Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama will lead the Sri Lankan Delegation for the 14th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila from 1st – 2nd August 2007.  Sri Lanka’s admission to the foremost political and security forum in Asia as its 27th member is a clear reflection of Sri Lanka’s pro-active role in regional and multilateral fora for the promotion of peace, dialogue and cooperation for the greater benefit of the Asia Pacific region in particular and the world at large. 

The Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order categorically denies as utter falsehood the news appearing in a today's (19) English daily that the Ministry has made arrangements to recruit 50,000 new members to security forces according to a directive by His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa.

COLOMBO: The police have decided to investigate without any communal consideration anyone occupying lodgings or have taken   temporary residence  in the Colombo area and cannot  provide valid reasons for doing so.  There have been instances where  some  " lodgers"  have lived  in  the Colombo area for over six months without making any progress on the pretext that someone  has to obtain his/her  identity card/  passport. 

Press Release

Public hearing of the European Parliament relating to Sri Lanka 05th June, 2007 - Brussels.

The Development Committee of the European Parliament conducted a Public Hearing in Brussels relating to Sri Lanka on 05th June, 2007.

The Government reiterates that the Security Forces or the Police will not forcibly evict people from their temporary residence in lodges and small hotels in Colombo. However, the Government wishes to inform all residents from North and East who are temporary occupants of lodges and hotels in Colombo that they should be able to legally establish their identity and reasons for their stay for security reasons prevailing under the current security situation in the country. The Government would like to caution the general public that the Security Forces and the Police would be taking legal action against those who fail to establish their identity and reasons to overstay.