Joomla! site syndication http://www.lankamission.org 2010-03-18T11:00:34+01:00 http://www.lankamission.org http://www.lankamission.org/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png text/html 2010-03-16T12:29:37+01:00 http://www.lankamission.org http://www.lankamission.org/content/view/2691/9/ In response to well coordinated series of statements and web comments on alleged government plans to ‘arrest NGO activists and to suppress and intimidate its opponents and critics’, the Office of the President states that it has not found evidence of any ‘intelligence lists’ of NGO activists prepared by the State Intelligence Service as stated on Lanka News Web, or by any other law enforcement authority.The Office of the President further states that any investigation by the authorities on alleged or suspected illegal or criminal activities are, and will be, conducted strictly in accordance with the law. text/html 2010-03-15T15:14:13+01:00 http://www.lankamission.org http://www.lankamission.org/content/view/2690/49/ The Government of Sri Lanka has taken steps to resettle approximately 6,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) during the first two weeks of March 2010, in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts, bringing down the total number of IDPs living in government-run welfare centres to 65,591. All IDPs have been given the option to return to their original villages or to relocate to areas of their choice. Those who wanted to remain in the welfare centres are permitted to stay at these centres. Almost 50% of the IDPs living in the Puttalam District for the last ten years have returned to their original places of habitat while the rest wished to remain. There are no restrictions on the movement of the IDPs and they are free to move out from the welfare centres or return. As at 8th March 2010, number of IDPs who returned to the welfare centres is 24,292. text/html 2010-03-09T12:08:15+01:00 http://www.lankamission.org http://www.lankamission.org/content/view/2689/49/ The Indian Foreign Secretary Shrimathi Nirupama Rao who met President Mahinda Rajapaksa today congratulated the President for his resounding victory in the recent Presidential Election, said she observed that so much had taken place for the better in Sri Lanka since she was last here as High Commissioner. text/html 2010-03-09T10:09:45+01:00 http://www.lankamission.org http://www.lankamission.org/content/view/2688/49/ “Act in keeping with principles of UN Charter on non-interference” President Mahinda Rajapaksa has pointed out that the intention of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to appoint a panel of experts to advice him (i.e. the SG) on Sri Lanka is totally uncalled for and unwarranted. text/html 2010-02-24T17:17:43+01:00 http://www.lankamission.org http://www.lankamission.org/content/view/2687/49/ Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama summoned the British Acting High Commissioner in Colombo Mark Gooding to the Foreign Ministry today to express Sri Lanka’s strong protest with regard to the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs David Miliband’s intent to address the London Conference of the pro-LTTE ‘Global Tamil Forum’ (GTF) today (24/2). The Foreign Minister informed the Acting High Commissioner that the GTF brings together under one umbrella, several LTTE front organizations based mostly in the western countries, and that its objective is to create a separate state of Tamil Eelam. The Foreign Minister in this context emphasized that Foreign Secretary Miliband, by participating at today’s GTF Meeting in London, would unfortunately lend credibility to an organization which is propagating the separatist agenda of the LTTE, and would be acting in a manner inimical to the national interest of Sri Lanka and its legitimate government.