ESC rights

by Melani Manel PereraClashes occurred on Monday when workers were protesting against a draft law that would not guarantee a lifetime retirement pension. Three people are said to have died in the incident.Police used tear gas and prevented wounded from being evacuated to hospitals.Catholic priests and human rights activists have firmly slammed the brutal police […]

Roshain Shanaka who received gun shot wounds during the protest against the proposed pension bill had died in Ragama hospital.The worker was in Intensive Care since he was shot during the clashes on Monday. Several police officers were also wounded as a result of retaliation by the protesting workers.Earlier Sri Lanka police chief, Mahinda Balasuriya, […]

01 June 2011 Police Chief Mahinda Balasuriya has decided to step down from his post this month, police sources said. An urgent meeting was also held at police headquarters today. The resignation comes amidst the police being criticized over the way they handled the protest by workers of the Free Trade Zone in Katunayake on […]

May 31, 2011/ by Zacki JabbarWhile one Katunayake Export Processing Zone worker remained critical and around 25 were being treated for injuries at the Negombo hospital, as a result of Monday’s clashes with the police, the main opposition, UNP, yesterday accused the government of having created a violent situation by trying to force an unfair […]

‘Workers spurned President’s offer to discuss PSP issue’ May 31, 2011,/By Shamindra FerdinandoUPFA MP Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle says a section of unruly workers had caused Monday’s brawl at Sri Lanka’s largest Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Katunayake and forced the government to shut down the facility on the following day. It could have been easily […]

Police, workers trade accusations – Katunayake EPZ closed todayMay 30, 2011By Lal Gunasekera and Norman PalihawadanaOver a dozen police personnel, including DIG Ravi Wijegoonewardene and many garment workers were injured in clashes between the police and the Katunayake Export Processing Zone (EPZ) workers  yesterday. The police alleged that they had no option but to use […]

Trade unions have threatened to go on a general strike at several Free Trade Zones in the country if the police fail to release some garment factory workers arrested today following a protest.Trade union activist and JVP member Wasantha Samarasinghe told reporters that the police will be given a deadline to release all those arrested […]

Outdoor thrills and hazards give edge to pre-campus leadership training at Army camps. Nadia Fazlulhaq reportsWild elephants, snakes and ravenous mosquitoes are some of the natural challenges that university students have had to face in their first week of leadership training at Army camps around the country. Hardly five days into their training and students, followed […]

By Mirudhula ThambiahDengue is on the rise again with 6,077 cases and 54 deaths in five months, Health Ministry officials said. Colombo with 1,976 cases was identified as one of the most vulnerable districts followed by Gampaha with 709 cases, Batticaloa with 465 cases, Kalutara with 361 cases, Ratnapura with 289 cases and Kurunegala with […]

May 28, 2011The agitation by university dons for higher salaries is another issue that threatens to upset the applecart. The president of the Federation of University Teacher’s Associations Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri complains that at the discussion held last week with the president, he was not allowed to express his views freely with the president interjecting […]

26 May 2011 Despite the ongoing trade union action by university academic staff demanding a pay hike, now thenon-academic staff of universities have threatened to opt for tough trade union action if their ‘longprevailing’ grievances that includes a salary increment were not addressed by the government within 14days.President of the Inter University Trade Union Alliance […]

By Nihal Geekiyanage/ 28 May 2011About 25,000 workers from Katunayake Free Trade Zone (FTZ)—mostly young female garment workers—walked out and demonstrated against the Rajapakse government’s pension bill on Tuesday. They defied their trade unions, which had called off the walkout, to stage the biggest ever protest held in the cheap labour zone since its inception […]

25 May 2011/ by Daniel KittsAn E-Mail Interview with A.R.M. ImtiyazSri Lanka’s ethnic conflict is one of the most polarizing and heated in a world full of ethnic conflicts.For a sample, check out this episode of The Agenda, aired in 2009 shortly after Sri Lankan forces defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, a.k.a. […]

23 May 2011, 8:31 pmThe Friday Forum has demanded that the government ensure that city planning and urban development activities are carried out within a transparent process which takes into account the concerns of people in regard to their homes and property.“We are particularly disturbed at the use of uniformed services personnel to deliver communications […]

24 May 2011By Susitha R. FernandoFive separate fundamental rights applications were filed in the Supreme Court yesterday by the Ceylon Teachers Union and four students who secured university entrance this year challenging the leadership training at army camps for students entering the university.The applications were filed by four students – R. M. Subani Pabasala Ratnayake, […]

If the government does not want to resolve this issue through negotiations by blindly accepting the views of the Treasury Secretary, the university system and the country would definitely lose its best scientists, engineers and medical people who cannot be replaced easily. If the government adopts at least pragmatic perspective taking into consideration its own […]

May 22, 2011Co-Deputy leader of the UNP Sajith Premadasa accuses the government of further militarising the society despite the conclusion of the war in May two years ago.The Hambantota District MP who is also the Deputy Opposition Leader urged the government to abandon a plan to provide a three-week training to some 10,000 university entrants. […]

23 May 2011 By Yohan PereraThe JVP yesterday requested the parents of students who had been selected to the universities not to send their children for leadership training in military camps which is scheduled to begin today.JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a news conference yesterday that they wanted the parents not to send their […]

But let us not get side-tracked by the apparent stupidity of the Ministry of Higher Education. This is not about leadership training; this is part of the regime’s plan to control dissent.  Rather than producing young people with inquiring, critical minds; young people who are passionate and who are willing to fight for causes they […]

With the “Leadership and Positive Attitude Development” programme scheduled to start tomorrow at various Army camps, Nadia Fazlulhaq speaks to concerned parents of new entrants to universities, students’ unions and officials involved in the programme The disputed leadership programme organized by the Higher Education Ministry in collaboration with the Defence Ministry has officials defending it […]

22 May 2011 The United National Party (UNP) today condemned the government’s decision to go a ‘leadership’ training programme for university new entrants inside military camps.“There is no legal provision to conduct such programme and it has not been discussed in parliament as well”, the UNP said in a statement.“This type of training is not […]

By Gayan Kumara WeerasinghaAround 1500 university students have already been absorbed into the Police Training College (PTC) with the intention of providing them with leadership skills, Police department sources said.A Police department source added that these students have been absorbed into PTCs situated at Pathgama, Mahiyangana, Elpitiya, Kundasale and Nikaweratiya.These sources said that this exercise […]

 2011-05-22A building complex in Buttala belonging to the Sabaragamuwa university has been taken by the Higher Education Ministry to commence a military school, it is learnt. Residents in Buttala have raised objections to the move with the Higher Education Ministry saying that the buildings should not be used for a military establishment.Higher Education Ministry Secretary […]

20 May 2011By S.S. SelvanayagamThe Supreme Court today directed the Attorney General to consider instructing the relevant authorities to postpone for one week the impugned mandatory training in military camps for the students who are eligible to enter the State Universities.The Court made this direction in the wake of the training for the first batch […]

A response to Minster of Higher Education, S. B. Dissanayake We need to point out that Mr. Dissanayaka’s kalakannis are not magically produced in four years at university. They are a culmination of years of hard work by many branches of society. Accepting sole credit for this dead weight would be irresponsible on our part. […]

If they are not mere words of wooing, laptop with internet is clearly something to go for, if only the venue was other than a military establishment. 16 May 2011Military leadership training is such a vague description for the newest addition to the university curricula, which will commence on May 23, in numerous army camps […]

More than 130,000 acres of paddy lands, 47 tanks, 14 islands and several lagoons that had been used for fishing have been taken over by the government for various purposes.The government has seized more than 25,000 acres from Monaragala District and over 35,000 acres from Trincomalee District.3000 to 5000 acres of lands have been seized […]

15 May 2011 At the intended leadership training in Army camps for new entrees for universities the freshers will be taught how to wake up early morning, brush their teeth, wash their faces and how to take their meals properly says the Minister of Higher Education S.B. Dissanayake.  He had said there is no other […]

15 May 2011 At the intended leadership training in Army camps for new entrees for universities the freshers will be taught how to wake up early morning, brush their teeth, wash their faces and how to take their meals properly says the Minister of Higher Education S.B. Dissanayake.  He had said there is no other […]

16 May 2011More than 130,000 acres of paddy lands, 47 tanks, 14 islands and several lagoons that had been used for fishing have been taken over by the government for various purposes.The government has seized more than 25,000 acres from Monaragala District and over 35,000 acres from Trincomalee District.3000 to 5000 acres of lands have […]