News

 If Sanga had dropped out of school at a tender age, cut his teeth on crime, taken to dirty politics and become a minister instead of pursuing his studies, playing brilliant cricket and bringing glory to his country, he, too, would have been able to commit murder, plunder public funds, tie public officials to trees, […]

China, seeking to gain influence in the Indian Ocean , has reportedly increased its aid to Sri Lanka dramatically since 2005, a US Congressional report has said.“In the view of some analysts and observers, China is seeking to gain influence with the Sri Lankan government as part of a ‘string of pearls’ naval strategy to […]

Speaking on BBC’s HardTalk program Tuesday, Prof. Rajiva Wijesinghe, advisor to the Sri Lankan President on reconciliation, claimed the UN panel of experts’ report on Sri Lanka’s war crimes had “taken stuff, some of it verbatim” from former UN spokesperson Gordon Weiss’s recently published book, and from Channel 4’s recent documentary. When asked why the […]

While the Nazi-style registration of people in the north by the occupying SL military is challenged in the SL courts by Tamil politicians, the SL Army is now engaged in another way of registering people by a census it is conducting on its own, forcing Tamil school teachers and through them exploiting school students. Earlier […]

”But despite the Indian foreign secretary’s persuasive powers, Colombo is unlikely to budge so easily. India will have to do more than one visit and some good statements. It’s support for negotiations between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil National Alliance, that began in January 2011, needs to be pressured to move much faster […]

Seeking India’s pro-active role in addressing the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, CPI today said it will organise a nationwide solidarity day tomorrow to highlight the sufferings of the ethnic minority in the island.Even two years after the war ended in Sri Lanka, the Tamils were “suffering” in camps with “no rehabilitation”, CPI National Secretary D […]

Star batsman, smart operator CRICKET is supposed to uphold the virtue of fair play. The preamble to the Laws of Cricket talks about “the spirit of the game”; their English custodians even hold an annual “Spirit of Cricket” lecture at Lord’s in London, the game’s home.In Sri Lanka, cricketers have long been a source of […]

Check point  Omanthai Authorities in Sri Lanka have prevented a group of journalists from visiting northern Sri Lanka despite assurances that there will be no restrictions to travel to the north.Dinasena Ratugamage who was among the group says security force personnel at Omanthai checkpoint told him not to take photographs or interview people, local and […]

 Activists and collegues have been campaigning for justice for Lasantha and familyPolice in Sri Lanka say that there is evidence to suggest the involvement of a Sri Lanka army (SLA) intelligence officer in the murder of Sunday Leader editor.Lasantha Wickramatunga was shot dead in Colombo on 08 January 2009.Police Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) told Colombo […]

The island nation should abide by its promise to meet the legitimate aspirations of its Tamil population. The Sri Lankan President, Mr Mahinda Rajapakse, seems to be having second thoughts on his past assurances.July 7, 2011/ by G.PARTHASARATHYWhen the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms J Jayalalithaa, paid her first visit to New Delhi after assuming […]

Three persons were injured today when a protest organized by JVP affiliated Ceylon Teacher Services Union (CTSU) in Kurunegala was attacked by a group of thugs.The protest was organized by the CTSU opposite the Wayamba Province office of the Education Department Cooperative Society (EDCS) against the taking over the EDCS administration by the government.The EDCS […]

Abandoned IDPs in Vadamaraadchi East The Raamaavil camp inmates, who were suddenly herded out in the middle of the night by the occupying SL Army to make a show of ‘resettlement’ during the visit of the presidential sibling Basil Rajapaksa to Jaffna, are now facing further misery. Staying in two small schools in Vadamaraadchi East, […]

06 July 2011 06:40The Indian government cannot remain insensitive to the sentiments expressed by the Tamil Nadu government, the Tamil Nadu people and politicians about issues affecting the Tamil-speaking people in Sri Lanka,Indian foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told journalists. “That is something you have to understand. It will always be there and I think you […]

Photo: Amantha Perera/IRIN  More than two years after Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war officially ended, returnees to remote villages face tough times and uncertain futures, despite governmental and international efforts at reconstruction. “Everything that we had earned in 50 years, we lost in months,” Supiah Arumugam, 52, and a father of two, told IRIN. Arumugam […]

Sri Lanka maintains that no civilians were killed by troops during the war Continue reading the main story Sri Lanka After WarSri Lanka report: Main allegations The British TV station Channel 4 has strongly rejected claims by Sri Lanka’s government that footage broadcast in a recent documentary is false.The film in question appears to show […]

Shihar Aneez/ reuters Sri Lanka’s sports minister has ordered a probe into former captain Kumar Sangakkara’s comments about the island nation’s cricket administrators and political meddling during his speech to Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) members at Lord’s on Monday.Sangakkara was given a standing ovation after delivering the annual Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture in which he […]

by Rajani IqbalA recently published book – Invisible, Forgotten Sufferers: The Plight of Widows Around the World – reveals that there are an estimated 245 million widows worldwide, 115 million of whom live in poverty and suffer from social stigmatisation and economic deprivation purely because they have lost their husbands. Following a proposal introduced by […]

05 July 2011According to the highest and most hallowed principles of the free media, their main role is to be a powerful and prophetic voice of the voiceless, marginalized or oppressed people and the instruments through which the common people especially exercise their fundamental right to the freedom of information and expression.The media also need […]

05 July 2011/By Sandun A. JayasekeraThe law and democratic principles sometimes hamper development but a pinch of dictatorship can expedite the expected target at the expected time as witnessed in many Asian Tiger countries, Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said.Minister de Silva was on an inspection tour of the ‘Deduru […]

• Former captain uses MCC Spirit of Cricket lecture for speech• ‘Players became involved in power games within the board’  Kumar Sangakkara has chosen the MCC Spirit of Cricket lecture to launch a scathing attack on the endless political power-struggles that bedevil Sri Lanka Cricket and to reflect upon the heavy responsibilities on Sri Lankan […]

A gang of SLFP ministers and parliamentarians, including presidential sibling Basil Rajapaksa were camping in Jaffna last weekend to plan and campaign for the forthcoming civic elections to the town and village councils scheduled to take place in the north on 23 July. Their meetings were also participated by occupying Sri Lanka’s colonial governor Maj. […]

 By Namini WijedasaPresident Mahinda Rajapaksa last week categorically told newspaper editors that a law to protect the people’s right to information was unnecessary. He said instead that he could ensure access to information excluding what was covered by the Official Secrecy Act and national security. If a journalist lodged a request, the president said, he […]

04 July 2011 The Ministry of Defence has lifted the travel restrictions on foreign passport holders to visit north from today. This restriction had also affected many former Sri Lankans who have obtained citizenship in other countries when they visit north.According to Military Liaison Officer Officials, foreign pass port holders are no longer required to […]

Villagers in the eastern Sri Lankan district of Amapara have been protesting against the moves by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to acquire their ancestral land in order to establish a new camp.Panama, Kumana, Helawa and Ragamwela residents who have tried to resettle after the war say they were prohibited by the SLN, which the villagers […]

A group of exiled journalists from Sri Lanka have dismissed the “new executions video clip” with Tamil speech aired in a pro government television channel as “fake” and one that emerged two years ago.Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) say that the “newly emerged” video was first published in a pro government website on […]

Gurusinghage Priyantha alias Neluwe Priyantha a criminal allegedly involved in a number of crimes died when the police task force opened fire on him this morning.During the interrogation of him , it has come to light that a cache of arms are hidden in the Sooriyakande district. It is reported that when he police went […]

There is a very critical structural shift in policies towards militarization of this country.Unlike in the past we see that the Navy has started a water bottling company.It is taking tourists on whale watching tours in the East. The Air Force is running helicopter services. The Army is selling vegetables. In the same brush that […]

The May 2011 Joint Humanitarian and Early Recovery Update released on June 24th by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) states, that a total of approximately 220,000 persons are still displaced in the ‘former conflict regions’.The highlights of the report as follows:I. Situation overview and highlights – Between 1‐31 May 2011, […]

If the videos in Killing Fields have indeed been doctored, the truth must come out. However, the government of Sri Lanka’s previous behaviour in keeping stories of the war quiet affects its credibility in relation to these allegations. Sri Lankan situation: the truth must come outby Sunili GovinnageTonight, ABC’s Four Corners will show Killing Fields, […]

by Basil FernandoIn my earlier short essay titled Replacing investigations with gossip, I tried to point to the absence of outrage against forced disappearances in Sri Lanka, which I ended by saying that there must be some cultural for such an attitude. In this second short essay I venture to look into what that cultural […]