COLOMBO — The Sri Lankan government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been placed in the hot seat ahead of a U.N. Human Rights Council session beginning later this month amid a failure to ensure accountability for alleged war crimes toward the end of the country’s quarter-century long armed conflict. In a stinging report released on Jan. 27, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on the 47 member states of the U.N. Human Rights Council to impose targeted sanctions against top military officials for human rights violations…
Read MoreDay: 10 February 2021
US envoy questions poor coverage of P2P protest by Colombo media
The United States (US) Ambassador to Sri Lanka has questioned the poor coverage of the Pottuvil to Point Pedro (P2P) protest by the by Colombo-based media. Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz tweeted saying a peaceful protest is an important right in any democracy. She also said that significant and legitimate concerns should be heard. “I saw Tamil media coverage of the march from Pottuvil to Point Pedro and wondered why it was not more widely covered by Colombo-based media?” the Ambassador tweeted. Tamils in the North-East staged the massive protest last week to drawn…
Read MoreP2P Highlights Issues Needing In Internal Resolution To Prevent Escalation
By Jehan Perera – Jehan Perera The five day march from the eastern town of Pottuvil to the northern capital of Jaffna, given the name P2P-Pottuvil to Polikandi march, came to a peaceful end having made its point to the people of the north and east and to the international community. The culmination of the march in Jaffna saw large crowds participating. But the point was largely lost in the rest of the country where the focus of attention was on other matters such as Independence Day celebrations. The government needs to…
Read MoreWrecking The Opposition To Serve Nandasena!
By Kumar David – Prof. Kuma David Imagine this scenario. A house is on fire, people of the neighbourhood rush to throw buckets of water, others carry water from nearby, still others help rescue trapped children. Then a brainless coot shouts at a helper: “You are a lousy lawyer, you lose cases: Get Out don’t douse the fire!” and screams at woman guiding children out: “You’re a horrible woman: You stole eggs from the house next door: I don’t want you to rescue children; let them burn, go away!” Is it not…
Read MoreSri Lankan Governments Have Cheated India Many A Time
By C.V. Wigneswaran – Justice C.V. Wigneswaran MP Someone asked me: What have you to say regarding the Cabinet decision to not grant the Colombo Eastern Container Terminal to India? My response was: What I have been warning earlier has come to pass. It is no secret that successive Sri Lankan Governments have cheated India many a time. This is another example. I expected this to happen after the Geneva sittings. I mentioned this in an interview with the media a few weeks ago. But it has happened slightly earlier. There is news that…
Read MoreMilitary Takeover Of Jaffna’s Cultural Hall: Sinhalese Army To Lead Tamil Cultural Revival?
In a tripartite agreement between the Government of India, Government of Sri Lanka and the Jaffna Municipal Council, Jaffna was gifted an SLRs. 2000 million Cultural Hall. The said hall has been ready for over six months but is not operational for lack of funds for staff, telephones etc.. It was poor planning from beginning to end. The sri Lankan government that gives that as an excuse to keep the centre shut, in a shocking move that has just come to light somehow has found the funds for the army to run…
Read MoreLegal action against Tamil protesters mulled
The Cabinet is expecting the Justice Ministry and other relevant authorities to take legal action against Tamil groups and Tamil politicians from the North and East, who engaged in a protest march despite several Restraining Orders being issued by Magistrate in the region and also against quarantine regulations. It is believed that indirect government orders were given to the English press NOT to cover the Tamils protest and due to fear all the Colombo English papers and TVs did not report the Tamils protest at all. The government or police…
Read MoreRajapakshes play divide and rule card to stay in power.
This year on February 4, as has happened over the past 73 years, leaders of the governing political elite ‘celebrated’ this country’s Independence Day with a show of military might. Sections of the minority communities carried out protest demonstrations in the north and east. Some politicians went to the extent of clothing themselves in black — perhaps in the hope of getting media coverage. They were successful. Unfortunately even Sri Lanka’s President described himself as a Sinhala-Buddhist and to emphasise the point, he said he would never hesitate to say so…
Read MoreParliament informed that Sumanthiran’s life still under threat but Government wants him dead?
Sumanthiran says Minister Weerasekara is responsible if he is harmed ECONOMYNEXT- Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran says if any harm comes to him Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara should be held personally responsible as there are multiple threats to his life and his STF guards have been withdrawn. Parliament informed that Sumanthiran’s life still under threat Parliament was informed today that the life of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) legislator, M.A Sumanthiran was still under threat. Sumanthiran revealed in Parliament that he had been informed by Law and Order Minister…
Read MoreAttacks on Wimal maybe a sign of a seismic shift in the ruling alliance
ECONOMYNEXT – There’s bitter invective being directed at a government Cabinet Minister these days by a faction of the ruling alliance and that is prompting speculation whether some cracks are appearing in the Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Peramuna (SLNPP). Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansha is the target for the hate speech and is being attacked for his call for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to be given a bigger role in running the ruling alliance, side-lining Prime Minister Mahinda. Weerawansha’s comments which appeared in the Sunday Sinhala newspapers the Lankadeepa and the web-only…
Read MoreWimal the Joker will NOT apologise!…… YES he will apologise!
Wimal ready to apologise By Buddhika Samaraweera If it was wrong to work for Mahinda Rajapaksa’s victory in 2005, to leave the JVP and support victory in the war, and to work towards the victory after Mahinda’s defeat in 2015, I am ready to apologise to the nation, said leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF), Minister Wimal Weerawansa. Also, if it was wrong to say that Gotabaya Rajapaksa should be made the Presidential candidate and work to make it a reality, I must apologise to the nation, Weerawansa said.…
Read MoreEaster Attacks PCoI report names will NOT be released now.
The final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the 2019 Easter Attack contains names of several strongmen of the previous regime, according to Minister of Public Security Read Admiral Sarath Weerasekara. He mentioned this to the media following a program in Colombo yesterday (09). Weerasekera stated that separate files have been handed over to the Attorney General regarding the 08 incidents related to the Easter attack and that 12 lawyers have been appointed by the Attorney General for this. He further said, “We have referred files against 32…
Read MoreVICTORY P2P PROTEST – Permission will be given for burial of COVID-19 victims – PM
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa says that permission will be granted for the burial of COVID-19 victims. The Premier mentioned this in response to a question raised by Parliamentarian S.M. Marikkar during the parliamentary session today (February 10). Quoting State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Sudarshini Fernandopulle, the parliamentarian said COVID-19 does not transmit through water and requested the Prime Minister to grant permission to bury victims of novel coronavirus. In April last year, the Sri Lankan government amended a law to make cremation compulsory for…
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