Ministry News

The Government of Sri Lanka vehemently condemns the heinous suicide terrorist attack at Wagah, Pakistan, on 02^nd November 2014 killing at least 60 people and injuring over 100 others. 

The people of Sri Lanka share the pain and anguish of the people of Pakistan over this wanton act of terror targeting innocent civilians.  Sri Lanka is confident of the fortitude and resilience of the Government and the people of Pakistan to remain firmly resolved to defeat terrorism.  This incident demonstrates the urgent need to further intensify international cooperation to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, in the interest of global peace and security. 

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The Minister of External Affairs, Professor G. L. Peiris on Tuesday, 4^th November, met the Heads of Mission and Representatives of the main proponents of the Investigation on Sri Lanka by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the High Commissioner of Australia. The Deputy Country Director of the UNDP also participated representing the UN system.

Minister Peiris explained to these representatives, the details regarding the recent arrest of Sinnathamby Krishnarasa, a non-rehabilitated LTTE cadre.  This action led to the discovery in his possession of blank forms containing signatures of persons affected by the conflict. The Minister revealed how questioning Krishnarasa had led to the disclosure that he had been employed by Alva Pulle Vijendrakumar alias Sun Master, a close associate of the TNA, to obtain signatures of those affected by the conflict on blank forms on the assurance that this exercise was for obtaining monetary compensation from the UN. He had also received instructions from Sun Master to collect death certificates and National Identity Card details of persons who had lost their lives during the last phase of the conflict and personal data of war widows and photographs of disabled persons. Minister Peiris explained that Krishnarasa had revealed that the forms with signatures were to be completed with fabricated “eye witness” reports to be submitted to the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL). He observed that these revelations point to several others having been employed and tasked with the collection of similar information to be presented to the OISL, particularly as Krishnarasa was in possession of a diary containing details of 400 persons who were missing, had died or been injured.

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Following the closure of the Honorary Consulate of the Philippines in Colombo in September 2014, this Ministry has been receiving numerous queries from the public regarding the procedure to be followed in applying for vi ...

The Government of Sri Lanka strongly condemns the terrorist attack on Egyptian security and military personnel in North Sinai last week that claimed the lives of 31 soldiers and injured several others.

The people of Sri Lanka, who had suffered immensely under the yoke of terrorism for almost three decades, share the pain and anguish of the Egyptian people over this brazen act of terrorism.

This incident is a stark reminder of the danger that terrorism poses to all humanity, and highlights the urgent need for decisive and concerted action by the international community to eradicate this menace in all its forms and manifestations.

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The Ministry of External Affairs is surprised at some of the recent statements on the outcome of the case filed by the LTTE in 2011 at the General Court of the European Union in which the Council of the European Union was the defendant supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the European Commission as interveners. These statements by interested parties are based on an inaccurate premise.

The Ministry of External Affairs wishes to state that from the outset of the case being filed, legal advice and expert opinion were sought from within the European Union system and specialist European lawyers. Accordingly, the Government of Sri Lanka took action in the most effective manner available, by providing material of a substantive nature to the defendant and the interveners on a regular basis. This was in accordance with Sri Lanka being a non-member state of the European Union and having therefore to meet special conditions, contrary to the national interest of Sri Lanka, in order to be allowed to intervene itself in cases before the General Court of the European Union.

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Rear Admiral J.V. Bainimarama, the newly elected Prime Minister of Fiji has acknowledged the immense debt Fiji owes to Sri Lanka, in his inaugural speech on 13^th October 2014 at the Parliament House in Suva, following the convincing victory of his Fiji First Party at the general elections held last month, in which it secured 59.2% of the popular vote.

In his address to the Parliament, Prime Minister Bainimarama, while thanking the members of the Fijian Judiciary, judges and magistrates paid special tribute to Sri Lanka for providing an invaluable service by sending judges and magistrates at Fiji’s time of need. The Prime Minister stated:

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The Government of Sri Lanka has noted with concern the decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on 16^th October, to annul the EU regulations proscribing the LTTE. The defendants of this case have been the Council and Commission of the European Union, together with two member states, the Netherlands and the UK.

Expectedly, the ECJ judgment requires in-depth study by all the defendant parties. It is noteworthy that the Court has stressed the annulments to be “on fundamentally procedural grounds” and “do not imply any substantive assessment of the question of the classification of the LTTE as a terrorist group.” Further it is observed from the decision of the ECJ that “the effects of the annulled measures are maintained temporarily in order to ensure the effectiveness of any possible future freezing of funds”.

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