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Violence: HRW urges world to pressure Sri Lanka to respect fundamental freedoms
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged foreign governments and international institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, which are offering assistance, to address Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, to insist that the government respect fundamental freedoms.
The following is the text of a New York date-lined statement issued by HRW on May 10: Clashes broke out in Sri Lanka on May 9, 2022 after government supporters attacked peaceful anti-government protest sites in Colombo, the capital, and elsewhere. The government should uphold the right to peaceful protest, ensure that the security force response to public disorder is proportionate and rejects excessive force, and promptly investigate and appropriately prosecute acts of violence.
Several hundred people, identifying themselves as supporters of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, arrived by bus, in Colombo, on May 9, and advanced to the Galle Face Green, where protesters, calling for the resignation of the government, have been peacefully camped for several weeks. Witness accounts and video footage show government supporters attacking the protesters with clubs and other weapons and setting fire to tents. Hours later, Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as Prime Minister.
“The attack on peaceful protesters by Sri Lankan government supporters has sparked a dangerous escalation, increasing the risk of further deadly violence and other abuses,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director at Human Rights Watch. “It is vitally important for the security forces to fully respect the right to peaceful assembly, and for those responsible for violence to be held to account.”
Kasumi Ranasinghe Arachchige, a protester who was at Galle Face Green, when the attack occurred, said that police forces at the scene, which included a water cannon truck, “retreated” when government supporters attacked protesters with knives and sticks. “They [government supporters] started destroying everything,” she said, describing damage to tents and other facilities, including temporary showers and a small library. “It seemed as if they knew what and who to look for.”
Over 150 people have been reported injured and at least five dead in different incidents, including the attack on Galle Face Green, and the government has imposed a nationwide curfew. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and the Bar Association, as well as foreign diplomats, condemned the attack on protesters and called for an impartial investigation.
In recent months, Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has provoked widespread protests calling for political reform and for the resignation of the President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and his brother Mahinda, the Prime Minister. On April 1, President Rajapaksa imposed a State of Emergency, lifting it five days later. The government reimposed a State of Emergency on May 6 after police fired teargas and arrested students protesting near Parliament, which was adjourned until May 17. Although the protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful, the police fatally shot a protester on April 19, and on several occasions have used teargas and water cannon against protesters. The authorities have made numerous arrests and repeatedly imposed curfews.
Following the attack on the protesters’ camp at the Galle Face Green, there were numerous violent incidents in Colombo and elsewhere in the country, including clashes between government supporters and anti-government protesters, and attacks on the property of ruling party politicians. In Nittambuwa, 50 kilometers from Colombo, police said that Amarakeerthi Athukorala, a government member of Parliament, opened fire on protesters blocking his car, wounding one and killing another, then fatally shot himself.
Concerned governments and international institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, which are offering assistance to address the country’s economic crisis, should insist that the government respect fundamental freedoms, Human Rights Watch said.
The latest State of Emergency was imposed on May 6, but the government did not immediately publish the emergency regulations laying out the special powers assumed. Under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Sri Lanka is a party, certain rights may be derogated, or restricted, under a State of Emergency, while other rights, including the right to life and prohibition of torture, may not under any circumstances be limited. Any derogation must be limited and proportionate. Foreign governments, including the United States and Canada, as well as the European Union, have questioned President Rajapaksa’s decision to assume emergency powers.
Sri Lanka has a poor record under successive administrations of investigating and prosecuting countless grave violations of human rights. During a previous government between 2005 and 2010, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Mahinda Rajapaksa, as well as other senior figures in the current administration, were implicated in the killing and enforced disappearance of journalists and political activists and in numerous war crimes during the civil war that ended in May 2009.
“In recent weeks, thousands of Sri Lankans have peacefully protested against corruption and called for accountable governance and respect for human rights,” Ganguly said. “Pro-government supporters have responded to those calls with violence, which those in authority need to stop.”
The 34th International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) meeting took place between the Indian and Sri Lanka Navies aboard SLNS Vijayabahu at the Indo-Sri Lanka Maritime Boundary Line, situated north of Kankesanthurai on Wednesday 06th November 2024.
The purpose of the annual IMBL meeting is to enhance connections and share perspectives on strategies that the Navies and Coast Guards of the two neighbouring countries can implement to address shared maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean Region.
The Sri Lanka delegation at the IMBL meeting was led by Commander North Central Naval Area, Rear Admiral Jagath Kumara, and the Indian delegation was headed by Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area, Rear Admiral Ravi Kumar Dhingra.
During this year’s meeting representatives from both navies engaged in conversations about issues concerning the security of their respective maritime borders and shared perspectives on the advancements made in previous meetings.
Deputy Area Commander Northern Naval Area, Commodore Jayantha Bandara, Director Naval Operations, Commodore Aruna Weerasinghe, a group of senior officers from the Navy and Sri Lanka Coast Guard and Defence Adviser to the High Commission of India in Colombo, Captain
Anand Mukundan were also present.
With the re-election of Donald Trump, Ukraine may soon have to adjust to a dramatic reduction in US support that could have a decisive impact on the war with Russia, CNN reported yesterday (06)
Jennifer Hansler’s report posted on CNN: Throughout his campaign, the Republican President-elect and his running mate, JD Vance, have cast strong doubts on continued US commitment to Kyiv as the war drags on more than two and half years after Russian forces invaded. Moreover, Trump has made comments that suggest the US could pressure Ukraine into an uneasy truce with Russia.
Trump’s victory comes at a precarious moment in the conflict for Kyiv. Russia has steadily been making gains in the eastern Donbas region, which Russia’s President Vladimir Putin aims to capture in full.
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said the situation on the front line “remains difficult” and certain areas “require constant renewal of resources of Ukrainian units” in a statement on Telegram Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, Russia is understood to be bolstering its manpower with North Korean forces. As many as 10,000 North Korean troops are in Russia’s Kursk region and are expected to enter combat against Ukraine in the coming days, US officials have warned.
Under the Biden administration, the US has provided tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, in the form of both weapons and budget assistance. The administration plans to continue to surge as much support as possible to Kyiv before Trump takes office.
Trump has repeatedly praised Putin – and repeatedly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he has a complicated history. Trump’s efforts to leverage US military aid to Ukraine to force Zelensky to investigate the former President’s political rivals were the key focus of Trump’s first impeachment in 2019.
Zelensky congratulated Trump on Wednesday and said he appreciates Trump’s commitment to “peace through strength.”
“We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States,” Zelensky wrote in a social media post. “We are interested in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations.”
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Ukraine-Russia war would not have started if he had been President. He has also vowed to end the war, sometimes even claiming he would stop the years-long conflict before even taking office. In July, he said he could settle the conflict in one day.
In August’s presidential debate, Trump refused to say he was committed to Ukraine defeating Russia. In September, he suggested that Ukraine should have “given up a little bit” to Moscow, saying at a campaign event that “any deal, even the worst deal, would have been better than what we have right now.”
“If they made a bad deal, it would have been much better. They would have given up a little a bit and everybody would be living,” Trump said.
Just days after those comments, when Trump met with Zelensky in New York City, he stressed that he would work to get a good deal for “both sides.”
“We have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin. And I think if we win, we’re going to get it resolved very quickly,” he said.
“I think long before I, before January 20, before I would take the presidency – it’s January 20 – but long before that, I think that we can work out something that’s good for both sides. It’s time,” he added.
Zelensky has drawn up a “victory plan,” and has said Ukraine is not opposed to negotiations, but they must be from “a position of strength.” At a press conference in late October, the Ukrainian President said that “Trump talks a lot, but I didn’t hear him say he would reduce support for Ukraine.”
Zelensky said Wednesday that in their September meeting, he and Trump “discussed in detail the Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership, the Victory Plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine.”
Still, in an interview with South Korea’s KBS, Zelensky acknowledged that “the next US President may strengthen or weaken support for Ukraine.”
“If that support weakens, Russia will seize more territory, it would prevent us from winning this war. That is the reality. Our stance isn’t about territorial compromises but exploring potential diplomatic paths that rely on the US maintaining its commitment. A genuine desire from the United States to end this war swiftly is crucial,” he said.
Ahead of the election, the US and its allies sought ways to “Trump-proof” that support. Earlier this year, NATO announced it would establish a mission to coordinate the provision of military equipment and training for Ukraine – an effort that has been largely led by the US. The Biden administration put forward $20 billion of the G7’s $50 billion loan package to Ukraine, which is also funded by frozen Russian assets.
The passing out parade of the No. 10 Contingent of the Aviation Unit assigned to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) was held at SLAF Base Katunayake.
The Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, took the salute as the parade was led by Group Captain Uditha de Silva, the Contingent Commander of the 10th contingent.
This heli-deployment, consisting of 20 officers and 88 airmen, is scheduled to depart for the Central African Republic in the first week of December. During the address to the parade, the Commander noted that the United Nations Headquarters has praised the Sri Lanka Air Force contingents stationed in the Central African Republic for their bravery, professionalism and dedication to duty.
He emphasized that this accomplishment reflects the trust and confidence placed in the military forces of Sri Lanka by the international community, enhancing the nation’s standing on the global stage. This mission is also anticipated to bring significant economic benefits to the country. Sri Lanka Air Force has contributed approximately 130 million US dollars to the national Treasury through the involvement in peacekeeping operations since 2014.
34th IMBL meeting concludes on successful note
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Northern, North-Central, Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva and Southern Provinces and in Puttalam and Trincomalee districts
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