rule of law

 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 […]

The Sri Lanka government is accused of ordering police attack against the FTZ workersA group of powerful trade union federations representing workers in the apparel industry and the health sector have complained to the United Nations seeking an intervention against the restrictions imposed by the government on trade union activity.In a complaint to the International […]

 11 June 2011/ By Yohan Perera Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardene and UNP National Organizer Ravi Karunanayake had a show down in Parliament yesterday over the payment of salaries to security personnel working for a state owned security firm, ‘Rakna Arakshana Lanka Ltd’.Mr. Karunanayake, during question time in the House, raised a supplementary question and […]

by Basil Fernando Five hundred days after the disappearance of journalist and cartoonist, Prageeth Eknaligoda, the family and friends of Prageeth as well as media organizations and human rights organizations took to the streets to demand for inquiries into his disappearance. A serious transformation has taken place in the criminal justice system of Sri Lanka. […]

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 […]

In the Hague, the International Criminal Court had issued arrest warrants on Libyan leader Gaddafi and his son for crimes against humanity. Both, whom the emergent Rajapakse dynasty in Lanka had been cultivating, had their assets frozen. 9 June 2011,/By Darini Rajasingham SenanayakeThe Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,Moves on: nor all your Piety nor […]

10 June 2011In order to absolve the Sri Lanka Army occupying the Tamil country from international accusations, but at the same time to continue terrorisation and subjugation of Tamils, genocidal Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary and presidential sibling Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has formed a private army in the north consisting of military intelligence personal and some members […]

10 June 2011,A dog shot by gun and packed in a bag was put into the well of the house of Professor S.K. Sitrampalam in Thirunelvealy, Jaffna, on Thursday night. The emeritus Professor of Archaeology of the University of Jaffna and Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) stalwart recently gave an interview to a Tamil daily […]

Minister Rajapaksa told the parliament that the land was sold to foreign firms for the full priceThe main opposition in Sri Lanka has accused the government of corruption and not following proper procedure in selling a prime land in Galle Face, Colombo.The United National Party said while the deputy minister says the land was leased […]

9th June 2011The decision in the Supreme Court dismissing, without stating reasons, all the petitions against the programme, has made it all the more important to have a public discussion on its relevance and impact on the university system.  The Friday Forum expresses its deep concern in regard to both the manner in which this […]

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 […]

09 June 2011,More than three hundred youths of both sexes have been reported disappeared after abduction in the Batticaloa district since the eastern province was brought under the control of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), said Mr.P. Selvarasa, district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian during the debate on the extending the State of Emergency for […]

What can be said from the outset is not the fact that the seminar was not the resounding success that it was portrayed by some parties, nor was it a dismal failure. The seminar was a mixed bag. 3 Jun, 2011 Shakya Lahiru Pathmalal From the 31st of April to the 2nd of May I […]

June 07, 2011Sri Lanka’s main opposition which contributed to the systematic breakdown of rule of law and limiting the freedoms of the people, has spoken out against the growing lawlessness and attacks on unarmed sections of the population.Deputy leader of the main opposition United National Party Karu Jayasuriya said goons connected to the state ruling […]

 08 June 2011/ By Kelum Bandara andYohan Perera The government yesterday admitted in Parliament that the Presidential Commission headed by Justice Shirani Thilakawardane submitted its report on irregularities in the purchase of arms, ammunition and other equipment for the Army, the Navy and the Air Force,but declined to reveal further details citing security concerns.but declined […]

’17 ton Treasury illicit gold sale and his Rs. 250 million commission–8.June.20117 tons of gold in the custody of the Public Treasury had been illicitly sold by the Govt. to one Mohomed , a Saudi Arab Sheikh .This gold had been sold at the rate of Rs. 4, 675,000/- per kilogram and the ‘ broker’ […]

2011-06-07Army lawyers who do not appear for suspect army personnel in any case, had violated tradition by appearing for the army personnel accused of assaulting the Matara District judge creating a bad precedent, a senior army officer said.The case against the assault of Matara District Judge Saman Kumara was concluded in the Matara courts yesterday. […]

04 June 2011 Journalists who had gone to cover the last rights for Roshen Chanaka, who was killed by police shooting at a demonstration held against the government’s attempt to bring in a ‘pensions bill’ for private sector employees amidst their opposition, have been denied entry to the church where the mass is to be […]

07 June 2011It was revealed yesterday (6) that the Vice Chancellor of J’pura University had directed a new entrant to make a false complain to Police that he was subject to harassment by the seniors.This was revealed at a media briefing held yesterday (6) at CSR Hall in Maradana conducted by the Students’ Union of […]

Why, the New LTTE Leader Kumaran Padmanathan (KP) represent the Sri Lankan Government as the Spokesperson?by Gunadeera Rajakaruna So through lack of awareness, lack of concern or simply because it suites a particular argument to hold on to power, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is misleading the general public in […]

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 […]

The overriding experience of Tamils has been a discriminatory system and injustice. Those responsible for what may be called war crimes and the worst types of human rights abuses have never been punished. The few cases of massacres, disappearances, torture, rape, custodial killings, mass graves that have been investigated and brought to light have not […]

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 […]

 04 June 2011Sri Lanka Army occupying Jaffna has restarted its terrorising mission of photo registration of people in Jaffna peninsula. Some times back, when the ‘obligatory’ SL military registration of the people in Jaffna was challenged in the courts by the Tamil National Alliance, the SLA said in the courts that it had stopped 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 […]

Criminal Procedure (Special Provisions) Act extendedBy Chandani KirindeThe Government has extended the operation of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Special Provisions) Act which provides for the extension of the period of detention of persons arrested without a warrant and enables the Attorney General (AG) to directly file indictment in the High Court in certain cases […]

By Kishali Pinto JayawardeneThis week, a friend speaking to me on the phone, paused when I remarked that it took ordinary workers to teach this administration, its most telling lesson since it was returned to power post war, while the intelligentsia cowered under their beds, (metaporically speaking), except for some rare exceptions. I was then […]