Category: Politics

COLOMBO, March 8, 2013 (AFP) – An English politician Friday urged the Queen to boycott the Commonwealth summit in Colombo later this year to protest against Sri Lanka’s failure to prosecute the killers of a British tourist in 2011.International rights groups have said up to 40,000 civilians may have been killed in the final offensive […]

Mar 08, 2013 (LBO) – Friday Forum, a Sri Lankan citizen’s group has asked the administration to take steps to stop rising fascist-nationalist actions directed at the island’s Muslim community.“The Friday Forum urges you to act immediately and decisively to counter the increasingly venomous and strident anti-Muslim hate campaign launched by a few extremist groups […]

RIYADH, Feb 20, 2013 (AFP) – Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador from Colombo in a tit-for-tat move amid tensions after a Sri Lankan nanny convicted of murder was beheaded in the kingdom, the official SPA news agency reported.“Based on the decision by the Sri Lankan government to withdraw its ambassador from the kingdom, the […]

Feb 19, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has established diplomatic relations with Saint Vincent and the Granadines, the foreign ministry said. Saint Vincent and the Granadines belong to the British West Indies and is a part of the Commonwealth of Nations. The foreign ministry said Sri Lanka’s permanent representative to the United Nations of the […]

Feb 11, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should consider ending secrecy surrounding the proceedings of parliamentary committees, a member of the legislature’s committee on public accounts (COPA) has said.Before liberty properly developed in Britain, whose parliamentary traditions Sri Lanka sometimes claim to follow, all proceedings in the legislature were secret. Newspaper editors were punished and […]

Feb 09, 2013 (LBO) – A probe by a parliamentary committee on investments made by a state controlled retirement fund of private sector workers had been halted mid-way, an opposition legislator has said.Harsha de Silva, an opposition member told parliament that proceedings at a parliamentary committee examining investments by the Employees Provident Fund managed by […]

Feb 06, 2013 (LBO) – Former ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Christopher Van Hollen had passed away on January 30, in Washington, the US embassy in Colombo said.He was a career member of the US Foreign Service, and his son Chris Van Hollen Jr, represents Maryland in Congress. He was 90 years old. […]

Feb 04, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa called for religious harmony on the island’s Independence Day amid recent violence and rhetoric directed against the island’s Muslim minority by nationalist groups.Bhuddism, which is followed by a majority of the inhabitants of Sri Lanka came to the island from the Indian subcontinent and advocates […]

Feb 03, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should uphold rule of law and be committed to respect human rights to ensure that a planned Commonwealth summit in the island is well-attended, visiting UK foreign minister Alistair Burt has said.Sri Lanka is expected to host a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), but countries including Canada […]

Jan 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa has re-shuffled the cabinet appointing 10 new ministers, two project ministers and six deputy ministers, the state information office said. The ministry of petroleum has gone to Anura Yapa, power to Pavithra Wanniarachchi and technology and research to former power minister Champak Ranawaka. Laxman Yapa […]

Jan 19, 2013 (LBO) – The controversial removal of Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake through a process courts have ruled to be unconstitutional is a “calamitous setback” for rule of law, a United National official has said. “The removal of the Chief Justice through a flawed process which has been deemed unconstitutional by the […]

Jan 19, 2013 (LBO) – Three US officials led by deputy assistant secretary James Moore will visit Sri Lanka from January 26 for talks which include progress on implementing recommendations of a post-war reconciliation report, the US embassy in Colombo said. He will be accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Vikram Singh and Deputy […]