On whether India was concerned what the leaks might contain, the minister said "Indian government is not really concerned. But we are certainly interested in finding out what this WikiLeaks are all about because they say that they are going to put on the web 4 million documents. So we will watch with interest."
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna inaugurated the new Indian consulate in southern Sri Lankan coastal city of Hambantota, voicing confidence that India will take advantage of the industrial and commercial potential in the region, which has witnessed increased Chinese engagement.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has approved the 30-month jail term given to former army chief Sarath Fonseka by a military court on charges of corruption, top officials said on Thursday.
Already stripped off his military rank and medals, former Sri Lankan Army chief Sarath Fonseka, was held guilty of corruption charges by a second court martial, sentenced to a prison term of three years. Fonseka had been charged with favouring an arms firm headed by his son-in-law in defence deals during his time as army chief.
"The President in his capacity of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces has confirmed the findings and the punishment handed down by the first court martial," a military official said.
A Sri Lankan military court on Friday stripped the country's war hero and former army chief Sarath Fonseka of his rank and medals after finding him guilty of dabbling in politics while in service. The General was convicted by a three-member military court which began deliberations five months ago. The court verdict has to be ratified by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the Sri Lankan media reported.
A high-level commission appointed by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to look into the last seven years of conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam opened public hearings on Wednesday, amid global apprehensions over its credibility and mandate to probe war crimes.The eight-member 'Lesson Learnt and Reconciliation Commission' recorded the testimony of its first witness, former top diplomat Bernard Goonatilake.
The taxi fare meter invented by Kalindu Siriwardene, shows the taxi fare based on duration of the trip.
The Sri Lankan government on Wednesday held its first ever Cabinet meeting in the Tamil heartland of Kilinochchi, the erstwhile administrative capital of the vanquished Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam."The weekly Cabinet meeting commenced in Kilinochchi at 10 am today under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapakse," a statement said.The meeting was conducted at the administrative building of the defence forces headquarters near the Iranamadu tank.
The Sri Lankan government has slapped a fresh case on detained former army chief Sarath Fonseka for allegedly employing military deserters during the presidential campaign earlier this year, the poll which he contested unsuccessfully against President Mahinda Rajapakse. The attorney general's department filed a fresh case against Fonseka, who is now an opposition lawmaker. He is accused of employing 10 army deserters in the run-up to the January presidential poll.
The Sri Lankan government has slammed the decision of the United Nations to set up a panel of experts to advice Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on the human rights situation in the country, saying it was 'unwarranted' since Colombo has already formed a mechanism to address accountability issues. "The proposed panel of experts was unwarranted since Lanka has already set in motion its local mechanism to address accountability issues, said Minister of External Affairs G L Peiris.
The United States has said the Sri Lankan government must respect the rights of detained former army chief Sarath Fonseka as it underlined the need for 'greater transparency' in the court martial proceedings against the top general. "We haven't seen the specifics of the charges (of court martials), but we have consistently stressed that it is important that General Fonseka's rights be respected and that he be accorded a full due process," said Robert Blake.
A prominent Sri Lankan Tamil journalist, whose arrest and subsequent 20-year sentence for 'supporting terrorism' had drawn international condemnation, has been pardoned by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa has ordered the release of Jayaprakash Sittampalam Tissainayagam, who was recently released on bail after being sentenced to a jail term of 20 years.Tissainayagam was arrested in March 2008 and later charged under the anti-terrorism legislation, was released on bail.
Veteran Sri Lankan socialist leader D M Jayaratne, a close ally of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was sworn-in on Wednesday as the country's 20th prime minister after the ruling party secured a near two-thirds majority.
Fonseka was to appear before the two court martials appointed to look into charges against him today, but proceedings of both the panels were postponed.
As the United Nations chief planned to set up an advisory panel on alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka, Premier Ratnasiri Wickremanayake has accused "certain" western nations of interfering in his country's affairs and said government would only "bow down" to people's decisions.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed a three-member court martial panel to try detained ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka on treason charges and the proceedings against him would be launched on March 16.
India is keen to open a consulate in Jaffna, once a stronghold of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said on Monday, even as she pressed for political reconciliation among all communities in Sri Lanka so as to usher in peace and harmony."Of course, we have to work out the modalities. Because we feel our office there will help us to be in touch with the local people, help us do assistance programmes, help issue visas," she said.
A Sri Lankan federal minister on Monday alleged that 'certain Indian officials' wanted President Mahinda Rajapaksa to lose the recent polls and worked towards it, but India rejected the claims, saying it does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.Minister of Post and Telecommunications Nandana Goonathilake also claimed that the Indian government 'strengthened' Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Former Sri Lankan army chief Sarath Fonseka, who has been arrested on conspiracy charges, will face a court martial, the military has announced and said that over 25 people have already given evidence against the general.
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