The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom said he has secured the full support of the European Union for the UN resolution on Sri Lanka UK co-sponsored with the United States.


Addressing the press conference at the close of European Council on Friday (March 21) Cameron said Sri Lankan President's failure to properly address the issues of accountability for the past and bring reconciliation in the country has necessitated the international investigation called on by the resolution.

The UK leader said he raised the situation in Sri Lanka, an issue he deeply cares about as he wants to see reconciliation in the country.

"I also raised the situation in Sri Lanka. As you know, this is an issue I care deeply about. I want to see reconciliation in the country, and that means properly addressing issues of the past. President Rajapaksa has failed to do this, so now we need an international, independent investigation into alleged war crimes," Cameron said.

He said the UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay has called for an international, independent investigation this, and that is what the UK co-sponsored resolution at the UN Human Rights Council supports.

"Countries will vote on that resolution next week, and today I secured the full backing of all of the European Union for that approach," the PM said.

During his visit to Sri Lanka to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November 2013, Cameron gave an ultimatum to the Sri Lankan government to conduct a credible transparent and independent investigation into the war crime allegations by March 2014.

The UK Prime Minister warned that if Sri Lanka fails to initiate an investigation by March he will use UK's position in the UNHRC to call for a full credible independent international investigation.

The Draft Resolution HRC25/1 "Promoting reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka" submitted by the US, UK and few other countries to the 25th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva calls for an international investigation into the alleged war crimes committed by both the government and the Tamil Tiger terrorist group LTTE during the armed conflict that ended in May of 2009.

The Chennai police on Friday arrested three men in connection with a credit card scam. One of the arrested men is wanted by Interpol as the Sri Lankan police have issued a red corner notice against him.


Based on the confession of Sivanesan alias Prem, a Sri Lankan Tamil, arrested by Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths a few days ago for allegedly using a skimmer to steal data from credit card users in the city, police teams led by CCB deputy commissioner of police S Jayakumar and assistant commissioner of police, bank fraud wing, Jaya Singh, arrested the trio from a house at Ramavaram here. They recovered three laptops, two encoding machines, mobile phones and 15 fake credit cards from the house.

Police identified the trio as Jayatharan Thambapillai, 28, a native of Trincomallee in Sri Lanka, and his associates V Navaneetha Raja, 37, and V Prateep Kumar, 28, both hailing from Sri Lanka.

Jayatharan told the police that he arrived in Tamil Nadu in August last year on an illegal ferry. Later, he contacted Navaneetha Raja and Prateep Kumar and stayed with them at Ramavaram and operated the racket.

Police said Jayatharan, a graduate in civil engineering, developed knowledge in computer and collected stolen credit card data from hackers. He was also regularly in touch with the hackers and exchanged information.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that Jayatharan was involved in several credit card scams in Sri Lanka. As he managed to evade police apprehension and stayed in hideout, the Sri Lankan police issued a red corner notice through Interpol in 2011.

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said today that propaganda messages transmitted via telephone calls and SMS were a contravention of election laws and service providers had been instructed not to send out such messages without the consent of the subscribers.


“Several complaints are being received about recorded propaganda messages of candidates contesting the elections being transmitted through telephone calls of various telephone networks,” he said in a statment.

The statement states that complaints are also being received about SMS’s that are being sent. The complainants state further that the transmission of such messages to subscribers without their consent is an obstruction to the conduct of a free and fair election. All the candidates and their supporters are kindly requested to refrain from such propaganda activities without the consent of the subscribers. Such activities will be treated as a contravention of election and general laws.

It further states that action is being taken to inform all fixed line and mobile telephone service providers to abstain from transmitting such organized recorded messages or SMS’s to subscribers without their consent or their prior knowledge.

India has declined China’s request for permission to allow four of its warships to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 airliner near the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.




Indian officials on Thursday said China’s request to allow its four warships - including two frigates and a salvage vessel - to enter Indian territorial waters has been “politely turned down” since Indian warships and aircraft are already searching the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea around the 572-island cluster, The Times of India reported.



This came after the Indian forces strongly opposed the entry of the Chinese warships anywhere near the strategically-located Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where military force-levels are being slowly bolstered with an eye firmly on China.



 ”The Andaman and Nicobar command is our military outpost in the region, which overlooks the Malacca Strait and dominates the Six-Degree Channel. We don’t want Chinese warships sniffing around in the area on the pretext of hunting for the missing jetliner or anti-piracy patrols,” the daily reported, quoting an unnamed official as saying.



An Indian P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance plane and a C-130J special operations aircraft, with electro-optic and infra-red sensors, meanwhile, will fly to Malaysia on Friday morning to join the international search force there.



The new region off Australia is now on everyone’s radar screens after two objects, which could be debris from the missing Malaysian Airlines 777-200ER aircraft, were spotted floating there by a satellite on Thursday.



“Indian Navy already has four warships (INS Satpura, Sahyadari, Saryu and Batti Malv) deployed in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea in continuation of the search for the jetliner. Extensive air searches are also being conducted with three aircraft (P-8I, C-130J and Dornier-228) in the area,” said an officer.



China is also dispatching two aircraft to Malaysia to join the international search force that is now scanning the southern Indian Ocean off Australia for the missing MH370 jetliner.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today rejected allegations made by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga that she was being harassed through illegal surveillance by state intelligence services.


Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, in a letter to the former President,, has responded to the accusations put forward by her toward the Government of harassment through illegal surveillance.

In the letter the President noted that the many allegations made by Ms. Kumaratunga in her letter against the Government, the Police and Intelligence Services of the country, are lacking even a shred of proof to justify such charges of a serious nature

"His Excellency the President wants you to be assured that there is absolutely no surveillance of your telephone and e-mail communications, and of your residences in Colombo and Horagolla," Weeratunga wrote.

President's Secretary said the President also observes that the timing of former President's letter, with an abundance of generalization, is intended to synchronize with the wholly unfair allegations against Sri Lanka being leveled by international forces in Geneva and elsewhere in the West today.

Full text of President's letter to the former President

Her Excellency Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga
Former President

27 Independence Avenue

Colombo 7

Excellency
Harassment of Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga through illegal surveillance

I am directed by His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka to respond to your above captioned letter of March 5, 2014 received in our offices on March 12, 2014.

His Excellency the President notes that the many allegations made by you in this letter against the Government, the Police and Intelligence Services of this country, are lacking in even a shred of proof to justify such charges of a serious nature.

The delay in this response is due to the need to make thorough inquiries about the allegations you have made, to ascertain the authenticity of what has been said, in the absence of the required evidential information, considering the nature of these allegations.

Although you make a number of allegations about the violation of your privacy, causing harassment to you, raising concerns about your personal safety, as well as, violation of your Fundamental Rights and impinging on your freedom of movement and association, His Excellency the President observes that there is a total lack of substance to warrant such allegations. In fact, what is set out is seen as a litany of generalities, marked for being vague and unauthenticated.

His Excellency the President wants you to be assured that there is absolutely no surveillance of your telephone and e‐mail communications, and of your residences in Colombo and Horagolla.

It is seen that the one item on which there is some element of the time of occurrence in your letter, is about your written complaint to the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Jayantha Wickremeratne, by your said letter of 10th October 2009, with regard to "Visits" said to have been paid to several of your friends by officers who "introduced themselves" as being from the NIB. It is seen that what you have stated causes genuine doubt whether they were in fact officers or were from the NIB (at all). You would agree that it is now several years after this complaint. Therefore, His Excellency the President is surprised that as a former Minister of Defence who had control over the Police Department, you did not bother to inform him at that time of this inadequate response of the IGP, to enable an inquiry to have been held.

With regard to the statements you have made about NIB officers visiting and interrogating the management of hotels you have visited, reporting on who attends such meetings with you, and the alleged fear among hotel managements to the point of your being unable to arrange personal events at hotels, His Excellency the President is of the view that they are not supported by any evidence of time, place or persons. This is the same with your statements about the alleged harassment of your long time friends in the Kurunegala District who you say have cause for similar fears, and the hotel at Anuradhapura where you were with foreign friends. His Excellency the President further notes that none of these accusations stands the test of authenticity for lack of evidence regarding both persons and places, as well as date and time. H.E the President regrets that the absence of such necessary details to substantiate the allegations you make, gives the impression that these are more imaginary than actual, raising concerns about the seriousness of your complaints.

Excellency, you state of a situation of severe emotional and mental stress to you due to the alleged intimidation of your friends and associates that is compounded by the knowledge you claim to have of senior members of "our Party" and "our Government" being asked by H.E the President to desist from talking or associating with you, during the past 8 years of his Presidency. Here too, it is the view of His Excellency that it would have been greatly helpful to establish the veracity of your claim, if even one such person had been named.

His Excellency is most surprised by your reference to the "context of a culture of white vans", as he is of the view that you should know better that such a "culture" arose before your presidency, and continued during your entire presidency. Today, just as this Government has defeated the terrorism that caused so much violence and bloodshed, the white vans too are not any part of the political culture of this country; except in the minds of those who are keen to tarnish the image of this country abroad to suit the agenda of forces abroad that are ranged against this country.

His Excellency emphatically and wholly rejects your reference to a "prevailing practice of destroying anyone who is considered a threat to the higher authorities of your Government, by murder, 'disappearances' physical attacks," leading to "serious reasons" to be concerned about your safety. He sees this as a statement of complete untruth, which is proven by the large number of very prominent persons who are strongly opposed to and openly critical of this Government and those holding the higher offices in Government today. His Excellency notes that political and other social leaders who oppose the policies of this Government are clearly seen to be active today, in the peace and freedom that has been achieved. The allegations that you make in this regard are again seen as being of the same nature as the charges made, both here and abroad, by those who do not wish to see the strengthening of peace and achievement of reconciliation. His Excellency states this should assure you of safety in whatever role you may play in politics today.

His Excellency also wholly rejects the charges made by you in your letter of any violation of your Fundamental Rights to movement and association, as well as the charges of violation of your privacy, causing you any harassment, and giving you any cause for concern with regard to your personal safety. As the Executive President of Sri Lanka, he sees it as his bounden duty to ensure these freedoms to all citizens, and a former Executive President of the country is not excluded in ensuring this reach of Fundamental Freedoms.

With your references to the so‐called activities of the NIB, which he sees as baseless as stated earlier, His Excellency also sees it necessary to remind you how members of your own Presidential Security Division were involved in serious crimes during your term in office. His Excellency is glad there are no such instances to point out today. Also, Excellency, with regard to surveillance you have complained so much about, His Excellency considers it necessary to remind you that although as a former President of the country, you do have an official security detail, it remains the duty of the Police Service to ensure your safety at public places. This is a standard rule both here and abroad. His Excellency, therefore, considers it unwise to be overly sensitive to what you describe as a "calculated strategy of surveillance" directed at you and your associates, and in a manner that appears to have caused stress that is not merited by the reality around you.

His Excellency wishes to convey that the Government is fully aware of the legal provisions under the Police Ordinance with regard to the prevention of crime, and therefore assures you that these provisions are and will be fully implemented against anyone found to be violating the provisions of the law.

In conclusion, His Excellency also observes that the timing of your letter, with an abundance of generalization, is intended to synchronize with the wholly unfair allegations against Sri Lanka being leveled by international forces in Geneva and elsewhere in the West today. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Lalith Weeratunga
Secretary to the President

France stated that it was concerned about the recent arrests of several human rights defenders in Sri Lanka and added that it was closely monitoring the human rights situation in the country.




The French Embassy published a statement from the Spokesman of the French Foreign Ministry expressing France’s concern over the situation in Sri Lanka and its call for the Lankan authorities to guarantee respect for the rule of law.



It added that it was supportive of the drafting of a resolution at the UNHRC in order to remind Sri Lanka of the need to implement measures to ensure reconciliation which in turn requires respect for human rights and actions to counter impunity.



Full statement:



France is concerned about the recent arrest in Sri Lanka of several human rights defenders who are recognized and respected for their actions in this area.



We call on the authorities of Sri Lanka to fully guarantee respect for the rule of law.



France is closely monitoring the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. It currently supports the drafting of a resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council, in order to remind the authorities of Sri Lanka of the need to implement measures to ensure national reconciliation, which requires respect for human rights under all circumstances and actions to combat impunity.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has, in a message, congratulated the new President of Chile Michelle Bachelet who was sworn in last week as the country's next president after winning elections in December of last year.


"Your Excellency's return to a second term in office is a manifestation of the trust and confidence you enjoy among the people of Chile," President Rajapaksa said. "I am confident that Chile will progress into another era of enhanced growth and prosperity under your leadership."

President Rajapaksa also highlighted the "close and cordial relations" the two countries enjoy and expressed his desire to work with the new Chilean president to further strengthen relations.

President Bachelet is taking over as Chile's president for the second time. Her first term was from 2006 to 2010.