In brief
Concern
Widespread concern has been expressed over the appointment of Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera as High Commissioner to Australia in June. Mr Perera is accused of involvement in thousands of killings and torture of Sinhalese as well as Tamils, constituting crimes against humanity. In the same month, Australia decided to continue to lock up asylum seekers in remote outback camps despite a parliamentary committee finding that conditions in the camps are appalling.
Spying
French agency Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) protested in late June over allegations of spying for the LTTE, published in three government newspapers, against journalists T Sivaram and Vasantharajah. RSF called for an end to intimidation.
Ombudsman
President Chandrika appointed former Court of Appeal Judge Dr Ranjith Bandara Ranarajah as Parliamentary Ombudsman on 1 June. The Ombudsman will investigate infringement of citizen’s rights by public officers and institutions.
Denied
Catholic Bishops Rayappu Joseph and Malcom Ranjit denied that they had said that the government wanted a military solution to the ethnic issue, during a visit to London in June. The Bishops stressed that their aim is to end the terrible bloodletting.
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