Speaking at the opening of a new hall at a Buddhist centre in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary has praised the role of the Buddhist clergy in “safeguarding the motherland” and stated that the country was in the midst of a “Buddhist revivial” . See the report from Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence, which reported on the Vihara opening, here . Excerpts have been reproduced below. "Speaking at the event Secretary Defence said that there is a Buddhist revival in the country and with the end of war the tri forces together with the civil defence personnel have helped to renovate a number of...
Sri Lanka lifted its travel advisory against travel to Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. The ban was instigated citing attacks against Sri Lankan pilgrims in Tamil Nadu. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said: “Following a series of unfortunate incidents faced by Sri Lankans visiting Tamil Nadu, in particular a group of Sri Lankan pilgrims visiting the Poornimatha Church in Thanjavur in early September 2012, the Government of Sri Lanka was compelled to issue a travel advisory for Sri Lankan nationals visiting the state of Tamil Nadu.
Judges in Sri Lanka protested on Monday, after a High Court judge was beaten with pistols and stabbed. In a statement, judicial association would not work for one day in protest at the attack. Speaking to Reuters, a judge who asked not to be names, said , "He was attacked by four gunmen asking if he was the secretary of the Judicial Service Commission," "He was attacked with pistols on his face and manhandled."
A 38-year-old mother of five was sexually assaulted and killed in Batticaloa on Monday, repored TamilNet on Monday. Ms A Sinnapillai was gagged and dragged out of her home by two Sinhalese workers and allegedly raped and murdered in a nearby jungle. Her body was found dumped upside down in a pit. Staff at Batticaloa Teaching Hospital were suspicious of the injuries on the victim’s body which was sent to a Colombo hospital for further medical examination. However the Batticaloa staff told TamilNet of the reluctance of Colombo’s medical authorities in issuing medical reports confirming rape. In...
Malaysia is planning to sign a memorandum of understanding with Sri Lanka regarding the oil and gas sector, reported the Daily News. Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Azmi Zainuddin said the MoU could help the Sri Lankan Petroleum Resources Development Secretariat to formalise business and investment opportunities with Malaysian firms. “We recognise the potential that Malaysian oil and gas companies could offer Sri Lankan companies in this sector. "Malaysian oil and gas companies have built their capabilities, resources, knowledge and relationships with business partners and vendors...
A visiting senior UN official to Sri Lanka has stated that more focus needs to be shifted towards the allocation of land and job creation of those who have been displaced by war. Dr. Ajay Chhibber, who is the UN Assistant Secretary General and UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific visited the island from earlier this week, as part of the United Nations Development Programme. Marking the conclusion of his visit he stated , "We need to pay greater attention to human needs of the people being resettled to enhance recovery." See our earlier posts:...
Around 80 Tamils are to face prosecution by the Sri Lankan state after being accused of conspiring with activists in the country and in the diaspora to set up a separate state. These Tamils are accused of being “hardcore LTTE cadres” and will be prosecuted under the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act according to Additional Solicitor General Suhada Gamlath. He told the Daily Mirror , “The TID has gathered reliable information that these LTTE cadres have been in contact with LTTE activists and the Tamil Diaspora who are conspiring set up a transnational state of Tamil Eelam " Gamlath...
A senior judge, openly critical of the Sri Lankan government, has been admitted to hospital after being stabbed several times. The secretary of the independent Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Manjula TIlakaratne, was assaulted by four armed men and robbed of his mobile phone. Reports suggest that it did not appear to be an act aimed at killing him. Tilakaratne recently issued a statement outlining the targeting and intimidation that the JSC was facing. He said, “the main objective of those behind the conspiracy, is to destroy the independence of the judiciary and rule of law.” The attack...
Jaffna Civil Societies have told the UN that the actions of the international community will determine Eelam Tamils’ future means of resistance. In a statement to the visiting UN delegation, the societies pointed out that Tamils are not willing to trust the Sri Lankan state and that development cannot lead to a permanent solution, but that a permanent solution would bring about development. The societies further stated , “Although there has been a need in this post-war period to carry out civil society services for people caught in the war, the Sri Lankan government has only hindered this...
The Sri Lankan army is “very happy” by the display of its own man in the Sri Lankan cricket team. 2nd Lieutenant Ajantha Mendis produced two of the best ever spells of Twenty20 cricket during Sri Lanka’s match against Zimbabwe. "Mendis is our man and he has made us proud,” said an army officer to a gulfnews.com reporter . He is also said to have remarked that he had worked with Mendis in the army. “It was the Sri Lankan Army that noticed Mendis’s talent and groomed him to be a top cricketer. In a match against the army’s under-23 team, Mendis produced a great spell and that was his turning...