Month: December 2019

LTTE recognized as freedom fighters in Switzerland* Collecting funds for terrorist attacks on SL de-criminalised* Terrorist attacks to gain independence justified December 21, 2019, 6:19 pm by C.A.Chandraprema The drama surrounding the Swiss embassy employee is now in its fourth week with the Swiss government still holding that their employee is right and the Sri Lankan government is wrong despite all the evidence to the contrary that has come to light. It should be understood that Sri Lanka can never expect fair play from Switzerland. The Swiss government is more…

Read More

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa says that Sri Lanka’s sovereignty as well as its very existence was protected and nurtured by the country’s armed forces in the face of several threats for division of the country. He made these comments while gracing the Passing Out Parade of 321 Cadet Officers of the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) at Diyatalawa at the invitation of the Ministry of Defence and Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, on Saturday (21). Rajapaksa also said that Sri Lankan troops showing their professionalism have worked in…

Read More

Government ministers and state institutions, including Provincial Councils, have been banned from entering into direct agreements or memoranda of understanding with foreign investors, lending agencies, international non-governmental organisations and embassies. The ban was imposed by the President’s office with immediate effect. All concerned have been directed to follow “due process” in entering into such agreements or MoUs. This include clearance from the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the Finance Ministry, the Attorney General and the Central Bank. Presidential Secretary P.B. Jayasundara on Thursday sent out a circular to all ministries setting…

Read More

India’s ruling BJP, Tamil Nadu state secretary K T Raghavan has accused the DMK of trying to spoil the future of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees by insisting on citizenship for them in India, the Times of India reported. At a demonstration organized by his party in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), held near central bus stand on Friday, Raghavan said DMK president M K Stalin was hand in glove with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse. “Rajapakse has come back to power now. If Sri Lankan Tamil refugees…

Read More

Dec 01, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s new President Gotabaya Rajapaksa says he will abolish the 19th Amendment to the Constitution enacted by the Unity Government in 2015, if the necessary majority in Parliament is obtained at the general election. In an exclusive interview with the Suhasini Haidar of The Hindu during his visit to India, when asked if he planned to move to a more parliamentary system as envisaged by the 19th Amendment passed by his predecessor, he said the 19th Amendment, which curtailed powers of the executive presidency and introduced…

Read More

There is compelling evidence to charge Sri Lanka’s newly appointed secretary of defence, retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne, with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The South Africa based International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) has released a 100-page dossieron the secretary of defence, focusing on his role as the 53 Division commander in the war and the Competent Authority for IDPs and commander of Joseph camp, an army camp notorious for torture after the war. This follows the ITJP’s publication earlier this year of a dossier on Lieutenant General Shavendra…

Read More

Read More

“Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development can Provide Solution for True Grievances of the Minorities and not Federalism or Greater Devolution as Promised by Politicians ” Says President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at Meeting with Media Editors By Nisthar Cassim President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday drove home the point that it was largely socioeconomics and security and less politics that would ensure true national unity in the country, which he said would rebound next year leading to inclusive prosperity. Speaking for the first time to media editors since assuming office, President Rajapaksa made a…

Read More

There is compelling evidence to charge Sri Lanka’s newly appointed secretary of defence, retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne, with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The South Africa based International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) has released a 100-page dossieron the secretary of defence, focusing on his role as the 53 Division commander in the war and the Competent Authority for IDPs and commander of Joseph camp, an army camp notorious for torture after the war. This follows the ITJP’s publication earlier this year of a dossier on Lieutenant General Shavendra…

Read More

Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma Appearing for Woman Employee of Swiss Embassy Who Was Allegedly Abducted by Unknown Persons Tells Court That His Client was Checked by Foreign and Local Doctors and that Two Doctors Have Mentioned in their Medical Report that the Victim Had Been Sexually Abused and Assaulted BY Shavini Madhara Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayarathne yesterday extended the travel ban imposed on Swiss Embassy employee Garliar Barister Francis, who was allegedly threatened and kidnapped by a group of unidentified men, from leaving the country till December 12. When the…

Read More

Brigadier Priyanka Fernando has been appointed as the new Director of Real Estate and Quartering of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). He officially took over duties at Army Headquarters in Sri Jayewardenepura on Monday (9), during a brief ceremony at his office, the SLA media unit said. After entering the new office, Brigadier Fernando performed religious observances and left his signature for a formal document to signify the acceptance of his new office. Brigadier Priyanka Fernando, prior to this new appointment served as the Commandant of Ranaviru Sampath Kendraya in…

Read More

The appeal petition filed by the seven accused who were sentenced to death for the murder and gang rape of Sivaloganathan Vidya was yesterday fixed support by the Supreme Court. Seven accused including Mahalingam Shashikumar alias Swiss Kumar, were convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Sivaloganathan Vidya of Punguduthivu in 2015 by the Jaffna High Court Trial-at-Bar on September 27. The Supreme Court three-judge-bench headed by Justice Preethi Padman Suraena fixed the appeal for support on May 19.Through their appeal, the seven accused stated that they were…

Read More

Former Sri Lankan Defence Attaché Brigadier Priyanka Fernando has been convicted for threatening Tamils under the section 4 A of Public Order Act by Westminster Magistrate Courts a short wihle ago. Case No: 1801273043 IN THE WESTMINSTER MAGISTRATES’ COURT Date: 6th December 2019 UK court finds Brigadier Priyanka Fernando guilty, imposes fine of GBP 2,400 http://www.adaderana.lk/news_intensedebate.php?nid=59488

Read More

State minister’s assertion disputed By Shamindra Ferdinando Global Sri Lankan Forum (GSLF) has requested Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and State Minister for Foreign Affairs attorney-at-law Susil Premajayantha to take tangible measures to neutralise the growing threat posed by accountability resolution adopted at the Geneva Human Rights Council in 2015. A senior spokesperson for the grouping said that the ministers were urged not to be lulled into a false sense of security. “With the next Geneva sessions scheduled for March 2020, the new administration should move fast,” the spokesperson said. The…

Read More

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=news-section&page=news-section&code_title=60 The Tri Nikayika Tharuna Bikkhu Sangamaya – an organisation of young Buddhist monks representing the three chapters yesterday handed over a petition to the UNP leadership requesting the party not to give nominations to those MPs who had insulted Buddhist monks. Convener of the organisation Ven. Kotahene Narada Thera told journalists that they decided to come to the UNP headquarters to make this request from the UNP leadership. “We have requested the UNP leadership not to give nominations to MPs Mangala Samaraweera, Ranjan Ramanayake and Rajitha Senaratne who had…

Read More

Sri Lanka has told China and India to respect its identity as a sovereign nation. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa tweeted inviting global powers, including China and India to invest in Sri Lanka. However, he also urged both countries to respect Sri Lanka’s unique identity as a sovereign nation. During Rajapaksa’s India visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged Sri Lanka to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. However President Rajapaksa had told reporters later that the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution will not be possible.

Read More

The Government today defended a military officer despite a ruling by a UK court. The Foreign Ministry said that the sequence of events surrounding the case makes it abundantly clear that it is a politically motivated action. The judgement in the case of Majuran Sathananthan vs. Brigadier Andige Priyanka Indunil Fernando, the trial of which was completed at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 19 November 2019, was delivered by the Chief Magistrate of the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 6 December 2019. The Chief Magistrate delivered the judgement under Section 4A…

Read More

The UK’s ruling Conservative Party has also mentioned Sri Lanka in its election manifesto ahead of the 13 December General election. Last week the election manifesto of the opposition Labour Party featured Sri Lanka and the steps a future Labour Government will take to address the human rights issue. UK Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson yesterday (Sunday) released the Conservative Party manifesto. The manifesto notes that a Conservative Government will continue to support international initiatives to achieve reconciliation, stability and justice across the world, and in current…

Read More

The Swiss Ambassador in Sri Lanka has no right to keep a Sri Lankan employee inside the Embassy on the basis that local employees do not enjoy diplomatic privileges, the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) said today. Its leader, MP Udaya Gammanpila said under Clause 38 (2) of the Vienna Convention, locals employed at embassies do not enjoy diplomatic privileges. “The decision on whether the employee should give a statement to the police or not should be decided by the Sri Lankan Government and not the Swiss Ambassador. There have been…

Read More

Sri Lanka’s civil war ended 10 years ago but there has been little progress in tracing those who disappeared during and after the violent end to the war. About 20,000 people, mostly Tamils, are thought to still be missing. Many believe their relatives are alive and in the hands of the security forces – a view rejected by the government. These families meet and hold daily vigils to protest and to keep their relatives’ memories alive. Many of them now fear the return to power of Sri Lanka’s new President…

Read More