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Norway tells Lanka: Respect Vienna Convention

[ Sunday Times ][ May 19 16:41 GMT ]

Norway has asked Sri Lanka to comply with “well established international rules on diplomatic immunity” after a Colombo Court ruled that the former Norwegian Ambassador and three officials did not have immunity in a huge transaction involving an NGO. Norway’s Ambassador Grete Lochen said yesterday that her government had held the position that the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations should be respected since Sri Lanka was a party to this convention. “Diplomats and state officials from Sri Lanka are enjoying the same privileges when serving their government,” she said in an email interview. [ full story | comments ]

- Norwegian Ministers and Diplomats Sued in Sri Lanka - TNP

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May 18, Tamil Genocide Day! [ more ]

Norway tells Lanka: Respect Vienna Convention

Norway has asked Sri Lanka to comply with “well established internat...

Storm clouds still loom over CHOGM

The UPFA Government’s course correction over issues listed in the US...

Journeys In Jaffna, Sri Lanka, 4 Years After The Civil War’s Bloody Conclusion

The dusty army checkpoint along the infamous A9 highway was the first ...

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Downing Street backs 2014 Glasgow invitation to Sri Lanka

[ Herald Scotland ][ May 19 16:42 GMT ]

Downing Street has refused to rule out inviting Sri Lanka to a First World War commemoration service despite an outcry from human-rights organisations. No 10 said normal protocol should be followed for the event with Commonwealth heads of state in Glasgow.Asked about Sri Lanka, which is due to take over the chairmanship of the Commonwealth later this year, No 10 said: "The usual approach on invitations to members of the Commonwealth should be followed". [ full story | comments ]

Chinese factor links MR and Mussaveni

[ Sunday Times ][ May 19 16:32 GMT ]

There was a common factor that glued together the friendly ties between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Ugandan counterpart Yoveri Museveni. Both countries maintain close ties with China. Days ahead of President Rajapaksa’s visit to that country, China built and handed over a twin-block 11 storied building complex for use as the President’s office....However, those controversies did not mar the Sri Lankan President’s visit. The Uganda leader hosted President Rajapaksa at his official residence. Some Sri Lankan dishes were also included using fish from Lake Victoria. An Indian meal came for Rajapaksa when he visited Uganda’s largest sugar factory. The Indian family that owns it hosted him to a luncheon. [ full story | comments ]

Storm clouds still loom over CHOGM

[ Sunday Times ][ May 19 08:17 GMT ]

The UPFA Government’s course correction over issues listed in the US resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva continues to pose critical challenges to it. Both locally and internationally, storm clouds are building. It is over one of the key elements, the conduct of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) elections slated for the first week of September this year. At least officially, there is still no activation of any mechanisms for such a poll. This is notwithstanding periodic pronouncements by UPFA leaders at political events that the polls will be held. [ full story | comments ]

Toxic chemicals in imported white sugar

[ Sunday Times ][ May 19 08:09 GMT ]

Harmful substances have been found in white sugar imported to Sri Lanka, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has disclosed. Random tests on samples of Brazilian sugar had revealed a high level of toxic cadmium, the Minister told the Sunday Times. He said the sugar was also being tested for arsenic, another heavy metal, which could cause serious health issues when ingested in high quantities. Responding to a query from the Sunday Times whether tests were being carried out on other food products, the minister said that while tests on imported sugar revealed these chemical substances, random checks on locally-produced sugar were clear. Random checks on imported dhal, potatoes and onions also did not show any toxic substances, he said. [ full story | comments ]

Seeking security

[ Tamil Guardian ][ May 19 07:57 GMT ]

Four years have passed since the Tamil nation suffered the zenith of genocide inflicted upon it by the Sri Lankan state, where tens of thousands of Tamils were herded into a tiny of slither of land, only to be massacred with heavy artillery, systematically raped and tortured, deliberately starved, deprived of humanitarian assistance and murdered in cold blood. The evidence - not only indicative of the appalling nature of the crimes, but the intentional and systematic way in which they were perpetrated – is increasing. Yet despite this, and the ample time that has passed, Tamils have not seen a credible, international process towards accountability and justice, or a meaningful attempt to deliver a political solution that ensures their future security. [ full story | comments ]

Back to buddhism's basics in sri lanka

[ Bangkok Post ][ May 19 07:52 GMT ]

After more than 20 years of the Tamil Tigers' insurgency, the civil war that had afflicted Sri Lanka with violence and turmoil finally came to an end in 2009, and the country's new-found peace allows it to welcome visitors back once again. And the new calm offers locals from both sides of the conflict a chance to live the normal and safe lives they have long deserved. Visitors from around the world are also streaming back to the picturesque "Pearl of the Indian Ocean" to marvel at its natural charms and cultural richness. [ full story | comments ]

Sri Lanka Tamils defy ban on rebel memorial

[ AFP ][ May 18 15:50 GMT ]

Sri Lanka's main opposition Tamil party Saturday defied a military ban and staged a commemoration of their war dead as the government celebrated the fourth anniversary of defeating Tamil Tiger rebels. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said it staged the remembrance in the northern town of Vavuniya for those who died in the final battle which also killed Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his entire top leadership. [ full story | comments ]

TN: Police bans pro-Eelam public meeting

[ PTI ][ May 18 15:47 GMT ]

A pro-Tamil Eelam public meeting, which was to be held in Cuddalore on Saturday and attended by Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front leader Yasin Malik among others, was banned by police after the organisers put up banners carrying pictures of slain LTTE chief V Prabhakaran. Click here! Police withdrew the permission granted to Naam Tamizhar Katchi headed by film director Seeman to hold the meeting in support of separate Tamil Eelam as the organisers violated certain conditions, SP Radhika told media persons. [ full story | comments ]

Dangerous game of ‘diaspora politics’ is here to stay

[ Toronto Star ][ May 18 00:01 GMT ]

Thestar.com columnist Natalie Brender recently argued that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka this November is because of that country’s deteriorating human rights and governance record. Harper’s purpose, she claims, is “to convey principled condemnation of what’s happening to human rights and democracy in Sri Lanka” in a challenge to our claim that this is more obviously pandering to the Tamil diaspora in order to win votes. She then went on to state that sometimes “Ottawa’s foreign policy decision-making is logically inexplicable except by reference to a diaspora community’s pressure and votes” and that “those cases of egregious pandering to diaspora communities are not the rule in Canada’s foreign policy-making –neither with the Harper government nor with previous ones.” [ full story | comments ]

Jaffna: From building a house to securing a community

[ The Hindu ][ May 18 00:00 GMT ]

In a quiet lane in Eluthumadduval, Jaffna, cement and concrete structures, in different stages of construction, show up on either side every few yards. Part of the second phase of Indian Housing Project launched, they will soon take the form of compact, new homes. As peace finds its way back to the northern district, development projects gradually pick up. The roads are newly laid and shops are beginning to make an appearance by the road side. [ full story | comments ]

Russia to donate eight helicopters to SL

[ Daily Mirror ][ May 19 16:40 GMT ]

Russia announced that it has taken steps to provide eight large helicopters to Sri Lanka as a total donation; the Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Office said quoting visiting Head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independence States-Russia Konstantin Kosachev.Russia, which has submitted a bid for obtaining “Expo 2020” Exhibition to Russia also urged Sri Lanka’s support for the same. He told that they are not prepared to give up that opportunity at any cost as their country owns one of the stable economies in the world. To win this opportunity the vote of Sri Lanka is very important to them. Hundred and sixty two countries are competing for this exhibition. There are some Asian countries among them. [ full story | comments ]

Sailor dies during Sri Lanka victory parade

[ AFP ][ May 19 16:30 GMT ]

Sri Lanka's navy Sunday recovered the body of a sailor who drowned during a parade marking the fourth anniversary of the defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels, an official said. The body was found near a beach in Colombo where his small boat capsized while taking part in the victory celebrations presided over by President Mahinda Rajapakse on Saturday. "The boat was salvaged on Saturday and four crewmen were rescued, but one officer went missing and his body was recovered only this morning," a military official said on condition of anonymity, adding that the boat had got into trouble in choppy waters. [ full story | comments ]

Journeys In Jaffna, Sri Lanka, 4 Years After The Civil War’s Bloody Conclusion

[ IBT ][ May 19 08:14 GMT ]

The dusty army checkpoint along the infamous A9 highway was the first sign I’d entered the “other” Sri Lanka -- the one that required an additional copy of my passport, my purpose and an inspection of my things. The next clue was the colossal yellow water tower lying horizontal on the roadside at Kilinochchi. Its gaping interior could easily house the entire population of this former capital of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE, an oft-misunderstood separatist group that the FBI once described as “amongst the most dangerous and deadly extremist outfits in the world.” [ full story | comments ]

British Tamils remember Mullivaikkal

[ Tamil Guardian ][ May 19 08:00 GMT ]

Thousands of British Tamils marched across London, convening at Waterloo Place, in remembrance of the victims of the Mullivaikkal massacre. An array of Eelam flags lined the procession, along with a variety of placards and banners demanding justice for the atrocities of May 2009. Participation spanned the generations with elderly marchers bearing large banners and young Tamils leading chants calling for an independent international investigation into the genocide. [ full story | comments ]

- Melbourne Tamils mark 4th anniversary of Mullivaikkal - Tamil Guardian

Does Lanka Need Militarization?

[ Sunday Leader ][ May 19 07:53 GMT ]

The conventional belief was that the military at best should be confined to barracks or be on battlefields but after the much celebrated victory over terrorism the forces have not been demobilized as is usual in other countries or found civilian jobs but appear to move into civilian projects under the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development. In Colombo they moved to take over a part of the Town Hall job of urban development. Parts of Colombo 7 have been ‘beautified’ with the assistance of civilian architects but the first few monsoons showers resulted in some of Colombo’s roads turn into rivers. In the suburbs too the Ministry has taken over urban development. [ full story | comments ]

Yasin Malik voices support for Tamil Eelam

[ Times of India ][ May 18 22:00 GMT ]

In a rare collaboration, two groups espousing the cause of separatism came together at a marriage hall in Cuddalore in northern Tamil Nadu on Saturday. Striking a chord with pro-Tamil activists, Kashmir separatist leader YasinMalik spoke about the 'Eelam dream' on the eve of the death anniversary of LTTE leader VelupillaiPrabhakaran. This is the first time that a Kashmiri separatist leader has been invited to Tamil Nadu to talk about the emotive Eelam (Tamil land) issue. Addressing the gathering, mostly members of Naam Tamilar, a pro-LTTE outfit, Malik said the Sri Lankan government might have wiped out the LTTE but not its dream of a separate Tamil Eelam. "Tamil Eelam is the goal of each and every Tamil person," he said. [ full story | comments ]

Statement by Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau on the Anniversary of the End of the Sri Lankan Civil War

[ Liberal Party of Canada ][ May 18 15:49 GMT ]

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau made the following statement today on the fourth anniversary of the end of the Sri Lankan civil war: “Today marks four years since the end of the Sri Lankan civil war. We share in the grief of the Tamil community, and we remain steadfastly committed to achieving accountability and justice for the countless innocent civilians who died or have had their lives irreversibly changed by this long and bitter war. [ full story | comments ]

- Statement by Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath on the Tamil Day of Mourning - Ontario NDP

Rajapaksa pledges to continue fighting 'external elements' for peace in Sri Lanka

[ ANI ][ May 18 15:12 GMT ]

Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday renewed his pledge to fight all "external elements" seeking to "disrupt" the country's peace at the fourth anniversary celebration of winning the three-decade war. He was alluding to foreign countries, led by the United States, who have been critical of Sri Lanka's human rights record and called for an independent investigation into the alleged war crimes committed during the last stage of the war in the country. [ full story | comments ]

- Tamils want to live in one country: Rajapaksa - PTI

Don't dilute autonomy, India tells Sri Lanka

[ IANS ][ May 18 00:00 GMT ]

India has told Sri Lanka not to dilute the autonomous powers granted to its Tamil-majority northern province ahead of provincial elections, official sources said Friday. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid also sought the early release of 31 Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka. Khurshid made the observations during a telephonic discussion with his Sri Lankan counterpart G.L. Peiris. [ full story | comments ]

My Struggle With the White Man's Disease - Priya Sankaran

[ Huffington Post ][ May 17 23:59 GMT ]

That first week of July was a hot one in Toronto. I had always liked the heat. But lately I had noticing the ultra-cool air-conditioning chilling the office seemed to suit me better than heat. That Tuesday, the morning assignments had just been handed out to each the reporters filing for the supper hour news cast. Mine was a compelling story about a ten-year-old Vietnamese orphan brought to Toronto for surgery at Sick Kids Hospital. I decided to go to the Visual Resources tape library for some stock footage I would need. [ full story | comments ]

- Multiple Sclerosis: The White Man's Disease (Hr. 2) - CBC News
- I'm the New Face of Multiple Sclerosis - Huffington Post

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