Sri Lanka's first annual partnership dialogue with the United States concluded in Washington DC earlier today. In a media release, the US State Department said, "Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon led the U.S. delegation for discussions on democratic governance, development cooperation, people-to-people ties, economic cooperation, security cooperation, international and regional affairs, and other issues of mutual interest.
The former army commander during the end of the armed conflict, Sarath Fonseka, was sworn in today as the regional development minister, following an appointment by the ruling UNP led coalition. Mr Fonseka remains a highly controversial figure. An UN report released last year details widespread and systematic allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Sri Lankan military while he was in charge.
The former army commander, Sarath Fonseka, last week accused Human Rights Watch's Asia division's head, Brad Adams as violating his human rights. Mr Fonseka was sworn in today as the regional development minister, after he was given the UNP national list seat last week. “Human Rights Watch Asia Head is violating my human rights,” Mr Fonseka told the FT.lk in an interview last week. "He [Adams] must make sure that he ensures the human rights of everybody. If he does not know how to respect the human rights of the Army Commander who is a Field Marshal and also a Parliamentarian as decided by the President and the Prime Minister of the country, who is he to point the finger like that and brand me as a criminal? First he has to respect my human rights so that is my simple answer to Brad Adams."
Sri Lanka’s finance minister Ravi Karunanayake announced that a newly proclaimed ‘Colombo International Financial Centre’ will be governed by British law. Speaking at a Business forum in Colombo, Mr Karunayaka said, “We want to position Sri Lanka as a mini-financial centre. This why we want to have a Colombo international Finance Centre, showcasing the Hong Kong model with a British legal system. In the next couple of months you will see the exchange controls being completely opened up not to the extent of the capital markets being opened up – because you need a certain safety when we...
The Northern Province came to a standstill on Wednesday as a mass hartal was administered in support of protests against the rape and murder of a school girl in Vavuniya last week. Businesses, schools, public institutions and transport came to a halt in support for calls of justice and an end to the ongoing issue of rape and murder in the North-East. Gangatharan Harishnavi was found dead inside her house whilst her mother, a teacher, was away at work. The fourteen year old girl was found hanging inside the house on January 16. The school girl previously stopped the murder of her father by...
Torture and ill-treatment of detainees, including sexual violence, continued in 2015 found Amnesty International Noting that Tamils continued to be detained, the Sri Lanka section of Amnesty International’s report, added that “suspicious deaths in police custody continued to be reported.” The report further noted that sexual violence may have been used against Tamils, adding that ‘impunity for alleged crimes under international law’ and other rights violations ‘persisted’. See full report here.
Sri Lanka signed a transaction advisory services agreement with the Asian Development Bank to develop a section of the Colombo Port project, reports Colombo Page. Speaking after the signing of the agreement, which was witnessed by Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Ravi Karunannayake, the ADB country director for Sri Lanka Takehiko Nakao, said, “The terminal will maintain Colombo Port’s strategic position as a key trans-shipment hub for global and regional trade.” The ADB president’s visit to Colombo also saw a US $100 million loan agreement to increase employment opportunities by strengthening...
A cross party group of UK politicians met with the leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), R Sampanthan on Wednesday.
The new Sri Lankan government appointed governor to the Northern province, Reginold Cooray said mixed marriages between Tamils and Sinhalese people would be a way to reconciliation. Commenting on Mr Cooray's remarks at an event in Jaffna where the Sri Lankan president was present, the chief minister of the Northern Province, C V Wigneswaran, said, "The governor of the northern province Reginold Cooray recently urged mixed marriages to occur for reconciliation. I would like to respond to this." "I am not against mixed marriages. My children have married ethnic Sinhalese people." "First however...
Iran will look to re-visit a Preferential Trade Agreement which was agreed with Sri Lanka in 2005, said Iran’s Energmy Minister Hamid Chitchian during his visit to Sri Lanka. Speaking in Colombo at the opening of the Joint Commission for Economic Co-operation (JCEC), Mr Chitchian said, “Iran and its new international atmosphere with respect to resolving Iran’s sanctions is completely ready to boost bilateral commercial relations and would like to increase the level of cooperation with Sir Lanka more than ever.” The Sri Lankan delegation was led by Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad...