American Buddhist Net

COLOMBO: When Mahinda Rajapaksa was re-elected president of Sri Lanka in January, media organisations and human rights groups said they hoped the suppression of dissenting voices would end.

But those hopes have not materialised.

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Two years ago, in a moment of panic, I rushed my young daughter to Colombo’s only children’s hospital. To be honest, I don’t normally turn to our overcrowded government hospitals for healthcare. But a doctor friend had recommended the Lady Ridgeway Hospital as the best place for administering the anti-rabies vaccine.

As with all government hospitals, they first wanted to record the patient’s basic bio data. Fair enough. I provided the child’s name, age and street address. For some reason, the form also asked for the patient’s religion. Before I could say anything, the nurse in charge wrote ‘Buddhist’.

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After 26 years of civil war, Sri Lanka has an ambitious $1 billion plan to revive the city of Jaffna, long isolated by the rebel Tamil Tigers.

In chartered buses and private cars, Sri Lankans pour into this war-ravaged city, finally rejoined to the rest of the country.

Some are ethnic Tamils coming home to see relatives after decades living elsewhere. Others are Sinhalese tourists from the south, curious to see a long-denied corner of their island.

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COLOMBO (Feb. 23): The Supreme Court Tuesday rejected a plea for the release of a former army commander in military custody for two weeks on charges of conspiracy against the government, officials said.

The high court agreed with the attorney general's argument that General Sarath Fonseka should not be released because military proceedings were continuing against him.

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Feb. 12, 2010:
Top court accepts appeal against Fonseka’s arrest
Ban 'concern' at Fonseka arrest

Modesty is apparently not a strong point for Namal Rajapaksa, the 23-year-old son of the Sri Lankan President – and scion of Asia’s newest political dynasty.

His web site says: “A future leader with a friendly spirit and possessing good values is what comes to mind when meeting the dashing and smashing, young Namal Rajapaksa.”

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Feb 22, Colombo: Sri Lanka opposition United National Party said the pro government Buddhist monks threatened the Chief Prelate of the Malwatta Chapter and demanded to postpone the all island Maha Sangha convention the prelates planned.

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JAFFNA: The northern Tamil heartland of Jaffna, which had been inaccessible by land since 1990, is experiencing a post-conflict Sinhalese tourist influx from south Sri Lanka.

Though it brings loads of money into Jaffna, it puts tremendous pressure on the limited facilities and infrastructure in existence, giving rise to fears of health hazards.

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COLOMBO — Sri Lanka's top Buddhist monks called off a special gathering this week because of government pressure, a spokesman said Friday, while the opposition said bomb threats had been involved.

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COLOMBO — Sri Lanka's top Buddhist monks postponed Wednesday a gathering to press for the release from military custody of defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka, citing safety concerns.

The conference, bringing together the heads of all the island's major Buddhist sects, had been scheduled for Thursday.

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BANGALORE - Developments in neighboring Sri Lanka are triggering unease in India. There is growing concern that President Mahinda Rajapaksa will use his second term to marginalize political rivals rather than seek a political solution to the island's ethnic conflicts.

The arrest last week of General Sarath Fonseka, former army chief and Rajapaksa's losing rival in the presidential election in January, is fueling fears that the president is focusing on consolidating the already substantial grip of his family over the levers of power rather than on addressing the country's bigger problems.

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The ‘Mahasanga Convention’ called by the Mahanayakes of the four chapters in order to adopt a resolution to ensure a peaceful atmosphere in the country, has been postponed indefinitely citing security reasons.

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HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka — For years, ships from other countries, laden with oil, machinery, clothes and cargo, sped past this small town near India as part of the world’s brisk trade with China.

Now, China is investing millions to turn this fishing hamlet into a booming new port, furthering an ambitious trading strategy in South Asia that is reshaping the region and forcing India to rethink relations with its neighbors.

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Sri Lanka's jailed and defeated opposition presidential candidate appealed to the country's highest court Tuesday to overturn the results of last month's election, a lawmaker said.

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Colombo Fort Magistrate yesterday issued arrest warrant on Dhanuna Tillekaratne, the son-in-law of Presidential Common Candidate General Sarath Fonseka in connection with the business transactions of locally registered HiCorp Ltd, which the government accuses had cheated public funds by forwarding and preparing forged documents.

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Colombo – Sri Lanka's Buddhist clergy was reportedly divided Monday over the arrest and detention of former army commander General Sarath Fonseka on charges of conspiring against the government. The split appeared to surface after some of the most prominent Buddhist monks issued a statement calling for Fonseka's release, while others reportedly defended the February 8 arrest.

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February 15, 2010 (AFP) - Lawyers in Sri Lanka accused the government Monday of illegally suppressing protests at the arrest of former army chief Sarath Fonseka.

Thousands of people taking part in peaceful protests have been attacked by pro-government supporters despite the presence of armed police, the independent Lawyers for Democracy said in a statement.

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COLOMBO: The Prelates or chief monks of all the four leading Buddhist monastries in Sri Lanka have written a joint letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa asking him to put an end to his conflict with the former Army Commander and political rival Gen Sarath Fonseka, release him from custody, and provide him adequate security.

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Buddhist Chief Prelates (Mahanayakas) of Asgiriya and Malwatte Chapters have come out with mixed responses on Fonseka's arrest. While the Mahanayaka of Malwatte Chapter has said that he was awaiting response from the Sri Lankan president, saying that Mr. Rajapaksa "could have been in dark" while the arrest took place, the Mahanayaka of Asgiriya Chapter has deplored the sudden arrest of Sarath Fonseka. In the meantime, Sri Lankan opposition sources said they were awaiting a joint written statement from the main prelates. The Buddhist prelates exercise a dominant influence on the Sri Lankan regime. The prelates of four chapters will be meeting on 18 February to discuss Fonseka's arrest.

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The four Supreme Leaders invite Buddhist monks not remain silent in the face of the chaos which began after the arrest of General Fonseka by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Convened on 18 February a special assembly of monks to discuss the current situation and contribute to the democratic progress of the country.

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Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court agreed yesterday to hear a challenge to the arrest of defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka, as opposition parties stepped up a campaign for his immediate release.

The court accepted a petition by Fonseka’s wife requesting that his arrest be ruled illegal, and ordered the state to allow the former army chief family visits and medicines. “The court granted leave to proceed with the case because it appeared, on the face of it, there had been a breach of fundamental rights of General Fonseka,” a court official told AFP.

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COLOMBO - The arrest on Monday of Sri Lanka's former army commander and defeated presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka by military police on vague charges of "committing military offences" removes a challenger to the government before parliamentary elections this April at which Fonseka was planning to emerge as a rallying figure for the opposition.

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This article provides a pretty good overview of the current situation in Sri Lanka. Robyn

Sri Lankan demonstrators shout slogans as they stand in a cloud of teargas fired by authorities during a rally in Colombo on February 10 held by opposition parties to protest the arrest of former army chief Sarath Fonseka. Sri Lankan police fired tear gas as activists of opposition and ruling parties clashed outside Colombo's main court complex over the arrest of defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka.

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COLOMBO — Sri Lanka's former army chief and defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka has appealed for calm, his wife said Thursday, after violent clashes linked to his arrest on conspiracy charges.

"He wanted me to convey to the people and especially the troops to remain calm and not to be provoked by his illegal arrest," said Anoma Fonseka, who met with her detained husband late Wednesday.

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COLOMBO - TENSIONS escalated on Wednesday over the arrest of Sri Lanka's former army chief, Sarath Fonseka, with violent clashes outside the Supreme Court, where his wife petitioned for his immediate release.

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COLOMBO — The wife of Sri Lankan ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka accused the government on Tuesday of abducting her husband and treating him "like an animal" following his dramatic arrest.

"This is not an arrest. It is an abduction," a tearful Anoma Fonseka said at a press conference at her Colombo home.

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Feb 05, Colombo: The High Commission of India is participating in the Deyata Kirula mega exhibition in Sri Lanka opened from yesterday through Feb 10 in Kandy.

India is featuring a photographic exhibit on Buddhist monuments in India and art heritage.

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Riding high on his battlefield victory against the Tamil Tiger rebels and his landslide re-election, Sri Lanka's president appears under little pressure to tackle the deep ethnic tensions that fueled a generation of conflict here.

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COLOMBO — International media rights groups accused the Sri Lankan government on Saturday of unleashing attacks against journalists after a bitterly contested presidential election.

The Paris-based Reporters without Borders asked President Mahinda Rajapakse to end arrests and what it called intimidation of journalists working for privately owned as well as foreign media.

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Colombo, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Soldiers surrounded the Colombo hotel where Sri Lanka's opposition leader was staying Wednesday, hours after President Mahinda Rajapaksa was declared the winner of the country's first peacetime election in more than two decades.

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