• Sri Lanka president requests all provincial governors to resign

    Jan 01
    <p>Provincial governors were asked by the Sri Lankan president to submit their resignation by the end of 2018, with a number of governors including of the Northern Province having resigned as of yesterday, reports Daily Mirror.</p> <p>President Sirisena will reportedly reappoint some governors while replacing others.</p>
  • Keppapulavu protestors attempt to take back land on Sri Lankan president's release deadline

    Tamils protesting for the release of their lands in Keppapulavu in Mullaitivu, attempted to enter their land in defiance of the Sri Lankan military forces occupying them, causing tension between protestors and dozens of police officers.

    Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena proclaimed earlier this year that the Sri Lankan military would release all occupied civilian lands by December 31.

  • Indian national arrested over drugs smuggling
    <p>An Indian national was arrested last night by Sri Lanka's narcotics police officers, at Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).&nbsp;</p> <p>The 30-year-old man, believed to be from Bangalore, was reportedly in possession of 1.2kg of cannabis resin (hash), worth Rs 2 million.&nbsp;</p> <p>The man is due to be produced before Negombo Magistrate's Court.&nbsp;</p>
  • DMC says over 120,000 affected by Vanni floods amid reports of negligence

    More than 120,000 people have been affected by the recent floods that have struck across the Vanni, according to data released by the Sri Lankan government’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

    The data comes as reports emerge the flooding was caused by the negligence of officials who allowed Iranamadu tank was allowed to overfill followed by the simultaneous opening of all the sluice gates. 

    An overwhelming response in donations from Tamil diaspora worldwide has been distributed across the Vanni via local civil society groups, student organisations and charities. 

  • Sri Lanka government appoints committee to investigate Buddha statue vandalism
    <p>The Sri Lankan government has announced that a committee has been formed to investigate reported incidents of vanadalism of Buddha statues in Mawanella in the Kegalle district.</p>
  • Sri Lanka police tortured detained Tamil youth
    <p>Sri Lankan police in Jaffna have been accused of torturing two Tamil men, driving one to attempt suicide in custody.</p> <p>Koppay police arrested two young Tamil men on December 24 purportedly in connection with a robbery in the area.</p> <p>The two were tortured during 72 hours of detention, despite arrest laws stating that suspects should be produced before a court within 24 hours of arrest.</p>
  • Government pledges compensation for Vanni farmers
    <p>The Sri Lankan government has pledged compensation for farmers who had their paddy fields ruined by extreme flooding this month, Colombo Page reports.&nbsp;</p> <p>The minister of agriculture made the order to provide the compensation via the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board of Sri Lanka.&nbsp;</p> <p>Rs 100,000 per hectare or Rs. 40,000 per acre of damaged paddy field land has been pledged.&nbsp;</p>
  • Rajapaksa lashes out at TNA and devolution of power to North-East
    <p>Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has struck out at the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for their support of the current government, as he reiterated his opposition to the devolution of power to the North-East.</p> <p>Rajapaksa, who led a military offensive that killed tens of thousands of Tamils in 2009, spoke out against a new constitution for the island, that the TNA had pledged would see a devolution of power to the Tamil North-East.</p>
  • Probe investigates reports of negligence causing Kilinochchi flooding
    <p>Reports that the devastating flooding in Kilinochchi was due to negligence are to be investigated by a three member committee, following complaints from residents that Iranamadu tank was allowed to overfill before the all sluice gates were opened at once.&nbsp;</p>
  • President retains police, armed forces and government printing
    <p>Sri Lanka's president, Maithripala Sirisena has retained the police department, the armed forces and the government printing department, under the Defence Ministry, which remains with the president.&nbsp;</p> <p>All state media institutions have meanwhile been allocated to the ministry of finance and media, headed by the UNP minister, Mangala Samaraweera.&nbsp;</p>
  • CID question former TNA MP over Maaveerar Naal and police killings
    <p>A former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for Batticaloa was subjected to over three hours of questioning by Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over Maaveerar Naal and the killings of two police officers in the district.</p>
  • EU bans Sri Lanka curry leaves
    <p>The European Union has banned imports of Sri Lankan curry leaves due to 'citrus greening' bacterium.&nbsp;</p> <p>Highlighting the large revenue Sri Lanka earned from curry leaves exports, Dr Wickramaarachchi, from Sri Lanka's National Plant Quarantine Service, said, "Based on journal reports the EU amended its rules and came up with new regulations in 2014 with regards to the potential biodiversity threats which can have an effect on other countries. Before its 2014 update was finalised, the EU found this bacterium infection among plants of the citrus family.</p> <p>The ban was imposed for the protection of biodiversity in those countries."&nbsp;</p>
  • Ranil assures monks of Buddhism's foremost place
    <p>Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe today met with senior Buddhist clergy and reassured them that the government would ensure Buddhism's foremost place in the country, despite any change in the constitution.</p>
  • Muslims should prove ‘innocence’ by reconstructing vandalised Buddha statues says Muslim UNP MP

    Muslims should reconstruct vandalised Buddha statues to prove their ‘sincerity’ and ‘innocence’, a United National Party (UNP) MP has said, following the arrest of a Muslim man accused of vandalising a Buddha statue in Mawanella in the Kegalle district.

  • TGTE calls on states to take Sri Lanka to ICJ over genocide

    The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) this month urged states party to the UN Genocide Convention to take legal action against Sri Lanka at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). 

    Addressing an event in UK's Houses of Parliament, marking the 70th Anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the TGTE's prime minister, Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran said, 

    "To give meaning to the Convention as it relates to Sri Lanka, we call upon one of the States party to the Genocide Convention to bring legal action against Sri Lanka in the International Court of Justice. In many instances, as is the case with Sri Lanka, it is not just individuals but the whole state apparatus that is used to commit this heinous crime."

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