June 2016

Opposition Leader and the Leader of the Tamil National Alliance R. Sampanthan and TNA Spokesman M.A. Sumanthiran met with the visiting Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Tore Hattrem yesterday in Colombo – See more at: http://www.ft.lk/article/545763/Opposition-Leader-and-the-Leader-of-the-Tamil-National-Alliance-R–Sampanthan-and-TNA-Spokesman-M-A–Sumanthiran-met-with-the-visiting-Norwegian-Deputy-Foreign-Minister-Tore-Hattrem-yesterday-in-Colombo#sthash.NDY7k7U3.dpuf

The form of power sharing has become a thorny issue in the formulation of Sri Lanka’s new Constitution with the Sinhala majority backing a unitary state while minority Tamils supporting a federal structure. The Public Representations Committee, which had been tasked in January to seek public views on the process of formulating the new Constitution for the country replacing the existing 1978 constitution, said divergent views have been expressed by the public on the nature of the state. These range from a federal to a unitary, secular to non-secular and other in-between options as well. Over 2,500 persons/organisations appeared before the committee and made oral and written representations. The committee says many of the representations from the Tamils from the northern province and eastern provinces […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando The government has sought explanation from those who had been recently named in the leaked ‘Panama Papers’ as well as during 2013 for having offshore holdings. The 2013 revelation pertaining to 42 Sri Lankans had been made by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) also involved in investigation into Panama Papers. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake told The Island on Tuesday that they had been given two weeks to explain the circumstances under which they were named in leaked documents of a Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, which allegedly helped clients to hide black money in safe havens. Responding to a query, Minister Karunanayake said that the Inland Revenue Department, Customs and the Exchange Control had been tasked to inquire into revelations. Minister Karunanayake said […]

Rameswaram (TN), Jun 1 (PTI) Condemning the arrest of seven Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy near Katchatheevu, a fishermen body here today urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to seek Centre’s intervention and arrange for talks between the fishermen community of the two countries to resolve the dispute over fishing in “traditional” areas. Referring to the arrest of the seven fishermen from this island town yesterday while fishing near Katchatheevu, an islet ceded by India to Sri Lanka in the 1970s, mechanised boat fishermen’s association asked the Chief Minister to take up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jayalalithaa has yesterday written to Modi urging him to take up the matter with the highest authorities in Sri Lanka and secure the immediate release […]

The Government’s ambitious truth and justice project is only as successful as its recognition of the real victims transitional justice mechanisms are supposed to serve and its ability to convince the entire country of the desperate need to acknowledge pain on both sides of the ethnic divide in order to reconcile On a rain-washed evening in Kilinochchi about three weeks ago, Saraswathi Ramasamy related a story, her words tumbling out in a rush as her expert hands deftly sliced a green mango plucked from a tree in the garden. She hands a piece to each visitor, speaking earnestly, quietly all the while. The day had been long and the unfolding twilight was distracting in the wild and sprawling property her family owns in the tiny […]

The Government today issued a circular ending the restrictions placed in March 2011 on the issuance of passports to Sri Lankan citizens resident abroad who, at different times, were compelled to leave Sri Lanka due to conflict or political reasons. In March 2011, instructions had been issued to all Sri Lanka Missions abroad to refrain from issuing passports to those who had applied and gained refugee status or asylum in another country unless they have renounced their refugee and/or asylum status. These instructions constituted a violation of citizen’s rights and resulted in hardship and difficulty to many Sri Lankans who were forced to leave the country for political reasons and denied a Sri Lankan travel document. The Government of Sri Lanka says it is committed […]