International condemnation of journalist arrest

International rights organisations have called for the immediate release of an editor of a website critical of the Sri Lankan government

Bennett Rupasinghe, News Editor of LankaeNews was remanded by courts following his arrest by the Wellampitiya police on Thursday.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that he should be released immediately.

RSF research coordinator Gilles Lordet speaking to BBC Sandeshaya said, "this can be seen as part of ongoing harassment against the LankaeNews".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2011/03/110331_bennet.shtml

179 civilians including 76 children killed within 3 days inside 'safety zone'(Saturday, 28 March 2009)

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) attacks have claimed the lives of 179 civilians within the three days of Thursday, Friday and Saturday, according to the casualty figures collected by TamilNet correspondent in Vanni. At least 76 of the slain victims were children below the age of 15. At least 16 pregnant mothers were among the slain. More than 109 children below the age of 15 have sustained injuries. Around 45% of the thousands of shells fired by the SLA have hit the safety zone. Meanwhile, a foreign staff of the ICRC, who came in the ship on Saturday to transport the wounded civilian had a narrow escape when the ship was hit by long distance gunfire by the SLA damaging a window of the ship. On Friday, a local ICRC worker, P. Satheeskumar, was reportedly injured in SLA shelling. The wife of another Red Cross (ICRC or SLRC) worker was reportedly killed on Friday. The ICRC ship that arrived on Thursday and on Saturday to transfer the wounded patients from Maaththa'lan hospital managed to transport around 950 persons. http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=28864

131 civilians including 32 children killed on 26 March 2009

131 civilians, including 32 children were killed in various types of attacks carried out by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) inside the safety zone throughout the day on Thursday, according to data collected from various local NGO workers and medical authorities within the civilian pocket besieged by the SLA. 49 of 252 wounded were children. SLA fired RPG shells, deployed long-range gunfire and mortar shells targeting the 4 km stretch from Puthumaaththa'lan to Valaignarmadam. 7 members of a family, including 4 children below the age of 10, were killed in RPG attack by the SLA in Maaththa'lan. 31 travellers were killed in gunfire and mortar attacks on Wednesday. Meanwhile SLAF bombardment claimed the lives of 27 civilians.

Medical authorities reported that 185 wounded were admitted to the makeshift hospita in Maaththa'lan on Wednesday. Multi Barrel Rocket Fire (MBRL) was also reported inside the safety zone at Pokka'nai around 3:00 p.m. Wednesday. 16 civilians, including 4 children, were killed by a single MBRL rocket that hit an IDP hut in the coastal side of Pokka'nai. 9 of the 27 wounded were children. Many of the dead succumbed to burn injuries caused by MBRL fire. 33 more civilians including 11 children were killed and 72 wounded included 27 children in Pokka'nai area in MBRL and artillery fire. Many tarpaulin shelters and properties were destroyed in MBRL fire. 3 shops were destoryed in Pokka'nai. http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=28838

UK MP group calls for international inquiry into Sri Lanka's war-crimes

Lee Scott MP, Ilford North, Chair, All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPGT), in a statement issued today, said "[n]othing but an independent international enquiry to alleged war crimes will satisfy the international community; Sri Lanka must be ready to face economic sanctions if it fails to meet internationally accepted standards," and added "the Tamil people have been waiting far too long for justice. The situation has worsened not only for Tamil people, but also Sinhala academics, journalists, and human rights activists under President Rajapaksa’s rule in Sri Lanka...it is important that Britain act now...." Full text of the release follows:

• Statement from APPGT

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=33685

'Safe zone' under encircling fire, 137 killed in 3 days, ICRC worker wounded on Tuesday, 17 March 2009,

137 people have died and more than 200 injured since Saturday night in Sri Lanka Army shelling and gunfire inside the 'safe zone' of Vanni. At least 18 of them have died hit by long-range gunfire coming from SLA attacking the civilian zone. Meanwhile, massive bunker buster bombs numbering around 50 dropped by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) on the fringes of the 'safe zone' on Tuesday caused untold panic among the civilians. 58 civilians were killed on Sunday in SLA shelling. 12 civilians succumbed to injuries caused by long-range gunfire. On Monday, 29 were killed in shelling and 6 in the gunfire by the SLA, which reaches the safe-zone from all the directions. 73 civilians were wounded on Monday. 32 civilians were killed Tuesday morning in shelling. The casualty details of SLAF bombardment is yet to emerge. An ICRC worker, K. Pulenthirarasa, was wounded in SLA gunfire on Monday near Maaththa'lan hospital and was taken on board the ICRC ship that transferred the wounded. http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=28743

SLA shelling kills 82 civilians inside 'safe zone' on Thursday, 12 March 2009

(TamilNet, Thursday, 12 March 2009)Mullaiththeevu Medical Superintend V. Shanmugarajah narrowly escaped Wednesday from Sri Lanka Army fired Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) shells that hit Mu'l'livaaykkaal inside the 'safe zone', and a 7-year-old child was killed in long distance gunfire near the inland waters in Maaththa'lan. Totally, 82 civilians were killed and more than 130 wounded. Civilians who were waiting in queue to receive humanitarian supplies were hit by the MBRL and artillery fire. More than 500 patients were struggling without shelters and medical treatment amidst heavy rains. http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=28699

Sri Lanka: Forgotten prisoners: Sri Lanka uses anti-terrorism laws to detain thousands

Sri Lanka: Forgotten prisoners: Sri Lanka uses anti-terrorism laws to detain thousands

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Index Number: ASA 37/001/2011 Date Published: 8 March 2011 Categories: Sri Lanka

Thousands of people are languishing in detention without charge or trial under Sri Lanka’s repressive anti-terrorism laws. Sometimes held in secret prisons, they are vulnerable to a whole range of abuses, including torture or being killed in custody. Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency almost continually since 1971. Successive governments have used national security as an excuse to introduce a range of broad and often confusing emergency regulations.

This document is also available in:

Tamil:

• PDF

Sinhala:

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http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA37/001/2011/en

Sri Lanka: US Senate Calls for Justice. UK and Australian MPs Also Back Accountability

(New York-HRW) - A US Senate resolution calling for an independent international mechanism for crimes by both sides during and after Sri Lanka's bloody civil war highlights growing international pressure for justice and accountability in Sri Lanka, Human Rights Watch said today.

The US Senate resolution, passed unanimously on March 1, 2011, follows similar calls by British and Australian parliamentarians.

A United Nations Panel of Experts, appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to advise him on possible accountability mechanisms in Sri Lanka, is finalizing its report.

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/03/07/sri-lanka-us-senate-calls-justice

Sri Lanka risks war crimes probe

Sri Lanka could be hauled before a war crimes tribunal over the killing of 'many thousands of civilians' in the final months of its separatist war with Tamil rebels, a top US official says.

In the toughest warning since the end of fighting in May 2009, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Robert Blake, said Sri Lanka risked a forced international investigation.

His remarks came as the UN Human Rights Council was meeting in Geneva, where Sri Lanka has previously managed to avoid condemnation thanks to the backing of several nations, including strong allies China and Russia.

Blake, a former ambassador to Sri Lanka, said it was 'preferable' for Sri Lanka to have its own investigation in line with internationally accepted human rights standards, rather than face an external inquiry.

http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=583553&vId=

http://www.state.gov/p/sca/rls/rmks/2011/157461.htm