Category: Politics

May 24, 2013 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan monk set himself on fire on Friday to protest the slaughter of cattle, in the country’s first attempt at self-immolation by a monk, police said.More than 110 Tibetans have set themselves alight since 2009, with most dying of their injuries, in demonstrations against what they view as […]

May 23, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will not buy new limousines for the Commonwealth summit in Colombo and instead visiting heads of government will travel in cars taken on loan from ministries and departments, cabinet spokesman Anura Yapa said today.The minister denied reports that the government planned to import a dozen brand-new Rolls Royce […]

COLOMBO, May 18, 2013 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition Tamil party Saturday defied a military ban and staged a commemoration of their war dead as the government celebrated the fourth anniversary of defeating Tamil Tiger rebels.The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said it staged the remembrance in the northern town of Vavuniya for those who […]

May 13, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has been invited to invest in textile plants in Uganda an exporter of cotton, where the companies from the island are already building mini hydro plants, during a state visit by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.Talks with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni had focused on agriculture, energy and trade, Sri Lanka’s […]

May 11, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa has begun a four day trip to Uganda arriving at Entebbe International Airport accompanied by a business delegation, his office said. President Rajapaksa is due to have talks with President Yoweri Museveni, and attend a Commonwealth conference on local government. He will also visit a […]

Apr 27, 2013 (LBO) – Japan’s deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and senior Vice Minister of Finance Yuko Obuchi will be on a two day visit in Sri Lanka from May 01, the Japanese embassy in Colombo said. They will meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa and visit the Port of Colombo, which has expanded over the […]

SYDNEY, April 27, 2013 (AFP) – Australia has vowed not to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka over allegations of human rights violations, despite mounting calls not to attend.Backed by India, the United States and European nations, the UN Human Rights Council last month called for an investigation into suspected […]

Apr 12, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lankans working or with relatives in South Korea, should not be “excessively anxious” about sabre rattling by the North as many soldiers are spring farming and not mobilizing for war yet, Seoul’s envoy to Colombo said.There were 25,000 Sri Lankans in Korea, among 230,000 foreign guest workers. Jongmoon Choi […]

Mar 29, 2013 (LBO) – A Muslim owned shop in a suburb of Sri Lanka’s capital was torched amid growing Buddhist nationalist attacks against minorities, while police said security has been tightened and they were searching for the perpetrators. “A special police team in investigating the incident,” police spokesman Buddhika Siriwardena said. “We will bring […]

Mar 22, 2013 (LBO) – A UN resolution on Sri Lanka brought by the US passed with 25 votes for 13 against and 8 abstentions with India also voting for after failing to move last minute changes, reports said. Argentina, Austria, Benin, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Guatemala, India, Ireland, […]

Mar 18, 2013 (LBO) – India has called off annual defence talks with Sri Lanka scheduled to have been held on March 25 amid protests from Tamil parties, a media report said.The Press Trust of India, a news agency, said no reason was given for cancelling the Secretary-level talks and no new dates have been […]

March 11, 2013 (AFP) – Islamic clerics announced the withdrawal of a halal labelling system for food in Sri Lanka on Monday “in the interests of peace” after protests from Buddhist hardliners on the Indian Ocean island.The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), Sri Lanka’s main body of Islamic clergy, said the halal certificate issued by […]