OTHER NEWS CMEV records 64 incidents Election results show people's mandate to government policy against terror - President UNP plans to file a court case against the government ? Pillayan tops preferential votes in Batti    Advertisement Print Version | Email to friend Sri Lanka summons US envoy over rights report 15-03-2008 Sri Lanka summoned US ambassador Robert Blake to denounce Washington's criticism of Colombo's human rights record in an escalating ethnic conflict wracking the island. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama called Blake to the foreign ministry office to "strongly protest" the State Department's human rights report, a government statement said. The report is a "litany of unsubstantiated allegations, innuendo and vituperative exaggerations ... and has thrown a lifeline" to the rebel Tamil Tigers, the statement said. The annual US report issued earlier this week said more than 1,000 civilians had been killed in Sri Lanka last year as the government stepped up attacks against the Tigers, who have been fighting for an independent homeland for the Tamil minority since 1972. The United States also blamed the government for making slow progress in investigating alleged serious human rights abuses. The US embassy in a statement said it stood by the report and did not make further comment. Last December, Sri Lanka summoned a number of Colombo-based Western and Asian diplomats and faulted them for criticising the country's human rights record. The government has in the past accused international diplomats who raised rights concerns of being "terrorists" and supporters of the rebels. Sri Lanka has also resisted calls for UN monitoring of the human rights situation. Earlier this month, a team of top foreign judicial and forensic experts said it was quitting Sri Lanka because Colombo had failed to seriously probe a string of high-profile cases, including the massacre of aid workers. Print Version | Email to friend

CMEV records 64 incidents Mon, 12-05-2008 06:00:00 The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence has recorded 64 incidents of violence as at 6 p.m today, 10 May. Of these, 48 have been classified as Major Offences and 16 as Minor. The majority of the Major Offences - 28 - were committed in the Batticaloa District followed by Ampara (12) and Trincomalee (08). Of the Major Offences, systematic impersonation was the most widespread with a particular concentration in the Batticaloa District where 15 of the 2 such incidents occurred. A... |FULL STORY|

Election results show people's mandate to government policy against terror - President Sun, 11-05-2008 17:00:00 The results of the elections to the first Eastern Provincial Council show the people's endorsement of the government's policy of restoring democracy and normalcy to areas hitherto controlled by the terrorists, and the overall development programme already initiated in the Eastern Province said President Mahindha Rajapaksha issuing a press statement. “Following the successful completion of the elections to local government bodies in the Batticaloa District in March this year, this is ... |FULL STORY|

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UNP plans to file a court case against the government ? Sun, 11-05-2008 11:00:00 The United National Party says the entire polls of the Eastern Province were corrupted and the party will take legal actions against the responsible authorities. Speaking to media General Secretary of the party Tissa Attanayake said the UNP has a number of evidence against poll rigging , assaulting and threatening of members of the party, destroying properties of its activists . The Politburo of the party will meet on Tuesday and decide their next step on results of the Eastern Pr... |FULL STORY|

Pillayan tops preferential votes in Batti Sun, 11-05-2008 11:00:00 TMVP leader Pillayan has got the most number of preferential votes for the UPFA in Batticaloa with 38, 718 votes while J. S Mohomad came second with 34,782 votes and M.L.A.M Hisbullah came third with 34,581 votes. ... |FULL STORY|

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