DO NOT ALLOW UN PANEL TO COME HERE, SAYS DR. GUNADASA AMARASEKERA

The panel of experts appointed by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is arriving in the island not to give evidence before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, but to confirm their recommendations, says the National Patriotic Movement. This was stated by Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera, Chairman of the Movement at a seminar titiled […]



Boat tragedy in Welikanda : Watery grave for six; Boatman escapes:

Six people from the same family were drowned when their boat capsized in the Mahasen tank in Welikanda, Polonnaruwa yesterday. Among the dead are four females and two males including a two and a half year old child. Of the seven in the boat one had managed to escape. The person who escaped is believed […]



UN PANEL IS COMING AND WANSA HAS FORGOTTEN DEATH FASTS: JVP

The UN panel on human rights violations is coming and the Wansa has forgotten all about those death fasts, says former parliamentarian of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Samantha Vidyaratna. Addressing a group of party members in the Ikiliyagoda area in Mahiyangana, he said that one had to remember that there was a big difference between […]




Sri Lanka invitation to UN panel opposed

News Source: BBC A proposed meeting between the United Nations and a Sri Lankan presidential commission has evoked opposition from international human rights watchdogs and Sinhala nationalists within the ruling coalition. Human Rights Watch (HRW) called upon the United Nations to be cautious in sending its investigators to meet the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission […]



Revised electricity tariffs: No change under 90 units

The Ceylon Electricity Board yesterday stressed that the electricity charges of consumers who use less than 90 units a month will not be increased under any circumstances. The Power and Energy Ministry yesterday said President Mahinda Rajapaksa rejected the Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) earlier recommendation that eight per cent of electricity tariff increase should be […]



WHEN TIGER ASSETS ARE CONFISCATED, INCREASING SALARIES IS NOT DIFFICULT: RANIL

Salaries can be increased by confiscating the assets of Tigers, says Ranil Wickremasinghe, Opposition leader. The leader of the United National Party (UNP) said that the government had broken two promises – to confiscate Tiger assets and to increase salaries. “When the assets of Tigers are confiscated, increasing salaries is not difficult,” said the opposition […]



Lanka requests US: Don’t be pushed by false propaganda

External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peris yesterday expressed hope that the US embassy in Colombo and the US Department would convey to the Senators and Congressmen the need to avoid being pushed by false propaganda towards the adoption of a pre-judgemental attitude towards the LLRC. The Minister made these remarks when he met the […]



Not only army, not only us but also LTTE forcibly recruited during war – Karuna

Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna, the Deputy Minister of Resettlement of the Rajapaksa Administration and former LTTE commander in the East, spoke to Ranga Jayasuriya of Lakbimanews on wide-ranging issues: about allegations of extortion levelled against groups loyal to him, diaspora tactics, regrouping of the LTTE and how Prabhakaran learnt his military tactics from movies. Excerpts: […]



Battle against LTTE elements abroad will continue – President

Defeated terrorist elements have encamped in several foreign nations and their latest weapon is to defame our country and throw allegations at our war heroes accusing them of war crimes, stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa. ‘We have already commenced the battle against them in the international sphere and are committed to continue it’. President Rajapaksa said […]



‘EYES ON THE CITY’ INITIATIVE POSTPONED

The special security camera network for Colombo, scheduled to be inaugurated today, has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances. According to police media spokesman SP Prishantha Jayakody, a decision has been taken to inaugurate the network on the 29th. […]



UN team not sure of Sri Lankan visit

The United Nations says it is not yet clear that its own investigators will travel to Sri Lanka to look into allegations of war crimes in the final stage of the government’s conflict with Tamil Tigers rebels last year. In an interview with the BBC’s Sinhala service, a spokesman, for the UN secretary general, Farhan […]



INTERNET ADDICT YOUTH RISK GETTING DEPRESSED: STUDY

Youth who spend a large portion of their day surfing the Internet run a high risk of becoming depressed, a study has revealed. “Those who are addicted to the Internet do not engage in social activities like other youth,” said Gnanadasa Perera, Professor of Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Sri Jayawardenapura. […]



Lankan assistance to build Fijian Judiciary

Attention has been focused towards developing the judicial system of Fiji through the assistance of skilled and experienced officials representing Sri Lanka’s legal field. Discussions in this regard were held when Fijian Chief Justice Anthony Harold Gadas called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday. […]



Sri Lanka tells EU not to allow use of EU as Platform for LTTE apologists

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU Ravinatha Aryasinha has strongly protested the denial of Sri Lanka’s ‘right of reply’ at an “exchange of views on Sri Lanka” held at the European Parliament last week. In a letter of protest addressed to Human Rights Sub-Committee Chair, Heidi Hautala who was not present during […]



WE ASSAULTED STUDENTS AT DEHIWALA; STRIPPED THEM NAKED IN PERADENIYA, SAYS SB

We assaulted the protesting students at the Dehiwala Higher Technical Institute and chased them away leaving them only with their underwear and in Peradeniya, we stripped the fasting students naked and chased them away, said a beaming S. B. Dissanayake, Minister of Higher Education yesterday. The minister made this statement attending a workshop held in […]