Lakna ParanamannaWife of missing activist Kugan lodged a complaint at the ICRC today regarding the disappearance of her husband and the other missing activist – Lalith. The complaint was lodged today by Kugan’s wife Muruganandan Janadha under No: LKC 111264. Kugan’s eight year old daughter and missing activist Lalith’s father was also present to lodge […]

The Justice Ministry will set up a Sentencing Advisory Council and introduce Sentencing Guidelines for Sri Lanka’s judicial system and thus prevent anomalies in the sentencing procedure, a senior ministry official said yesterday.  Justice Ministry Secretary Suhada Gamalth said studies conducted by the ministry had revealed there were instances where judges at different courts had […]

When the case into the disappearance of senior journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda was taken up at the Homagama Magistrate’s Court today, the counsel appearing on behalf of Mr. Eknaligoda’s family said he intended calling former Attorney General Mohan Peiris as a witness in the habeas corpus inquiry.Counsel Chryshmal Warnasooriya appearing with Sonali Wanigabaduge, Supun Wickremeratne and […]

Nesan Shankar Raji- Senior leader and spokespersonThe Eelam Revolutionary Organisation (EROS) wishes to thank His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa for expediting and releasing the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report within a remarkable 18 month timeframe. EROS also wishes to congratulate the panel of distinguished experts who were party to the Lessons Learnt and […]

The British Tamils Forum has called upon the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to instigate an international diplomatic initiative to set up an International Independent investigative mechanism to probe Sri Lanka.  The BTF has stated that indications were that the Sri Lankan regime will most certainly resist such a move.  “We therefore call upon […]

 The International Crisis Group welcomes the public release of the report of Sri Lanka’s “Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission” (LLRC), presented to the Sri Lankan parliament on 16 December 2011.The report acknowledges important events and grievances that have contributed to decades of political violence and civil war in Sri Lanka and makes sensible recommendations on […]

The report of the ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’ (LLRC) was presented by the government to Parliament last Friday. The government has opened its ‘magic box’ which it claimed had answers to all the accusations that were levelled against it during the two-and-a-half year period since the end of the war. However, this has been […]

Rep. Michael GrimmThe end of a three-decade long civil war in Sri Lanka has given the country an incredible opportunity to address the war’s root cause — long-standing ethnic tension — and forge ahead with its plans for an open, democratic and prosperous future. The war between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil […]

The Catholic Church yesterday stressed that the voice of the people who had been caught in the conflict for more than 30 years, is clearly embedded in the final report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) rather than in the report of the experts panel appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. […]

Stock exchange fixed,  Treasury Sec. could face same fate as former SEC head, DG Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe says a business cartel was trying to takeover the government and that Treasury Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundera could face the same fate as the former Chairperson and Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission […]

Zacki JabbarThe government said yesterday that it was not prepared to adopt the Indian devolution model in Sri Lanka.  Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwalle,addressing the weekly cabinet press briefing in Colombo,said that ITAK which claims to represent the Tamil people,was trying to create a de-facto state by laying down conditions such as the re-merger of the […]

 R.K. Radhakrishnan The talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), an umbrella group of Tamil political parties representing the Northern Tamils, is headed for another trough, with both sides levelling a series of allegations against the other. It began soon after the TNA expressed its views on the Lessons Learnt […]

Frankie TaggarMore than one in three south Asians say they were forced to bribe officials in the last year, mainly for services they were legally entitled to, an international anti-graft watchdog said on Thursday.  A survey released by Berlin-based Transparency International in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu showed bribery has become so endemic that the region […]

Shamindra Ferdinando In the wake of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s unprecedented claim that a German NGO had thrown its financial weight behind those seeking to oust him from the party leadership, the government is now contemplating a comprehensive inquiry into NGO activity.Although the government initiated an inquiry early this year on three recipients of over Rs. […]

The promising Sri Lanka Peace Collection has successfully garnered the US Government’s nod.‘Sri Lanka Peace Collection’ is the Government’s initiative to provide livelihood support for war widows through the country’s handloom sector.“The Sri Lanka Peace Collection has very high potential,” US Ambassador Patricia Butenis said after a special presentation and a discussion facilitated by Minister […]

In line with an ongoing accelerated post-war project to develop the road network, the Treasury on Dec. 20 finalized an agreement with France to finance the widening and reconstruction of bridges.  French Ambassador Ms Christine Robichon end Treasury Chief Dr. P. B. Jayasundara signed the agreement at the Ministry of Finance and Planning.China, India, Japan […]

The much-awaited report of Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, tabled in Parliament recently, has established a key fact — that there were “considerable” civilian casualties in the final stages of the military operation that ended in the total defeat of the LTTE. This is a step forward from the Sri Lankan government’s earlier […]

The Canadian government has commended the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) for its final report and urged the Sri Lankan government to implement its recommendations.   But Canada also opined that the report does not “adequately address” the allegations of human rights violations relating to the final stages of the war.“The final report of the […]

(Sri Lanka Guardian) It has become necessary to reflect on the conflict phase and the sufferings the country has gone through as a whole and learn from this recent history lessons that would ensure that there will be no recurrence of any internecine conflict in the future and assure an era of peace, harmony and […]

(Xinhua) — China on Thursday called on the international community to create a good environment for the stability, construction and development of Sri Lanka.  Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin made the remarks when asked to give comment on the post-war reconstruction and economic development of Sri Lanka.Liu also appealed to the international community for support […]

The JVP alleged that the suspending of Students Unions of the Peradeniya University is the first step towards creating a conducive environment for the introduction of Privatisation of free education in the country. The JVP stated that the government’s suppression of the democratic rights of students would lead to bloodshed. At a press conference held at […]

Street protests yesterday in Colombo reflected growing anxiety about the disappearance of dissidents following the apparent abduction of two activists last week.  Activists joined relatives of ‘disappeared’ and political prisoners to demand that authorities release suspected inmates long held in custody without being charged at unknown destinations throughout the island.More than a thousand protesters carried […]

Today, the most serious problem the people in the North – East face on a day to day basis is that of militarisation. The military controls all aspects of individual, social and professional life. But perhaps the most destructive practice is the running of commercial enterprises by the military. From barber saloons to bars, and […]

A certain deputy minister who represents the Gampaha District takes a bribe of Rs.3.5 million from anyone putting up a filling station in the district, Parliament was informed today. Western Provincial Council Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has made a written complaint to President Mahinda Rajapaksa in this regard. A copy of the letter was tabled […]

Canadian Tamil Congress Preliminary Reaction to the LLRC Report .May 19th, 2009 marked the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war; one of the world’s bloodiest and longstanding ethnic conflicts which left parts of the island distraught, devastated and hundreds of thousands of people displaced. Since the end of the war, there have been persistent and […]

Dr Rifai Recently chairman of the lesson learnt and reconciliation commission C. R.De Silva and his team published their report recommending many reconciliation steps to build a peaceful communal relationship between different communities in Srilanka. Some daily news papers have already begun to publish this report in series so that public will know what is […]

Dr Kumar DavidThe LLRC (Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission) appointed by President Mahinda Rajapakse has submitted its report and it is now in the public domain. I do not intend to summarise the 460-pages but only to give my evaluation in a few paragraphs. I will follow this up with a short closing section in […]

(Srilankamirror) – The Socialist Students Union accuses the government of intensifying its crackdown on students. In a statement, the SSU charged that in addition to setting up police posts at universities, the rulers are now using police and the Army to lay siege to universities. Its national organizer Nalinda Jayatissa said the government had used […]

Neville Ladduwahetty,While the subject of reconciliation is addressed in Chapter 8 of the LLRC report, recommendations as to how issues pertaining to reconciliation are addressed are contained in Chapter 9. There is bound to be disagreement as to the validity and relevance in respect of the totality of the recommendations. However, there has to be […]

High Commissioner Dr. Chris Nonis briefed British Parliamentarians from the House of Commons and the House of Lords, academics and Think Tanks, at an interactive dialogue on the LLRC Report held last afternoon in Portcullis House in the British Parliament. Dr. Chris Nonis articulated that the holistic approach of the LLRC is entirely consistent with […]