Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe pledged to deliver a political solution for the Tamil people, during his three-day visit to Jaffna. Meeting with TNA officials on Saturday, the prime minister is said to have assured them that solutions to problems faced by the people in the region will be found. However, addressing the Sri Lankan military at the Palali army camp, in the midst of a vast militarised high security zone, he said Sri Lanka should enhance its military force. Sri Lanka already possesses one of the largest army's in the world, in relation to its population size, and the militarisation of the North-East is one of the key grievances of the Tamil people.
The Sri Lankan government has warned there is a real danger of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam regrouping and orchestrating another conflict. Speaking to media earlier today, Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith Perera said the LTTE had millions of dollars in foreign assets that could be used to fund another guerrilla war at home. “Their front organisations operate businesses abroad, they run petrol stations, supermarkets and have shipping companies,” the minister told reporters in Colombo. “Even though they have been defeated on the ground, there is a real danger of their trying to regroup.”
Sri Lanka’s police claims the Tamil documentary film makers arrested in Colombo for making a “defamatory film” were working for Channel 4. According to The Island , the police said the film was shot in Tamil in South India and some sections involving soldiers had been dubbed in Sinhala. Five of the suspects are reported to hail from the North-East, with three of them living there during the war, the police further stated. A total of eight people were arrested on Saturday for making a documentary which contained scenes portraying the Sri Lanka Army as "immoral, inhumane and atrocious". Tamils...
The Sri Lankan government has decided to resume all road development projects with China, according to a government official. Highways, Higher Education and Investment Promotion Ministry Secretary Udaya Ranjith Seneviratne told Xinhua that the ministry had already made payments to the relevant Chinese contractors for the projects. Some of the Chinese companies involved in the projects had earlier decided to suspend some of the work due to non-payment. "We paid the Chinese companies 1 billion rupees last week so that they could continue with the projects without any hindrance. The government...
Tamil activists who take part in protests highlight the disappearances of those who surrendered to the army, are under surveillance by the Terrorism Investigation Department and complain of harassment by the security forces. S Yogeswari (name changed), whose husband was in the political wing of the LTTE and disappeared after surrendered to the army on May 18, 2009, told the New Indian Express that she lives in fear due to close surveillance. She has been taking part in the recent demonstrations highlighting the disappearance of LTTE members who had surrendered to the army. “Because I participate in these demonstrations, teams of investigators, including those from the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID), frequently visit me. When they come in the evenings, my kids and I get frightened,” the 45-year-old mother of three said.
Sri Lankan shares fell for a sixth straight session on Monday amidst political uncertainty on the island, ever since Maithripala Sirisena took up office as Sri Lanka's president in January. Sri Lanka's main stock index closed down 1.33 percent at 6,782.43 points – the lowest level since July 2014. "Investors have been selling blue chips and political uncertainty still weighs," said a stockbroker speaking anonymously to Reuters , whilst another broker told Lanka Business Online "investors are on a continuous selling spree due to lack of political and policy stability in the country.”
The Northern Provincial Council's Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran boycotted a meeting with Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is currently visiting Jaffna, Ceylon Today reported. The chief minister snubbed the meeting due to comments made recently by the prime minister, who had described the NPC resolution on genocide as "racist", defended the military's presence in the North-East and accused Mr Wigneswaran of being uncooperative with Colombo in a recent TV interview in India, the paper reported sources close to the chief minister as saying. The prime minister, state minister...
Sri Lanka's new government has named new directors to six private banks in which the government has a stake, prompting concern in the banking sector, reports the SundayTimes.lk . The six commercial banks consist Hatton National Bank (HNB), Commercial Bank, National Development Bank (NDB), Sampath Bank, DFCC and Seylan Bank. According to the paper, Sampath Bank, and the Commercial Bank are likely to resist the government's measures. “We will resist it like how we opposed Harry Jayawardena’s attempted take-over [many years back],” the Sunday Times quoted source close to the founding directors...
The UN Special Rapporteur on truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence arrived in Sri Lanka on Sunday, for a six day visit. Mr Pablo de Greiff is to meet with the government and civil society organisations, as well as meeting with Tamil groups in the North.
The Sri Lankan army extended its 'community welfare projects' across the Jaffna region this month, despite pledges by the new Sri Lankan government to cease the military's civilian activities. Earlier this month, the army's 55th division donated gifts to Tamil children and teachers at the Kevil school, whilst the army's 52nd division donated artificial limbs on March 4, to 43 disabled locals.