Sri Lanka to lease Hambantota Port to Chinese company

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremensighe has outlined plans to lease large stake in the Hambantota port to a Chinese Company reports Colombo Page. The Prime Minister said that the government planned to lease the Hambantota port or $US 1.2 billion to a Chinese company China Merchant, in an attempt to aid in Sri Lanka’s Balance of Payments. Addressing concerns that the port would be sold to a Chinese company, Mr Wickremesinghe added, “I also want to address the claims with regards to Hambantota made by the Daily FT. I assure you that we are not, and cannot, sell the Port. What we do have...

Sri Lanka's Police arrests Muslim leader following threats of violence from BBS

Hours after the head of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) organisation in Sri Lanka threatened to incite bloody attacks against Muslim communities unless a Muslim leader was arrested, Sri Lanka’s police arrested the Secretary of Sri Lanka Thawheed Jamath (SLTJ) Abdul Razick. A statement by the police headquarters said that Mr Razick was arrested due to a complaint regarding a comments made by him at a protest last week, reports Colombo Telegraph. The arrest came hours after the BBS leader Gnanasara Thero issued a one day ultimatum before a starting violence against Muslims.

Jaffna think-tank calls on government to confront military intelligence structures and their involvement in Aava gang

In a situation brief released today titled "Student killings, Aava gang and the Securitisation of Jaffna", the Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research (ACPR) raised alarm at the Sri Lankan government's "failure to meaningfully confront systemic policing and military intelligence issues that have once again been brought to the forefront by the recent killings of two Jaffna University students by police." ACPR notes that rather than focus on addressing the systemic security reform required that was highlighted by the killings of Sulakshan and Kajan, the government has instead chosen to arrest...

Justice or Trade Deals: A defining moment for the EU

In an op-ed published this week on Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka , researchers at Together Against Genocide, Vinesh Mistry and Brami Jegan called on the EU not to miss the opportunity "to insist on meaningful transitional justice, rather than giving its blessing to a government whose commitment to human rights deserves serious scrutiny" Full op-ed reproduced below: by Vinesh Mistry and Brami Jegan Between now and January 2017 the European Union will decide whether to restore the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade tax concession to Sri Lanka. This decision will hinge...

CPA 'deeply concerned' by recent incidents against minorities

The Colombo based Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) on Friday expressed concern over what it described as "a spate of recent events with ominous portents for ethnic and religious harmony and reconciliation in Sri Lanka." Pointing to increasing hate speech against minorities particularly by Buddhist monks and social media uses, as well as the murder of two Jaffna university students at the hands of the Sri Lankan police, the CPA said it was "extremely concerned at the appearance of signs that, yet again, legal reforms aimed at improving our democracy and governance are being undermined by...

International media org condemns attack on journalist in Trinco

The Brussels based media organisation, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Free Media Movement on Friday condemned the attacking of a journalist in Trincomalee on November 15. “The IFJ condemns the attack and threat to journalist in Trincomalee and urges the Sri Lankan authorities to take every measure to ensure punishment to the responsible; and to establish a safe working environment for journalists in Sri Lanka," the IFJ said in a statement. See full statement here . Extract follows: "On Tuesday, journalist Mohammed Geeth was attacked by the workers of a restaurant after...

TNA demands foreign judges in accountability process

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on Thursday demanded foreign judges to be involved in the post-conflict accountability process. “The president has told Meera Srinivasan of The Hindu in an interview that he will not agree to foreign judges. Then how can we expect justice?” TNA parliamentarian, S.Sritharan was quoted by Colombo Gazette as asking parliament. The inclusion of international participation is the only mechanism to ensure transparency and justice – as also noted by the UNHRC, Mr Sritharan added.

BUDGET 2017: TO BEING JILTED AT THE ALTAR

By Dr Arujuna Sivananthan IMPROVEMENT Sri Lanka’s 2017 budget seems to be receiving several accolades, not from those outside Sri Lanka or anyone credible within, but from politicians in the ruling coalition. So it should! The coalition’s attempt to shed its statist skin by expressing an intent to privatise loss making state owned enterprises (SOEs) must be welcomed along with permitting foreign nationals to buy property. It also makes good economic sense. By Sri Lankan standards it is not the worst budget, particularly when compared with the wanton recklessness of last year that precipitated...

Sri Lankan official evades questions on torture at UN committee hearing

Sri Lanka’s delegation to the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) deflected questions from UN experts regarding a member of the delegation’s knowledge of well-documented cases of torture by Sri Lanka’s armed forces and Terrorism Investigation Department (TID). The questions were directed at Sri Lanka’s Chief of National Intelligence Sisira Mendis, who was a senior figure in Sri Lanka’s infamous Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) during the final stages and shortly after the end of the armed conflict. Mr Mendis failed to answer when the UNCAT Panel Vice Chair Felice Gaer...

Bodu Bala Sena issues ultimatum, threatening attacks on Sri Lanka's Muslim community

The Head of the Buddhist organisation Bodu Bala Sena has issued a one day ultimatum for the arrest of a Muslim leader, claiming that a blood bath will begin otherwise. Speaking after the arrest of a Sinhalese man who threatened to bomb Muslims in Sri Lanka, Galagoda Gnanaara, said, “The Sinhalese is getting attacked in the North, East and Colombo while some are being safeguarded. This is not fair.. We will sort this issue out with stones, poles and blood, because if this is what they want, then this is what they will get.” The leader of the Bodu Bala Sena criticised Buddhist leaders for not...

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