Last Updated:17.05.2012

TNA wants a clear answer from govt.

TNA leader R. Sampanthan expects a clear answer from the government with regard to its future course on resolving the national question.He says the TNA is appreciative of opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s efforts to reconcile them with the government.If those efforts are to succeed, the government should give a clear answer regarding its future plans, he says.The TNA leader adds that their stance with regard to the participation in the parliamentary select committee has been intimated to the president through the opposition leader.Read More

Sri Lanka cautions against imposing external solution

Sri Lanka has cautioned the US against imposing any foreign solution to the issues concerning its people."We also realise that the process that we have in mind must be a domestic process. It can't be donor-driven or foreign-owned. That will be unhelpful in implementing the reforms that are required at this moment in history," Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G L Peiris said.In his address to the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars Read More

Army goes from house to house canvassing for Karuna & Pilleyan

It is reported that the Army is initiating election campaigns for Karuna Amman alias Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan and Pilleyan alias Shivaneshathurai Chandrakanthan.Army officers going from house to house in the Eastern Province, specially in Wakarai, are intimidating residents asking them to vote for Karuna and Pilleyan and to get their pledge confirmed are getting the signatures of residents with their names, addresses in books brought by Army officers say these reports.After this was brought to the notice of a parliamentarian in the area he had inquired from Army officersRead More

SRI LANKA: Concern over the safety of the Bishop of Mannar, Rev Joseph Rayappu

The Asian Human Rights Commission is concerned over the safety of the Bishop of Mannar, Reverend Joseph Rayappu who has a long-standing record of being a spokesperson on the democratic rights of the minority Tamil community in Sri Lanka. As a pastor of his people and a conscientious religious leader he has consistently expressed his concerns about the problems that affect the Tamil people.On May 13, 2012 the Sunday Leader revealed that, "...... Rev Joseph Rayappu, Bishop of Mannar, was questioned by the police on his statement to the Lessons Learnt and ReconciliationRead More

Rajiv Gandhi supported a Tamil Elaam- Karunanidhi

Assassinated former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had turned his attention to establishing an independent Tamil Eelam state, DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi stated.Karunanidhi stated that when he had taken oaths as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time he had met with Rajiv Gandhi during which the former Prime Minister had stated that he would give his full support to the establishment of a Tamil Eelam state under the leadership of Prabhakaran, Indian media reported.However, he stated that the trust was brokenRead More

Mahinda wouldn’t have given in to India’s pressure unlike JRJ - Lalith

Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga on Monday asserted that President Mahinda Rajapaksa would have reacted differently if he had come under the same pressure as the late President J. R. Jayawardene. J. N. Dixit had been lucky that he had had to deal with JRJ and not President Rajapaksa, Weeratunga said.Weeratunga was speaking at the launch of The Island staffer C. A. Chandraprema’s book ‘Gota’s War’ at the Waters Edge in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Among the distinguished invitees were many diplomats,Read More

A mother searches for her son, with a photograph that appeared in The Hindu

Saroja Devi of Mullaitivu last saw her son, Kerbert Morino Leon Roxy, on July 7, 2008.That day, from the Northeastern coastal town, Roxy took a boat out of Tamil Tiger-held territory. His parents, eager to see him leave, had paid for the trip — it was expensive to smuggle out able-bodied youngsters past the LTTE, which was on a constant recruitment drive for fighters.Once earlier, Roxy had been taken away by the LTTE, and as the fighting escalated in northern Sri Lanka, his family wanted to make sure he would not be around if the Tigers came calling once again.Read More

Sri Lanka mulls freeing jailed ex-army chief

Sri Lankan authorities are mulling a pardon for jailed former army chief and defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka amid international calls for his release, an official said Tuesday.President Mahinda Rajapakse was likely to consider freeing Fonseka who is serving two jail terms over two separate cases -- one ordered by a military court martial and one by a civilian court, an official close to the president said."A pardon could be issued around the time when the foreign minister (G. L. Peiris) is in Washington," said the official, who declined to be named.Read More

Tamil people of Sri Lanka do not want a Tamil Eelam as a solution - major Tamil party

Sri Lanka;s major Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says the Tamil people did not want a Tamil Eelam as a solution to their political aspirations.TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran speaking at a seminar in Jaffna has said that the TNA had not included the demand for a separate state in the party's manifesto at the last general election.He has observed that the TNA was not supportive of a separate state, but wanted to win the rights of the Tamil people through democratic means.However, Sumanthiran has noted that the party expected Read More

India announces more facilities for Lankan refugees

The Indian State government has announced some more welfare measures for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in camps.It increased financial assistance in the event of unnatural death of a refugee from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000, The Hindu reports.Funeral expenses were increased from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 5,000.The announcements were made at the end of a debate in the Assembly on the demands for grants of demands for the Public Department.A. Soundararajan, Read More

Pak- Lanka Friendship Gala on Saturday

The Sri Lanka-Pakistan Friendship Association, in collaboration with the Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka is organizing the 2012 Sports Gala on Saturday at Stanley Jansz Grounds, Colombo 2.The Mayor of Colombo Mr A. J. M. Muzammil will be the Chief Guest at the occasion. The High Commissioner of Pakistan Seema Ilahi Baloch as the Patron of the Association, will also grace the occasion.The Sports Gala will feature number of activities including 2 friendly cricket matches for men and women teams representing Sri Lankans on one side and the Pakistani Read More