Monthly Archives: January 2012

A Happy New Year Sri Lankan style

May your happiness increase like the price of vegetables;
May your worries disappear like the greese yakas;
May your enemies be punished like Sarath Fonseka;
May you be protected like Duminda Silva;
May you be highly qualified in an instant like Namal Rajapaksa;
May your wealth and property increase like the Rajapaksa Brothers;
May you live a never ending life like […]

By Staff Correspondent | Published on January 9, 2012 at 8:08 pm

Sections of Tamil Diaspora still not reconciled to defeat of LTTE

LLRC REPORT AND PRESSURES FROM TAMIL CIVIL SOCIETY

The TNA has yet to issue its follow up response to its initial rejection of the report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. In a strongly worded statement the TNA noted that “The report of the LLRC is a serious assault on the dignity of the victims […]

By Dr. Jehan Perera | Published on January 9, 2012 at 3:35 am

Ranil to speak at protest meeting to mark Lasantha’s death anniversary

The Sun will not shine on a country where impunity reigns – : PROTEST MEETING
A Protest Meeting will be held to mark the 3rd Death Anniversary of the senior journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge on Wednesday, 11th January 2011, 4 pm at
J.R.Jayewardene Centre, Colombo 7.
This meeting is being organized by the Platform for Freedom, a coalition of […]

By Staff Correspondent | Published on January 9, 2012 at 2:01 am

Sri Lanka’s democratic institutions have metastasized into something dangerous

8 JANUARY 2012:Today marks the third death anniversary of Lasantha Wickrematunge a human rights journalist from Sri Lanka who fought
fearlessly for the freedom of the press and relentlessly pursued what he believed was right. On January 8, 2009 he was brutally murdered by the Sri Lankan authorities for his journalism.
Three years after Lasantha’s brutal murder […]

By Sonali Samarasinghe Wickrematunge | Published on January 8, 2012 at 8:21 am

N G P Panditharatne-a personification of honour and integrity

“A man has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so.”– Walter Lippman
During the last fifty years, our public service has been blessed with extraordinarily talented men and women, be in the field of law, medicine, politics, engineering or
general administration. Some have shown almost […]

By Palitha Pelpola | Published on January 7, 2012 at 2:59 am

Freedom House Condemns Raids of NGOs in Egypt

The raid of Freedom House’s office and those of several other NGOs in Cairo by Egyptian security forces today constitutes an unprecedented assault on international
civil society organizations and their local Egyptian partners. Freedom House strongly condemns the raid and calls for authorities to cease the unwarranted attacks and release confiscated property immediately.
This morning, Egyptian security […]

By Freedom House | Published on January 7, 2012 at 1:53 am

In Sri Lanka abductions and murder continue in the new year

ALERTS:Friday, 6 January 2012, 11:24 am: Sri Lanka: A further report on abductions followed by murder
Dinesh Buddhika Charitanda (25), was abducted on the 3rd January at night and on the morning of the 4th his body was found near the Keleni river close to Grand Pass and his mother identified the body. He had injuries to […]

By Asian Human Rights Commission | Published on January 6, 2012 at 10:30 am

Canada: More furore over personalised stamps bearing Tamil Tiger symbols

NEWS: The Sri Lanka United National Association of Canada has written a letter to Rona Ambrose Canada’s Minister of Public Works and Government services calling on
her to ban personalised stamps bearing symbols of the LTTE (Tamil Tigers). The letter alleges the Tamil Youth Organisation has misused the Canada Post service.
Below are excerpts of the letter […]

By Letter | Published on January 5, 2012 at 11:13 pm

“Personalised” Tiger stamps originating in France not official – Sri Lanka Mission

MEDIA RELEASE: With regard to stamps originating in France , bearing various symbols representing the LTTE, a terrorist organization listed as such by the EU,
the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Paris wishes to make the following statement:
The Embassy of Sri Lanka has been in communication with La Poste which is the issuing authority for official stamps, […]

By Press Release | Published on January 5, 2012 at 10:39 pm

Sri Lanka protests against publishing of Tiger stamps by ‘La Poste’ of France

NEWS: Minister of External Affairs, Professor G.L. Peiris called in the Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka Christine Robichon, on Tuesday 3rd January 2012, to register Sri
Lanka’s acute concern on the issue of four stamps by “La Poste” of France depicting images related to the LTTE including its insignia, while being a proscribed group in […]

By Statement | Published on January 5, 2012 at 10:23 pm