Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

A Passing out Ceremony of the Security forces members scheduled to take part in United Nations Peace Mission in Haiti was held at Rock House Army Camp at Modara on 19th December 2011.

Brigadier IP Ranasinghe attended as the Chief Guest while captain WA Sumanasiri, Director Naval Land Operations of Sri Lanka Navy also took part in the event.

A total of 44 Naval personnel including 02 officers, 10 senior sailors and 32 junior sailors are scheduled to take part in the United Nations Peace keeping Mission in Haiti.

The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) this week took delivery of two specially configured Bell 412 EP helicopters.

Each costing nearly two million US dollars (more than Rs 210 million) will be assigned to the VIP Squadron that serves of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Gen. Sarath Fonseka, who was removed from the history of the army, has now lost his place in the new chapters to be added to the Mahawamsa.

A new volume, with three chapters dedicated to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, will be added to the Mahavamsa.

The chapters will highlight the President s role in ending a 30 year war in the country. However sources at the Cultural Affairs Ministry said that Gen. Fonseka will not be mentioned in the new chapters.

The Mahavamsa The Great Chronicle otherwise known as The Great Dynasty is the single most important work of Lankan origin (written in Pali language).

It describes the life and times of the people who forged Sri Lanka, from the coming of Vijaya in 543 BCE to the reign of King Mahasena (334 361) from the 6th Century BC to the 4th Century AD.

A companion volume, the Culavamsa or Choolavansha ( Lesser Chronicle ), covers the period from the 4th century to the British colonisation of Sri Lanka in 1815.

The new chapters of the Mahawamsa will include Sri Lankan history between 1978 and 2011 and will highlight the defeat of the LTTE, sources said.

Gen. Sarath Fonseka led the army during the successful military operations against the LTTE which ultimately saw the end of the 30 year war.

However, Cultural Affairs Ministry sources said that there is no move to include Gen. Fonseka in the new chapters which are now being developed.

The Sunday Leader reported recently quoting the army spokesman as saying that Gen. Fonseka is no more referred to as the former Army Commander.

Gen. Fonseka's details have also been removed from the list of former army commanders in the army website as a result of a court martial ruling against Gen. Fonseka last year.

Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed will arrive to Sri Lanka on an official visit today, External Affairs Ministry sources said today.

The official said that Maldives President Nasheed would attend to a passing out parade at the Diyatalawa Military Academy as a chief guest.

The visiting President will also meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa, External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peries and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

This is the third visit to Sri Lanka of President Nasheed within the year.

SriLankan Airlines has taken measures to recommence operations to Zurich, Switzerland in line with the continuous expansion of its global route network, sources said.

Zurich will be the 60th destination in SriLankan s global route network. The airline has launched services to Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kochi and Moscow during the last 11 months.

SriLankan Airlines flew to Zurich from 1980, but the service was suspended after 25 years in 2005, during a global slump in air travel.

The Zurich service will be operated on wide-bodied Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft with luxurious interiors together with state-of-the-art audio video on demand entertainment systems.

The service will initially be twice a week on Monday and Friday.

A new volume, with three chapters dedicated to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, will be added to the Mahavamsa

WTF?? when was the Coronation? Looks like I have missed that one!!

mehemath lajja nathi kamak!

Lajja nathi kama Janaadhipathi kamatath vadiya lokui

The Defence Ministry has decided to issue air pistols instead of firearms to farmers and cultivators to protect their cultivations and poultry farms, reports say.

In its progress report, the ministry said more controls would be introduced in the issuance of firearms to civilians and that an environment of competition would be created among importers so as to bring down prices of air pistols.

Under the provisions of the Guns Ordinance, an air pistol is not considered a firearm.

During the year under review up to July 30, 2011 the ministry has reportedly issued 222 firearms to farmers and cultivators to protect their cultivations while 348 firearms had been approved the previous year.

Nine fire arms had also been approved during the first seven months of the year for the security of various individuals and property.