Devolution

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sri Lanka is going into another presidential election in a few weeks with unresolved human rights issues and undelivered promises in hand. The Executive Presidency continues unabolished despite repeated promises of the presidential candidates who came to power in the last 25 years. Though the 19th Amendment to the Constitution trimmed the powers […]

Meera Srinivasan. Jaffna district MP and Tamil National Alliance spokesman on the national unity government’s performance, the 13th Amendment, and India’s relations with Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka’s presidential poll in 2015, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), representing Tamils of the north and east, led its constituency in a crucial protest vote against then President […]

(Press Statement/21.08.19.)   Senior Japanese Diplomat and United Nations administrator His Excellency Yasushi Akashi met with the Leader of the Tamil National Alliance Hon R Sampanthan member of Parliament, Yesterday (20.08.2019) at his residence in Colombo.   Mr. Sampanthan expressed upon the Special ambassador that though the armed conflict has come to an end, the solution […]

Image: “So, please remember this and the earlier  you do it, the better. If you do not do it and abstain from doing the right thing, I do not think the Tamil people will take it lying down for too long,” Sampanthan tells the govt. NEW CONSTITUTION WITH NATIONAL CONSENSUS. R. Sampanthan. Mr. Deputy Speaker, […]

Today in this House it is the UNP that is in Government. The responsibility is with you. The Prime Minister became the Chairman of the Steering Committee that has met over 80 times and has brought two comprehensive reports. The second one includes a draft of the constitution made by the experts to the steering […]

Speech delivered by Hon R Sampanthan MP, at Matara on 7th July 2019, at the event to felicitate Hon Mangala Samraweera MP, Minister completion of 30 years in active politics. Hon Mangala Samaraweera my dear friend for a long time, Hon Sajith Premadasa Minister, Hon Ministers Hon State Ministers, Hon Deputy Ministers Hon Members of […]

Image: In Bandara Koswatte, the mob attacked the main mosque despite Police and Army presence, says HRCSL. In a letter to Acting Inspector General of Police, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka  has provided evidence of police complicity in the recent anti-Muslim attacks in Sri Lanka and recommended urgent action to be taken . Same quotes form the […]

Image: Disappearances by S.P. Pushpakanthan. (10 April 2019, London) The statements made by the Sri Lankan delegates at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) 40th session and again within a week after returning from Geneva are highly disappointing. The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) finds this disconcerting, considering Sri Lanka has just taken the positive step of co-sponsoring […]

 R .Sampanthan. As I have often stated earlier, the future of the country is not purely an economic issue. It is a very multifaceted issue. Even the future economy of the country is dependent upon several issues; it is dependent upon its unity and its strengths based upon the unity; it is dependent upon the […]

Image: Sri Lanka delegation at HRC 40. The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva. Human Rights Council, 40th Regular Session. Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights on ‘Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka’, Statement by Hon. Tilak Marapana, PC., MP, Minister of Foreign […]

The UN Resolution 30/1 on Sri-Lanka was adopted by the Council along with the co-spon-sorship of Sri-Lanka to ensure truth, justice, reparation and non-recurrence based on the inter-national human rights law and international humanitarian law. But the Sri-Lankan government has given up these international standards and the objectives of the Resolution 30/1 and uses it […]

(Press Statement/TNA) The former United Nations Under Secretary General for political Affairs Mr Jeffrey Feltman met with the Leader of the Tamil National Alliance Mr. Sampanthan in Colombo today (18.03.2019) Mr Jeffrey Feltman commended the TNA and its Leader for the crucial role they played aftermath of the events took place 26th of October 2018. […]

Image: Thousands of mothers are still waiting for the answers and justice for their disappeared children. (c)s.deshapriya. (GENEVA, March 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ ) The Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), the British Tamils Forum (BTF), the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) and the US Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) today welcomed the UN Office of the High Commissioner’s report to […]

(The Island/03.04, 2019,) A delegation consisting of representatives of at least four Tamil political parties is scheduled to head for Geneva to lobby the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for an international mechanism to speed up investigations into alleged human rights violations and accountability issues. The delegation would also request the appointment of a UN […]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Read the full report as a PDF:Sri Lanka Briefing Note No 14 Feb. 2019 In the last two months of 2018, Sri Lanka witnessed a political coup led by its President. The coup was short lived. The attempt to overthrow the democratically elected Government and bring back the authoritarian ruler, who was rejected […]

Image: A rusted bicycle standing idle by the Jaffna lagoon, April 2018. © S. Deshapriya. ( Daily Mirror 18.02.19) A decade after the war, the North continues to be mired in a social and economic crisis, with little light at the end of the tunnel. The liberals address this crisis by increasingly resorting to attitudinal, behavioural and […]

image: Michelle Bachelet Jeria with UNSG. Jaffna/30 January 2019. Her Excellency Michelle Bachelet Jeria The High Commissioner for Human Rights Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Palais Wilson 52 rue des Pa quis CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland. Your Excellency, Re: Your Report to the UNHRC in March 2019 on Sri Lanka We […]

In a discussion with Mr Fergus Auld, Head of South Asia Department , UK and India Coordinator TNA has insisted that  the process outlined by the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution in Geneva should be kept alive, and tall  necessary action  should be taken to ensure its implementation within a given time frame. Full statement issued […]

The Constitutional Expert Committee’s report, which was tabled in the Sri Lankan parliament on Friday abolishes the powerful Executive Presidency and replaces it by a Westminster style parliamentary system with a powerful Prime Minister and a ceremonial President. As per the report which can be described as the “draft constitution”, the President will cease to […]

It was on April 23, 2017 that I joined the Iranaitivu residents in their journey to reclaim their traditional island, which had been denied to them by the Navy for more than 25 years. When I visited last week with some friends and colleagues, I again experienced their love for their land, resilience and determination […]

Steering Committee unable to reach an agreement on draft PM asks Constitutional Assembly and public to decide fate of the process Acknowledges taking process forward difficult without 2/3 majority  Despite lack of draft Constitution, MR demands it be tabled TNA says new Constitution was aimed at uniting all Sri Lankans  JVP slams PM, points out […]

Image:  Member of the European Parliament and of the Friends of Sri Lanka group in the European Parliament Hon Geoffrey Van Orden met with TNA today in Colombo. ( TNA photo) The draft Constitution which was done by a panel of experts which was to be presented in Parliament in 7th of December 2018, will be presented before 4th […]

Any day is important, and some days are extra- special. However, the events that unfold on that special day would be fermented for over the years. Some years are extra-special too. The year 2019 is one such year. As the presidency enters into its fifth year, this would be the election year. This is also […]

In addition to the ongoing process of releasing private and state lands in the North and East, hitherto being used by the Army with no impact on national security needs, HE the President has directed further to release state lands, being used as Army farms in those provinces without delay. Accordingly, 1099 acres of state […]

New Year Greetings. My heartiest wishes for a Prosperous and a Happy New Year to all Sri Lankan citizens. As we step into a new year I wish and pray that this new year brings hope and happiness to all the people in this Country. The past year has taught us many lessons through both […]

Press release/NPC. The restoration of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to his position as Prime Minister by President Maithripala Sirisena has brought to an end seven weeks of political crisis in which the country did not have a functioning government.   As articulated by the Prime Minister himself, most of the people of this country joined together […]

The National Association of University Academics met the Prime Minister at the Secretariat and forwarded a memorandum with 5 points to be implemented expeditiously. The Secretary of the Association .Prof Channa Jayasumana presented the recommendations and other academics expressed their views followed by him. The Prime Minister stated that he would study these recommendations in […]

SAMPANTHAN’S PREFERENCE OF GANDHI OVER PRABHAKARAN. SAMPANTHAN’S BLOWING HOT AND COLD INDICATES THE PREDICAMENT THE TAMIL LEADERS ARE GOING THROUGH. THE FREEING OF PTA DETAINEES, THE RELEASE OF OCCUPIED LANDS AND THE ISSUE OF MISSING PROGRESSING IN SNAIL PACE. THE CONFESSION ON THE ARMED STRUGGLE LAST WEEK WAS HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE REAL GROUND SITUATION. […]

Mullikulam, bordering Mannar-Puttalam, adjoining the thickets of Wilpattu, was once a vibrant village with a school, post office, multipurpose cooperative outlet, agricultural lands and ponds by the sea where fishing was also thriving. Today it is dull and dry and the lives of the people there are hanging in the balance. By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan. […]

A meeting between The Leader of the Opposition and the Tamil National Alliance R Sampanthan and the Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific Rt. Hon Mark Field took place today at the Westminster House in Colombo. Voicing his concern Mr Sampanthan pointed out that the conduct of this government was undoubtedly different to […]