Sinhala extremist lawmaker Udaya Gammanpila submitted a Private Members Bill to the Sri Lankan Parliament, which seeks to remove police powers that should be granted to provinces under the 13th Amendment to the constitution, warning that “foreign nations” may end up funding “Tamil separatists” if it was enacted.
Despite proclamations from Sri Lankan politicians on protecting their sovereignty and territorial integrity, minister for tourism Harin Fernando speaking at a recent event said that “Sri Lanka is a part of India.” The controversial rhetoric comes at a time when India’s business interest in Sri Lanka is growing with a recent announcement that India is eyeing major investments in three of Sri Lanka’s international airports. Fernando also told The Hindu newspaper that the Adani group was negotiating with Sri Lankan authorities to manage three airports in the country. “The modalities are being...
Tamil fishermen in Mullaitivu complained that their main source of livelihood has been choked off, after a Tamil Canadian businessman reportedly blocked them from going about getting their daily catch, claiming he owns the beach and waters stretching across the coast. Local fishermen in the area allege that Charlesjanthan Antony, the head of private Canadian company Canbe Foods Inc, has claimed a 2.5km stretch of coast in the Thiyogunagar area, Silawathai.
Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katch (ITAK) leader S Shritharan has vowed to press ahead with his brand of Tamil nationalist politics, as the Jaffna District Court issued an injunction order preventing the ITAK from holding its general convention on the 19th of this month.
Addressing reporters in Colombo , Sri Lanka's Air Force Commander Udeni Rajapaksa said the Air Force intends to expand its fleet, as he announced it would look to acquire new aircraft more than 15 years since the military slaughtered tens of thousands in Mullivaikkal. According to the air force, it has submitted requests to the US Air Force for the acquisition of two C130 aircraft with negotiations underway to procure newer models than those in the existing fleet, as well as two Beach King Air aircraft, one from the United States and another from Australia. “The SLAF has already procured two...
The Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that Sri Lanka is "going in reverse" on issues relating to human rights and social justice. Meenakshi Ganguly , Deputy Asia Director for HRW, noted that the Wickremesinghe is focused on suppressing dissent and limiting international attention on human rights, through the introduction of repressive laws and continued targeting of Tamil community members. This comes as Sri Lankan government officials held their inaugural meeting for the Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee on Human Rights, a committee set up to demonstrate Sri...
Despite serious concerns over the human rights record of Sri Lanka's military , Sri Lanka's army has deployed a contingent of military personnel to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The South Sudan-bound contingent comprises of 64 Army personnel, including 14 Army Officers, 01 Naval Officer, and 49 Other Ranks.
The Sri Lankan Army claims to have suspended general recruitment whilst the Navy and Airforce have pledged to continue, with the Airforce also seeking to expand its fleet. The Daily Mirror reported that the army cadre was downsizing to 135,000 by the end of this year. The publication has learned that the number has already dropped to 150,000 from 200,783. When the paper contacted the Navy and Air Force, both outfits' said recruitment was essential. "We continue our recruitment because without recruitment we can't operate. There is a difference between the retiring number and the recruitment...
Journalists in Batticaloa who went the cover the Batticaloa District Coordination Committee meeting were denied permission to attend or report on the meeting, which led to a collective of journalists protesting outside the District Secretariat. The journalists who had been routinely reporting on the meetings in the past were in for a rude shock when they were told they could not be allowed inside nor report on the discussions. The journalists reasoned that they had been reporting on the proceedings of the Batticaloa District Coordination Meetings in the past It is learned that the journalists...
A Sri Lankan Airlines flight from Melbourne, Australia, that was bound for Colombo was forced to U-turn, following technical difficulties. Sri Lankan Airlines is facing serious financial difficulties and is in the process of structuring. The Sri Lankan government has decided to sell the loss-making company’s majority stake to the highest bidder. Economy Next reports that the airlines has witnessed a number of technical issues in Colombo under Sri Lankan management but was once profitable under Dubai-based Emirates management. This is not the first time that Sri Lankan Airlines has faced such...