• Tamils will never accept unequal status - TNA

    Highlighting the ongoing oppression and discrimination of the Tamils by the Sri Lankan government, the TNA's leader, Sampanthan, asserted that the Tamil nation "will not accept this status of inequality" in an interview with the Sunday Leader, published on Sunday.

    See here for interview in full.

    Extracts of Sampanthan's responses are reproduced below:

    "The Tamil people have not been treated as equal citizens for a very long time."

    "The Tamil people have consistently demonstrated that they will not accept this status of inequality and that they are resilient enough to come out of this tragic situation."

    On the militarisation and Sinhalisation of the North-East, the TNA leader said,

    "Deliberate efforts are being made by the Government to further change the linguistic and cultural identity of the Northern and Eastern provinces.

    "There is no doubt whatever that the Government is aggressively pursuing a sinister programme to change the demographic composition of the Northern and Eastern provinces in such a manner as to weaken the Tamil presence and increase the majority Sinhala presence."

    On accountability and investigating war crimes, Sampanthan reiterated,

    "Human rights laws and humanitarian laws are a matter of universal concern. No country is entitled to violate international human rights laws and international humanitarian laws.

    Every country is bound by the international conventions it has acceded to, and Sri Lanka can be no exception."

  • TNA to seek greater devolution at upcoming talks

    Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is seeking devolution of executive, legislative and judicial power as an essential part of addressing the legitimate grievances of the Tamil nation in the North-East, said TNA MP Suresh Premachandran.

  • Central Bank defends takeover bill

    In an attempt to quell investor fears, Sri Lanka’s Central bank has announced that the takeover bill is not expropriation.

    Defending the newly passed “urgent bill”, the bank said in a statement,

  • India pens railway deal as Gothbaya seeks ships for Navy
    Indian government-owned construction company IRCON has signed a deal with Sri Lankan Railways to reconstruct a railway line through Jaffna, in a contract worth $150 million.
  • Fonseka sentenced for implicating defence secretary in war crimes

    Sarath Fonseka, former Sri Lankan Army General was sentenced for three years by the High Court on Friday on charges of "spreading disaffection", "spreading rumours" and "causing public disorder".

    According to the prosecution, Fonseka told the Sunday Leader newspaper on 13th December 2009, that the defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, of ordering the execution of LTTE commanders as they surrendered - a war crime. Fonseka disputes this.

    He is currently facing a 30-month sentence for alleged corruption and other charges.

    The decision to sentence Fonseka fell on the same day as Rajapaksa's birthday, and two days before the proposed release of the LLRC.

    Two out of the three High Court judges ruled against him. Attorney Nalin Ladduwahetty said Fonseka would appeal the sentence.

    In a statement, Fonseka said,

    “I reject this decision with disgust,”

    “I believe that the fair-minded people will correct this mistake one day, otherwise it will remain a black mark in the history of our judiciary.”

    Fonseka was the Army General during the final stages of the conflict where over 40,000 Tamils were systematically targetting by the Sri Lankan military and annihilated.

  • Sri Lanka's savage smokescreen' - CPJ

    The Committee to Protect Journalists has slammed Sri Lanka’s accusations that missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda has gone to seek political refuge in a foreign country.

  • ‘Leaked’ LLRC extracts

    Sri Lanka’s anti-government website lankanewsweb.com has apparently obtained extracts of the yet to be published LLRC report.

    According to the website, which is banned in Sri Lanka, the government is preparing to sacrifice nearly one hundred soldiers, including senior military leaders, in order to save Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse and President Mahinda Rajapakse.

  • Media Ministry has "full authority" to act against websites

    Addressing cabinet on Thursday, Sri Lanka's Media and Information minister, Keheliya Rambukwella, asserted that the Ministry has "full authority" to act against any websites deemed to be publishing "false information".

    The statement came following the ruling regime's recent decision to enforce mandatory registration of all websites that deliver "news, information on Sri Lanka, or information on its people".

    Addressing the cabinet on Thursday, Rembukwella is reported to have said,

    "[the Media] Ministry has the full authority to take action against any website which propagates false information or indecent exposure."

  • SL Navy attacks continue to escalate

    The very next day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha urged India to “assert itself with the Sri Lankan Government”, yet another attack on Indian fisherman has been carried out by the Sri Lankan Navy.

  • Another attack by SL Navy on Indian fishermen

    Three Indian fishing boats have been damaged and a fisherman admitted to hospital with head injuries, as yet another incident of Indian fishermen being attacked by the Sri lankan Navy occured on Tuesday.

    The fishermen allege that the Navy men pelted them with stones while they were fishing in the Palk Straits.

  • Sri Lankan official blames India for Sri Lanka losing 2018 games bid

    The head of Sri Lanka's 2018 Commonwealth Games bid committee, suggested that India's shoddy games last year, resulted in Sri Lanka losing out to Australia.

    Highlighting India's outstanding debts to contractors, Ajith Nivard Cabraal said,

  • Jayalalitha asks Delhi to control ‘rogue elements’

    Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha has asked the government of India to assert itself and urge the Sri Lankan government to reign in ‘rogue elements’ in its navy.

    In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh she said:

  • Second gas well discovered in Mannar basin

    Cairn Lanka has discovered a second well of natural gas off the shore of Mannar.

    The well was drilled to a depth of 3 miles and gas was discovered in three zones.

    The company said in a statement that further drilling would be necessary to determine the commercial viability of the discovery.

  • Army mete out punishment on civilians in Paranthan

    The Sri Lankan army assaulted three civilians involved in a road traffic accident following a minor altercation, said Kilinochi MP Sritharan.

  • Hambantota sports facilities to be build, although bid was lost

    The Governor of the Central Bank, Ajith Cabraal, said on Monday that the government is going ahead with the building of a 4,000 roomed sports village and a new athletic stadium.

    It was expected that the plans would be scrapped following the defeat of Hambantota’s $8 million bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2018, especially after the debacle of hosting the cricket world cup earlier this year.

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