NA: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2017

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe highlighting the Government's achievements in the past two years in his New Year message on January 1 said the Government is focused on empowering the people while encouraging co-existence and harmony between all communities, reports Colombo Page. The Premier said much need to be done for Sri Lanka to be a fully-fledged democracy that is also economically sound and socially empowered. He said the Government seeks the co-operation of all Sri Lankans in defeating agendas that are aimed at disrupting Sri Lanka's course set for success. Read less...

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), backed by some other minority parties, on January 1 opposed the proposed new electoral system, Daily Mirror. A new electoral system called the "Mixed Member Proportional System" has been proposed and discussed by the Steering Committee working on constitutional proposals. However, SLMC leader, Urban Development Minister Rauff Hakeem told that his party was against it because, if enacted, it would be disadvantageous for the parties. “The minor parties have some serious concerns about the electoral reforms,” he said.  Read less...

Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) made an open request from the Local Government and Provincial Councils Ministry to publish the report of the Delimitation Commission through a gazette notification as soon as possible, reports Daily Mirror on January 3. The CaFFE, which said that the Delimitation Commission had done an excellent job in formulating its report, said it should be gazetted within two days after submission to the relevant Minister. The CaFFE said formulating the report delayed due to various reasons including poor facilitation and this had delayed finalizing the report. Read less...

Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils Faizer Mustapha on January 2 refused to accept the report of the Delimitation Committee reviewing the demarcation of electoral boundaries in local Government wards, reports Colombo Page. The Chairman of the Appeals Committee on the Demarcation of boundaries of Local Government Institutions, Asoka Peiris was to hand over its much-awaited report to the Minister at a media briefing in Colombo but the Minister focusing on the legal status of the report has refused to accept it since only three members of the five-member committee has signed the much-delayed report. Read less...

Mullaitivu District Court on January 2 asked the Army to submit the list of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres who surrendered to the security forces during the final phase of the war with the LTTE in 2009, reports Colombo Page. District Judge M.S.M. Samsudeen ordered the Army to submit the list by January 30 when he heard a case related to individuals who allegedly disappeared after surrendering to the security forces. Read less...

Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms appointed by the Prime Minister on January 26, 2016 has handed over its complete report to the Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera on January 3, reports Colombo Page. In its report the Task Force has recommended including at least one international judge in the judicial process seeking accountability for the war time abuses during the last phase of the country's decades-long civil war. Read less...

Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein has welcomed the report published by the Consultations Task Force (CTF) on Reconciliation Mechanisms, reports Colombo Page on January 5. The UN High Commissioner welcomed the recommendations in the report especially the recommendation backing the implementation of a hybrid court with local and foreign judges to seek accountability for the war time abuses during the last phase of the country's decades-long civil war. Read less...

Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Secretary of Consultation Task Force (CTF) on Reconciliation mechanisms on January 5 said that war victims have no trust in domestic mechanism, reports Colombo Page. Saravanamuttu while responding to the statement made by the Cabinet spokesman Minister Rajitha Senaratne who stressed at the cabinet media briefing that there will be no foreign judges in the domestic mechanism said that the victims have no trust that justice will be meted out by a domestic mechanism. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the civil society to pressure the Government to implement the recommendations made by the Consultation Task Force including at least one foreign judge in the accountability mechanism. Read less...

The three-day parliamentary debate on constitutional proposals was postponed on January 5 because some political parties sought further time to come up their stands, reports Daily Mirror. The debate had been scheduled for January 9, 10 and 11. Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella told that though there was, by and large, agreement on constitutional proposals, some parties wanted two more weeks to study the reports submitted by the six subcommittees. “We decided to postpone the debate by two weeks,” he said. Read less...

addressing a hurriedly called press conference at the President’s House, State Minister of Finance Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene on January 6 said that President Maithripala Sirisena categorically ruled out the participation of foreign judges to hear or inquire into war crime allegations, reports Daily Mirror. He said only logistical and IT assistance would be obtained to expedite the judicial process, when the judicial mechanism was set up to probe the alleged crimes. Read less...

Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe on January 6 said that I have no confidence in the Consultation Task Force (CTF) on Reconciliation Mechanisms appointed by the Prime Minister, reports Daily Mirror. He said the CTF, which recommended the inclusion of at least one international judge on every bench set up to hear allegations of war crimes and the violation of human rights that had taken place during the final stages of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka. The Minister said some of the members of the CTF Committee were representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO). “No one is complaining about the independence of the judiciary anymore. We have reconciliation and peace processes in place. This report, at this juncture, is totally unwarranted. Therefore, we don’t have to follow these recommendations by the CTF,” he told. Read less...

Tamil National Alliance (TNA)’s Jaffna District Member of Parliament (MP) M.A. Sumanthiran on January 8 said that TNA is positive about six subcommittee reports on new Constitution, reports Daily Mirror. Sumanthiran said “We discussed the contents of the subcommittee reports and also other fixed ideas about the Steering Committee. Generally, there was enthusiasm regarding the work that has been done so far. There were various concerns raised. In the overall context, what has been produced for discussion is fairly positive. We recognize that this is the wonderful opportunity to bring that to an end. We hoped that this process will be taken forward without any further delay. Generally, there is enthusiasm about work that has been done so far.” Read less...

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said that no foreign judges would join the investigations on war crime allegations and human right violations, reports Daily News on January 10. Deciding on the participation of foreign judges with the investigations on Sri Lanka’s war crime allegations and human right violations is a sovereign right of the Sri Lankan Government and will be decided by the Sri Lankan Government, Senaratne said. Read less...

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on January 10 urged the Sri Lankan Government to adopt recommendations of the Consultation Task Force (CTF) on including foreign judges in a domestic mechanism on accountability as stated in the consensus resolution the country sponsored with the United Nations Human Right Council (UNHRC), reports Colombo Page. "The task force report is remarkably comprehensive and clear in setting out the concerns and needs expressed by Sri Lankans across all communities on the transitional justice process. The government should now own the report's recommendations and set out a framework for putting them into action, in line with its pledges at the Human Rights Council," said Brad Adams, Asia director.  Read less...

Sri Lanka Army reports that troops on their search and clear operations in Kankasanthurai and Valayapariththikulam areas in the North recovered one hand grenade and one 81-mm mortar bomb on December 10. Read less...

Amnesty International (AI) backing the recent report of Consultations Task Force (CTF) on Reconciliation Mechanisms called on the Sri Lankan Government to chart a roadmap for the establishment and efficient functioning of the mechanisms proposed by the report, reports Colombo Page on January 12. "As long as the Sri Lankan government ignores the findings of a taskforce, which examines crimes under international law and human rights violations and abuses during the country's decades-long internal conflict, justice, truth and reparation for thousands of families who have suffered deaths and disappearances will remain elusive," the Amnesty International said in a statement. Read less...

European Commission on January 11 proposed Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade concessions to Sri Lanka in exchange of the Government's commitment to ratify 27 international conventions on human rights, labor conditions, protection of the environment and good governance, reports Daily News. In a statement the European Commission said, “The European Commission today proposed that a significant part of the remaining import duties on Sri Lankan products should be removed by the European Union in exchange for country’s commitment to ratify and effectively implement 27 international conventions on human rights, labour conditions, protection of the environment and good governance. These one-way trade preferences would consist of the full removal of duties on 66% of tariff lines, covering a wide array of products including textiles and fisheries.” GSP+ preferences can make a significant contribution to Sri Lanka’s economic development by increasing exports to the European Union market.  Read less...

Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera on January 11 said that Government will work out the architecture of an independent and credible domestic mechanism in consultation with all the stake holders to address the national reconciliation and accountability, reports Colombo Page. “Sri Lanka is committed to the implementation of the United Nations resolution, which it cosponsored in October 2015 so that we as a country can deal with the past honestly and truthfully, accept that past, put it behind us, and then move forward to build our Sri Lankan nation anew," Minister Samaraweera said. Read less...

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe issuing a special statement on January 11 said the recovery of the GSP+ concessions is a result of the present Government's efforts and dedication over the last two years to protect the rights of the people and establish democracy in the country, reports Colombo Page. Sri Lanka’s concessions were temporarily withdrawn in 2010 due to non effective implementation of certain human rights conventions. Sri Lanka formally applied to regain the GSP+ concession on June 28, 2016. Read less...

Commonwealth delighted to give technical assistance to the constitutional realignment to Sri Lanka, Secretary-General of Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland said when she met with Sri Lanka's Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera on January 12 at Marlborough House in London, reports Colombo Page. In 2016, Commonwealth human rights experts supported Sri Lanka to draft a fundamental rights chapter for the new Constitution. This draft proposal is soon to be debated in the Sri Lankan Parliament. During the meeting, Mr. Samaraweera expressed hope that the Commonwealth will continue to fight for the values that have strengthened Sri Lanka in recent times, such as human rights, rule of law and democracy. The Minister also discussed plans to establish a 'Truth and Reconciliation Commission' to look into the accountability and reparations of events that took place during the country's civil war.  Read less...

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on January 12 said that though the Sri Lankan Government was able to report progress on certain aspects and sought technical expertise from the UN and other countries, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution adopted in October 2015 on the country remained largely unimplemented, reports Daily Mirror. “From the UN resolution, Sri Lanka promised to establish four transitional justice mechanisms, including a special court integrating international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators with an independent investigative and prosecuting body. The resolution also called for an office on missing and disappeared persons, a truth-telling mechanism, and a mechanism designed to guarantee non-recurrence and reparations,” HRW said. Read less...

London-based Tamil Diaspora organization, the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) welcoming the recommendations of the Consultation Task Force (CTF) on Reconciliation Mechanisms released on January 3, 2017 has called on the Sri Lankan Government to fully implement the recommendations, reports Colombo Page on January 14. "The fact that the panel members come from all communities and their consultations reflect aspirations and apprehensions of victims from different communities, gives us hope that the Sri Lankan society, at last, can transcend ethnic and religious differences based on shared universal human values and principles," the GTF said in a statement. Read less...

President Maithripala Sirisena addressing a gathering in the Galle District on January 14 said that the Government will never advocate federalism or division of the country on federal lines, reports Daily News. Recalling that a certain print media institution misinterpreted the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) facility regained by the country alleging that the GSP + was given as an incentive to create a federal system of Government, President said “This is a completely baseless allegation as the government would never condone federalism. Such misleading news items were quite regrettable.” He said the Government’s objective was to strengthen the Provincial Council system by sharing powers with them. Read less...

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) threatened to quit Constitution-making process if more devolution not considered, reports Colombo Page on January 15. TNA senior leader Dharmalingam Siddharthan has said "If the Government abandoned the idea of finding a solution for the National question, we won't be part of the Constitution making process and we would be compelled to leave it." Read less...

On January 15, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Spokesman M.A. Sumanthiran, reminding that the mandate President Maithripala Sirisena received from the people was to make significant changes to the Constitution, pointed out any Constitutional Amendment could not be made without a referendum, reports Daily News. He said the President and the Prime Minister should act according to the mandate people have given not withstanding opposition from the forces that lost out and were rejected by the people. He said fundamental changes like the abolition of the Executive Presidency was the first promise of Common Candidate Sirisena, adding that these could not be accomplished by tinkering the existing Constitution. Read less...

United National Party (UNP) Member of Parliament (MP) Nalin Bandara Jayamaha on January 16 said that Constitution is outdated and should be changed in keeping with today’s needs, reports Daily Mirror. “The party believes that this Constitution is outdated and it should be changed in keeping with today’s needs. It is interesting to see those who opposed the 1978 constitution now attempting to cling to the Constitution,” he said. Read less...

An alleged fundraiser for Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has lost his battle to stay in Canada as Federal Court upheld deportation order, reports Colombo Page on January 17. The Federal Court upheld the deportation of Manickavasagam Suresh on the grounds he was a member of a terrorist organization and that he was complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity. The evidence "adequately supported" the Immigration and Refugee Board's finding that Suresh was a member of the LTTE, Justice Richard Mosley wrote in his ruling.In 1990, Suresh was allegedly sent to Toronto by the LTTE to help run the group's front organization, a Toronto-based non-profit organization called the World Tamil Movement (WTM), serving as its coordinator. But he was arrested in 1995 as a security risk. Since his arrest in Toronto in 1995, Suresh has appealed court's ruling to stop his deportation. Read less...

Delimitation Review Committee reviewing the demarcation of electoral boundaries in local Government wards handed over its muchawaited final report to the Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils Faizer Mustapha on January 17, reports Colombo Page. The Ministry of Local Government appointed the fivemember committee on December 1, 2015, to look into discrepancies regarding demarcation of boundaries and shortcomings of the report submitted by the National Delimitation Commission (NDC). It was entrusted to carryout demarcation activities after reviewing the appeals made with regard to demarcation of 206 out of 336 local Government areas. Read less...

Vavuniya Government Agent M.B.R. Pushpakumara on January 17 said the Omanthai Army Camp and Checkpoint on the A-9 Road had been dismantled after 25 years and the land occupied by the Army was officially handed over him to be given to its original owners, reports Daily Mirror. He told that the camp was set up in 1992 for security reasons and the checkpoint began operations on March 22, 2002 and became well known as one of the important nerve centres with vehicles and people passing through having to undergo a stringent check at this point. Mr. Pushpakumara said 16 of the 19 acres occupied by the army were handed over to him and that the army had informed him that the remaining three acres would also be handed over to him after the army removed their belongings. Read less...

Vavuniya Government Agent M.B.R. Pushpakumara on January 17 said the Omanthai Army Camp and Checkpoint on the A-9 Road had been dismantled after 25 years and the land occupied by the Army was officially handed over him to be given to its original owners. Read less...

Army Spokesman Brigadier Roshan Seneviratne on January 18 said that Omanthai Army Camp has not been removed but 18 acres of land around the camp belonging to the civilians has been handed over to the Vavuniya Government Agent, reports Colombo Page. Addressing the cabinet press briefing, the Army spokesman said there was an issue handing over the lands belonging to the civilians of the area and as the Army cannot resolve it the lands were handed over to the Government Agent. Read less...

European Union (EU) on January 18 said that the ratification and implementation of 27 international conventions signed by the Sri Lankan Government was the only criteria to to re-gain the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) facility, reports Daily Mirror. “Benefitting from GSP+ requires the government to undertake to make further progress in implementing the conventions and to cooperate with us to monitor implementation and address shortcomings,” the EU said. Read less...

Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on January 19 expressed his satisfaction towards the positive steps taken by Sri Lanka to improve the country's human rights conditions, reports Colombo Page. Meeting with the Sri Lankan delegation led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Human Rights Chief said that it was the hope of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to see Sri Lanka take forwards its program to establish and protect all rights of Sri Lankans in a sustainable manner. Read less...

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), an international non-governmental human rights organization has called on the Sri Lankan Government to implement the recommendations made by the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms, reports Colombo Page on January 22. "The Sri Lankan government must deliver on the clear demand for justice from Sri Lankans nationwide by implementing the Consultation Task Force recommendations without further delay," the ICJ said in a statement. Read less...

Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneshwaran speaking during a discussion with Political, Trade and Communications Counsellor of the European Delegation in Sri Lanka and Maldives Paul Godfrey in Jaffna District on January 21 said that no skills based training was provided to ExLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres during the reconciliation programmes, reports Daily News. “No skills based training was provided to Ex LTTE cadres during the reconciliation programmes. No opportunities were provided to continue their normal life. And if any problem occurred in the area, the police immediately arrested them. This situation has to change immediately. Measures have to be taken to give them recognition,” the Chief Minister said. Read less...

Joint Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Keheliya Rambukwella on January 23 said that President Maithripala Sirisena is attempting to enact a ‘Sampanthan Constitution’ by cancelling the first three clauses in the First Chapter of the current Constitution, reports Daily Mirror. He said the new Constitution was based by the proposals submitted by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan as a condition for the TNA’s support to President Maithripala Sirisena at the 2015 Presidential election. “These proposals pose a threat to the unitary character of the country. The subcommittee report on constitutional reforms, including those between the centre and the periphery, calls for the alteration of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd clauses,” the MP claimed. Read less...

Government at a function held in Mullaitivu District on January 25  handed over another 243 acres of land held by Army to the people in the North, reports Colombo Page. At the function land entitlement deeds were presented to 1,352 families and subsistence to the tune of 100,000 rupees were given to 300 low income families of the District. Read less...

Four ex-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres in the Tamil-majority Northern Province were arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) officials, for plotting to assassinate Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran earlier this month, reports Colombo Page on January 28. The TID officials reportedly received the information about the plot from one rehabilitated Tamil youth who was approached by the four suspects to carry out the assassination. A TID team arrested Murugiah Thavavaenthan (32), an ex-LTTE cadre from a house in Kilinochchi on January 14, and another ex-LTTE cadre Karalasingham Kulendran alias Master (37), at his work place in Kilinochchi. Subsequent interrogation led to the arrest of two other ex-LTTE cadres in Trincomalee and Thaalayadi. TID officials later raided a house belonging to a relative of Kulendran in Ootrupulam, Kilinochchi and recovered two claymore mines one of which was particularly powerful. Confirming that he received a security threat, Sumanthiran said, the Government informed him about it, sharing some specific details. On January 13, the parliamentarian, who was to be in Jaffna to participate in an event, cancelled his trip at the last minute. Read less...

Minister for Regional Development and former Army commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka speaking to the media after participating in a function at the Hadabima Authority on January 28 said that war crime perpetrators should be punished irrespective of their status, reports Colombo Page. He said "Any government institution would have one or two thugs, rapists and other miscreants. But they should not be shielded from punishment if they are guilty of any crime regardless of their status." Read less...

President Maithripala Sirisena speaking as the Chief Guest at a ceremony at Ambepussa town in the Kegalle District on January 30 said the Government is totally committed to safeguarding national security as well as regional security, reports Daily News. President Sirisena said that the country will never forget the sacrifices made by the Security Forces and the Police during the country’s three decade old Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) war. Read less...

Provincial and Local Government Minister Faizer Mustapha on January 30 said the Delimitation Committee Report will be gazetted within a month, reports Daily Mirror. He said this when a Fundamental Rights petition filed by People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) was taken up for hearing in Supreme Court. The committee report was handed over to the Minister on January 17. Read less...