SLMC to contest alone 

Sri Lanka's Muslim party, SLMC, which is currently part of the ruling UPFA coalition, announced on Tuesday that it is to contest the North Provincial Council election on its own. The leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Rauff Hakeem, is Sri Lanka's minister of justice. SLMC national organiser Shafik Rajabdeen told reporters, "We will contest the northern election under our own party symbol of 'tree'"

SL diplomats awarded ‘war hero’ medals

Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse has awarded hundreds of military personnel who took part in the last phase of the armed conflict with medals for gallantry. Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN and war crimes accused Major General Shavendra Silva was amongst the recipients of the highest honour, the Weera Wickrama Vibhushana medal.

Tamil diaspora accused of funding 'insulting' film

The Director of the Media Centre for National Security in Sri Lanka, Lakshman Hulugalla described a film that recently halted a French festival in Sri Lanka as insulting to the government and its Security forces. Hulugalla also went on to allege that sections of the Tamil diaspora were responsible for funding the film and corrupting the actors involved in the screening of the film. According to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence , Defence Secretary Gotobhaya Rajapaska has ordered an investigation into the production of the film and its resultant screening at the French Film festival. Flying...

Sri Lanka considering nuclear pact with Pakistan, snubbing India – paper

The Hindustan Times has reported that Sri Lanka is moving towards a nuclear agreement with Pakistan. The paper reports that although India has proposed a similar pact, Sri Lanka was “dragging its feet” by not scheduling talks, after initial discussions last October, subsequent to which Delhi sent Colombo a draft pact. Official sources said, “We are yet to hear from them,” despite offering a “comprehensive pact”. According to the Hindustan Times, sources said foreign secretary-level talks between Sri Lanka and Pakistan have identified civil nuclear technology as a major area of cooperation and...

TNA appoints C.V. Wigneswaran as NPC candidate

C.V. Wigneswaran, a former Supreme Court judge, has been appointed as the Tamil National Alliance's Chief Minister candidate for the upcoming Northern Provincial Council election. In a statement, the TNA leader R. Sampanthan said : "It was unanimously resolved that the candidate for the position of Chief Minister at the forthcoming Provincial Council elections for the Northern Province would be Mr. C V Wigneswaran, a retired judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka," There had been internal disagreement in the run up to the announcement, with Maavai Senathirajah also coming forward as a...

French film festival halted

The French Film Festival in Colombo was halted after the screening of an internationally-acclaimed film that the Sri Lankan military considered insulting. A defence ministry official told reporters that the film, "Flying Fish" had been banned in Sri Lanka saying: "It's an illegal film which insults the security forces and the government of Sri Lanka," The festival which was due to finish on Sunday was ended on Saturday morning, despite French embassy claims that clearance to screen the film had been given by Sri Lanka's official movie and drama censor.

Solution within unitary state is 'unfeasible' say diaspora youth

In a joint policy statement published on Monday, eight young Tamil activists from the UK, Germany, Australia and Canada reiterated the call for Tamil sovereignty "to be the basis of a principled minimal demand of the Eelam Tamil nation", and asserted that "a solution for the Eelam Tamil nation within a Sri Lankan unitary state is unfeasible". Citing a "need for greater transparency regarding the policy decisions taken by diaspora organisations", the youth said that "Tamil organisations and activists must be held accountable to the democractic will of the people". See here for full statement.

Commonwealth Lawyers Association call for CHOGM venue change

The Commonwealth Lawyers Association, whilst calling for a venue change, questioned the validity of holding the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka, in an interview today. Speaking to Radio Australia, Vice –President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, Alex Ward, said , “If they go to Sri Lanka then Sri Lanka becomes the Chair in Office of CHOGM, so it’s rather giving a big green tick to what’s going on . And if they're saying, we’re not going to let the United Nations in, would that be in itself a source of concern, to say, well then, why should we act like you...

Sri Lanka ready to face ‘LTTE propaganda’ during CHOGM

Senior government officials have told The Sunday Island that international media, including Channel 4, would not be barred from attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November. "Obviously those working at the behest of pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora are hell-bent on making an issue over media access in the run-up to the first major international gathering since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009," a senior official said. The official added that the government expected hostile media coverage during the event and that it was ready to face any situation.

SL deputy High Commission receives bomb threats

Sri Lanka's Deputy High Commission in Chennai has stepped up security after officials received bomb threats via a letter, reports Hirunews.lk . According to officials, a postcard warned that bombs would go off at the mission, and condemned the Sri Lankan government's activities. The Chennai police's cyber crime wing will be investigating the incident.

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