Category: Politics

June 13, 2008 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government pressured independent newspapers not to publish critical stories during a visit by a European Union delegation to the island earlier this week, a media rights group said. The statement said that journalists working for several newspapers told Reporters Without Borders on condition of anonymity that during […]

May 31, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka needs peace proposals acceptable to the main political parties and the Tamil speaking community to put pressure on the Tamil Tigers to resume peace talks, a senior government minister has said. The proposals would also assure Tamils that their aspirations and grievances will be addressed by any future […]

OTTAWA, May 30, 2008 (AFP) – A Canadian suspected of using his studies as a cover for terrorist activities was awarded a 5,000 dollar prize for his entrepreneurial talent by a Canadian university, The Globe and Mail reported Friday.Suresh Sriskandarajah, 26, was arrested in August 2006 in Ontario at the request of US authorities who […]

May 31, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan media groups have expressed grave concern over what they said was an ‘unofficial’ visit to the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) by soldiers. The SLPI and media rights group Free Media Movement (FMM) said the visit appeared linked to recent threats and assault on journalists, coming soon after […]

May 30, 2008 (LBO) – An international media rights body said it was outraged by the hacking to death of a Sri Lankan television journalist in the northern Jaffna peninsular along with a friend. “Caught in the crossfire between two armed forces, journalists in the Jaffna peninsula are constantly the targets of threats, kidnappings and […]

May 28, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan journalists’ unions and media rights groups Wednesday condemned government attempts to prevent those in the state media from criticising the government. Five media groups in a letter to defence ministry secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa deplored comments by him and another senior government official that journalists working in the state […]

May 29, 2008 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan journalist working in the war-torn northern region and his friend have been hacked to death, a media rights group said Thursday.P. Devakumar, 36, a correspondent for the privately-run Sirasa television, was murdered on Wednesday, the influential Free Media Movement (FMM) said. Devakumar is the ninth media worker […]

May 28, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main business chamber Wednesday condemned recent attacks on journalists and called on the government to bring the culprits to book instead of merely promising investigations. “The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce condemns these crude attempts at violating press freedom and implores that democratic principles relating to responsible coverage by […]

May 26, 2008 (LBO) – A blast ripped through a train in a suburb of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo during the evening rush hour, police said. Updated For updates on this story go to www.lbo.lk front page or www. For updates in Sinhala go to www.vimasuma.com Police spokesman Ranjith Gunesekera said a number of passengers […]

May 26, 2008 (LBO) – A blast ripped through a train in a suburb of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo during the evening rush hour, killing at least seven and injuring 62, the security media centre said. Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said the blast went off near the Dehiwela station south of the capital. An official […]

May 25, 2008 (LBO) – The United States has said Sri Lanka’s government must do more to stop abductions and “disappearances” and that having laws alone is not enough without ensuring actual protection of human rights. “Sri Lanka has the necessary institutional framework in place, but it needs to empower its institutions to carry out […]

May 24, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should commemorate the 25th anniversary of the July 1983 riots and put forward its best offer to the Tamil people as part of a political offensive to end the war and find peace and reconciliation, a US scholar said. William Grassie, a senior Fulbright Fellow, said the commemoration […]