• Sri Lankan Minister’s call to arms

    Aug 13
    Senior government Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake has stated that more money should be spent on defence in order to combat local and international threats to Sri Lanka.
     
    The former Prime Minister reportedly said that the police and armed forces needed to be equipped with modern weaponry in order to defend the country. According to the Daily Mirror, Wickramanayake said,
    “There are many elements operating locally and internationally, trying to disturb the peace we have gained. A political party had adopted a resolution stating that the country should be divided.”

    “These things should be taken seriously, and the country should allocate more funds for defence."
  • Amnesty 'appalled' at Australian report

    In a statement, Amnesty International slammed the recently released report by an Australian expert panel on asylum seekers.

    Highlighting the fact that the panel were "ignoring altogether the fundamental right to seek asylum or the realities of why vulnerable people flee from horrific circumstances", Amnesty said it was "appalled" by the recommendations.

    Amnesty International’s refugee spokesperson, Dr Graham Thorn, said,

    “Sending asylum seekers to places like Malaysia, Nauru and Papua New Guinea is unacceptable and a complete outsourcing of Australia’s human rights obligations.”

  • Offshoring lacks transparency and accountability - TAG

    Commenting on the recently released report by an Australian expert panel on asylum seekers, Jan Jananayagam of Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) told Tamil Guardian,

    "Offshore processing defeats the spirit of the refugee convention - which is to offer safe haven to those fleeing persecution. Instead offshoring creates gulag-type settings in some parts of the world on our behalf."

    "Offshore agreements send a signal to partner countries that it is acceptable for them to continue to refuse to sign the refugee convention, thus undermining its international scope."

  • Politician accused of murder reinstated in post
    Sampath Chandrapushpa, who is accused of murdering a tourist last year, has been reinstated by the ruling party into his post as chairman of Tangalle’s Pradeshiya Sabha.
  • Barely alive, yet his legs chained together - Father Sakthivel

    Photograph Uthayan

    Speaking to mourners of the Tamil political prisoner, Dilrukshan, Father Sakthivel described seeing him in hospital in the days before his death - in a coma, but still with his feet chained together.

  • Most of the LLRC recommendations' have been addressed says Sri Lanka

    Apparently - according to Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission Chief Pratiba Mahanamathe who in turn quoted the presidential secretary - "most" of the LLRC recommendations had been addressed.

  • Knowing your place
    Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauf Hakeem has issued an “unreserved apology to all Buddhists of Sri Lanka” over remarks made in a campaign meeting in the Eastern Province.

    Hakeem reportedly congratulated President Mahinda Rajapaksa for defeating “terrorism” and called on him to eliminate what he termed “yellow robed terrorism”, referring to attacks on mosques led by the Buddhist clergy.

    The comments outraged the Buddhist clergy and prompted a swift retraction from Hakeem. Extracts from his statement have been reproduced below.
  • Colombo recalls its high commissioner to Malaysia

    Kalyananda Godage, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Malaysia has been recalled abruptly by Colombo after he was accused of sympathetic involvement with Tamil organisations in Malaysia.

    Mr. Godage came out of retirement at the age of 76 to take up this position.

    His service will come to an end at the end of August after serving only eight months.

    Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, took an exception to Godage’s request for answers, that were posed by Tamil groups during a meeting in Colombo.

  • Increase refugee intake, but process offshore says Australian panel

    An Australian report, ordered by the government, concluded that it was necessary to introduce disincentives for those seeking asylum in Australia, Canberra should introduce off-shore processing, but increase the overall intake of refugees to 20,000.

  • HSBC bank in London apologises for display of SL flag
    HSBC in London has “unreservedly” apologised after displaying the Sri Lankan flag in its New Malden branch, following protests from the local community.

    The display drew objections from the Tamils in London, who remonstrated that the display brought back memories of rape, torture and massacres endured at the hands of a genocidal state.
  • ‘Debt-ridden’ SL electricity board seeks more loans

    The Minister for Power Champika Ranawaka is seeking approval from the Sri Lankan cabinet to raise the borrowing limit of the state owned Ceylon Electricity Board to Rs 74.2 billion, reported LBO.

    He said the funds will be used to meet increasing fuel needs, settle debts and pay independent power producers.

  • Sinhala nationalists protest TESO gathering

    Sri Lanka’s nationalist organisations demonstrated against the Tamil Eelam Supporter’s Organisation (TESO) conference which was due to take place today in Chennai.

  • Tamils protest against Sri Lanka at London2012 on final day

    Marking the final day of the London 2012 Olympics, Tamils stood in solidarity with the hunger striker, Gobi Sivanthan, and protested against Sri Lanka's inclusion.

    Crowds gathered to the spot in Stratford, by the Olympic stadium where Sivanthan had been on hunger strike since 22nd July, as he broke his protest fast at 4pm of the final day, as planned.

  • Impartial investigation is the only way forward – Amnesty India
    Amnesty International’s Chief Executive in India has said that a UN-led impartial investigation is the only way to achieve justice for victims of Sri Lankan war crimes.

    Mr G Ananthapadmanabhan told the Hindu that justice could only be ensured by an investigation which was impartial and led by the United Nations, saying,
  • “Quality issues” plague Chinese-built power plant
    Sri Lanka’s Chinese-built power coal plant in Norocholai, Puttalam has broken down again, as power cuts are set to be imposed across the island by the Ceylon Electricity Board.
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