The defeat of the armed struggle waged by the LTTE  seems to have now resurrected the debate about  the non- violence struggle amongst the Tamils. The Federal Party’s post 2009 trend of holding Thanthai Chelva memorial meetings annually and the eulogies given to non- violence in these meetings, attest to this development. Mr.R. Sambandan, leader of the Federal Party, in one of his speeches in the Parliament has alluded to the terrorism practiced by the LTTE as the reason for their annihilation, and has time and agai

Saying that he is gravely disturbed to learn of the arrest of former Deputy Mayor of Colombo and Muslim Tamil National Alliance leader Azath Salley by the CID on May 2, UNP parliamentarian, Mangala Samaraweera (MP) noted that this is yet another blatant manifestation of the depths to which the rule of law has sunk in this country.

"It is further proof that even as the Government prepares to host the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo in a few months, it is simultaneously taking steps to suppress diss

Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) MP and Minister of Research, Technology and Atomic Energy, Patali Champika Ranawaka said a US military base in the Maldives would give the US an opportunity to monitor the India Ocean, and counter the growing Chinese influence in the region.“The Indian Ocean region is now the most important region in the struggle for global supremacy and we have become part of that struggle,” Ranawaka said. Ranawaka was responding to queries based on a draft Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the USA and the

British Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka in November, the Sri Lankan External Affairs Ministry announced on Sunday.

The announcement came even as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he may boycott the event over human rights concerns in Sri Lanka.

27-year-old Lankan one of the youngest to hold chair since its establishment

The Committee on Conferences that advises the General Assembly (GA) on matters pertaining to the organisation of United Nations (UN) Conferences, elected Chamithri Rambukwella, daughter of Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, as Chair, for its 2013-2014 term, at its organisational session on April 29.

With the war against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) intensifying in 2008, among journalists, the group to feel the most amount of pressure was the defence correspondents. The column writing slowed and ceased, and soon, media activists and dissenting opinion peddlers too came under severe pressure. The year 2008-2009 was dubbed annus hornbills for Sri Lankan journalists, for a reason. By the February 2009, over a dozen journalists have fled the island.
 

In what must amount to a major diplomatic triumph for the government, the Commonwealth last week confirmed that its next Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be held as scheduled in Sri Lanka in November. The decision affirmed at the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting in London was a significant setback for the Eelamist lobby which campaigned indefatigably to have the venue for the summit shifted. It was also a snub for countries such as Canada which endorsed this view.

Papua New Guinea said that it would give it's support to the Sri Lankan government at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the Sri Lankan High Commission in Canberra said.

It said that Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, the High Commissioner for Australia concurrently accredited to Papua New Guinea presented the Letter of Credence of Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka to the Governor General of Papua New Guinea Grand Chief Sir Michael Ogio,, CBE, GCM, GCMG, KSt. J at the Government House Kone

The government is considering allowing the apparel industry based in the Investment Promotion Zones (IPZ) to employ migrant workers, in order to address crippling shortage and mass exodus of local workers in the apparel industry. Two rounds of talks have already been held between the representatives of the owners of the garments and the Board of Investment (BOI) in this regard.

No specific decision has been taken so far regarding the countries from which such workers are to be brought down or the signing of the agreements.

During the past 25 years the plight of the media in Sri Lanka is to live with fear and harassment. During the last ten years the journalists who were with us celebrating the press freedom has left the country, forced to leave or live in exile fear of lives said the Executive Director of CaFFE.

He further added celebrating the World Press Freedom Day in a troubled democracy is nothing much similar to an arms giving for dead souls.