A study conducted by the Transparency International UK’s Defence and Security Programme (TI-DSP) has placed Sri Lanka among the 14 worst countries that are seriously at high risk of corruption in their ministry of defense and armed forces. The study is based on the first ever Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index (GI) published by the (TI-DSP) […]

Buddhist Flag at Independence square UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva states that although at a discussion about peace and reconciliation, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navi Pillay had raised questions regarding the Buddhist flag hoisted at the Independence Square, she had made no statement with regards to the statue of late PM […]

KP addressing media K P press 410px 19-09-13United National Party (UNP) has made a written request from the Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya to hold an immediate inquiry regarding the press conference held by Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP yesterday (18) in Kilinochchi with the help of the Army.The letter has been dispatched to the Election Commissioner […]

Reuters: Election posters in Jaffna JAFFNA, Sri Lanka (Reuters) – Voters in northern Sri Lanka go to the polls on Saturday in a provincial election that threatens to stir up old animosity between the government and ethnic minority Tamils.Defeat for the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa would be largely symbolic, but victory for the main […]

After nearly three decades of conflict, Sri Lanka is set to hold elections in the island’s former war zone. But experts doubt whether the poll, already marred by allegations of intimidation, will ease ethnic tensions. For 25 years Sri Lankan armed forces fought against militant separatists seeking to create an independent state for the Tamil-speaking […]

A polling area in the the north of Sri Lanka when local elections were held in July 2010. Photo: IRIN 19 September 2013 – The forthcoming provincial elections in Sri Lanka are an important opportunity for reconciliation in the country, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, calling on all parties to take part in the electoral […]

Posters against Fr. Yogeswaran 60-year-old Jesuit Priest Fr Veeresan Yogeswaran, who is one of the leading human rights activists in the East, is at the receiving end of the SL government’s ire after his meeting with UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navanetham Pillay during her recent visit to the island. Pamphlets decrying Fr Yogeswaran, printed […]

(TamilNet) The Tamil civil society in the North, comprising of religious dignitaries, including the Mannaar Bishop, academics, doctors, student leaders and trade union activists, on Wednesday came with an open appeal urging the Tamil people to use the forthcoming Northern Provincial Council (NPC) elections to reject those who have been opposed to Tamil national aspirations […]

Vasu at Nallur Democratic Left Front (DLF) leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara recently ruled out the possibility of a federal solution to the national issue. Addressing the media at Nallur, Jaffna, Minister Nanayakkara pointed out that people would have to accept Provincial Councils as any attempt to go beyond that would cause a catastrophe. Senior Minister DEW […]

FMM Press Release/18.09.2013Senior journalist and Co-editor of the Sunday Leader newspaper Ms. Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema fled Sri Lanka to a North American country on 17th September 2013, according to reliable information received by the Free Media Movement (FMM).  Her journalist husband Romesh Abeywickrema, the editor of the business section of Sunday Leader and their 12 […]

President Rajapaksha buying the 1st ticket;The US $185  million project to extend the Northern railway line from Omanthai to Kilinochchi was funded as part of the Indian government’s concessionary Line of Credit of US$ 800 million ”Ninety percent of Colombo’s population is of Tamil origin;All wholesale businesses -food, clothes, saris and gold are India-aligned;A total […]

Sri Lanka has been placed among 14 countries that have the lowest accountability for arms imports, a study by Transparency International said here on Wednesday.The study, a spin-off from the Government Defence Anti- Corruption Index 2013 (GI) which analyzed what 82 countries do to reduce corruption risks in the sector, places countries in corruption risk […]

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) yesterday charged that officers attached to the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) are intimidating the witnesses who have given evidence on the Rathupaswala incident. The BASL charged that witnesses giving evidence at the magisterial inquiry, held in connection with the three persons who died during the demonstration by the […]

Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has up to now received 165 complaints of election malpractices relating to public property being used for propaganda work in the Central and North-Western Provinces, ahead of the elections.Of these, TISL investigation teams have confirmed 112 to be valid. The TISL said in a communiqué: The misuse of government vehicles […]

Beneficiaries of the Indian housing scheme say that the initiative is a boon but for some of them, the threat of a debt traplooms large. Photo: Meera Srinivasan The Hindu Beneficiaries of the Indian housing scheme say that the initiative is a boon but for some of them, the threat of a debt traplooms large. […]

The United National Party (UNP) said today the Sri Lankan Government should express its views on the statement made by the UNHRC Chief on the statue of late Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake and the Buddhist flag, which are at the Independence Square, during the ongoing Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva.“Government has done little […]

(GV)At the invitation of the Sri Lankan Government, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay visited Sri Lanka at the end of August in what was, in her words, “the longest official visit I have ever made to a single country”. Groundviews requested Selvaraj Rajasegar, a colleague at the Media Unit at the Centre for […]

Two parliamentarians, who had tried to show their high-handedness on the Katunayake Expressway, were forced to withdraw following interventions by the security forces personnel. The parliamentarians who entered the expressway violating the restrictions were from the Western and North Western provinces, sources said. One MP had removed road barriers and entered the expressway, but after […]

Udaya Gammanpila ( JHU) The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) warned about the adverse impacts of Navi Pillay’s visit very much before her arrival. We challenged her credibility exposing her controversial past, citing authentic sources. A diplomat told me that if we had made our exposures about her past before her appointment as the High Commissioner […]

The Tamil National Alliance today said it will not bow to the ‘staggering’ reactions towards the party’s controversial election manifesto, which has been termed as ‘extremist’ and ‘separatist’ by the government and its coalition parties.“We are unwaveringly convinced of our stance and will not be bullied into distancing ourselves from statements that we have made,” […]

Election monitoring group, Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CaFFE), queried at a media conference yesterday, whether the Kurunegala Police had undertaken pasting posers for a particular candidate in the Kurunegala District at the forthcoming elections in the North-Western Province.CaFFE Executive Director, Keerthi Tennakoon, told the media that, election monitors in the area had observed……and […]

Election observers say the main reason for the abuse of State property in the election campaigns, is due to the fact that a large number of relatives of politicians are contesting at the upcoming Provincial Council elections.Network for Election Monitoring Intellectuals for Human Rights (NEM IHR) noted that State property is being used openly for […]

Election monitoring groups have brought to the notice of the Commissioner of Elections, that a number of unregistered vehicles are being driven in the North-Western Province (NWP), which they alleged, are being used to unleash violence in the area, posing a threat to law and order.The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) and People’s […]

Shirani Bandaranayake has denied all corruption charges ”THE Commonwealth’s secretariat has been accused of covering up a damning report that described the impeachment of Sri Lanka’s most senior judge as “unlawful” and “unconstitutional”.The revelations will add to concerns about the human rights record of the island, which is controversially hosting this November’s summit for the […]

The Jaffna Security Forces Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe says he is contemplating making a request for more troops and military camps in the North. He says this need has arisen as there are fears the election campaign of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) may incite some 4000 former LTTE cadres who have not been […]

Rajapaksha in Jaffna ( file photo)  Political Editor/Sunday Times • Brisk business in whisky and luxury shops; most people don’t want another war but seek life with dignity•UPFA going all out this week to prevent two-thirds majority; large crowds at all political meetingsJAFFNA, September 14 – Business is booming in this northern capital. The contrast with […]

(For Sunila Sundari Janet Abeysekera) Twenty-six years have passed. Our first meeting,North of Colombo,a house on the beach. Beyond the fence,flowers and creepers;fearful and shylovers trembling in passionate embrace.Waves breaking incessantly.  For both of usthe agony and hasteof flight to safety. The spark of righteous angera straight line on the sea,unswerving we stayed the course,reaching […]

USA provided location of LTTE ships carrying arms to be destroyed Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the United States had given its fullest support to destroy LTTE’s floating armouries in the deep sea between 2006 and 2008. One turning point in the war came when the Sri Lankan navy was able to sink these Tiger […]

Ranga JayasuriyaThis writer is by no means an apologist of the militarization of the country; however, for once, he could not help but agree with some salient points that the powerful Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the chief protagonist of the militarization, had raised during his address at the Defence Seminar held last week. He referred […]

Dismissing allegations of poor human rights situation, Rajapaksa has said a stable and powerful government is essential for the country's development. Rajapaksha’s China card PTI BEIJING: Dismissing allegations of poor human rights situation in Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said a stable and powerful government is essential for the country’s development and the western […]