• PC polls must be held by May says Election Commissioner

    Dec 24
    <p>Sri Lanka's Election Commissioner has said the provincial council polls must be held before April 31, 2019.&nbsp;</p> <p>"It would be a violation of human rights if the polls are not held within the said time frame," Mahinda Deshapriya told Sunday Times.&nbsp;</p> <p>Deshapriya noted that 60 days is sufficient to organise the election, and Rs 4000 million would be required.&nbsp;</p>
  • 2 Tamil youths arrested by Palai police
    <p>Two Tamil youths were arrested on Friday by police in Palai, Jaffna.&nbsp;</p> <p>According to the police the youths were found in possession of swords and were involved in gang fights.&nbsp;</p> <p>Officers raided a house during the early hours of Friday, following a tip off. Some youths managed to escape the police arrest.&nbsp;</p>
  • SL security personnel clash with Chinese workers in Colombo, 11 arrested
    <p>Sri Lankan security personnel clashed with Chinese workers at the Chatham Street construction site in Colombo yesterday, the <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Clash-at-a-construction-site-in-Colom…">Daily Mirror</a> reports.&nbsp;</p>
  • Police leave cancelled in Jaffna
    <p>Police officers at every station in the Jaffna district have had their leave cancelled until further notice.</p> <p>The announcement was made to all officers-in-charge by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) for the Northern Province on Thursday.</p>
  • Police threats forced wife of detained former LTTE cadre to end protest

    The wife of a detained former LTTE cadre has said that she was threatened and forced by Sri Lankan police to drop her hunger strike protest calling for her husband’s release.

  • 6 Tamils arrested over drugs possession

    Five youths in Jaffna and one man in Kilinochchi were arrested this week over the alleged possession of drugs. 

    Sri Lanka's Special Task Force (STF) reported that 153.8kg of cannabis and Rs 10 lakhs were confiscated from the man arrested in the Pannankandi area of Kilinochchi.  

  • 8 Tamil Nadu fishermen released
    <p>Eight Tamil Nadu fishermen, arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on December 17, were released on Thursday with a severe caution.&nbsp;</p> <p>The hearing took place at Kayts court, with Justice A Judson presiding.&nbsp;</p> <p>The lawyer for the fishermen argued that they were forced to cross the border due to rough seas.&nbsp;</p>
  • Sirisena expedites bond scam audit
    <p>Sri Lanka's president on Friday said he would be expediting a forensic audit into the Central Bank bond scam.</p> <p>At a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat, Sirisena discussed the reasons why the bond scam investigation was being delayed.&nbsp;</p>
  • Hundreds affected by floods in Kilinochchi

    Hundreds have been affected by flooding in Kilinochchi following heavy rains overnight. 

    Lakes in the region have burst their banks, flooding streets and making them impassable. 

  • Batticaloa farmers fear return of army's war-time pass system
    <p>The Sri Lankan army has been telling Tamil farmers in Batticaloa district to register their details with the army camp, creating fears among locals that the army is trying to revive the war-time ‘pass system’.</p> <p>Farmers from the grazing land areas Mylathamadu and Periya Mathavanai in Koralaipattu South (Kiran) division who breed livestock were told by soldiers at the Mazhaimandi camp to submit their names and details to the Tharavai camp.</p>
  • UN Secretary General urges Sri Lanka to seize opportunity to resolve political differences
    <p>United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the “resolution of the political crisis in Sri Lanka through peaceful, constitutional means” his spokesperson said on Thursday.</p> <p><a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2018-12-20/statement-attr…">The statement</a> from the Secretary-General, added that he “applauds the resilience of the country’s democratic institutions”.</p> <p>“The Secretary-General calls on all political actors to seize the opportunity of the appointment of the new cabinet to resolve outstanding political differences in the same spirit of respect for democracy and in the interest of the people of Sri Lanka,” it continued.</p>
  • TNA MP writes to Speaker, UN and EU over post of Opposition leader
    <p>Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran has called on the speaker of Sri Lanka’s parliament not to recognise Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Leader of the Opposition, in a letter that was also sent to the European Union, the Commonwealth, the UN Secretary-General and the heads of Foreign Missions in Colombo.</p>
  • Militarisation: Another army building opens up in Jaffna

    The Sri Lankan army constructed yet another building in Jaffna earlier this month, as the military continues to consolidate its presence in the region.

  • Australia to deport Tamil family to Sri Lanka

    A court in Melbourne has rejected the asylum appeal of a Tamil family of four, including two young children, ruling that they will be deported to Sri Lanka in 2019.

    Justice John Middleton dismissed the family’s appeal on Friday, but said he would delay their deportation “having regard to the time of year”.

  • Employees accuse Civil Security Dept in Vanni of large-scale corruption
    <p>Tamil employees of the Civil Security Department (CSD) in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu have accused department officials of corruption to the scale of 500 million Rupees (2.7million USD).</p> <p>An employee at the CSD made the accusations at a press conference in Kilinochchi, claiming they had made complaints to several relevant authorities to no avail and were no going public with their complaints.</p>
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