Tag: politics

UNITED NATIONS, September 24, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president on Friday condemned “tainted” international allegations of a military massacre of civilians during an assault to end a Tamil rebellion. Tamil community members earlier this year filed a lawsuit against Rajapakse when he paid a private visit to the United States. The Sri Lankan government […]

GENEVA, September 19, 2011 (AFP) – Tamils from across Europe demonstrated at the UN’s European headquarters on Monday, calling for a probe into alleged war crimes committed by Sri Lanka at the end of the country’s 2009 civil war. According to local police, around 1,000 protesters gathered in Geneva’s iconic Place des Nations, to urge […]

September 14, 2011 (AFP) – The United States on Wednesday urged Sri Lanka to deploy more minority Tamils to police the island’s former northern conflict zone to help “heal the wounds of war”. Tamils in the formerly embattled region feel intimidated by the presence of predominantly Sinhalese-speaking government forces and police, US Assistant Secretary of […]

September 13, 2011 (AFP) – US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake toured Sri Lanka’s former war zone on Tuesday to meet students, community leaders and government officials two years after the island’s civil war ended. Blake, the top US diplomat for South and Central Asia, was in the northern Jaffna region to see development […]

PARIS, September 12, 2011 (AFP) – The main economies in the world are set for a general slowdown, the OECD said on Monday on the basis of its leading index of underlying signals in its member countries. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which already warned of potential pockets of recession last week, said […]

September 12, 2011 (AFP) – US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake arrived in Colombo Monday for talks that coincide with a UN meeting in Geneva that is set to discuss alleged war crimes during Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. Blake, the top US diplomat for South and Central Asia, would raise the allegations with all […]

GENEVA, September 12, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka on Monday took issue with a planned UN move to forward a damning report on the country to the Human Rights Council, complaining that Colombo was not notified about the action. Sri Lanka Minister of Plantation Industries Mahinda Samarasinghe claimed that at a briefing on September 9 […]

September 10, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka said Saturday that Amnesty International comments on the island’s probe into its military victory over Tamil rebels, were an “interference” in the country’s sovereignty. Amnesty International on Wednesday said Sri Lanka’s inquiry panel was “flawed at every level” and no substitute for an international war crimes investigation. The […]

Sept 09, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will start diplomatic relations with El Salvadore, a small state in Central America, deputy economic development minsiter Lakshman Abeywardene, said. He said Sri Lanka’s envoy to Brazil will also be accredited to El Salvador. Abeywardene said over the past five years trade between the two countries has started […]

September 8, 2011 (AFP) – The Human Rights Watch lobby group on Wednesday urged Sri Lanka to scrap draconian detention laws and free thousands of people held under the regulations. The New York-based body said Sri Lanka’s ending of a decades-long state of emergency last week would have little effect as separate anti-terror laws still […]

September 7, 2011 (AFP) – Amnesty International on Wednesday said Sri Lanka’s inquiry into its military victory over Tamil rebels was “flawed at every level” and no substitute for an international war crimes investigation. The human rights watchdog issued a 69-page report slamming the work of the government’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) ahead […]

Sep 05, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s ruling party mayoral candidate for the capital intends to organize job fairs for unemployed youth and promised decent housing for squatters uprooted from prime land being cleared for commercial development. Milinda Moragoda said he œwill bring in a professional and capable administration, which will help ensure that Colombo […]