Mar 31 (BBC) The Sri Lanka government is accused of ignoring the advise of an expert panel to improve the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) has accused the government of hindering the investigation. A member of the panel, Gene Dewey, told BBC's Roland Buerk that the lacklustre attitude of Sri Lanka authorities led to Presidential Commission's investigations being 'handicapped'. more..

Mar 31 (BBC) A group of traditional leftwing parties in the south and a Tamil alliance have joined hands aiming at the upcoming eastern Provincial Council (PC) elections. Leader of the Peoples Liberation Organisation for Tamil Ealam (PLOTE) told journalists in Batticaloa that a newly formed coalition, Tamil Democratic National Alliance (TDNA), will contest the elections with an alliance from the south. The TDNA consists of PLOTE, EPRLF (Pathmanaba wing) and the TULF. more..

Mar 31 (LBO) The emergence of non-bank entities that issue cards for payment services are a threat to traditional commercial banks, a Sri Lankan central banker said. The payments system is being transformed by new information technology and the integration of financial markets which has led to the emergence of non-bank actors, said Ranee Jayamaha, deputy governor of the Central Bank. more..

Mar 31 (TC) It was very early on a Saturday morning, we were all gathering in front of the Fort Railway Station. No we were not planning to go on a trip, We were the wives/sisters of the four journalists taken into detention on March 7th. Saturday is visitor’s day to the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID). Family members of the detainees have to gather at the Fort Railway Station between 9 a.m and 12 noon. There they are checked, bundled into a police van and taken to the TID. more..

Mar 31 (FI) A democratic government that exercises the sovereign power of the people on their behalf has the responsibility to safeguard the rights and freedom of all citizens. The people too have responsibilities to their country and the entire society. The government’s responsibility is wide and specific. It is responsible for the unity, peace, development of all regions and the well-being of all citizens. more..

Mar 31 (LG) At the meeting held on March 29 (Saturday), 2008 in London the alternative vices to the extreme LTTE fronts in the UK decided to form a common body to agree and work on a minimum working programme. Forty three members representing organisations and politically active individuals including Tamils and Muslims, who subscribe to peaceful and non violent resolution to the conflict in Sri Lanka attended the meeting. more..

Mar 31 (LG) I did not see the Sinhala film which is known as 'anti-Tamil' –film “Prabhakaran” and made by Thusara Peiries, and ready for worldwide release on April 25. However I feel it is my responsibility to write a small not about the action of Tamil fundamentalist who are against the film and asked Tamil Nadu government to ban its Tamil version and also attacked the director in Chennai, India. more..

Mar 31 (LG) In a slim volume, Chelvadurai Manogaran, former Professor of Geography and International Studies at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside, endeavours to argue that the Tamils in the northern and eastern province of Sri Lanka have a legitimate claim to the right of self determination. Manogaran has written a book on Ethnic Conflict and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka in 1987 and co-edited a book with Professor Bryan Pfaffenberger, more..

Mar 31 (LG) The history of Sri Lanka beginning from the 3rd Century B.C. to 18th Century A.D. is one of the best documented. Our island has a collection of historical chronicles and religious writings which have no parallel in South Asia. Pre-eminent is the great chronicle the Mahawansa written in the early years of the 6th century. However, there are a large number of stories believed as history but mainly legend now ingrained in the minds of the people as truth. more..

Mar 31 (LG) In the Dhammadayada Sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya the Buddha says, "Monks, be heirs of my Dhamma, not heirs of material things". Clearly the Buddha wanted his disciples to give more attention to his liberating teaching than to things like his bodily remains or personal possessions. Nonetheless, after his parinirvana his disciples felt deeply his absence and longed for some form of closeness to their beloved teacher. more..

Mar 31 (LG) What is good governance? It is a value-loaded term. But when theorists of public administration discuss administration, they prefer to talk of efficiency rather than good governance. Efficiency is an economic and an accounting concept and refers to minimizing the use of resources per unit of output, the resources referred to being mainly manpower, capital and materials. Governance is also concerned with getting things done to accomplish certain objectives. more..

Mar 31 (LG) I refer to a Tamil question, firstly, because it is a question that concerns the Tamil people primarily, and, secondly, because it arises from a self-image projected by them. It is the Tamil majority areas in the North and East that have been the scene of military conflict between the state and the guerilla forces of the LTTE. Again, it is the claim of the Tamils of the North and the East, where they are a majority, to recognition of their separate nationality, more..

Mar 31 (LG) Somaratne Dissanayake's latest direction 'Siri Raja Siri' (King Siri), a tale of a child from a rural background who is selected to a leading college in the town and the challenges he had to face thereafter will be screened from March 6 at Savoy Wellawatte and other 35 EAP circuit cinemas. Another children's film with a message to the world of adults, 'Siri Raja Siri', Somaratne Dissanayake yet again introduces another talented child Kokila Jayasuriya to the cinema more..

Mar 31 (LG) Sri Lanka, ‘Ceylon’ during the days of the British Raj, has been in the grips of a civil war where the LTTE, acknowledged as one of the world’s most ruthless guerrilla groups, has been battling with the Sinhalese-dominated government over the last 17 years in order to form a break-away state (‘Tamil Eelam’) comprising the island’s northern and eastern provinces as a homeland for its Tamil inhabitants. more..

Mar 31 (Hindu) Supreme Court has said the Constitution and the Supreme Court rulings give “adequate recognition to the provisions contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” In a ruling made on the basis of the opinion sought by President Rajapaksa, the apex court held that the citizens could derive the “benefit guaranteed by the Covenant.” It is immediately not clear what prompted the President to seek the court’s opinion. more..

Mar 31 (Hindu) A new “democratic, national alliance of Tamil parties” will emerge soon, Minister for Constitutional Affairs and National Integration Dew Gunasekara said here on Sunday. Without elaborating on it in an interview to The Hindu, he said: “You will hear the announcement in a day or two. The Minister, who is the general secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, is here as a delegate to the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).” more..

Mar 31 (Hindu) President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government have taken a significant step forward in their project of finding a political solution to Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict by going in for Provincial Council elections in the Eastern Province in May. This will be the first democratic exercise of its kind in nearly two decades. The ground was prepared by the peaceful conduct of local body elections in March in Batticaloa district. more..

Mar 31 (AT) Expressing his views on the forthcoming Provincial Council elections in the East, Minister Jeyeraj Fernandopulle stated that a Muslim or Tamil should be the Chief Minister. Recent local government election results clearly showed that the people are happy with the Government and with the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal. They now control 9 local government bodies. more..

Mar 31 (AT) Canadian government's attempt to round-up Tigers in sheep's clothing reads more like a spy thriller with details of clandestine activities, disguises and secret fund-raising. However, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Corporal Paul Huston found more. The details are intriguing. Thambuthurai an alleged Tiger proxy had revealed that he was active in the Vancouver chapter of the World Tamil Movement (WTM), more..

Mar 31 (AT) Visiting leading banker R.Seetharaman – CEO of the Doha Bank plans to promote trade ties with Sri Lanka and said the bank’s main aim is to promote non banking activities in Sri Lanka. Speaking to media he said his bank wishes to invest in infrastructure development, invest funds in economically viable sectors and promote fast money transferring activities with the local banks. more..

Mar 31 (AT) A senior broadcaster and a drama therapist Rohana Deva Perera launched his official website - www.thidoratheatre.org to assist local disabled and disadvantaged youth and to help them using Performing Arts as a therapeutic tool by respecting each and every individual and their contributions to the entirety while celebrating differences of all communities of Sri Lanka. more..

Mar 31 (AT) Dr. Ruvaiz Haniffa addressing the Second Research Conference of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RASSL) at the Mahaweli Centre on its second day March 29 told participants that the current crisis – which had "caused Muslims to be at cross roads in terms of their socio-political outlook" – has the potential to alter Sri Lanka and its Muslims if not addressed prudently. more..

Mar 31 (TS) A SRI Lankan monk was in a crowded train travelling from Mumbai to Ulhasnagar in India, in 1982. A couple of superior caste members were seated comfortably, while several labourers were standing nearby. When a labourer accidentally brushed against a woman’s shoulders, the husband took offence and beat him up. No one interfered except fellow labourers who pleaded with the man to stop the bashing. more..

Mar 31 (GV) Responding to a friend’s inquiry on my silence I realised how much I valued being away from home. I actually responded saying I was out and glad to keep away from the madness when he asked me how I was keeping and why he hadn’t heard from me. Of course I was looking forward to seeing my family and friends. But I hurriedly forwarded the various mails to a few interested contacts and deleted them without reading them myself. more..

Mar 31 (CI) Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, has assured Malinda Warnapura and Thilan Thusara that they can expect an extended run in the national team. Warnapura starred with scores of 120 and 62 in Sri Lanka's opening Test win by 121 runs against West Indies last week in Guyana, and Thushara offered steady support to the elite bowling duo of Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan with match figures of 5 for 129 runs from 37.5 overs. more..

Mar 31 (LBO) A Bill will be brought to Parliament within days to give broad-ranging discretion to the finance minister to impose an environment conservation levy on households (as defined by the Bill), goods made here or imported, and services provided in Sri Lanka. Do not be fooled by the name. This is a tax; it has nothing to do with the environment; and it subverts the control of finance by Parliament. more..

Mar 31 (TN) "My daughter the terrorist," a documentary on the lives and faiths of two female Black Tigers, produced by Norwegian film maker, Beate Arnestad, is to be featured in a premier documentary film festival in the United States to be held in Durham, North Carolina 4th of April. More than 100 documentaries are to be shown during the four-day festival from 3rd to 6th April. more..

Mar 31 (TN) Unidentified armed group of local residents of Kalmunaikkudi, Ampaarai are forcing Sinhala divers who have been in involved in harvesting sea cucumbers (Beche-de-Mer) for the past 19 years, to leave the area, the Union of Divers in Sri Lanka complained in a letter addressed to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic resources, spokesmen for the Union said. more..

Mar 31 (SLW) The University academics staff comprising a large number of Professionals, Doctors and Professors in a statement issued by them have strongly urged the President to immediately appoint the Constitutional Council(CC) quoting Articles Sections 41B1 and 41C1 of the constitution which bar the President from making appointments to any of the posts in the Elections and Public service Commissions, the Police and Bribery Commissions, more..

Mar 31 (LeN) We have heard a lot of stories about ghosts at various famous buildings including white house and Buckingham Palace but perhaps not at any Sri Lankan Mission abroad. Not surprisingly, last Friday night the Sri Lanka Embassy staff has experienced presence of a ghost in the vicinity of the safe house of the Embassy. The whole Embassy became highly active at that night when a stranded maid noticed unknown figure moving in the staircase leading more..

Mar 31 (LD) Noting that voters in the East will always be grateful to the government for liberating them from the LTTE, President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (Mar. 30th) challenged the United National Party to win the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council elections. He then added that the UNP would even align with the LTTE to defeat the government. He was addressing delegates to the SLFP annual conference at Temple Trees. more..

Mar 31 (LD) The Thamil Makkal Vidutalai Puligal (TMVP) has decided to contest the May 10th elections for the Eastern Provincial Council under the ‘betel’ symbol of the United People’s Freedom Alliance, its Secretary E.S. Kaileswararaja has told the media. The party has agreed to field its candidates on a common list with the UPFA after agreement that the post of chief minister should go to a Tamil national, Kaileswararaja said. more..

Mar 31 (AT) Leading political parties are now engaged in preparations to commence propaganda for the eastern provincial election later next week. The period for accepting nominations ends on Thursday. The main political parties will begin handing in their nominations from tomorrow. Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva says another discussion takes place later today regarding nominations of the UPFA. more..

Mar 31 (GDI) Defence Spokesman and Minister of Foreign Employment Keheliya Rambukwella addressing a media briefing this morning (31) in Colombo debunked speculation created by certain politicians that Government intended putting off the Provincial Council polls in the Eastern Province. Explaining the legal status of the North and East merger, he said, "According to the Indo-Lanka Accord a temporary merger of the North and East was included on the premise that more..

Mar 31 (GDI) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched its own online Information Resource Base (IRB) through its website www.slmfa.gov.lk. Through the IRB, people can collect documents, newspaper and magazine articles from across the world relating to the LTTE and international terrorism. Part of a more extensive physical collection of clippings from over the years in areas of relevance to Sri Lankan affairs and foreign policy, more..

Mar 31 (GDI) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rohitha Bogollagama will be making a visit to United Kingdom to hold discussions and meetings on issues of bilateral importance with his British counterpart and other political dignitaries. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the visit Minister Bogollagama is scheduled to meet the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. David Miliband, Secretary of State of Wales, Mr. Paul Murphy, more..

Mar 31 (LNP) Against the backdrop of inclement weather which has caused severe difficulties to both parties battling for supremacy in the Vanni, the LTTE seems to be giving high priority to the defence of its bases on the Weli Oya front, where the army is facing stiff resistance. Although the 59 Division engaged in offensive action on this front has inflicted sizeable damages on the defenders, the LTTE is determinedly resisting troops operating on the Weli Oya front. more..

Mar 31 (LNP) The JVP is being mired in a crisis of epic proportions with its prominent members pulling in different directions. A sinister intra party power struggle has rendered its revolutionary core weak and it is being speculated that things will begin to fall apart sooner or later. An eruption in the Red Corner was expected last December at the final budget vote, whose run up saw the gravitation of some JVP stalwarts towards the government and more..

Mar 31 (SAMN) Sri Lanka faces the risk of getting poorer both in the short and long term, the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) 2008 said in its 60th report. Thailand and Vietnam would reduce the incidence of poverty as would Indonesia and the Philippines. However, poverty would increase in Bangladesh, India, the Russian Federation and Sri Lanka in both the short and long run it said. more..

Mar 31 (LT) “There are people in this county who bawl that human rights are violated. These false allegations are made in foreign countries not only by the UNP but also by leaders of our own party. They go to foreign countries and ask them to stop aid. They do this to take revenge from me and from my government. But it is the country that suffers,” said President Mahinda Rajapakse. more..

Mar 31 (SAMN) The SLMC would contest the first ever election to the Eastern Provincial Council on the UNP ticket, well informed sources said, adding that they had reached an understanding on an agreement that would pave the way for the SLMC to propose a chief ministerial candidate. The sources also claimed the recent talks to explore the possibility of all Muslim parties coming together to contest the elections on the UPFA ticket had been a farce. more..

Mar 31 (SAMN) The Defence Ministry (DM) Sunday admitted that it had put up posters offering huge incentives for would-be suicide bombers if they gave up their destructive mission, ending the week long debate on who had put up the posters. “Those posters had been put up by the Ministry of Defence and accordingly, now there is an opportunity to all would-be suicide bombers to surrender,” Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said. more..

Mar 31 (SAMN) With the bright sun-shining after a gloomy fortnight of torrential rains in Anuradhapura district, the farmers are now actively engaged in drying the paddy harvest drenched in the rainy water. Now paddy purchasing is going on with about 20 lorries and 10 lorries respectively arriving from Polonnaruwa and Marandagahamula in Anuradhapura for competitive purchase of paddy. more..

Mar 31 (DN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday asserted that a great national economic victory had been won through the increased consumption of rice in the country, instead of wheat-flour based products. Addressing the 18th General Summit of the SLFP at Temple Trees yesterday, President Rajapaksa said: “I am exceedingly glad at the fall in consumption of wheat-flour based products. This is a greater achievement than even the liberation of the East from the terrorists. more..

Mar 31 (DN) The dairy milk industry of the rural peasantry in Anuradhapura district has shown an increase. During January and February the total registered production of cows milk was 3,291,092 litres. The production of Yoghurt in January was 22,815 cups whereas it was 35,290 cups in February. In January 54,165 pots of curd were produced while in February the production of curd increased to 61,495 pots. more..

Mar 31 (Island) The Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) affiliated to the JVP has secured control of the Education Department Co – Operative Society (EDCS) with an unprecedented two thirds majority. Saturday’s election to elect 299 members ended with the JVP union which styled itself as ‘Ape Kattiya’ bagging 198 slots. Sri Lanka Nidahas Guru Sangamaya has secured 70 slots while UNP-led Jathika Adyapana Sevaka Sangamaya has been placed a distant third. more..

Mar 31 (Island) Contrary to earlier reports, a group of fishermen who had escaped from an LTTE detection camp and managed to approach security forces positions east of Omanthai last week had been shot at by soldiers, security sources said. Soldiers deployed about two kms east of Omanthai entry/exit point had opened fire after seeing a group of people running towards their position on Wednesday (26). The army had mistaken them for LTTE infiltrators, an official said. more..

Mar 31 (DM) A double cross among a gang of treasure hunters and a police sergeant involved in a robbery were all part of a drama that led to a fatal accident in Managalaeliya, Chilaw early on Saturday. Three persons were killed and six others seriously injured when the van they were traveling in met with an accident. Among the dead was a police sergeant attached to the Katunayake police station. His uniform and handcuffs were found in the badly damaged van. more..

Mar 31 (DM) In a surprise disclosure, the SLMC Leader, Rauff Hakeem charged that there was a move to postpone the Eastern Provincial Council Election by the government making the security issue as an excuse if the situation became unfavourable for it. Addressing the party members in Eravur during the weekend, Mr. Hakeem said the final decision on the postponement depended on the SLMC’s decision on how it would contest the election. more..