• US ‘deeply concerned’ over Lanka’s media freedom

    Oct 31
    The United States says it is 'deeply concerned' by Sri Lanka’s latest move in stifling press freedom, by blocking anti-government website Lanka-e-News.

    The statement, released by the US Embassy in Colombo said,
  • Sri Lankan foreign minister slams Canadian boycott threat

    Slamming Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper's threat to boycott the next Commonwealth meeting, which is to be held in Sri Lanka, if there is not satisfactory progress on war crimes investigation, Sri Lankan foreign minister, G.L. Peiris, claimed that such views did not reflect Canadian foreign policy towards Sri Lanka.

  • Sri Lankan Government to 'takeover 36 private companies'

    A new bill, allowing the takeover of 36 private companies is due to be presented in parliament on the 9th of November, the Daily Mirror reports.

  • Amnesty ‘outraged’ at Commonwealth inaction on Sri Lanka

    International human rights group, Amnesty International, slammed the Commonwealth for failing a "critical moral challenge" through its inaction on Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth last week.

    Amnesty's National Director, Claire Mallinson, said,

  • Despite continued abuses, Sri Lanka pursues trade with Canada

    Sri Lanka has been aiming to boost its trade with Canada, with a delegation meeting with businessmen in Toronto earlier this week, despite Canada’s continued concern regarding Sri Lanka’s war-time abuses committed against the Tamil people.

  • LLRC report ready but ‘will not be published’

    Sri Lanka’s controversial reconciliation commission has completed its report and will present it to President Mahinda Rajapakse in the second week of November.

    The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission was set up by the President and was supposed to look into the conflict with the Tamil Tigers, but it has been slammed by human rights organisations and foreign officials as a farce.

  • Gillard ‘double-crossed’ by Rajapakse over Games bid
    Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was allegedly double crossed by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse over speeches made regarding their respective Commonwealth Games bid, at a sports breakfast at the sidelines of the 2011 CHOGM.

    The breakfast, hosted by Gillard, was attended by senior officials from across the Commonwealth as well as members of the 71 Commonwealth Games associations will vote towards who will host the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Australia’s Gold Coast or Rajapakse’s hometown of Hambantota.

    Both leaders had agreed, through the Commonwealth Games Federation, to make a “casual speech” and not to overtly promote their nation’s bid.

    Ms Gillard welcomed everyone present and briefly mentioned that Australia would put on an “outstanding games” if given the opportunity.

    Rajapakse, however, used his whole 10-minute speech to make a rigorous pitch for Sri Lanka saying that it “would be a life-changing event in our history."

    See the report from the Sydney Morning Herald here.
  • Army expands intelligence units
    The ever-growing Sri Lankan Army has announced that it will more than triple the number of intelligence battalions it has in order to counter future “internal and external threats”.

    Defence Secretary Gothbaya Rajapakse said that,

  • Cameron warns Sri Lanka of CHOGM boycotts
    British Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and warned him that he must show progress on human rights in order to have countries attending the 2013 CHOGM and once again called for an independent investigation into war crimes.
  • Harper 'skeptical' of Rajapaksa’s promises

  • Attacks by SL navy on Indian fisherman must stop: LK Advani

    The leader of the BJP, India’s main opposition party, has demanded an immediate stop to the attacks perpetrated by the Sri Lankan Navy on Tamil Nadu’s fishermen.

    "Sri Lanka must be told firmly that the repeated attacks on Indian fishermen must end," he told reporters in Madurai.

  • Toronto Star on Sri Lanka and Commonwealth …

    “[Canadian] Prime Minister Stephen Harper deserves credit for making Sri Lanka an issue at the Commonwealth summit in Australia this week.

    “There are other human rights offenders in the [Commonwealth], to be sure. But Sri Lanka is in a class of its own.”

  • Tamils protest at Commonwealth summit

  • See no evil - Australia's way on war crimes

    “Australia’s Attorney-General, Robert McClelland promptly quashed the case [against President Rajapaksa], claiming it breached domestic law and Australia's treaty pledges of diplomatic and sovereign immunity for visiting leaders.

  • Sri Lanka confident amid Indian backing

    A senior Sri Lankan diplomat says that "plans have been" made to thwart any attempts to bring out issues related to Colombo's human rights at the Commonwealth summit in Austrlia.

    He said several Commonwealth countries have shown solidarity towards Sri Lanka and have dismissed those accusing Colombo of human rights violations.

    The unnamed diplomat added:

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