New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh has tightened security across the state ahead of the visit by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa who will be inaugurating a Buddist University in Sanchi. The MDMK of Tamil Nadu had announced a protest in the state against his visit. MDMK General Secretary Vaiko had called for a black flag demonstration against the Sri Lankan President for the alleged violation of rights of the ethnic Tamilians...
07:50 AM, Sep 21, 2012
New Delhi: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday held meetings with the top Indian leadership during which they discussed key bilateral issues, including fishermen, even as India pressed for an expeditious inclusive solution to the ethnic issue and rehabilitation of displaced Tamils. Rajapaksa, who is in India on a three-day official visit, held comprehensive deliberations with President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during which they reviewed all...
10:36 PM, Sep 20, 2012
New Delhi: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is being hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over dinner on Thursday night. He is also expected to meet President Pranab Mukherjee later. Rajapaksa is expected to raise the issue of recent attacks on Sri Lankans in Tamil Nadu when he meets the Prime Minister, while India may press for Tamil rights and the reconciliation process. The Prime Minister is expected to call...
04:57 PM, Sep 20, 2012
Bhopal: Nearly half a dozen MDMK supporters opposing the scheduled visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Madhya Pradesh were detained at Salamatpur near Sanchi in as a precautionary measure after police got suspicious about their movement, police said on Thursday. Rajapaksa will be reaching Sanchi on Friday via Bhopal to lay the foundation stone for the International Sanchi Buddhist University and Indic Studies. We picked up five-six persons...
01:13 PM, Sep 20, 2012
New Delhi: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to raise the issue of attacks on Sri Lankans in Tamil Nadu when he meets the PM today - India to press for Tamil rights and a reconciliation process. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Mamnohan Singh in New Delhi on Thursday. He is expected to raise the issue of recent attacks on Sri Lankans in Tamil Nadu...
07:49 AM, Sep 20, 2012
Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday cautioned that separatist elements in the country have not given up yet, in a veiled reference to the Tamil Eelam supporters' conference held in Chennai recently. "Though we have ended terrorism, there is lot more remaining to be done. Forty years ago they passed a resolution seeking separation of the country. The conference held recently also boosts Eelam demand," Rajapaksa told a...
01:23 PM, Aug 16, 2012
Colombo: Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo and requested him to mobilise other Tamil parties in the northern province besides the dominant TNA to achieve political reconciliation. Swamy, who is in Sri Lanka to attend an international seminar, discussed with the President the ethnic issue and devolution of power to the Tamil-dominated province on Thursday. He said after the meeting that Rajapaksa wants...
10:59 AM, Aug 10, 2012
Colombo: A batch of 75 former LTTE members rehabilitated by the government was on Saturday released to their families in the northern Sri Lankan town of Vavuniya. "Out of the 12,000 sent for rehabilitation we have already released 11,000. Around 700 only remain to be released from four rehabilitation centres. "There are also another 600 suspects in custody who would be sent for rehabilitation", A Dissanayake, the secretary to the...
08:54 PM, Jun 02, 2012
Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday ordered the release of his former Army Chief turned political rival Sarath Fonseka, paving the way for him to walk out of prison after two years. Rajapaksa signed the papers ordering for the release of Fonseka prior to his departure to Qatar, presidential spokesman Bandula Jayasekera told reporters in Colombo. The papers were handed over to presidential chief of staff Gamini Senarath...
10:27 AM, May 20, 2012
Colombo: A member of parliament in Sri Lanka said on Wednesday he believed President Mahinda Rajapaksa would soon order the release of the country's former army chief Sarath Fonseka, revered by many of his compatriots for helping end a 25-year civil war. The jailing of General Fonseka has prompted criticism in Western countries, and if he were freed it would be seen as a sign that Colombo is addressing concerns...
02:24 AM, May 17, 2012
Chennai: Terming as 'fruitful' talks with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on issues including devolution of powers to Tamil-speaking areas, a Congress MP, who was part of the parliamentary team that visited the island republic, on Saturday said a report would be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. On their return from Sri Lanka to assess rehabilitation of internally displaced Tamils, EM Sudarsana Natchiappan, one of the four Congress MPs...
07:59 PM, Apr 21, 2012
Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that he did not want lessons on human rights from outside; days after the UN Human Rights Council adopted a US-sponsored resolution censuring Colombo. Addressing a public gathering in the central town of Balangoda, Rajapaksa on Saturday said Sri Lanka's human rights protection was inspired by the influence of Buddhism over a period of over 2,500 years. The President said it was...
06:35 PM, Apr 01, 2012
Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday said that his country has a rich and proud record of safeguarding human rights. Addressing a public gathering in the central town of Balangoda, Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka's human rights protection was inspired by the influence of Buddhism over a period of over 2,500 years. Rajapaksa said his objective while appointing the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) was that he did...
12:52 AM, Apr 01, 2012
Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has decided to shut down some of its embassies in Europe, the External Affairs Ministry said on Tuesday. A spokesperson at the ministry said that the government is of the view that embassies in Europe which are not serving any purpose in obtaining support for Sri Lanka's national issues will be closed and new embassies will be opened in Asia. "President Mahinda Rajapaksa had discussed...
02:01 PM, Mar 27, 2012
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has written a letter to the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, explaining why India voted in favour of the US resolution, which calls for Colombo to investigate human rights violations during its war with Tamil separatists. Here is the full text of the letter: "Thank you for your letter of March 19 regarding the ongoing session ofthe UN Human Rights Council and the introduction...
09:59 AM, Mar 25, 2012
New Delhi: India played a key role to introduce "an element of balance" in the US-sponsored resolution in Geneva on Sri Lanka rights violations, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said. In a letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Manmohan Singh said he had instructed the Indian delegation "to remain in close contact with its Sri Lanka counterparts in an attempt to find a positive way forward." "You would be aware that...
03:53 AM, Mar 25, 2012
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday offered Sri Lanka an olive branch explaining India's vote against it at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The PM in his letter said that Delhi made every effort to ensure the resolution was balanced. The PM said that it is India's conviction that a meaningful devolution package would lead towards a lasting political solution. "I had instructed our delegation to...
07:06 PM, Mar 24, 2012
Colombo: Sri Lanka is blowing hot and cold against India following the passage of a resolution in Geneva that raised questions over rights violations during the war on the Tamil Tigers. While President Mahinda Rajapaksa warned that countries which voted for the resolution will have to worry about consequences of terrorism, a minister mildly praised India for dilution of the impact of the resolution. India was one of 24 nations...
02:48 PM, Mar 24, 2012
Islamabad: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has called for stepping up efforts to boost bilateral trade with Sri Lanka from the current $375 million to $2 billion in the next three years. Zardari made the appeal during his meeting with visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Islamabad on Friday. He also called for exploring a currency swap agreement. Zardari said it will provide huge incentives to businesses in both...
08:35 AM, Feb 11, 2012
Colombo: Former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam on Sunday proposed implementing his concept of PURA, which envisages providing urban amenities to rural areas as a key strategy for rural development in Sri Lanka. Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Area (PURA) envisages provision of physical, electronic and knowledge connectivities leading to economic connectivity using rural skills and competence. "I have proposed this system of PURA numbering 7,000 for inclusive development of...
11:47 PM, Jan 22, 2012
