• Visa refusal for Tamil refugee overturned in Australia

    Oct 04
    An Australian court has overturned the decision by the Australia Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) to withhold a visa for an asylum seeker on the grounds he was a  'security risk', despite being considered at risk of persecution and deemed eligible for asylum. 

    The court ruled that the withholding of the visas in such circumstances was "invalid" and  ''had not been made according to law''.
  • NGO calls for an international, independent investigation into deaths of humanitarian workers
    The humanitarian organisation, Action Against Hunger, has called on the United Nations to launch an independent investigation to finally bring those responsible for the murders of 17 aid workers, in 2006 to justice.
  • Go forward, Buddhist soldier
    To celebrate the 63rd anniversary of the Sri Lankan Army, a “flag blessing” event was held in Anuradhapura earlier this week.

    The event was held “giving prominence to Buddhist religious rites and rituals” according to the official Sri Lanka Army website.
  • Rs 4.1 billion to be spent on a military hospital
    The Sri Lankan government has announced that a brand new hospital will be built  for the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, at a cost of 4.1 billion rupees.

    Government Minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said that,
  • Frances Harrison’s book, ‘Still Counting the Dead’, is out.

  • Rs 2.4 billion allocated for new military hospital & uniforms

    The Cabinet has approved two billion rupees for new military uniforms and 4000 million rupees towards a brand new military hospital, announced the Cabinet spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella on Thursday.

  • Sri Lanka nullifies Eastern provinces’ little remaining powers
    A recent bill, with regards to development in the eastern provinces that was passed this week, has received wide criticism from local Tamil councillors and further civil circles, reported TamilNet.
  • Buddhist monks attack Bangladeshi embassy in Colombo

    Buddhist monks threw stones and damaged windows of the Bangladeshi embassy in Sri Lanka on Thursday, as they protested against attacks on Buddhist temples and businesses in Bangladesh.

    A police officer and a monk inspect the damage (Daily Mirror)

    Bangladesh High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Sulfur Rahman, said about 900 protesters, mostly Buddhists monks, threw water bottles and brickbats at the high commission, causing damage to the windows and property. 

    Buddhist monk Gakagoda Gnenesaara said in the statement that,

    “We were tolerant, but day by day we notice great injustice caused to Buddhists by Islamic extremists, we can no longer be patient.”

    The protest was organised by a Buddhist organisation called Bodu Bala Sena.

    A leaflet was distributed some days before the protest, which called on protestors to “strike down extremists as they flee”.

  • Sri Lanka's policy towards witnesses is revenge, not reconciliation - Frances Harrison

    Writing on the online site OpenDemocracy.net, Frances Harrison argues that the government's treatment of witness is "short-sighted" and "will hamper any kind of reconciliation or understanding between the different ethnic groups".

    See here for full article. Extracts reproduced below:

  • Monks advise the ministry
    The chief Buddhist monks from Asgiriya and Malwatte have met with Sri Lanka’s Higher Education minister, to advise him on how to handle the country’s striking university academics.

    The monks used their expertise to reportedly asked to Minister to be more “flexible” and to “work cooperatively” with all parties in a meeting in Kandy.

    See our earlier posts:
  • UNHCR operations to be phased down

    The "operational role of the UNHCR in Sri Lanka would be phased down" said the UN Hugh Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, despite the ongoing displacement of 'resettled' Tamil IDPs.

    Guterres added:

  • Website editor’s premises stormed by intruders

    The premises of an online journalist were ransacked in broad daylight today, reported the Sri Lanka Mirror.  The board room of the editor of yukthiya.com, Krishantha Rajapakse, was stormed by three persons claiming to be the police.

  • Sri Lanka “firm” on continuing training military in India - Basil

    The Minister for Economic Development, Basil Rajapakse, has reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment to continue training its personnel in India.

  • Resettlement and rehabilitation 'most important' says Manmohan Singh

    The resettlement and rehabilitation of Tamils in the North-East "have been of the highest and most important priority" for the Indian government, said Manmohan Singh in a reply to a letter by DMK leader Karunanidhi.

    Singh added,

  • Ban Ki-Moon pushes for political solution

    During a meeting with External Affairs Minister GL Peiris, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed that a political solution must be found “without further delay”.

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