News
India, too, should be investigated -Int’l HR organisations

Geneva resolution:
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Four international human rights organisations yesterday (20) said that atrocities perpetrated during the deployment of the Indian Army in Sri Lanka, too, should be properly investigated by the mechanisms proposed by the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Sri Lanka brought the war to a successful conclusion in May 2009.
London-based Meenakshi Ganguly said that they sought a strong resolution on Sri Lanka to address all international crimes, including those that occurred during the conflict. “Indian troops had been deployed at the invitation of the then Sri Lankan government to enforce a truce agreement, and the abuses that occurred at that time should be properly investigated and those responsible held to account.
Ganguly said so when The Island sought their stand as regards India’s accountability. The Island asked her whether she believed the latest Geneva Resolution should also address India’s accountability as the Indian Army, too, had been accused of atrocities during its deployment in Northern and Eastern parts of Sri Lanka (July 1987-March 1990) and India having sponsored half a dozen terrorists groups in Sri Lanka?
The 51 regular sessions of the UNHRC are underway.
Ganguly responded on behalf of South Asia Regional Director, Amnesty International, Programme Manager, UN Advocacy, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Human Rights Watch and UN Representative & Senior Legal Adviser, International Commission of Jurists.
However, Lucy McKernan, Acting Geneva Director, Human Rights Watch didn’t respond to The Island query.
Sri Lanka Core Group led by the UK has submitted a new resolution demanding punitive action against Sri Lanka. Former Minister and leader of Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Udaya Gammanpila on Monday warned that Sri Lanka could lose the vote on the new resolution by a big margin in the 47-member council. The PHU leader warned that it could be tied to aid to Sri Lanka.
The four international human rights groups declared that the UNHRC should adopt a strong resolution that strengthened current UN mandates on accountability for crimes under international law and monitor Sri Lanka’s deteriorating human rights situation. They emphasized that the resolution should also request Sri Lanka to address the ongoing abuses, including by ending use of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Asked whether the Indian intervention, too, should be investigated by Geneva, the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) spokesperson Suren Surendiran said that “Root causes why the Tamil youth took up arms in 1983 thirty five years after independence, Tamil political leaders tried their best to resolve through political negotiations the inequality, blatant discrimination and treatment of Tamils as second class citizens through constitutional means by successive Sinhala leaderships in the south should/must be publicly established. If part of that investigation should include the Indian involvement, so be it.”
Surendiran said that “Truth seeking mechanism is one of the four transitional justice pillars. Therefore, it is an important initiative. However, just by itself will not resolve or be accepted as part of serving justice to victims. Addressing accountability through a credible international mechanism needs to be part of the program. That’s what resolution 30/1 was going to address. However, successive governments of Sri Lanka keeps deferring or intentionally avoiding addressing this very point. Hence the resolution 46/1 went with the recommendations of the High Commissioner to address accountability via collecting and preserving evidence and serving justice through other international mechanisms including, universal jurisdiction.
“We know how pathetically successive governments have tried to hoodwink the international community by a half-baked Office of Missing Persons (OMP) and other reparation ideas.
“Until Sri Lanka acknowledges that international laws were breached during the war, especially at the end of the war, and charges persons who had command responsibility including the then political and civil service leaders, there will not be any let up by the international community. This is not just to punish for the alleged crimes committed but to ensure that there won’t be any such breaches of international law elsewhere in the world in the future.”
News
UN asks govt. to vacate ‘remaining lands still occupied and used economically by the military’

Military-held land down to 9% in North and East
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has said that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, during discussions with the Sri Lankan government, stressed the importance of releasing the remaining lands still occupied and used economically by the military.
OHCHR has included updated information provided by the government on land releases in its reports to the Human Rights Council, the OHCHR said.
OHCHR team member Jeremy Laurence said so in response to The Island query regarding the HC’s call for release of land which both serving and retired officers considered unfair.
The Island posed the following question to the HC’s office: “At the conclusion of the UNHRC Chief’s visit to Sri Lanka recently, one of the issues he raised was the failure on the part of the armed forces to vacate public and private property held in the Northern and Eastern provinces. However, the military insists that approximately 91% of the total land held at the time of the conclusion of military operations, in May 2009, had been released. We would like to know whether the UNHRC Chief hadn’t been briefed by the government of Sri Lanka or the UN Mission in Colombo on the vacation of approximately 91% of the land held by the military in 2009.
The Island contacted OHCHR as suggested by the UN Mission in Colombo.
The military pointed out that of over 24,000 acres held in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi sectors in 2009, less than 2,500 acres remained in their hands. “We are down to the bare minimum. Further reductions will pose major challenges,” one retired officer said.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
News
Need to attend to sick wild elephants promptly discussed at high-level meeting

A high-level discussion on the urgent treatment of sick wild elephants was held on Monday (July 7) at the Ministry of Environment under the patronage of Minister of Environment Dr. Dhammika Patabendi and Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody.
Senior veterinary officers representing the Wildlife and Zoological Parks Veterinary Officers’ Association participated in the discussion alongside Secretary to the Ministry of Environment Rohitha Udawawala and Director of Veterinary Services of the Department of Wildlife Conservation Dr. Tharaka Prasad.
The focus of the meeting was to streamline rapid response measures to treat elephants suffering from illnesses in the wild and to ensure timely access to life-saving antibiotics and medical resources.
Commenting on the need for swift intervention, Environment Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi said:
“We cannot allow delays when it comes to the treatment of our wild elephants, especially those suffering from life-threatening conditions. These majestic creatures are an integral part of our natural heritage, and it is our duty to act fast. We are committed to providing our veterinary officers with the tools, resources, and policy support necessary to carry out this responsibility efficiently.”
Discussions also focused on identifying infected elephants promptly, administering treatment without delay, and addressing any shortages in medical supplies such as antibiotics. The officials explored avenues to ensure logistical and infrastructural support for veterinarians working in the field.
Significant attention was drawn to the existing cadre shortages within the Department of Wildlife Conservation’s veterinary and technical teams. Plans were discussed to address these gaps with the approval of the Department of Management Services and the Ministry of Public Administration.
Additionally, the need to provide field veterinarians with appropriate technical facilities and mobility support was emphasized as a key priority in enabling effective on-ground operations.
The meeting concluded with an understanding that urgent procedural and administrative steps would be taken to fast-track recruitment, supply of medication, and operational improvements necessary to protect the health of Sri Lanka’s wild elephant population.
By Ifham Nizam
News
Navy seizes contraband pesticides and seeds in Puttalam and Kalpitiya

The Navy detected a significant haul of smuggled pesticides and seeds during operations conducted in Puttalam and Kalpitiya from 20 to 30 June, 2025. The separate operations also resulted in two dinghies and a lorry also being taken into custody, Navy Headquarters said.
In a search operation on 20 June, the Northwestern Naval Command’s SLNS Vijaya inspected a suspicious lorry near Alankuda Beach, Puttalam, resulting in the vehicle, along with 32 sacks of pesticide materials and seeds suspected to have been smuggled into the country, being taken into custody.
On 28 June, during another search near Ippantivu Island, Kalpitiya, naval personnel spotted and took into custody two dinghies carrying 15 sacks of pesticide materials intended for smuggling.
It is suspected that the smugglers abandoned the contraband, along with the lorry and dinghies, due to heightened naval surveillance. The seized items were handed over to the Katunayake Customs Preventive Office for further investigation and legal action.
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