Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Five minutes is all I have, so I`m going to say a few things in a very disjointed way Before that there was reference made a couple of times to four great religions of the world being present in this country and whenever that fact is mentioned I always remember, something that Judge Weeramantry wrote about the laws of this country, you know that the laws in this country, we have many laws, we have the Roman Dutch law, we have the English law, we have Thesavalamai, we have the Kandyan Law, we have the Muslim law, we have the Mukuwa law and he said the Sri Lankan law is embarrassed by the richness of its source, rather than the lack of it.

Q) With the promise of the Northern Provincial council elections in September, does the TNA feel the government is now genuine in taking steps towards reconciliation and answering the grievances of the Tamil people?

A) No, not really. Because the announcement of the election is a result of pressure from the international community. The President is said to have given a personal undertaking to Japan in March when Japan abstained from voting at the UNHRC. It is that kind of intense pressure that has caused the government to announce the election. Even now we are not certain it is going to be held, as the President has to make an order and it is thereafter that the elections commissioner can act. We know that they are not keen to hold it, which is why I said we do not think they are genuine about this reconciliation process.

Two marches, one protesting against the electricity tariff hike and another in support of the Govt, were held today in the evening in Colombo.

As the Peoples movement against the electricity tariff hike was marching out from the Campbell grounds Govt supporting groups had organized a similar march supporting the Govt action.

This was organized by a few Govt lead trade unions.

One of its representatives said that they had organized this to show the unity of Sri Lanka in protecting the victory against terrorism.

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that 85 percent of foreign loans to the country were spent on developing the North and resettling people displaced by the war.

Minister Rajapaksa was addressing the crowd which attended the opening of the first stage of the 106 km Medawachchiya-Talaimannar railway line at the Madhu Road railway station.

With the completion of the first stage of 43 km of railway track trains can now reach Madhu from Medawachchiya. Reconstruction of the line began on March 27, 2011 after LTTE terrorism caused the train service to stop in 1991.

Eating more insects could help fight world hunger, according to a new UN report.

The report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization says that eating insects could help boost nutrition and reduce pollution.

It notes than over 2 billion people worldwide already supplement their diet with insects.

However it admits that `consumer disgust` remains a large barrier in many Western countries.

Wasps, beetles and other insects are currently `underutilised` as food for people and livestock, the report says. Insect farming is `one of the many ways to address food and feed security`.

We were wondering on a windy May morning in our hansiputuwa in our Isstoppuwa about the name of our country: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

J. R. Jayewardene, Chandrika Kumaratunga
, K. Pathmanathan and Karuna
Is it democratic? We wondered. Some loyalists of the ruling party would of course agree. Could there be a government more democratic than this? So far we`ve seen the army commander and the chief justice being sacked. No one is sacrosanct, they will say. All are equal and any one can be sacked but only a few who may be `difficult` and won`t play ball will get into difficulties.

Why are children leaving to a foreign hand to support a family when the economy in that country is booming?

LTTE women`s political leader Subramaniam Sivathai alias Thamilani will be contesting for Provincial Council Election of Northern Province from Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), reports `Thinakkathir` website.

The website further states Thamilani who is currently in Vavuniya rehabilitation center will be soon released of all charges against her.

Former Colombo Municipal Council Deputy Mayor Azath Salley was released from Criminal Investigation Department custody yesterday. Salley was first admitted to the Colombo National Hospital after being arrested by the CID and was later admitted to a private hospital in Colombo.

According to senior Police official attached to the CID, the former Deputy Mayor was released while receiving treatment at the private hospital.

The CID arrested Salley over a statement made by him to a magazine in Tamil Nadu which would affect the ethnic and religious harmony of the country.

Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka says he strongly opposes a former LTTE cadres being appointed as the Chief Minister of the Northern Province.

Former LTTE media coordinator Daya Master has indicated that he will contest the northern provincial council elections in September under the ruling UPFA ticket.

There is also speculation that former LTTE chief arms procurer Kumaran Pathmanathan (KP) may also contest the election but Fonseka says such people, while being welcomed to the democratic stream, should not be allowed to head a provincial council.

A writ of habeas corpus regarding former Colombo deputy mayor and leader of the National Unity Front Azath Salley was filed in the Court of Appeal on Tuesday May 7th.

The writ was filed on behalf of Mr. Salley s wife Mrs. F. Rizona M. Salley by senior Attorney at law Ms. Gowrishankari Thavarajah. Tamil National alliance parliamentarian and senior lawyer M. A. Sumanthiran will be supporting the habeas corpus write when taken up by the Appeal court .

Ms. Gowrishangari Thavarajah is the wife of lawyer KV Thavarajah who is also the president of the Colombo branch of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi)ITAK)

A Sri Lankan Appeal Court Judge allegedly caused havoc in an Indian airport when he verbally abused his colleagues and even attacked one with a bottle of water, while returning home after a judges` conference. The incident was reported to the President, the Daily Mirror learns.

Creating a huge scene at the Business Lounge of the Bangalore and shocking many foreign onlookers the senior judge, had allegedly berated several judges in language that shocked the foreign passengers who heard his profanity. The individual who went on scolding his colleagues both in Sinhala and English for more than 10 minutes had later hit one of them with a water bottle.

Hirunika Premachandra raised suspicion on MP Duminda Silva being re-admitted to hospital just a day before he was scheduled to appear in Court.

Premachandra claimed that the MP was attempting to avoid Court as he will be questioned on the murder of her father Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

Silva was taken to hospital today just a week after he was discharged after recovering from injuries suffered during the 2011 shooting incident.

Hirunika Premachandra said that she was surprised to hear MP Duminda Silva had been admitted to hospital again even after his much publicised release from hospital.

Andrew Bennett, Canada`s Ambassador for Religious Freedom, today issued the following statement:

Canada condemns the arrest of Azath Salley, leader of Sri Lanka`s newly formed Muslim Tamil National Alliance. Mr. Salley was reportedly taken into custody by Sri Lankan authorities on May 2.


Andrew Bennett, Canada`s Ambassador for Religious FreedomAndrew Bennett, Canada`s Ambassador for Religious Freedom

A leading human rights group, Amnesty International (AI) says Muslim politician and government critic Azad Salley must be immediately released or charged with an internationally recognizable criminal offence .

Sally, the leader of Sri Lanka`s newly formed Muslim Tamil National Alliance, was taken into custody yesterday by the police.

Sally has been an outspoken critic of a Buddhist organization, Bodu Bala Sena, which has since February 2013 allegedly attacked Muslim and Christian religious establishments and agitated against certain religious practices. On 29 April he told journalists he was in hiding because he feared for his safety after receiving threats in state-run media.