Accountability

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved drafting of a new Bill titled ‘National Intelligence Act’ to regulate and empower all intelligence services, says the Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr.Bandula Gunawardene.This was announced during the media briefing held today (15) at the Government Information Department Auditoprium to announce Cabinet decisions. National intelligence services of the country make […]

(New York) – Respect for fundamental human rights in Sri Lanka is in serious jeopardy following Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election as president in November 2019, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2020. Rajapaksa, along with his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was named prime minister, were implicated in numerous human rights violations during their previous years in […]

(OFFICE ON MISSING PERSONS/MEDIA RELEASE/15 January 2020) Recent media reports have claimed that the government plans to review the Office on Missing Persons (Establishment, Administration and Discharge of Functions) Act No. 14 of 2016 (the Act) with a view to amending the same. The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) officially communicated its position by letters […]

(chamindasworld.wordpress) Prof Ashu Marasinghe has said that Chaminda’s [meaning Wasantha Deshapriya] and Sanjiva Weerawarana’s appointments to the Board of ICTA are dubious and there are conflicts of interest as we were involved in developing the Digital solution for the Election Commission (EC). What is he trying to say? a) Is that we developed a system which […]

The Sri Lankan government is reportedly set to release a soldier who was sentenced to death over the massacre of eight Tamil civilians, according to an opposition parliamentarian who applauded the move. “Now we have got information that the government has taken measures to release 34 members of the intelligence and Sunil Ratnayake, as mentioned […]

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a high-powered Presidential Commissions of Inquiry (PCoI) to investigate allegations of political victimization as well as interference and undue influence on the judiciary and police during the past regime. The Commission comprising retired Supreme Court Justice Upaly Abeyrathne (chairman), retired Appeal Court Justice Daya Chandrasiri Jayathilaka and retired IGP Chandra […]

Why no overtures will be made to Tamils and Muslims by the SLPP until after the parliamentary elections. (Daily Express) The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), whose Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the November 16 election without the support of the minority Tamils and Muslims, and is still to reach out to them in any […]

PEN International is deeply concerned by the ongoing legal proceedings against award-winning writer, Shakthika Sathkumara, accused of inciting religious hatred and violating international human rights Law under Section 3(1) of Sri Lanka’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act No. 56 of 2007 (ICCPR Act 2007) and Article 291B of the Penal Code. Sathkumara is still awaiting the decision of […]

Image: TNA parliamentary group led by its leader R.Sampanthan meeting former president M. Sirisena to discuss issues related to devolution of powers. (file) ” The last 30 years have seen the country making such positive efforts towards resolving issues that have plagued it since Independence by meaningfully acknowledging the plural nature of our polity. We […]

Image: U.S. President Donald Trump announces his strategy for the war in Afghanistan during an address from Fort Myer, Virginia, U.S., August 21, 2017. © 2017 Reuter (Washington) – United States president Donald Trump’s public threat to attack Iranian sites of cultural importance would be war crimes if carried out, Human Rights Watch said today. The US government should immediately clarify that […]

A special Police team  conducted a search operation at UNP Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayaka’s residence at Madiwela. They had obtained a warrant obtained from Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court. UNP Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake has been arrested by the police over possession of a pistol without a valid license reports Daily Mirror. Ramanayaka  tweed  11,30 AM Sri Lanka time […]

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka said that the safety of diplomatic missions is the responsibility of the host state, days after a local staffer who complained of being assaulted was released on bail while being investigated for maligning the government. Before her arrest, the Sri Lankan employee had reportedly […]

It was an eventful year in Sri Lankan politics in 2019. If not a year of crisis, perhaps the term chaos sums it up most accurately. The year started with several political tugs-of-war between former president Maithripala Sirisena and former prime minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, after Sirisena sacked Wickramasinghe and swore-in Mahinda Rajapaksa , quite unconstitutionally. These dramatic events paved the […]

Sri Lanka ex-justice minister moots bill to sweep aside constitutional council. ECONOMYNEXT – An ex-just minister has put forward a 22nd amendment to Sri Lanka’s constitution that will end powers of a constitutional council in appointing independent judges, the police chief and senior government officials and allow the president to hold defence and other ministries. […]

A tumultuous year has ended, and an uncertain future lies ahead.  Democratic space is already closing around us, and it is critical for civil society to be clear-eyed about where we have been and the challenges that lie ahead. Nothing much happened after rescuing the country from a constitutional coup. The PM forgot why the […]

Image: Once allies became enimies — President Maithripala Sirisena, right, with Ranil Wickremesinghe, whom he has sought to oust as prime minister   © Reuters. Preaching to others while lifting a supercilious finger at inequities patently becoming apparent in the return of the Rajapaksas to seats of power in Sri Lanka, the most recent of […]

Issuing  a statement the National Peace Council has listed three issues that can have  impact upon inter-community relations with the state. The statement says that “at this time we want to express our concerns about several matters that could potentially impact upon inter-community relations with the state. “The first is the president’s statements that development […]

Free Media Movement condemns the obstruction of journalists’ from carrying out their professional activities  The Free Media Movement strongly condemns the attack on journalist Prasad Purnamal Jayamanne and the obstruction in carrying out his professional media activities.  According to the reports received, Prasad Purnamal Jayamanne who was photographing a protest by villagers against a tipper […]

Colombo, Dec 20 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said he cannot entertain the 2015 UN Human Rights Council resolution co-sponsored by the previous Sirisena government on alleged war crimes during the country’s three-decade long civil war with the LTTE in its current form. Commenting on the Tamil demand for political autonomy, Rajapaksa on […]

SC orders State to pay Rs. 1 m in compensation, Rs. 250,000 each from four Police officers Read full judgment here: Embilipitiya SC order sc_fr_577_2010 The Supreme Court yesterday directed the State to pay Rs. 1 million in compensation to a woman whose husband died in Police custody in September 2010, and ordered four Police […]

Professing to stand up for party ally MP Patali Champika Ranawaka in the event of any injustice, the United National Party (UNP) today charged that the family of the MP’s former driver were unlawfully detained in the early hours of today (16). Presenting a united face, a host of parliamentarians representing both sides of the […]

Press release, 16.12.2019. An employee of the Swiss Embassy in Colombo has today been detained on the grounds that she allegedly made false statements. The FDFA (Federal Department Foreign Affairs) of  is concerned about this development and calls on the Sri Lankan judicial authorities to ensure better protection of its employee’s personal rights in any […]

Gotabhaya Rajapaksha administration, having appeared as an interim government, has shared almost all the important institutions among the three Rajapaksha Brothers. There are 168 important institutions, 88 the highest number taken by prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksha, 39 the second highest by Chamal Rajapaksha and president Gotabhaya Rajapaksha has retain 31 for himself as the Minister […]

“The tragic paradox of the electoral route to authoritarianism is that democracy’s assassins use the very institutions of democracy – gradually, subtly, and even legally – to kill it.” -Stephen Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt (How Democracies Die) “As if our democracy was nothing but a short-lived dream,” says Brazilian filmmaker Petra Costa in The Edge of […]

The CID yesterday informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne that there was no evidence to show any connection to an alleged abduction of the Swiss Embassy employee Garnier Banister Francis. The CID in its report said it was revealed from the statement given by Ms Francis to the CID that there had been no such […]

Image; Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma. Colombo Magistrate Lanka Jayarathne has asked the Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of the victim of the Swiss Embassy case, to provide the CID with material where he was verbally attacked for appearing for her. Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma, who appeared on behalf of the victim, Ganiya Banister Francis, complained that he […]

Image: Ajith Prasanna, a retired Army officer now practising as a lawyer, has specifically named Colombo Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne, Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake, Udesh Ranathunga and the Mt Lavinia magistrate Lochana Abeywickrema as being politically influenced. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) is condemning “statements made with reference to concluded cases, pending litigation, the […]

Former Editor of the Digital and New Media Unit of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. (Lake House) and founder of popular social media page ‘Madyawediya’ Madhuka Thaksala Fernando has been attacked and issued death threats by the President of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) trade union of Lake House and a number of […]

The mainstream media coverage of the the Swiss Embassy employee who was allegedly kidnapped and later released has come under criticism for unethical behavior. Many pro government media has published the victims photograph without her consent. She appeared before the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for the 3rd day today reports Colombo Gazette. Even before […]

Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayarathne yesterday extended the travel ban imposed on Swiss Embassy employee Garliar Barister Francis, who was allegedly threatened and kidnapped by a group of unidentified men, from leaving the country till December 12. When the case was taken up before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, the Magistrate also issued an order […]