U.N. secretary-general: Sri Lanka sites for the displaced ‘appalling’: VAVUNIYA, Sri Lanka (CNN) — After visiting a displacement camp in Sri Lanka on Saturday and flying over the site of the last the site of the last battle in the country’s recently ended civil war, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the sites “appalling.” I have traveled around the world and visited similar places, but this is by far the most appalling scenes I have seen,” Ban told CNN. “I sympathize fully with all of the displaced persons.” Click here to read full article
Sri Lanka blocks TNA from meeting Ban Ki Moon: R. Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a press release issued today, said that after the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry had made arrangements for a TNA delegation to meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon prior to his departure at the VVIP Lounge of the Bandaranaike International Airport, the Defense Ministry of Sri Lanka refused the delegation entry into the BIA Airport, denying the Tamil representatives from meeting the UN Secretary General. Meanwhile, Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP), met with the Ban Ki Moon at the Airport.
The above action constitutes a deliberate denial of the right of democratically elected representatives of the Tamil people to convey information in their possession and their views to the Secretary General of the UN on the grave humanitarian crisis pertaining to over 300,000 Tamil civilians in the Vanni, the ascertainment of the fullest information in regard to the said crisis, being the sole purpose of the visit of the UN Secretary General to Sri Lanka. Click here to read full article
US Justice Dept. files “Motion to Dismiss” in IMF case: Responding to the law suit filed in the District Court of District of Columbia requesting to obtain a declaratory judgment to force the United States to oppose Sri Lanka’s pending IMF loan application, the lawyers representing the defendants, Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, and Meg Lundsager, Executive Director of the IMF, filed a motion in the Court to dismiss the case on the grounds that the plaintiff has no standing, the court lacks jurisdiction, there is no private right of action to enforce “policy goals,” and under federal law both defendants are immune from legal prosecution, Bruce Fein, counsel for the plaintiff said. Click here to read full article
SLA restriction on fishing on Vadamaraadchchi seas to continue: The restriction on fishing on Vadamaraadchchi seas will not be relaxed as requested by the fisheries societies, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officials said in a meeting held with the representatives of Vadmaraadchchi fisheries societies Sunday. The request to expedite the issue of travel ‘pass’ to Colombo by the representatives of the Saiva Organizations who took part in the meeting along with the school principals of the area was turned down by the SLA officials, sources in Vadamaraadchchi said. Click here to read full article
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