World's worst passports: Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan rank in top 10

Study sees Afghanistan rank the worst in the world while UAE is second best in Arab world for visa-free travel

By Bindu Suresh Rai

Even as some of the world’s most troubled hotspots have countries maintain a year-round travel advisory for its citizens, several Dubai-based Asian expats claimed surprise that Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan made it to the list of the worst passports to travel with in a recent study.

CPA delegation disappointed that President Rajapaksa nor Defence Secretary, Rajapaksa, could not meet them

A six-member Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) delegation representing the UK Parliament visited Sri Lanka last week, on the invitation of the Sri Lankan Government. However, they were disappointed that neither President Mahinda Rajapaksa nor Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, could meet them.

The National Plan Action includes merely a fraction of the 285 recommendations made by LLRC - Forum Asia

Pooja Patel: appalled at the Sri Lankan delegation’s claim that the military offers “no intrusive presence impacting on civilian life” in the north

Friday, 15 March 2013
Thank you, Mr. President. FORUM-ASIA makes this statement in association with its member organisations in Sri Lanka, Law and Society Trust (LST) and INFORM-Human Rights Documentation Centre.  We express our disappointment with the manner in which the Sri Lankan delegation engaged with the UPR Working Group and regret the absurd move made by several States to edit their recommendations so that the outcome document focuses only on the National Plan of Action, not the entire recommendations from the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

A Wish list for 2013 : Cheaper prices; Better economic manegment, Good Governance, De-militarisation,

Cheaper prices; cheaper prices; cheaper prices! This wish will certainly echo across the nation in 2013, more particularly among urban and middle-class communities.
Soaring prices of essential commodities including rising fuel costs have been the hallmark of Sri Lanka’s economy this year and would most likely continue next year. For middle-class people, particularly those living in Colombo and the Western Province and also those commuting to work from outside into these areas, the cost of living has been rising and no amount of statistical data (if it reveals a lower Cost of Living index) would convince Colombo’s residents and travellers that costs have gone down.

Sri Lanka: War is Over but Tensions Run High

Jaffna students walking past a destroyed building ( photo : Diplomat)

Jaffna, the capital of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province and once the bastion of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is once again experiencing unrest.
Violent clashes broke out on November 27, Martyrs' Day for Tamil, between students of Jaffna University and Sri Lankan security forces. Each year Tamils use Martyrs' Day to honor friends and family members who were killed in the Sri Lanka Civil War (1983-2009).

The regime considers the youth as a force to be feared rather than nurtured for the future of this country - FUTA

FUTA press statement on Jaffna university problem
While  expressing  concern  about  the  recent  beating,  harassment  and  arrests  of  students  in  Jaffna, FUTA reminds the authorities of its demands made in the recent protest to keep the universities free of  political  interference.  Not  only  does  this  hinder  academic  enterprise  but  leads  to  unrest  in  our universities.  We  in  particular  demanded  that  the  training  of  new  entrants  in  army  camps,  which included  an  ideological  component,  and  the  imposition  of  Rakna  Lanka  Security  Service  having close association with the Defence Ministry, be rescinded. This  mentality  has  led to a country that spends far more on spying and attempting to control students than on educating them. We see that the  regime  considers  the  youth  as  a  force  to  be  feared  rather  than  nurtured  for  the  future  of  this country.

By erecting Buddha statue, harmony will not emerge - Tamil Alliance in annoyance

By ignoring the restorations of ruined Hindu, Christian and Islamic worship centers, by constructing new Buddhist Temples in the north and east will not originate ethnic harmony.

If actual harmony should be prevailed between ethnic communities, in all issues equal distribution is needed was urged by Vanni district Tamil National Alliance Member Selvam Adaikalanathan yesterday in parliament.

Regarding ten senior minsters and the financial allocations for 22 ministries were scrutinized at the selective committee level debate, and Selvam Adaikalanathan made this statements.

Jaffna demonstration backing students demands IC action, appeals to Tamil youth outside

TNA MPs at the demonstration

In an impressive show of solidarity on Tuesday, the TNPF-called demonstration in Jaffna condemning the attack on Jaffna university students and the arrest of student leaders by the occupying forces of Sri Lanka, was actively participated by the mainstream TNA, University Teachers Association, University Students Union, Jaffna Chamber of Commerce, Medical Association, Lawyers Association and other civil society organisations, besides progressive leftist party representatives from the South. The demonstrators demanded the IC to immediately recognize the nation, territoriality and right of self-determination of Tamils in order to ensure their safety and democratic rights.

Jaffna university Students’ Union leader, four others arrested in midnight raid

27th Nov Jaffna: P. Darshananth explains their right to association

Stepping up their terror campaign against the Jaffna students’ society, Sri Lankan police on Saturday (01) has arrested four Jaffna University Students, including its union leader P. Darshananth and his colleague, in a midnight raid.

According to media sources in Jaffna, a four-member team in police uniform has raided the house of the 24-year old Darshananth in the early hours of Saturday and taken him and another Medical Faculty student to the Jaffna police station, claiming to record a statement from them.

Eye witness account: Unlawful behavior of military in Jaffna disrupting remembrance day

Military & police  assault (Photo: Uthayan)

E.Saravanpavan, MP, Jaffna
November 27th is the Tamil Eelam Liberation Tigers’ Heros Day on which day people offer their commemoration to the demised  warriors.    It is customary for people to pay their respect to the deceased on such days. This salutation offered to their blood brothers, relations and parents has been mercilessly suppressed by the forces.   This being a well planned act of the forces, the consequences had brought the Government’s false disguise to the international community. 
It is  possible that if such incident had not taken place in the Jaffna Campus premises, yesterday and the day before, the international community  wouldn’t have come to know about it.

Were prisoners summarily executed? Prison officials so allege

relatives of the killed prisoners calls for justice ( BBC photo) 

Ranga Jayasuriya
scores of inmates who died in the Welikada prison clash were in fact summarily executed by the Special Task Force after the army commandos quelled the prison riot, prisoners and prison officials allege. “The last inmate was killed at around 6 am on Saturday,” said a prison employee.
“ The army took control of the prison around 2-3 am on Saturday. After  the riot was quelled,  prisoners had reportedly to gone to their cells. Later, the STF came with a list of names and some inmates were asked to come out of their cells” said an official.

In the law enforcement area, the vacuum that will be created by the removal of the independent character of the judges will be filled by the Ministry of Defence

The paramilitary and the intelligence services will play the role of accusers, judges and executioners.

Basil Fernando
The impeachment is not about the individual that is Shriyani Bandaranayake, the Chief Justice. The real issue is about ending the position of the judiciary as a separate branch of the state.

What is now being faced is a momentous transformation of the very structure of governance in Sri Lanka. It is the final completion of the objective of the 1978 Constitution and of the 18th Amendment to that same Constitution.

The process that is now being completed has been pursued for several years through many important events. A brief history of this change is as follows:

Sri Lanka military opens more hotels, creates resort brand

(LBO) - Sri Lanka's army has opened its third resort hotel and also created a brand as part of efforts to add more rooms to cater to an influx of tourists and promote soldier welfare.
Army chief Jagath Jayasuriya said the army, which opened its first resort to provide rest and recuperation to soldiers fighting an insurgency, was looking to expand and diversity its hotel assets.
 "Our vision is to make the 'Laya' brand one of the most sought-after resort hotels in Sri Lanka," he told a news conference.

Analysis: Sri Lanka’s long road to reconciliation

War returnee Genzia Mary
Two countries in one
Militarization of north deepens distrust
Limited efforts to bridge divide
Problem of impunity




 PUTHUKKUDIYIRUPPU- Genzia Mary, 10, is fascinated by the buses arriving in northern Sri Lanka, their jovial travellers singing in a language that, until two years ago, was completely foreign to her.

Mary lives in Kilinochchi District, part of the country’s northern former war zone popularly known as “the Vanni”. Thousands of southerners, mostly from the majority Sinhala ethnic group, come to visit war attractions as well as a well-known Buddhist temple north of the Vanni.

Sri Lanka raises taxes to boost defence spending

(AFP) COLOMBO — Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse on Thursday increased import taxes in an annual budget which allocated a record $2.2 billion for defence, three years after ending a war with Tamil rebels.

Rajapakse, who also holds the defence and finance portfolios, told parliament the country had suffered the effects of a global economic downturn as it emerged from nearly four decades of ethnic bloodshed.

"The economic crisis in the US and Europe, the political uncertainties in the Middle East and the slower growth in China and India have adversely affected us," Rajapakse said.

Tamils vote with Muslims in EPC against SLA land grab of Muslim village

The Eastern Provincial Council (EPC), which is now under the control of ruling United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) passed a resolution unanimously Tuesday against the appropriation by the Sri Lanka Army of the entire traditional Muslim village, Karimayilaiyoottu with a century old mosque. C.Thandayuthapani, the opposition leader in the EPC who represents the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) extended full support to the motion saying that no one would tolerate the appropriation of a traditional Muslim village and the mosque by the Sri Lankan military. The resolution was brought by Ameer Ali, a ruling party member, at the monthly meeting of the EPC.

UPR Sri Lanka 2012: Questions submitted to Sri Lanka in advance

Number of countries have submitted dozens of questions in advance for the Government of Sri Lanka to respond at the up coming UPR - Sri Lanka session. The Sri Lanka human rights situation will be taken up at the UPR on  Thursday 1 November 2012  from 2:30 pm - 6:00 pm.  93 countries have registered to speak at the UPR - Sri Lanka. Each country will be allocated only 1 minute and 12 seconds to speak. GoSL gets 70 minute to make its oral submission. The questions submitted in advance and  posted on the OHCHR web site are follows:

Education Officials Commissioned as Brevet Colonels

School Principals become military officers

Under the guidance of Secretary Defence and Urban Development Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, 23 Class 1 Principals of Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service and officers of the Ministry of Education were Commissioned as Brevet Colonels at a ceremony held at the Defence Ministry premises today (08th October).

They were thus commissioned as Brevet Colonels in recognition of the services rendered by them towards the betterment of the National Cadet Corp (NCC).