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LTTE sympathisers plan anti-Gota protests in Glasgow

Published

5 years ago

2021/10/31

by Sujeeva Nivunhella reporting from London

A demonstration has been organised by LTTE sympathisers in the UK opposite the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow where President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is scheduled to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).

The Sunday Island reliably learns that the organisers of the protest have invited people from all over the UK and arrangements have been made to use six luxury buses to transport them.

A full-page paid advertisement has also been placed in the widely circulated Scottish broadsheet newspaper “The Herald” against President Rajapaksa calling him “The Terminator” and accussing Sri Lanka’ armed forces of genocide against Tamils.

“Our fight for justice will never stop until every single Sri Lankan war criminal is held accountable and our people finally have justice, freedom and liberation,” a protest organiser said. Demonstrations are scheduled to be held on Monday (Nov 1).

This was not the first time that pro-LTTE Tamils in the UK held protests against visiting Sri Lankan Presidents. In 2010, a group of them gathered at the Heathrow Airport and shouted slogans against then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Tamils also demonstrated in front of the hotel where the President stayed and the sheer scale of protests led to the cancellation of his scheduled speech at Oxford University. Pro-LTTE Tamils also had a large scale protest when the then president visited London in 2012.

Meanwhile, peace loving Tamils living in the United Kingdom welcomed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s affirmative statement to the UN Secretary General saying he was planning to engage with Tamil diaspora communities.

Talking to the Sunday Island, Tamil Broadcasting Corporation Director and a founder member of Non Resident Tamils of Sri Lanka, Veeraha Ramarajaha, said that they expect the President to outline detailed steps and they are happy to engage with the Sri Lanka High Commission in London.

“There must be engagement with all sections of the diaspora from all political backgrounds. This process must not be used to create division. We have been working with all shades of political opinion and our only interest is the well being of the motherland and its people”, Ramarajaha said.

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President meets senior officials of the Urban Development Authority

Published

2 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and senior officials of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) was held this afternoon (18) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting focused extensively on new development projects planned by the Urban Development Authority. The President emphasised the need to ensure that the budgetary allocations made for these projects in the current year are utilised effectively within the same financial year.

Detailed discussions were also held on projects planned to be implemented jointly by multiple institutions, including the importance of holding consultations with all relevant agencies to reach final decisions and the need to clearly define responsibilities for each institution in both implementation and maintenance phases of the projects.

Attention was drawn to key initiatives such as the Kelani River flood control project, water management projects in Colombo city and the Beira Lake restoration project. The need for a dedicated programme for low-income housing in areas such as Ratmalana and Moratuwa was also highlighted. During the discussion, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake underscored the importance of introducing a structured management framework for the effective coordination of certain projects.

Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Eranga Gunasekara, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Senior Professor Kapila C.K. Perera, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), M.G. Hemachandra and the Heads representing the Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA), Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), National Physical Planning Department (NPPD) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) were also present at the meeting.

(PMD)

News

CEAT Kelani Branch Inter-Company Employees’ Union makes donation to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

2 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

The Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the Kelaniya Branch of CEAT Sri Lanka has made a financial donation of Rs. 1,148,000.00, a day’s salary of its members to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund established to support the restoration of livelihoods and the rebuilding of areas affected by cyclone Ditwah.

Secretary of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, D.G.S.D. Navaratne, handed over the donation to the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabhath Chandrakeerthi at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (18).

Treasurer of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, Y.P.I.C. Karunathilaka, together with members of the Executive Committee, were also present on the occasion.

(PMD)

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Prime Minister off to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum

Published

3 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed on an official visit to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in several high-level academic and diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of education, development studies, research collaboration, and international partnerships.

As part of the visit, the Prime Minister will meet with Ms.Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education of the United Kingdom, at the UK Department for Education, to discuss areas of cooperation in education and related sectors. She is also expected to meet Ms.Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, for discussions on matters of bilateral interest and cooperation between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

In addition, the Prime Minister is expected to meet Ms.Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on the sidelines of the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will attend a public event at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and she will also take part in the ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the Institute of Development Studies. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a session at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies at the University of Oxford, followed by a question-and-answer session with scholars and students.

The visit is expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s engagement with academic institutions, international development partners, and Commonwealth member states, particularly in the areas of education, research, policy dialogue, and capacity building.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]