Tag: Sri Lanka

Police raided a Tamil journalists home in Colombo Monday night, asrnjournalists around the world celebrated World Press Freedom Day.rnrnThe journalist, Sivaram Dharmeratnam writes the popular lquote Taraki, Tamil affairs column for The Daily Mirror, and also contributes to several Tamil publications. At the time of the raid, only his wife and children were in the […]

Sri Lankas Tamil Tigers told Norwegian peace brokers Monday they were willing to resume talks based on their plan for self-rule, but warned the new government here not to support renegade rebels.rn The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) told a top Norwegian envoy the rebels were ready to open negotiations with the Sri Lankan […]

Early last year, the government had forecasted a 5.5 percent economic growth. The 5.9 percent year on growth for 2003, is the highest since 2000, when the economy expanded by 6.0 percent.rn rnAfter contracting by 1.5 percent in 2001, the government is forecasting gross domestic product to touch 5.5 percent in 2004.rn rnBut private sector […]

rnThe Sri Lankan business community will take lessons from its South African counterparts on how the sector can contribute towards national economic growth while improving social standards. rnA 15-member business delegation will visit South Africa on May 1st on a study tour to examine the South African Business Trust.rnrn rnThe South African Business Trust is […]

Sri Lankas new government held its first talks with neighbouring India Thursday ahead of plans to revive stalled peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebelsLakshman Kadirgamar, the foreign minister in President Chandrika Kumaratungas government, met Indian leaders on a brief visit to New Delhi before Norwegian peace brokers begin a trip to Sri Lanka at the […]

The United Nations refugees agency said Thursday Sri Lanka risked losing international financial support if it did not pay more attention to resettling nearly 400,000 internally displaced people.A top official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Dennis McNamara, said the agency expected the new government to pay “renewed attention” to resolve the […]

Sri Lankan police clamped indefinite curfews and troops poured into a central tea-growing region Thursday after two people were killed in ethnic violence, officials and residents said.rn A curfew was imposed on the picturesque Kandapola region after clashes between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities that left more than 20 shops destroyed, officials said.rn rn They […]

With total State revenue falling by around 18 percent last year, the Asian Development Bank asked the government to pay closer attention to closing tax loopholes and streamline its tariff policies.Unveiling its 2004 Asian Development Outlook, the Manila based bank said government revenue fell to around Rs.248 bn from the projected figure of Rs.303 bn […]

Sri Lanka lacks lquote sufficient organised public outrage to bring about any meaningful changes, say civil advocacy groups, about the abuse of public property during the April elections.ldblquote What we lack in Sri Lanka is sufficient organised public outrage, dblquote said Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, from the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), at the launch […]

The economy, politics and human life itself is in for harder times predict astrologers, as a lunar eclipse, two meteor sightings and a meteor shower coincide. The unique astro combination was last seen in 1911, set off the World War I. This year, it takes place next Monday. Sri Lanka has a front seat view […]

The Asian Development Bank revised growth targets downwards to 5 percent this year and 5.5 percent in 2005, providing also that politics does not derail economic reform.rnrn A persistent drought, reliance on expensive thermal power and a slowdown in economic and key legislative reforms due to the elections were largely to blame, ADB said in […]

Officials in Kumaratungas Freedom Alliance said four members of the Marxist JVP, or Peoples Liberation Front took their oaths while another four were sworn in as deputy ministers. rn rnThe inductions raised to 35 the number of ministers in the cabinet. rn The JVP said they accepted a compromise offered by Kumaratunga to end a […]