• Political settlement with Tamils is most urgent' – Financial Times

    Aug 23

    The Sri Lankan government must reach a political settlement with Tamils in the North-East of the island and devolve power to the provinces as a matter of urgency, said the Financial Times.

    In an editorial on Sunday, the Financial Times said the new government must now deal with “several legacy issues”. It continued to say:

    “Most urgent is to reach a political settlement with the minority Tamils in the north and east. They must be convinced that the Sinhalese chauvinism practised by Mr Rajapaksa is over. Power is already devolved to some extent, but this may have to go further. Any settlement must also involve a credible inquiry into the final months of the civil war in 2009 when the government launched a crushing offensive against the Tamil Tigers. Its victory involved the shelling and bombing of civilians and other alleged atrocities. The UN estimates that 40,000 civilians died in the final stretch of the war.”

  • No legal basis for international investigation within Sri Lanka says Ranil
    Sri Lanka will look to solve the Tamil national question in the North-East within the framework of Sri Lanka’s 13th amendment to the constitution said the new prime minister.

    On accountability processes to deal with findings from the UN investigation into Sri Lanka's atrocities, Ranil Wickremesinghe added that there was no “legal basis” for an international investigation within Sri Lanka, stating,

    “But we always said, the UNP, that there was no legal basis for international investigation within Sri Lanka; it had to be domestic. We would like to put forward a domestic mechanism which would be within the four corners of our Constitution but would also be acceptable to all the communities in Sri Lanka plus the international community.”

    In an interview with The Hindu, Ranil Wickremeshinge, said,

    “Substance is what we have to look at. So let us look at how we could work this whole system out and go ahead. The formula which was accepted by India also, let’s see how we work it out within the13th Amendment, maximise it. Let’s build on this. That’s what we are talking about now.”

    Commenting on further devolution of power to the provincial councils, Mr Wickremesinghe added,

  • India plans to establish skills centre for Jaffna uni's Kilinochchi campus
    The Indian government is to establish a skills centre for the University of Jaffna's faculty of agriculture, located at their Kilinochchi campus, reports the Island.

    The project, which was awarded to Link Engineering Ltd specifically, will include not only the building of the premises, but also the supply of equipment, training and introduction of the curriculum.

  • Mangala pledges to focus on building international goodwill
    Mangala Samaraweera pledged to focus on building international goodwill for Sri Lanka, following his appointment as the country's minister of foreign affairs for the third time.

    Speaking after the ceremony, Mr Samaraweera, said he would “build, with even greater vigour, on the tremendous goodwill the international community extended to Sri Lanka after the January 8 revolution”.

  • Sri Lanka to sign trade MoUs with Hong Kong, Korea and Thailand

    Sri Lanka will sign three MoUs with Hong Kong, Thailand and Korea to promote trade and investment announced Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board (EDB) on Monday.

  • Ranil seeks blessings from Buddhist clergy
    Photographs Ranil Wickremesinghe's Facebook page

    Sri Lanka's new prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday sought blessing from the high influential Buddhist clergy and at the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth.

  • Army officers questioned over disappearance of Sinhala journalist

    The Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department has questioned four army officers over the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.

    Sri Lankan media reports indicate that two Lieutenant Colonels, a Sergeant and a Corporal were being questioned over the January 2010 disappearance of the cartoonist.

    Eknaligoda disappeared after his wife claimed he had uncovered evidence of the Sri Lankan Army’s use of chemical weapons against the Tamil people.

    Speaking to the BBC in 2010 she said,

    “In 2008, Prageeth wrote and informed the diplomats about the Sri Lankan government’s usage of chemical weapons against the people in the north.”

    “I think he was abducted by people who did not like the truth.” 

  • Gotabhaya questioned over misuse of state funds

    Former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was questioned in relation to the misuse of state funds earlier today.

  • Tony Blair will 'help negate misconceptions' about Sri Lanka

    Britain's former prime minister Tony Blair said on Monday he would speak on behalf of Sri Lanka to help "negate misconceptions being spread" the country.

    Mr Blair, who is on a private visit to the island, along with his wife Cherie Blair and his two children, met with President Maithripala Sirisena today and praised his efforts at holding "peaceful" parliamentary elections and work done towards reconciliation.

  • NFF to take legal action against former UPFA General Secretary

    The Sinhala hard line National Freedom Front said it will take legal action against the UPFA's former general secretary, Susil Premajayantha, for preparing the coalition's nomination list. Another coalition member, the Front Line Socialist party also expressed it objections to the agreement to form a national unity government by the UPFA and the UNP-led UNFGG.

    The NFF, which is led by Wimal Weerawansa, and won 5 parliamentary seats, also opposed the agreement signed by the two main parties.

    Mr Weerawansa, who is a close ally of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, received the highest number of any UPFA candidate in Colombo’s 16 polling divisions, with 313,801 preferential votes, second behind Ranil Wickremesinghe who won 500,566 preferential votes.

  • Indians arrested in North-East

    Four Indians were arrested in Kalmunai on Saturday, after they violated their visa conditions, according to local police.

    The Indians engaged in business activities, contrary to what they were permitted under their visa.

    Kalmunai police said the suspects will be produced before the town's magistrate's court on Sunday.

  • Body washed ashore in Point Pedro


    The body of a man was found on Sunday by fishermen along the Katkovalam shores of Point Pedro.

    The body, which became caught within a local fisherman's net, is understood to be of a man aged around 40 years.

  • UN must secure justice for Tamils says family of journalist killed in SL army custody
    The family of a Tamil news broadcaster Isai Priya, killed in Sri Lanka’s military custody expressed their hope that the UN would help will achieve justice for the Tamil people.

    Speaking in an interview with WarZoneWomen, the sisters of the murdered journalist Dharmini and Geetha, outlined their experiences of the final stages of the war and what they wanted for the future.

    Describing Sri Lanka’s shelling of the No Fire Zone, Geetha said,

    “By April, the atmosphere was highly polluted, the air was filled with the smells of chemicals, blood, dead bodies and smoke. We were treated like animals. If people didn’t die from shelling, they died from lack of food or medicine. On April 13th-15th the government announced a ceasefire, but they fired at us non-stop.”

  • Sri Lanka Army delays report into killings of 3 protestors
    The Sri Lankan Army’s report in response to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has been delayed said the Army Media spokesperson Army Brigadier Jayanth Jayaweera.

    The Army report was expected to respond to accusations by the HRCSL that Sri Lanka’s army misused powers in dispersing protestors who

  • We will be the main opposition says TNA MP
    The Tamil National Alliance will serve as the main opposition in Sri Lanka, said the TNA MP Selvam Adaikkalanathan, after the UNP and SLFP decided to form a unity government following Monday's election, reports the Daily Mirror.
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