Tag: lbo

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 […]

May 23, 2008 (LBO) – A senior Sri Lankan journalist was found severely assaulted in the early hours of Friday after being abducted from his home the previous night, colleagues at his newspaper said. Keith Noyahr, deputy editor of the Nation newspaper, was abducted from near his home in a suburb of Sri Lanka’s capital […]

May 23, 2008 (AFP) – A Sri Lanka media rights group Friday condemned the abduction and assault of a senior journalist, saying it was motivated by his criticism of the government’s war against Tamil Tiger rebels. Most of the victims are Tamil journalists working in the island’s embattled north and east.Sinhalese journalists working in the […]

May 23, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s media rights groups protested the abduction and assault of senior journalist of a national weekly Friday calling on authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice. “Until such time culprits are brought to book, the FMM holds the Government responsible for abduction and assault of journalist Keith Noyahr, noting […]

May 22, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government has downplayed the loss of its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council and said it needed more “space” to address human rights concerns. Foreign affairs minister Rohitha Bogollagama said Sri Lanka won 101 votes in its bid for a seat on the Geneva-based body, more […]

UNITED NATIONS, May 21, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka, under fire for its human rights record, was Wednesday denied a seat on the UN Human Rights Council while France and Britain edged out Spain to win re-election in a closely-watched contest in the UN General Assembly. Nineteen countries were vying for 15 coveted seats on […]

UNITED NATIONS, May 20, 2008 (AFP) – Sparks are set to fly Wednesday when 15 seats on the UN Human Rights Council come up for election, with European nations vying for influence and NGOs warning some candidates are unfit to take part.All of the United Nations’ 192 members have a say in Wednesday’s vote at […]

May 20, 2008 (AFP) – UN members should reject Sri Lanka’s re-election bid to the world body’s Human Rights Council, a rights group said Tuesday as it accused Colombo of widespread abductions and “disappearances.” The coalition also noted that the armed separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have long been implicated in serious human rights […]

CANNES, France, May 17, 2008 (AFP) – A small flick went from refugee camp to red carpet Friday as Sean Penn, backed by rock star Bono and film-maker Michael Moore, brought an Australian aid worker’s tsunami film to the Cannes fest.Thompson, who had basic first aid training, took care of the wounded as the team […]

May 16, 2008 (LBO) – A former Tamil Tiger who broke away and later allied himself with the government was Friday sworn in as the chief minister of the island’s eastern province following last week’s polls. Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, also known as Pillayan, was sworn in as chief minister of the eastern provincial council by President […]