Local Issues

While the Colombo city beautification project continues, the government has turned its attention towards Bauddhaloka Mawatha and the residents around the proposed new Russian Embassy complex are facing eviction. The Sri Lankan Government has sold nine acres of prime land to the Russian Embassy, for its upcoming project, bordering Bauddhaloka Mawatha, in the most sought after location of the country. …

Lashing out at politicians for the present state of affairs in the country veteran Sinhala journalist Siri Ranasinghe urged them to abandon their short sighted and destructive communal and racist politics and help save the country. Known for his moderate views Siri Ranasinghe lamented that, despite   different races, religions, languages and cultures a minority member could become a president or prime …

Muslims appealed to President Mahinda Rajapkse Wednesday (06/11) to give leadership towards consolidating the unity and friendship amongst the religious communities in the country and to put an end to religious tensions being orchestrated by groups possibly on foreign pay roll. A delegation from the Sri Lanka Muslim Assembly (SLMA) met Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President at the Presidential SecretariatWednesday morning and …

NEW YORK: The government is downplaying and protecting the groups who spread hatred and violence against minorities, particularly Muslims in Sri Lanka, the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay told a UN Human Rights assembly.   In her statement at the 24th United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) in Geneva, Pillay said that she was “alarmed” at the recent …

Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s statement on what he described as the “emergence of Muslim extremism” has shocked and dismayed the island’s besieged and helpless Muslim community. Addressing a defense seminar at Galadari Hotel on Tuesday 3 September Mr.Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated that the country was faced with an uphill task of tackling Sinhala hardliners as well as Muslim extremists. He added that …

Sri Lanka’s Muslims are at an unprecedented and ominous crossroads. The community there is faced with an existential threat at the hands of an increasingly militant Buddhist minority, while the nation’s Muslim parliamentarians appear to be more powerless and mute than at any time since 1947. This impotence is startling because the current parliament holds the largest number of Muslim …