• Dangerous' Sri Lankan propaganda published in US defence journal says international consultant

    Sep 29
    The Sri Lankan president and defence secretary’s joint publication of an article in an United States Department of Defence (DoD) journal, is a “dangerous piece of state-sponsored propaganda” writes an international consultant for the Washington based Asian Correspondent.

    “Rajapaksa’s essay is clearly designed to defend the actions – past, present and future – of the ruling regime. The writing is smooth and clear. Astute Sri Lanka watchers are unlikely to be persuaded by some of the false, misleading or dubious claims in this article. Nonetheless, an intelligent general audience would be more susceptible to this sort of sophistry,” said Taylor Dibbert.

    Warning that such a publication could mislead readers, he said,
    “Given the fact that Washington has been so vocal about Sri Lanka’s clear lack of progress on accountability, human rights and the rule of law, why would Rajapaksa’s piece even be considered for publication? Does Washington view this piece as constructive engagement with an authoritarian regime.”

  • Government land surveyors halt work due to local opposition
    Surveyors working for the Sri Lankan government were forced to stop operations in Vadamaratchi East on Monday, due to pressure from local land owners that opposed government appropriation of their land.

    THe surveyers had to stop their work after they failed to receive adequate protection from the police.
     
  • OIC head to visit says Sri Lanka
    The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Madani, will visit Sri Lanka shortly, following an invitation by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, reports Arab News, citing a senior official within the Sri Lankan embassy.
  • Sri Lanka increases defence budget by 12.25% to new high
    Sri Lanka has increased its 2015 defence budget by 12.25% to a record high despite the end of the armed conflict over 5 years ago.

    According to the government's official figures released on Friday in a bill tabled in parliament, 285 billion rupees have been allocated to defence in 2015, reports     AFP.

    Sri Lanka's spending on defence has increased year on year since the end of the armed conflict, despite increasing     international calls for the military to scale down following the end of the armed conflict.
     
  • Three Tamil youth injured in sword attack

    Three Tamil youths were injured in a sword attack in Alavetti on Sunday night, reports Uthayan.

    Santhirasekaram Collins, 20, Thevarasa Jeganathan and Sinnarasa Jude Anthony both aged 23 and all from Mallakam were attacked on their way home from a sporting event by men on motorbikes.

  • #FreeJeyakumary campaigners protest in Colombo
    Protestors gathered in Colombo on Monday to call for the release of a prominent Tamil rights campaigner, Balendran Jeyakumari, who has been detained under the Sri Lankan Prevention of Terror Act (PTA) since March 2014.

    The demonstrations, held outside Colombo Railway Station, were met with pro-government protestors, who yielded posters mocking members of the Sri Lankan civil society.


    Photographs: Pathivu

    Tamil politicians, including Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M A Sumanthiran and the leader of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) G G Ponnambalam,     attended the rally.
    Pro-government demonstrators protesters oppose #FreeJeyakumary campaigners Photograph: @Mari_desilva

    Sri Lankan police was eventually called to form a barrier between the protesters calling for the release of Jeyakumari from the Boosa detention facilities and the pro-government demonstrators.

  • Australia commends LLRC progress in Sri Lanka
    The Australian prime minister commended Sri Lanka's successful implementation of the LLRC recommendations and the country’s ability to maintain a remarkable economic growth.
  • Military presence causing fear in North-East says Wigneswaran

    The Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council C. V. Wigneswaran condemned the heavy Sri Lankan military presence in the Tamil North-East of the island, stating that is was causing fear across the region.

    Addressing the Northern Province Tourism development conference on Saturday, Wigneswaran highlighted the danger that women in particular faced from the Sri Lankan military, stating that there were 150,000 soldiers in the Northern Province.

    Wigneswaran said the situation was getting worse, adding,

    “The government is restricting our independence by considering North-East provinces as foreign regions that need to be under supervision, even after the war has ended.”

  • Hindu community centre attacked in Jaffna
    A Hindu Saivite community centre in Jaffna, the Mallakam Koattaikaadu Saiva Youth Club, was attacked by unidentified persons on Friday night, reports Uthayan.

    Doors and windows were destroyed in the attack, resulting in more than Rs. 75,000 worth of damage, said the centre's administrators.
  • 969 leader attends BBS conference in Sri Lanka
    2nd lead
    Wirathu welcomed on stage at conference by BBS leader


    The leader of the 969 extreme Buddhist group in Myanmar, U. Wirathu, attended the Bodu Bala Sena's conference in Sri Lanka today.



    The conference, which is currently underway, is aimed at forming a political framework that will be “based on Buddhist principles, creating an environment within which minorities can live peacefully with Sinhalese" instead of "so-called devolution of power”, a BBS official, Dilanthe Withanage said.

    Wirathu honoured on stage at BBS conference

  • Arson destroys house in Eravur in Batticaloa
    A house in Eravur within Batticaloa district, was set on fire by an unidentified person on Friday night, reports BattiNews.

    The owner of the house, Shanmugam Sinnathangam, said the arsonist escaped, adding that the roof of the house has been fully damaged in this incident, alongside valuable goods inside.
  • O. Panneerselvam to be Tamil Nadu Chief Minister after Jaya conviction
    Tamil Nadu's current Finance Minister, O. Panneerselvam, is to be appointed as the state's new Chief Minister after J. Jayalalitha was forced to step down following her conviction in a corruption case.

    Panneerselvam, considered a Jayalalitha loyalist, was elected by AIADMK members on Sunday, at a meeting held in Chennai and will be formally appointed on Monday.

    See related article:
  • Sri Lanka Navy arrests four Indian fishermen

    Four fishermen from Rameswaram were apprehended on Sunday near Kachchatheevu by the Sri Lankan Navy who also allegedly damaged 50 boats, reports the Press Trust of India.

  • Mahinda invites Ban Ki-moon to Sri Lanka

    Pictures: Presidential Media Unit

    Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has invited UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to visit the island, to “assess the situation” since his last visit.

    The secretary general congratulated Rajapaksa on his leadership and “acknowledged the progress” Sri Lanka has made in the past years, adding that he was optimistic that remaining challenges will be overcome with “this type of political leadership” according to the government’s official media portal.

  • Tamil journalists worldwide call for investigation into Paris assassination attempt
    The International Association of Tamil Journalists (IATAJ) called on French authorities to investigate the attempted assassination of a senior official of the Tamil Media House in Paris on September 18, and ensure the security of Tamil journalists working in France.

    The official was shot at by a masked gunman, before receiving death threats, warning him to stop running the organisation or face death. The France based Tamil Media House, which runs the widely read Eelamurasu newspaper, as well as two Tamil diaspora websites: www.sankathi24.com and www.tamilkathir.com, has been forced to shut down as a result.

    "International Association of Tamil Journalists (IATAJ) vehemently condemns the intimidation and attempted murder of a senior official of the Tamil Media House in Paris by an unknown gunman by his home on 18 September 2014," the group said in a statement released Thursday.

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