The Sri Lankan government says the Commonwealth must strive to bring tangible benefits to its member states.

Sri Lanka’s  Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Dr. Palitha Kohona said that in the long run, it is tangible benefits that will keep the Commonwealth members together.

“Although ideas and values are important, tangible benefits will be the glue that will bind us together as a family,” the External Affairs Ministry quoted him as saying.

Considering the communication of Special procedures, RADDHO welcome the report A/HRC/22/67, on Agenda items 3, 4, 7, 9 and 10. RADDHO also welcomes (1) the UN Secretary-General's Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka of 31 March 2011; (2) his Internal Review Panel report on UN action in Sri Lanka and (3) the report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on advice and technical assistance for the Government of Sri Lanka, on promoting reconciliation and accountability.
It is our view, that the above mentioned repor

A media briefing was held on Wednesday under the patronage of Leader of the United National Party Ranil Wickremesinghe

Newsfirst journalists and several other journalists were not allowed to cover the media briefing.

The Supreme court granted permission for the Urban Development Authority to go ahead with the Development Project on a seven-acre plot of land in Slave Island.

This was revealed when the fundamental Rights petition filed, citing that the residents would lose their homes as a result of the project, was taken up for consideration.
The petition was taken up before a three-judge bench comprising of Chief Justice Mohan Peiris and Justices P.A. Ratnayake and Priyasad Dep.

Attorney-at-Law Sujeewa Senasinghe appeared on

Summon Sri Lankan envoy, writes angry Jayalalithaa to Prime Minister
New Delhi: India has told Sri Lanka to free 53 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu at the earliest. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has written to the Prime Minister, asking him to summon the Sri Lankan envoy. "Let Sri Lanka not be emboldened by your silence," she wrote.

Sri Lanka's Deputy High Commissioner was summoned today by the Ministry of External Affairs and told to treat the arrested men "in a humane manner."

The Monaragala High Court today sentenced to death 5 people over a shooting incident in 1999 in which 2 people were killed.

High Court judge Gihan Kulutanga issued the death sentence after the five suspects were found guilty for murder and various other crimes.

The shooting incident had taken place during an election rally held at Bibile, Galkumbura. The five suspects had opened fire targeting the rally.

The navy arrested another 34 Indian fishermen for entering Sri Lankan waters illegally this morning, a navy spokesman said.

The arrest came within hours after the navy had arrested 19 Indians and seized their boats inside Sri Lankan waters.

Navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya said that the 34 Indians were arrested off the Delft islands this morning.

Keeping up the pressure on the Centre to support the US resolution against Sri Lanka at UNHRC, UPA ally DMK on Wednesday wondered why India was still treating Colombo as a friendly nation when it had dumped various treaties and ‘insulted’ leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi, the Press Trust of India reported.

On March 15, the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) will discuss the human rights record of Sri Lanka, during which the country is likely to come under severe criticism for serious human rights violations, and be called to account by the United States. However, amidst the international criticisms of Sri Lanka, one community remains largely forgotten – the indigenous Wanniyala-Aetto.

The Wanniyala-Aetto, commonly known to outsiders as Veddah, are struggling to survive on what remains of their land. In the 1950s the

The pro-Sri Lankan Tamils agitation by the student community in Trichy turned violent with a police inspector even being accused of slapping a protesting student.

Students from several colleges in the Trichy region staged hunger strikes and other forms of sit-in agitations over the burning Sri Lankan Tamil issue that even saw a bandh by Teso on Tuesday. In the forefront of Wednesday's protests were the students of Urumu Dhanalaxmi College (UDC) and the students of Trichy Government Law College.