The Sri Lankan army marked International Children’s Day on Saturday, by taking a group of Tamil schoolchildren on a tour of a military base in Jaffna earlier this month. Children of Nelliady pre-school were “fortunate to visit the Palaly airport thanks to the efforts of the troops under Security Force Headquarters - Jaffna (SF-J)” declared the Ministry of Defence website . They were also shown around the naval base in Kankesanthurai. Both of these regions have house restricted High Security Zones, where many Tamil homes and land remain occupied by the military. Troops in Kilinochchi also...
The threatening of a journalist inside a Sri Lankan police station on September 27, has been condemned by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), who urged authorities to investigate the incident. The journalist with Hiru TV, Ranjith Karunaweera was summoned by Sri Lankan police to Hasalaka station where he was met with over 20 local sand miners who threatened to kill him and used abusive language, the IFJ reported. The local sand miners had previously filed a complaint with the police over a news report by Mr Karunaweera regarding illegal sand mining in the region. “Such incidents...
The former Sri Lankan navy chief was on Wednesday summoned by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over abductions that are believed to have taken place during his time in the job, the Daily Mirror reported. The abductions are reported to have taken place between 2006 - 2008 and included the disappearance of 11 people in 2008, the paper added. The navy is also reported to have been operating a secret navy unit at the time. Highlighting the sheer number of enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka and the lack of justice for such crimes, the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary...
Sri Lanka's prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday held discussions with India's external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj as part of his three day visit to New Delhi. Mr Wickremesinghe is also expected to meet with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi and the president, Pranab Mukherjee.
The World Bank lowered Sri Lanka’s 2017 growth forecast from 5.3% to 5.0% due to high fiscal deficit and an elevated public debt. The report update added that one of the factors behind the grown remaining unchanged in 2016 was due to the postponement of Foreign Direct Investment by the government. The World Bank further noted that though Sri Lanka’s macroeconomic performance had deteriorated in 2015, steps had been taken in 2016 to reduce the budget deficit., reports Colombo Page. The report called for equality in Sri Lanka’s fiscal policy citing VAT benefits that benefited generally...
Meeting with Switzerland's minister of justice, Simonetta Sommaruga on Monday in Jaffna, the chief minister of the Northern Provincial Council CV Wigneswaran stressed the need for an end to the discrimination against Tamils and expressed doubt over whether in the context of continued ethnic discrimination, the proposed constitution would benefit the Tamils within the present context. Speaking to reporters after the meeting Mr Wigneswaran said he had explained “again and again, the majority of [Sri Lankan] governments which came to power continued to pursue discrimination [against Tamils]." "...
The Sri Lankan government acknowledged it will pay $170 million for the cancellation of an aircraft leasing contract, signed under the previous government. Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake told Reuters that Colombo will pay AerCap Holdings NV (AER.N) the fee, as the government continues to try and save its failing national airlines. The lease contract was originally secured for four A350 aircraft, a type of aeroplane that Sri Lanka did not need as no flights longer than 10 hours were being made, according to the finance minister. See more from Reuters here.
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived in New Delhi this week, where he was scheduled to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior officials. Mr Wickremesinghe met with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and is also scheduled to meet with Road Transport and Highways & Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan. His visit comes shortly after his government decided to pull out of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, which was due to be held in Pakistan. The move has been...
Five fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on Tuesday for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line, Colombo Page reported. The fishermens' fishing trawlers were also confiscated. The arrest follows reports that over 2000 Tamil Nadu fishermen were attacked by the Sri Lankan navy last week who allegedly pelted their boats with stones.