Human Rights

Image: how countries vote on Sri Lanka resolution in 2012. Sri Lanka government has decided to inform UNHRC 43 session it’s commitment to achieve sustainable peace through an inclusive, domestically designed and executed reconciliation and accountability process, including through the appropriate adaptation of existing mechanisms, in line with the Government’s policy framework. This would comprise […]

Summary: Pursuant to resolution 40/1 of the Human Rights Council, the present update assesses the progress made in implementing Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, particularly during 2019. While some progress has been made since 2015 in promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in line with […]

Sri Lanka government is going to deploy a police officer for each school in the guise of a drug prevention program. This program will  be launched to eradicate the drug menace from school children, stated the Ministry of Education, Ada Derana reports. Under the program, interested parents or past pupils of each school will be […]

Colombo, February 18 (newsin.asia): On the grounds that the Sri Lankan government’s 2015 decision to co-sponsor the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution No: 30/1 on it was gravely flawed, the incumbent Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime has decided to withdraw the co-sponsorship. A top official in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office told newsin.asia that the decision to […]

Say, who will be the happiest over the US ‘travel ban’ on army chief, Lt-Gen Shavendra Silva – and more so, when it comes to the timing of the American announcement? Not, not even the Sri Lankan Tamil community or the TNA. It’s not even the SLT Diaspora, which has persisted with their anti-Rajapaksa since […]

Image:A Sri Lankan policeman keeps watch at a demonstration in the capital, Colombo, on August 14, 2014.   © 2014 Getty Images  C/O HRW. Reprimanding several CID officials, Colombo Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake today repeatedly emphasized that the CID’s behavior in arresting and producing suspect Udayanga Weeratunga over the alleged MIG 27 deal was unusual and […]

In a meeting with the Tamil National Alliance today in Colombo, Rep. Ami Bera assured that the United States will do all things possible to ensure that the Government of Sri Lanka delivers on its commitments to the International Community. Rep. Ami Bera  is a Member of Congress and Chairman, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on […]

Foreign Relations Minister Dinesh Gunawardena today (16 February 2020) formally conveyed to the US Ambassador Alaina Teplitz Sri Lanka’s strong objections on the imposition of travel restrictions by the Government of the United States of America on Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Army and Actg. Chief of Defence Staff, as well as his […]

Image: During the final stages of Sri Lanka’s civil war, Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva, center, commanded an army division the United Nations accuses of rights violations.Credit…Ishara S. Kodikara/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images. By Maria Abi-Habib and Dharisha Bastians/Feb. 15, 2020. NEW DELHI — The United States has imposed an entry bar on Sri Lanka’s army chief, Lt. Gen. […]

Image: Vikalpa (14 February 2020) In Sri Lanka, many families of the forcibly disappeared mark 14 February as ‘Missing Lovers Day’ in remembrance of their loved ones and to demand truth and justice The Sri Lankan government must deliver justice, truth and reparation to the families of the forcibly disappeared, Amnesty International said today, as […]

SRI LANKA TAKES STRONG OBJECTION TO THE IMPOSITION OF TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON LT. GEN. SILVA AND HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY BY THE US Media Releases | Fri, 14 Feb 2020 It was announced a short while ago that the US Department of State has designated Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, current Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and Acting […]

Issuing a statement after the meeting with visiting EU delegation. the TNA says that “The EU delegation assured that their concerns on the justice for missing persons and ascertain the truth will be reflected soon in their decisions.” Full statement fellows: The European Union delegation led by Ms. Paola Pampaloni Director, Deputy Managing Director, Asia […]

PHOTO: Mr Chen has been publicly critical of the Chinese Government over human rights abuses and media suppression. (Supplied) A citizen journalist who has been critically reporting on Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus crisis from the city of Wuhan has been missing for almost a week, according to his family. Key points: Chen Qiushi reported many hospitals […]

The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) was established under the Office on Missing Persons (Establishment, Administration, and Discharge of Functions) Act, No. 14 of 2016, and has a mandate to establish the fate of persons who went missing or disappeared in connection with the conflict, political unrest or civil disturbances or as a result of […]

Image: Attorney General (left) and Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda (right) at the 70th Independence Day celebration. One of the stranger if not outlandish manifestations of the upending of Sri Lanka’s legal order is the ongoing tussle between the Attorney General and the Presidential Commission inquiring into alleged incidents of political victimisation of public servants […]

Dr Li Wenliang, who was silenced by the Chinese authorities for warning people about the coronavirus, died from the illness on February 7 at the age of 34. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expresses solidarity with the doctors, whistleblowers and journalists at the frontlines of the coronavirus epidemic who are endeavouring to report the […]

The Independence Day celebrations got underway at the Independence Square this morning under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapksa and Prime Minister Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapksa, other local and foreign invitees attended the celebrations. Below is an excerpt of the President’s speech: Sri Lanka is a Unitary State. It is a free, sovereign, independent and […]

Unrealized government commitments to pursue truth, justice and reparations, continued impunity for violations and abuses, compromised freedoms of religion and expression characterized 2019 for Sri Lanka, Amnesty International said as the human rights organization released its annual report on events in the Asia-Pacific region. Human Rights in Asia-Pacific: Review of 2019 published today by Amnesty International […]

A German court convicted a Sri Lankan man Monday of accessory to murder in the 2005 killing of the South Asian nation’s foreign minister for providing his assassins with crucial information. By The Associated Press. BERLIN — A German court convicted a Sri Lankan man Monday of accessory to murder in the 2005 killing of […]

Image: Maithripala Sirisena and his SLFP rump might get crushed in the internal clash over candidate selection. The government might be called two-faced, not in the literal sense of being insincere, but based on two different streams of actions that are flowing from it. Neither stream is insincere, but one is objectively at odds with […]

Paradox of Democracy and Attrition of Civic Space in Sri Lanka: Quo Vadis? The erosion of hegemony of the ruling historic bloc, and the crisis of the state and democratic institutional decay reached a new phase after 1977. After gaining a landslide victory with a five-sixths majority at the 1977 elections, the UNP government under […]

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 […]

(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 […]

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 […]

Image: The 19A was thus, achieved by the resilient advocacy of academics, politicians, civil society groups, erudite clergy and many more agitated citizens of the country who were frustrated by the constitutional chaos and abuse of democracy caused by the 18A.  Just before the dawn of the New Year, two constitutional amendment Bills were presented […]

Hand wringing by Government politicians over leaked tape recordings of phone conversations between prosecutors, judicial officers and a United National Party politician known more for his brawn than his brain, (this worthy’s cerebral power appears to be even less than commonly perceived), is hypocritical in the extreme. Historic undermining of the judicial institution Even as […]

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 […]

Image: Commemorations for veteran journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge were held  Jan. 8 in Colombo. Gunmen murdered Wickrematunge seven years ago. (Story and the Photo  by Niranjani Roland) Supporters of an outspoken Sri Lankan journalist, who was murdered in 2009, have urged the government to properly investigate his death and to ensure that media is protected. Lasantha […]

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 […]