Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe thanked navy commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne for breaking up a protest in the weekend and 'rescuing' two ships that were boarded by demonstrators.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) stated that it was keen to engage in talks with the international community, and India in particular, over Sri Lanka's proposed new constitution, reports the Daily Mirror. TNA deputy leader and head of the Ilankai Tamil Arachi Katchchi (ITAK) Mavai Senathirajah said that though talks had not yet been scheduled, his party was keen on a federal solution to the island's long running ethnic conflict. “Even in my latest speech in parliament I stressed the need to devolve even financial matters to the North,” he said.
Sri Lanka, along with Malaysia and Mongolia, is most vulnerable to direct and indirect effects of sustained capital outflows, Moody's Investors Service said in its report published this week on sovereign risk. Pointing to high debt levels in a number of Asian countries, the credit ratings agency said, "if they last more than a few weeks, capital outflows or lower inflows will correspond to a tightening in domestic financing conditions for many Asian countries." "For some, [it] could exacerbate difficulties in meeting their current account and external debt payment obligations." "In most of...
The former head of the Sri Lankan military, Minister Sarath Fonseka on Tuesday rejected news reports earlier this month that the navy commander had assaulted a journalist in Hambantota, claiming instead the navy commander had pushed the journalist away from a security circle. “It was reported in the media that the navy commander had arrived at the scene with a dress meant for sports. But it was a uniform worn by marine pilots. We have only two marine pilots in the Navy and the Navy Commander is one of them,” Mr Fonseka said at a press conference . “The Navy’s Special Boat Squadron (SBS) had...
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said his government would use growing international relations to help strengthen the military, in a speech made this week. Addressing a military graduation ceremony on Monday, Mr Sirisena praised the “that knowledge, bravery, talent, skill and militancy shown by the military forces immensely helped to defeat the ruthless terrorist organization”. He went on to add that his government “offer its fullest support to military forces to enhance their knowledge and skills”. Mr Sirisena also acknowledged how his government has manged to rebuild relations with...
The Chief Minister of the Northern Province CV Wigneswaran said out of the tens of thousands of acres of land occupied by the Sri Lankan military, only 5.2% of it had been returned to Tamil families. Speaking in Jaffna this weekend to mark International Human Rights Day, the chief minister said out of 67,000 acres of private land owned by Tamils that were seized by the Sri Lankan armed forces, only 3,500 acres have been released. Justice Wigneswaran went on to question the sincerity of the current Sri Lankan government, especially in light of several Sinhalese politicians making statements...
Several Malaysian political parties and non governmental organisations have lodged protests over Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's visit to the country. Johor PKR vice-chairman Rony Murugan called on the Malaysian government to bar Mr Sirisena from the country, citing his role in the killing of Tamil civilians during the island's armed conflict, where he acted as minister of defence. Protests have been lodged at police stations across the state he added. Several other non-governmental organisations including the Johor Tamilar Sangam and Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) as well as...
Thousands of Tamils gathered in Dortmund last month to remember those that sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the Tamil nation.
Members of the Tamil National People’s Front marked 10 years since the death of Anton Balasingham, the chief political strategist of the LTTE, today.
The US State Department this week announced it would be offering up to $1.7 million for transitional justice and reconciliation projects in Sri Lanka. "The US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that support the DRL policy goal to bolster and enhance transitional justice and reconciliation processes in Sri Lanka at the provincial and national levels." "DRL seeks proposals for programs that use a multi-pronged approach to advance reconciliation through tools...