A domestic accountability process on the final stages of the war will begin next week said Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister in a press brief on Thursday. Following talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway Borge Brende, Mangala Samaraweera said, “The domestic mechanisms through which we are trying to address this past, are in the process of being developed and the consultation process to design these mechanisms, will begin next week." Mr Samaraweera added that a special session of parliament on Saturday will form a constitutional council, a committee consisting of the whole parliament...
Sri Lanka welcomed the first visit of Norways Foreign Minsiter to the island in 11 years on Thursday. Speaking after a meeting with Norway’s Foreign Affairs Minister Norge Brende, Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera, said, “As Sri Lanka embarks on this new path, we are encouraged that we have been able to gain the support and confidence of the international community after years of censure and isolation.” Mr Samaraweera added that Mr Brende’s visit came at a ‘very propitious’ moment, as the island prepared to celebrate the first anniversary of the Sirisena presidency, reports...
The Norwegian foreign minister currently visiting the Sri Lanka, met with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on Thursday.
A newly formed Sri Lankan party intends to safeguard the identity of the Sinhala people and "regenerate the supremacy and pride of the Sinhala people", the Daily Mirror reported. The party, named 'Sinhala Jathika Balamuluwa' held its first press conference on Wednesday, where is chairman the buddhist monk, Yakkalamulle Pawara Thera, addressed journalists. “We formed this organization to take the lead in this new-found need of the people to rise up and work for the benefit of the people, to protect their rights," he was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying.
The Sri Lankan military planted a branch of Buddhist sacred tree at the army base in Kilinochchi on January 2nd.
The Norwegian foreign minister is to visit Sri Lanka on Thursday aiming to "re-establish political contact with Sri Lanka" the minister, Borge Brende said. The visit will be the first time a Norwegian minister has visited the island since 2006. "The aim of the visit to Colombo is to re-establish political contact with Sri Lanka," Brende was quoted by Sri Lanka's official state media, News.lk , as saying.
Mullaitivu villagers protested against militarization and demanded the return of their occupied lands on Monday. Keppappilavu residents demonstrated against the occupation of 475 acres of their land and called out slogans demanding the army get out. Placards saying "we want our land" and "we need our land" were held by the protesters. The protest was led by TNPF's Mullaitivu co-ordinator Mrs Inthirani Vivekananthan. Police were seen at the protest photographing demonstrators. Since 2012 Keppappilavu villagers have been living in a so-called model village developed by the Ministry for...
The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA), today requested President Maithripala Sirisena to postpone the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Trade Agreement until a national policy on trade agreements was worked out. IN a letter to the president, the general secretary of the GMOA Dr Nalinda Herath said trade agreements should be drafted while maintaining the country’s identity and security. “Resolving the shortcomings of an agreement will consume a massive amount of money. This was evident during the arbitration regarding the hedging agreement. The massive loss caused by hedging the agreement will have to be borne by generations to come. Commenting on the existing Free Trade Agreement between India Dr Heath added, “The existing Indo-Sri Lanka FTA has not benefited Sri Lanka. Those who drafted this agreement have failed to pay attention to the needs and responsibilities of Sri Lanka and the burden is now upon its citizens. Sri Lanka to finalise India trade agreement by mid-2016 announces ministry (30 Dec 2015) See our editorial: Sri Lanka’s Indophobia (07 Aug 2015) See also:
Barbed wire, old military uniforms, army boots and wall prints were removed overnight by army personnel from a suspected military run torture cells in Valikamam North, said locals. Locals said the evidence of torture was erased or destroyed by the army following reports that emerged at the weekend that two houses located in land which was occupied by the military for over 25 years, had signs of previous use as torture cells.
The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday urged the Central Indian government to ensure the release of 104 fishermen detained by Sri Lanka. In the latest letter to the prime minister on the issue, Ms Jayalalithaa wrote, "The continued incarceration of the fishermen and their boats for extended periods and the apparent lack of any serious effort on behalf of the government of India to obtain their early release has contributed in no small measure to the sense of despondency amongst the coastal fishermen community." "I write to bring to your notice four incidents that have occurred in rapid succession in the last 24 hours in which 20 fishermen in four mechanized fishing boats have been arrested and detained," she said.