Category: Politics

Nov 08, 2011 (LBO) – The European Union has expressed concern over the blocking of several dissident websites in Sri Lanka, which the island’s information ministry said was damaging image of politicians and senior state officials. “The EU considers that freedom of press forms an integral part of any democratic system,” European Union heads of […]

November 5, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka Saturday warned websites to register with the authorities after the United States expressed deep concern over Colombo’s blocking of a popular Internet-based dissident publication. The Ministry of Mass Media and Information said many reports posted on dissident websites amounted to character assassination of President Mahinda Rajapakse, his ministers […]

LONDON, October 30, 2011 (AFP) – British Prime Minister David Cameron urged Sri Lanka on Sunday to make progress on human rights before it hosts the next Commonwealth leaders meeting in 2013 to prevent the likelihood of boycotts. Cameron said he pressed President Mahendra Rajapaske during this year’s Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Australia […]

PERTH, October 30, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Sunday condemned a “preposterous” UN-commissioned report alleging war crimes in his country, revealing he stopped Canada raising it at a Commonwealth meeting. Foreign Minister Gamini Peiris also confirmed Sri Lanka will host the next Commonwealth leaders’ meeting in 2013, saying that none of the 54-nation […]

PERTH, October 30, 2011 (AFP) – A Commonwealth summit bringing together world leaders from the 54-nation bloc closed Sunday agreeing on the urgent need to reform the grouping but without consensus on human rights. In a communique, they noted that a report from an “Eminent Persons Group” (EPG) set up at their last meeting to […]

PERTH, October 28, 2011 (AFP) – Queen Elizabeth II opened the 54-nation Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Friday where issues from human rights to succession to the British throne are being discussed. Leaders were greeted with a traditional indigenous cleansing ceremony at the Perth Convention Centre by elders from the Noongar Aboriginal tribe before […]

PERTH, October 27, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s government on Thursday sought to dismiss war crimes allegations as propaganda from its defeated rivals, as it came under further pressure ahead of a Commonwealth summit. A spokesman for Sri Lankan President Mahendra Rajapakse described the heavy focus on the issue in the lead-up to Friday’s gathering […]

PERTH, October 26, 2011 (AFP) – Australia Wednesday urged the UN rights watchdog to probe alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka, ramping up pressure ahead of a meeting between the two countries’ leaders at Commonwealth talks. Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said the UN Human Rights Council must address accusations that Sri Lankan troops killed […]

PERTH, October 26, 2011 (AFP) – Australia on Wednesday assured Sri Lanka there were no plans to strip it of hosting rights to Commonwealth talks in 2013 over war crimes allegations, but called for a UN probe into the claims. Prime Minister Julia Gillard raised the accusations in bilateral talks with President Mahendra Rajapakse in […]

October 25, 2011 (AFP) – The office of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse said on Tuesday that a new war crimes charge filed in an Australian court against him was “hilarious”. “It’s hilarious to file charges against a head of state who has defeated terrorism in Sri Lanka,” Rajapakse’s spokesman Bandula Jayasekera told AFP by […]

PERTH, October 25, 2011 (AFP) – Australian leader Julia Gillard on Tuesday urged Sri Lanka to address claims of serious human rights violations as a man filed war crimes charges against President Mahinda Rajapakse. “Instead they caused such brutality to them, to our country, and also posed a threat to our region. ” Sri Lanka […]

THE HAGUE, October 21, 2011 (AFP) – Five members of Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers were on Friday jailed for between two and six years for having sent millions of euros gathered illegally in the Netherlands to the rebel group. The men, all of them Dutch nationals, were convicted of having raised money mainly through illegal […]