by Malinda Seneviratne

(June 15, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian)

Jehan says more: "the bus attacks were likely a tit-for-tat kind of retaliation by the rebels." Tit-for-tat! Now that's neutrality in the purest sense of the word for you. The irresponsibility comes from the fact that neither Jehan nor Francis seem to have any clue about what's 'tit' and what's 'tat' or if they did, are happy to leave it be. Mischievous. Irresponsible. Sunanda Deshapriya ought to be livid, and so too those wide-eyed Reporters Sans Frontiers boys and girls so given to pontificating on and feeding on other people's miseries. We hear not a murmur from these worthies.

Final Statement of the Sri Lankan delegation on the occasion of the adoption of the Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka by the United Nations Human Rights Council June 13^th 2008 (adapted from delivery) 

This had been preceded first by the statement of the Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, read by the Secretary, introducing the Report of the UPR Process. Then followed statements by nine countries, many of which commended Sri Lanka for its efforts to safeguard all human rights despite the difficulties posed by terrorist threats.

The ambassador of Cuba to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Her Excellency Enna Viant Valdés, hosted a unique award presentation ceremony in a gesture of warmth and friendship to thank Cuba's Sri Lankan friends on 10th June 2008 at the Galadari Hotel Colombo.

Lean times for the Sri Lankan separatists. But Tamils are flourishing.

Martin Hacthoun

Commonwealth Conference which brought together 12 Heads of State in London over the last two days to discuss the reform of international institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund ended yesterday.

"The Security Forces are attacking Mullaittiuvu, Prabhakaran's hideout, from several directions. Army's aim is to capture Prabhakaran, who is holed up in a bunker, alive", Army Commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka has stated during an interview with the local daily 'The Dinamina' on Wednesday (June 11).

Foreign Secretary Dr Palitha Kohona called in Mr Amin Awad, the acting UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today (11 June 2008), to express the Government’s serious concerns on the statement made by Sir John Holmes, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs on 29 May 2008 on the recent wave of bomb attacks by the LTTE targeting innocent civilians using public transport in Sri Lanka.

Colombo (PTI): Sri Lankan military has launched a major offensive to capture "alive" the elusive LTTE supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran, believed to be hiding in a bunker in the rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu, the army chief said here.

“Sri Lanka has been a pioneer in the rehabilitation of wild elephants and our captive breeding programme has gained recognition around the world” said Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona while making the introductory remarks at the seminar titled “Sri Lanka Conserving the Wild Elephant” which held today (12) at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations & Strategic Studies.

Calcutta, June 11: City-based real estate developer PS Group is setting up an IT park in Sri Lanka with an investment of $80.4 million.The company has entered into a joint venture with Sri Lanka Institute of Technology and Infinity Parks Ltd, another city-based real estate company, to develop this project.

(June 11, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Douglas Devananda, Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare, addressing a large gathering of people on the last 07th stated that it is only now the people of Jaffna have begun to derive the benefits of the Provincial Council System, established, especially for the well-being of the people of the North/East. And on behalf of the Tamil Speaking People he expressed his heartiest thanks to His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapakse for the steps taken by the President in this regard.