Tag: lbo

February 11, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police used batons and tear gas Thursday against protesters demanding the immediate release of defeated presidential candidate and former army chief Sarath Fonseka, witnesses said. Police charged into the crowds and beat them in Maharagama, a suburb of Colombo, a day after similar protests outside the Supreme Court […]

NEW DELHI, February 11, 2010 (AFP) – India urged Sri Lanka on Thursday to follow “due process” in its prosecution of Sri Lanka’s former army chief and defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka. “As a friend and neighbour, we trust that due processes of law will be observed in democratic Sri Lanka in this matter,” the […]

UNITED NATIONS, February 9, 2010 (AFP) – UN chief Ban Ki-moon is alarmed by the arrest of Sri Lanka’s defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka and urged Colombo to guarantee his safety, his spokesman said Tuesday. UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said Ban “is following developments in Sri Lanka with concern” and urged Colombo authorities “to follow […]

PARIS, February 9, 2010 (AFP) – France said Tuesday it was “extremely worried” about the arrest of Sri Lanka’s defeated presidential hopeful and deplored the mounting official pressure faced by journalists there. France is “extremely worried about the announcement of the arrest of Sarath Fonseka and his aides a few days after the vote,” a […]

February 10, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police fired tear gas Wednesday as opposition and ruling party activists clashed outside Colombo’s main court complex over the arrest of defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka. Witnesses said anti-riot squads moved in after ruling party supporters pelted stones at thousands of opposition demonstrators demanding the release of former […]

Feb 10, 2010 (LBO) – The United States government has given more aid to help Sri Lankans returning to their homes in the former northern war zone and speed up their resettlement, the US embassy said. It said in a statement the aid agency United States Agency for International Development has given 343 million rupees […]

February 8, 2010 (AFP) – The defeated candidate in Sri Lanka’s presidential vote, former army chief Sarath Fonseka, was arrested Monday hours after vowing to give evidence before any war crimes tribunal. State media said Fonseka, who led the army to victory over Tamil Tiger rebels last year, ending a bloody 37-year insurgency, was taken […]

February 9, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president Mahinda Rajapakse on Tuesday sacked the national parliament, clearing the way for a national election two months ahead of schedule, his spokesman said. Rajapakse, who secured 58 percent of the popular vote at the presidential election, has said he hoped to improve his hold on a new […]

Feb 06, 2010 (LBO) – A Dutch fortress in Sri Lanka built to withstand solid shot artillery in colonial times but which was damaged by Tamil Tiger guns in a modern insurgency is to be conserved with aid from The Netherlands. Originally built by Portuguese colonial rulers in 1619, the fort was rebuilt and expanded […]

February 6, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka faced criticism Saturday for extending a state of emergency giving sweeping powers to security forces to detain suspects ahead of parliamentary elections due by April. A private poll-monitoring body, the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections, said continuation of emergency rule could undermine the vote slated to […]

Feb 03, 2010 (LBO) – Results of Sri Lanka’s recently concluded presidential poll was clean, contrary to complaints of malpractices, but election campaigning was unfair, the head of the elections department said. “The campaign period – I’m not satisfied; the election results – I stand by it, elections commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake told reporters at a […]