11/05/2015 - News site for Tamils

India v. China in Sri Lanka: Lessons for Rising Powers

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The changing fortunes for the two emerging global powers in Sri Lanka offer some interesting lessons. John Kerry’s visit to Sri Lanka, the first by a U.S. Secretary of State in 11 years, recognizes country’s geopolitical importance. It also highlights the outcome of the recent tussle over the island state by two emerging global powers. This is a contest in which India has now gained the upper hand over China, offering important lessons for rising powers as they begin a “Great Game” in Asia. Sri Lanka sits at the heart…

SL Tamils Welcome Return of ‘Strong’ Leader

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COLOMBO: Sri Lankan Tamils welcome the acquittal of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Supremo J.Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case, and are looking forward to her taking charge as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister again. “Lankan Tamils need a strong leader to be at the helm in Tamil Nadu. While Jayalalithaa was away from office, there was no one with authority in Tamil Nadu with whom we could talk about our problems. With a strong leader back on the saddle in Chennai, even the knotty fishermen’s issue can be…

Ravi to file lawsuit against former President Mahinda

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Ravi to file lawsuit against former President Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake says that a defamation case will be filed against the former President demanding Rs. 2000 million as compensation over an abusive statement he made (former President) concerning the Lankaputhra Development Bank at a recent event. The observation was made at a press conference held in Colombo on Monday (11). “The lawsuit will be filed over wrongful and false utterances. He charged that the bank misuses its powers when giving loan facilities,” the Minister added.

Video: Gota at BC to record statement

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Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived at the Bribery Commission (BC) this morning after he was summoned to record a statement over various allegations levelled against him. Last week, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), had in a complaint to the Commission, said Gotabaya Rajapaksa was involved in a case of financial misappropriation with regard to the 2013 Deyata Kirula Exhibition. Meanwhile, the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) had informed the former defence secretary to report to the FCID on May 20 instead of today because he was required to be…

Sajin de Vass Gunawardena Arrested By CID

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Sajin de Vass Gunawardena Arrested By CID Criminal Investigations Department arrested UPFA MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena a short while ago over the misuse of vehicles of the Presidential Secretariat. Gunawardena is accused of using 22 vehicles leased by the President Secretariat Office from LOLC. He had arrived at CID to give a statement over the incident earlier in the day. Gunewardena, a close associate of the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has been the subject of several inquiries after the fall of the former government. A court case filed by the…

Johnston Fernando Further Remanded Till May 25

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Former Minister of Cooperatives and Internal Trade Johnston Fernando was further remanded till May 25 by Kurunegala Magistrate a short while ago. He was arrested by police Financial Crimes Investigations Division on May 5 after his arrival at FCID to give a statement on complaints of financial fraud at Lak Sathosa. Fernando had allegedly taken goods from Lak Sathosa without making payments. He was produced before the Colombo Magistrate and was remanded until May 6. Colombo Magistrate also directed him to be produced before the Kurunegala Magistrate on May 6.…

Court issues warrant for arrest of Ven. Gnanasara Thera

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A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Ven. Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara Thera after he failed to appear before the court on a case regarding his alleged participation at an unlawful assembly in front of the Bribery Commission. The Colombo Magistrate’s Court on April 24 issued notice on 27 persons including ten Parliamentarians and Gnanasara Thera to appear before the court on contempt of court charges, as they staged the demonstration. The Magistrate, however, had issued an order banning protests in front of the…

MiG Deal: Rajapaksas Paid US$ 10 Million To A Ghost Company: “No Company Called Bellimissa” – Interpol Confirmed

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Interpol Headquarters confirmed that there was no company called Bellimissa Holdings Limited in the United Kingdom. When the MiG deal fell into media spotlight in December 2006, it was highlighted that so-called government-government deal involved payment to a mysterious third party, Bellimissa Holdings, UK. Bellimissa was in fact a ghost company that did not exist in any form in the UK. Even London address it had provided to the Defence Ministry was false. Confirming the media reports, last week, the Interpol Headquarters has reported to the the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) that…

Jayalalitha acquitted; to be appointed as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

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Jayalalitha Acquitted, Becomes CM Soon – Andhra Everyday Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has been acquitted from her conviction by the Karnataka High Court and released. The High Court today pronounced its verdict on her appeal against her conviction in the disproportionate assets case. Jayalalitha, the head of the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, was found by a trial court in September last year guilty of acculating assets worth Rs. 54 crore disproportionate to her known sources of income during her tenure. The court had sentenced her to…

Tamil Leader Jayalalithaa FREE in corruption case!

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Jayalalitha: India court clears ex-Tamil Nadu leader of corruption Live updates: Jayalalithaa acquitted in DA case, AIADMK … India’s Tamil leader Jayalalitha Jayaram cleared of corruption The Karnataka high court acquitted on Monday former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in a corruption case, clearing the decks for her return to the state’s top job, the Hindustan Times reported. Jayalalithaa had appealed against her conviction in the Rs 66.64-crore disproportionate assets case by a Bengaluru trial court, which had sentenced her to 4 years in jail and…

India, Lanka Discuss 13-A

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A BJP team from Tamil Nadu on a Track II diplomatic mission has urged the Sri Lankan government to expedite democratic reforms under the 13th Amendment to ensure devolution of powers to Tamil provinces and grant of equal rights to Tamils, the Times of India reported. “The issue of the 13th Amendment was discussed with Lankan minister for health Rajitha Senaratne and minister for resettlement D. M. Swaminathan,” BJP national executive member L. Ganesan said on his return to India from Colombo. Ganesan visited Sri Lanka on an invitation from…

Sri Lanka Still Has A Lot To Do – EU Envoy

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The European Union (EU) celebrated its birthday on the 09th of May. In 1950 the then French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman made a dramatic declaration inviting countries in Europe to try and work together in a new and different way, so as to become partners and to try and break out of a cycle of war that had dogged European countries for 50 years or so going back through centuries. Therefore he suggested that they take up some of the industries that were set up to wage war, like the…

International community is well aware of the corrupt activities of the former regime.

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Minister of Public Order and Christian Affairs, John Amaratunga today slammed the opposition for saying they will go to Geneva to seek support against action being taken by the Government on some members of parliament. Speaking to reporters, Amaratunga said that the international community is well aware of the corrupt activities of the former regime. “The opposition members must be told to go to Geneva and return safely as action might be taken against them even in Geneva,” the Minister said. Former Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena had said yesterday that some opposition…

Fonseka says govt caught sharks, but wants it to go after whales now

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Fonseka says govt caught sharks, but wants it to go after whales now After another two months’ time, ten per cent of the office time of incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena would be over but people of the country had received only one per cent of the benefits promised to them under the good governance regime, Leader of the Democratic Party Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka said on Saturday. Addressing a meeting of DP regional leaders at the Ambalangoda Town Hall auditorium Field Marshall Fonseka said that the government had come to power,…

Wickremesinghe Invites Kanchi Sankaracharya To Visit Lanka

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COLOMBO: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has invited the Sankaracharya of Kanchi, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, to visit Lanka to advice the government on Hindu religious affairs and the training of Hindu priests. The invitation was conveyed to the Sankaracharya by Saman Athaudahetti, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister, when he met the Seer at the Kanchi mutt earlier in the week. “At the meeting we sought his advice on ways and means of protecting Hindu religious customs and places of worship in Sri Lanka, especially the training of priests…

CBK sees a threat to good governance

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Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga today warned that there is a threat to good governance and to those who accept good governance in Sri Lanka. Speaking at an event at the New Town Hall in Colombo today, the former President noted that while there are several political parties working together in the Government, all are working for good governance. “There are those who were in the former Government and who reaped the benefits in the wrong way. They are now working against the new Government and good governance,” she said. Kumaratunga, who played a…

EU Seeks Political Solution For Tamils

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By Camelia Nathaniel The European Union (EU) has called on Sri Lanka to address the issues faced by the Tamils, as the country prepares to celebrate six years since the end of the war. The EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka David Daly said that the EU would like to see Sri Lanka finding mechanisms to be able to work through complicated issues with all of the stake holders. “I think there needs to be some sort of process that works on these issues at a political level. Nobody expects that…

Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to the Ukraine to be branded ‘fugitive’

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Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to the Ukraine, Udayanga Weeratunga, is to be declared a fugitive shortly as his whereabouts remain unknown. Two countries, Sri Lanka and Ukraine, are trailing him for alleged arms deals and threatening national security by collaborating with rebel forces. Mid week, a senior Foreign Ministry official, accompanied by a small police team is scheduled to visit Ukraine to hold discussions with Ukraine’s Public Prosecutor and others to study the possibility of apprehending Weeratunga, who has remained at large since the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government was defeated on January…

Outcome of the British election is good news for Sinhalese and Bad for Minority.

11/05/201511/05/2015 Karu

Pro-Tamil Conservative MPs, Lee Scott and Nick De Bois, lost in Thursday’s British election. Their failure to win their constituencies is considered a big blow to Tamils seeking International Investigation on ‘War Crime’ by Sri Lankan forces which killed more than 40,000 Tamil Civilians in May 2009 alone. The Sri Lankan government is accused of killing or made to go missing (by abduction in famous ‘White Vans’ operated by the government forces with the blessing of Rajapaksha brothers) of more than 146,679 Tamils and opponents of the government. The British governments…