October 2016

The United Nations Rapporteur on minority issues today recommended the government establish a fully empowered independent commission for minority issues is included in constitutional reforms to implement mandates and foster relations between communities. Concluding her ten day visit Rita Izsak- Ndiaye the UN’s Rapporteur on Minority Issues urged the government to seize the momentum that still exists from its election, to establish a well coordinated reconciliation and accountability process. Izsak- Ndiaye said an in-depth report on her consultations will be submitted to the United Nations in 2017 but released a statement with shirt term and long term recommendations to the government. Stressing the need to implement the short term recommendations Izsak- Ndiaye said issues relating to the return of land, political detainees and military powers […]

‘Sinhala Police, gunning down Tamil students in Jaffna, is not different from genocidal military’ [TamilNet, Friday, 21 October 2016, 17:27 GMT] Two Tamil students of the Art Faculty of the University of Jaffna were cold-bloodedly gunned down by Sinhala ‘policemen’ at Kokkuvil, Jaffna, on Thursday night. Both the students died due to gunshot injuries, medical sources at Jaffna hospital said contradicting the cover-up of Colombo. The latest crime committed by the Sinhala Police carrying automatic rifles in the occupied Tamil homeland is a serious security threat to the nation of Eezham Tamils. Sinhala police is not different to the genocidal military as far as the nation of Eezham Tamils are concerned. It was the violent acts by the Sinhala Police in Jaffna that triggered Tamil […]

Sri Lanka: Tamils:Written question – 49000 Q Asked by Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak) [N] Asked on: 17 October 2016 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Sri Lanka: Tamils To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the government of Sri Lanka on the persecution of Tamil people in that country; and if he will call for an international investigation into that persecution.   Answered by: Alok Sharma Answered on: 20 October 2016 The Sri Lankan government has taken a number of positive steps to improve the human rights situation in that country, but we recognise that there remains much to be done. In our statement to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in June we set out the […]

The Diaspora isn’t coming back to the country until such time a new constitution is implemented, Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan said in Colombo recently. Speaking at an event organised by Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE) he said that they (Diaspora) are waiting for the implementation of the new constitution which is to be introduced shortly. Sampanthan stressed on the importance of developing the agricultural, fishing and livestock sectors in its progress march towards making Sri Lanka a hub of the region. He re-iterated that ETCA must be protected and that Sri Lankan entrepreneurs should take advantage of the business opportunities opening up with India and that with careful planning Sri Lanka could exploit the Indian market with the growing of grains forexport to this […]

By ANI Ekanayaka – Professor A.N.I. Ekanayaka Just as pathetic as the recent repugnant public criticism of the Bribery Commission, CID and FCID by the President, is the stupidity of some Ministers who have been trying to vainly put a good face on a bad speech, as if the people of this country are fools who can’t understand spoken Sinhala and will believe anything they are told. Where millions have heard and watched the widely circulated video recordings of the President’s speech for themselves, the people are not deceived. People know exactly what he said and meant notwithstanding the distortions of politicians who would pull wool over their eyes. Indeed if nothing else the resignation of the Director General of the Bribery Commission is final […]

Leader of the Opposition R Sampanthan has met with the visiting United Nations Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Rita Izsák-Ndiaye. During her meeting with the Opposition Leader and representatives of the Tamil National Alliance the UN Rapporteur had conveyed that she gathered information from various parties pertaining to serious issues of minorities especially in coexisting in the country. She had conveyed that the questionable statements were made also stemming from a long drawn conflict. Rita Izsák-Ndiaye also stated that the foundation for people coexisting is laid out in the constitution and must therefore be adhered to. The TNA had then informed the UN Rapporteur of efforts towards the formation of a new Constitution claiming concerns surrounding minority issues will be changed through the foundation of […]

Transparency on the corruption probes uncertain – Rajitha Owing to several reasons, transparency on the corruption probes into the activities of the former government is uncertain, Cabinet Spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne says. He expressed this view while speaking at a press conference held in Colombo this afternoon (19). Senaratne also went on to say the investigation to locate money that was secretly transferred to accounts in Dubai by figures close to the administration of the former President has come to an end. Earlier, Senaratne claimed that more than $10 billion, more than the country’s foreign reserves, was kept outside the country by those closely related to the last government. The Minister also accused former President Mahinda Rajapaksa of calling President Maithripala Sirisena recently […]

by Chitra Weerarathne Convicted Major Wimal Wickramage, formerly attached to the Pt. Pedro Army camp yesterday paid Rs. 2,000,000 as compensation to the nearest relative of deceased LTTE suspect Robert Wellington. The money was given to the widow. The court directed the widow to take Rs. 1,000,000 and the father of the deceased to take the balance Rs. 1,000,000. The convict also paid Rs. 10,000 as a fine. Deceased Robert Wellington was shot on or about October 26, 1998, when he tried to escape from an army camp by climbing the wall of the camp. The Major was indicted on a charge of shooting and killing the suspect. The Major was convicted on August 31, 2016. Two years rigorous imprisonment suspended for 10 years was […]

Subsequent to the controversial statement made by President Maithripala Sirisena that summoning Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Navy Commanders to Court regarding the Avant Garde Accusation was wrong, the following day which was Thursday, Indian High Commissioner Y.K. Sinha had met Maithri. Although sources from the Indian High Commission said the meeting was to discuss Maithri’s trip to India, we cannot say whether Maithri’s controversial speech was also subject to discussion on that occasion. India is a country that has an eye on the behaviour of the Security Forces of Sri Lanka. The reason is Sri Lanka is a neighbouring country to India. When the Indo-Lanka Agreement was being signed, JR feared that the Army in Sri Lanka will carry out a conspiracy against the Agreement. […]

By Hiran H.Senewiratne Female participation in IT related jobs in Sri Lanka is around 30 percent, which is higher than the corresponding figure in the UK. According to statistics, female participation in IT jobs in the UK is 17 percent. Therefore, Sri Lanka is an important market place for the British Computer Society, the Chartered Institute for IT qualifications, its president Ray Long said. “Sri Lanka has achieved significant development in the IT sector and it is the need of the hour to use IT for government organizations to drive the society for major IT project management activities in order to reap economic benefits, Long told The Island- Financial Review recently during a short visit to Sri Lanka. He said that Sri Lanka is the […]

Wiggy, Sampanthan under death threat? By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran revealed that he had received an e-mail in Sinhala, from a person in Balapitiya around the end of September and later,……a telephone call , presumably from the same person, claiming that he had come to know of a conspiracy to get a contract killer to assassinate Sampanthan, on payment of Rs 25 million and blame it on the LTTE, to make out the organization is still active. The CM said the man confirmed that he was the one who sent the email. “He gave details as to how he came to know about it. Who was to be contracted for the killing and so on.” Wigneswaran said: “I told […]

By Granville Perera – Maithripala Sirisena has come up with his new version of “Thana Patiya and Madu Waligaya”. He has exposed his true intentions OF STAYING IN POWER with his now infamous speech at “Sathviru Heritage” function held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, organized to transfer ownership of houses and properties to the security divisions. What has made him change overnight? Does he want his second term or is there a threat of a coup by Gota and his merry men, or a decent enough kickback offered by the Sri Lankan Viktor Bout, the Senadipathi of Avante Garde fame. He has found fault with independent commissions acting independently. It is pertinent to recall the speech made by our globally acclaimed head of Good […]