Right to association

 24 June 2011 The protest campaign held in Kilinochchi demanding government to find disappeared persons was successful even though the military personnel attempted to obstruct it occasionally, said steering committee member of ‘Api Sri Lankikayo’ organisation Udul Premaratna. The protest which was held in Kilinochchi town under the patronage of Api Sri Lankikayo organisation was […]

By Lakna ParanamannaBringing the university academics’ ongoing struggle to the streets, a protest march was staged in Colombo for the first time yesterday with the participation of academics from all universities.Hundreds of university academics from Colombo, Jayewardenepura, Sabaragamuwa, Moratuwa, Ruhuna and several other universities participated in the protest march which was organized by the Federation […]

Last week  the NGO secretariat took over the control of the Puttalam based non governmental organization, the Community Trust Fund (CTF) over alleged mismanagement and corruption. NGO secretariat comes under the defence ministry This is the first time an  non Tamil NGO has been taken over by the NGO secretariat/defense ministry  over allegations, without any […]

ITUC to agitate membership protest, demands Govt. immediately withdraw Pension Fund BillAn international grouping of trade unions has vehemently hit out at the recent unrest at the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (KFTZ) that left a worker killed and scores injured, calling upon its 300 plus membership to launch individual protests against the Government of Sri […]

 By Gayan Kumara WeerasingheThe CID in its investigations have determined that when the police said that they had opened fire to save Senior DIG Ravi Wijegunawardena, who was being attacked allegedly by FTZ workers on May 30, the DIG was in fact in hospital.The police fire occurred after DIG Wijegunawardena had been admitted to the […]

It is alleged that not even a library association meeting takes place in that part of the country without the intimidating presence of military personnel. These complaints should be investigated and swift action taken to reassess the security situation there and relax restrictions on people’s freedom. June 17, 2011,Thursday’s savage attack on a group of […]

by JC WeliamunaLet me say in no uncertain terms that the use of firearms by law enforcement is a matter of International Law now. For example, the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials (Basic Principles) provide, in principle 9, that firearms must not be used against persons […]

16 June 2011by D.B.S. Jeyaraj A Tamil National Alliance meeting with 5 TNA MP’s present was attacked by a group of Sri Lankan army men at Alaveddy in Jaffna on june 16th.[‘Hooliganism in Colombo-Attacks on Tamil Satyagrahis‘, Times UK, June 6, 1956]About 15-20 uniformed army personnel wielding poles,batons&rods entered the Saiva Maha Sabhai hall premises […]

16 June 2011In what is seen as retaliation for Channel 4 broadcast Tuesday, the genocidal SL Army occupying Jaffna brutally attacked TNA parliamentarians, journalists and public in Jaffna on Thursday, causing injuries to an unspecified number of people, according to initial reports. The blatant attack by SL Army in uniform took place when the TNA […]

16 June 2011 Three undergraduates who had been held under detention orders in the Mirihana Police for allegedly conspiring against the State had been taken to the CID for further interrogations, Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) yesterday charged.IUSF Convener Sanjeewa Bandara yesterday said that the detained undergraduates were allegedly forced to give statements and a […]

The government presented a bill to the parliament on 2011.05.08 allegedly to grand pension benefits to employees in the private sector. It is clear that by this retirement benefit bill, the government is aiming to gradually prune the   EPF, ETF and Gratuity Benefits and to get control of these funds to gain economic benefits out […]

June 13, 2011/by Norman Palihawadana The CID probing the May 30 police attack on employees of the Katunayake Export Processing Zone (EPZ) claims that it has identified, through video images, several youth from outside the zone and among them are undergraduates who attacked the police with stones and poles. Police sources said that when they […]

 Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne read his script with dutiful assiduity, requesting the parliament to support the Emergency, because ‘the security authorities are continuing to hunt for LTTE remnants in the South’. By Tisaranee Gunasekara“Any excuse will serve a tyrant” Aesop (Fables)It was the time of the month to conjure the Tiger from the dead, […]

By Dr. Vickramabahu KarunaratneMany decades ago in1947 June 5, comrade Velupillai Kandasamy a young member of the GCSU, was killed while participating in a demonstration. He was a clerical officer of the department of health and sanitary services and was killed by police firing ordered by the British police superintendent Robins. He was participating in […]

June 9, 2011/ by Dasun EdirisingheThe Inter Company Employees’ Union (ICEU) has written to the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), in Athens, about the police attack on a workers’ protest, which killed one employee and injured more than 300 at the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Katunayake.General Secretary of the ICEU Janaka Adikari said […]

The funeral of Roshane, the FTZ worker took place Saturday the 4th of June. It was well planned by the government, Not challenged by any means by the TUC ( Trade union congress ) and Opposition Political parties.The Catholic church played a good role supporting and in defence of the government. The church and specially […]

09 June 2011/ By Supun DiasEighty two police personnel including the Katunayake OIC have been transferred, pending investigations being carried out by the CID on the clash between the police and Free Trade Zone (FTZ) workers on May 30, police media spokesman Prishantha Jayakody said yesterday. He said these transfers were a temporary measure and […]

Says JVP wants to topple govt with FTZ, pension issuesMonday, 06 June 2011 The government yesterday blamed the leftist JVP of a conspiracy to topple the government and charged that it would not be reluctant to take legal action against those who engaged in such conspiracies.Issuing a statement the government Information Department stated that “State […]

2011-06-06  –  Statement by Hon. Karu Jayasuriya, Deputy Leader UNPThe government is taking action to suppress those who have dissenting political views, unlawfully, when they fail to achieve same through lawful means. A good example is the pictures published by the media, showing the goons who were waiting to assault a rally organized against the […]

June 4, 2011,By Shamindra FerdinandoDefence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has told German Ambassador Jens Plotner that he had violated protocol by writing to him over last Monday’s incidents at the Katunayake Export Processing Zone (EPZ). The Defence Secretary called an urgent meet at the Defence Ministry with the German envoy immediately after receiving a two-page letter […]

 by Leon BerengerThe funeral of the slain Free Trade Zone (FTZ) worker, 22-year-old Roshen Shanaka was held amidst a large gathering and under tight security at the Gal Oluwa, St. Augustines Church in Minuwangoda yesterday evening.Thousands of mourners ranging from factory hands, schoolchildren to friends, relatives and others flocked to the tiny church from early […]

Those who gave illegal orders still at large 04.June.2011, Lanka e news is in receipt of clear palpable evidence that on the 30th , the day the Katunayake free trade zone protests were staged , the police not only targeted the protestors on the streets but also the workers within the factories when they went […]

04 June 2011/By Lakna ParanamannaHundreds of student monks marched to Temple Trees yesterday to protest the government’s suppression of people’s fundamental and democratic rights.The protest march which began at the Vihara Maha Devi Park continued right up to  Temple Trees without being stopped by security personnel unlike on previous instances.The barriers placed at the Kollupitiya […]

1 June 2011/By the Socialist Equality PartyThe Socialist Equality Party (SEP) condemns the brutal police crackdown unleashed by the government on protesting workers in Katunayake free trade zone (FTZ) on Monday. Police attacked workers with tear gas, water cannons, clubs and fired live bullets.The SEP calls on the working class throughout the country to come […]

Jun 1, 2011 Colombo: Members of the Joint Trade Union Alliance comprising 26 trade unions staged a massive protest today in Colombo against the pension reforms and the Monday’s police attack on Katunayake Free Trade Zone workers who were demonstrating against the proposed pension plan.The private sector employees marched along a busy street in Colombo, carrying […]

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 […]

We were allowed to proceed after a Tamil speaking person from the army in civil attire was allowed to sit among us and under the condition that copies of the presentations should be given to him. Soldiers were moving around the hall peeping in on the meeting. As we left, our names, identity card numbers […]

6 May 2011, 10:26 pmA Statement by the Executive Committee of the Federation of University Teachers’ Association (1) Trade Unions may not have a long history but in the short history of their existence they have acquired an indelible presence in the affairs of nation states. Trade unions historically evolved as organizations to defend collectively […]

These days there is considerable discussion about investigations into some NGOs in Sri Lanka. The president himself is talking in public about this issue and already implying that there is some kind of wrong doing on the part of some NGOs. This has also been followed by several media channels. Therefore some simple reflections on […]