Champika decides to sit as an independent MP in Parliament

Japan, Sri Lanka to beef up maritime security alliance

Japan plans to strengthen its maritime security alliance with Sri Lanka to curb China’s growing influence on countries with Indian Ocean coastlines,?The Asahi Shimbun reported today. A joint statement on maritime security cooperation will be issued after a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on March 14, sources said. The Japanese newspaper report said that China, which replaced Japan as the largest aid provider to Sri Lanka in 2009, has been help

13 Mar, 2013

UNP seeks deal with the government (Audio)

The opposition United National Party (UNP) has sought an?agreement?with the government to counter any attempt by the UN to censure Sri Lanka over human rights issues. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the UNP is willing to sign an agreement where the government commits to implant the?recommendations?of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), the 13th?Amendment to the Constitution?and have elections in the north. The UNP leader told reporters this afternoon that attempts

13 Mar, 2013

Tamils submit petition to UN, HRC

A group of Tamils from the north submitted a petition to the UN office in Colombo as well as the Human Rights Commission regarding the police preventing them from heading to Colombo recently to stage a demonstration. Organizers said that some 26?people, including Tamils politicians and clergy,?visited the UN office to hand over the peition and from there lodged a complaint at the Human Rights Commission office in Colombo. On March 5th the police blocked a group of people heading to Colombo from

13 Mar, 2013