Category: Politics

TOKYO, September 15, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake on Monday arrived in Japan, the South Asian country’s top donor, for talks with counterpart Yasuo Fukuda, officials said.Fukuda, who abruptly resigned two weeks ago, will formally stay in office as Japan’s prime minister until parliament appoints the next prime minister following the […]

September 11, 2008 (AFP) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon came in for tough criticism Thursday from Sri Lanka’s government, which accused him of unwittingly helping Tamil Tiger rebels. Responding to the UN chief’s concern over civilians displaced by heavy fighting in the north of the island, a Sri Lankan government rights official said a […]

DENVER, August 27, 2008 (AFP) – A new media army has descended on the Democratic convention in Colorado this week, boldly claiming to offer a fresh perspective on US politics distinct from the mainstream media. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 For the first time […]

August 26, 2008 (AFP) – Rights groups on Tuesday denounced Sri Lanka’s use of tough prevention of terrorism laws against a veteran journalist reporting on the island’s decades-old ethnic conflict. The condemnation came a day after authorities formally charged J.S. Tissanayagam with inciting racial hatred and bringing disrepute to the government. The journalist, who has […]

Aug 24, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition is securing comfortable wins in two provincial polls with large majorities in most polling divisions, official results show, increasing the likelihood of further polls in the months ahead, analysts say.A similar trend is seen in the Ratnapura and Kegalle districts of the Sabaragamuwa province, in polling […]

Aug 24, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition has won convincingly over the main opposition and weakened a Marxist former ally in a provincial poll, placing the administration in a strong position to go for national polls on its own.The United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party of President […]

August 23, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka staged local elections under tight security Saturday as troops pushed deeper into Tamil Tiger territory, closing in on the rebel capital in the war-ravaged north, officials said. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘act (space) lbo’ and send to 678 Two out of […]

OLOMBO, August 23, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka was holding provincial elections amid high security Saturday as government forces pushed deeper into territory held by Tamil Tiger rebels in the island’s north, officials said. Two out of the nine provinces on the island were voting to elect the highest level of local government in the […]

Aug 22, 2008 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan elections watchdog says it has been assured by the elections commissioner that polling stations where violence or irregularities take place at Saturday’s provincial council polls would be closed. Rodrigo quoted the elections commissioner as saying that there had been no violence in the last 36 hours after […]

Aug 20, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Free Media Movement (FMM) said government charges against a journalist who has been detained for months were weak and an attempt to cow down the media by using anti-terrorist laws.It said in a statement that it had learnt that journalist J S Tissainayagam, who has been held in […]

Aug 06, 2008 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan ruling party lawmaker who has earned notoriety for frequent attacks on the media appears to be above the law and police powerless to stop him, a media watch dog has said. The Free Media Movement (FMM) said in a statement that it was “outraged” to record the […]

Aug 05, 2008 (LBO) – The culture of impunity and the continued attacks against Sri Lanka’s media were condemned by the watchdog Free Media Movement, after a TV cameraman was assaulted by thugs while covering a state event.Controversial minister Mervyn Silva grabbed the camera of a Sirasa and MTV network cameraman, while goons surrounded him […]