A German tourist was the victim of an attempted rape in Hatton on Monday, police said according to Ceylon Today . The 30 year old woman was on holiday with her husband and was staying in a guest house, when an employee attempted to rape her while she was sleeping, she told police. The employee was arrested on Tuesday and charged with the attempted rape, according to police. Sexual assaults on tourists increase in Sri Lanka (31 March 2014) Australian student raped by tourist guide in South (26 January 2014)
The Sri Lankan government has rejected a request by the British government to legalise gay marriage on the island, reported Colombo Gazette . Speaking to newspaper editors in Colombo, Economic Affairs Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that Britain had put it forward in the form of a condition to receive British aid, but that the government was not prepared to agree to the request.
The president of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed media organisations in the country to inform the population to desist from using images of the Buddha, printed on their media, for general purposes, reported the Daily Mirror . The directive came after the head of the Asgiriya Chapter, Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha called on the president to stop print media from publishing pictures of Buddha or set guidelines to ensure the printed images are not used in an inappropriate manner, according to the Daily News . The Buddhist leader said during a meeting with Rajapaksa last Thursday that...
External Affairs Minister GL Peiris today hosted a “comprehensive briefing” about the government’s claim of an “LTTE revival” for international diplomats in Colombo, calling on states to take action against organisations that were recently banned by the government and suppress terrorist funding activities, according to a statement released by the official government news website. The minister said at the briefing, which he held alongside the Chief of National Intelligence Major General Kapila Hendawitharana from the Ministry of Defence, that there was compelling evidence regarding the remittance of considerable sums of money from overseas for terrorist activity.
Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa said Thursday he is no hurry to hold snap elections next year, but is ready to do so if the opposition requested it. See Colombo Gazette’s report here Speaking to newspaper editors at a breakfast meeting, Mr. Rajapaksa said his term did not end till 2016, but he was prepared to hold presidential or general elections if the United National Party (UNP) formally requested it. “I will need to ask the opposition leader what election he wants first,” the President said, jokingly. Mr. Rajapaksa is in his second term but in 2010 his government amended the...
The body of a 25 year old single mother was found in Kaaththaankudi, the Uthayan reported. The body which was found hanging with her feet touching the house according to police, has been sent to Batticaloa hospital for a post-mortem. The family of the woman, who has not been identified have demanded that a full investigation be carried out. Kaaththaankudi police are treating the death as suspicious.
The Sri Lankan government should take legal action against the Bishop of Mannar Rayappu Joseph for “helping the LTTE”, the Bodu Bala Sena said according to The Island . "If the government had the backbone and if its conscience was clear it should without hesitation arrest the Mannar Bishop for atrocities committed by the now defunct terrorist outfit," Gnanasara said. The General Secretary of the Buddhist group, thought to be close to defence secretary Gothabhaya Rajapaksa, warned President Rajapaksa that the BBS was protecting Buddhism from religious extremists and other elements who wanted...
A leading Colombo-based think tank, the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), has filed a complaint before Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission against a state-owned television network over a news broadcast last July which claimed the CPA had organised a meeting in support of the LTTE. The complaint is to be heard Thursday. Independent Television Network (ITN) launched in April 1979 as a private company, was taken over by the Sri Lankan government in June 1979 and declared a Government Owned Public Company in April 1992. The complaint filed by CPA and its executive director, Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, against ITN and its chairman, Rosmand Senaratne, concerns a Sinhala language news broadcast on 14 July 2013. The broadcast claimed CPA and Dr. Saravanamuttu organised a meeting in Ampara that day to "further the interests of the LTTE" and that the meeting was cut short due to the intervention of Buddhist clergy and public of the area. Stating "no employee of CPA or its Executive Director organized or was present at any meeting in Ampara on 14th July 2013," the complaint said "the language used by ITN in its news item was incendiary and it intentionally distorted the facts with the aim to arouse public opinion against CPA and its Executive Director and lower their standing in the eyes of the public."
Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran has hit out at President Mahinda Rajapaksa for failing to honour pledges made regarding the NPC, reported Ceylon Today . Speaking at the Kilinochchi District Development Committee, which ended without resolution according to the Uthayan , Wigneswaran said that the president has not met several pledges that he made regarding the “successful governance” of the provincial council, but instead the government has been trying to take “the upper hand”. "The Provincial Council system was introduced to devolve powers to the provinces under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. However, the Central Government is attempting to tighten its grip over the Provincial Councils. "Since powers were not devolved to the NPC, I met Rajapaksa in Colombo on 2 January and explained to him the need of devolving powers to the NPC. "He made several pledges to me on the successful governance of the NPC. However, he has not done anything so far to fulfil those pledges.
A prisoner who was attacked by a guard at Jaffna prison has died from his injuries today, reported Uthayan and Tamilwin . The prisoner, identified as 56 year old Krishnaswamy Balakrishnacettiyar, was attacked on April 20, and admitted to Jaffna hospital with head injuries. The guard involved in the incident has been suspended, sources at the prison told Uthayan at the time. Jaffna police have launched an investigation into the incident, the Virakesari reported.