Sri Lankan Presidential Hopeful Sued in Federal Court for Human Rights Violations

Human rights lawyers have sued Sri Lankan presidential hopeful Gotabaya Rajapaksa in federal court in the Central District of California. Rajapaksa, who is a joint Sri Lankan-U.S. citizen, was served with process in the parking lot of a Trader Joe’s, of all places.

Plaintiff Roy Samthanam, who is a Canadian citizen, alleges that he was detained and tortured from 2007-2010 by the Terrorism Investigation Division of the Sri Lanka police. He tells his harrowing story of physical and mental torture here and in this video. He is represented by the International Truth & Justice Project, under the leadership of the indomitable Yasmin Sooka, and a private law firm. The U.N. Human Rights Committee, which evaluates states’ compliance with the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights, has already ordered Sri Lanka to pay him compensation. A separate case was apparently filed on behalf of the family of assassinated journalist Lasantha Wickrematunga. If Rajapaksa owns property in California, it could be attached for the purpose of satisfying any civil judgment against him.

Just Security has extensively covered the aftermath of the war in Sri Lanka, which is characterized by an entrenched impunity. In particular, we have offered a number of proposals for how the Department of Justice could prosecute Rajapaksa under the U.S. War Crimes Act, which has never been activated to date. That statute grants jurisdiction over war crimes committed by, or against, U.S. citizens. (See Ryan Goodman’s coverage here, here, here, here, here, and here).

There has been some discussion that Rajapaksa has given up his U.S. citizenship in order to run for higher office in Sri Lanka. This does not affect the viability of these civil cases because he was served with process while in the United States, and was—in any case—a U.S. citizen at the time he allegedly acted. The Torture Victim Protection Act (28 U.S.C. § 1350 note) is expressly extraterritorial, so does not raise the extraterritorial issues presented by the Alien Tort Claims Act.

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Sri Lanka's Ceylon Steel group to set up US75mn cement grinding plant

Sri Lanka's Ceylon Steel and Onyx group is investing 75 million US dollars to set up a cement grinding plant in Mirijjawila, Hambantota, officials said.

The plant when completed in 18 months would have an annual capacity of 3.6 million metric tonnes, Mangala Yapa, technical advisor to the ministry of international trade and investment said.

Sri Lanka has an annual cement demand of about 8.5 million metric tonnes of which about 2.8 million tonnes are produced domestically.

The plant will have a convered conveyor from the port to carry clinker minimizing environmental fallout from unloading, Yapa said.

Director General of Sri Lanka's Board of Investment Champika Malalgoda told reporters no import protection had been promised to the investor.

Ceylon Steel, the main investor of the new cement plant is now protected by high anti-competitive import duties, so that the firm can make easy profits by restricting competition.

High steel costs have forced, a homeless family trying to build a house, a shop owner, office builder, a hotelier and even a factory owner to pay high prices for steel, pushing up construction costs.

High construction costs has contributed to make Sri Lankan services like tourism less competitive compared to free countries in East Asia and also make ordinary people building a house more indebted to banks critics have said.

Cement had generally been free of import protections as existing companies are owned either by foreigners or minority communities, analysts have pointed out. In contrast to the anti-competitive protection given to steel and ceramics, cement is under price control. (Colombo/Mar19/2019)

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Sri Lanka Tourism earnings top US $ 4.38 Bn in 2018, grows 11.6%, Remittances down 2.1% to US $ 7 Bn

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector earnings rose to US $ 4.38 billion or US $ 4,381 million in 2018, in comparison to US $ 3.92 billion or US $ 3,925 million in 2017, the latest Central Bank data outlined.

However the statistics showed that workers remittances declined by 2.1% to $ 7 billion in 2018, whilst workers’ remittances in December 2018 declined by 13%, year-on-year, to $ 584 million. On a cumulative basis, workers’ remittances recorded a decline of 2.1% to $ 7,015 million in 2018, from $ 7,164 million in 2017.

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Sri Lanka being promoted as best destination for film shooting

Sri Lanka is being promoted as the best destination for film shooting.

The Sri Lanka Consulate General in Mumbai arranged an exclusive discussion between ‘Dharma Productions’, the largest film production house in Mumbai and the Sri Lanka Film Tourism delegation on 23 February 2019 in Mumbai.

The Sri Lanka Film Tourism delegation comprising a representative from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and six film producers including the veteran film producer, Chandran Rutnam participated at the ‘India International Film Tourism Conclave (IIFTC) 2019 held in Mumbai from 21-23 February 2019.

Presenting an award at the IIFTC to Malayalam film which was shot in Sri Lanka, Consul General Chamari Rodrigo invited Indian film producers to Sri Lanka for film shooting as the island has been a popular film shooting location for a number of notable Hollywood movies since 1950s.

India, which is the world’s largest film industry, produces nearly 2000 films annually. Fiji, Switzerland, Japan, Chez Republic, Norway and Sweden are the popular film shooting destinations among Indian film production houses.

The Sri Lanka Consulate General initiated smaller group discussions with the Indian film production houses to promote Sri Lanka as the best destination for film shooting, given the geographical proximity, exotic and diverse locations in a small island and the lower production cost.

Eleven leading film production houses representing Bollywood and South Indian film industry had 3 separate fruitful discussions with the Sri Lanka delegation at the Consulate General and J W Marriot hotel in Mumbai on 21& 23 February 2019 respectively.

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Sri Lanka opens consulate office in Cyprus

Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides and his Sri Lankan counterpart Tilak Janaka Marapana said on Thursday that the two countries were opening a new chapter in their bilateral cooperation, while inaugurating Sri Lanka’s consulate office in Nicosia.

“After the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1963, our relations are growing steadily,” Christodoulides said in his address at the ceremony.

In their meeting on Wednesday, the two foreign ministers discussed ways of enhancing cooperation in the trade, tourism, investment and education sectors, Christodoulides added.

Despite the 5,680km which separate the two countries, Christodoulides said, “we share many similar ideas and principles which guide our close cooperation in many international organisations and associations, such as the UN and the Commonwealth.”

Christodoulides said that the presence of the Sri Lankan community on the island had also contributed to the strengthening of the ties between the two countries.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Sri Lanka’s flag was raised outside the consular premises and the national anthems of the two countries were played. The foreign ministers also unveiled the Consulate’s plaque and lit a traditional candelabra. A Sri Lankan couple in traditional attire presented folk dances before guests.

The ceremony was also attended by Daya Srikantha John Pelpola, the ambassador of Sri Lanka to Cyprus, resident in Rome, who thanked previous honorary consuls for their services and expressed confidence that bilateral relations will be enhanced further.

Meanwhile on Thursday, the cabinet approved the appointment of the first ever Saudi Arabian ambassador to Cyprus, Khaled Mohammed Ismail Badawi Al Sharif.

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Pakistan proposes Gandhara-Buddhist Study Center in Colombo University

Colombo, February 19 (newsin.asia): The High Commissioner of Pakistan, Major General (Retd.) Dr. Shahid Ahmad Hashmat, called on the Sri Lankan Minister for City Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education, Rauff Hakeem, on Monday and discussed prospects of establishing the Taxila Gandhara Civilization Study Centre at the University of Colombo.

The High Commissioner also informed the Minister that, with the view to highlight Gandhara Heritage and cultural links between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the High Commission of Pakistan will be organizing an international seminar in collaboration with the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka in March this year.

High Commissioner of Pakistan, Major General (Retd.) Dr. Shahid Ahmad Hashmat with the Sri Lankan Minister for City Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education, Rauff Hakeem.

During the meeting, bilateral relations and areas of mutual interest and cooperation were discussed. The High Commissioner informed the Minister about Pakistan-Sri Lanka Higher Education Cooperation Programme under which numerous scholarships will be provided to Sri Lankan students in various fields.

The Lankan Minister for City Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education, Rauff Hakeem lauded the efforts of the High Commission and the Government of Pakistan for providing enormous opportunities to Sri Lankan youth for capacity building.

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Sri Lanka to promote Buddhist Tourism Trail to attract tourists from Thailand

Colombo, Feb 19 (newsin.asia) – Sri Lanka’s Tourism Promotion Bureau has introduced a ‘Buddhism Tourism Trail’, a promotional website aiming to attract tourists from Thailand and other Theravada Buddhism countries, local media reported Tuesday.

Kshenuka Senewiratne, Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Thailand told the Bangkok Post the website was launched at the Thai International Travel Fair (TITF) held recently as about 90 percent of Thais were Theravada Buddhists.

Theravada known as Southern Buddhism is the oldest branch of Buddhism. It focuses on the teachings of the Lord Buddha through strict meditation and the eight fold path to enlightenment with the majority of followers in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

Kshenuka said the website will focus on Buddhist tourist attractions such as ancient temples, Buddha statues and meditation centers in Sri Lanka.

For example, she said the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in the central highlands of Kandy, a resting place for Lord Buddha’s tooth allegedly saved from his funeral pyre is a popular destination for many Buddhist and foreign tourists.

Sri Lanka, has in recent years transformed into a popular tourist destination with the highest number of tourists arriving from China, India and Britain.

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