India’s Shipping Minister opposes selling warships to Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka and China reaffirm their commitment to the Strategic Cooperation; Australia and the UK confirm their attendance to the CHOGM; The Human Rights Watch urges the heads of Commonwealth
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  • According to reports, a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa wrote to Indian Prime Minister urging to cancel the sale of two warships to Sri Lanka, India's Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan also voiced his opposition to the sale. 1

    Reports noted that Political Bureau Member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Mr. Liu Yunshan called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the President’s House on September 10, 2013, where the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the strategic cooperation by the two nations that was agreed upon during President Rajapaksa’s state visit to China earlier this year. 2

    Reports noted that the newly elected Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has confirmed his attendance to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Colombo in November this year. 3

    According to reports, rejecting the calls from some parliament members to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka in November, the British government has affirmed that the Prime Minister will attend the summit since "it is the right thing for the Commonwealth”. 4

    According to reports, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the heads of Commonwealth governments not to attend the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka due to the country's alleged unwillingness to address the ongoing human rights concerns. 5

    According to reports, the Sri Lankan government has said that it cannot accept the election manifesto of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for the Northern Provincial Council as it contravenes the Constitution of the country. 6

    Reports noted that Sri Lankan army has commenced the massive joint field exercise "Exercise - Cormorant Strike IV - 2013" in the Eastern Province with the participation of over 2,600 military personnel of the three forces and 40 foreign military participants and observers from Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Pakistan and Nepal. 7

    In other developments, reports noted that Sri Lankan Army Commander Daya Ratnayake met Chief of Staff of the US Army, General Raymond T. Odierno in New Zealand and exchanged views on bilateral importance and mutual interest on September 9, 2013. Army Commander Ratnayake went to New Zealand to attend the biennial 8th Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (PACC), themed on “The sum is greater than the parts – 21st century peace operations in a United Nations context”, organized jointly by US and New Zealand Armies. 8

    According to reports, one hundred seven rehabilitated former LTTE cadres were released from their respective rehabilitation centres. With this only 339 former carders are there under rehabilitation out of total 11652. 9

    Reports noted that Sri Lanka has been ranked 137 among 156 nations in the UN-sponsored World Happiness Report, in which Denmark was deemed to be the happiest nation in the world. 10

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