Reconciliation

Kelum Bandara Amid charges that the government is not genuinely interested in evolving a political solution to the Tamil question, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said yesterday it would discuss its political concerns with India’s Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai tomorrow. Mr. Mathai will arrive in the country today, and visit the North tomorrow to monitor […]

Statement issued by Mr. R. Sampanthan, leader of Tamil National Alliance /Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi on elections scheduled to be held on 8th October 2011 to the Municipal Council, KalmunaiThe Tamil National Alliance-Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi is contesting the elections being held to the Kalmunai Municipal council. Even though our strength within the Area may […]

 The Tamil United Liberation front has appealed to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to intervene and stop the scheme of registering lands in the Tamil-dominated North and East. The process is flawed and would leave most Tamils landless and homeless, it has said.“No one can succeed in collecting the required details asked for in the […]

The government has postponed crucial talks with Sri Lanka’s main Tamil party TNA to find a solution to the political aspirations of the minority ethnic community after the end of a three-decade civil war in May 2009.The direct talks between the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Sri Lankan authorities, which was scheduled for Monday, […]

 In Kokilai district, Mulaitivu where there was a Hindu Kovil (temple) which was damaged during the war is being demolished and a Buddhist Temple is being erected in that place, according to reports reaching Lanka e news. Buddhist monks have arrived there and the construction has begun. Part of the land of the Hospital in […]

Nisthar Cassim in New York President Mahinda Rajapaksa described his engagement with the United Nations member countries last week as very successful for him personally and Sri Lanka at large. “I am very happy with the visit as it was very productive and through our discussions we were able to portray the true picture,” President Rajapaksa […]

The two sides also discussed the issues of resettlement of displaced people including the housing project which is being undertaken with Indian assistance. They also had a detailed discussion on the fisheries issue Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has reiterated at a meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa that a successful conclusion of talks between the […]

”Hence, the overall aim of this current initiative needs to be welcome. However, this circular contains particular provisions, which are problematic and unclear and may exacerbate fear and apprehension among affected communities. ”Bhavani Fonseka and Mirak RaheemThe Government recently unveiled a policy regarding land in the North and East through the introduction of a Cabinet […]

“Whilst clash of ideas, opinions and values continue we have clearly to recognize that dialogue, deliberation and consensus offer the only viable means for resolving differences. The might of powerful nations cannot prevail against justice and fairplay,” said President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the 66th Sessions of the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday. […]

Closing down the infamous Manik Farm barbed-wire camp where several thousands of war-displaced Tamil civilians were detained under extremely difficult conditions since early 2009, the genocidal Rajapaksa regime has now decided to relocate them in some strange jungle areas by force, under the name of ‘resettlement’ of internationally displaced people (IDPs), mainly to cover up […]

Sri Lanka Information Department is reporting that several thousands of IDPs are to be re-settled away from their homes and villages:Govt. to shut down Manik Farm, remaining IDPs to be resettled in Kombavil – PTK Preparations are being underway to construct 600 Acer new village in Kombavil for remaining IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) who are […]

Amid claims by the Sri Lankan government that all displaced persons in Mannaar district have been resettled in their own villages, uprooted residents of Mu’l’likku’lam in Musali DS division of the district, who were evicted from their homes in 2007, are still refused entry to their village by the Sri Lanka Navy, which has changed […]

Dianne Silva The United States yesterday urged the government to control para-military activity in the North and for Tamil police personnel to be deployed to the North. The US Assistant Secretary of State Robert O. Blake told journalists he was concerned about Human Rights in Sri Lanka. “I am concerned about human rights. I discussed […]

”FORUM-ASIA stresses that this Council must continue its demonstrated leadership in seeking accountability for the allegations of gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. To this end, the findings and recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on accountability issues in Sri Lanka must be brought to the agenda […]

12 September 2011: The Government of Sri Lanka has not taken credible steps to ensure accountability for the grave allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity identified in the April 2011 report of the Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka. Nor has the government pursued policies to reconcile the country’s ethnic […]

Mahinda SamarasingheIt is my privilege to once again address this august body as head of the Sri Lanka delegation. We come here as always, Madam President, to share with the members of this Council and the other representatives of the community of nations, our experiences in overcoming the several challenges we face in the present […]

Minister wants land powers for North and East To early to devolve police powers – HisbullahSeptember 8, 2011, 12:00 pm Zacki JabbarDeputy Minister of Child Development and Womens Affairs A. L. M. Hisbullah told The Island that it was alright granting North and East administrations control over land, since it was over two years since […]

Voicing concern over the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka post the conflict, the CPI(M) today asked the government to play a more active role in rehabilitating and relocating them as per India’s commitment under the peace accord between the two countries.The demand was made through a memorandum submitted by a CPI(M) delegation to Finance […]

RAJAPALAYAM: The Sri Lankan government has not provided even basic amenities to the Tamils in that country, MP of the Sri Lankan Tamil National Council Seenithamby Yogeswaran said here on Wednesday. The Lankan MP told reporters that the traditional places of worship of 28 lakh Tamils in the country were being destroyed and their culture was […]

GA says further 42,000 people will soon be resettled in former HSZs The government of Sri Lanka has informed the Supreme Court (SC) that nearly 36,000 families earlier removed from high security zones (HSZ) in Jaffna have been recently resettled.The Jaffna Government Agent Emelda Sukumar has submitted the details to the SC in response to […]

”Since the end of the military conflict in Sri Lanka in May 2009, the situation with regard to asylum seekers from Sri Lanka has become even more of a challenge than before. Thousands of Tamils fled the island as the final military operations jeopardized civilians lives with impunity. Two years after, there are still many […]

The combined Socialist Alliance (SA) yesterday strongly supported the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) as a means of finding a lasting solution to the North-East conflict and said the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) report could be used as a launching pad to start talks.Lanka Sama Samasamaja Party leader and Senior Minister Tissa […]

“For six months we continued with talks, engaging the Government of Sri Lanka. But, there was no constructive outcome. The Tamil National Alliance cannot just keep continuing without any results, just for the sake of ‘engaging’ and ‘continuing’ the talks giving room for Sri Lanka to project an impression to the outside world that it […]

Instead of Tamil grievances alone, committee will have broader mandate Sunday Times Political Editor Contrary to earlier expectations of a Parliamentary Select Committee to address Tamil grievances, the Government will now appoint one “to recommend and report political and constitutional measures to empower the people of Sri Lanka as one nation.”Thirteen Cabinet Ministers are among […]

”Significantly, the statistics show a remarkable degree of congruence between Sinhalese and Tamils on key issues, and a surprisingly positive opinion being held by a fairly large percentage of Tamils on the most contentious and polarising issues. ” Dayan Jayatilleka“Seek truth from facts” (Deng Xiaoping) There is an extensive survey of public opinion, the results […]

“Muslims may not be a community distinct from the Tamils, but they have some special problems pertaining to their security. […] Tamil support for Muslim security and peace could open a new chapter in Tamil-Muslim relations,” says an article by A.R.M. Imtiyaz and S.R.H. Hoole,appeared in Routledge-published July issue of Journal of South Asian studies. […]

D.B.S. Jeyaraj Ten Sri Lankan Tamil political parties may seek solace from agony for two days on August 23rd & 24th in the Indian capital of New Delhi.10 Tamil parties are invited to attend a conference named “Agony & Solace” to be held at New Delhi’s prestigious Constitutional club of India Although titled”Agony and Solace” in […]

Dr. Paikiasothy SaravanamuttuThe existing constitution is more than enough for us to live together. I don’t think there is any issue on this more than that. “I mean this was given as a solution for the whole thing with the discussion of these people. I mean now the LTTE is gone, I don’t think there […]

 As thousands of students begin uninterrupted schooling after a lapse of years, education officials in Sri Lanka’s former northern conflict zone are facing a shortage of teachers.John Edward Solemn, assistant education director of Vavuniya South, an educational division, said the lack of teachers, especially in rural schools and in the subjects of English, mathematics and […]

EC Deshapriya Susitha R.Fernando Amid opposition political parties objecting and expressing concern over the Election Commissioner’s recent move to reduce the number of seats in the Jaffna district, legal experts claimed it was against the Constitution.They said the move could have severe repercussions on the peace after 30 years of bloodshed.Besides concerns by various parties, […]