Month: July 2018

Andrea LeadsomLord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons 3:29 pm, 24th July 2018 I beg to move, That this House– (1) approves the Third Report of the Committee on Standards HC 1397; (2) endorses the recommendations in paragraphs 34 and 35; (3) accordingly suspends Ian Paisley from the service of the House for a period of 30 sitting days, beginning on Tuesday 4 September; and (4) notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No. 45A, directs that Mr Paisley’s salary shall be withdrawn for 30 days, from Tuesday 4 September till Wednesday 3 October.…

M.C.M. Iqbal explains the small print in OMP( that is, why OMP won’t really help the victims)

1.Impunity in Sri Lanka and the Commissions of Inquiry into Disappearances, 26 July 2018, http://groundviews.org/2018/07/26/impunity-in-sri-lanka-and-the-commissions-of-inquiry-into-disappearances/ 2. The OMP and the Aspirations of Families of the Missing and Disappeared, 17 May 2018, https://groundviews.org/2018/05/17/the-office-of-missing-persons-and-the-aspirations-of-affected-families-in-sri-lanka/

New Constitution for Sri Lanka : ten experts working on initial draft of Constitution

The Constitution making process is in limbo right now and the ‘Yahapalana Government’ seems quite contended with the passing of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. Attempts to introduce a new Constitution has come under much criticism by many in the country. The Daily Mirror spoke to the main architect of the drafting of a new Constitution for Sri Lanka, Parliamentarian and Constitutional expert Dr. Jayampathi Wickramarathna on the issue. They believe that Sri Lanka must be in the control of the Sinhala Buddhists. There is no single example in…

Sri Lanka Black July 1983, Remembrance day, Panel discussion by BTF in association with All Party Parliamentary group for Tamils (APPGT-UK).

Sri Lanka Black July 1983, Remembrance day, Panel discussion by BTF in association with All Party Parliamentary group for Tamils (APPGT-UK). Black July 1983 Remembrance Day was hosted by BTF in association with APPGT-UK, on the 23rd of July 2018 at the UK parliaments committee room. Opening the panel discussion, Ms.Shievanie Sabesan made a presentation on ‘’ CYCLES OF VIOLENCE & IMPUNITY’’ in Sri Lanka. On her presentation, she provided historical evidences chronologically from 1958, 1977,1983 anti- Tamil programs and moved on to the recent emblematic cases sighted by the UN report…

“Govt. cannot deny Federalism to Tamil people” -Gajan Ponnambalam

All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) leader Gajan Ponnambalam, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, shares his views on the political developments of the north. Mr Ponnambalam, whose party made significant gains at the local government elections, speaks about Federalism. The following is what he shared: Tamil people are not going to ask for an armed struggle If there is going to be an armed struggle, it is the Sinhalese who are pushing them to it UNHRC has been used as a political tool UNHRC resolutions not aimed at addressing accountability issues…

Mahinda and Vijayakala will never be arrested – Gammanpila

Former President Mahinda and Former State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran will never be arrested by the current government, says MP Udaya Gammanpila. Gammanpila stated that he will take action to issue a writ against the Attorney General to immediately arrest Vijayakala over her controversial statement but refused to comment on Chinese funding in support of the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 2015 re-election bid. He is a close associate of Mahinda and member of the Joint Opposition but refused to comment about Chinese funding in support of the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 2015 re-election…

Debate on Chinese funding – Ranil and Maithiri trying to cover up the corruption and save Mahinda, WHY?

By Shamindra Ferdinando A furious Kurunegala District UNP MP Thushara Indunil Amarasena yesterday accused his party of not taking advantage of the much-hyped adjournment debate on Chinese funding in support of the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 2015 re-election bid. Amarasena expressed deep disappointment over the way, his party allowed the Joint Opposition (JO) to force the Chair to call off the debate last Thursday (July 19). Amarasena said that he couldn’t believe that the UNP neglected its duty to ensure that the House had a quorum. Responding to another query,…

Australia deports Tamil asylum seeker despite father’s murder

Kavi’s mother and sister are missing and his brother was killed in 2009 A Tamil asylum seeker has been deported to Sri Lanka despite a last-minute plea to re-examine his case, after his father was shot dead and his mother and sister disappeared earlier this year. The 25-year-old asylum seeker, known as Kavi, had been detained in the Yongah Hill immigration detention centre near Perth for four months, since his bridging visa expired. He had been in Australia for six years, having fled Sri Lanka after the brutal 26-year civil…

SriLankan Airlines assets used in Rajapaksa’s presidential campaign

ECONOMYNEXT- Security officers and vehicles of the state-run airline had been used in the 2015 presidential campaign of Mahinda Rajapaksa, a witness said at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry investigating irregularities at the national carrier. “Security officers and vehicles were used for election work. This was for the campaign of Mahinda Rajapaksa,” SriLankan Airlines Security Officer Hasantha Yasaratne said. He said that these were used for campaigning in the Kolonnawa Electorate. Group Head of Security P. Chandrawansa had authorized the use of company resources, the witness said. Yasaratne said that…

Bunch of Crooks – Maithiri’s SLFP stops debate on Chinese funding Mahinda.

By Shamindra Ferdinando Ports and Shipping Minister and SLFP spokesman Mahinda Samarasinghe yesterday played down the importance of an adjournment debate on Chinese funding former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s re-election bid to the tune of USD 7.6 mn. Samarasinghe, who is also one of the Vice Presidents of the SLFP, claimed that the debate had been called by the National Unity Government. The SLFPer said two MPs asked for the adjournment debate. Samarasinghe said so in response to The Island query why such an important adjournment debate, initiated by the UNP, had been called off…

FIVE British MPs bribed by Sri Lankan Government to mislead British Parliament

In response to investigations against British MPs including Ian Paisley by the House of Commons over his visit to Sri Lanka during the former rule, then External Affairs Minister Prof.G.L. Peiris said today that the government of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had to bribe British MPs with FREE Holidays and other benefits so to counter adverse propaganda being carried out by the pro-LTTE elements. A Sri Lankan parliamentarian claimed that the former regime in Colombo bribed at least five more British MPs today, after the UK Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards suspended…

MP Ian Paisley is suspended from Parliament for 30 days over FREE Sri Lanka trips (paid by SL Government to mislead British Government)!

IAN Paisley has been suspended from the House of Commons for 30 sitting days after he failed to declare two free luxury family holidays to Sri Lanka. MPs supported the punishment recommended by the Committee on Standards during a Commons debate this afternoon. Mr Paisley was not present in the chamber for the debate. Jim Shannon from the DUP was the only party member present. After MPs voted to ratify a recommendation from the House of Commons’ standards watchdog the DUP also announced that the North Antrim MP would be suspending pending the outcome…

Unless Federal set up established, the majority community will gobble us up

Economic benefits will not solve the ethnic problems There is nothing for me to respond to TNA MP M.A.Sumanthiran In the absence of US, there are others like UK conscious of Sri Lankan Tamils’ issue Public perception that there is nexus between Ava group and the security forces I have no proof of that South must grant our request Difficult to gauge India’s role Tamil Nadu is no longer a factor Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, in an interview with the ,Daily mirror airs out his views on the…

Sri Lanka shows ‘little evidence’ of reform on justice and torture, UN says

The damning report comes after a UN visit to the country at the request of the government There is “little evidence” that the hope of reform, inclusiveness and justice in Sri Lanka after the country’s transition to a coalition government in 2015 is materialising, the UN concluded in a new report published on Tuesday. The damning report came after a UN visit to the country at the request of the government. It was issued three years after the country appeared to be on the cusp of major progress with the election…

Rs.200 million had been given to the LTTE through Emil Kanthan by President

Exclusive : “Mahinda Rajapaksa Paid Money to LTTE to Become President JVP, JHU demand action against Emil Kanthan A key witness in the controversial RADA case yesterday told the Colombo High Court that they were asked to move out of the Mavil Aru area by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa since they were negotiating with Emil Kanthan, the LTTEer. Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Western Provincial Councillor Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said he and a group including Ven.Athuraliye Rathana Thera, Akmeemana Dayaratne Thera who reached the Mavil…

Mohamed Ashwin NPC member opposes Defence Ministry issuing pistol to NPC Minister Sasitharan

A member of the Northern Provincial Council has sent a petition to the Ministry of Defence against the provision of a pistol to NPC Minister Ananthi Sasitharan, alleging that it was against the law to give her a firearm. The petition, dated July 22 and signed by NPC member Mohamed Ashwin, states that Minister Sasitharan does not have a threat to her life. The councillor alleges that the defence authorities have not conducted a threat perception study before giving Provincial Minister Sasitharan a pistol. Sasitharan’s husband was a frontline leader…

Temple Tree cheques during Presi Polls ’15: Court orders HNB to submit details