Britain urges SL to make progress on rights by 2013 Britain urges SL to make progress on rights by 2013

British Prime Minister David Cameron urged Sri Lanka on Sunday to make progress on human rights before it hosts the next Commonwealth leaders meeting in 2013 to prevent the likelihood of boycotts.

Cameron said he pressed President Mahinda Rajapaske during this year’s Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Australia to show that Colombo did not “have things to hide” following the end of the country’s civil war.

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister has revealed that he had stopped Canada from raising during the talks a UN-commissioned report which alleges civilian casualties in 2009 in the final stages of the civil war.

Put to him in a BBC interview from Perth that Canada might boycott the 2013 meeting, Cameron said: “I’ve been discussing this with the Canadians and I think we all have a similar view, which is we want to see Sri Lanka do more in terms of human rights, we want them to do more in terms of reconciliation after the defeat of the Tamil Tigers.

“I’ve had that conversation myself with President Rajapakse, who’s here.

“They should be aware of the fact that they’re holding this Commonwealth summit in 2013 and it’s up to them to show further progress so they can welcome the maximum number of countries when they do.”

He refused to say whether Britain might boycott the meeting.

“The message I’ve given is look, the Tamil Tigers have been defeated, you’re in government, you have an opportunity now to show magnanimity and also to show a process of reconciliation and to demonstrate to the rest of the world that you don’t have things to hide,” Cameron said.

Sri Lankan foreign minister G.L. Peiris today condemned the UN-commissioned report as “preposterous”, saying it is biased and reliant on anonymous, subjective evidence. - AFP

Comments

Ukrainians injured as police dismantle Kiev 'tent city'

At least 10 demonstrators have been injured in clashes with Ukrainian police and another 100 detained in the capital Kiev after authorities began dismantling a makeshift "tent city" protesting against corruption. The tent city was set up in October by supporters of Mikheil Saakashvili, a former president of Georgia who has become an opposition politician in Ukraine. Saakashvili, a critic of corruption in Ukraine, was deported to Poland in February. He said he was "kidnapped" by Ukrainian authorities and removed from the country against his will. Andriy Kryshchneko, police chief of police, said at the camp on Saturday that "two court decisions" allowed authorities to search and dismantle the camp. Police said that explosives and other weapons were found at the scene

PayPal wants report from Sri Lanka: Sampath, three other banks to introduce service

Though the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) was first to introduce PayPal to Sri Lanka through the Sampath Bank, it is revealed that three other banks too have been now earmarked by the CBSL. A senior official from the CBSL told AdaderanaBiz, “We were to first introduce PayPal through the Sampath Bank. However, we now plan to introduce this service to the country through four banks. We also plan to gradually involve the rest of the banks in the country.” While the CBSL is discussing with the PayPal branch in India to introduce the service to Sri Lanka, PayPal’s Indian arm has reportedly requested a report on Sri Lanka’s exports. The senior CBSL official told AdaderanaBiz that they would be submitting such a report and hence the introduction of PayPal to Sri Lanka would face a slight delay. Though cash cannot be remitted to Sri Lanka through the world renowned PayPal money transfer service sending money from Sri Lanka is possible even now.

ASSIGNING OF PREFERENTIAL NUMBERS FOR LG POLLS COMPLETED

The Election Secretariat announced that assigning preferential numbers for candidates of the Local Government election to be held for 67 bodies has been completed. Preparations are currently underway to hold the polls under the 2010 electoral register, Additional Elections Commissioner W.P. Sumanasiri said. The electoral register of the year 2010 is scheduled to be certified on June 31.

Share Blogs

Search This Blog