The Kegalle Magistrate’s Court today sentenced Kumar Gunaratnam to 1 year imprisonment and a fine of Rs.50,000 over breaking immigration law. The court on March 24 announced that the final judgment of Kumar Gunaratnam’s case will be given today (March 31). Activist of the Frontline Socialist Party Premakumar Gunaratnam alias Kumar Gunaratnam who possesses the […]

(A young Muslim bride; a file photo) Establishing the minimum age of marriage for all citizens is foremost a State responsibility. Women Action Network (WAN*) welcomes and appreciates the actions of Member of Parliament (MP) Hirunika Premachandra during a workshop with parliamentarians on the formation of Constitution, held on 29th March 2016 wherein she raised […]

( Nisha Desai Biswal speaking at  the Center for a New American Security) Sri Lanka deserves special attention as it continues to consolidate democratic gains in the past two elections and put the country on a path to reconciliation. The United States was among the first to welcome these moves and offer our support and […]

(Opinion by SLB) A suicide jacket, a stock of explosives and ammunition found in Jaffna today has given birth of scare-mongering stories in media fulled by alarming statements and tweets by Rajapaksa group. Speaking at  a press conference Rajapaksa loyalist Prof. G,L Peiris has said that “according to the information they received, the explosives were […]

(At SCRM; image by SCRM) Mano Tittawella, a professional with rich public and private sector experience who was Director General in the Office of President Chandrika Kumaraunga,  has been appointed Secretary-General of the Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms (SCRM). The Secretariat will coordinate national level discourses on reconciliation mechanisms; develop  a plan with specific dates […]

(Prime Minister Sushil Koirala (third from right) and other MPs celebrated the vote late on Wednesday) Former Chief Minister of merged North and East A. Varadaraja Perumal said Right to Self Determination should not be only given to Tamils but to people in every region of this country. Autonomy in every region is a must […]

A new constitution will be enacted in 2017 when Sri Lanka completes 70 years since the setting up of the legislature, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said today. “Parliament will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2017. We will discuss with the Speaker and the party leaders as to how we should mark this event. By that […]

Last week, there was this tantalizing proposition from an anonymous member of the Joint Opposition, who was speaking on behalf of a group of MPs wanting to unify the divided SLFP, suggested to appoint Gotabaya Rajapaksa as a Member of Parliament. Gotabaya, the nameless MP beckoned, would serve as the unifier of the SLFP, now […]

Attempts to put operations of Sri Lanka’s central bank out of the ambit of a draft ‘Right to Information’ bill are wrong and will deny economic democracy to the people, a top economist and former central banker has said. W A Wijewardene, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka says through […]

(Image: Getting back on track -Reuters/Dinuka Liyanawatte) On Friday evenings, vans and tuk-tuks usually form long queues before Jaffna’s only shopping mall. There’s a hint of exquisite perfume in the air. Mothers in kurtas mind their colourfully attired children. Single young men sporting oversized wrist watches zip around on motorcycles. Though rare, one can even […]

( Sampoor Hindu College too was in the Navy occupied area) Steps have been taken to hand over the land deeds in Northern and Eastern provinces which were held under the control of Government security forces thus far. The official handing over of 177 acres of land to the Governor of the Eastern Province Hon. […]

(Original  photo: WFP Sri Lanka/Hamish Appleby) “At the consultations on the transitional justice and reconciliation process conducted with civil society representatives from all parts of the country, two key messages get highlighted.  The first is the limited information available to the general population regarding these issues. There is an absence of strong and systematic messaging by […]

27 March 2016 — Nalaka Gunawardene At the second Nelum Yaya Blogger Awards ceremony held at the Media Ministry Hall last afternoon, the organisers presented me with a Lifetime Achievement Award in New Media.The award was presented by Karu Jayasuriya, Speaker of the Lankan Parliament and a champion of the right to information. As he […]

By Chandani Kirinde. The long-awaited Right to Information (RTI) Bill that seeks to give every Sri Lankan the right of access to information which is in the possession, custody or control of a public authority was presented to Parliament on Thursday by Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Media Gayantha Karunatillake. The Bill which was gazetted […]

(Wimal Weerawansa) A fleet of 40 vehicles hired for State Engineering used by ex-minister’s cronies, by Nirmala Kannangara. Weerasangilige Wimal Weerawansa who mouths slogans and gives breast-beating displays of patriotism from political platforms despite his involvement in large-scale corruption and undercover activities, has once again been exposed as a corrupt politician. This time around, details […]

(Hugo Swire) “We are all waiting for the progress report of the high commissioner for human rights which is due out in June.  We do want to see how they are progressing in many of the things they have agreed to do with the international community. I believe they are moving in the right direction […]

“This is a true reconciliation village with both Sinhalese and Tamils. There are six families of Tamil female soldiers currently in military service,” Mr. Withana said. Sri Lanka’s Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has expressed opposition to a housing project in the Tamil-majority north which has been dubbed the “reconciliation village”. On Thursday during the northern […]

CONOMYNEXT – Colossal losses that state-run SriLankan Airlines was made to suffer since ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa chased away Emirates Airlines, and a questionable aircraft deal, is a national financial crime, Deputy Minister Eran Wickramaratne said. SriLankan Airlines, which made profit of 4.4 billion rupees in 2008, the year in which the management agreement with Emirates […]

(LBO) – Sri Lanka’s long-awaited Right to Information Bill was presented to Parliament today as the first reading. Mass Media and Parliamentary Reforms Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka presented the bill to the house. The speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday informed Parliament that the bill has been passed through all provincial councils subjected to certain amendments. “Western, North […]

(Campaign by mothers) BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – President Barack Obama will honor victims of Argentina’s “Dirty War” on Thursday, the 40th anniversary of a military coup that led to a seven-year crackdown against Marxist rebels, labor unions and leftist opponents. Obama described the 1976-1983 dictatorship, during which the Argentine security forces killed up to 30,000 […]

( Challenges of Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka, HRC 31 side event (c) S.Deshapriya) On Thursday 17th March, jointly with Franciscans International and Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), IMADR held a side event on “Challenges of Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka”. Mr. J. David WHALEY opened the discussion with his appreciation and […]

Q: According to Thamilini’s book, did she believe in an armed struggle to win the Tamil cause? A: No; in this book she very clearly says that an armed struggle is more difficult than a peaceful struggle. She says that she aspired to continue in peace building, helping the poor Tamils to improve their living […]

Face to face consultations with stakeholders throughout Sri Lanka are expected to commence early next month to design reconciliation mechanisms. Face to face consultations with stakeholders throughout Sri Lanka are expected to commence early next month to design reconciliation mechanisms. Town-hall meetings, focus group discussions and structured interviews will be part of the consultation process. […]

Colombo: The UN has said it remains committed to ensuring a credible investigation into alleged human rights abuses in Sri Lanka during the final phase of the civil war that ended seven years ago. Deputy spokesman for UN Secretary General, Farhan Haq was responding to a question on Monday in New York at a press […]

(Ruki Fernando who was arrested two years ago on trumped up charges of conniving in the revival of the LTTE along with a Tamil Catholic priest, continues to remain under investigation by the state authorities.) One of the positive features of the present time is the unity of the top leadership of the mainstream political […]

The present government which is engaged in constitutional reforms, is resolute in its endeavour to further strengthen Provincial Councils by delegating more statutory powers while preserving the unitary state of the country, President Maithripala Sirisena said. He was addressing the 32nd Chief Ministers’ Conference at Hikka Trans in Hikkaduwa, Galle yesterday. The conference was held […]

Investigations into all complaints of missing persons in three districts – Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu – will be concluded before the end of March, according to a top official from the President-appointed commission to probe missing persons. The five-member investigative team of the Presidential Commission Investigating Cases of Missing Persons (PCICMP) will commence its probe […]

by Professor S. Sarath Mathilal De Silva. The present Government’s decision to obtain views of the public in the constitutional making process is highly commendable. In case the adoption of a new constitution as promised by the government is not forthcoming, the incorporation of a improved fundamental rights Chapter to the existing Constitution of 1978 […]

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa (MP) states that Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa being questioned by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) constitutes an act of political revenge. Namal is being grilled in relation to the infamous Krrish deal. Let us see what the Krrish deal involving commission being taken is. India’s Krrish Group signed an agreement to […]

(Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo A poster features portraits of Cuba’s President Raul Castro, left, and President Barack Obama and reads in Spanish “Welcome to Cuba” outside a restaurant in Havana, Cuba, March 17, 2016. ) When President Obama arrives in Cuba on Sunday, he will be the first sitting president in nearly 90 years to set […]