[The Economist] THE president of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, may well feel pleased with himself. On the face of it, more than six years after his first election, his prospects are still remarkably rosy. The economy clips along at about 7% a year. Mr Rajapaksa’s coalition controls over two-thirds of parliament, and opposition parties are […]
Sri Lanka: Protest in Jaffna over “disappearances”
[World Socialist] Amid police and military threats, about 200 mothers, wives and other relatives of disappeared persons held a protest on December 10 in Jaffna, northern Sri Lanka, to demand information about their loved ones. [Full Story]
Sri Lankan journalist attacked ‘with iron bars’
[AFP] An ethnic Tamil journalist in Sri Lanka’s formerly embattled north was brutally attacked with iron bars, police said on Saturday, the latest in a string of assaults on the nation’s media. [Full Story]
Tamils call for change after elections in Sri Lanka
[Independent UK] In a set-back for Sri Lanka’s ruling party, the Tamil National Alliance has won a landslide victory in local elections, capturing 20 out of 25 seats it contested in areas formerly held by rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. [Full Story]
Tamil party wins elections in Sri Lanka’s ex-war zone
[BBC] The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) took 18 out of 26 councils in what is being seen as a rare electoral setback for the government of President Rajapaksa. [Full Story]