• Former Tory foreign sec likens CHOGM in SL to CHOGM in Apartheid Pretoria

    Speaking to the UK's Channel 4 News, two former foreign secretaries - the Conversative Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Labour's David Miliband, condemned the idea of Sri Lanka hosting CHOGM later this year.

    Rifkind said:

    "Frankly against that background to have the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at this moment in time in Sri Lanka - I don't want to exaggerate but it would be rather like during the height of the Apartheid controversy when South Africa was still a member of the Commonwealth - having a Head of Government Meeting in Pretoria"

  • It's only you who disagree with us - SL Amb Nonis tells Channel 4

    Asked by Channel 4's Jonathan Miller on whether Sri Lanka should be hosting the CHOGM later this year, Sri Lanka's ambassador to the UK Chris Nonis replied:

  • Stalling, Sri Lankan style...

    According to local Sri Lankan media reports, the External Affairs Secretary Karunathilaka Amunugama has said that the government had appointed a committee to study the draft of the resolution.

  • SL will be an important test - Canadian Liberal leader

    Statement by the Canadian Liberal leader, Bob Rae on Commonwealth Day:

    “Today Canadians join with people of all ethnicities and faiths around the world in marking Commonwealth Day. This is an occasion to reflect on and celebrate the ties that unite our diverse Commonwealth family of 54 nations.

    It is also a time to take note of our common history and the shared values that define the Commonwealth: democracy, peace, rule of law and opportunity for all. Canada must remain committed to advancing these founding principles, and continue building on the Commonwealth’s long history of fostering democracy.

  • Govt should keep CHOGM attendance under review - UK's Shadow Foreign Sec

    Careful to avoid calling for a boycott of CHOGM or a change of venue, the UK's shadow foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander, said that the British government should "keep its attendance at this summit under review as it awaits effective action from the Sri Lankan Government.”

    Four years on, Alexander did not outline how much longer the British government should wait for.

    Alexander's statement - 'Commonwealth Day should be a day for celebration' - published on Commonwealth Day, has been reproduced in full below:

    “Commonwealth Day should be a day for celebration of the role of the Commonwealth in promoting human rights globally.
     
    “But with the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting due to take place in Sri Lanka in November, it should also be a day for action by the Sri Lankan government: action that acknowledges the appalling human rights abuses which have taken place there over recent years.

  • BJP - 'totally against the butchering of the Tamils'

    Speaking in the Lok Sabha, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, said, “We are not in favour of carving out a separate nation out of Sri Lanka but are totally against the butchering of the Tamils.”

  • SL does not recognise UNHRC resolution 19/2 - SL Amb Aryasinha

    Sri Lanka does not recognise resolution 19/2 adopted by the UNHRC in March 2012 said the country's ambassador to Geneva during an informal meeting on Friday regarding the resolution tabled by the US.

    Ravinatha Aryasinha, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva said:

    "The Government of Sri Lanka does not recognise resolution 19/2 and maintains its consistent position that, through resolutions of this nature, what is being perpetuated is a politicized process in a manner which is unfair, biased, unjust, and contrary to the principles of cooperation, genuine dialogue and the founding principles of universality, impartiality non selectivity, that should guide all member states in facilitating the method of engagement and the mandate of the Council."

    The full text of his quotes, as outlined in the Asian Tribune, are reproduced below:

    1. I am here today, as I do not wish to dismiss the interest taken in Sri Lanka by member and observer states, representatives of international organizations and civil society, irrespective of whether such interest is justified or not. GOSL always has, and continues to remain engaged with all parties seeking a respectful and constructive dialogue on how to move the process of reconciliation in Sri Lanka forward. We hope this spirit of engagement will be reciprocated, and that member and observer states of the HRC will view developments in Sri Lanka with an open mind.

  • 8 Tamil Nadu students fast in protest on Eelam Tamil issue

    Eight students of Loyola College in Tamil Nadu began a 'fast unto death' on Friday, making key demands including an independent, international inquiry into allegations of war crimes, and a referendum on Tamil Eelam for Tamils in the North-East.

  • Australia must 'issue a rebuke' to GOSL - The Age editorial

    Editorial - 'Sri Lanka lets itself down' - published in the australian newspaper, The Age on Saturday:

  • Tamil MPs and activists in Geneva may be arrested on return - SL Govt minister

    Tamil MPs and activists from the North-East who are in Geneva attending the UN Human Rights Council session currently underway, will be questioned and arrested on return if 'they have made statements detrimental to the unitary character of the state', said a prominent government minister to a Sinhala newspaper - Lakbima.

  • Sampanthan's bicycles arrive
    India has announced that it has donated 10,000 bicycles to the North-East in order to help “rehabilitate” displaced Tamils, reported the Hindu.

    The bicycles have been distributed across Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Vavuniya and Jaffna.
  • 20000 new houses to be built ... in the South

    The Ministry of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities of Sri Lanka announced that 20000 new houses were under construction to aid low income families.

    The new construction phase is part of the 'Colombo city revival programme' which looks to construct 40,117 houses by the end of this year.

  • Bangladesh overtakes SL in India trade

    Bangladesh is now India’s largest trade partner in South Asia, replacing Sri Lanka at the top spot, reported The Island on Saturday.

  • Malaysia urged to vote against SL at UNHRC

    A human rights group in Malaysia has called upon the country to vote against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, as the vote on the US-sponsored resolution at the council draws closer.

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