• Main Tamil party need not be considered when solving the ethnic problem: Rajapaksa

    Jun 06
    Stressing that Sri Lanka’s ethnic Tamil issue “ cannot be imported” , President Rajapaksa told the visiting Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader,  Ravi Shankar Prasad, that all political parties must join hands to find an ‘all-inclusive’ settlement to the ethnic issue.
  • Sri Lanka exempted from Iran sanctions

    Sri Lanka will be one of nine countries that have been granted exemptions from sanctions on Iranian oil purchases by the US State Department.

    In a statement, Secretary of State John Kerry said that China, India, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Taiwan have again qualified for an exemption to sanctions as these countries had significantly reduced purchases from Iran.

  • IMADR reports lack of Freedom of Assembly
    The NGO, International Movement against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), submitted a written statement to the UN Human Rights Council 23rd session on Freedom of Assembly in Sri Lanka.

    The statement points out that suppression of freedom of assembly is 'worst' in the Northeast, saying:
  • JHU ready to discuss draft constitution with UNP

    The JHU will be looking to discuss the draft constitution with the UNP, said General Secretary and Sri Lankan Minister, Patali Champika Ranawaka. 

  • Reflections on Sivakumaran's sacrifice
    Ponnuthurai Sivakumaran is remembered as the first in a relentless stream of politically active Tamil youth who gave their lives to the struggle, exasperated at the ineffectual politics taking place at the time.

    The deaths of Tamils at the World Tamil Research conference, and the Sri Lankan state’s brutality at the event, only exacerbated the prevailing dissatisfaction amongst Tamil youth, that saw political negotiations with a state intent on ruthlessly destroying the Tamil identity as pointless. As the state's violence against Tamils escalated over the subsequent years, the overwhelming growth of Tamil armed resistance was all but inevitable.
  • Woman's corpse in Maankulam identified as SL Defence Force recruit

    The body of a young woman, found in Maankulam on May 19th, has been identified as that of a Tamil woman recently recruited into Sri Lanka's Civil Defence Force, reports Uthayan.

  • Sri Lanka’s media and its impact on foreign relations…

    A draft of the Code of Media Ethics, proposed by Sri Lanka, stipulates that nothing should be published which “contains criticism affecting foreign relations”.

    The clause is the second on the draft, obtained by the DailyMirror, which contains 65 further clauses, including that no information “which could mislead the public” should be published.

  • Heritage Ministry to take legal action against Japanese beer company

    Sri Lanka's National Heritage Ministry said on Tuesday that it would be taking legal action against a Japanese beverage company using the Sigiriya site in a beer commercial and thereby 'disgracing' the heritage side.

  • Buddhists oppose Indian plans for Sita temple in Sri Lanka

    The Buddhist organisation Ravana Balaya has said it would not allow a Hindu temple to Sita to be built on the island, unless a statue for Ravana, a king in the legen Ramayana, was built first.

    Speaking to the DailyMirror, leader of the group Itthakande Saddhathissa said they would oppose the temple, which was supposed to be built with Indian funds.

  • Cementing friendships

    Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, welcomed and hosted a lunch for Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, who visited Sri Lanka en route to East Asia.

  • Buddhists never extremist – Mahinda

    Sri Lanka’s president Mahinda Rajapaksa has claimed that Buddhists and the Buddhist clergy have never been involved in extremism.

  • SL rewards 'heroes'

    Sri Lankan President, Mahida Rajapaksa, handed over 100 houses that were built under the ‘Api Wenuwen Api’ housing program for the Sri Lankan nations ‘war heroes’.

  • Tremendous' progress in Sri Lanka - Nonis

    See here for Sri Lanka's high commissioner to the UK, Chris Nonis on Monday telling the BBC his version of demographics on the island and speaking about the 'wonderful' and 'comprehensive reconciliation' in the Northeast.

  • India is Sri Lanka’s closest friend – envoy

    The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India Prasad Kariyawasam has assured India that it is Sri Lanka’s closest friend.

    Kariyawasam’s comments come as President Rajapakse concluded a visit to China, during which several contracts, worth billions of dollars were signed.

  • Only in #lka
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