News

BY TN Gopalan India is urged to mobilise international support for a war crimes tribunal Political parties in Tamil Nadu are seeking to mount pressure on the federal government on the issue of the alleged war crimes committed by Sri Lanka in the closing stages of the war against separatist Tamil Tiger rebels. The parties […]

The regime continues to castigate the Darusman Report as a pro-Tiger document and a Diaspora conspiracy. And yet the full Report contains damning criticisms of the Tiger modus operandi plus a scathing analysis of the role played by the Diaspora in the rise of the LTTE. It also contains extremely serious charges against the Rajapaksa […]

May 1, 2011, The Federation of National Organisations has requested the government to terminate its talks with the TNA, as the TNA had sided with a section of the international community who are hostile to Sri Lanka. By siding with the anti Sri Lankan forces the “TNA has exposed its motives and confirmed in no […]

For the media, self censorship  has become the unwritten rule. No informed discussion takes place giving  different opinions and points of view to the citizenry. The huge state media sector is politically controlled by the ruling party, making them the most partisan media in the country. Thus,  citizens are left without the information that would […]

At another level, significant Rule of Law concerns must be redressed. These well documented concerns are evident in regard to the constitutional balance of power, our legal systems and most importantly in reference to Sri Lanka’s judiciary and the Department of the Attorney General.  By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene It appears to have gone unnoticed that […]

The Organization of Professional Associations (OPA) says that the UN Report of the Advisory panel of Experts on Sri Lanka commissioned by the UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon is “unsubstantiated, flawed, presumptuous, irrational and prejudiced.” “The conclusions in the said report are an attempt to undermine the humanitarian efforts by the Government of Sri Lanka […]

Tamil group also demands detainees’ list, as media awaits joint statementBy Chris Kamalendran The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) met a team of government delegates on Friday to reiterate its request that the Concurrent List in the 13th Amendment to the Constitution be dropped. The five-member TNA delegation said the Concurrent List would reduce powers enjoyed […]

The LSSP calls upon the government to respond effectively and with dignity on the lines outlined here so that we can effectively defeat the machinations of the imperialist countries. We give our fullest support to the government in this endeavor. 28 April 2011 Following is the statement sent by the Lanka Sama Samaja Party on […]

Demonstrations in first week of May demanding detailed enquiryThe Communist Party of India (Marxist) will organise demonstrations in major cities of the State, demanding an enquiry into “war crimes” committed by the Sri Lankan armed forces in the final phase of the civil war. In a statement, CPI (M) State secretary G. Ramakrishnan said the […]

Senior Sri Lanka officials may be arrested and tried abroad as a result of the UN expert panel report on Sri Lanka, a legal expert said. Wijedasa Rajapakshe, an opposition MP, said it is possible for interested parties abroad to seek a warrant to arrest visiting dignitaries as a result of the UN report. Amnesty […]

30 April 2011 Diplomats, representatives of diplomatic missions and Non-Governmental Organization representatives in Colombo met at the United States Ambassador’s residence to discuss the United Nations Secretary General’s Panel Report. The meeting was reported to have been held at the invitation of US Ambassador Patricia A. Butenis on Thursday but the US Embassy refused to […]

   2011-04-30 17:33:42 China said Saturday that it believes the Sri Lankan government and people will handle properly problems conerning its civil war and urged the international community not to complicate the issue. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the remarks when asked to comment on a panel report on armed conflicts in Sri Lanka […]

IN RECENT years the default mode for Sri Lankan diplomats has been a posture of affronted national dignity beneath a mask of outraged, sanctimonious innocence. This week, after the publication of a report by a panel of experts for the United Nations on the final stages of Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war, some were recalled […]

‘Solheim transforms from peace facilitator to facilitator of war crimes indictment escape’ – Tamil Net  Friday, 29 April 2011,Norway’s former peace facilitator to the island of Sri Lanka, Mr. Erik Solheim, speaking to Norwegian state owned media NRK (Dagsnytt 18) on Wednesday, argued against any immediate international investigation on the war crimes in the island […]

In the wake of grossly misleading reports in the national media as to who the members of the Advisory Panel of the United Nations, appointed by United Nations Secretary General Mr Ban Ki Moon are, based on their uncritical acceptance of abuse by government politicians, the Sri Lanka Guardian publishes an authoritative sketch of their […]

“It seems therefore that sound strategy would oblige the democratic opposition, Tamil political parties and civil society in Sri Lanka to regain lost legitimacy among the populace by drawing the line at international intervention as well as immediate criminal accountability. This entails neither an abdication of Sri Lanka’s international obligations nor a renunciation of the […]

Sri Lanka is at a critical moment as it emerges from a decades-long war and rebuilds its politics and economy. There are worrying signs the Rajapaksa government already is heading in the wrong direction. That makes it even more important for leaders abroad to tread carefully, lest they inadvertently push the country back into sectarian […]

28 April 2011.Britain Wednesday welcomed the UN Panel of Experts report on the war crimes in Sri Lanka’s war and expressed support for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s decision to commission the study. Calling on Sri Lanka to respond positively to the expert panel’s report, the UK said accountability for war crimes must be resolved […]

28 April 2011.The Times newspaper (London) said Wednesday that the UN expert panel’s report on Sri Lanka’s war crimes confirms the newspaper’s reporting in May 2009 that the “Sri Lankan Government was party to the mass murder of civilians.” Referring especially to mass bombardment of civilians in so-called no-fire zones, the paper demanded that “perpetrators […]

TamilNet,27 April 2011, The wife of slain Batticaloa Commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), on Thursday verified that the dead body shown in the photo released on Wednesday was that of her husband, Col. Ramesh. On Wednesday, a former member of the LTTE identified a photo leaked in recent days by the […]

By Armin RosenApr 28 2011, The world failed to stop the government’s killing of thousands of civilians in the civil war that ended in 2009, but a new UN report could finally bring a reckoning. In early 2009, Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa faced an opportunity, and possibly a moral quandary. Since 1976, the country’s […]

28 April 2011 The Government’s has no intention to create any “mass protests” and agitation relating to the Darusman Report, Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris told the diplomatic community in Colombo today. “ We are not instigating hysteria nor violence or embarrassment to the UN community and to foreign Missions.  Such allegations have […]

‘The Indian government must act. It should exert diplomatic pressure on the Sri Lankan government and ensure action in this matter, PTI | ,Apr 28,2011 Chennai, Apr 28 (PTI): The CPI(M) state unit today urged the Indian government to exert ‘diplomatic pressure’ on Sri Lanka to ensure punishment for those responsible for alleged war crimes, […]

The DMK, a key ally of Congress-led UPA at the Centre, on Wednesday appealed to the Union government to make all efforts to ensure that those responsible for alleged warcrimes in Sri Lanka faced action. Referring to a UN report on ‘tens of thousands’ civilian casualties in the final stages of war between Lankan armed […]

PRESS RELEASE The Government of Sri Lanka refers to the release by the UN Secretary-General of the “Darusman Report” on accountability in Sri Lanka.  The Government of Sri Lanka reiterates its position that the “Darusman Report” is fundamentally flawed in many respects and that among other deficiencies, the Report is based on biased material, which […]

27 April 2011 The report presented by Ban Ki-moon’s ‘Panel of Experts’ could be answered by implementing the 17th amendment says former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva. Speaking at the inaugural convention of the Colombo District branch of the National Intellectuals and Professionals Organization (NIPO) held yesterday (26th) the former Chief Justice said, “Had the […]

by M A Sumanthiran(text of SJV Chelvanayakam Memorial lecture 2011) I consider it a great honour to have been asked to deliver the Thanthai Chelva memorial oration this year. Last year too I had the honour of delivering the key-note address at the annual commemoration ceremony held in Jaffna on the 26th of April. Today, […]

26 April 2011 The report, which was made public today, concluded that tens of thousands of civilians were killed in northern Sri Lanka from January to May 2009 and that the Sri Lankan Government knowingly shelled areas where it had encouraged civilians to gather. The report gives credibility to allegations that both the government and […]

Apr 27, 2011, NEW DELHI: Reacting to the report by a UNSG-appointed panel of experts, which has accused Colombo of committing war crimes, India said it was willing to engage Sri Lanka on the contents of the report. India is having to walk a tightrope over the issue because of its concerns over the still […]

Tue Apr 26, UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – The United Nations feared for its staff in Sri Lanka as government troops crushed a Tamil separatist uprising in 2009, UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said defending the actions of UN agencies. As pressure grew for an international investigation into the killing of “tens of thousands” in the […]