Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Associated Press

For all the pomp and excess of Madonna`s Super Bowl halftime extravaganza a single extended middle finger by guest singer M.I.A. is likely to be the most remembered piece of the show.

The gesture, accompanied by a barely disguised expletive, came during a performance of Madonna`s new single, `Give Me All Your Luvin.` At the end of her lines, M.I.A. appeared to sing `I don`t give a (expletive),` although it was hard to hear clearly.

Sri Lanka`s growth rate has rebounded sharply since the end of civil war in May 2009, with GDP growth expected to come in near 8 per cent this year. It follows a record 8 per cent in 2010 and just 3.5 per cent in 2009. Stocks on the local Colombo Stock Exchange have soared from a immediate post-war low of 3,000 points to a current 6119.86.

Sri Lanka`s parliament shocked many this month by passing a law allowing the government to take control of businesses deemed under-performing or underutilized, although the law has limited reach and the government has a reputation for being business friendly. Leif Eskesen, HSBC`s chief India and Asean economist, remains confident about the island`s future, writing in a recent note to clients:

Summary

This evaluation assesses Norway`s peace efforts in Sri Lanka from 1997 to 2009. It tells the story of Norway`s engagement, assesses the effects and identifies broader implications and lessons. The analysis is based on interviews with key informants, an in-depth perusal of ministry archives in Oslo, several subsidiary studies, and a review of relevant research, secondary literature and the Sri Lankan press.

Since the end of the Cold War, Norway has shown remarkable foreign policy activism in the pursuit of peace and Sri Lanka is a prominent example of this. Norwegian efforts to bring about a negotiated settlement between successive Sri Lankan governments and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) spanned a twelve-year period. Apart from its role as peace facilitator, Norway was involved as a ceasefire monitor and an aid donor during this period.

Blake wooed genocidal Sri Lanka Army to help Afghan war
[TamilNet, Friday, 07 October 2011, 09:30 GMT]
Within months of a war masterminded to end in the genocide of Eezham Tamils, the US Asst Secretary of State Robert Blake wooed the genocidal Sri Lanka Army`s help in the US-led war in Afghanistan, reveals a Wikileaks document. In a meeting that took place in Colombo on 8th December 2009 with SL Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Blake raised the possibility of Sri Lanka contributing to U.S.-led coalition operations in Afghanistan, noting that would be a significant step in support of improving military-to-military engagement, briefs a classified cable of the US embassy in Colombo. Citing Muslim sentiments and ire of Islamic organizations, Gotabhaya avoided committing on any direct involvement, but he came out with an alternative for Sri Lanka providing covert training assistance in Afghanistan through NGOs and Private Military Companies.

August 9, 2011, 9:01 pm

By Noman Palihawadana

The Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka yesterday condemned the attack on a group of pilgrims, who were on their way to Vellankerny in South India last week, allegedly by a group of LTTE supporters.

`Over 100 Sri Lankan`s who were members of the Dehiyangatha Parish in Ja-Ela, accompanied by Rev Fr Terrence Bodiyabaduge and Rev Fr Patrick Perera, were the victims,` the church said.

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2011, 15:02 GMT]
In a Suo Motu statement in the Indian parliament, Indian foreign minister SM Krishna viewed that Sri Lanka`s problem for three decades was `terrorism`. Sri Lanka has borne the brunt of terrorism for nearly three-decades, the minister said, adding that the highest priority for India now is welfare of the IDPs. Colombo`s assurances for building upon the 13th Amendment would meet the reconciliation, he contented. Meanwhile, speaking to Head Lines Today, SL presidential sibling and defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said that there was no need to talk about solution any more as they had ended terrorism. Head Lines Today will be airing the exclusive interview with Gotabhaya on coming Monday.

Manmohan Singh on Tuesday told MDMK leader Vaiko that India cannot afford to restrict economic ties with Sri Lanka as demanded by Tamil Nadu`s political parties in order to apply pressure to mitigate the sufferings of Sri Lankan Tamils.
That, the Prime Minister said, would only
encourage China to displace India as a strategic and trading partner of Sri Lanka.

In response, Vaiko, who met the PM in Parliament House, said he told Singh that in any case, China is already aiding the Sri Lanka naval forces to attack Indian fishermen and is more of an ally of Pakistan than India .

Close on the heels of a US House Foreign Affairs Committee decision that American aid to Sri Lanka should be banned, some of the biggest American multi-nationals have written to the US government explaining their intention to form a Coalition for US-Sri Lanka Business to promote commercial activities here stating that it `will generate substantial benefits to both countries, including additional America jobs resulting from increased exports across a number of US industries. `

Monday, 25 July 2011 20:46

Former Sri Lanka cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara today said Sri Lankans were indebted to the armed forces for the sacrifices made in bringing about a bright future for the country and that on every possible occasion they would remember these sacrifices.

Making the comment to the Air Force media before departing to Jaffna on the 25th day of the `Trail` - a fund raising walk to build a children`s cancer ward in Jaffna, Sangakkara also hailed the project vowing to give his fullest support.

A US congressional committee voted to ban aid to Sri Lanka unless the nation shows `accountability` over the bloodshed in the final stages of its civil war in 2009.

In a voice vote, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a measure that would ban all US government funding to Sri Lanka except for humanitarian aid, demining and activities to promote democracy and governance.

The measure -- sponsored by Representative Howard Berman, the top member of President Barack Obama`s Democratic Party on the panel -- would only allow aid once the administration certifies progress by Sri Lanka on key concerns.

Far away from the sovereign credit doldrums affecting Europe, a small island state in the Indian ocean seems to be attracting the attention of foreign investors.

Sri Lanka raised $1bn on Thursday after its 10-year bond sale was seven times subscribed, in a sign that investors remain confident that the island`s sustained economic recovery is on track.

Sri Lanka`s successful dollar-denominated bond sale the third since the devastating civil war ended in 2009 reflects the strong economic comeback of the island following 26-years of political, economic and humanitarian strife

The US government says Sri Lanka has been successful in its efforts to resettle a large number of war displaced people in the island`s north and east.

The US Ambassador in Sri Lanka Patricia Butenis told reporters in Colombo today that thanks to the efforts of the Sri Lankan army and Sri Lankan and international demining organizations, large swaths of the north and east of the country are now cleared of mines.

She was speaking at a ceremony at the US embassy in Colombo after handing over trucks to the army for demining operations.

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Economic Development minister & Presidential sibling Basil Rajapaksa has blueprint to develop Neduntheevu/Delft into an eco-tourist resort.

Neduntheevu meaning long Island in Tamil is Sri Lanka`s largest off shore Island. It is in the Palk straits & is called Delft in English.

The oval shaped flat Island is about 50 sq km in area. It is roughly 8 km in length & 6 km in breadth.It is 28 miles away from Jaffna city.

By Joseph Navaratnam , Bethesda, MD, USA

The disaster the world heading in terms of human rights was well demonstrated yesterday (July 15) at Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. It was really shocking and disgusting to witness how the so-called protectors of global human rights shamelessly tried to capitalise the sufferings of my kith and kin in Sri Lanka to fulfill their self serving objectives.

As a Tamil living in the USA, I travelled to the Washington D.C. expecting that these Human Rights protectors would finally do something meaningful to support the Tamils in Sri Lanka who had suffered immensely due to the three decades of civil war. I was informed by an email circulated among the Tamil community here that Amnesty and Human Rights Watch have organized a screening of Sri Lanka Killing Fields by Channel 4 at Capitol Hill. I have of course seen this video before, but this time, I thought that these organizations were trying to obtain some kind of support from the United States to make the lives of my friends in Sri Lanka better.

A Japanese member of the UN Law Commission, Shinya Murase, has paid a glowing tribute to newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador to Japan Admiral (Rtd) Wasantha Karannagoda for taking over the diplomatic mission in spite of radiation fears caused by the destruction of the Fukushima nuclear facility, on March 11, 2011.