maithripala Sirisena was sworn in,as the 6th Executive President of Sri Lanka. Sirisena took oaths as the newPresident before Supreme Court Justice K. Sripavan at the IndependenceSquare in Colombo. In his address to the nation following the swearing­in, thenew President said he has no intention to seek a second term and said SriLanka will have friendly relations with every country. Opposition leader RanilWickramasinghe took oaths as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka before ExecutivePresident Maithripala Sirisena at the same venue.

January 11 In Kandy District, after the swearing­in ceremony, the seventh President of SriLanka Maithripala Sirisena expressed his gratitude to those who voted for himand he was thankful to everyone who assisted to hold a peaceful election. Hesaid it is time for a transformation society ­ to bring about a humane society withgood governance and respect to law. He also said that this would be the onlytime that he would contest the Presidency.

The former LTTE leader Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP, who was in Sri Lankaunder protective custody, rejected the reports that he fled the country after thedefeat of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at last week's elections.Speaking over phone, from his orphanage at Kilinochchi in the North, the formerarms procurer for the LTTE said he is still there and have no plans to leave thecountry.

January 19 Marxist party JVP filed a petition in court seeking the arrest of a former topleader of the LTTE Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP. The JVP filed the petitionin the Court of Appeals seeking to arrest KP, who was in protective custody

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under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Government. JVP parliamentarianVijitha Herath said KP has to answer many questions and he needs to bearrested for his activities. KP was an international arms smuggler who procuredmassive loads of weapons worth billions of dollars for the terrorist organizationthat ravaged a deadly war for 30 years. He was involved in arms smugglingoperations across Asia, Canada, US and Europe.

January 21 Former Army Commander of Sri Lanka Sarath Fonseka has been fully pardonedby the President Maithripala Sirisena. The former Army general who led thedecisive war against the LTTE to end the terrorism in Sri Lanka was stripped offof his ranks and rights by the previous Government. President's Media Divisionsaid that "Fonseka has been acquitted of all charges filed against him under theprevious Government and has been granted complete amnesty by PresidentMaithripala Sirisena."It also said that the President Sirisena pardoned the formerGeneral by the powers vested in him under Article 34 of the Constitution.Accordingly, Fonseka's rank will be restored and will be entitled to all militaryand social privileges without any legal barrier. He will be awarded back hismedals and honors.

January 23 The Chairman of the PCICMP, Maxwell Paranagama has sought a time with thePresident Maithripala Sirisena to discuss the future proceedings of theCommission. Paranagama said that the Commission plans on making an interimreport on the inquiries they have currently completed. According to theChairman, the Commission is continuing to function without break amid theelection of a new President and currently investigations into filed reports andreceived evidence are underway.

The new Sri Lankan Government has decided to terminate a mandatory militarystyle leadership training program initiated by the previous Government for schoolprincipals and university entrants. New Education Minister Akila VirajKariyawasam said the Government is ending the program that was compulsoryfor the students entering the country's universities under the former PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa’s administration. Report said that previous Government'smandatory leadership training program for undergraduates was highly unpopularamong the students and parents, and has been seen by intellectuals as amilitarization of the education sector.

January 25 The Court of Appeal in Sri Lanka on January 27 will take up a Writ Applicationfiled by the Marxist party, JVP seeking an order to arrest and prosecute formerLTTE leader Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP. The petition was filed in the Courtof Appeal on January 19 and has sought Writs of Mandamus to arrest KP andproduce him in Court to investigate the offences committed by him and to initiatejudicial proceedings against him. The petition demanded the arrest and trial ofthe former LTTE leader who is believed to be the head of the international wingof the terrorist organization. KP is currently operating a NGO under militaryprotection in the Northern Province.

TNA said that there is no need to appoint new commissions with regard to thewar in Sri Lanka and the national question. TNA parliamentarian SureshPremachandran said that rather than appointing new commissions, it is moreimportant to enact the recommendations made by the committees that havebeen appointed so far. TNA has also said they do not expect a new PSC to beappointed over the national issue. TNA is also a stakeholder of the NEC and isengaged in implementing the 100 day programme of the new Government.

January 27 The Appeal Court of Sri Lanka issued notice on the Attorney General to appearbefore the Court on February 5 in connection with the writ application filed by theJVP against former LTTE Leader, Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP.

January 28 President Maithripala Sirisena said more attention would be paid to nationalsecurity and a well­structured plan would be implemented to ensure nationalsecurity for the welfare of the country and the people. The President said thatevery effort would be initiated in strengthening the national security within thedemocratic framework according to the constitution. He added that preciseunderstanding of issues that poses in various faces nationally and internationallyhas to be addressed in a constructive manner while formulating appropriatesolutions. President requested the Security Council to submit new proposals andrecommendations in addition to the programme now being implemented onnational security as it the expectation of the government to implement a

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programme to strengthen national security locally and internationally.

A Government spokesman, Rajitha Senaratne said that Sri Lanka is planning aninvestigation into accusations of human rights abuses in the final stages of civilwar amid international frustration at the failure to look into numerous civiliandeaths. “We are thinking of having our own inquiry acceptable to them to theinternational standards,” Rajitha Senaratne said in Colombo, referring to the UN.“It will be a new local inquiry. If we need, we will bring some foreign experts,” headded. Rajitha Senaratne also said that the new Government was looking atreleasing political prisoners, mainly suspected members of the defeated LTTE.

The new Government plans to return private land seized by the military in thecivil war­ravaged north and release several hundred detainees in an apparentmove toward reconciliation with ethnic minority Tamils. Governemnt SpokesmanRajitha Senaratne said that the Government of new President MaithripalaSirisena will ease its military presence, and that unlike the previousadministration that was defeated in the January 8 election, does not believemilitary action alone can prevent a resurgence of the rebels. Rajitha Senaratnesaid, "We don't think you can stop an LTTE resurrection (just) with an army, sospending on security will be very moderate."

Rajitha Senaratne said that he has sought an inquiry into information that formerDefense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa is using two serving army officers totrain 400 soldiers to whip up a bogey about an LTTE revival in the run up to theApril parliamentary elections. Senaratne said that this army unit is being trainedby two serving officers, Brig. Harendra Ranasinghe and Col. MahindaRanasinghe of the Army Training School. According to Senaratne, the idea is toget 400 Tamil speaking Sinhalese soldiers to go to the North in disguise andprovoke the army. The ensuing clashes would help show people in theSinhalese­speaking South, that the LTTE have become active in the NorthernProvince and that the Maithripala Sirisena­Ranil Wickremesinghe Government isunable to tackle it. The LTTE­revival card could help former President MahindaRajapaksa win the elections. Senaratne said that to ensure national security, theSirisena regime would rely on political engagement with the minorities and not onthe military.

January 29 Following the recommendations of the LLRC, Sri Lanka's new Government at theIndependence Day celebrations this year prepares to expresses sympathy andreach out to the victims of the country's three­decade long civil war. Report saidthat the Cabinet of Ministers has approved a joint proposal made by the actingForeign Minister Ajith P. Perera and the Minister of Home Affairs and FisheriesJoseph Michael Perera to make a statement on Peace at the 67th IndependenceDay Celebrations to be held on February 4. The Ministers, taking intoconsideration the LLRC recommendations, have proposed to express sympathyand cooperation with the war­affected in the country and to pledge that it will bededicated in unity to prevent recurrence of such situations in the country in thefuture.

January 30 Sri Lanka appointed Justice K Sripavan, an ethnic­Tamil, as its new ChiefJustice, days after his predecessor Mohan Peiris was asked to resign followingan uproar in the parliament over allegations he tried to help the former Presidentretain power illegally. The President’s office said in a statement that JusticeSripavan took oath as the 44th Chief Justice before President MaithripalaSirisena.

January 31 Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith P Perera said that the new Government has nointention of lifting the ban imposed on the several Tamil Diaspora groups for theiralleged involvement with the LTTE and over attempts to revive terrorism in thecountry. He said that the new Government hopes to maintain the ban imposedon the organisations that were alleged to have links with the LTTE. During theprevious regime the LTTE and 15 Tamil Diaspora groups including the TGTE,GTF and BTF were banned in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Army said that it has recently enlisted 34 Tamil youth from war­tornNorth as tradesman. Report said that SFHQ­MLT recently enlisted 34 Tamilyouth to the SLAVF from Mullaitivu area in Mullaitivu District of NorthernProvince.

Sri Lanka's new Government will soon arrest LTTE leader Kumaran

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Pathmanathan alias KP and the decision will be available by the end of thisweek, a reliable source informed. According to the report the file which containsunpublished details of secrets revealed by KP is to be presented to theGovernment by the intelligence units. During his previous interrogations, it hadbeen revealed that it was KP who had provided weapons, aircrafts and otherequipment for the LTTE to attack the state armed forces. According to reports, ithas also been revealed that KP had purchased "Slime" type aircrafts from aBangladeshi agrarian company and has brought them from Indonesia toMullaitivu in Northern Province.

The JVP has filed a petition at the Court of Appeal requesting the immediatearrest of KP as well as urging the authorities to reveal what happened to theimmense wealth of the LTTE that was controlled by KP, under the MahindaRajapaksa regime

February 1 PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the new Government will investigate theLTTE activities over the past few years including its funding and alleged links ithad with the previous Government. He said that the Government wants to knowwhat happened to the funds of the LTTE. He said “This is part of our probe oncorruption. The former Government always accused us of having links with theLTTE but it was they who had links with the Tigers.” He said that investigationswill include obtaining information on the LTTE ships, gold and money yet to befound even after the war. The Prime Minister said that the public in the Northhave said they have evidence to share over the LTTE and so that evidence willalso be obtained. “This is a large scale investigation,” he added.

Wickremesinghe also said that when the European court ruled in support of theLTTE the former Government did not take steps to assist the EU to reverse thecourt ruling. He said “We have said we will assist the EU to ensure the ban onthe LTTE in the EU remains”. He also questioned the previous Government’sfailure to handover Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP to India. KP is wanted inIndia over the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Minister of State for Plantation and Industry K. Velayutham said that the electionof Maithripala Sirisena as the Sri Lankan President has offered a hope to theTamils in Sri Lanka and they are able to move freely without the Army’sinterruption. After meeting DMK leader M Karunanidhi in Chennai, Tamil Nadu,India, he said he had explained the situation after change in leadership andefforts were on to withdraw the Army from the Tamil areas and camps.Velayutham said one of the priorities of the new Government was to rehabilitatethe IDPs and those who were in the camps.

February 2 Families of missing and detained persons in war­torn Northern Sri Lanka stageda protest in Kilinochchi in Kilinochchi District of Northern Province urging thenew Government to establish the whereabouts of their family membersdisappeared during and after the war. Family members of missing Tamil youth,carrying placards with names and photographs of the missing and detained,staged a protest in front of the District Secretariat in Kilinochchi.

February 3 The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Kamalesh Sharma said inColombo that the Commonwealth is pleased with the measures the newGovernment of Sri Lanka is considering to address the accountability andreconciliation needs and it extended support for the vital domestic processes.He welcomed the new Government's intent to establish a credible domesticinvestigation mechanism that respects international humanitarian law andassured the practical Commonwealth support and expertise to implement thenecessary measures including fuller implementation of the recommendations ofthe LLRC.

The protesters complained that the new Government is occupied with changingthe governance in the south and neglecting the pressing issues of Tamil peoplein the North. They appealed to the President Maithripala Sirisena to takemeasures to address the issue and called authorities to publish the details aboutthe missing persons and the detainees for the families to know about them.They also urged the new President to release all Tamil political prisoners fromthe prisons if legal action is not resorted against them.

TNA said it will not support a domestic investigation launched by the new

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Government over the war between the LTTE and State SFs that ended in May2009. TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran, during discussions with USUS Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, NishaBiswal, has stressed that an international probe is the only way justice willprevail for the Tamils who have suffered the war. According to Premachandran,the TNA had also informed Biswal that the newly elected Government ofPresident Maithripala Sirisena had not properly addressed the Tamil issue,especially in areas such as resettlement as lands occupied by the army in thenorth continued to remain vacant. He has added that the Government is slow inreleasing the lands of the Tamil people. However, the TNA has expressed itsgratitude to the Government's effort in implementing the new Government's 100day programme.

February 4 TNA officially participated in a National Independence Day celebration afterseveral decades. According to reports, main Tamil political parties had notattended a National Independence Day celebration since 1972. However, seniorTNA Leader, MP R. Sampanthan and parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiranparticipated in the 67th Independence Day celebrations held at the Parliamentgrounds in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte in Colombo.

February 5 A Sri Lankan Court issued an order preventing the former LTTE leader KumaranPathmanathan alias KP from leaving the country. The Court of Appeal issuedthe order barring Pathmanathan from traveling overseas. The Court granted themotion of order as a sub decision based upon a petition filed by the Marxistparty, JVP. The Court had informed the Department of Immigration andEmigration asking them not permit Pathmanathan to leave the country until theend of the trial.

Sri Lankan Government presented the regulation under the UN Act to locallyratify the ban on al Qaeda as a global terrorist outfit. The Gazette notificationhad been signed by former External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris on December 14,2014. According to the regulation, this organisation is continued to be designatedas a terrorist outfit. It is prohibited for any individual to aid and abet the alQaeda. The financial intelligence authorities of Sri Lanka are authorised to seizefunds and assets of this terrorist outfit.

The Cabinet Spokesman, Minister Rajitha Senaratne said that Cabinet hasapproved the setting up of a special PTFR according to a cabinet paperpresented by President Maithripala Sirisena. The Minister said the President hasdecided to appoint a special Task Force to cater to the need to build a unitedand integrated nation, while healing the wounds of mistrust and social andcultural stress generated from extended conflicts and violence between differentcommunities in Sri Lanka. The seven members Task Force will inquire intoissues related to ethnic reconciliation and suggest remedial measures to bringabout ethnic harmony.

The PTFR aims to identify the immediate problems that required to be solvedand recommend solutions in order to achieve reconciliation and to alleviate thehardships caused to citizens as a result of the conflict. It would study and makerecommendations with regard to persons under detention as a result of theconflict, and all other matters relating to rebuilding harmony and effectivereconciliation. Senaratne also said that according to the IG of Police, there are275 Tamil prisoners who have been in jail for long without being charged. ThePTFR would study these cases and determine whether they can be released.

TNA has welcomed the decision to set up the PTFR. TNA MP SureshPremachandran said that the Government should see to it that the stepssuggested by the PTFR are implemented and that the PTFR does not become adevise to delay implementation of measures already agreed upon.

February 9 Families of missing persons in Northern Province held a protest in the Jaffnatown in Jaffna District calling on the new Government to intervene in finding outthe whereabouts of their loved ones who had gone missing during the civil war.Family members, carrying photographs of their missing loved ones, held amarch before holding a protest outside the Jaffna District Secretariat in NorthernProvince. According to reports, several politicians including representatives fromthe TNA have taken part in the demonstration.

February 10 The NPC adopted a resolution calling for an international investigation into

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alleged acts of genocide committed against the Tamils during the civil war.Northern Province CM C.V. Wigneswaran presented an amended version of theresolution calling for an international inquiry on genocide against Tamilscommitted by the successive Governments since the country's independencefrom the British in 1948. The resolution notes that the obligation to prevent andpunish genocide under the Genocide Convention is not a matter of politicalchoice or calculation, but one of binding customary international law. In theresolution, the NPC has urged the team appointed by the UNHCHR toinvestigate the war in Sri Lanka, to comprehensively investigate and report onthe charge of genocide in its submission to the UNHRC in March 2015.

Minister of Housing and Samurdhi, Sajith Premadasa said in the Parliament thatthere are illegal armories in the Hambantota District in Southern Province. Hesaid that the illegal armories with weapons, ammunition and grenades have beenfound in Beliatta and Weeraketiya in Hambantota District. The Minister informedthat a request has been made from the State Minister of Defense to investigatethe illegal armories found in Hambantota. According to Premadasa, the illegalarmories were being operated by a MP representing the District.

February 11 Sri Lanka is seeking a delay of several months in the release of a UN report onthe investigation of alleged war crimes committed during the country's three­decade long war. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera during hisvisit to Washington said that the new Government is seeking a delay in releasingthe report of the UNHRC mandated investigation by several months until theGovernment had time to establish a mechanism to deal with the issue.Samaraweera said that "Once the report is finalized, we are hoping they canrefer it to our domestic mechanism for action." "We are hoping they could holdon to it until our mechanism is in place ­ maybe August, you know, or so," headded.

Government has decided to release lands extending to 1,000 acres in theNorthern HSZs in several stages to civilians. The Cabinet of Ministers hasapproved the proposal presented by President Maithripala Sirisena as theMinister of Defense. As a first step 220 acres of land in the Valalai GramaNiladhari Division of the Valikamam East Divisional Secretariat Division is to bereleased to establish a pilot village for the resettlement of 1,022 familiesdisplaced by the Civil War. Each family will get 20 perches of land and financialassistance to construct a house. It has also been proposed to establish aschool, a pre­school, a hospital, religious places of worship, community centersand build other infrastructure activities. The remaining 780 acres of land will alsobe used in the future to resettle the people displaced by the war.

While a large extent of land from the 11,639 acres were under the control of theSFs during the period of the war, 6,152 acres in the Palaly area is beingmaintained by the SLA and the SLAF as an HSZ. Cabinet has also decided torelease the lands under the control of the SLAF in the Panama area in theEastern Province to landless people in the area except the land in an extent of25 acres in which buildings are now being constructed.

February 12 US Secretary of State John Kerry told the visiting Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka,Mangala Samaraweera that the US is excited about the 100­day plan that thenew Government of Sri Lanka has put forward to move the country in a newdirection. Mangala Samaraweera met Secretary of State Kerry at the Departmentof State for an hour­long discussion. "This is an exciting moment for all of ushere because Sri Lanka on January 8th had an historic election in which therehas been really a vote for change, a vote to move Sri Lanka in a new direction,to open up greater accountability and possibility for the preservation of humanrights, for democracy, for fighting corruption and putting together a governmentthat will speak for and to the people," Secretary Kerry said.

According to a leading survey, Sri Lanka did not show any improvement in pressfreedom in 2014 although there were no journalists were killed and ranked amongthe 20 worst countries in the world for media expression. The annual WorldPress Freedom Index for 2015 compiled by Paris (France) based ReportersWithout Borders (RSF) ranked Sri Lanka 165th out of180 countries. Although SriLanka's rank did not change from that of last year score declined from 59.13 in2014 to 60.28 this year (2015), 100 being the worst. The RSF in its report saidSri Lanka's Government attacks the foundations of journalism by systematically

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obstructing the activities of NGOs that support the media.

February 13 President Maithripala Sirisena told the diplomatic community in Colombo that if“credible and firm” evidence is found by the proposed inquiry into allegations thatSri Lankan SFs committed human rights violations during the fight against theLTTE, action would be taken against the guilty. The President also invited theUNHCHR to visit Sri Lanka. Sirisena said the Government needed time to bringabout unity and reconciliation as it had assumed office only a month ago.Referring to Tamils living in the Northern Province, he said ‘doubts and mistrust’between ethnic groups should be removed.

Democratic Party (DP) Western Provincial Councilor Susil Kindelpitiya handedover information to the CID regarding 13 alleged disappearances and 'white van'abductions that had allegedly taken place during the previous Government.Kindelpitiya said that after Maithripala Sirisena assumed the office of thePresident, several families in Colombo had visited him and expressed theirgrievances over the alleged abduction of their family members. In his letter tothe Director of the CID, Kindelpitiya had also requested for investigations to becarried out based on the recent revelation made by former Minister MervynSilva, alleging that former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was thearchitect of the 'white van' culture in Sri Lanka.

February 15 TNA leader R. Sampanthan said that the UNHRC report on the probe on allegedviolations that had taken place during the war should be released during theUNHRC sessions in March as scheduled. Sampanthan noted that the UNHRCprobe would have been completed in an unbiased manner and the report shouldbe published in March as agreed in 2014.

February 16 UNHRC agreed to postpone the release of report of war crimes committed duringcivil war by six months. The report was scheduled to present the investigativereport on the investigation mandated by the UNHRC at its 28th session inGeneva on March 25. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'adal­Hussein recommended delaying publication of the report from March until thecouncil's 30th session in September as Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister MangalaSamaraweera during his visit to Washington on February 11 seek a delay inreleasing the report of the investigation by several months until the Governmenthad time to establish a mechanism to deal with the issue.

TNA expressed displeasure at the UNHRC decision to postpone the submissionof war report. The TNA continuously called for the release of the report on thescheduled date on March 25 while the Government sought support from theinternational community to postpone the report. TNA MP Suresh Premachandransaid that the decision to postpone the report will be a setback to resolve theTamil issue in the island.

February 17 The PCICMP will conduct its next public sittings to hear cases of missing inTrincomalee District in Eastern Province from February 28 to March 3.According to report, since the establishment of the Commission on August 15,2013 by the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Commission to date hasreceived in excess of 20,106 complaints inclusive of approximately 5000complaints from relatives of missing SFs personnel.

Australian authorities have returned four Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers to SriLankan authorities in mid­sea. The Australian Minister for Immigration andBorder Protection Peter Dutton said the Australian and Sri Lankan Governmentshave worked together again to disrupt a people smuggling venture. According tothe Minister, a suspected illegal entry vessel (SIEV) carrying four Sri Lankannationals was intercepted by BPC North­West of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands onFebruary 9. The four Sri Lankan nationals were transferred at sea from a vesselassigned to BPC to Sri Lankan authorities last Tuesday (February 17), theAustralian Minister said.

February 18 Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe ordered the release of copies of the Indianmagazine, Frontline detained at the Colombo airport by Sri Lanka's CustomsDepartment in January. The copies were of the special edition of the magazinemarking its 30th year, which republished a 1987 interview with slain LTTE leaderVelupillai Prabakaran, along with other interviews and articles from its archives.An official statement from the Prime Minister's office said that the interview withPrabakaran would not create any threat to national security.

The Attorney General's Department of Sri Lanka requested more time from the

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February 19 The Attorney General's Department of Sri Lanka requested more time from theCourt of Appeal to decide on former LTTE Leader Kumaran Pathmanathan aliasKP. Deputy Solicitor General Suhada Gamlath informed the Appeal Court thatthe Attorney General's Department required more time to decide on the nature ofaction to be taken against KP. He made this submission when a petition filed bythe Marxist party JVP seeking KP's arrest was taken up for hearing. The casehas now been put off till February 26.

February 20 TNA has alleged that a secret military camp, named Gota, in the naval base inTrincomalee was in operation and held 700 Tamils and 35 Tamil families. TNAJaffna District Parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran had told the BBCSandeshaya that the Tamil people are of the belief that there were many more ofsuch camps.

February 21 Chief Minister of the NPC C. V. Wigneswaran has expressed concern over thedelay in releasing Tamil political prisoners by the Sri Lanka Government.Wigneswaran said that he fears the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe hasrefused to release prisoners because he does not want to anger the Sinhalesemajority ahead of parliamentary elections. "I'm talking of a history of not living upto promises in the past. The prime minister wants to play for time because theelections are coming," he claimed.

February 22 Member of NPC M. K. Sivajilingam has reportedly written to UN Human RightsChief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein saying the Tamils see the delay to release thereport based on the probe on the war in Sri Lanka as a failure of the UN systemto protect and listen to the victims of mass atrocities. Sivajilingam has said theTamil people hoped that the UN system will not victimize the Tamils once againby delaying or denying them full and complete justice. "The Tamil people arehighly disappointed and dismayed by your announcement on February 16, todelay the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) Report until September2015. The Tamil people had been anxiously waiting with high hopes for therelease of the Report, but this unexpected delay has caused serious concerns tothe victimized Tamil population, and we strongly believe justice delayed isjustice denied," Sivajilingam has stated in his letter.

February 24 Thousands of Tamils in Jaffna city in the Northern Province staged a massiveprotest against the UNHRC's decision to defer the report of the UN investigationon alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka during the war. Thousands of students of theUniversity of Jaffna along with the residents staged a protest march from theUniversity. At the end of the protest march, the president of Jaffna UniversityTeachers Association, A Rasakumaran handed over an appeal on behalf of theorganizers of the protest to Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph requesting him tohand it over to the relevant UN agencies. The appeal, addressed to the UNHCHRZeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, requested the UN official to have the findings of theinvestigations published as scheduled. The appeal stressed that the Tamils inthe North have no faith in any domestic mechanism that the current governmentmay establish to investigate the injustices caused upon them by previousgovernments and another domestic mechanism will only waste time.

A Colombo Court has ordered Balendran Jeyakumari, who has been searchingand campaigning for the release of her son, to continue to be held in detentioncustody till March 10, as per the request made by the TID. Jeyakumari, who wasarrested on March 13 2014 on suspicion of harbouring former rebel cadres at herhome in Kilinochchi in Northern Province, was transferred to the Welikada prisononly last week, where she was allowed to meet briefly her 13­year old daughterVibushika, who is also in the protective custody in Kilinochchi. According to thepublished report, her son, Balendran Mahindan was alive and was going throughthe government's "rehabilitation program" at an unknown 'rehabilitation' centre.Several local and international human right organisations have campaigned forher early release.

February 25 The UK based Amnesty International (AI) organization has noted that severalhuman rights violations have taken place in Sri Lanka last year (2014). Theorganization in its annual report has called on the new Sri Lankan Government totake measures to address those violations. AI said that Sri Lanka faced acatalogue of endemic human rights issues in 2014. "Unlawful detentions andtorture by SFs were carried out with impunity as the authorities continued to relyon the Prevention of Terrorism Act to arrest and detain suspects without chargeor trial. Human rights defenders and family members of people subjected to

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enforced disappearance were threatened and arrested, and fatal attacks onreligious minorities went unpunished," the AI report said. Political violence andintimidation ­ mainly against political opposition supporters and civil societyactivists ­ were reported in the run­up to the snap presidential election called forJanuary 2015, it noted. It also said that UN­led investigation into alleged warcrimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict raised hopes for victimswaiting for truth and justice, but this will require the full cooperation of the newSri Lankan Government.

The UNHRC defended its move to defer the release of a report into alleged warcrimes committed during Sri Lanka's civil war saying that it was a "very rational"decision taken in a "relatively unique" case. The new President of the UNHRCJoachim Rücker said that the decision to defer the release of the report on thehuman rights violations in Sri Lanka by six months to September was "veryrational".

February 26 The AG of Sri Lanka requested six months to present a comprehensive report tothe Court of Appeal on former LTTE leader and arms procurer KumaranPathmanathan alias KP. According to the Attorney General's Department, the193 incidents mentioned in the petition against KP have to be examined properlyand time was required for the matter. The Court of Appeal at the last hearingdirected the Attorney General's Department to inform of its proposed action onKP at today's hearing. However, the Department has now sought more time.

February 27 Newly appointed Commander of the SLA, Lieutenant General Chrishantha DeSilva, during a visit to Kandy in Central Province has assured that nationalsecurity will be given highest priority and will not be compromised at any cost.He said the Army will maintain security even in the north. "I will give the highestpriority to National Security. The army has a responsibility towards the NationalSecurity of the country," De Silva said. The Army Commander said thatdiscipline of the army will also be given priority. However, he added that there isconfidence that Sri Lankan soldiers will not violate the code of conduct in thearmy.

February 28 TNA has expressed the party's lack of faith in a domestic probe into issuesrelated to the war crimes. TNA leaders met with UN Under Secretary General forPolitical Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, who is currently in Sri Lanka, and discussedseveral issues including the proposed domestic investigation on the warpromised by the new Government. TNA Spokesperson MP SureshPremachandran said that the TNA had informed Feltman that the party did nothave faith in a domestic probe. Feltman however had told the TNA that theGovernment had given an assurance that the domestic probe will meetinternational standards. He had informed the TNA that the UN is willing to workwith the new Government on the investigation and other issues.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Sri Lanka, Ajith P. Perera said the domesticinvestigation into some of the allegations over the war will not be completed bySeptember, 2015. The Deputy Minister said that it will be difficult to completethe legal process before the September sessions of the UNHRC as only thestructure and laws will be in place before September. The UNHRC has agreed todefer a report on Sri Lanka which was to be submitted to the Council during thismonth's (March) session to September.

Although there was no violence and there is an apparent reduction of threatsagainst journalists in Sri Lanka after the January 8, 2014 election, significantchallenges to press freedom are still remaining in Sri Lanka, an internationalmedia organization said. The international media mission, which represents theIFJ, the International Press Institute and International Freedom of ExpressionExchange, said the continued surveillance of journalists and media organizationsin the north of Sri Lanka must cease. The mission said all journalistsacknowledged there have been no cases of over violence since the January 8elections and that there has been an apparent reduction in threats, butsignificant challenges to press freedom are remaining. These challenges includethe self­censorship due to uncertainty about the political future of the country;restrictions on access to information; and continued surveillance and monitoringof journalists.

March 1 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the accusations that Tamil youthwere being held in secret detention camps were baseless. Wickremesinghe

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emphasised that all those who had been taken into custody were being held inlegally run facilities and, therefore, all detainees could be accounted for. He saidinstructions had been given for preparing a full list of persons in custody in a bidto dispel fears expressed in some quarters as regards secret detention camps.According to the report, the Prime Minister didn't mince his words when hedeclared that those missing but not listed among those in government custodyhad either perished during the conflict or were now living overseas. Authoritativesources said that Sri Lanka's efforts to track down missing persons livingoverseas hadn't been successful due to Western countries' refusal to cooperate.Sources said that a joint effort was needed to establish the whereabouts ofthose who had assumed new identities and citizenship in other countries.

March 2 Police have questioned several Sri Lanka Navy personnel of an investigationunit of the Navy on disappearances of children. The Police Media SpokespersonSSP Ajith Rohana said that statements have been recorded from seven Navypersonnel regarding the disappearance of 10 children during the 2008­2009period. In 2010 the CID had commenced investigations into complaints receivedover the disappearance of some youth and their parents between the period of2007 and 2009 in Colombo and in Trincomalee. Rohana said the CID hasinterrogated the officer in charge of the investigation unit of the Sri Lankan Navy,Commander D. K. P. Dassanayake, who was also the former Navy spokesman,in this connection. It has also been revealed that the officials of the investigativeunit had taken ransoms in large measure from the parents of the children. Theactivities of the infamous unit were reported to have centered on Trincomaleeand Fort.

Police arrested a former leader of the LTTE Sea Tiger Women's Wing, identifiedas Murugesu Jayaganesh Pakeerathy alias Murugesu Bairahi alias BurugesuPahiradiat at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo while she wasabout to leave for France. Police Spokesperson SSP Ajith Rohana said that theTID of the Police had launched investigations over reports that Murugesu Bairahihad arrived in Sri Lanka. The 41 year old former Sea Tiger was arrested by theTID when she was preparing to leave the country and is currently held ondetention for 72 hours. Police informed that Murugesu Bairahi headed thewomen's wing of the LTTE Sea Tigers from 1997­2000 and that she had fled toFrance in 2005. Police further said the investigations had revealed that she hadreturned to Sri Lanka last month and was staying in Parathion in the North. Thesuspect has been produced at the Colombo Magistrate Court.

March 3 Government has assured an international media delegation visiting the countrythat the long­awaited Freedom of Information bill would be tabled this month andpassed in parliament before the upcoming general election. The InternationalMedia Solidarity Delegation during its five­day visit to the island called on the SriLankan government to ensure that critical media reform measures are madepermanent and media freedom to be an absolute priority of the newadministration. The Government has also assured the delegation a commitmentto tackle impunity for crimes against journalists, which according to thejournalists, is a long­running and festering blight on Sri Lanka's reputationglobally. Government representatives have said that they had already requestedthe IG of Police, N.K. Ilangakoon to carry out thorough investigations intojournalist killings, with priority given to the 2009 murder of LasanthaWickrematunga and the 2010 disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda.

South Africa had told the former Sri Lankan Government that the LTTE was notoperating in South Africa as was alleged at the time, Al Jazeera said quoting asecret cable. According to the report the previous Sri Lankan Government wastold quite plainly that, at least in the case of South Africa, the LTTE posed nothreat at all, according to a secret intelligence agency cable (PDF) obtained byAl Jazeera's investigative unit. In the cable, dated June 9, 2010, South Africa'sState Security Agency (SSA) replied to a request for information about severalcases of purported LTTE activity in South Africa, from a suspected "militarytraining camp" held in May 2010 to suspicions that local Tamil organizationswere raising money for the LTTE and allegations that the LTTE was in contactwith former members of the South African military. In every case, South Africanintelligence concluded that there was no sign of LTTE activity or support in thecountry. "The LTTE does not have any offices or known representatives in SouthAfrica," the cable states. However, Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry did not respondto multiple requests for comment from Al Jazeera, by phone and by email, about

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the cable and the statements made subsequently by government officials. Theoffice of Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that the new minister hadnot been briefed on the issue and could not comment.

March 5 In an interview ahead of Indian PM Narendra Modi's visit to Sri Lanka, PrimeMinister Ranil Wickramasinghe said that Indian politicians might have developed"amnesia" over the fact that India had assisted former President MahindaRajapaksa in the LTTE war of 2009. Lankan Prime Minister said "Without thehelp of India, President Rajapaksa could not have wiped out the LTTE. He gotthat help and he agreed to give concessions even beyond the 13th amendment... But he did not do so ....". Asked specifically about the UPA's denials of helpto Sri Lanka, especially because of opposition from its alliance partner the DMK,he said, "Amnesia, you know is very common among politicians."

Wickramasinghe accused the TNA Government in the Northern Province andChief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran of being "irresponsible" in passing a resolutionfor an international genocide investigation to look into allegations dating back tothe 1970s. The Prime Minister said that in that case, not only would the SriLankan Government and the LTTE had to be charged with killings, but so wouldthe IPKF that went in to assist in the late 1980s. He said "Casualties took placeunder the Sri Lankan SFs, the IPKF and also by the LTTE ... But to say that itwas only the Government of Sri Lanka is wrong."

The UNHCHR Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein urged the Sri Lankan Government to designmechanisms that will work to address the human rights issues and not repeatthe failures of the past. Delivering the Opening Statement at the 28th Session ofUNHRC in Geneva, Switzerland, the High Commissioner said the MemberStates were due to consider his report on the implementation of UNHRCresolution 25/1 on accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, including thefindings of the comprehensive investigation mandated by the Council at thissession. The High Commissioner said he will present the report on the UNmandated investigation into the alleged human rights violations by Sri Lankaduring the war at the 30th Session of UNHRC in September.

March 6 Sri Lankan authorities have extended the detention of a former Sea TigerWomen's Wing leader of the LTTE arrested earlier this week. Police on March 2arrested the former LTTE leader Murugesu Jayaganesh Pakeerathy at theBandaranaike International Airport in Colombo while she was about to leave forFrance with her eight­year­old daughter, a French national. The authoritiesinitially detained her for 72­hours pending investigations by the Unit TID and thedetention has been extended to 90 days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.SSP Ajith Rohana said "We have now got a detention order under the Preventionof Terrorism Act which means we can hold her for a period of 90 days." "We arehopeful of completing investigations very soon," he added.

March 9 The GTF has requested the British Government to persuade the new Sri Lankanadministration to lift the ban on Tamil Diaspora groups imposed by the previousGovernment. The GTF is among those groups included in the list of proscribedorganisations. GTF President Reverend Father S. J. Emmanuel has requestedthe ruling coalition’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth AffairsPhilip Hammond, MP, to take up the issue with the visiting Sri Lankan delegationled by President Maithripala Sirisena. The President and Foreign MinisterMangala Samaraweera are scheduled to meet British PM David Cameron onMarch 10. GTF spokesperson Suren Surendiran confirmed their request to theBritish Government. Surendiran said that they strongly believed that the gazettenotification bearing the number 1854/41, dated March 21, 2014 should berepealed.

Filmmaker Callum Macrae who exposed Sri Lanka's war crimes and took thefamous picture of LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran's son eating a snackjust before he was shot dead will release a new Sinhala version of his awardwinning documentary "No Fire Zone" in the premises of the House of Commons(UK). According to report, Britain's relation with Sri Lanka may soon sour overthe film. The launch will be attended by director Callum Macrae and will have thepresence of British MPs ­ Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh, Conservative MP LeeScott and others from Parliament. The documentary was nominated for theprestigious Emmy award. The meeting will also be addressed by exiledSinhalese writer Bashana Abeywardane. The release of the version will coincide

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with the visit of the new Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to the UK andwill take place a day before he is due to have dinner with the Queen.

A group of pro­ LTTE British Tamils gathered at Westminster Abbey in London toprotest the new Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's participation in theCommonwealth Day celebrations held in London. According to the report, uponseeing the protesters, President Sirisena, who is the current Chair­In­Office ofthe Commonwealth, alighted from his official motorcade and greeted theprotesters waving at them. The protest against the visiting President wasorganized by the British Tamils Forum (BTF). The President was attending theCommonwealth Day service held at Westminster Abbey. The event wasattended by the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess ofCambridge, and representatives of Commonwealth Nations.

March 10 A Sri Lankan court released the Tamil woman activist, Balendran Jeyakumariwho has been held in detention for nearly a year for allegedly harbouring a LTTEfugitive. Acting Police Media Spokesperson, ASP Ruwan Gunasekara saidColombo Magistrate Court released Jeyakumari on conditional bail afterspending nearly a year in the Boossa detention camp. However, the AdditionalMagistrate has banned her from leaving the country as part of the bail conditionsgiven to her by the Court. She is also required to report to police station closestto her residence every month, ASP Gunasekara said. The court also releasedsix other activists along with Jeyakumari. Jeyakumari along with her 13­year­olddaughter was arrested on March 13, 2014 in Kilinochchi for allegedly shelteringan LTTE cadre, named Gopi, who shot a Police inspector in Kilinochchi duringan arrest.

Housing and Samurdhi Minister Sajith Premadasa said that TNAParliamentarians do not stand for a separate state and their purpose is to ensurefair and equal treatment for Tamils. Minister Premadasa said some politiciansmake allegations against the TNA claiming that they supported PresidentMaithripala Sirisena during the Presidential election to divide the country. This isa political lie used to mislead voters, he said. The Minister said that “LTTEactivists in London protest against TNA MPs Sampanthan and Sumanthiran byburning their effigies. Even TNA MPs have accepted the unitary nature of thestate” "If Sampanthan and Sumanthiran wished to see a separate State andsupported Maithripala Sirisena to fulfill this purpose, it is a big question for us asto why LTTE supporters in the UK are protesting against them? The cat is out ofthe bag and the truth is revealed. The TNA MPs do not demand for a separatestate. They only want equal treatment for Tamils," said the minister.

TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran claimed that there are about 300 politicalprisoners in Sri Lanka. Sumanthiran was addressing the press following hismeeting with Solicitor General Suhada Gamlath on the issue of LTTE detainees.However, Solicitor General Gamlath discounted this claim stating that it is unfairto claim that those who were taken into custody under the Prevention ofTerrorism Act or under the Public Security Ordinance as political prisoners. Heemphasized those arrests were made within a structured legal frame work andhence there are no political prisoners in the country.

Sumanthiran said that the law has taken a different course for those who helpedthe LTTE by providing them with food and water, and they are still in detentionthough 11,900 detainees have already been rehabilitated. According toSumanthiran, the group under custody could be divided as (1) those againstwhom no legal action has been instituted (2) those whose legal battle iscompleted and (3) those against whom legal action continues."The Committee tobe appointed by the Solicitor General will conduct its first meeting on March 16,"sources said.

UN Under­Secretary­General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman who visited SriLanka from February 28 to March 3, expressed confidence over Sri Lanka'sefforts towards reconciliation and cooperation. UN Political chief said thatfollowing presidential elections in January, a historic opportunity has nowpresented itself for Sri Lanka to set up a domestic process that is credible,accountable and up to par with international norms and standards for the benefitof the country's people, with the help of the wider international community. "Themeetings and talks with the Government of Sri Lanka are so different than theyused to be, so that leads us to greater expectations. There was suffering across

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all Sri Lanka, every community suffered and accountability must address thegrievances in the North, but also allow that all [people] in Sri Lanka feel like alltheir concerns are being addressed," he said.

March 11 The CID of Sri Lankan Police, as directed by the IGP on the order of the MountLavinia Magistrate, will soon begin investigations into the murder of journalistLasantha Wickrematunga. Police Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara said thatpreliminary investigations into the assassination of Wickrematunga were carriedout by the Mirihana Police and later by the TID. As ordered by the IGP the CIDhas already sought the extracts related to their investigations from the MirihanaPolice Station and the TID and CID would start its investigation after analysingthese investigations, the spokesman said. Lasantha Wickrematunga, the chiefeditor of Sunday Leader, was assassinated on January 8, 2009 by fourassailants who stopped him on his way to his office on Attidiya­Mt. Lavinia road,in a suburb of Colombo and opened fire at him.

March 12 President Maithripala Sirisena said that Sri Lanka does not want "any outsiders"in its domestic inquiry into alleged atrocities committed against the Tamil Tigersduring the last stages of the country's civil war. "We are ready to get advice andtheir opinions for the inquiry, but I don't think we need any outsiders because wehave all the sources for this," Sirisena said. This implies the UN investigatorswill not be able to participate in the domestic inquiry that the new governmentplans to set up within a month into the alleged war crimes committed during thenearly three decade­long military operations that crushed the LTTE in 2009.

Sirisena also said he hopes to set up a special investigative commission withina month to inquire into the alleged war crimes committed during the last phase ofthe country's civil war. President Sirisena said an investigative commission willbe appointed legally and it will be tasked with identifying what needs to be doneto probe the alleged violations. If the commission found anyone guilty ofcommitting war crimes they will be punished according to the country's law, Mr.Sirisena said.

British writer­filmmaker Callum Macrae has urged Indian PM Narendra Modi to"show courage and commitment" in pushing Sri Lanka to address war crimesahead of his visit to Colombo. Macrae said "(The Sri Lankan Governmentshould) allow a genuinely independent international process of justice ­something which can command support and trust of all communities of SriLanka." The filmmaker, who took the picture showing LTTE 'chief' VelupillaiPrabhakaran's son eating a snack before he was shot dead and helped exposewar crimes, said he wants to persuade Modi to intervene. Macrae recentlyreleased a Sinhala version of his award winning documentary, 'No Fire Zone' thathas been nominated for the Emmy Award. India has refused visa to Macrae andcertification for his film for screening, explaining in part it might "strain friendlyrelations with Sri Lanka". Macrae called New Delhi's attitude a cause of concern."The refusing of a certificate on the openly political grounds...was a shamefulepisode ­ as was, quite frankly, the refusal to grant me visa,'' he said. "Now thatboth the Government in Sri Lanka and the Government in India have changed, Ihope that the certification will be granted and that when I re­apply for a visa, ittoo will be granted.''

March 13 A Sri Lankan court released a former leader of the LTTE Sea Tiger women's wingon conational bail when she was produced in court. Police spokesman, ASPRuwan Gunasekara said Colombo Additional Magistrate Aruni Attigala releasedthe former LTTE leader Murugesu Jayaganesh Pakeerathy on a personal bail ofLKR 200,000. The suspected LTTE leader was ordered to hand over herpassport to the court and appear before a Police Station once a week.

Indian PM Narendra Modi, who arrived in Sri Lanka, urged the Sri LankanGovernment to ensure early and full implementation of the 13th Amendment andto go beyond that when finding a political solution. "We believe that early and fullimplementation of the 13th Amendment and going beyond it would contribute tothis process," the Indian Prime Minister said at the Presidential Secretariat inthe presence of the heads of the Sri Lankan Government.

Narendra Modi paid homage to the fallen soldiers of the IPKF in Colombo. Helaid a wreath at the base of the tall column on which was inscribed the names ofall the 1,500 Indian soldiers who were killed in the operations against the LTTEbetween 1987 and 1990.

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March 14 Former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in anInternational Conference on Education in Dubai said that the whole country doesnot want an international probe into the alleged war crimes committed during the26­year long war with the LTTE terrorists. Kumaratunga has said that both theSri Lankan people and its politicians found the calls for a UN­led internationalinvestigation "insulting" by implying that the country could not carry out its own.She said that Sri Lanka is united against an international investigation intoalleged war crimes.

The PCICMP is to hand in an interim report regarding the missing persons'cases to the President Maithripala Sirisena on March 18, the Secretary to theCommission, H. W. Gunadasa has said. According to the official, the report hasalready been finalized and it will be handed to the President on March 18. TheCommission has recorded statements from witnesses regarding 303 cases ofdisappearance during the first week of this month. The Commission hasreceived 471 complaints. Since the Establishment of the Commission on August15, 2013, the Commission up to date has received in excess of 20,106complaints inclusive of approximately 5,000 complaints from relatives of missingSFs personnel.

The arrest at the Colombo Airport last week of a former woman ‘Sea Tiger’,Murugesu Jayaganesh Pakeerathy has exposed new global LTTE financingnetworks with continued links in Sri Lanka. The husband of MurugesuJayaganesh Pakeerathy lives in France and is identified as the main financialcontroller of the LTTE’s Diaspora­based global finance networks. The husband,Subramaniam Jayaganesh, is suspected to be still maintaining close ties withthe former Tiger leader and key ‘banker’ Kumaran Pathmanathan alias ‘KP’ whowas the LTTE’s main global funds coordinator. ‘KP’ currently lives in Sri Lankafollowing his arrest in Malaysia and controversial ‘rehabilitation’ by the previousregime despite many serious charges relating to terrorism arraigned against him.The sources said that the TID, which is currently questioning Murugesu foundthese international financial linkages. This has prompted a fresh probe intopossible international LTTE financing networks that may still be linked withColombo, Police sources said.

The court case against former LTTE leader Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP,arising out of a petition filed by the JVP, will be taken up by Court of Appeal thisweek. At the last hearing, Justice Vijitha Malalagoda, asked for moreinformation about KP’s global links.

March 16 PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said that livelihood development programs should beimplemented for the rehabilitated cadres of LTTE, in order to secure theireconomic environment. Following a special discussion headed by the PM held atthe Temple Trees in Colombo, the PM appointed a committee to explore andinitiate programmes to create employment for the ex LTTE cadres. Thecommittee comprises the officials of the Bureau of the Commissioner General ofRehabilitation. According to the Bureau of the Commissioner General ofRehabilitation report Sri Lanka has almost completed the rehabilitation of nearly12,000 former cadres of LTTE. Currently, 49 hardcore LTTE cadres remain indetention centers.

March 17 Visiting Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the SwissConfederation, Federal Councilor Didier Burkhalter told the Sri Lankan PresidentMaithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo that Switzerlandis willing to open a new chapter in bilateral relations with Sri Lanka and ready toextend its full support for a national reconciliation programme. Burkhalter saidthat the Swiss Government is very happy with the measures taken by SriLankan Government so far to build up national reconciliation and empowerdemocracy in Sri Lanka. Burkhalter also met TNA seniors R. Sampathan, andMP M.A. Sumanthiran and discussed the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka.

In a major reconciliatory move, President Maithripala Sirisena will be sending acircular to all institutions saying that there is no bar on singing the Lankannational anthem in Tamil language. He will thus be lifting an unofficial banexisting since 2010, when President Mahinda Rajapaksa let it be known thatGovernment will frown on singing the anthem in Tamil. Schools and otherinstitutions, which were using the Tamil version of "Sri Lanka Matha, Apa Sri

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Lanka" since 1951, stopped doing so. Sirisena announced his decision to lift thelanguage bar when the leader of the DPF, Mano Ganeshan, raised the issue atthe NEC meeting. "The President said that he would send a circular saying thatthere is no ban on singing the national anthem in Tamil. He also said that hewould have the matter cleared by the National Security Council," Ganeshan said.

March 18 Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera while presenting amendments tostrengthen the laws to combat terrorist financing and money laundering combatin the Parliament said that the Government will review the proscription of 16Tamil Diaspora organizations and over 400 individuals by the previousGovernment. Minister Samaraweera said that the previous Mahinda RajapaksaGovernment banned Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora groups and individuals under theUNSC resolution 1373 for their alleged links to LTTE. He said the Governmenttook that measure to "build up the hysteria about the LTTE regrouping" in the runup to the presidential election. Minister said "However, most of the organisationslisted may have merely been vocal proponents of Tamil rights. There was hardlyany tangible evidence to link them to the LTTE. Some of the individuals listedhad even been dead for some time." "Reviewing this list of individuals andentities is an important exercise at this juncture when the Government ofPresident Maithripala Sirisena is seriously committed to expedite thereconciliation process," the Minister pointed out.

Government has started a fresh probe in to the disappearance of journalistPrageeth Eknaligoda. Minister of Mass Media and Parliamentary AffairsGayantha Karunathilaka has made this observation in parliament in response toan oral question posed by Kurunegala District in North Western ProvinceParliamentarian Shantha Bandara. Eknaligoda who supported the commonopposition presidential candidate General (Retired) Sarath Fonseka at the 2010Presidential elections disappeared in the evening of January 24, 2010, just 36hours before the elections. Karunathilaka added that the government has alsotaken steps to formulate a welfare plan to support Eknaligoda's family and theeducation of his two children.

March 22 New Government conferred the country's highest military rank of Field Marshalto former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka, who was jailed on allegedtreason charges by the previous Government of Mahinda Rajapaksa, for"achieving the victory over terrorism". President Maithripala Sirisena promotedthe former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka to the rank of FieldMarshal at a special function held at the Defence Ministry ground in Colombo.Fonseka, who is credited with leading the Sri Lankan Army to secure victoryagainst the LTTE and eliminating the terrorist group, will be the first ever FieldMarshal in Sri Lankan military history. He led the final phase of the war againstterrorist group LTTE culminating in the total elimination of the terrorist group andthree­decade long terrorism.

The PCICMP has decided to indefinitely postpone the handing in its interimreport to the President Maithripala Sirisena. The report has already beenfinalized and it was to be handed to the President on March 18. However, theChairman of the Commission Justice Maxwell Paranagama said that thepresenting of the report to the President will be postponed indefinitely. As thePresident is busy with enormous amount of duties, the Commission has decidedto postpone its meeting with the President.

The official said that the PCICMP report will be handed over to PresidentSirisena before the publication of the report of UN OHGHR Investigation on SriLanka (OISL) into alleged war crimes. It will be up to the President to decidewhether to submit the report to the UNHRC, or to act according to a domesticlegal framework, he added.

March 23 The New Government started handing the thousands of acres of land in theNorthern Province taken by the SFs during the civil war back to the originalowners. President Maithripala Sirisena, at a ceremony held at the Walalai area inJaffna, released 425 acres of land previously situated in Jaffna high securityzone to the original owners. At the event, the President symbolically presentedthe ownership certificates to the rightful owners of the land. President said hisGovernment is dedicated to building peace and co­existence among allcommunities; eliminating fear and mistrust and will take every measure toresolve their burning grievances.

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A large number of Tamils held demonstrations in the North and Easternprovinces, demanding an international probe into the alleged human rightsviolations during the last phase of war with the LTTE. Rejecting PresidentMaithripala Sirisena Government's proposed domestic investigation rather thanan international probe into the human rights violations, Tamils including activistsof TNPF, held protest in eight Northern and Eastern Districts.

March 26 PM Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that the former President ChandrikaBandaranaike Kumaratunga has been appointed to lead a special PresidentialTask Force to identify urgent reconciliation needs of the minority Tamilcommunity. PM Wickremasinghe at a special meeting with the heads ofgovernment and private sector media institutes at the Temple Trees said that aSecretariat on National Harmony has been declared open under the leadership ofthe former president Mrs. Kumaratunga. "We are focused in achieving communaland religious harmony," Wickremesinghe said. Wickremasinghe added that themajor task entrusted to the PTFR is to preserve the diversity of all ethnicgroups. The PTFR would identify urgent reconciliation needs of the communitiesthat require immediate solutions and would consider proposals from the public onthe issues.

March 27 PM Ranil Wickremesinghe embarked on a tour in the Tamil dominated NorthernProvince in a bid to strengthen Government's efforts to bring about thereconciliation among the communities. The PM participated in a special meetingheld with the Jaffna District parliamentary members and local Governmentrepresentatives at the Jaffna District Secretariat to review the progress of thegovernment's 100­day program implemented in the Northern Province. PM, whileaddressing the meeting, said the Government will provide long term solutions toaddress the problems faced by the people in the District who have been affectedby the war and assured to take measures to uplift their economy along with thedevelopment of infrastructure facilities. Wickremesinghe also visited Point Pedroand Kilinochchi in the Northern Province, and talked to former combatants of theLTTE, war widows, civil society representatives, and parliamentarians.

The Kilinochchi Magistrate's Court in Kilinochchi District in Northern Provinceordered the immediate release of Balendran Vibushika, the daughter of Tamilactivist Balendran Jeyakumari, who was transferred to probationary custody in achildren's home in Kilinochchi after her mother was arrested in March 2014, fromprobation. Balendran Jeyakumari, along with her then 13­year­old daughter,Vibushika, was arrested on March 13, 2014 in Kilinochchi for allegedly shelteringa LTTE cadre, named Gopi, who shot a Police Inspector in Kilinochchi during anarrest. Her daughter was handed over to Child Protection Services while themother was sent to Boossa detention camp in Galle in Southern Province.Jeyakumari, who was detained for nearly a year without being charged, wasreleased on conditional bail on March 10. Following Jeyakumari's release on bail,the Kilinochchi Magistrate's Court ordered the authorities to hand over Vibushikato her mother's custody.

March 28 PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the EU has responded positively to thequest made by him to extend the ban on, LTTE. The PM made thisannouncement when he met with the members of the three Armed Forces andPolice at the Defence Headquarters at Palaly at Jaffna in Northern Province.Accordingly, the EU will further extend the ban on LTTE, the PM said.Wickremesinghe assured the SFs that his Government will not leave any roomto sacrifice lives of armed forces and general public due to wrong decisionstaken by the politicians.

Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Ajith P Perera said that the EU hadre­imposed the ban on the LTTE due to the positive diplomatic intervention ofthe Government. However, the EU has not officially announced the decision toextend the ban.

March 30 Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith P Perera warned that there is a real danger that theLTTE could regroup and wage another war for an independent Tamil homeland,six years after they were militarily defeated. Perera said that "Their frontorganisations operate businesses abroad, they run petrol stations, supermarketsand have shipping companies." "Even though they have been defeated on theground, there is a real danger of their trying to regroup," he said. His commentscame after the Sri Lankan Government pushed the EU to again blacklist theLTTE.

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Sri Lankan Government said that a final decision has not yet been taken onlifting the ban on some diaspora groups or individuals listed by the formerGovernment. Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith P Perera said that the issue issensitive and needs to be dealt with carefully and will also need the support ofParliament.

The CID of Sri Lanka has arrested three former Navy personnel and detainedthem in connection with the killing of TNA MP Nadarajah Raviraj and aPoliceman providing security to him in 2006. The parliamentarian was shot deadby gunmen riding a motorbike in Colombo in Western Province on November 10,2006. His bodyguard, Police Constable Lakshman Lokuwella attached to theJaffna Police Station, was also killed in the shooting. The Spokesman ASPRuwan Gunasekara said the three security personnel including two officers arebeing interrogated under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and they will alsobe questioned over several disappearances during that time. The newgovernment of President Maithripala Sirisena has promised accountability forwartime abuses. Raviraj was outspoken on greater self­rule for minority ethnicTamils and explained the Tamil perspective of the conflict in Sinhala, thelanguage of the majority. A former mayor of Jaffna and a lawyer by profession,Raviraj openly spoke out against the conflict between the military and LTTE inthe country's north and east.

Dismissing much­touted allegations that thousands had been still held onterrorism charges, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that there wereonly 210 persons in custody. The Minister stressed that nine held on terrorismcharges had been given bail. According to the minister, 134 persons had beenremanded had 60 were under investigation and 25 held under Prevention ofTerrorism Act (PTA). Of the total number, nine have been released on bail.

March 31 The newly­appointed Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Krishantha deSilva said that Sri Lanka Army has not withdrawn the troops or camps in theNorth. The Army Commander has stressed that safeguarding territorialsovereignty was of paramount importance and assured to take all measures toprevent the resurgence of militancy in the North. The Commander added that thePresident, who is Commander­In­Chief, and he, himself are committed toachieving national security. He assured that no military camps have beenwithdrawn to release land to the original owners in the North and East. Speakingof the reports that the LTTE is trying to make a comeback, the ArmyCommander said the SFs are extremely alert and watching the situation "verycarefully". "There will be zero tolerance of any acts of terror," he emphasized.

Three Sri Lankan Navy personnel, including two officers, have been arrested bythe Police under the anti­terrorism Act for the alleged murder of a popular Tamillawmaker in 2006 that had been blamed on the LTTE. Police spokesman ASPRuwan Gunasekara said that the three men are suspected in the killing ofNadaraja Raviraj, who was shot dead in his car in November 2006 during thecountry's civil war. A former mayor of Jaffna and a lawyer by profession, Ravirajopenly spoke out against the conflict between the military and LTTE in thecountry's North and East. The Government of former President MahindaRajapaksa blamed the killing on the now­defeated LTTE, but Raviraj's supporterssuspected a Government hand.

April 1 The visiting UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparationand guarantees of non­recurrence, Pablo de Greiff met with the Chief Minister ofthe Northern Province C. V. Wigneswaran. Reports said that Mr. de Greiff, whoarrived in Sri Lanka on March 29, for a six­day visit on the invitation of the SriLankan Government, has held closed­door discussions with the Chief Ministeron the current situation in the region. The UN official has reportedly requestednot to disclose the discussions to the media. However, Tamil media reports saidthe Chief Minister has handed over the recently adopted NPC resolution on Tamilgenocide to the Special Rapporteur. The resolution adopted by the NPC inFebruary 2015 calls for an international investigation into alleged acts ofgenocide committed against the Tamils during the war.

April 2 Sri Lanka did not seize the opportunities that existed in 2009 after ending thewar to bring the country together and has a chance now to achievereconciliation, justice and true peace, said the US official Tom Malinowski.However, the process will require, in part, "looking backward, to acknowledge the

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suffering of the innocent and account for the wrongdoing of the guilty, on everyside," Tom Malinowski, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, HumanRights, and Labor said assuring the support of the US for the process. "The USwill continue to encourage that process, because experience has taught us thatno society can move forward by burying the past. But our greatest hope is thatyou will keep moving forward," he remarked.

President Maithripala Sirisena chaired a special discussion on the identificationand allocation of lands to resettle the IDPs of Mannar in Mannar District ofNorthern Province. The discussion, held at the President's Secretariat,especially centered on identifying suitable land to distribute to the displacedfamilies in the Mannar District. The President advised to use the lands that areunder the District Secretary's purview, while emphasizing to pay specialattention to protect the thick forest cover in the area. The President pointed outthe need to distributing lands without causing any discrimination to any ethnicgroup. According to the latest figures, 1,734 families in the Mannar District haverequested for land, where 902 of them have been recommended as suitable toreceive land.

April 3 The new Government has started a comprehensive investigation to determinewhether arms and ammunition recovered from the LTTE were provided toterrorist organizations by the previous Government. The Cabinet Spokespersonand the Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine Rajitha Senaratne said thatthe Government will probe whether the recovered LTTE arms have beenprovided to the Ukrainian rebels and the Islamic terrorist organization BokoHaram in Nigeria. He said the previous Government has provided arms to asecurity institution which was allegedly involved in arms deals with a number ofcountries including Nigeria and the Government has received reports that theorganization had exchanged arms in mid sea. The Minister said that theGovernment has suspicions as to whether they sold the LTTE weapons sincethe relevant officials in the Government have denied ever selling any stateweapons. "The Government does not have a complete report about the weaponsfound from the LTTE during the last few day of war on terrorism," he said.

April 4 Three Army personnel including a Captain received injuries when they attemptedto diffuse a landmine buried by the LTTE during war time in Wilasikulam forestarea in Madhu Police Division in Mannar District of Northern Province. Accordingto the Police, a Captain of the Engineering Corps, a Corporal and a Soldier whoreceived injuries have been admitted to Vavuniya Hospital. It has been revealedthat the landmine exploded due to a delay which occurred during bomb disposal.

Sri Lankan Army Headquarters said that the troops on their search and clearoperations in the general areas of Kombavil, Puthukkudiyrippu, Ampakamam,Piramanthalaru and Kalkudah in Northern Province recovered six hand grenades,one 81 mm mortar bomb, one Arul bomb, one RPG bomb, one 40 mm grenadelauncher bomb and one IED. The Army also said that the de­mining groups hadrecovered one hundred anti­personnel mines from Mahamailankulam,Kaddiadampan, 14th Mile Post and Pumalanathan in Northern Province. Thearms that had been buried there by the LTTE during war time were detected byemployees of a NGO and they alerted the SFs.

April 5 The Government will setup a national welfare centre in the country's war­ravagedNorth to uplift Tamil families headed by women or the victims of the nearly threedecades­long civil war in the country, said PM Ranil Wickremesinghe's office.The national centre will be located in Kilinochchi in Northern Province, the formerLTTE administrative centre, PM's office said in a statement. The decision wastaken following a request made by the Northern people to set up the centre inKilinochchi where most women had lost their husbands in the conflict. "It is awell known fact that most suffered persons due to a war are women andchildren. In the north alone there are nearly 50,000 families that are headed bywomen. They are made destitute due to their inability to provide food,accommodation and educational needs to their children," the statement said.

Based on a UN report on women­headed households, Wickremesinghe hasappointed a committee to look at ways to uplift social and economic conditionsof women­headed households. Since coming into power, the new Governmenthas taken significant steps to bring normalcy in the North. The Government hasreturned some military­acquired land to original Tamil owners. A travel restrictionfor foreigners travelling to the North imposed by the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa

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regime has also been lifted. According to UN estimates, up to 40,000 Tamilcivilians were killed by SFs during former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's regimethat brought an end to the nearly three decades­long war in the country with thedefeat of the LTTE in 2009.

April 10 The Army released 570 acres of land from High Security Zones in Jaffna Districtto the District Secretary for Jaffna for distribution among rightful owners. TheArmy in a statement said "Under today's phase, 397 acres from KankasanthuraiSouth and 173 acres from Valali in the Valikamam sector of Jaffna District havenow been released to the District Secretariat, thus completing the extent of 1000acres assured by the Government."

April 13 The IFJ along with the FMM condemned the arrest of a Tamil journalist in theNorthern Province by the Sri Lankan Police on April 8 in Jaffna. IFJ in astatement accused the Sri Lankan Police in Jaffna of intimidating Tamiljournalists.

April 14 The UNHRC listed certain urgent tasks for the Sri Lankan Government to do, sothat charges of human rights abuses and war crimes are meaningfullyaddressed. Pablo de Greiff, UNHRC Special Rapporteur for Truth, Justice,Reparation and Guarantees of Non­Recurrence has said in his report that SriLanka should take "immediate action" to clarify the fate of the disappeared;refrain from arbitrary detentions; address land issues; and put an immediate endto continuing forms of harassment, violence and unjustified surveillance of civilsociety and war victims, in particular women in the Eastern and NorthernProvinces. "These cast a serious doubt on current efforts," he said.

April 15 India's Central intelligence agencies have launched a major investigation into a"specific tip­off" that Naxals were now getting sophisticated weapons through thesea route from Sri Lanka. Top Indian intelligence sources claimed that they hadreceived information some time back that Naxals were routing arms andammunition through the sea route through an arms cartel which was suspectedto be earlier providing weapons to the LTTE as well. It is suspected that theweapons are coming through Sri Lanka using the sea route, sources added.Report said that the intelligence officials are worried about this new "supplyroute" being used by the Naxals to procure sophisticated weapons, including theAK­series rifles, landmines, grenade launchers, communication equipment andeven NVDs.

TNA has called on the Government to immediately intervene and halt disruptionsto journalists in the Northern Province. TNA MP S. Shritharan has written a letterto President Maithripala Sirisena calling on him to intervene and probe thealleged intimidation faced by journalists in the North by groups claiming to befrom the military. In one instance, three journalists were threatened by personsreportedly from the military after they had covered a public protest in Nallur inJaffna District to demand clean drinking water.

The wife of missing Sri Lankan journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, SandyaEknaligoda said that she is not satisfied with the fresh probe that was launchedby the new Government in to her husband's disappearance that took place in2010. Sandya has said that though the Government had previously promised tohand over the investigations to the CID, she has so far not been informed of anyprogress regarding the ongoing investigations. "However I still have hope thatthe Government would find out what happened to Prageeth before the end of thisyear," Sandya has further said.

April 16 Refugees including Sri Lankan Tamils, rejected by Australia will soon fly fromthe Pacific atoll of Nauru to be resettled in Cambodia, the ABC said quoting theAustralian Government.

April 18 TNA MP M A Sumanthiran said that the TNA has no allegiance to the LTTE as itis not in favour of terrorism. He said that "We do not have any allegiance to theLTTE nor are we committed to their ideology. We stand up for the rights of theTamil people but we are not in favour of terrorism nor do we encourage it andeveryone knows this." He also dismissed concerns over resurgence of theLTTE, saying it is an effort by political parties to create fear among the people.

April 22 The Governor of the Eastern Province Austin Fernando vehemently rejected theallegations that the lands in Sampur in Trincomalee District have been given to

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the LTTE terrorists. The Governor pointed out that handing over the lands totheir original owners will never harm the security of the naval bases or naval jettyin Trincomalee. He said there is no truth in the speculation spread by somesocial media that the naval base in Sampur has been removed. The Governmenthas taken measures to develop the Sampur navy training camp as a fullyfledged navy training institute.

April 23 President Maithripala Sirisena defended the new Government's policy ofreturning private land, once used by the SFs, to legitimate owners, especially inthe Northern and Eastern Provinces, where Tamils and Muslims are presentsubstantially. Sirisena, while addressing the nation through the electronic media,said "the 30 year conflict" (with the LTTE) should not raise its head again. "Wehave to ensure amity among all communities." He said that a section of themedia has been spreading falsehoods such as: the military has been removedfrom the North; their numbers have been reduced; that lands in Sampur hadbeen given to LTTE terrorists; and that the Tamil and Muslim minorities havebeen given more rights than the Sinhalese. "These stories are being spread byextreme communalists. Please do not spread these false messages to theworld," he urged.

April 26 Sixty percent of the people who had appeared before the PCICMP, blamed theLTTE for the disappearance of their kith and kin, PCICMP Chairman, RetiredJustice Maxwell Paranagama, said. He said that "Thirty percent of thecomplaints were against the Sri Lankan SFs, 10 percent against the other (non­LTTE) Tamil militant groups, and 5 percent were against unidentified elements."A total of 2500 people from the Northern and Eastern Provinces had appearedbefore the commission. There were 16,000 complaints from civilians and 5600from the SFs. Paranagama added that "However, the blame figures varied fromdistrict to district. In Kilinochchi, 85 percent of those who deposed blamed theLTTE. In Mullaitivu, 80 percent blamed the LTTE. In Jaffna, people blamed theLTTE and the SFs equally (50:50). In the Eastern Province most of thecomplaints were against the SFs. The Karuna group (a breakaway group of theLTTE), was also blamed to an extent in the East." Some of the cases have beenreferred for action and some for further investigations, he said.

The Commission has submitted its interim report to President MaithripalaSirisena. The Government has asked the panel to continue its work as it is alsoinvestigating allegations of war crimes.

April 30 Five Dutch nationals of Sri Lankan origin have been jailed for between nineteenmonths and six years three months for raising money for LTTE. The appealcourt ruled the five, who range in age from 43 to 60, were members of the LTTEand had raised money for the terror group between 2003 and 2010. The chargesinvolved threatening people who refused to make donations and organizing illegallotteries, the court said.

May 2 TNA called for a special arrangement to ensure that Tamil speaking peoplewould retain the same number of seats regardless of drastic drop in the numberof electors over the years due to them fleeing the country or moving to Districtsoutside the Northern Province. TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran said that theirsupport for the proposed 20 Amendment to the Constitution would entirelydepend on guarantee that the existing 160 electorates would remain intact. TheMP insisted that the electoral reforms couldn't be finalized at the expense ofTamil speaking people. The MP insisted that the SLFP's push for an agreementon electoral reforms wasn't realistic therefore those spearheading talks on the 20Amendment should be mindful of their concerns.

May 4 Chairman of the PCICMP, retired High Court Judge Maxwell Paranagama saidthat four teams will be appointed to the PCICMP to conduct investigations intofuture deliberations. He said the appointments were in accordance with therecommendations made in the interim report that was submitted to the PresidentMaithripala Sirisena. These four teams will investigate about 16,000 complaints,according to the Chairman.

May 7 Sri Lanka's new Government said that a domestic mechanism will be in place bySeptember to probe into the alleged human rights violations during the finalstages of decades­long war with the LTTE. Foreign Affairs Minister MangalaSamaraweera said that the domestic mechanism with foreign technical expertiseto probe into the allegations of war crimes will be in place when next UNHRCsession will meet in Geneva in September.

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The Governor of Eastern Province, Austin Fernando has strongly refutedcriticism made in certain quarters about the Colombo's decision to resettle IDPs,mostly Tamils, in Sampur town in Trincomalee District. According to theGovernor, critics of the Government sought to portray the move as one beingcarried out at the behest of Indian Government or as "sell out to the LTTE" or"politically motivated."

May 8 State Minister of Defence Dinendra Ruwan Wijewardene said that the languagebarrier between the Sinhala and Tamil communities was one of the reasons forthe prolonged ethnic conflict that had plagued the nation for three decades andsome extremist forces within these communities took it to their advantage andas a result the nation lost many invaluable lives and resources.

Two pro­LTTE Conservative candidates, MPS in the last Parliament, Lee Scottand Nick De Bois, were routed in May 7 British elections. According to thepolitical observers, their failure to win their constituencies is considered a bigblow to LTTE propaganda in the UK. Amal Abeyawardene of the CFSL said thatthe outcome of the British election is good news for Sri Lanka.

The IFJ in its latest report said that Sri Lanka along with India, Pakistan andAfghanistan is among the 'worst offenders' in the region in protecting journalistsin 2014­15. The report also advocated a strong need for a campaign to endimpunity to ensure that those who abduct, attack or kill journalists were broughtto justice. "While Sri Lanka did not experience any journalist deaths in the pastyear, several had close shaves. Even six years after the end of the war, themedia in the Northern and Eastern Province of the island continue to faceattacks and harassment," the IFJ report said.

Smaller political parties in Sri Lanka, which represents minority communities,have expressed their opposition to the proposed 20th amendment to theconstitution which incorporates reforms to the electoral system. "We areopposed to the move of bringing electoral reforms as an urgent bill. We are forreforming the system but we want the next election to be held under the existingsystem of proportional representation," said Mano Ganesan, a leader of a Tamilpolitical party.

May 9 TNA Leader R. Sampanthan said that the Tamil people should be given asuitable political solution soon. Sampanthan further said that “They (Tamils)should also be given equal rights and Tamil people had complete confidence inpresent President Maithripala Sirisena.” Sampanthan said "President Sirisenashould convince his electorate that Tamils in the North should be given theirlands. We have never asked to divide the country. We have very clearly saidthat a political solution should be formulated through a local process”.

May 12 Some TNA members of the NPC announced that the period May 13 to 19 wouldbe marked as ‘Tamil Genocide Week’ and began commemorating the dead witha function in Mullavaikkal in Mullaitivu District where the final battle was foughtin 2009. The military defeated the LTTE on May 19 (2009) ­ which is marked andcelebrated as Victory Day in the country.

TNA NPC member M.K. Sivajilingam said “We lit lamps and offered floraltributes at a small function in Mullavaikkal in Mullaitivu District. This week wewill have commemorations throughout the North. We requested the partyhierarchy to hold the main function on May 19.” He also said that he was backedby a few other members of the TNA in this exercise. However, it is learnt thatthe TNA, as a party, has not organised any such commemoration.

May 13 Government warned that any attempt to commemorate LTTE on the sixthanniversary of the end of the three­decade long civil war will not be condoned. Senior Minister Karu Jayasuriya said that "Anyone trying to commemorate theLTTE which was a terror group will not be approved by the government. Thereare elements who want to misuse the new democratic freedom in the country toshow that terrorism could rise its head again."

According to the authorities, over 40 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from variouscamps in Tamil Nadu, India voluntarily left for Sri Lanka from Chennai andTiruchirappalli with the assistance of UNHCR.

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Minister for Resettlement, Reconstruction and Hindu Religious Affairs, D.M.Swaminathan said that only 35 percent of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living inTamil Nadu (India) are willing to return to Sri Lanka. Swaminathan, who received65 Tamil refugees on their arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport inColombo, said that of most of about 100,000 refugees in Tamil Nadu had gotjobs there, married had children. "Not all of them will come here. It is allrubbish", he said.

Emphasizing that his Government would welcome all those refugees who werewilling to return, Minister Swaminathan noted that some of the returnees hadIndian passports and they can come back to Sri Lanka under the dualcitizenship system.

May 14 Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne announced that the day, May 19 whichwas celebrated as “Victory Day” by the Government of Mahinda Rajapaksa tomark the LTTE’s defeat, will from this year onwards be observed as“Remembrance Day” to recall the sacrifices of all those who had fought in theEelam War­IV to maintain the unity and integrity of Sri Lanka irrespective of theirethnicity. He also added that it would be a day that culminated the end ofseparatism.

In a bid to take this message of unity to the interior of the island, the functionthis year will be held, not in Colombo, but at Matara in the Southern Province. However, as in the past, there will be a military parade at which PresidentMaithripala Sirisena will take the salute.

The TNA leader M.A. Sumanthiran said that “TNA, even in 2010, a year after theend of the War, had called upon people to remember the dead without anyreference to the LTTE or religion. Its point was there should be “no sense oftriumphalism” but a “feeling of regret and sadness”.

Member of the NPC and former MP M.K. Shivajilingam said that as part of the“genocidal week,” beginning on May 12, he took part in functions in Mullivaikkal,Trincomalee and Point Pedro in the last three days to pay homage to all thosewho died in the War” “The dead included those who belonged to the LTTE,” saidShivajilingam, who is the national organiser of the TELO, now a political party.

Sri Lankan Government reiterated that Sri Lanka has not faced pressure fromthe Tamil diaspora after the January 8, 2015 Presidential elections. Cabinetspokesman Rajitha Senaratne said that earlier there were reports of the diasporastaging protests in foreign countries against Sri Lanka. However, as the countryprepares to commemorate six years since the end of the war, Senaratne notedthat the diaspora has gone silent since the Government is addressing theconcerns of the Tamils.

Minister also invited NPC to attend the “Remembrance Day” functions which willbe held next week in Southern Province. “We are inviting all. We’ll see whetherthey are coming,” Rajitha Senaratne said.

According to PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Government is planning to set up acommission to probe the killing and disappearances of media persons in thepast. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, during a recent discussion he hadwith media personnel and other stakeholders, said that it was decided that sucha commission should be established in consultation and concurrence with mediagroups, civil society organizations and other relevant partners. The PM notedthat the harassment and intimidation on media institutions and journalists whichprevailed in the past have stopped under the 'good governance' establishedsince President Maithripala Sirisena assumed office.

May 16 On the request of Mullaitivu Police, the Mullaitivu Magistrate Court issued anorder banning people from holding any LTTE commemoration events orremembrance events in the Mullaitivu Police Division in Mullaitivu District ofNorthern Province for 14 days starting from May 18. Police have sought thecourt order after learning that TNPF was planning to hold an LTTE­remembranceevent at Mullivaikal in Mullaitivu District on May 18.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who hopes to romp back to power in thecoming parliamentary elections on a Sinhalese­nationalist wave, decided tocelebrate May 18, the day on which LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was

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killed, as “War Heroes’ Day”. Rajapaksa’s rally to be held at ViharamahadeviPark in Colombo is significant in the context of President Maithripala Sirisena’sdecision to observe May 19 as “Remembrance Day” to honor all Lankans,soldiers and civilians, irrespective of ethnicity, who had sacrificed their life orlimb for the sake of the unity and integrity of the country.

May 17 Despite the ban on pro­LTTE commemorations in Mullaitivu District, the TNA ­controlled NPC intends to have a function in the North on May 18 to pay totribute to those who lost their lives, party officials said. TNA MP SureshPremachandran said that the NCP organized event was originally to beconducted in Mullivaikkal, the area where the last battle was fought between theLTTE and the SFs on May 18, 2009 ending three decades of war. The venue hadto be changed following the court order that banned any form of LTTEcommemoration in the area, he added. He also criticised the Government for notallowing such functions.

The Council of Tamil Civil Society Organisations has made an open request toTamils to attend Remembrance Day functions in their respective areas withoutkeeping away and to perform poojas in all Hindu temples for the souls of theirdeparted loved ones. It also requested to pay floral tributes and light lamps inschools, government departments and offices in the North and East and to getthe permission of their respective Provincial Council administrations to holdremembrance in a similar manner.

A London­based Tamil diaspora group, GTF hailed Sri Lankan PresidentMaithripala Sirisena as an "emerging patriot and statesman" by "word andexample". GTF President Father S.J. Emmanuel in his message to mark May18, the day Sri Lankan SFs ended the LTTE terrorism six years ago said thatPresident Maithripala Sirisena, by word and example, is appealing to all to putthe country and the people before political parties and seek a peacefulcoexistence of all peoples.

May 18 Despite the court order banning pro­LTTE commemorations, Tamils includingsome of the TNA leaders and civilians, for the first time since the end of theEelam War­IV six years ago, openly paid tribute to the thousands of dead in thefinal stages of the war in Mullaitivu District. TNA members of the NPC and localleaders, under heavy surveillance, lit oil lamps and offered flowers at amakeshift memorial in Mullivaikkal village.

In a function organized at the Mullivaikkal beach in Mullaitivu District, ChiefMinister of the Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran urged that the Sri LankanGovernment and international community to take a decision on the Tamilquestion. He said, "This in turn could usher in peace and dignity among variouscommunities in Sri Lanka.". "The environment is now much more positive.Without delay, we must work towards the all important goal of maximumdevolution for the Tamil speaking people," he added.

The IFJ and its several affiliates have called for more dialogue and discussionon improving working conditions for journalists in Sri Lanka if the country is torebuild a strong, robust and professional media industry in the country. In astatement, the media organizations highlighting some of the obstaclespreventing journalists from joining and being active in unions said further supportwas needed for journalists in exile trying to return. The media group also askedthe Government to create an independent Commission of Inquiry with a mandateand adequate powers to investigate past killings and disappearances of mediaworkers, threats and attacks on journalists and media outlets and to ensureprosecution of those responsible and pay compensation to the victims and theirfamilies.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, while attending a commemorationaccused the Sirisena Government of forgetting the troops who were responsiblefor the crushing the LTTE's 30­year campaign. "Please take revenge from me,put me in jail, but do not forget the heroic forces," Rajapaksa told the gathering.

The ITJP Sri Lanka, headed by South African human rights activist YasminSooka, asked the Sri Lankan Government to give information about thewhereabouts of 110 LTTE leaders who had surrendered to the Sri Lankan militaryin full public view on May 18, 2009. "The failure on the part of the authorities to

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carry out a proper investigation into their subsequent disappearance is a furtherinjustice as well as a personal tragedy", an ITJP press release said.

May 19 President Maithripala Sirisena, while addressing the 'War Hero's Day'celebrations at the coastal town of Matara in Southern Province said thatachieving national reconciliation with the minority Tamil community is a priorityfor the new Sri Lankan Government and winning hearts and minds is moreimportant than reconstructing war­devastated buildings. Attending thecelebrations as the country marked the 6th anniversary of the end of the conflictwith the LTTE that killed over 40,000 persons, Sirisena said that "Nationalreconciliation build on mutual trust, confidence and respect of all communities ismy government's policy."

Sirisena pledged the Government's support for the military. "I have the fullestconfidence in you (the troops) to safeguard the security of our motherland," hesaid, accusing his rivals of spreading "false propaganda" against theGovernment. He also assured that he would not allow the LTTE to raise its headagain.

PM Ranil Wickremesinghe praised the efforts of the country's soldiers fordefeating the armed movement, the LTTE, stating that "war heroes whoeliminated terrorism that engulfed our country for a longtime laid the basicfoundation to build national unity and harmony". While speaking at acommemoration function, recently renamed as 'Armed Forces Day' in Matara inSouthern Province, the PM said "We should remember with gratitude andrespect our men and women who laid their lives in combating terrorism, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations across the world and the ones who becamedisabled while doing their duty diligently."

May 20 State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardena strongly rejected the allegationmade by the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and opposition MPs who hadstated that the LTTE flag was hoisted in parts of the Northern Province on May18 when Sri Lanka commemorated the sixth year of defeating LTTE terrorism.The Minister said that "Report received from intelligence agencies state no suchincident being staged in the Northern or Eastern Provinces. These rumors arespread by certain persons with vested interests, media sources and social websites to achieve their own political agendas."

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has lifted the stay on the transfer of 818 acres ofland in Sampur area in Eastern Province to the displaced Tamils after thedisplaced appealed to the court to return the land. Earlier, TNA parliamentarianMA Sumanthiran submitted an intervention to the Supreme Court demandingreturn of appropriated lands to listed individuals from Sampur. The bench,headed by Chief Justice S Sripavan accepted the plea of the counsel for thedisplaced families that the Government had consistently held that the landsseized by the military in 2006­07 during the height of war in the Eastern Provincewould be returned to the displaced Tamils of the area.

May 23 Sri Lankan Police arrested two persons for allegedly printing and dealing FICN inSri Lanka. Police said that the two from the Colombo suburbs of Ja­Ela andWattala were found to be exchanging FICNs with genuine notes. Police haverecovered 25 FICNs of INR 1,000 denomination from the first person and another156 fake notes of INR 1,000 denomination from the second person.

May 24 President Maithripala Sirisena said that Sri Lankan Government plans to devisea comprehensive national security plan covering all aspects of necessary areasof security in the country. During an observation visit to the SFHQ­E inWelikanda in Polonnaruwa District in North Central Province, the President saidthat national security plan has already been taken up in the National SecurityCouncil and will be finalized shortly with the support of tri­services afterconsultations.

May 26 Sri Lanka's wartime Army chief, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said that hisconscience is clear and he would welcome a war crimes investigation to provehis innocence. While accepting that some crimes occurred during the war,Fonseka insists that these were acts of individual offenders, and not systematic."The army as a whole, I can give the assurance that we never committed warcrimes," he said. "There were no rapes, no torture during my command duringthe war. I know there have been a couple of allegations. But there should not bereason to try to declare war against the media or against the international

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community. We can clarify it," he added.

According to an Indonesian Police chief, Australian customs have turned back65 people, including 54 Sri Lankan Tamils, after their boat reached Australianwaters. The 65 persons, 54 from Sri Lanka, 10 from Bangladesh and one fromMyanmar, who reportedly claimed to be asylum seekers, are in detention on theIndonesian island of Rote. According to report, they had started out fromPelabuhan Ratu in West Java on May 24 and were intercepted by Australiancustoms two days later.

May 28 Despite Maithripala Sirisena Government's repeated assertions of attachingpriority to ethnic reconciliation in the country, the regime has been found to be"reluctant" in demilitiarising the Northern and Eastern Provinces where Tamilslive in large numbers, according to a study conducted by US based policy thinktank, Oakland Institute. According to the Institute, the study was carried outduring the period of January 2014­April 2015 "with the knowledge but not thecooperation of the Sri Lankan government." As part of the study, theorganisation has prepared two reports. The study criticized the four­month­oldGovernment for operating with the "old mindset" in security related matters. Thereport said that the Government has also not proposed a timeline or monitoringmechanism to ensure the release of Tamil political prisoners or return of lands tooriginal owners in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

May 29 President Maithripala Sirisena said that he has already instructed the relevantauthorities to reopen files relating to the abductions and assassinations ofjournalists during the past few years. The President, while handing over a cashgrant to Sandiya Ekneligoda, wife of missing journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda atthe Sri Lanka Bar Association Auditorium in Colombo, said that "Impartial,methodical and justifiable investigations will be carried out in to the abductionsof journalists, since the government strongly believes that the rule of law shouldbe protected. Accordingly, investigations will be carried out promptly andrecommenced into all suppressed misconducts." Sirisena added that theGovernment has clearly understood that it is duty bound to establish justice forthe victimized journalists.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa expressed fears about the possibility of arevival of the defunct terrorist organization, LTTE, in the country. While speakingto media in Anuradhapura in North Central Province, he said that "I have asuspicion that we may return to see terrorism. We don't want to see thathappening we want everyone to live in peace and harmony." Rajapaksa alsoaccused President Maithripala Sirisena of relaxing security in the North to caterto the demand of the Tamils in the Northern Province to demilitarize the formerconflict­affected areas. Report also adds that according to political observers,raising fears of an LTTE revival could help the former President, who plans tocontest parliamentary polls to make a political comeback, to win the elections.Rajapaksa loyalists in the former ruling party, UPFA are leading the campaign toget him appointed as the Prime Minister.

Sri Lankan Government has assured that it will never allow the terrorist group torevive in the country and condemned those trying to raise fears for politicalmileage.

May 30 TNA parliamentarian, M. A. Sumanthiran has said that discussions are underwaywith the Sri Lankan Government authorities to get 278 Tamil political prisonersreleased. According to Sumanthiran, the TNA is in discussions with the JusticeMinister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe on the procedural methods and the prioritycategories of prisoners to be released. He said that many prisoners have notbeen served any indictments but arrested on mere suspicion, while many othershave been arrested for minor offences.

June 1 The Britain­ based Tamil group, British Tamil Forum has sought India's help forTamils based in Northern Sri Lanka in improving their lives through a host ofmeasures. Representatives of the British Tamil Forum, which claims torepresent nearly 4,00,000 from the community living in the UK, met officials ofthe Indian High Commission in London last week and sought positive measuresfor the Tamils who are "first Sri Lankan but do have an affinity to India"."Themeeting went very well and whilst the Indian government will be keen to help inpartnership with the Sri Lankan government for all such positive efforts, the pointwas made and unanimously applauded that peaceful and diplomatic avenues

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only remain our work­ethic base," said Anil Bhanot, managing director of HinduCouncil UK ­ the charity which facilitated the meeting.

Report said that some of the suggested measures included psychological andpsychiatric help for the Tamils in the region, particularly women, apparentlyaffected during the nearly three decade­long brutal war against the LTTE,besides setting up of Indian education institutions branches. They also includeda bridge between Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and a northern Sri Lankan port foreasier movement of goods and services and people with the appropriatecontrols; and a ferry service, which existed before the war, should be resumed.

Around 2,175 internally displaced Tamil families in Jaffna and TrincomaleeDistricts will receive a financial assistance of LKR 38,000 per family forresettlement with the Cabinet of the Sri Lankan Government sanctioning LKR160 million. According to the report, 204 families in Sampur in TrincomaleeDistrict of the Eastern Province, and 1,971 families in Jaffna of the NorthernProvince will get the assistance initially. Of the amount of assistance, LKR25,000 is set apart for resettlement allowance and the remaining LKR 13,000 forpurposes such as clearing land and purchase of tools.

Three minor Tamil political parties in Sri Lanka have decided to join hands toform a new political front, saying that the TNA only represents the Tamils in theNorthern and Eastern part of the country. Mano Ganesan, the leader of theDemocratic People's Front (DPF), a minority party for the Tamils in WesternProvince has said two other political parties, the National Union of Workers(NUW) and Up Country People's Front (UCPF), which represent estate Tamils incentral hill plantations, are to join his party to form the new political front.

June 2 Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran charged that narcotic drugshad been introduced in the Province in a systematic manner with the intention ofpreventing a Tamil youth­resurgence. Speaking at a function in Jaffna, the ChiefMinister said some of the state officials and ministers had the opinion previouslythat Tamil youths should not be get together as idea of rebelling could arise inthem. He also said that Northern youth had put pressure on previousGovernments by taking up arms and the previous Governments had to incur alarge expenditure with foreign aid to put an end to the armed conflict.

The US said that President Maithripala Sirisena had moved Sri Lanka away fromdivisive politics and crony capitalism toward a new path of reconciliation. ThePrincipal Deputy Assistant Secretary of US Bureau of South and Central AsianAffairs, Richard E. Hoagland said that “Democratic elections have brought abouta sea­change in US­ Sri Lanka relationship, where the new President has movedthe country away from divisive politics and crony capitalism toward a new pathof reconciliation and inclusive development.”

According to a recent survey conducted by CPA, though the Sri LankanGovernment is giving emphasis on reconciliation process, the country’s fourmajor ethnic groups; Sinhalese, Tamils, upcountry Tamils and Muslims remaindivided on issues concerning the topic. Of four questions raised during thesurvey, the question that continues to see perceptible division between theSinhalese and the Tamils is about the work done by the Government to addressthe root causes of the ethnic conflict. Thirty five per cent of Sinhaleserespondents are of the view that the Government has done a lot whereas 39.9per cent of Tamils (Sri Lankan Tamils) and 33.3 per cent of the upcountry Tamils(Indian Tamils) feel that nothing has been done. However, 6.3 per cent of theMuslims hold the view that large sections of the Tamils have benefitted, 62.9 percent of the Muslim respondents have said “the government has done a little butnot enough.” Among the Sinhalese respondents, 3.1 per cent have said theGovernment has done nothing and 38.2 per cent feel that “the government hasdone a little but not enough.”

June 3 Ahead of the forthcoming Parliamentary elections, a new political formation,Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) was formally launched to highlight issues andproblems of Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka. The TPA comprises DemocraticPeople’s Front (DPF) of Mano Ganesan; Up Country People’s Front (UCPF) of V.S. Radhakrishnan and the National Union of Workers (NUW) of PalanyThigambaram. The three leaders asserted that the Alliance was formed notmeant for the polls but out of the realization that a “unified and cohesive force”would ensure the accomplishment of more concessions and rights for the Indian

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Tamils.

According to report, UK immigration officials have detained Janahan Sivanathan,a 22­year­old Tamil asylum seeker from Sri Lanka, at the Morton Hall detentioncentre in Lincolnshire while the Government tries to deport him. Supporters saidthat Janahan was “horrendously tortured” as a school student during the war inSri Lanka, after he was rounded up and held captive for ten days. They said thathis medical case history shows he suffered serious torture and is at high risk ofsuicide.

June 4 The newly formed alliance of three minor Tamil political parties in Sri Lanka, TPAhas decided to support the government party, UNP. TPA has also decided tocontest the elections under the elephant symbol of the UNP.

TPA has elected a working committee to carry out its policies and plan of action.Mano Ganesan will be the President of the TPA working committee while PalaniDigambaram and Radhakrishnan will be Deputy Presidents.

A statue resembling slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran installed in a privatetemple at Therkku Poigainallur village near Velankanni in Nagapattinam Districtin Tamil Nadu (India) has caused a flutter in the locality. The statue resemblingPrabakaran in camouflage uniform with a horse in the background was installedon the campus of the Periyachi Amman Temple built in the village. Policesources said that no case has been registered so far in this connection.

June 5 Soldiers of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) those who paid sacrifice duringtheir mission in Sri Lanka between July 1987 and March 1990 were rememberedin a ceremony organized at the newly erected IPKF cenotaph in Palaly in Jaffnain Northern Province. The IPKF memorial remembers 33 Indian soldiers who laidtheir lives for sake of the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

June 6 Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Mahishini Colonne said that a finaldecision on an independent mechanism to address issues of missing personsand alleged violations of human rights and humanitarian law will be taken afterdiscussions with all concerned, including civil society and victims. Allinternational partners, including the UNHCHR Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, appreciatethat, for any mechanism to succeed, all those concerned must be consulted,said Mahishini Colonne, who also heads the Foreign Ministry’s UN Division. Shesaid such mechanisms must be evolved through mindful and careful deliberationas opposed to being rushed. She added that the lack of “mindful and carefuldeliberation” was the reason for the failure of many past mechanisms.

In an interview, NPC member Ananthy Sasistharan, wife of a senior functionaryof the LTTE claimed that her husband, Sasistharan alias Elilan surrendered tothe Sri Lankan forces on the advice of Indian MP, Kanimozhi belonging to DMK.Ananthy said that “it was after his conversation with Ms. Kanimozhi inMullivaikkal at about 8 p.m. on May 16, 2009, my husband chose to surrenderhimself to the forces. This is not the first time that I am saying this. So far, therehas been no response from the other side. It is time Karunanidhi Ayya and Ms.Kanimozhi break their silence and tell the world who were all behind the entireepisode.” When asked if her husband had any other option, she said, “He mighthave taken cyanide pills as he had two.” However, she said she was not awareof the instructions of the LTTE to its members in such an eventuality.

According to a local media report, the current Sri Lankan Government isreviewing the ban on some Tamil Diaspora groups and individuals. ForeignAffairs Ministry Spokesperson Mahishini Colonne said that the formerGovernment gazetted the listing of the groups and individuals but the newGovernment said there was a requirement to review the ban in order to take thereconciliation process forward. Colonne said that under the UN obligations anannual review of individuals and entities listed under the UNSC Resolution 1373,is essential and the review process is underway by a Committee.

The statue of slain LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabakaran at a private temple atTherkku Poigainallur village near Velankanni in Nagapattinam District in TamilNadu (India) was removed. There were literally no symptoms of the statue beinginstalled on the premises of Sevugaraya Ayyanar and Periyachi Amman temple,which was consecrated on June 4. Police, Revenue and Intelligence officialsconducted an enquiry in the village and questioned a group of organisers, who

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were involved in the construction and consecration of the temple. When theimplications of installing a statue of leader of a banned organisation wasexplained to them, they agreed to remove it, Police sources said.

The Velankanni Police (Tamil Nadu) has registered a case in connection with theinstallation of the statue. Police sources said a case was booked under IndianPenal Code (IPC) section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by publicservant) on a complainant preferred by Saminathan, Village AdministrativeOfficer of South Poigainallur in Nagapattinam District.

June 7 DMK MP Kanimozhi dismissed as “completely baseless” the claim of AnanthySasistharan that her husband, who was a senior functionary of the LTTE,surrendered to the Sri Lankan forces on her (Kanimozhi's) advice. “I am not anauthority to ask someone to surrender either on behalf of the Indian Governmentor the Sri Lankan Government. I do not know who is behind this story,”Kanimozhi said.

JVP leader, K.D. Lalkantha visited the Sampur area in the Trincomalee Districtin Eastern Province on a fact finding mission. Lalkantha said that the visit wasaimed at inspecting the plight of the IDPs yet to be resettled in Sampur and theobstruction posed by the proposed coal power plant. He explained that thepeople possess the right to return to their original lands in Sampur and thatauthorities should be mindful of the environment and health hazards posed bythe proposed plant.

June 8 Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Vigneswaran said that the people in theNorth would be happy if the Armed Forces were withdrawn from the Province. Hehas attributed this sentiment to several allegations leveled against the Army.According to the Chief Minister, there had not been problem about the use ofheroin in the Province before 2009 during the reign of the terrorist group LTTE.

Sri Lankan Government held talks with Tamil Diaspora groups in London,discussing at length needs of those displaced during the war against the LTTE.Welcoming the move, TNA said in a statement that Foreign Affairs MinisterMangala Samaraweera was also present during the dialogue. “The Global TamilForum (GTF) continued their informal dialogue over the last two days in Londonwith various stakeholders to enhance confidence building measures between allcommunities within and outside Sri Lanka,” TNA statement said. It said the needfor constructive engagement by the Sri Lankan Diaspora was discussed,including the needs of IDPs.

June 10 Sri Lankan Government welcomed the contribution of Sri Lankan Diaspora,irrespective of ethnicity or religion, to support the country in its reconciliationefforts as well as capacity building and welfare of the people. Referring to therecent meetings the Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera had with theTamil Diaspora community in London (UK), the spokesperson of the ForeignAffairs Ministry Mahishini Colonne said that the LLRC made severalrecommendations in their report pertaining to the important requirement for SriLanka to engage with the Sri Lankan Diaspora to achieve meaningful and lastingreconciliation in the country.

Emphasizing that the Sri Lanka Police continue to maintain security in Jaffna,the Sri Lanka Army affirmed that there is no military administration whatsoeverin the Northern Provincial capital, Jaffna. SFs Commander in Jaffna MajorGeneral Nandana Udawatta said that the military is not involved in civilianadministration and there was no security threat to the Jaffna peninsula after thePresidential Election held on January 8, 2015. He denied the reports that extratroops had been sent to Jaffna following the recent incident of rape and murderof school girl Sivaloganathan Vithiya, which triggered violence in the area.

The controversial documentary on Sri Lanka's war against LTTE terrorists, 'NoFire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka' has reportedly been screened in theIrish Parliament. According to foreign media reports, Member of Irish ParliamentPaul Murphy has hosted the event with the attendance of Irish MPs, the film'sdirector Callum Macrae, exiled Sri Lankan journalist Bashana Abeywardena andinvestigative reporter on Sri Lanka Phil Miller. Murphy had described the film,which has been shown in the European Parliament recently as a "powerfulindictment of the massacre of the Tamils in Sri Lanka at the end of the war."

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However, Sri Lanka has strongly rejected Macrae's documentary on allegedhumanitarian law violations saying that the film contained no facts but"concocted lies, half­truths and speculations" put together to embarrass thecountry.

June 11 Minister of Power and Energy and JHU General Secretary Champika Ranawakasaid that the cabinet paper submitted to grant Government compensation forinjured LTTE terrorists had to be withdrawn after he protested against it. MinisterRanawaka said “Some ministers submitted a cabinet paper proposing that theinjured LTTE terrorists should be compensated by the government. I stronglyobjected it and it had to be withdrawn.”

Champika Ranawaka also said that JHU was strongly opposed to hosting afestival of Diaspora as claimed by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and that hostingsuch a discussion would instigate racisms and terrorism. “There has been nodiscussion within the government about this. We do not think hosting such adiscussion with organizations banned by the defense ministry through a gazettenotification would ensure peace in the country. It is an instigation of terrorism,”Ranawaka said.

June 12 Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera told the Parliament that theonce anti­Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora is likely to issue a statement renouncingviolence and separatism. Samaraweera said "As a result of our discussions (inLondon last weekend), and our efforts, it is most likely that the Diaspora groupswhich were previously hostile to Sri Lanka, would issue a declaration renouncingviolence and commit themselves to working towards a united, undivided SriLanka." Samaraweera was giving a detailed answer to the Leader of theOpposition, Nimal Siripala de Silva, who had asked a number of questionspertaining to the meeting with the GTF and a few Western peaceniks.Samaraweera denied that the issue of lifting the ban on the LTTE wasdiscussed. He also denied that there was any discussion on "war crimes" andthe proposed domestic mechanism to investigate charges of war crimes.

Sri Lankan Cabinet of Ministers during a special meeting convened approved anew electoral system proposed for the 20th Amendment that increased thenumber of parliamentary seats to 237 from the current 225. Under the newsystem, 145 Parliamentarians will be elected under the First­Past­the Post(FPP) system, 55 under the District Proportional Representation (PR) systemand 37 from the National List through the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.The new proposal was presented to the Cabinet meeting by PresidentMaithripala Sirisena.

June 13 Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa alleged that 59 Sri Lankan Army camps inthe Tamil majority Northern Province were shut down by the successorGovernment led by President Maithripala Sirisena and PM RanilWickremesinghe. In a letter addressed to participants in a "Bring Back MahindaRally" at Matara District in Southern Province, Rajapaksa charged that thewithdrawal had taken place at a time when ‘Eelam’ flags had reappeared in theNorth, indicating a revival of terrorism. He added that the present Government iscompromising national security by suggesting the release of LTTE cadres incustody, and holding discussions with persons like the former Norwegian PeaceEnvoy, Erik Solheim, who, he alleged, is trying to revive Tamil separatism.

Sri Lankan Government has dismissed the claims made by the former PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa that the new Government has closed 59 Army camps in theTamil majority Northern Province. The General Secretary of the UNP, MinisterKabir Hashim in a statement denied the former President's allegation assertingthat neither the President Sirisena nor the PM Wickramasinghe or the presentGovernment has removed any of the Army camps in the Northern Province.

June 15 HRW delivering a statement at the 29th session of the UNHRC in Geneva saidthat Sri Lanka should include a majority of international judges or prosecutors inthe domestic mechanism it intends to establish to address the accountabilityissue.

June 16 The Army Headquarters issuing a statement denied media reports which saidthat 59 Army camps in Jaffna District of Northern Province have been closedsince January 2015 after the new Government was established.

Responding to the statement of HRW, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe

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June 18Responding to the statement of HRW, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshesaid that the International Community must keep confidence in Sri Lanka andassured that the domestic inquiry would be a credible mechanism acceptable forthe international as well as the local community.

June 19 United State Department of State in its Annual Country Report on Terrorism for2014 released said that despite the military defeat of the LTTE at the hands ofthe Government in 2009, the LTTE's financial network of support had continuedto operate throughout 2014.

June 20 Foreign Affairs Minister, Mangala Samaraweera said that Sri Lanka failed toseize the opportunity presented by the end of the Eelam War­4 in May 2009 toachieve meaningful reconciliation and consolidate peace.

June 21 State Minister for Defence Ruwan Wijewardene said that there is no truth in thestatements that are being made by the Opposition that the LTTE is raising itshead in the North because of certain actions by the present regime.

June 22 Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera strongly rejected allegations thatthe Government received US$ 3.5 million from the UNHRC for a Diasporafestival to reintroduce the separatist Eelam agenda.

The Council of the EU while releasing the EU Annual Report on Human Rightsand Democracy in the World in 2014 in Luxembourg said that it was not possibleto hold sessions of the established human rights dialogues with Sri Lanka in2014.

June 23 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament that the Government hasnot made any decision to withdraw military camps from war­torn north and east.

June 25 Colombo High Court handed over death sentence to Staff Sergeant RatnayakeMudiyanselage Sunil Rathnayake for murdering eight Tamil civilians in JaffnaDistrict on December 19, 2000.

The 2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices published by the UnitedState Department of State said that the Government of Sri Lanka is yet to holdanyone accountable for alleged violations of international humanitarian law andinternational human rights law that occurred during the conflict that ended in2009.

June 27 The PCICMP began its public sittings to hear cases of missing in TrincomaleeDistrict of Eastern Province. The Public Sittings are being conducted in thetowns of Trincomalee and Muttur in the Trincomalee District from June 27­30.

June 29 Former TNA parliamentarian from Batticaloa District, P. Ariyanenthiran said thatthe Tamils cannot accept holding a festival for the Tamil diaspora before theGovernment takes measures to release the Tamil political prisoners in jail.

July 3 Polonnaruwa High Court sentenced Sivaraja Jenivan alias Mohommadu SulthanCader Mohideen, a former LTTE cadre to a 10 year prison term for hisinvolvement in an assassination attempt on President Maithripala Sirisena in2006.

July 5 The Government has recently recruited 3,600 rehabilitated former combatants ofLTTE to the Civil Defence Force. They have been appointed to permanentpositions and entitled to pension schemes of the Government.

July 6 TNA barred former members of LTTE from contesting parliamentary elections forthe August 17 polls. The party has even rejected a bid to contest by AnanthiSasitharan, wife of Elilan, a senior LTTE member from the eastern province inTrincomalee District.

July 11 N. Vithyatharan coordinator of CFD, an organization of ex­ LTTE cadre and theirsupporters said that CFD will be putting up ten former LTTE militants in theJaffna­Kilinochchi electoral District for the August 17 Parliamentary elections asIndependents. Vithyatharan said that following the rejection of their applicationsby the TNA, CFD decided to put its candidates up as Independents.

July 12 A 37­year­old Sri Lankan national, who graduated in Sharia Law from Pakistan,has reportedly died fighting along the dreaded Islamic State (IS) or Islamic Stateof Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants in Syria. The suspect has been identified asMohammed Niram alias Sharfaz Shuraih Muhsin alias Abhu Shuraih Sailani

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(name given after he joined the ISIS). Mohammed Niram was reportedly killed inan airstrike in Syria. According to reports, he was a karate instructor from thecentral town of Galewela. He has also worked as the Principal of a privatelyowned education institution at Galewela having come over from Kandy city.

July 13 M.K. Shivajilingam, Member of the NPC and national organiser of the TamilEelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), has chosen to contest in the Kurunegalaelectoral district in North Western Province. M K Shivajilingam, a relative of slainLTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran, filed his nomination. Shivajilingam saidhe is not contesting as TELO or as part of the TNA, but as an independent.

July 14 Sri Lanka Army commemorated the 24th death anniversary of war hero HasalakaGamini Kularatne, the Sri Lankan soldier, whose supreme sacrifice saved thelives of hundreds of fellow soldiers when the LTTE sieged the Elephant Passcamp in July 1991. The 24th Death Anniversary ceremony of Corporal GaminiKularatne of 6th Battalion SLSR took place at the Hasalaka Gamini Memorial atElephant Pass in Jaffna in Northern Province.

July 15 In its update to the 2014 Human Rights and Democracy Report, the UK Foreignand Commonwealth Office (FCO) said that following the election of PresidentMaithripala Sirisena in January and the appointment of a new Government, thehuman rights situation in Sri Lanka improved during the first half of 2015,although some concerns remain. The report said during the first half of 2015, SriLanka took a number of positive steps to address human rights and democracyconcerns, including establishing new institutions and undertaking legal reforms.

July 17 A group of former members of the LTTE, which has fielded 10 candidates in theAugust 17 Parliamentary elections, has urged India, US and other Westerncountries to commend its decision to enter the fray. The group, calledthemselves as "Crusaders for Democracy", said in a statement that when theLTTE was involved in an armed struggle, these countries and the internationalcommunity wanted it to give up arms and join the democratic mainstream. N.Vithyatharan, coordinator of the group, said the candidates had been fielded asindependents as the group could not be registered as a party.

July 19 According to a top official of the Defence Ministry, the Sri Lankan Government isin the process of identifying and releasing more private land from the HighSecurity Zones in the Northern Province. The official said that surveyors andother field officials are also being involved in the process to ascertain theveracity of claims and spot the owners concerned.

July 20 Police arrested a former militant of the proscribed LTTE, identified as KKrishnakumar (39) and recovered 75 cyanide capsules, 300 grams of cyanide,four GSP sets and seven mobile phones at coastal Uchipulli inRamanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu (India). Acting on a tip­off, a SpecialBranch team, led by Inspector of Police Vellaiyappan arrested the Sri LankanTamil along with two local Tamils R Sasikumar (25) and N Rajendran (44), whoreportedly brought him from Madurai bus stand in a car to Uchipulli, Police said.According to report, the seizure of the suicide pills carried by the LTTE militantstied around their necks triggered speculation that the LTTE was trying to revivethe movement after it was defeated by the Sri Lankan forces in the civil war,which ended in 2009. The Police also seized seven mobile phones, INR 46,200in Indian currency, LKR 19,300 in Sri Lankan currency, Indian and Sri Lankandriving licences from the Lankan Tamil, K Krishnakumar, who had served in theLTTE in the 1990s and came to Tamil Nadu in 2009.

July 21 Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa denied allegations that he gave money tothe LTTE, saying the ruling coalition leaders have been trying to “mislead voters”ahead of the parliament elections next month, The former President’s office in astatement said, “Firstly, former president Rajapaksa did not give money to theLTTE. On the contrary, it was he who defeated the LTTE. Secondly, noPresidential Commission has recommended that Rajapaksa be deprived of hiscivic rights. Thirdly a Presidential Commission of Inquiry cannot depriveanybody of his civic rights unless parliament passes a resolution to that effectwith a two thirds majority.”

One of the two Sri Lankan Tamils arrested on July 20 along with communicationgadgets and cyanide in Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu (India), hasbeen identified as Krishnakumar, a close associate of slain LTTE supremoVelupillai Prabhakaran, said the Indian Police. A top Police officer said that

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sleuths from IB, Tamil Nadu ‘Q Branch’ Police, and Special Intelligence Unit arenow interrogating the LTTE militant, arrested along with two others during aroutine vehicle check at Uchipuli in the Ramanathapuram District. Police alsosaid all coastal Districts in the state had been alerted to monitor for movementof members of LTTE and checkposts asked to be extra vigilant. It wassuspected Krishnakumar would have arrived in the country in the immediateaftermath of the decimation of LTTE and killing of Prabhakaran by Sri LankanSFs in 2009, Police said. The arrested were identified as Krishnakumar,Rajendran, also a Sri Lankan national, and Sasikumar, a local who drove the car.

Tamil Nadu Police suspects that the arrested LTTE operative was possiblysmuggling materials like cyanide capsules and GPS equipment to some peoplein Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Police said, Krishnakumar had been stayingin Trichy and had lot of contacts at refugee camps in Chennai and Trichy.Krishnakumar was trying to leave the country as his marriage was getting fixedin Jaffna. But he could not go legally since he feared that his name was in theLTTE cadre list and he may be detained as soon as he landed in Sri Lanka.Krishnakumar was transporting these materials to some people in Jaffna andPolice sources speculated that there is some regrouping of LTTE going on in SriLanka, though they suffered a fatal defeat in the civil war of 2009. The exactsources who provided him cyanide and the people to whom he was transportingthe materials will be known after thorough investigation, Police said.

Sri Lankan defense authorities are investigating the incident (a Sri Lankannational has reportedly died fighting along the dreaded Islamic State [IS]militants in Syria) with the help of the international governments. PoliceSpokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said that Police Headquarters had directed theCentral Province SP to launch investigations into the incident after the man’snational identity card was recovered in Kandy. However, Foreign MinistrySpokesperson Mahishini Colonne said that though there were several reportsabout a Sri Lankan ISIS militant killed in an airstrike, the ministry had not beeninformed of such an incident.

July 22 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered the Police to interrogate thefamily members of the Sri Lankan Islamic State (IS) militant, who died in Syriaduring a battle and submit a report. The Prime Minister wanted the Police toquestion the family members of Sharfaz Shuraih Muhsin, the principal of aninternational school and a karate instructor, to find out how the Sri Lankan joinedthe ISIS organization and whether there were others. Muhsin, known in the ISISas Abu Shureih Seylani, had been killed in an air raid in Syria on July 12.

July 23 Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that the LTTE was always anobstacle to reach a peaceful solution to the national issue. Samaraweera saidthat the terrorism the LTTE unleashed, even against the Tamil people, resulted inthe Tigers being proscribed in many countries. He said the solution to thenational question is not a separate state as the LTTE mistakenly believed, but asolution which can address the genuine grievances of the Tamil people within aunited and undivided Sri Lanka.

Cabinet Spokesman Minister Rajitha Senaratne said that the Prime Minister atthe cabinet briefing on July 22 has instructed the security authorities to arrestthe family members of the slain IS member, and question them to find outwhether they also have any connections to the militants and whether he was apart of a Jihadi network in Sri Lanka. The Inspector General of Police has alsoinstructed Central Province Police authorities to conduct investigations into theslain ISIS militant.

Sri Lanka's Muslim clerics' organization, ACJU announced that it vehementlydenounces terrorist activities and violence unleashed by the Islamic State (IS).The President of the ACJU, Ash Sheikh Mufthi M.I.M. Rizwie said “We condemnin unequivocal terms all forms of violence and extremism. The ISIS is a violentextremist organization which acts against the fundamental teachings of Islam.”

The Sri Lankan Army said that its involvement in the Northern Province islimited “only to demining, construction works and infrastructure development inconnection with the resettlement of people”. Responding to a questionnaire onthe status of the Army’s presence in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, itsaid: “We have almost totally disengaged [ourselves] from non­military

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activities.” On a question about the Army’s plan to close down camps in theNorth, it said since the end of the “humanitarian operation” [that’s how the EelamWar IV is called in the Army’s parlance] in May 2009, the deployment of troopshad been “regularly reviewed” based on “threat assessment, national securityconcerns and strategic implications”.

Sri Lanka's ruling party, UNP pledged justice for thousands of victims of theisland's separatist war as it released its manifesto ahead of next month’s generalelection. The UNP promised to work with the UN to ensure accountability for warcrimes committed during the conflict that ended in 2009, a longstanding demandof ethnic minority Tamils. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe urged supportfor his party to strengthen gains made at January Presidential elections whenMaithripala Sirisena ousted longtime strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa.

July 24 The Madras High Court Bench set aside an “illegal conviction and seven­yearsentence” imposed by a trial court on three people, alleged to be LTTEsympathisers, on charges of conspiring to smuggle acetone, glycerine,formaldehyde and dicyanamide to Sri Lanka for making explosive substancesand indulging in unlawful activities in 2008. Disposing of appeals filed by them,Justice S. Nagamuthu ordered retrial in the case since the ‘Q’ branch Police andthe lower court had made “grave mistakes” in the trial that led to their convictionon March 4, 2015. He pointed out that there were inconsistencies betweencharges framed against the accused and the charges under which they had beenconvicted.

A senior intelligence official said that several more Sri Lankan nationals areknown to be fighting for the Islamic State (IS/ISIS) in Iraq and Syria while thegroup also had some sympathizers inside the country. The unnamed official saidintelligence services were currently tracking the movements of the individualsboth here and abroad. “As for local sympathizers, their level of involvement (withISIS) and in what capacity is something the government will have to look into,”the source stressed.

At least one other Sri Lankan, going by the ISIS nom de guerre Abu DhujaanaSeylani, is also thought to be with ISIS in Syria. The intelligence officialhowever, noted that ISIS sympathizers within the country at present was a ‘verysmall element’, but cautioned that if the group was allowed to develop, it couldpose a serious national security threat. The source also confirmed that ISIS hadmainly been using social media to lure young recruits from Sri Lanka to itscause.

July 25 Sri Lanka's main Tamil party, TNA in its manifesto released reiterated itsdemand for a power sharing arrangement in a unit of a re­merged Northern andEastern Provinces under a federal structure as it existed earlier. The TNA saidthe Tamil People are entitled to the right to self­determination and the TamilSpeaking Northern and Eastern Provinces are the historical habitation of theTamil People and the Tamil Speaking Peoples.

July 26 The Tiruchirappalli City Police arrested a former member of the LTTE, identifiedas A. Kumaraguru (39) at the Tiruchirappalli International Airport in Tiruchirappalli(Trichy) District of Tamil Nadu (India) before he could board the flight toMalaysia. Police also arrested G. Thirumurugan (30), a native of Uppur inRamanathapuram District and Mubarak Ali for assisting him acquire an Indianpassport. Police said Kumaraguru was a member of the LTTE from 1992 to 1997and had lost his right leg while fighting the Sri Lankan SFs during that period. Hewas lodged in the Sri Lankan jail from 2009 to 2012. According to Police,Kumaraguru came to Chennai in July 2014 for treatment and stayed there fornearly a year. He was native of Kodikamam village near Jaffna.

Sri Lanka's main Tamil party, TNA demanded that the country frame a newConstitution to address a host of issues it’s grappling with, including the Tamilquestion. R. Sampanthan, leader of the TNA, said that “everybody wants a newConstitution. Even the Sinhalese leadership wants a new Constitution. There aremany matters that, to me, [call for] a new Constitution.” Elaborating further,Sampanthan said “There is a view in the country that the 1978 Constitution hasoutlived its period.” A new Constitution should address not only the Tamilquestion but also other issues such as electoral reforms, human rights,corruption, right to information and public procurement, he added.

July 27 An unexploded bomb, believed to have fallen off from the LTTE aircraft shot

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July 27 An unexploded bomb, believed to have fallen off from the LTTE aircraft shotdown in 2009 by SLAF at Katunayake in Western Province, was found in aswamp close to the SLAF Camp. SLAF Spokesman Gehan Senaviratne saidRoad Development Authority (RDA) employees had discovered the bomb whilecarrying out road construction work in the area. Senaviratne said “The bomb wasinside a plastic barrel in the swamp some 50 metres away from the locationwhere the LTTE aircraft was shot down. We have secured the area and SLAFbomb disposal unit will soon defuse the bomb.”

Police investigations have found that the family members of the Sri LankanIslamic State (IS/ISIS) militant, Sharfaz Shuraih Muhsin, who died in Syriaduring a battle, have left the country for Pakistan. Investigations have revealedthat the man's wife and his five children have left for Pakistan. Following thereports of Muhsin's death, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe ordered the Police toquestion the family members to find out how the Sri Lankan joined the ISISorganization and whether there were others. The IG of Police has also instructedCentral Province Police authorities to conduct investigations into the slain ISISmilitant. The investigations have now been handed over to the CID.

July 28 Investigators of the Tamil Nadu 'Q' branch Police interrogated LTTE) operative AKumaraguru, who Police arrested at Tiruchirapalli International Airport in TamilNadu in India on July 26 when he attempted to flee to Switzerland with a fakepassport. Officers of the Police's special anti­terror wing said they questionedKumaraguru about his links to an arrested member of the rebels, Krishnakumar,and his associates in Ramanathapuram (Tamil Nadu). Investigators saidKumaraguru lost his right leg in the civil war in Sri Lanka and used a prostheticlimb. Kumaraguru and his wife Sudharsini arrived in Chennai in 2014 and lived inChoolaimedu, where a member of a Tamil outfit gave them shelter.

Another batch of 45 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees have left the refugee camps inthe Tamil Nadu state of India for their homeland from the TiruchirapalliInternational Airport. The refugees have reportedly been housed in variouscamps located in Tiruchi, Dindigul, Kanyakumari, Villupuram, Tuticorin,Sivaganga, Pudukkottai, Madurai, Karur, Tirunelveli and RamanathapuramDistricts of Tamil Nadu. They had obtained exit clearance from the respectiveDistrict administration authorities where the camps functioned. There were noPolice cases against the refugees.

July 29 Minister for Energy and Power and the leader of JHU Patali Champika Ranawakacalled upon Sri Lankan Tamils to integrate themselves with the majoritySinhalese community. Ranawaka said the 30­year­old Ealam War hasdeteriorated the socio­economic development of the Tamil community in SriLanka. Contrasting the case of the Tamils with those of plantation workers ofIndian origin and Muslims, Ranawaka said the other two communities hadprogressed well because “they simply integrate [themselves] with theSinhalese.” He added that if the Tamils followed suit, “they can [also] achieve alot.”

July 30 Sri Lankan Government refused to comment on a document a British televisionstation claims could undermine international investigations into the war. ForeignMinistry spokesperson Mahishini Colonne said the Government was aware of theBritish Channel 4 News report on the document but will not comment on suchmedia reports.

July 31 Two persons were killed and 12 others were injured when unidentified gunmenopened fire at a United National Front election rally in Colombo. The rally washeld in support of the Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake in Kotahena area ofColombo and the people killed and injured were believed to be supporters of theMinister. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said "The gunmen travelled intwo vehicles and escaped in the same vehicles after the shooting spree. Awoman was killed and 12 wounded persons have been admitted to the ColomboNational Hospital.” Another victim died later. This incident marks the first majorviolence ahead of the August 17 parliamentary elections.

UN Spokesman for the Secretary­General Stéphane Dujarric said that it wasexploring the provision of a broad package of technical and financial assistanceto Sri Lanka at the request of the Chief Minister of the Northern Province C.V.Wigneswaran. The spokesman said "In this regard, we're exploring provision of abroad package of technical and financial assistance at the request of the Chief

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Minister, also including the support of the Northern Province to bolster citizenconfidence in the peace process,"

August 1 Sivanathan Navindra alias Venthan, a former bodyguard of the slain LTTE leaderVelupillai Prabhakaran is among nine ex­LTTE militants contesting the August17 Parliamentary elections from the Jaffna­Kilinochchi electoral District asmembers of a new outfit, Crusaders for Democracy (CFD). Other CFDcandidates are Rasaiah Tharmakulasingham alias Gamini, Kalikutti Subramanianalias Charles, Kumaravelu Akilan alias Iyal, Thangarasa Thevathasan aliasGangai Athman, Vinayagasundaram Mohanasundaram alias Gangai Alagan,Veeran Shakthivel ailas Thani Arasan, Sivaguru Murugadas alias Raviraj, andNadesapillai Vithyatharan, a non­LTTE cadre who is described as “OodagaPorali” (Media Warrior).

August 2 Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said that Government has takenmeasures to restore provision of electricity connections free of charge to 20,000resettled families in the North and East. At present, 796,342 people from232,828 families have been resettled in the Northern and Eastern Provinces afterthe end of LTTE terrorist war in 2009. The provision of access to electricity,water, sanitation etc. to resettled families is a responsibility of the Government.The Government will also grant an additional allocation of SLR 105 million tofacilitate free domestic power supply connection to 5,000 resettled families thisyear.

August 3 Major political parties in Sri Lanka have completely rejected the TNA's demandfor federalism. The SLFP­led UPFA; UNP­led United National Front for GoodGovernance and the JVP have, in unison, said the demand, if accepted, wouldlead to division of the country. Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, general secretary ofthe SLFP said, "Certain terms" will be interpreted to convey "different meanings"in Sri Lanka. Federalism is one of them and "if you say federalism, people wouldthink you are for separatism", he added.

A Sri Lankan Tamil, Maheswaran, a supporter of the banned LTTE housed in thespecial camp in the Tiruchi prison campus in Tiruchirappalli District of TamilNadu reportedly attempted to end his life by consuming sleeping tablets.

August 4 Sri Lanka Police have made 386 arrests in connection with election lawviolations and election related complaints by August 3, according to the PoliceMedia Unit.

The Crusaders for Democracy, a group of former members of the LTTE, urgedthe Sri Lankan Government to "honour its commitments" made in the past at theinternational level on the Tamil question. The group in its election manifesto,released in Jaffna, said that according to the 1987 India­Sri Lanka Accord andthe Oslo Communique of December 2002, the Sri Lankan Government hadagreed to the concepts of federalism and internal self­determination, besidesrecognizing the Northern and Eastern Provinces as areas of historical habitationof Tamil speaking people. The manifesto wanted the creation of a mechanismthat would facilitate self­rule of Tamils.

The Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ajith P. Perera in a statement said it is clearthat from the statements being made by Mahinda Rajapaksa, that the formerpresident has amnesia since he has forgotten the past and asked the formerleader to come up with a more intelligent slogan than racism and LTTE toaddress the people. According to Rajapaksa if the LTTE was eliminated in 2009,Ajith Perera reminded that Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Ammanwho is allegedly responsible for killing 600 Police officers and the murder ofBhikkus at Aranthalawa was appointed as a Vice President of the SLFP byMahinda Rajapaksa. Perera also reminded that it was Mahinda Rajapaksa whodirectly gave Velupillai Prabhakaran a grant of LKR 800 million through RADA;as a result of which Mahinda Rajapaksa with Prabhakaran's blessings won thePresidential election in 2005.

August 6 PM and leader of the ruling UNP, Ranil Wickremesinghe assured the people ofSri Lanka not to fear over a resurgence of the LTTE as the country would besafeguarded with an excellent defense minister under a future UNP Government.Wickremesinghe said that the defense minister under a future UNP governmentwill be President Maithripala Sirisena, who is the commander­in­chief.

August 9 Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa denied allegations that he had given the

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LTTE money in 2005 in order to win the then Presidential election. In 2005 theLTTE had prevented the people from taking part in the elections, which allowedRajapaksa to win with the support of the Sinhala votes in the South. Rajapaksasaid that if he had given money to the LTTE he would not have taken mucheffort to try to defeat them. He said that if LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaranwas alive today he would ask him if the story was really true. The formerPresident also said that it was no secret who gave arms to the LTTE to defeatthe IPKF and who really funded the LTTE.

JHU member and United National Front for Good Governance Parliamentarycandidate Champika Ranawaka said he is ready to expose former PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa on some deals he had allegedly made with the LTTEthrough South Africa. Ranawaka also challenged Rajapaksa to face him in anopen debate on claims Rajapaksa never gave funds to the LTTE. Ranawakasaid that Rajapaksa is already under investigation over funds diverted to theLTTE through the RADA. "We will be taking legal action against Rajapaksa infuture in relation to this incident," he said. Ranawaka also insisted that there isno chance of the LTTE regrouping in Sri Lanka and that the security forces willensure the security of the country.

Sri Lanka Police arrested an Army Sergeant Major suspected to have played arole in the abduction of Lanka e News journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda atKurunegala in North Western Province. Sergeant Major's arrest was a result ofan urgent inquiry conducted by the CID of Police following information receivedfrom two other suspects taken into custody earlier by the CID. Following theinvestigations initiated by the CID in to the disappearance of the PrageethEknaligoda, who was abducted at Rajagiriya (Sri Jayawardenapura) on January24, 2010 two former LTTE cadres were arrested from Vavuniya by the CIDseveral days ago. The suspects, identified as Kanapathipillai Suresh alias SatyaMaster and Sumathipalan Suresh alias Nagulan, have provided the informationleading to the arrest of the army Sergeant Major according to the Police.

August 10 Sri Lanka Police said there is a decline in the number of election law violationsin this election compared to the previous elections. According to the PoliceMedia Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara, from June 26 to till noon Monday(August 10) 197 incidents of election law violations have been reported to thePolice and the Police had arrested 444 suspects in connection with thoseincidents.

The election monitor PAFFREL said it has received 915 complaints of electionlaw violations and election violence incidents in the run up to the generalelections next week.

JHU leader Champika Ranawaka said that the Government of former PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa had allegedly given the LTTE over LKR 169 million to wintheir support at the 2005 Presidential election. Ranawaka said that he has all theevidence, including documents, to back the allegations. Ranawaka revealed thenames of LTTE members who a businessman had met on behalf of Rajapaksato seal the deals in the guise of tsunami relief.

Ranawaka claimed that during discussions Basil Rajapaksa had with one LTTEnegotiator identified as Emil Kanthan at the businessman's office, BasilRajapaksa had told Emil Kanthan that "What Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksawants is a boycott of voting in the North, and the PM wants to know what theLTTE would like to have in return." In reply at a later date Emil Kanthan had saidthat the LTTE wants to purchase some boats and requested for a sum of LKR180 million from Basil Rajapakse. Ranawaka claimed that Basil Rajapakseagreed immediately to provide the said amount of money and on a later dayBasil Rajapaksa came with a number of large travelling bags to meet EmilKanthan at the businessman's office to seal the deal.

August 11 The PCICMP in Sri Lanka will hear cases of missing in Batticaloa District in theEastern Province from August 22 ­ 25. Secretary to the Commission H.W.Gunadasa said that evidence on the disappearances in Kalawanchikudi will beheard on August 22 and 23 while oral evidence with regard to those who wentmissing in the Valaichchenai area will be heard on August 24 and 25.

August 13 Sri Lankan Government insisted that there is no room for the LTTE to regroup inSri Lanka and that the unity of the country will be maintained. Power and Energy

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Minister and JHU General Secretary Champika Ranawaka said that the currentGovernment does not have double standards on the LTTE like the previousregime. He said that the former Government had maintained ties with the LTTEboth during and after the war but the current Government has no ties with therebels. "We will not leave room for democracy to be threatened. We are actuallygoing through a new stage of democracy in the country and we will not allow thatprocess to be harmed. We give a firm assurance on National Security," he said.

President Maithripala Sirisena reiterated that the former president MahindaRajapaksa will not be appointed as the Prime Minister even if the SLFP wins amajority of seats at the upcoming parliamentary elections. In a lengthy letter toRajapaksa, President Sirisena as the chairman of the SLFP strongly criticizedthe former president's conduct at the election and asked him not to makestatements that raise communalism and allow rifts in the party.

A UK based human rights organization, Freedom from Torture, has alleged in itsnew report entitled 'Tainted Peace' that torture by Sri Lanka's state agencies ofTamils seen to have links to the LTTE continued unabated well after the end ofthe civil war in May 2009. The report claims that the medico­legal reports in thecases of 148 survivors shows that they were subjected to a range of torturemethods that included brutal beatings (100 per cent of the 148 cases), burning(78 per cent) and sexual torture (71 per cent), as well as asphyxiation techniques(38 per cent), forms of suspension (45 per cent) and solitary confinement (70 percent). The report says the eradication of torture by the military and Police is "oneof the most urgent tasks" that the Government to be elected on August 17 mustaddress. Of the survivors, 93 per cent were tortured because of real or perceivedlinks to the LTTE, and that in a majority of cases (139 out of 148) the victimswere Tamil. More than a third of the Tamils who survived torture were those whohad returned to Sri Lanka from the UK, usually following a period of study orwork, often when visiting their families back home the report claims.

August 14 The STF of the Kolkata Police arrested five Sri Lankan nationals, allegedlyformer LTTE members, and two Indians from a hotel in Chadni Chowk in Kolkata(West Bengal, India). The seven were picked up from Hotel ChandniInternational, located in the central part of the city, by the STF late on August 14night in a joint operation with personnel of the Bowbazar Police Station, a seniorofficer of the Kolkata Police's STF section said. "They have failed to showproper papers about their identities and their travelling papers to India. Theyhave entered the country on forged documents. We suspect that they probablyhave used waterways to enter Chennai," the officer said. The two Indians,residents of Tamil Nadu, had helped the five Sri Lankans in travelling to Kolkataand probably with the false documents, he said.

According to the Police, two of them ­ Guna Sekharan and Bala Singham aresenior leaders of the LTTE. Police are checking if they came for any operationsor for any reconnaissance. The Police are interrogating them to find if they hadlinks with Maoists, as there are reports that the Maoists are gradually regroupingin Bengal and have plans to start guerilla warfare in Jungalmahal area of Bengal.Moreover, the Police are also probing if LTTE was supplying arms to theMaoists.

President Maithripala Sirisena said a new constitution will be presented after theupcoming Parliamentary Elections to abolish the remaining powers of theexecutive presidency. The President made this announcement during a meetingat the Presidential Secretariat with the European and Commonwealth electionobservers who are in the country to observe August 17's ParliamentaryElections. He explained that the wide executive powers brought a disaster to thecountry during the past ten years and he came into power to abolish the powersof the executive presidency. He stressed that he will abolish the remainingpowers of the executive presidency, which are challenging to democracy andfreedom of the people, in the new constitution which will be presented after theParliamentary Elections.

August 17 Dismissing suggestion that the five Sri Lankans arrested from a city hotel inKolkata (West Bengal, India) have connection to a "terror group", the KolkataPolice said it has started looking for those who brought them to the citypromising fake passports and help getting jobs in France. The five Sri Lankans,

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allegedly former members of the LTTE, were arrested by Kolkata Police STFsection from a city hotel with fake documents on August 14.

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has accepted that his party has lost in theparliamentary elections held Monday (August 17) but has said that he wouldwork as an opposition member of parliament. "My dream of becoming primeminister has faded away. I am conceding. We have lost a good fight," Rajapaksasaid. The former President has reportedly accepted that UPFA had lost theelection even before Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya couldannounce the final results. However, the Elections Commissioner is expected torelease the final party positions by midday Tuesday (August 18), according toreport. Preference votes secured by individual candidates would be announcedlater.

President Maithripala Sirisena said without a doubt the 2015 General Election onAugust 17 was the most peaceful election in the recent history of the islandnation. In a special statement issued after the conclusion of the polls, PresidentSirisena said he believes the changes brought in by him after his election inJanuary this year for the good governance was the reason for the peaceprevailed during the pre­election period and the polls. Recalling the attack on himat a meeting in Pelmadulla (Sabaragamuwa Province) during the presidentialelection campaign in January and other attacks on the election meetings andshootings, the President said the people remember how the former Governmentabused the power and misused state properties.

August 18 Based on the final results released, UNP has secured 106 seats in the 225­member Parliament at the general elections held on August 17. According to thefinal results, the UNP secured 106 seats, including 13 bonus seats, while theUPFA got 95 seats, including 12 bonus seats, ITAK 16 seats, including twobonus seats, the JVP six seats, including two bonus seats, SLMC one seat andthe EPDP one seat. The UNP won 11 of the 22 Districts while the UPFA won 8Districts.

Although falling short of the 113 seats expected, the UNP leader and incumbentPrime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe is expected to form his Government onceall the election results including preferential votes are released and confirmed bythe Election Commissioner. It is speculated that several UPFA members, whoare loyal to President Maithripala Sirisena will join the Government giving a clearmajority to the Prime Minister Wickremasinghe's Government.

IGP N K. Ilangakoon said the Police arrested 48 suspects and seized 18vehicles in connection with election violence on the day of election; however, theAugust 17 general election was relatively peaceful. He said that some of thosearrested were released on Police bail and some were produced beforeMagistrate's Courts. "Since 2012, there have been 11 elections including nineProvincial Council elections, one Presidential election and the one which justconcluded. The General election 2015 was the most peaceful of all," he added.Addressing a media briefing at the Police Headquarters, Ilangakoon said therewere no serious incidents reported on election day."Only minor incidents werereported," he said.

August 19 The EUEOM that was in Sri Lanka to monitor the parliamentary elections held onAugust 17 said the election was well­administered and genuine although thecampaigning was restricted with excessive rules. Chief Observer of the EUEOMCristian Preda said during the presentation of the preliminary report at a pressconference in Colombo, that the Commissioner of Elections and his staffadministered the elections in a transparent and impartial manner, demonstratedstrong leadership, and enjoyed the confidence of all stakeholders.

Incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe will be sworn­in as Sri Lanka's new PrimeMinister on August 20, returning to the office for a fourth term after his party wonthe closely contested general election. Wickremesinghe's UNP coalition won 106seats in August 17 parliamentary election, just 7 short of a simple majority in the225­member assembly but enough to form a Government. "We will also form theCabinet thereafter," former finance minister Ravi Karunanayake said.

Ranil Wickremesinghe said that his Government would arrive at a consensusand build a framework "through which we will do our politics". Addressing themedia at his official residence, Wickremesinghe said his government would not

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allow anyone to indulge in divisive politics. "Let's work together. I don't thinkanyone can opt out [of the task of working together] or go back to divisivepolitics. We will not allow that", he said.

The TNA decided to support the UNP, which has emerged as the single largestparty in the Parliament election in Sri Lanka. TNA leader R. Sampanthan said "Inthe process, we also expect resolution to the national question in a manneracceptable to all people." The verdict of people in the Northern and EasternProvinces had demonstrated "beyond question" that the TNA was "the truerepresentative of Tamils," he added.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki­Moon congratulated Sri Lankan PresidentMaithripala Sirisena on conducting a peaceful and successful Parliamentaryelection. The Secretary, via telephone has commended the President, theGovernment and the election process for conducting a free and fair electionwithout any interference.

August 20 SLFP led by President Maithripala Sirisena agreed to form a nationalGovernment with the UNP led by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. The SLFP hasdecided to support the winner of the parliamentary election to form a stablecoalition Government at least for a period of two years. The decision was takenwhen the President as the chairman of the party met with the SLFP centralcommittee members.

The main Tamil party, TNA with 16 seats and the Marxist party JVP with sixseats in the Parliament have indicated that they would not join a coalitionGovernment.

August 21 UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Sri Lankan Prime Ministerfor the fourth time. On the occasion, General Secretaries of the UNP and theSLFP, Kabir Hashim and Duminda Dissanayake, signed an agreement to form anational Government. However, no representatives of the TNA, which decided tosupport the Government, were present at the function.

The UK­based Diaspora Tamil organization, GTF said the Tamil people in SriLanka have given the main Tamil party, TNA and its leader a strong mandate tonegotiate a political solution. Congratulating the TNA and its leader R.Sampanthan on their resounding election victory in the Northern and EasternProvinces, the GTF said the Tamil people have also sent a clear message to thenew Sri Lankan Government and to the international community that they arefirmly behind the TNA and its leadership.

August 22 A day after he assumed office, Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said thathe is confident and hopeful that the political situation in Sri Lanka following theAugust 17 General election, although complex, is favourable for forging anenduring political solution to the Tamil question. Noting that the two mainnational parties, his UNP and the SLFP, and the TNA were "the three keyplayers" in formulating the proposals for an enduring solution, he said he had"tried to keep the UNP position flexible so that we can bridge the differences."

President Maithripala Sirisena handed over the land that was taken by theGovernment in the Eastern Province, back to the war displaced families.President Sirisena handed over the land deeds to 234 displaced families inSampur in Trincomalee District of Eastern Province. He symbolically handedover deeds of the lands to 25 persons at the ceremony.

August 23 Selvam Adaikkalanathan, who was elected to Parliament on the TNA ticket, saidthat his party intended to function as the main opposition in Parliament. He saidthe two main parties had signed a MOU on forming a national unity Governmentand therefore his party would be eligible to be the main opposition. The TNA won16 seats in parliament from the electoral districts in the North and East.

Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena is expected to receive a copy of theUN report into the investigations of war crimes early this week before its officialrelease, state owned news paper said quoting diplomatic sources.

August 24 Police arrested four Army personnel for alleged involvement in the abduction andmurder of Lanka e News journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda. Police MediaSpokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara said two Army officers and two other

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ranks who were being questioned by the CID in connection with thedisappearance of Eknaligoda were arrested today (August 24). Earlier, the CIDinvestigation has also led to the arrest of two former LTTE cadres who had giventhe information on the Army's involvement in the disappearance.

TNA finalised its national list with the appointment of K. Thurairatnasingam fromTrincomalee (Eastern Province) and Shanthi Sriskantharajah from the Vanni(Northern Province).

The PCICMP in Sri Lanka will hand over its second interim report to thePresident this week. The Chairman of the Commission, Maxwell Paranagamawill hand over the second interim report to President Maithripala Sirisena onAugust 28, President's Media Division said.

August 25 The Colombo Chief Magistrate's court summoned a Minister of the formerGovernment, Mervyn Silva to give evidence on abductions and disappearancesduring the previous regime. Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya orderedthe former Minister to appear in court on November 11 when he hear a HabeasCorpus petition filed by relatives of three missing people in October 2011. Thepetitioners stated in their petition that the former Minister had made a complaintwith the CID that he knew information about the "white vans" which were used toabduct civilians during the previous regime.

The US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and LaborTom Malinowski said the US will standby Sri Lanka and support the newGovernment to continue its forward looking agenda for the progress. Addressinga media briefing in Colombo, after a meeting with Sri Lanka's Foreign AffairsMinister Mangala Samaraweera, Tom Malinowski said the US has seen steadyprogress towards the forward looking agenda of this Government. He said themessage sent by the Sri Lankans twice this year that they support change is themost important.

A resolution calling for international intervention to probe alleged war crimes,moved by a TNA member at a meeting of the NPC, fell through.

August 26 Sri Lankan Commander of Army Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva saidthat although Sri Lanka is now a peaceful country, national security is the priorityfor the Sri Lanka Army as there could be a threat to national security at anymoment. He said, "Sri Lanka is now one of the most peaceful countries but weall have to be alert to global threats, be it drug peddling, human trafficking,manmade and natural disasters, terrorism or whatever it is. It could become athreat at any moment."

Sri Lanka's main Tamil party, TNA met with the visiting top US officials fordiscussions on critical issues. The discussions focused on the UN internationalinvestigation report to be submitted in Geneva next month, the resettlement ofthe displaced and the release of political prisoners. The US officials haveassured to discuss the issues with the Sri Lankan Government. They announcedthat the US will sponsor a resolution at next month's UNHRC session in Genevasupporting the Government to conduct its own domestic probe into the allegedwar crimes committed during the war with the LTTE.

A leading election monitor in Sri Lanka, CaFFE urged the Sri LankanGovernment to abolish the draconian PTA. The election watchdog emphasizingthe need to abolish the PTA, which is "one of the most draconian legislations" inSri Lanka, said revoking the PTA is the first step to create a civilized country.

“I am clueless as to why the TNA members do not want to support it, when theTNA’s position favours even an international investigation mechanism intoalleged war crimes,” M.K. Shivajilingam said. He said he had wanted the UN toprovide technical assistance to Sri Lanka to find a negotiated political solution

The UNHCHR Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein is expected to visit Sri Lanka ahead of theSeptember session of the UNHRC in Geneva, political sources said in Colombo.Al Hussein is expected to hold discussions with the new Sri LankanGovernment, before the report of the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka ispresented to the UNHRC next month.

August 27 Leaders of two minor Tamil political parties in Sri Lanka have expressed their

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support to the National Government formed by the two major political partiesUNP and SLFP. Leader of upcountry Tamil party CWC Arumugam Thondamanand leader of Jaffna­based EPDP Douglas Devananda have decided to extendtheir support to the National Government.

Former Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said that previous administration of SriLanka did not seize the opportunity to fully implement the UN resolutionpresented by the country to the UNHRC in 2009. Samarasinghe said previousadministration failed to prove Sri Lanka's diligence in implementing the resolutionadopted in 2009 at the UNHRC. If Sri Lanka took steps to fully implement the2009 resolution, which supported the reconciliation, then it would have beendifficult for the UN to adopt the 2012 and 2013 resolutions against Sri Lanka, hepointed out.

Samarasinghe added that if it is possible to launch a programme that will notlead to the creation of an extremist organization such as the LTTE, there is apossibility of providing a better country to the people.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has unveiled a program to addresshuman rights issues at the regional level. The Government InformationDepartment said that the program aims to sort out complaints through regionalcommittees before they reach the Commission.

August 28 Senior leader of the TNA and Chairman of the NPC, C V K Sivagnanam said thatthe Tamils will keep pressing for an international probe into charges of warcrimes against the Sri Lankan Government even though the US AssistantSecretary of State for South Asia, Nisha Biswal, has made it clear that the USwill only seek an independent and credible Lankan domestic probe. He said,“Just as the Sri Lankan Government has an agenda which it will press, weTamils also have an agenda, which we will press.”

Tamil political parties in Tamil Nadu (India) have strongly condemned the US forsupporting Sri Lanka to conduct a domestic inquiry into the alleged war crimes.DMK leader M. Karunanidhi and PMK founder S. Ramadoss have stronglycriticized the US Government's decision to support the new Sri LankanGovernment's plans for a local inquiry.

August 29 Former LTTE Eastern Commander and former Deputy Minister VinayagamoorthyMuralidharan alias Karuna Amman claimed, in an interview with an Indian TVchannel, that the LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, committed suicide byshooting himself with a firearm. Responding to a question made by a reporterduring the interview, Muralitharan also revealed that Prabhakaran’s wife and thedaughter were killed by shell­fire during the final stage of the war. While praisingPrabhakaran for his war strategies, Muralitharan, however, asserted that theLTTE was defeated owing to its unsuccessful war tactics. “If the LTTE hadfought a guerrilla battle, it would not have lost,” he added.

TNA leader, R. Sampanthan said that his party can take an official stand on thelatest US policy of supporting Sri Lanka to institute a domestic mechanism toinvestigate the alleged war crimes, only after reading the report of the UNOHCHR. Indicating a major shift in policy towards Sri Lanka, the US last weekexpressed support to the new Government of Sri Lanka to conduct its owndomestic probe into the alleged war crimes.

August 30 Sri Lanka's former Army Commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka rejected theclaim made by the former LTTE commander turned ex­deputy ministerVinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman that the slain LTTE chiefVelupillai Prabhakaran committed suicide. In an interview with an Indian TamilTV channel Karuna claimed that the LTTE leader shot himself with a firearmwhen capture seemed imminent. He denied that his former leader was captured,tortured and killed by Lankan troops.

August 31 Sri Lanka's AG Department told the Court of Appeal that no crimes involving theformer LTTE leader Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP have been found duringtheir examination. The examination was carried out by the AG Department inresponse to a writ petition filed by JVP Propaganda Secretary ParliamentarianVijitha Herath citing that no legal measures have been taken against KP.

September 1 Sri Lanka's Tamil­controlled NPC unanimously called for an international probeinto the alleged war crimes committed towards the end of the war with the LTTE.

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The Chief Minister of the NPC C.V. Wigneswaran passed a resolution rejectingthe domestic process being proposed by the US and other members of theinternational community. While acknowledging the "long standing efforts" of theUS and India along with the international community in securing justice, the NPCdismissed a domestic mechanism backed by the US as Sri Lanka has had a"long and blighted history of human rights violations' which according to the NPCamounts to genocide.

The Eighth Parliament of Sri Lanka came into being with President MaithripalaSirisena’s call for promoting reconciliation and co­existence and developing thepolitical culture of consensus in the country. In his address to the Parliament,the President said the country had to take "bold political decisions" on the issueof reconciliation. The new government would give importance to the task ofaccomplishing expeditious economic progress in the conflict­hit regions of theNorthern and the Eastern provinces, besides adjoining areas.

Addressing the opening session of Sri Lanka's 8th Parliament, Sirisena called onall political parties to end politics of conflict and extend a helping hand tostrengthen the politics of consociation initiated by the government. Pointing outthat one major national party ruled the country for 35 years and the other mainparty ruled for 32 years, he urged all the Members of Parliament representingdifferent political parties to cooperate with the government's determined initiativeto usher in a new political culture of consociation.

Tamil women in Sri Lanka continue to face the risk of rape and harassment bySri Lankan SFs and have been negatively impacted by a surge of violenceagainst women in the North, according to a report released last week. "TheForever Victims? Tamil Women in Post­War Sri Lanka" stated the “situationremains particularly grave for Tamil women”, 6 years since the end of the armedconflict on the island.

September 2 The CaFFE called upon newly­elected MP’s to repeal the PTA, dubbed byhuman rights activists as draconian, in two months. In a statement, RajithKeerthi Tennakoon, Executive Director CaFFE, termed the PTA as moredangerous than emergency laws and said the UNFGG, which has formed thenew government, consists of parties that were victims of the law in the past.Those who accepted good governance as a principle must agree to a repeal ofthe PTA, which, according to the CaFFE, leads to attacks on personal freedomincluding the freedom of expression and that of association.

Former minister John Amarathunga said the government will be compelled tohand over former chief international arms procurer for the LTTE leader KumaranPathmanathan alias KP, if India wanted him in connection with the killing offormer Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Amarathunga said it had now beenrevealed that all evidence against KP, who provided the funds to the LTTE andnourished it had been completely destroyed during the Mahinda Rajapaksaregime. Under these circumstances it had become impossible for the AttorneyGeneral to file a case against him, he said. Although evidence against KP hadbeen destroyed in Sri Lanka he was the only suspect living now in the case ofRajiv Gandhi murder, he said.

September 3 Leader of Sri Lanka's main Tamil party, TNA and Trincomalee Districtparliamentarian R. Sampanthan was designated as the Opposition Leader of theeighth parliament. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya named Sampanthan as theOpposition Leader when the parliament convened, after the inaugural session onSeptember 1. Earlier both UPFA and TNA were vying for the opposition leaderposition. Following the decision taken by the opposition SLFP, the mainconstituent party of the UPFA, to join the majority UNP to form a nationalgovernment, TNA with its 16 seats in the parliament became the majority.

September 4 The main opposition TNA said, it hoped to hold talks with the government onresolving the national question no sooner Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghereturns from his upcoming visit to India. TNA Spokesman M.A. Sumanthiran toldthat one of the stated objectives of the national unity government was theresolution of the national question.

September 5 Propaganda Secretary of the NFF Mohamed Muzammil said, that by appointingTNA parliamentarian R. Sampanthan as the Opposition leader, the governmenthad given undue recognition to the separatists. Muzammil, addressing a news

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conference at the party head office at Battaramulla, Colombo, said: "Thenational government has removed the check point at Omanthai and the HighSecurity Zone as well as the Sampur army camp while releasing the LTTEsuspects who were in remand." Those who pretend to be patriots and defendersof the country on political platforms and in TV talk shows in the run­up to theelection like Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Patali Champika Ranwaka weretoday silent about threats to national security, he alleged. He also warned thatthe government was paving the way for separatism by yielding to the demandsof those who were campaigning for it.

September 6 Sri Lanka will maintain the close relationship with China that provided strongsupport to help Sri Lanka end its 30­year civil war with the LTTE rebels in May2009, Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka said. “Without China’s support we wouldhave not been able to finish the war, basically,” Fonseka told Xinhua in aninterview.

Addressing a media briefing in Batticaloa District, former Chief Minister ofEastern Province and the Leader of TMVP Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan aliasPillayan said that an international investigation into the alleged crimescommitted during the 30­year war is not needed. Pillayan said a domesticmechanism is appropriate as there is a change in the governance. "LTTE hasalso committed serious war crimes. And the Tamil people also have allowedthem the opportunity to commit crimes," BBC Sandeshaya quoting the formerLTTE leader said.

September 7 The TNA wants an international court to try cases of war crimes identified by theinvestigations conducted by the OISL and not another international"investigation", senior TNA leader, Mavai Senathirajah, clarified. Speaking aboutthe popular Tamil demand for an "international investigation", the Jaffna DistrictMP said that the investigation conducted by the OISL following the March 2014resolution of the UNHRC, was an international investigation. "As such, there isno need for another international probe," Senathirajah said.

A report on alleged Human Rights violations in Sri Lanka during the Eelam Waris likely to be presented on September 30 during the 30th session of the UnitedHuman Rights Council. As per the present time table, the subject on Sri Lankawill come up during the third and final week of the Council's session, whichstarts on September 14 and concludes on October 2. Prepared by the OISL, thereport is a sequel to the adoption of a resolution adopted by the UNHRC inMarch 2014, requesting the Commissioner to “undertake a comprehensiveinvestigation into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights andrelated crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka during the period covered by theLLRC [which is February 21, 2002 to May 19, 2009]." The period signifies twoevents ­ the commencement of a ceasefire agreement between the Sri Lankangovernment and the LTTE, and the conclusion of the Eelam War.

The LTTE launched a new Tamil Television channel ‘Deepam’ targetingEuropean, Sri Lankan and South India Tamils. The station is run by Nediyawan,the LTTE leader based in Norway, who coordinated LTTE activities overseas onbehalf of the LTTE International Secretariat. Perimpanayagan Sivaparam knownwidely as Nediyawan is opposed to TNA. He believes that the fight forseparatism initiated by LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran should continue.

The Central Committee of the TNA is likely to discuss the anti­party stance ofthe CM of the Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran at its meeting on September11. Wigneswaran, according to the TNA leadership, has taken an anti­partystance in the run up to the August 17, Sri Lankan parliamentary elections. Seniorleader of TNA, Mavai Senathiraja said that although the formal agenda does notsay that the committee will discuss Wigneswaran's conduct, if the issue israised the committee will discuss it.

The NAFSO movement organised a roundtable in the Sri Lankan capital ofColombo, to discuss a report, titled “Let them come back to their places of originin and with dignity”, the study centered on the situation in 38 refugee camps in27 villages. Completed in late August, the report indicated that about 35 campshave existed since the 1990s, but five of them were hitherto unknown. Some1,536 families or 5,836 people live in the camps. However, about 30,000 peopleare still internally displaced on the Jaffna Peninsula. The island nation saw abrutal civil war between the government and Tamil Tigers, LTTE. The latter

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sought to create an independent state in the predominantly Tamil provinces ofnorthern and eastern Sri Lanka. These areas bore the brunt of 30 years of bloodycivil war between the army and rebels, and the civil war ended with the rebels’defeat.

September 8 The TELO’s national organiser and the TNA’s member in the NPC, M.K.Shivajilingam, decided to take out a march from Killinochchi to Nallur in Jaffnaon September 10, demanding an international mechanism to go into alleged warcrimes. He along with his supporters would undertake the march in individualcapacity, Shivajilingam said. He would be joined by another NPC member,Ananthy Sasitharan.

September 10 Sri Lanka's AG, Y J W Wijayatilake clarified that the former LTTE internationalwing leader, Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP, has not been exonerated ofcharges of terrorism, though, investigations into 46 of the 193 cases against himhad revealed that he had no role to play in those acts of terrorism.

The intensification of the anti­government conflict in Syria has had a deleteriouseffect on Sri Lanka's internal stability and security more than six years after theisland nation successfully defeated the LTTE, says IHS Jane's 360 weeklyreports. According to the OSINT Summary report, after the final defeat of LTTEin May 2009, Sri Lanka has remained largely free of the threat of violence bynon­state armed groups. However, as with many other countries, theintensification of the anti­government conflict in Syria, is threatening Sri Lanka'sinternal stability and security, as indicated by the events over the past severalmonths. It has indicated that Sri Lanka is not immune to the danger posed bythe radicalization and recruitment techniques of the IS and has necessitated anenhanced response by the Security Forces, the defense weekly noted.

September 11 The Government of Sri Lanka has been provided with a copy of the UN report onthe investigation into the alleged war crimes committed during the final phase ofthe war against the LTTE. The report, scheduled for public release at the 30thsession of the UNHRC will begins on Monday (September 14) in Geneva,according to a Foreign Ministry source. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweerais expected to use the speech to lay out his Government's plan for reconciliationand a domestic accountability mechanism that he hopes will be endorsed by theCouncil.

September 13 A group of radical Tamils led by NPC members MK Shivaji Lingam and AnanthiSasitharan are at the tail end of their four­day march from Kilinochchi to Jaffna,demanding an international inquiry into the charges of war crimes against the SriLankan armed forces, and an international court to try the alleged perpetrators.Speaking from Kaithady in Jaffna, Shivaji Lingam said about 50 people are in therally, which will wind up at Sangiliyan Thoppu in Jaffna, which had been the seatof the Tamil kings of yore. “I am in the march both as a Tamil and as a victim ofwar crimes,” said Ananthi Sasitharan. She had seen her husband Sasitharanalias Ezhilan, surrender to the Lankan army on May 16, 2009, at Mullaithivu. Buttill date, he is untraceable, with the army and every other agency saying thatthey have no information about him. Ananthi pointed out that her case is onlyone among hundreds of men and women of the LTTE who had voluntarilysurrendered to the Lankan forces in the hope that they would not be killed. Onwhy she rejected a Lankan domestic mechanism to probe crimes charges andrender justice, Ananthi said, “We have had many domestic mechanisms in thepast and all have failed.”

September 14 The much­awaited report of the OISL will be made public on September 16. Thereport, concerning alleged war crimes, is a result of a resolution adopted inMarch 2014, calling upon the Commissioner to “undertake a comprehensiveinvestigation into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights andrelated crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka during the period covered by theLLRC." The LLRC dealt with the period between February 21, 2002 and May 19,2009, signifying two events — the commencement of a ceasefire agreementbetween the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE and the end of the EelamWar. Announcing this during the inauguration of the 30th session of the UNHCRin Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein saidthat along with the report, he would make his recommendations. According to apress release issued by the UN, a press conference would be held in Geneva onSeptember 16, at 10. 30 am (local time).

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Sri Lanka's new government said it was setting up a South Africa­style truth andreconciliation commission to look into atrocities during its civil war, as it cameunder renewed pressure to prosecute perpetrators. South Africa, whichconfronted its own apartheid­era crimes through such a body, would advise thenation on how to use the commission to provide remedy to victims and to trackdown missing people, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said. He outlinedthe plan, and other proposals to set up a criminal justice mechanism andcompensate victims, to the UNHRC, hours after the world body announced itwould release a long­delayed report on September 16, calling for accountabilityfor Sri Lankan war crimes.

September 15 Sri Lanka's minority Tamils, rejected government plans for a truth commission topromote reconciliation after decades of ethnic war, insisting on an internationalinquiry. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera unveiled a range ofreconciliation measures on September 14, at the UNHRC in Geneva, two daysbefore the release of a long­awaited report on Sri Lanka's alleged war crimes.But Tamil leaders said the new unity government's plans for a truth commissionand an office for war reparations were not enough, amid concerns abuses wouldnot be properly investigated.

September 16 The Sri Lankan government, acknowledging the receipt of an advanced copy ofthe UN report of the OHCHR investigation on Sri Lanka, assured that the reportand its recommendations will receive due attention of the relevant authoritiesincluding the new mechanisms that are envisaged to be set up. In response tothe 261­page report, the Foreign Affairs Ministry in a letter to the office of theRights Chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said the government takes note of the"Report of the OHCHR investigation on Sri Lanka and recognizes fully that thisReport represents a human rights investigation and not a criminal investigation."The government further said that it is encouraged by the High Commissioner'srecognition of the efforts of the new government since the presidential election of8 January 2015 in dealing with issues of concern for the people of Sri Lankarelating to human rights, rule of law, governance, justice, institutional and legalreform and reconciliation. The government also appreciated the due recognitiongiven to the Government's constructive engagement with the High Commissionerand OHCHR aimed at addressing post­conflict issues that impact on achievingreconciliation and assured that it will take every possible measure to ensure nonrecurrence.

The UK said, it welcomes the publication of the report from the investigation onSri Lanka by the OHCHR. The UK co­sponsored the resolution in March 2014that called for the OHCHR's investigation. In a statement, Minister of State inthe Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK Hugo Swire said he welcomesthe publication of this important report into allegations of serious violations andabuses of human rights in Sri Lanka.

Despite many expecting a ‘naming and shaming’ in the content of the UN reporton Sri Lanka, UN sources in Geneva state that the names of individualsaccused of perpetrating the alleged abuses during the final phases of the conflictin Sri Lanka were never intended to be published in the report. Sources said, thatthe names of the accused were never intended to be included as part of thereport as the OISL (OHCHR investigation on Sri Lanka) was a human rightsinvestigation and not a criminal inquiry. It was pointed out that in the case of SriLanka; comparatively few lists were submitted to the investigation panel and thattoo through zonal investigation commissions as opposed to lists of names thatwere submitted in investigations such as the Commission of Inquiry on Syria.

September 20 Without the cooperation and help of Pakistan by virtue of defense relations, SriLanka could never get rid of terrorism it had been facing during the previousdecades, said EAS Wijayanthi Edirisinghe, Acting High Commissioner of SriLanka. Edirisinghe was addressing a seminar organized by Department ofPolitics and International Relations of IIU held at Faisal Masjid Campus of thevarsity, the Pakistan Observer reported. The Sri Lankan Acting HighCommissioner furthered that Pakistan and Sri Lanka were important partners notonly in promoting bilateral trade and economic interactions but also in enhancingregional economic integration.

The independent Brussels­based ICG says pursuing cases against former LTTEleaders who worked closely with the Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa

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government will be important to address Sinhalese perceptions thataccountability is biased against the military. Releasing a statement on theReport of the UN Investigation on Sri Lanka, the ICG said it is important topursue cases against LTTE leaders such as K. Pathmanathan ("KP") and V.Muralitharan ("Karuna"), and any other senior LTTE leaders who may beoverseas to address the Sinhalese community's concerns on an investigation bythe UN Human Rights Chief proposed "Hybrid Court". The Group said the reportby the UN OHCHR on its OISL is a "compelling examination" of the abusescommitted by all sides during the lengthy civil conflict and the steps required topursue justice, accountability and reconciliation as part of democratic recovery.

September 21 Former Commander of Army Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, who led the waragainst the LTTE, said "It was the LTTE which fired on civilians trying to flee tothe army­controlled lines and killed them. The Lankan armed forces on the otherhand had a policy of welcoming them and providing them safe shelter."

A group of prominent foreign policy observers asked President MaithripalaSirisena to immediately table all the reports on the final phase of the conflict atthe ongoing UNHRC sessions in Geneva.

September 22 PM Ranil Wickremesinghe reiterated that there will be no internationalmechanism to investigate the alleged war crimes and a tribunal should be carriedout under a domestic system and not through a mechanism designed by anoutside person or entity.

Germany is ready to help Sri Lanka investigate alleged atrocities during its civilwar, Foreign Minister Frank­Walter Steinmeier said. Steinmeier made theannouncement after talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart, MangalaSamaraweera, in Colombo.

OHCHR defended the findings of its report on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka,which drew criticism from several quarters for its "silence" on genocide in theisland nation.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa called upon the Government to reject theReport of the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka because it was institutedoutside the established procedure of the UNHRC.

CM of Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran presenting a statement to the NPCsessions welcomed the report of the OHCHR investigation on the alleged warcrimes during the last phase of the conflict with the LTTE and urged theGovernment to implement its recommendations.

September 23 The Government decided to invite foreign and local investors to constructhouses for the conflict­affected people in the war torn Northern and EasternProvinces.

September 24 The draft resolution titled 'Promoting reconciliation, accountability and humanrights in Sri Lanka' submitted to the ongoing 30th session of the UNHRC inGeneva. Along with the United States, the Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Montenegro, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelandco­sponsored the resolution A/HRC/30/L.29.

PM Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that Sri Lanka will co­sponsor the USdraft resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC.

HRW said that Sri Lanka wants to investigate war crimes committed on bothsides during the country's long and bloody civil war without international help, butthere is simply no evidence that Sri Lanka has the ability or the political will todo so.

September 26 UN Secretary­General Ban Ki­moon met President Maithripala Sirisena on thesidelines of the 70th UN General Assembly in New York and asked Sirisena toadvance the dialogue on a political settlement in the island nation.

September 27 Australia co­sponsored reconciliation resolution with the Sri Lankan Government.Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in a statement said that the resolution, ifeffectively implemented, would provide Sri Lanka a platform to heal the woundsof war crimes committed during the nation's civil conflict.

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PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lanka will seek the consultations offoreign judges and lawyers for the domestic mechanism to probe the allegedrights violations during the military conflict with the LTTE within the legalframework allowed by the Constitution.

President Maithripala Sirisena promised that his Government will take steps tostrengthen the freedom, democracy and human rights in the country byintroducing a new Constitution.

September 28 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that his Government is ready toimplement internationally accepted laws in accordance with the Constitutionrespecting the public supremacy and safeguarding national sovereignty.

Minister of Housing and Construction Sajith Premadasa at a media briefing at hisMinistry said that Sri Lanka aims to complete the construction of 50,000 housesinitiated under the 100­day program and constructions work on 38,000 houseshave commenced.

September 29 United States reiterated that it would support a credible domestic process forjustice and reconciliation in Sri Lanka in cooperation with the UN and withinternational support.

Leader of TNA and Opposition Leader of the Government, R. Sampanthan saidthat the United States sponsored draft resolution on Sri Lanka is the "bestpossible resolution that could have been achieved".

Four minor Tamil parties ­ EPRLF, PLOTE, TELO and TNPF; and 40 CSOs &Trade Unions in a joint statement sent to all 47 members of the UNHRCdemanded the UNHRC to consider achieving justice and accountability through acredible hybrid mechanism as domestic probe will not address the concerns ofthe victims.

September 30 President Maithripala Sirisena while addressing the 70th UNGA in New York said"Our new vision for the country involves achieving the twin objectives ofsustainable development and reconciliation."

Responding to the OHCHR report, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to theUN in Geneva, Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha said the OHCHR report and itsrecommendations including the new mechanisms that are envisage to be set up,will receive due attention of the relevant authorities.

EU said that it will continue to support Sri Lanka as the country looks to work inpartnership with the international community to implement its commitments andmoves forward on the path of reconciliation, justice, and progress on humanrights.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein expressed hopethat Sri Lanka can finally break the cycle of impunity that for so long stained itspast but cautioned that it will require a comprehensive approach.

October 1 UNHRC through consensus adopted a resolution on Sri Lanka on accountabilityfor the alleged human rights violations during war in Sri Lanka.

Assuring its commitment to implement the provisions of the resolution, SriLanka's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ambassador RavinathaAryasinha said that Sri Lanka is pleased to join as a co­sponsor of theresolution.

October 2 President Maithripala Sirisena said that his Government's policy is to have adomestic mechanism in accordance with the country's Constitution to look in tohuman rights allegations.

October 4 Prison Department recruited 100 Tamil youth to train as officers. CommissionerGeneral of Prisons Rohana Pushpakumara said that the newly trained Tamilofficers will be deployed to the prisons in the north and East to alleviate theshortage of prison officers in those areas.

JVP urged the Government to protect the human rights of its citizens andconduct a credible domestic inquiry into the allegations of human rights abusesduring the war to prevent further intervention by the international community intothe country's domestic affairs.

President Maithripala Sirisena at a ceremony held at Waddakachchi in

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October 5 President Maithripala Sirisena at a ceremony held at Waddakachchi inKilinochchi District handed 613 acres of land to the owners. Out of the 613acres, 474 acres belong to Kilinochchi District and 139 acres belong to MullaitivuDistrict.

October 7 JSP General Secretary Somawansa Amarasinghe said that all political partiesshould reject the UNHRC resolution in order to prevent Sri Lanka from becominga colony again.

October 8 CID arrested two former cadres of LTTE for the assassination of TNA MPJoseph Pararajasingham in Batticaloa District on December 25, 2005.

Police Department decided to recruit 1,500 Tamil youths of the North as PoliceConstables to provide an efficient Police service to the Northern civilians.

October 9 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that Parliament will debate theUNHRC resolution on October 20 and 21.

October 11 Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa said that the Government is to abolish theMissing Persons Commission and replace it with a new commission to continueits procedures.

New Zealand joined as a co­sponsor to the resolution on Sri Lanka adopted bythe UNHRC. The resolution on Sri Lanka submitted to the UNHRC and adoptedwithout a vote now has 39 co­sponsors.

October 12 Ex­LTTE cadres detained at the Magazine Prison in Colombo launched a hungerstrike urging the authorities to release them.

CM of Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran in a letter addressed to thePresident Maithripala Sirisena asked to grant amnesty to Tamil politicalprisoners still detained in jails six year after ending the war.

October 14 President Maithripala Sirisena promised to look into the issues faced by a groupof Tamil prisoners who are currently on a hunger strike at the main prison inColombo.

Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said there are no political prisonersheld in any of Sri Lanka's prisons. He further said that there are 225 LTTEsuspects held in the prisons currently.

October 16 President Maithripala Sirisena promised to release the former LTTE cadresimprisoned for minor offenses before November 7.

Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils, Faizer Mustapha saidthat the Government is making every effort to hold the elections to the localgovernment by March 2016 under the first­past­the­post system.

CID informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitya that drug kingpinMohamed Siddeek arrested in Pakistan on charges of engaging in internationaldrug trafficking had funded the LTTE.

October 17 Tamil prisoners, who launched a hunger strike in jails across Sri Lankademanding their immediate release, have suspended their fast after PresidentMaithripala Sirisena assured to expedite the processing of their cases.

October 18 Opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa charged that the Government was planningto produce former LTTE members, who are to be released from prisons in thenear future, as witnesses against the armed forces for the proceedings of theproposed Hybrid Court.

October 19 The Joint Opposition conducted a forum against the UNHRC report atViharamahedevi Park in Colombo. Politicians, including Parliamentarian WimalWeerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila, Vasudeva Nanayakkara were present.

October 20 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe tabled the resolution adopted at theUNHRC as well as the Udalagama and Paranagama Commission Reports inParliament.

The Paranagama Commission said that the principal reason for the loss ofcivilian life during the final phase of the war was the hostage taking and use ofhuman shields by the LTTE.

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The Udalagama Commission said that it is necessary to incorporate acomprehensive component on human rights and international humanitarian law inall Police and armed forces training schemes.

October 21 President Maithripala Sirisena during a meeting with a group of representativesof the World Alliance of Religions' Peace Summit at his official residence seeksassistance from the religious leaders for reconciliation program.

October 22 President Maithripala Sirisena convened an all­party meeting to discussmeasures the Government should take on the resolution that was adopted at theUNHRC in Geneva.

Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that the Government has takensteps to accelerate the judicial process regarding the suspects remanded fortheir involvement in terrorist activities during and after the conflict.

TNA MP Mavai Senathirajah said that his party would be compelled to form aseparate Tamil State with the help of the international community if any partyresolved to form a Sinhala dominated state.

October 23 PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said that only the local extremists and LTTEsympathizers are against the domestic mechanism proposed in the UNresolution adopted at the UNHRC in Geneva.

October 24 The Udalagama Commission, which inquired into seven cases of grave violationof human rights at the beginning of Eelam War IV, accused the STF of Police inthe case relating to the killing of six Tamil students at the Trincomalee beach inthe Eastern Province on January 2, 2006.

October 25 Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa said that his Government had built asafety bunker under President's House to shield VIPs from potential LTTE airstrikes.

Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterating his opposition to the resolution adopted by theUNHRC in Geneva said that the country is now faced with the most dangerousmoment since independence in 1948.

October 26 The Government during a high level meeting in Colombo decided not to grant acommon amnesty to the Tamil prisoners but to expedite the bail procedures for asection of the Tamil prisoners.

President Maithripala Sirisena while addressing the Colors Awarding Ceremonyof Army held at Army Headquarters in Panagoda town in Western Provincevowed to protect security forces while facing allegations of right violations duringthe last phase of LTTE.

October 27 Presidential Commission Investigating Cases of Missing Persons chairman P.Paranagama said that an investigation team of the Commission will beconducting an independent, impartial inquiry into the alleged extra­judicialexecutions of surrendering top level members of the LTTE during the last stagesof the conflict.

October 28 Attorney General filed four reports with the Court of Appeal on the activities offormer LTTE leader, Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP as a petition was filed byJVP MP, Vijitha Herath, in the Court of Appeal seeking the issuance of a Writ ofMandamus for the arrest of Pathmanathan allegedly for his role as an LTTEarms dealer and in the killing of Rajiv Gandhi.

October 29 President Maithripala Sirisena held a special discussion with religious leaders ofall faiths to discuss Geneva Proposals and its challenges and agreed to set upan All Religious Committee comprising 25 members.

October 31 Law and Order and Prison Reforms Minister Tilak Marapana while addressing aceremony near the Pannai lagoon in Jaffna District said that the LTTE detaineesput in the jail for minor offences or for want of legal aid could be released beforethe Deepavali festival.

November 2 Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman, who was SpecialCommander of the LTTE in Batticaloa and Ampara Districts, said that the riftbetween him and LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran took place in December2002 when the LTTE chief accused him of "betrayal" of the kind Mahendrarajah

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alias Mahattaya in the early 1990s.

November 3 V. Anandasangaree, the leader of TULF appealed to President MaithripalaSirisena for the immediate release of over 200 Tamils, who have been detainedin the country's jails since the end of the war in 2009.

November 4 21 LTTE suspects detained in prisons under the PTA requested to release themwithout rehabilitation when they were produced in the Colombo Magistrate'sCourt. They said they will resume the fast unto death if they were not released.

November 8 Amnesty International called on the Government to fully cooperate with theUNWGEID which will be arriving in Sri Lanka on November 9 for its first visit tothe island in 15 years.

November 10 Tamil prisoners, who temporarily suspended the hunger strike launched in jailsacross Sri Lanka in October demanding their immediate release, have resumedthe strike after the Government did not release them as promised.

November 11 31 former LTTE combatants who were released on bail were taken back to theprison after no one posted their bail. The Colombo Chief Magistrate's Courtreleased the suspects on two surety bails of SLR 1 million each.

President Maithripala Sirisena at a special discussion held at the PresidentialSecretariat said that the Government gives priority to the resettlement processfor the displaced persons in the North and the East and stressed the need toprovide solutions to the matters regarding the resettlement.

Minister of National Dialogue, Mano Ganeshan said that that Government isconsidering a proposal to release the 217 Tamils currently in detention under thePTA after putting them through a program of rehabilitation.

November 12 UNWGEID commenced a visit to Mannar District in the Northern Province toprobe the disappearances during the war. The five­member Committee met withthe families of the missing and disappeared in Mannar and the surrounding areaduring the war.

November 13 Northern Province staged a complete shutdown to protest the Government'sfailure to release the Tamil prisoners detained under the PTA.

24 ex­LTTE combatants who were detained for years under the PTA werereleased in Colombo on strict bail conditions after providing sureties from theirplaces of residence.

November 16 Eight ex­LTTE suspects who were detained under the PTA were released on bailin Colombo. Colombo Additional Magistrate Aruni Attygalle ordered to releasethe suspects on two sureties of SLR one million each. They were also restrictedfrom traveling abroad.

Ananda Jayamanne, the Chairman of DMPPF submitted a report whichconsisted details on more than 5,000 missing persons to the visiting members ofthe UNWGEID at the UN Compound in Colombo.

EU in a statement encouraged the Government to take early steps to build theconfidence of communities, including releasing the identity of the detainees andaccelerating their prosecution or release, repealing the PTA.

November 17 The fast launched by ex­LTTE suspects on October 12 calling for their release infour prisons detained under the PTA has been called off following theGovernment's assurance to provide rehabilitation.

Political parties presented 12 proposals during the second all­party meeting heldat the Presidential Secretariat to discuss the opinions of the leaders of politicalparties about how the Government should implement the UN.

PCICRMP met with the visiting UNWGEID. The full membership of theCommission held a meeting with the delegation of the UN working group at theoffice of the Commission in Colombo and held discussions on mattersconcerning enforced or involuntary disappearances during the conflict period.

November 18 UNWGEID concluding its visit to Sri Lanka said that they found an 'unofficial'detention centre operating within the confines of a Navy camp in TrincomaleeDistrict where detainees had been held for prolonged periods and likely tortured.

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UNWGEID said "The chronic pattern of impunity still exists in cases of enforceddisappearance and sufficient efforts now need to be made to determine the fateor whereabouts of persons who have disappeared, to punish those responsibleand to guarantee the right to the truth and reparation. The Government will needto adopt bold steps to reach out to and create confidence in the victims."

November 19 Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka said that the Government will launchspecial projects to improve the living conditions of the people in the war­ravagedNorthern Province, mainly in the islets off the Jaffna peninsula.

November 20 Government by a gazette extraordinary issued delisted several alleged pro­LTTETamil organizations and individuals proscribed by the previous Government in2014. The previous government on March 21, 2014, listed 16 organizations and424 individuals under the UN Act No: 45 of 1968.

Chairman of PCICRMP Maxwell Paranagama said that the PCICRMP isstudying the UNWGEID preliminary report of secret underground detention centerin Trincomalee Naval Base.

Minister of Prison Reforms D. M. Swaminathan said that the Attorney General'sDepartment will complete formalities to release 20 more Tamil prisoners detainedunder the PTA.

November 22 Explaining the move to lift the ban on several earlier proscribed organizationsand individuals, the Foreign Ministry urged the remaining banned entities tomake public commitments condemning violence and renouncing separatism inorder for de­proscription of those entities.

November 23 United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations Samantha Powerwhen she called on President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariatcommends the Government's efforts for a sustainable reconciliation during pastten months.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said that reconciliationwill bridge Tamil­Sinhalese gap.

November 25 National Dialogue Minister Mano Ganeshan said "Suspected LTTE membershaving more than one case against them is the reason for the delay in qualifyingthem for rehabilitation."

TNA spokesman MP M.A. Sumanthiran said that only three of the 20 LTTEdetainees who were slated to undergo rehabilitation prior to release are eligiblefor rehabilitation.

November 26 Police Media spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara said that since LTTE is abanned terrorist organization, any activity related to the outfit is illegal under theterrorism prevention laws of the country.

November 27 Posters have been put up within the Jaffna University premises in Jaffna Districtrequesting everyone to celebrate LTTE's 'Mahavira Day'.

'Mahavira Day', which commemorates the slain LTTE cadres, passed withoutincident in the Tamil­speaking parts of Northern and Eastern Provinces. NeitherNorthern Province Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran nor Tamil TNA leadersissued any condolence statement.

Military spokesperson Brigadier K.J. Jayaweera said that military is ready toassist the Police at any time to maintain law and order and safeguard peace.

December 1 Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga while addressing a media briefing atthe head of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation said that theGovernment will set up a special war crimes court soon to probe the alleged warcrimes committed during the last stage of the three­decade long LTTE war.

Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the OPCW, Adam M.J. Sadiq whileaddressing the 20th Session of the Conference of the States Parties to theChemical Weapons Convention in Hague, Netherlands urged the internationalcommunity to stand firm and united in combating terrorism.

December 2 Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that there is no new secretdetention centers operating in the country now and asked to keep theGovernment informed if there is information relating to new secret detention

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centers so that an independent investigation could be initiated.

TID said five out of ten LTTE suspects, who have been arrested for involvementin terrorist activities and in remand custody, will be indicted in the SupremeCourt.

December 3 President Maithripala Sirisena in his speech to Parliament on the budget 2016said he is committed to strengthen the national reconciliation process so thatthere will be no room for any future conflict and build an independent countryutilizing its enormous potential through economic, political and social reform.

December 4 Four rehabilitated LTTE cadres were released in Punthottam District and handedover to their relatives.

December 8 Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Prison Reforms Minister D.M. Swaminathansaid that the Attorney General is studying the cases of 20 more LTTE suspectsdetained under the PTA to see whether they can be released.

State Minister for Defense, Ruwan Wijewardene defended the de­listing of theseveral Tamil diaspora groups and individuals earlier accused of having terrorlinks, saying that delisting was done after a thorough study.

December 9 Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, AmbassadorRavinatha Aryasinha speaking at the plenary session of the 32nd InternationalConference of the Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies in Geneva said thatthere is a renewed political commitment and will in Sri Lanka to strengthen thenational compliance with the IHL.

December 10 Sri Lanka signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Personsfrom Enforced Disappearances at the UN Headquarters in New York. The Act willhold the Government accountable for enforced disappearance and expected tobe passed in Parliament next month.

Military spokesperson Jayanath Jayaweera said that following the end of the 30­year civil war between Government troops and LTTE rebels in 2009, 2,064 acresof land in the country had to be cleared from landmines. The war torn areas willbe cleared of mines soon as only 64 acres of land now remained to be cleared.

December 11 PCICMP began its public sittings to hear cases of missing in Jaffna District. TheCommission will continue its Public Sittings in various parts of the North andEast.

December 13 India provided development assistance to launch several projects in NorthernProvince that was ravaged by the three­decade long war after HighCommissioner of India to Sri Lanka Y.K. Sinha visited Northern Province fromDecember 10­11, 2015 to initiate the India­funded projects.

PCICMP Secretary HW Gunadasa said the Commission has received 1,620complaints including 100 new complaints during the first two days of sessions inJaffna District till December 13.

December 15 US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon said that SriLanka's success in rebuilding the country and reconciliation with people will bean example to the rest of the world.

December 17 Cabinet Ministers approved to establish a Secretariat to coordinate all theactivities of the reconciliation process in order to make it more efficient andsuccessful.

December 18 An investigation conducted by the ATS in the Maharashtra, India revealed that a16­year­old Indian girl from a well­to­do Muslim family was found to have a linkwith a Sri Lankan IS member through social media network Facebook.

December 19 TPC, a new organization was formed led by Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran with a goal of finding solutions to the problems of the Tamilspeaking people in the country.

December 20 President Maithripala Sirisena made a visit to welfare camp for the displaced inJaffna District. About 1500 displaced persons from Palali, Myladi andKankasanthurai have been living in these camps with immense difficulties. ThePresident pledged them to arrange immediate solutions for their problems.

December 21 SLRCS in a statement said that Red Cross Post Conflict Recovery Programme

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that began its operations in 2010 soon after a 30 year old conflict ended in May2009 is now coming to an end.

December 23 Catholic community assured its full support to the measures taken by thePresident, Maithripala Sirisena to build the peace and reconciliation in thecountry.

December 24 President Maithripala Sirisena said that the Muslim community can contributesignificantly to the efforts of Government for reconciliation among allcommunities.

December 27 Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswara said that TPC willpresent suggestions on the aspirations of the Tamil people to the newconstitution of Sri Lanka.

December 29 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed a 24­member committeeconsisting of representatives from political parties and civil societies to seekpublic opinion on the proposed constitutional reforms.

Army released another 700 acres of land held by Armed Forces in ValikamamNorth area of Jaffna District and handed them over to the Jaffna GovernmentAgent Nagalingam Vedanayagam.

Source:Compiled from news reports and are provisional.