UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a resolution on 23 March 2021. The resolution was brought by Britain on behalf of a group of countries that are identified as a core group on Sri Lanka. The resolution was backed by the US which is not a member state of the UNHRC.<!-- wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> The ...

While Sri Lankan pepper cultivators lament about the low price for their crops, Indian pepper growers complain that Vietnam pepper is entering into their market through Sri Lanka. The news from India proves that the business of mixing local pepper with Vietnam products and re-exporting illegally is continuing affecting the local as well as Indian farmers.Indian magazine website swarajyamag.com

President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa pardoned a criminal Buddhist monk who had been jailed for life for possessing two T-56 firearms and 210 numbers of live ammunition illegally. Political monk Uwathenne Sumana Thero was charged under the firearm ordinance of Sri Lanka for the offence he committed in 2010, few weeks ahead of the Presidential. By that time, he was a supporter of Sarath

Inter-Religion Relations Subcommittee of Sri Lanka Amarapura and Ramanna Buddhist Sangha sects wrote to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa urging to take an immediate decision regarding the issue of burying the COVID-19 dead bodies.The Buddhist clergy urged the government to consult a committee comprised of experts including epidemiologists and religious leaders and take an urgent decision. Further,

A woman lamented before Wattala Magistrate Court of Sri Lanka yesterday saying the prison authorities of Mahara prison had killed her husband who had been bailed out by the court. She told that she had deposited the bail for the man to get him released by the time he was shot dead. The postmortem reports of this particular man and three others were submitted to Wattala magistrate court yesterday.

A Sri Lankan man who engaged in trafficking of babies was arrested at Matale on December 21, police media spokesman Deputy Inspector General Ajith Rohana said. The man was released on bail today by the magistrate court.The suspect known as Manjula Ukwatta was banned recruiting more pregnant women to his baby farms.  The arrest was made following a comprehensive investigation by the Police

Sri Lankan civil society is silently but strongly marking their protest against the government's inhuman forcible cremation of a 20-day old baby against the wishes of the parents. For about two weeks, small groups of civil society activists wearing masks and keeping social distances silently tie white handkerchiefs on the iron wall of the general cemetery of Colombo 08 where the babies body was ...

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka reported to Wattala Magistrate Court on December 18, 2020, that the postmortem reports of seven remand prisoners killed in Mahara prison would be submitted to the court on December 23. Five of these seven prisoners are COVID-19 patients. CID cited that the postmortem had been delayed because of the cremation of four other prisoners was delayed.

"What was the sin committed by this innocent 20-day-old newborn baby for his body to be forcibly cremated?" former State Minister and former MP for Batticaloa District Ali Zahir Moulana tweeted with a photo of a 20-day old baby whose body was cremated by the authorities without the permission of the parents. Baby Shaykh of Colombo 15 was admitted to Lady Ridgway ...

It was revealed at Sri Lanka parliament's Committee of Public Accounts (COPA) meeting held last week that the country recorded the highest number of elephant deaths in the recent history in 2019. Accordingly, 407 elephants died in 2019 far ahead of the annual average before that which was little above 200. The vast majority of the elephant deaths are killings. Meanwhile, 122 humans also were

Three police teams of Sri Lanka are investigating the death of a Dutch national Buddhist monk who was meditating in a Theravada Buddhist monastery in Sri Lanka. The death is suspected murder. The dead body of the Netherlands national Buddhist monk was recovered on December 08, 2020, from a lagoon in Rathgama in Galle district of Sri Lanka. The 59 years old Buddhist monk known as Ven. Jinawansa

Sri Lankan Collective Against Torture is highly concerned about the killing of 11 detainees of Mahara prison and injuring 107 detainees, in an incident claimed to be taken place amidst steps to control the chaos in prison on November 29. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wish speedy recovery of all the injured detainees and the two prison officials. We

Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights is the theme of Human Rights Day 2020. "This year’s Human Rights Day theme relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on the need to build back better by ensuring Human Rights are central to recovery efforts. We will reach our common global goals only if we are able to create equal opportunities ...

Speaker of Sri Lanka is planning to host the traditional party after the budget is passed violating quarantine regulations, Lankadeepa Sinhala newspaper reported.  The budget party is scheduled to be held on December 10th in the official residence of the Speaker. As the newspaper reported, all the parliamentarians and their families are invited to the party. The number of guests for the ...

District Secretary of Kegalle of Sri Lanka temporarily suspended distributing a syrup that a local physician claimed a cure for COVID-19. Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi, other Ministers and some health professionals also promoted this medication as a cure for coronavirus through media. However, the syrup is yet to be approved by the health authorities.  However, heavy traffic was

A 24-year old Sri Lankan who was suspected of trafficking a Japanese girl was released on bail by Negambo Magistrate Court of Sri Lanka. The man was arrested based on a complaint by the mother of the Japanese girl. The Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka also involved in the case. However, K.C. Pathirana the counsel appearing for the plaintiff said that the mother would consent for the man to marry the

Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists says that the publicity given in the media on the connection between the violent and aggressive behaviour of prisoners and the abuse of the drugs used in psychiatric practice has no rational basis. "The drugs used in psychiatric practice in Sri Lanka are also used all over the world and these drugs are brought under the ...

Amnesty International stated issuing a statement on killing of prisoners in Sri Lanka that prison authorities should ensure an end to the use of unlawful and excessive force against prisoners agitating against their detention conditions during the outbreak of COVID-19 within prisons. "Ensure that force is only ever used against prisoners where it is strictly necessary and proportionate to a

Under the influence of the potential cyclone Burevi, widespread rainfall is forecast across Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, South Andhra Pradesh and Kerala between Tuesday and Friday with a likelihood of isolated extremely heavy rainfall on Wednesday and ThursdayIndian Meteorological Department forecast very heavy rains across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. While both the states have been kept under a ‘red

Sri Lanka Minister of Prison Reforms and Prisoners' Rehabilitation Sudarshani Fernandopulle who is responsible for prison mismanagement in Sri Lanka was given a new title immediately after at least eight prisoners were killed in an incident in Mahara Prison of Sri Lanka. Accordingly, Fernandopulle was sworn in as State Minister of Primary Health Services, Pandemics and COVID Prevention on 30th