‘Equal Rights’ awareness campaign disrupted by Police .

Campaign in Jaffna

Police interrupted a banner-signing campaign held in Borella, which was one of a series of awareness programs held island-wide today (23rd) by the Movement for Equal Rights (MER). The MER had begun the program entitled “no to another black July”, around 9am in the town of Borella, when police officers attached to the Borella police station arrived at the location and informed them to stop the campaign and remove the banner.

Sri Lanka: Police attempts to intimidate leading dissident writer Gamini Viyangoda

Ganimi Viyanggoda ( facebook photo)

A state-sponsored operation is underway to intimidate journalists, civil society activists and politicians who publicly criticize certain actions of the government. Under this operation, neighbours of such activists receive calls, purportedly from the CID, asking them about details of such persons.  UNP leadership council member Mangala Samaraweera said there have been many such instances, adding these activists are being intimidated through their neighbours. According to reports reaching Sri Lanka Mirror, the CID has called neighbours of senior literary figure Gamini Viyangoda too.

- Sri Lanka Mirror

Let the Opposition be urged to continue with its fact finding missions! Police say UNP planned to disturb the peace

UNP MPs explain the incident

Workers as hirelings, Editorial, The Island

An attempt by some UNP parliamentarians to inspect the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) refinery at Sapugaskanda was thwarted by some pro-government workers who staged a protest on Thursday. The situation, however, was not as bad as in Hambantota, where a group of UNP MPs came under a rotten egg attack during a fact finding mission. But, the denial of entry to Opposition lawmakers who seek to visit a public venture after obtaining prior permission is condemnable.

UNP MPs Prevented From Entering Sapugaskanda Refinery!

Pro govt. thugs

A tense situation occurred in front of the Sapugaskanda oil refinery a short while ago when the UNP MPs who visited the refinery were hindered by a group of CPC employees.  The CPC employees, who belong to a trade union, were protesting against the fact finding mission by the group of UNP MPs, who were headed by Parliamentarian Ajith P Perera.  UNP Parliamentarian Harsha de Silva, who was at the location, tweeted, "MPs are turning back as we are unable to enter the CPC refinery. Hundreds of goons protected by the Police blocked the entrance."

Sri Lanka: The Ministry of Defence should not have any power over the functioning of any civil society organisations

SRI LANKA: AHRC’s position on the proposed law for NGO registration under the Ministry of Defence

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to clarify its position regarding the controversy about the government’s proposal for a law to force the registration of non-governmental organisations with a National Secretariat functioning under the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence and Urban Development.

Sri lanka: Rajarata Uni student's sathyagraha hut burnt for the third time

The temporary hut that sheltered Rajarata University student protesters was burnt for the third time early this morning. Rajarata University Students Federation member Lasantha Priyankara said a group of men came in a van and hurled a bottle of petrel to blaze the hut. However, students staying inside the hut at the time of the incident have not been injured by the blaze. The Student Sathyagraha which has demanded the university authorities to lift the class suspension on 28 students would complete 213 days today.

Sri Lanka: New [ visa] regulations for foreign invitees for non state orgnisation funtions

President Rajapaksa's Code is an eight-page memorandum [presented] by External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris. It calls for significant changes. He has said that the NGO Secretariat (now coming under the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development) and the Registrar of Companies will be tasked “with clearing NGO requests on hosting events and arranging necessary visas for the participants.” He has proposed “to designate a focal point at the NGO Secretariat and the Registrar of Companies in order to streamline the visa process.”

Student leader Bandara’s arrest part of witch hunt: IUSF .

Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) Convener Najith Indika said student leaders were subjected to a witch hunt by the Government and this had led to the arbitrary arrest of former IUSF convener Sanjeewa Bandara.  He was produced before the Kandy Magistrate and remanded till July 23 on charges of breaking bail conditions.

“Three of our student leaders visited the Peradeniya Police Station because we asked to make a statement after the university security personnel made a false complaint against us.

Thugs attack students’ ‘Sathyagraha’

Student hut set o Fire ( lankaviews)

The ‘Sathyagraha’ campaign carried out by students of Rajarata University demanding authorities to remove the unjustifiable suspension of classes of 27 students has been attacked by thugs.
Today (18th), on the 191st day of the ‘Sathyagraha’, thugs who had arrived early morning in a motorcycle have set fire to the temporary hut students were using for the ‘Sathyagraha’. One student has been injured in the incident.

Death threats to Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri

Former President of Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri has made a complaint to Maharagama Police regarding death threats he has received continuously since the 16th.  Dr. Devasiri’s wife too has been threatened and a telephone call received yesterday (17th) morning has threatened that his daughter would be subjected to an acid attack.

The protest against TI workshop for Tamil Journalists had a racist basis - Jaffna Press Club

Indirect support form the police

The Jaffna Press Club strongly condemns attempts by the State to prevent the knowledge -based development workshops for Tamil speaking journalists tarnishing them with a racist brush in circumstances where the threats against journalists and media organizations from the North of Sri Lanka are already at a very high level.An investigative journalism training workshop organized by Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) for journalists from the North-East was once again disrupted by state assisted goons. The workshop was disrupted by a group of more than hundred persons who carried out a protest against it. 

BBS Gnanasara Thera Calls lawyer Maithri Gunaratne A "Dog"

Gunaratne

Former UNP PC member  today lodged a complaint against BBS General Secretary Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera saying the latter called him a "dog" at the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court premises. Gunaratne, who is a lawyer, appears on behalf of Vatareka Wijitha Thera in a court case involving the Bodu Bala Sena and the Jathika Bala Sena, led by Wijitha Thera.

Chief Minister Prasanna thugs Attack Parents .

CM Ranathunga

A mother has been admitted to Colombo National Hospital A & E unit after an attack carried out by the thugs of the Chief Minister, Western Province.
This attack was carried on June 5th while all the parents and teachers were agitating against the political interference carried out in Ashoka College, Colombo. Teachers and students are accusing the principal of being a henchman of the CM and destroying the school and its education.

SL military blocks people from attending protest in Mullaiththeevu

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) politicians joined a protest held in front of the Mullaiththeevu District Secretariat on Thursday demanding legal hearings into habeas corpus petitions from the families and relatives of persons, who are reported missing after the families had handed them over to the occupying Sri Lankan military during the final days of the genocidal onslaught on Vanni in May 2009.

FUTA threatens strike unless govt. stops harassing lecturers

University invaded

‘Names of dons who spoke against Deyata Kirula at Senate meeting were leaked to thugs’
The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) yesterday asked the government to stop harassing its members following a recent goon attack on the Ruhuna University students or face a countrywide strike. Addressing a media conference at the Faculty Club of the Colombo University, FUTA President Chandragupta Thenuwara said that the government sponsored thugs had attacked the vehicle of a lecturer of the Ruhuna University during the protest on Monday, demanding that Deyata Kirula exhibition be held within the university premises.

Death threats to Ruhuna University lecturers

Thugs led by MP Jayasuriya

University teachers question as to whether S.B. Dissanayake is the minister in charge of higher education, or if not livestock or terrorism affairs.Their association FUTA, at a media briefing in Colombo today (06), charged the government of being behind death threats received by lecturers of Ruhunu University after they condemned an attack on students of the university.President of the association Dr. Chandragupta Thenuwara said they strongly protested the higher education minister’s having called lecturers and students by names of various animals.

Repression of Dissent in Sri Lanka - INFORM report April 2014

''Government Ministers, MPs, politicians, supporters and groups backed by the government appeared to behind almost all the reported incidents. On several occasions, Police watched by and refused to take action as these government politicians and allies attacked and threatened opposition politicians, journalists and a prominent Buddhist Monk advocating for religious freedom and harmony. As in previous months and years, there appears to be no interest and urgency in conducting investigations and prosecuting those responsible, despite the availability in some cases of ample evidence including eyewitness accounts, video and photographic evidence, most of which are in the public domain''

Sri Lanka: 17 Allied science students leaders arrested

Four Allied Science Student leaders arrested

Four activists of Allied Health Science Faculty students’ Union were arrested during the mass agitation held opposite University Grants Commission today (16th) against the move to reduce the period of the Allied Health Science degree to three years.

The President of the Peradeniya Students’ Council, the President and Vice President of Allied Health Science faculty at Peradeniya University and the President of the Allied Health Science Faculty of Ruhuna University are the student activists who have been arrested and are being detained in Kirulapone Police Station.

Sri Lanka: JVP offshoot condemns ban on commemoration of LTTE cadres

The Frontline Socialist Party (FLSP) has condemned the closure of the Jaffna University for a week starting from today and the government’s alleged ban on any programmes to commemorate the LTTE cadres killed during the North East conflict.

Sri Lanka authorities disallow African youth press conference on 'Bring Back Our Girls' at WCY

Not allowed to speak up!

African delegates protest at BMICH

 A protest was conducted by a group of African delegates participating in the World Conference on Youth (WCY) at the BMICH yesterday against the refusal by Minister Dullas Alahapperuma to allow them to hold a press conference.  The ordeal had taken place around 12:30 in the afternoon when the Minister of Youth Affairs and Skills Development was holding a press conference at the media centre outside the main hall of the BMICH. The group of Africans had walked by holding placards that read 'Bring back our girls'. They had attempted to enter the premises to hold a press conference, but had been denied entry.