By Hilmy Ahamed – President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decade long era of governance saw unprecedented racism and hate against the minority communities in Sri Lanka. The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) and other Buddhist extremist groups were blamed for this bigotry. It is a well-known fact that the regime change in January 2015 was mainly due to the minority communities voting en-block against the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime, which brought in the common candidate Maithripala Sirisena to the executive Presidency. This inconceivable feat would go down in Sri Lankan history as a silent revolution…
Read MoreDay: 10 March 2016
ACTION AGAINST THOSE WHO ROBBED THE STATE
Following are excerpts of the interview: Q. In the recent times, before you were appointed MP and then a minister, you have been quite silent pertaining to your views and criticism on the current government. But do you have any concerns pertaining to the progress made by the government on any aspect? Basically, the current government is doing what it should do in relation to development, law and order and such aspects. Of course there are certain issues. Those who voted for the current president on January 8, last year,…
Read MoreSri Lanka PM seeks probe into ‘missing’ wartime gold
About half the 150 kilograms of gold recovered by the military during the war is still in its hands. Colombo: Sri Lanka’s prime minister on Wednesday called for a probe into the whereabouts of vast quantities of gold held by the army, years after it was recovered from the island’s former warzone. The army seized jewellery left behind by some 300,000 minority Tamil citizens who were driven out of their homes in the final stages of Sri Lanka’s separatist war, which ended in 2009. About half the 150 kilograms (330…
Read MoreSri Lanka ready for peace, says Erik Solheim
Former Norwegian peace envoy defends overtures to LTTE, praises islands democratic processes Erik Solheim (left) in conversation with former Governor of West Bengal Gopalkrishna Gandhi (right) at a panel discussion at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai on Tuesday,while author Mark Salter looks on.— Photo: K. Pichumani With President Maithripala Sirisena at the helm in Sri Lanka, this is the best opportunity to bring about a lasting solution to the country’s ethnic question, Norway’s former special peace envoy Erik Solheim said on Tuesday. “The strength of Sri Lankan democracy…
Read MoreHow Can You Justify Holding Persons Under The PTA Any Longer
By R. Sampanthan – This is what the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs said. I quote; “Review and repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act and replace it with anti-terrorism legislation in line with contemporary international best practices.” “Review and repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act”. That was what you said to the UN Human Rights Council, on the 14th of September, 2015 in your opening speech, Hon. Minister. Today we are five months down the road. How can you hold persons in custody continuously under that Act which you have agreed…
Read MoreCan’t the Good Governance search our children’s?
A protest was staged today 9th opposite the fort railway station urging the government to return their children abducted by the navy. The parents alleged the Navy for abducting their children’s many years ago who still remain disappears. The parents also alleged that the navy demanded extortions and following paying the extortions too they did not return their children. They said they are suffering like this for the last eight years in search of their children and said the current president would hear their grievances and the injustice happened to…
Read MoreSri Lankan deportee arrested at the airport
A Sri Lankan who has illegally migrated to Australia was arrested by Crime Investigation Department upon his arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport yesterday, Police Media Unit told Ceylon Today Online. The suspect is a 31-year-old resident of Valvettithurai area. He will be produced before Negambo Magistrate today and Katunayake unit of Crime Investigations Department is conducting investigations.
Read MoreSri Lanka torture allegations continue as war crimes inquiry remains distant prospect
Amid a tense political situation and ongoing allegations of torture, a promised inquiry into Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war appears no closer. Sri Lanka’s new government had vowed to convene an internationally supervised probe into atrocities, allegedly committed by both government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels during the decades-long conflict, which ended in 2009. Key points: Rights groups allege abuses are continuing Freedom from Torture says their organisation has been referred eight separate allegations of torture since the National Unity Government of Maithripala Sirisena took office last year Frustration at…
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