The 2003 government led by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, has been accused of helping the United States in it’s torture program.

A New York-based human rights organization said in a new report, that Sri Lanka was among either hosted secret prisons or helped in the transport or torture of terrorist suspects as part of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) rendition and black site torture programme.

The Open Society Justice Initiative said the Sri Lankan government in 2003 perm

The Government of Sri Lanka is studying a draft of UN Human Rights Commissioner Navinetham Pillay’s report on Sri Lanka to be submitted to the 22nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, authoritative sources said yesterday.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will submit a report on Advice and Technical Assistance to the Government
UN Human Rights Commissioner Navinetham Pillay

DMK today strongly criticised Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for ruling out greater political autonomy for Tamils, saying India should at least “wake up” now and help secure their livelihood and democratic rights.

“Rajapaksa has failed to honour the promise given to India and other global organisations for long on granting political autonomy with the latest announcement which should be condemned,” DMK chief M. Karunanidhi said in a statement.

Addressing the island nation’s 65th

Tamil refugee claimants detained after arriving in a ship off the B.C. coast in 2009 survived a "Darwinian" process during their travels, a prosecutor says.The the MV Ocean Lady took various routes as they travelled from Sri Lanka to staging areas in Indonesia and Thailand, a bail hearing was told in 2011.
"Many of the migrants said that numerous Sri Lankan Tamils were caught by authorities in Thailand or Indonesia and sent back to Sri Lanka," said federal prosecutor Charles Hough. "I suggest t

The Sri Lankan government on Wednesday dismissed a threat from Canada regarding the island's human rights record.

Sri Lanka's External Affairs Ministry said that the government was well aware of the importance of securing the rights of its own people and was acting accordingly.

"Sri Lanka's human rights record is much better than other countries. The government knows its responsibility towards its own people and has been working on maintaining a good human rights record," Foreign Secretary Karun

On January 19, an unruly group protested in front of the Maharagama No Limit, demanding that the shop be removed from the town. On Thursday (January 24) protesters in Kuliyapitiya burned effigies and waved offensive placards, calling for an end to halal-produced foods in Sri Lanka.
Both these incidents were said to be connected in some way to the Bodu Bala Sena group at the time. However, the Bodu Bala Sena group vehemently denies the allegations.
Executive Committee member Dilantha Withanage is eager to prove that Bodu B

Thousands of Sri Lankans both men and women including ex-Air Force officer Thungasiri and Asitha from Kadawata, languish in Saudi Arabia prisons. A large number of them sex slaves and only intervention by the US or the United Nations can save them, according to popular film actor and UNP MP, Ranjan Ramanayake.
In this scenario, Ramanayake aims to hand over a letter to the US Ambassador in Sri Lanka appealing for the US to move in all these tragic cases with emphasis on Thungasiri and Asitha’s fate.
“Towards th

Natural disasters have become frequent in Sri Lanka during the past few months as many parts of the country faced disaster situations one after the other. When some parts of the country recovered from drought the same areas were affected by floods, giving a two-way shock to the people. Whatever the property and economic damages caused by these disasters people are more concerned about loss of lives.

Taking care of human lives during disasters, providing them assistance and taking steps to mitigate disasters play a key role in

The north of Sri Lanka has been an area of isolation for over 26 years due to a bloody civil war that raged on between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) separatist movement. Nearly four years ago, in 2009, the war came to an end with the defeat of the LTTE, paving the way for a reintegration and rehabilitation of the North.

Travelling up to that region of the country earlier in the month gave me an opportunity to ascertain how far along the rebuilding has progressed. My last visit to Jaffna (the nor

The government took steps to protect Human Rights and Fundamental Rights, which were violated by the LTTE by closing the Mavil-Aru anicut, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa commissions the Greater Trincomalee Integrated Water Supply Project in Kantale. Picture by Sudath Silva

The humanitarian mission was launched to protect and safeguard Human Rights since the LTTE violated a basic fundamental right of people to have water, the President said.

The government is preserving water