A Muslim businessman was reported missing on Sunday after reports that he had recently complained to the CID about frauds committing by other business people amounting to Rs 70 million, the Daily Mirror reported. The 29 year old man, named as Mohammed Sakeem Sulaiman was reported missing by his family. Bambalapitiya police have launched an investigation into his disappearance.
A Tamil mother holds a photograph of her missing son at a protest outside Sri Lanka's presidential commission sitting in Jaffna last year. Sri Lanka’s presidential commission to investigate disappearances across the island has recommended amnesties for those accused of human rights abuses in its final set of recommendations, reports the Sunday Times . The Paranagama Commission also recommended the creation of yet another commission, to be named the “Special High court and a Truth Commission”, and called for the barring of international figures from joining proceedings. The final report said...
The Sri Lankan government has hired yet another lobby firm based in the United States, reports the Sunday Times . The firm, Sandler, Travis and Rosenberg (ST&R), has reportedly been hired with the blessings of Sri Lanka’s Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrema to “educate officials on a non-existent peace process, increase economic ties and market access”. The firm is charging a monthly fee of US$ 30,000. Lobby firms were used extensively during Sri Lanka’s previous government, with one group even claiming to have scripted the former president’s...
The Sri Lankan army has denied reports that it will be closing down camps in the Eastern province. Hiru News reported the Ministry of Defence as stating “there is no truth” to a report that 64 camps were set to be withdrawn from the Eastern province. It went on to label such reports as “misinformation” adding that there would be no reduction in the number of camps in in Trincomalee, Amparai and Batticaloa. Camps are to been maintained “as part of a holistic plan to ensure national security” it said. Just this week, the Sri Lankan military announced an expansion of its base in Vanni. Meanwhile...
Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa criticised his predecessor Chandrika Kumaratunga this week, rubbishing her claim that “75%” of the war against the LTTE had been completed under her government. "The aristocrats can make all sorts of claims, but the people of this country know the truth,” said Mr Rajapaksa. “They are the best judges." Ms Kumaratunga made the comments in 2014, when she questioned “How can one deny it?” “Are our people a bunch of donkeys to believe in untruths?,” she asked. “Nearly 75 per cent of the areas controlled by Prabhakaran were liberated under my...
Despite widespread criticism over Sri Lanka's historic lack of judicial process over state crimes committed against the Tamil people, the prime minister on THursday defended the country's legal system, stating that any prosecutions to emerge from the Office of Missing Persons would occur under the present laws. Stating that "the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) will lead to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission," Mr Wickremesinghe was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying, "truth should not lead to retribution. We should put the past behind us. We have a future ahead." “If there is to be...
Families of those missing marched in Mullaitivu on Thursday, protesting against the enforced disappearances of their loved ones and demanding action. Mothers held photographs of their missing children and handed over a petition calling for action to the local Northern Provincial Council member, Ravikaran, in order for him to hand it over to the leader of the NPC, C V Wigneswaran and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader, R Sampanthan. This protest was the latest in the series of protest held by families demanding to know where their loved ones are. Many were tearful as they told reporters...
Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy wrote to India’s external affairs minister this week, calling for the release of four fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy. Mr Narayanasamy, who met with Minster Sushma Swaraj in Delhi last week to discuss the issue of the Sri Lankan military arresting fishermen, called for steps to be taken to release the men. The group, from Karaikal and Tamil Nadu, were arrested last week by the Sri Lankan navy and are currently being held in jail.
Photograph: ColomboPage Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena declared Theravada Buddhism the island’s biggest wealth, at a Buddhist religious festival in Kandy this week. Speaking at the conclusion of the Esala Perahera festival at the president’s residence in Kandy, Mr Sirisena said , "We have inherited high moral values that no other developed country in this world possesses, because of our proud culture which developed with the philosophy of the Buddha." "The biggest wealth we can give to this troubled world is the Theravada Buddhism," he added. Theravada Buddhism is the branch...
After 30 years of military occupation, the Sri Lankan armed forces have released a Tamil school playground that it had taken over. The Rambaikulam Girls’ school playground in Vavuniya has been occupied by the Sri Lankan Air Force since March 12, 1986. The military took over the playground “in view of terrorism,” reports The Island and despite the end of the armed conflict more than 7 years ago, it had continued to be under military occupation. After a request by the principal of the school, the playground has now been released.