Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha raises objections to training being given to Sri Lankan Defence personnel at Wellington; Twenty four Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy;
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    • According to reports, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on June 9, criticised the Centre for being "insensitive" on the issue of training being given to Sri Lankan defence personnel in India and asked the central government not to train them until Colombo takes satisfactory and credible action to end human rights violations against Tamils. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she said two Lankan officers--Wing Commander MS Bandara Dassanayke and Major CS Harishchandra Hettiarachchige--were undergoing training at Wellington, which, she said, was a matter of "grave import that greatly offends the sensitivities and sentiments of people of Tamil Nadu."1

    In another development, reports noted that a group of twenty four Indian fishermen have been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy along with five fishing Trawler on June 5 and were handed over to Talaimannar Police for further action.2

    According to reports, the United States’ State Department announced on June 5, that it will grant waivers to Sri Lanka and eight other nations for another six months on Iranian oil sanctions. As a result, sanctions will not apply to the financial institutions of those countries for a potentially renewable period of 180 days.3

    Reports noted that Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in India, was re-elected to the UN Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW), at the election held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 30 May.4

    In other developments, reports noted that President Mahinda Rajapaksa welcomed and hosted a lunch for Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni when he stopped over in Sri Lanka on June 4 en route from a trip to East Asia.5

    The New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa on June 5 at Temple Trees. During the discussion, Mr. McCully reaffirmed his country’s support for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that will take place in Sri Lanka in November this year.6

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