18th June 2016

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) member of Parliament M A Sumanthiran met the UN High Commissioner for Human Right Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein today and discussed concerns raised by Tamils. The meeting comes as Zeid prepares to make an oral update on Sri Lanka at the ongoing 32nd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Zeid Ra’ad had said earlier this week that there needs to be inclusive and meaningful engagement of all Sri Lankans when implementing the resolution on Sri Lanka adopted by the UN Human Rights Council last year. Speaking during the opening of the 32nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said that in Sri Lanka, the Government’s efforts to implement its commitments in Resolution 30/1 will require a comprehensive […]

On her first visit after her second consecutive election victory, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and submitted a memorandum… On her first visit after her second consecutive election victory, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and submitted a memorandum demanding among other things formation of Cauvery Management Board and a water regulation committee. During the meeting at the Race Course residence of the prime minister, she presented the memorandum which also demanded the restoration of water level at Mullaperiyar dam to 152 feet. Interlinking of rivers, retrieval of Katchatheevu island and inclusion of fishermen in the Scheduled Tribes list are also listed in the memorandum. Jayalalithaa pressed the Centre for addressing the […]

By Neville Ladduwahetty The Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reform headed by its Chairman Lal Wijenayake has recommended retaining the Province as the unit of Devolution. The Commission proposes 6 “alternate formulations” based on the Province as the peripheral unit. These formulations vary from retaining the existing 9 Provinces without merger with provision to withdraw devolved power without consent, to merger with minority participation in the Executive and the Legislature and other formulations in between, including the re-demarcation of existing boundaries. Although there is consensus within this Commission on the Province as the unit of Devolution, it should not be accepted as the most suitable unit without question. Therefore, the opportunity now available to explore other options should not be missed. It should be remembered […]

COLOMBO: China, which had a policy of turning a blind eye to Sri Lanka’s domestic issues, whether it was the ethnic issue or that of governance, has now shed its reserve and has started commenting on them. The change has come about following the exit of the pro-China Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in January 2015. While under Rajapaksa, China had a free run of the island nation, it has been facing competition from the West and India which have become the dominant players since the change of regime. Sino-Lankan agreements, signed and sealed during the Rajapaksa regime, have been reviewed and even stalled. The plight of the Chinese-funded projects prompted Chinese commentators to urge Beijing not to be oblivious to political currents in counties in […]