Category: Politics

COLOMBO, October 31, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has the lowest press freedom rating of any democracy and has been the first to use anti-terror laws to prosecute journalists, international rights groups said Friday. Five organisations, including the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said journalists and media institutions seeking to report independently on the island’s […]

Oct 29, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s top business chambers have called for political unity to back government efforts to devolve power to minority Tamils and defeat Tiger rebels. The call came in a statement which also urged the government to do more to help civilians displaced by fighting between government forces and Tamil Tigers. […]

NEW DELHI, October 26, 2008 (AFP) – A senior Sri Lankan minister on Sunday held talks with the Indian foreign minister over the safety of the island nation’s minority Tamils as its conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels escalates. Sri Lanka’s Tamils share close cultural and religious links with the 55 million Tamils in the southern […]

Oct 23, 2008 (LBO) – A Sri Lanka media rights group has condemned more deaths threats against human rights activists and lawyers and demanded a police investigation. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 The Free Media Movement (FMM) said in a statement the government should […]

NEW DELHI, October 22, 2008 (AFP) – India voiced concern Wednesday over the conflict in Sri Lanka as Tamil MPs in parliament clashed over charges of “genocidal attacks” on the Tamil minority in the troubled island nation. Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee told parliament that New Delhi had conveyed its worries to Colombo over the safety […]

NEW DELHI, October 18, 2008 (AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday told Sri Lanka he was deeply concerned about the “deteriorating humanitarian situation” in the war-torn island and urged it to protect Tamil civilians caught in the conflict.Rajapakse assured Singh “all necessary measures” were being taken to keep civilians from harm’s way in […]

October 17, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka said Friday it would destroy a consignment of more than five tonnes of rotting rice and lentils meant for victims of the December 2004 Asian tsunami. The state auditor general in September 2005 noted out of 1.16 billion dollars committed to assist Sri Lankan victims, only 13.5 percent […]

CHENNAI, October 15, 2008 (AFP) – A group of MPs from southern India have threatened to quit unless the government intervenes to halt “atrocities” against fellow Tamils in Sri Lanka. The 38 deputies from Tamil Nadu are allies of India’s ruling Congress party and their resignations could threaten the stability of the national government. “If […]

Oct 13, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s World Bank office says the spouse of country director has been hired by the island’s securities watchdog by a competitive process and it has been cleared by the lender’s ethics committee. The full statement is reproduced below: With reference to the reports in news media about the employment […]

SYDNEY, October 13, 2008 (AFP) – Australia is considering formally declaring Sri Lanka’s separatist Tamil Tigers a terrorist group, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Monday, calling for a political solution to the island’s civil war.Visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said he had asked Canberra to join countries such as Britain and the United […]

UNITED NATIONS, October 7, 2008 (AFP) – UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday condemned the latest suicide attacks in Sri Lanka, including one which killed at least 27 people.The attack in the northern town of Anuradhapura came as the Sri Lankan military appeared on the verge of capturing the rebel Tigers’ key headquarters as part […]

NEW DELHI, October 7, 2008 (AFP) – India criticised Sri Lanka in a rare intervention into the island’s internal affairs, saying civilian deaths during a military offensive against Tamil rebels were a cause of grave concern. The fall of Kilinochchi would be the biggest loss in 13 years for the Tigers. India’s National Security Advisor […]