rule of law

’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 […]

04.June.2011We are compelled to reveal with deep regret that the final funeral proceedings of young Roshen Chanaka who was ruthlessly murdered by the police faced obstruction from Rajapakse regime’s army owing to their forcible disgraceful intrusion into it.About a group of about a thousand army officers headed by a Brigadier had carried out this operation. […]

By Saroj PathiranaA doctor who describes himself as Sri Lanka President’s personal physician is accused of prescribing a banned substance to Sri Lanka’s opening batsman Upul Tharanga.Upul Tharanga was reportedly informed by the ICC that traces of Prednisolone was found in his blood sample randomly taken during the World Cup co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka […]

A Statement issued by the Lawyers for Democracy Lawyers for Democracy (LfD) is shocked at the violence meted out to protesters at the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (FTZ) and calls for an immediate halt to such violent practices and an independent investigation as to what transpired.The use of force was against workers who challenged the […]

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 […]

The International Federation of Journalists, co-author partner organisation International Media Support, and 37 signatory members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), including co-authors the Writers in Prison Committee – PEN International, Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters sans Frontières, endorsed the following letter at IFEX’s General Meeting held in Beirut, Lebanon on May […]

Gradual erosion of judicial independence in Sri Lanka concerns IBAHRI The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) is concerned about the increasing erosion of judicial independence in Sri Lanka. In a confidential letter, dated 19 May 2011, the IBAHRI outlined its concerns to the Government of Sri Lanka in regard to the 18th Amendment […]

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 […]

02 June 2011 / By Nabeela Hussain Hundreds of Katunayake Free Trade Zone employees are stuck within the Zone unable to leave the area due to conflicting orders given by the government and the army, several trade unions said yesterday.The Free Trade Zone Workers Union (FTZWU) said according to a Board of Investment (BoI) directive, […]

 02 June 2011 /By Yohan PereraUnrest at the Katunayake Free Trade Zone had resulted in losses at many factories running into millions of rupees, Inter Company Workers Union President Wasantha Samarasinghe said yesterday.Mr. Samarasinghe blamed the police for the losses and said that in one of the companies losses were high as Rs 50 million. […]

 02 June 2011 / By L.B. SenaratneThe Mahanayake of the Malwatte Chapter the Most Venerable Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala thera yesterday said, in reference to the trade union action taken by the university academics, that the promises given to learned professionals should be honoured and university lecturers and professors should not be suppressed like university […]

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 […]

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 […]

 01 June 2011Channel-4’s announcement of screening of an hour-long film on Sri Lanka’s killing fields at UN on 3rd June, and the presentation of video footage to the UN Human Rights Council by the UN special investigator into extrajudicial killings, Christof Heyns, spread a gloomy war-crimes cloud over Sri Lanka making the terror-summit in Colombo, […]

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 […]