By Political Editor in The Sunday Times, June 25, 2023Contrary to earlier expectations of a virtual non-event, the United Nations Human Rights Council opened its 53rd session last Monday on a stronger note on Sri Lanka. It was pointedly assertive and dealt with almost all issues. UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Turk who presented the annual report declared, “In Sri Lanka, although the government has regrettably rejected aspects of the Council’s resolutions related to…
Posts tagged as “Sri Lanka”
report in Daily Mirror, June 20, 2023 Daily Mirror reliably learns that Rohitha Bogollagama was handpicked as SL’s HC in the UK by the government to reach out to Tamil diaspora for reconciliation Bogollagama’s only foreign experience is that he served as the Foreign Minister under Mahinda Rajapaksa during the time of the civil war Once political appointees are posted in diplomatic missions, their children and relatives soon follow to serve as officers For Moscow…
Report in The Guardian, Mar 21, 2023The International Monetary Fund has approved Sri Lanka’s request for a $2.9bn bailout, raising hopes for an easing of its economic crisis. The IMF’s board confirmed it had signed off on the loan, clearing the way for the release of funds and kicking off a four-year programme designed to shore up the economy. The IMF managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, warned that Colombo must continue pursuing tax reform and greater…
report in Daily Mirror, June 20, 2023 Daily Mirror reliably learns that Rohitha Bogollagama was handpicked as SL’s HC in the UK by the government to reach out to Tamil diaspora for reconciliation Bogollagama’s only foreign experience is that he served as the Foreign Minister under Mahinda Rajapaksa during the time of the civil war Once political appointees are posted in diplomatic missions, their children and relatives soon follow to serve as officers For Moscow…
By Kelum Bandara in Daily Mirror, June 16, 2023In what appeared to be a clash of narratives among the Canadian Leaders, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Ministry had informed the Sri Lankan government that Canada had not made any finding that genocide had taken place in Sri Lanka, the Daily Mirror learns. Canada’s official position contradicts the allegations made by some of its leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Daily Mirror learns that the Canadian…
Xinhua report in The Island, June 8, 2023Sri Lankan and Chinese experts held a symposium on coral reef ecology in Colombo on Tuesday to discuss the current state of coral reefs and explore strategies for their protection and restoration. The symposium was hosted by Colombo Port City with the support of the University of Ruhuna, the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, China-Sri Lanka Joint Center for Education and Research (CSL-CER), bringing together renowned experts…
report in Daily FT, 5 June 2023British-born Theravada Buddhist monk Ven. Ajahn Brahmavamso wants President Ranil Wickremesinghe to focus on building a better Sri Lanka with more forgiveness than initiating a probe over the minor issue of the former missing a flight at BIA. The Ven. Ajahn Brahmavamso made this observation during a talk at the Vesak Day and 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia yesterday. The monk who was in…
by Shihar Aneez in Economy Next online, June 2, 2023A new draft on Sri Lanka’s Truth Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has failed to meet minimum expectations in addressing the concerns of ethnic minority Tamils who have lost their loved ones in what they allege as forced disappeared, in the final stage of the war, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) legislator M A Sumanthiran said. Thousands of people, mostly Tamils in Sri Lanka’s north and east, went…
by Sheain Fernandopulle in Daily Mirror, June 2, 2023India’s Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil ) which is part of the Ministry of Commerce has asked Gujarat-based pharma company– Indiana Ophthalmics to recall Methylprednisolone linked to causing eye infections in more than 30 people after Sri Lankan Ministry of Health raised a complaint to the Indian government. The Daily Mirror reported two weeks before that Sri Lanka had sought compensation from the relevant Indian Company following…
by Buddhika Samaraweera in The Morning, June 1, 2023President and Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Ranil Wickremesinghe, according to the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), has hinted on holding elections soon, although there is no clarity as to what election it would be. A group of representatives of the SLPP met the President at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday (29) for a special discussion. The Daily Morning queried SLPP General Secretary…
development in Sri Lanka – Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairsreport in The Island, May 31, 2023Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sun Weidong who called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Temple Trees on Tuesday (May 30) assured that China will increase investments in several areas such as agriculture, trade and commerce, ports and infrastructure development in Sri Lanka. He also said China will continue to provide economic assistance as well as support…