• Signature campaign calling for international accountability mechanism launched in Jaffna

    A signature campaign calling for an international accountability mechanism was launched today in Jaffna by the Tamil Action Committee for International Accountability Mechanism (TACIAM), supported by the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF). 

  • Sinhala mob damages Muslim shops and mosque in Amparai

    Several Muslim shops and a mosque were damaged during an attack by a Sinhala mob in Amparai on Monday evening. 

    The police have been deployed to Amparai town following the incident, which comes just days after the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa swept the polls in the local government elections. 

    During his presidency there were a series of attacks by Sinhala mobs targetting Muslim businesses, homes and mosques.

  • Rajapaksa visits India

    The former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa flew to India today as part of a six member delegation the Daily Mirror reported. 

    The flight was bound for Bangalore, the paper reported. 

    Airport sources said the joint opposition MP Lohan Ratwatte was part of the delegation. 

    Read more here

  • Myanmar ‘engaged in cultural and religious cooperation’ with Sri Lanka

    Myanmar is engaged in “cultural and religious cooperation” with Sri Lanka, said the general secretary of the Myanmar Rice Federation, as Myanmar’s government announced it would donate 300 tonnes on Saturday.

    Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Myanmar attended a ceremony in Yagon on the weekend, alongside several Myanmar government officials. The donation of rice would be used towards helping landslide victims in the south of the island.

  • Sri Lankan PM faces backlash from own party

    Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe faces a backlash from his own party, after a minister revealed several parliamentarians were ready to put forward a no-faith motion against him, if he refuses to step down as party leader.

  • Northern Provincial Council calls for ‘international justice mechanism’ for accountability in Sri Lanka

    The Northern Provincial Council has passed a resolution calling for an “international justice mechanism” headed by the United Nations in order accountability and “permanent peace” in Sri Lanka.

  • Sri Lankan PM sworn in as Minister of Law and Order

    Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in on Monday as the country's Law and Order Minister, following Sunday's Cabinet reshuffle. 

    The reshuffle came after the local government election results where both parties within the unity government were defeated by the former president's SLPP party. 

  • TNA remember 'compassionate and committed' Una McCauley

    The Tamil National Alliance remembered the late Una McCauley, the UN's resident coordinator in Sri Lanka, who passed away last week, in a message released on Saturday. 

    "Ms Una McCauley was a compassionate and committed person, who always cared for the marginalized and underprivileged communities," the TNA leader, R Sampanthan wrote in his condolence message. 

  • Sri Lanka’s debt continues to climb to record levels

    Sri Lanka’s debt has reached a record high said the government’s Auditor General in this year’s report on Public Debt Management.

    The country’s debt has climbed to a record Rs. 417,913 per person by the end of 2016, an increase of nearly Rs 45,000 from the year before. In contrast, by the end of 2005, the debt per person stood at Rs 108,908.

  • Sri Lankan police officer reveals cover up of Lasantha murder

    A former Sri Lankan police officer testified before a magistrate of how police in Colombo were instructed to destroy evidence relating to the murder of Sunday Leader editor, Lasantha Wickramatunga in 2009.

    Senior Superintendent Hemantha Adhikari, who now works as a security guard at a private company, confessed before the Mount Lavinia magistrate, and revealed how he was reportedly instructed to destroy evidence gathered from the crime scene.

  • Celebrating destruction – marking 50 years of Bell helicopters in Sri Lanka

    Bell Helicopter Textron, a US-based aerospace company, marked 50 years of sales of helicopters to the Sri Lankan military by presenting an award to a military official in Singapore earlier this month.

  • Sinhalese in London come out in support of Brigadier who threatened Tamils

    Dozens of Sinhalese in London, describing themselves as "patriot Sri Lankans", demonstrated in Westminster on Saturday in support of Brigadier Priyanka Fernando, the Sri Lankan Defence Attaché that was seen making death threats to Tamil protestors.

    The demonstrators held placards with slogans such as "Eelam is a delusion" and "arrest and deport them", while chanting "Sri Lanka, one nation."

  • ITAK urges international community to hold Sri Lanka accountable

    ITAK, the main constituent party of the Tamil National Alliance, urged the international community to hold the Sri Lankan government accountable for its commitments around reconciliation, accountability and human rights.

    In a statement welcoming the UN Human Rights chief’s report, the party said they “strongly endorse” the High Commissioner’s recommendations and “strongly urge the international community to hold… Sri Lanka accountable.”

  • Global watchdog notes deficiencies in Sri Lanka’s efforts to stem money laundering

    A global watchdog has warned that there are deficiencies in the Sri Lankan government’s efforts to stem money laundering, including in the implementation of sanctions on North Korea and Iran.

    The announcement by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) comes just weeks after the European Union placed Sri Lanka to its blacklist of countries at risk of money laundering.

  • US navy to return to Sri Lanka for Pacific Partnership

    The United States navy is set to return to Sri Lanka in the coming months, as part of this year's Pacific Partnership exercise.

    US troops will conduct civic-action projects, community health exchanges, medical symposiums and disaster-response training. The announcement is the latest project to be held between the two militaries, which have seen increasing closer relations.

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