16th November 2015

Speaking at the Jaffna Press club on Sunday, 15 November 2015, Veerasinham Sulakshan, who was released last week stated that the Tamil National Alliance is accountable for today’s plight of the Tamil political prisoners. He said “For 67 years successive Sri Lanka governments had failed the Tamil people. and called on the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to be pro-active in securing the release of political prisoners and not just make media statements. He added that the TNA should also be held responsible if any of the fasting Tamil political prisoners that were fasting died. He went on that the Tamil political prisoners gave up the fast on the last occasion on an assurance given by Tamil National Alliance Leader R.Sampanthan that President has given a promise […]

Nine years after defence correspondent Sampath Lakmal de Silva was murdered in Dehiwela, on 02 July 2006, the CID has been able to reveal his killer. The killier is Lt. Col. Shammi Kumararatne of the Army intelligence, who is presently in CID custody over the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda On the night of 01 July 2006 when he was having his dinner, Lakmal had received a call, and leaving his meal, he had got dressed and left, his mother Rupa de Silva told the CID in a statement. When she asked as to where he was going, Lakmal said, “Kumara Sir asked me to come urgently,” and left, never to be seen alive again. His dead body found on the following day. The person […]

BY RUWAN LAKNATH JAYAKODY The government said that due to the serious nature of the debilitating health conditions of political prisoners currently on a fast unto death, a political decision regarding the transfer of all political prisoners to a rehabilitation camp programme would have to be taken. Minister of National Dialogue Mano Ganeshan said that this political decision was presently the only way out, adding that he would be speaking to President Maithripala Sirisena regarding the matter. There are currently two extreme schools of thought in this regard, one, where there is a demand for a total amnesty for all while the other calls the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres to be kept detained as they are, the Government of Sri Lanka has taken neither, […]