By Zhang Kun/China Daily Archaeologists from the Shanghai Museum embarked on a 40-day excavation mission to Sri Lanka on Monday. The group will be working in ancient ruins in Jaffna alongside representatives from the Central Cultural Fund and a local university in Sri Lanka. Chen Jie, head of the archaeological team from the Shanghai Museum, …

Continue reading ‘Chinese Archaeological Team From Shanghai Museum in Sri Lanka on a 49 day Excavation Mission to Unearth Sino Relics in Jffna,Mannar,Trincomalee and Galle.’ »

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa told the CID Friday that he was unable to recall two crucial telephone calls which investigators link him to the abductors of news editor Keith Noyahr 10 years ago. The former leader was questioned for the first time in connection with the May 2008 abduction and torture of Noyahr, a news …

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Tells CID That He Cannot Remember Karu Jayasuriya Telephoning Him at 11.20 PM About Abducted “Nation” Associate Editor Keith Noyahr’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham The government will complete three years in office today (17), marking a milestone of sorts when the two traditionally rival political parties, the United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), set aside their differences and came together to form the National Unity Government. There was plenty of goodwill on …

Continue reading ‘All SLFP Parliamentarians With President Sirisena Will Switch Their Allegiance to the Rajapaksas If National Elections Are Announced Now’ »

By Bindu Shajan Perapaddan Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the only non-Congress leader to have completed a full term as Prime Minister, breathed his last at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences on Thursday evening. The 12-time Parliamentarian was 93. “Unfortunately, his condition deteriorated over the last 36 hours and he was put on life support systems. …

Continue reading ‘BJP Leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee who was Thrice Indian Prime Minister in 1996, 1998-99 and 1999-2004 Passes Away at the Age of 93.’ »

By Kelum Bandara Some legal experts are of the opinion that there former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is not debarred from contesting the Presidential Election for the third time, it is learnt. These legal experts believe though the 19th Amendment barred anyone from seeking the Presidency for the third time, it did not have retrospective effect.

Sri Lanka’s chief of defence staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne gave half a million rupees in cash to help the main suspect in the abduction and murder of 11 children escape arrest, the Colombo magistrate was told Wednesday. Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne ordered the bank of Ceylon to provide details of a navy account …

Continue reading ‘CID Tells Court that Ex-Navy Chief Ravindra Wijegunaratne Gave 5 Lakhs From Navy Fund to “Navy Sampath” the Main Suspect in Mass Murder of Abducted Youths to Help Him Evade Arrest.’ »

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s youngest son Rohitha travelled from Tangalle to Tanzania to propose marriage to his sweetheart on top of snow-covered Kilimanjaro, another sibling said. Second son Yoshitha was the first to announce the engagement yesterday atop the highly romantic setting on the highest mountain in the African continent.

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj Sri Lanka’s finest Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated in Colombo by a suspected sniper of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) a decade ago. His death was mourned by the nation at large as a tremendous loss to the country. The void caused in Sri Lanka’s foreign affairs sphere after …

Continue reading ‘Life and Times of Lanka’s Finest Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar’ »

Novelist Sir VS Naipaul, who won the Nobel Prize in literature, has died aged 85, his family have said. Sir Vidia, who was born in rural Trinidad in 1932, wrote more than 30 books including A Bend in the River and his masterpiece, A House for Mr Biswas. His wife Lady Naipaul called him a …

Continue reading ‘Nobel Prize -winning Controversial Trinidad Born Author Of Indian Origin V.S.Naipaul Dies At the Age of 85’ »

By Lucien Rajakarunanayake There is diversion in the politics of the Joint Opposition, moving away from the defeat of the Yahapalana coalition and plans for the coming presidential and general elections, to the demand for the office of Leader of the Opposition. The big debate in parliament this week was over declaring the JO’s leading …

Continue reading ‘If Joint Opposition MP’s Want Opposition Leader Post They Must Have Courage To Resign From UPFA/SLFP and Face Risk of Losing Their Parliamentary Seats.’ »

By Saman Indrajith Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday said the status quo would remain as regards the post of the Opposition Leader in Parliament. It is currently held by TNA Leader R Sampanthan. Making a special announcement at the commencement of sittings yesterday, the Speaker said that his final decision was that the constitutionality and Parliament …

Continue reading ‘Tamil National Alliance Leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan Will Continue To Be Leader of the Opposition in Parliament ules Speaker Karu Jayasuriya.’ »

By Gopalkrishna Gandhi (Author,Scholar and Diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi who served as India’s High Commissioner in India is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and Rajaji) “Jakkirathaiya irunga,” he said in Tamil, over which his command was legendary. “Take care” is how the phrase would translate. But in the way he said it, laying stress on the …

Continue reading ‘DMK Leader Karunanidhi Told Former Indian Envoy Gopalkrishna Gandhi – “Secession Will Never Be Given Up By Prabhakaran…….. We Grope In The Dark”’ »

by K. Venkataramanan It is the misfortune of some leaders that public perception, based on their recent actions and political positions, tends to overshadow their long history of engagement with an issue. It is so with M. Karunanidhi, who was an outspoken champion of the cause of the Sri Lankan Tamils for five decades, but …

Continue reading ‘Though a Lifelong Warrior for the Sri Lankan Tamil Cause DMK Chief Karunanidhi Was Misunderstood in the End’ »

By S.S.Selvanayagam Firebrand Buddhist monk Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero, known for his hard-line approach, was jailed yesterday for six years after being found guilty of contempt of court over his conduct during a court hearing regarding the case of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda. Gnanasara Thero, the Secretary General of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS),was found …

Continue reading ‘Bodu Bala Sena Secy-Gen Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero Found Guilty on 4 Counts of Contempt of Court Charges Sentenced to 19 Years Rigorous Imprisonment to Be Served Concurrently for 6 Years’ »

By Dharani Thangavelu Muthuvel Karunanidhi, former chief minister of Tamil Nadu and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president, is dead, the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai announced today. “With deep anguish, we announce the demise of our beloved Kalaignar Dr M. Karunanidhi on 7. 8. 2018 at 6.10 pm. Despite the best possible efforts by our …

Continue reading ‘94 Year Old DMK President “Kalaignar” Muthuvel Karunanidhi who was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Five Times Passes Away at Chennai Kauvery Hospital on August 7th 2018.’ »

By A.S.Panneerselvan (This Article originally published in “Frontline Magazine”was Reproduced on this Blog on June 9th 2017.It is Being posted again due to its current timeliness) THE 1957 elections to Parliament and the State Assemblies constituted a defining moment. It established the democratic credentials of a country newly liberated from colonial rule; it was the …

Continue reading ‘The Ideology, Rhetoric and Politics of DMK Leader and Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi.’ »

by Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka In a speech to the Inter-Religious Forum on the 35th anniversary of the anti-Tamil violence of Black July ’83, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga made an impassioned plea for either a new Constitution or a Constitutional Amendment to resolve the long-standing ethno-national question. The enterprise is flawed and fraught. 1. Even if …

Continue reading ‘Does Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Think His “Economic Empowerment” Solution Will Result in the Sri Lankan Tamils Giving Up Their Long Struggle For Political Equality and Rights?’ »

By Camelia Nathaniel The Cabinet has approved a proposal made by President Maithripala Sirisena to declare the holy shrine of Our Lady of Madhu a sacred area. The President visited the Madhu Shrine on Sunday. This is a most welcome measure for Roman Catholics in the country. Madhu is a mystic jungle shrine dedicated to …

Continue reading ‘Cabinet Approves Proposal By President Sirisena To Declare Catholic Shrine Dedicated to “Our Lady of Madhu” and Environs of Maruthanaamadhu in Mannar District a Sacred Area.’ »

By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Here’s a news flash; the political solution to the Tamil question exists and has been around for a while. Thousands died in two civil wars to proclaim and defend that solution. Vijaya Kumaratunga and K Pathmanabha were martyrs to that cause. And yet, those who should cherish the cause they were martyred …

Continue reading ‘The Feasible Political Solution to the Tamil Question Already Exists and Has Been in Place Since the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987.’ »

By Pramod De Silva It is now exactly 31 years since the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord was signed in Colombo on July 29, 1987, between Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene amidst political turmoil in Colombo and military advances in the North. The Accord was signed “Attaching utmost importance to …

Continue reading ‘31 Years After The Signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord Signed By Rajiv Gandhi and J.R.Jayewardene on on July 29th 1987.’ »

By Frances Bulathsinghala The July 1983 anti-Tamil riots is a watershed in the recent history of this country, and 35 years later, with a three-decade war over and thousands killed, we are still left asking ‘Quo Vadis Lanka?’ This writer was seven years old when Colombo went up in flames on a seemingly ordinary July …

Continue reading ‘Years After “Black July” and End of War We are Still Left With the Question ” Quo Vadis Sri Lanka?” (Where Are You Going Sri Lanka)’ »

By Vishwamithra 1984 “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.” ~Aung San Suu Kyi Ceylon Civil Service, later transformed into Sri Lanka Administrative Service, has been a dignified public service. ‘It …

Continue reading ‘If There Were One Person who Could be Singularly Responsible for the Sharp Fall of the Public Service in Sri Lanka, it was Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Ex-Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga.’ »

By Amali Mallawaarachchi The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna has no future other than relying upon the Rajapaksas, Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure Minister Harin Fernando said yesterday. Fernando expressed his disappointment over the political sycophancy displayed by the Pohottuwa party towards the Rajapaksa family. Minister Fernando also criticised former Minister Basil Rajapaksa for saying that they …

Continue reading ‘“Basil, Gotabhaya and Chamal are Three Dragon Heads of Pohottuwa Party for 2020 But Real Dragon Will Emerge After Five Years in the Form of Namal Rajapaksa” Says Harin Fernando’ »

DMK chief M Karunanidhi, being treated for fever due to urinary tract infection, was shifted to a private hospital from his residence here early today (28) due to dip in blood pressure and is now stable, the hospital said. The 94-year-old leader was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Kauvery Hospital around 1:30 am. …

Continue reading ‘Ex-Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M.Karunanidhi’s Health Condition Stabilises While Party Supporters Chant “long live Thalaivar” (leader) and “meendu vaa thalaiva,” (come back leader)Outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai’ »

(Former Cabinet Minister and Sri Lanka Podu Jana Party Chairman Prof.G.L.Peiris has written a letter to the External Resources Division of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry Seeking Factual Information About the Moragahakanda Kaluganga Multi-purpose Development Project.The full text of the letter is as follows) The Director General, Department of External Resources, Secretariat Building, Colombo 01 Dear …

Continue reading ‘Bewildered by President Sirisena’s Remarks about “Moragahakanda Kalu Ganga” Project, Prof.G.L.Peiris Seeks Clarification About Factual Position From Foreign Ministry’s External Resources Division.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan The geopolitical contest between India and China in Sri Lanka is no secret, but it has never been as blatant as was seen in developments last week. Cabinet spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne, in a recent media briefing, spoke of Sri Lanka having to “balance” the two powers, in the context of China holding …

Continue reading ‘China Moves Northward and India Moves Southward in Sri Lanka in Open Display of Geo-Political Competition Between Beijing and New Delhi in the Island.’ »

By Steve James Britain’s House of Commons Standards Committee has suspended Ian Paisley, Jr., Member of Parliament for the North Antrim constituency in Northern Ireland, for 30 days from September 4. Paisley was found to have committed “serious misconduct” by actions “of a nature to bring the House of Commons into disrepute.” Paisley is only …

Continue reading ‘Suspension of UK Parliamentarian Ian Paisley Exposes Efforts Taken to Assist Cover-up of Sri Lankan Bloodbath’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham Many articles appeared in the newspapers week to mark the 35th anniversary of the communal pogrom of July 1983 in Sri Lanka, commonly known as’ Black July’ riots. It was the illustrious editor and political analyst of international fame, the late Mervyn de Silva who coined the term ‘Black July’ in his …

Continue reading ‘Refusal to Change Political Attitudes Even After 35 Years is a Greater Shame Than the Darkness of “Black July”’ »

By Daniel Alphonsus MYTH 1: Chinese lending is commercial. FACT:Since 2012 most Chinese lending is concessionary. In the last five years Sri Lanka’s loans from China EXIM Bank, amounting to 3.1 billion dollars, were all concessionary – fixed at 2%.Sri Lanka also borrowed 400 million dollars from China Development Bank in 2014 at near commercial …

Continue reading ‘Five Myths and Related Facts About China’s Much Talked About Loans to Sri Lanka.’ »

by Shamindra Ferdinando Wartime Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Thursday (July 26) told Colombo-based senior Tamil print and electronic journalists that countrywide economic empowerment was the key to post-war stability. Rajapaksa stressed the pivotal importance of economic empowerment of all communities, particularly those who had been denied of opportunities due to the conflict. Chairman of …

Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Tells Colombo Based Senior Tamil Journalists That His Vision Of Economic Empowerment of All Communities Could Provide the Basis of a Political Solution’ »

By Sarath de Alwis “When words lose their meaning and their capacity to bind those who use them, neither democracy nor the rule of law can long survive.” ― Jurisprudence scholar Austin Sarat This essay is about the exposure in the New York Times and the two responses from former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime …

Continue reading ‘Responses to “New York Times”Article on Hambantota Port Show Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe are both Indisputable Exponents in the Art of Fashioning Post truths.’ »

by Anurangi Singh The case filed regarding two attempts to assassinate Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian, M.A. Sumanthiran will be taken up tomorrow, July 30 at the Colombo High Court to serve indictments on the suspects. In January 2017, Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) reported to the Killinochchi Magistrate’s court that they had apprehended five suspects …

Continue reading ‘Five Suspects in Alleged Plot to Assassinate TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran to be Served Indictments Under the PTA at the Colombo High Court on July 30th.’ »

By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene There is little doubt that the findings of United Nations Special Rapportuer on Countering Terrorism, Ben Emmerson on the sorry fate of Sri Lanka’s justice system, particularly in regard to the continuance of a ‘culture of impunity’ are significantly troubling. ‘A fate worse than death’ Reporting to the Human Rights Council …

Continue reading ‘Justice for Those Who Have Suffered In This Country Must Cross Ethnic and Racial Boundaries From Paruthithurai (Pt Pedro) in North to Devinuwara(Dondra) in South.’ »

By Javid Yusuf For a considerable period of time, the world associated Sri Lanka with tea. After the advent of Sirimavo Bandaranaike as the world’s first woman Prime Minister, Sri Lanka was identified with the Bandaranaike name. From 1996, when the country won the Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka has been synonymous with its achievements …

Continue reading ‘Urgent Need to Restore State of Cricket To Its Former Glory in Sri Lanka.’ »

A Kuwaiti woman bit a woman customs officer and assaulted four others at the Bandaranaike international airport Friday when she was prevented from smuggling in a pet dog without quarantine. The 32-year-old woman and her 29-year-old male partner went on the rampage attacking customs agents after they were told that their dog could not enter …

Continue reading ‘5 Customs Officers at Katunayake Airport Hospitalised Due to Attack By 32 Year old Kuwaiti Woman and her 29 Year Old Male Partner:Woman Customs Officer Was Bitten by Woman When she Discovered Pet Dog Being Smuggled Inside’ »

By S.Venkat Narayan Political leaders cutting across party lines made a beeline on Friday for the residence of Muthuvel Karunanidhi, the 94-year-old ailing patriarch of the Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Chennai, the party’s working chief and his son M.K. Stalin said his father’s condition is improving.

By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka “That is my inspiration, that Pakistan should have that kind of humanitarian state, where we take responsibility for our weaker classes. The weak are dying of hunger. I will try my best – all of my policies will be made to raise our weaker classes, for our labourers … for our poor …

Continue reading ‘The Stark Difference Between the Political Discourse of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Elect Imran Khan and Those of Sri Lanka’s Politicians and Aspirants to Political Leadership’ »

By the Avocado Collective Corruption is a luxury cruiser sailing exclusively outside Europe and non-Anglo waters, it seems, somehow finding safe harbour only in our parts of the world. So it’s no surprise the recent New York Times (NYT) article, ‘How China Got Sri Lanka to Cough up a Port,’ muddies four distinct issues: Mahinda …

Continue reading ‘Hambantota Port Project and Related Development Offers An Alternative to The Domination of Colombo and Its Mercantile Capitalist Elite.’ »

By Dimuthu Attanayake TNA Legislator M.A. Sumanthiran, recalls being 19 years old when communal violence rocked the capital city in July 1983. Packed off to Jaffna where the Government thought Tamil families residing in Colombo and other parts of the south would be safer, he recalls an arduous four-day journey in a small cargo ship, …

Continue reading ‘Tamil Parliamentarian M.A.Sumanthiran Recalls His Experiences In Colombo During the Anti -Tamil Violence of August 1977 and July 1983.’ »

By P.K.Balachandran Over the past year, as India kept making a bid to acquire the Mattala airport in South Sri Lanka, which is universally derided as the “World’s Emptiest Airport” with little or no traffic, many have wondered why New Delhi wants to buy into a failed enterprise with little or no perceivable prospect of …

Continue reading ‘What Does New Delhi Hope To Achieve By Acquiring the “World’s Emptiest Airport ” In Mattala?’ »

By Dr.Sudharshan Seneviratne (Text of Speech delivered by Sudharshan Seneviratne (Emeritus Professor. University of Peradeniya) at the 58th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Library Association. Colombo on June 29th 2018) Thank you for extending an invitation to share quality time with custodians of knowledge and information to our nation. It is also my …

Continue reading ‘Destruction of the Valuable Jaffna library by State Sponsored Goon Squads in 1981 Liquidated the Heart of Knowledge, Identity and Culture of a People.’ »

By Jayatilleke de Silva Last week was one of hope and despair. Hope because a group of academics came out boldly in defence of the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) who was unjustly accused of being “an agent of the Tamil Diaspora”, “an LTTE agent” and ‘a traitor”. Despair was …

Continue reading ‘Praiseworthy Response of Civil Society Towards Unjust Accusation Against Human Rights Commission Chair Dr.Deepika Udagama by Rear Admiral(Retd) Sarath Weerasekera.’ »

By Dr.Nirmala Chandrahasan The speech by the former State Minister of Children’s Affairs Vijayakala Maheswaran has been magnified in the media as a call by her for the return of an LTTE administration to maintain law and order and secure the safety of women in the North. I have used the term outburst because the …

Continue reading ‘Vijayakala’s Nostalgic Outburst About the LTTE and Current Reality in the North and East’ »

By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Sri Lanka won the cricket World Cup once, but never again. We started down the slippery slope almost the morning after we had reached the zenith of achievement. That was because we dismantled the winning combination which included Ana Punchihewa and Davnell Whatmore. The most crucial mistake we made was in the …

Continue reading ‘Why the “Vice -Captain” Dinesh Gunawardena Should Be Given the “Captaincy” of Being Nominated as the Common Opposition Candidate at the Next Presidential Election.’ »

By Namini Wijedasa The Human Rights Commission’s (HRC) Chair Deepika Udagama this week denounced what she said were sinister efforts to interfere with the work of her institution and to bully it into adopting specific positions. In recent weeks, the HRC–and, in particular, its Chair–was targeted by nationalist politicians. The attacks were so inflammatory that …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission Head Dr.Deepika Udagama Welcomes Constructive Criticism But Strongly Condemns Attempt to De-legitimze SLHRC Through The Prism of Ethnic Politics and Patriotism.’ »

By Mark Townsend The UN has been sending alleged war criminals to act as peacekeepers in conflict zones, a confidential report claims. The document, seen by the Observer, and sent to the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations last month, claims that senior Sri Lankan officers accused of war crimes have been deployed to UN operations …

Continue reading ‘41 Page Confidential Report Compiled by South Africa Based International Truth and Justice Project Claims UN has Deployed Alleged War Criminals from Sri Lanka as Peace Keepers.’ »

By M.A. Sumanthiran (This article is an excerpt of a keynote speech on April 3, 2018 at the Research Congress, Inaugural session of the Post Graduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Peradeniya) The topic given to me is about constitutional reforms and the constitution making exercise from a Northern perspective, and looking …

Continue reading ‘Constitutional Reforms and the Constitution Making Exercise From a Northern Perspective.’ »

Sri Lanka is firm on executing convicted drug dealers, and will brook no opposition President Maithripala Sirisena said as civil liberties groups and several European countries warned against resuming hangings. The work on resuming the death penalty will go ahead whatever the opposition there is, a statement from President’s office quoted him as saying. A …

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Determined to Go Ahead With His “Hang ’em High” Plans Despite National and International Opposition to Re-imposing Capital Punishment.’ »

By Ajita Kadirgamar Cities are home to all citizens — men, women, children, the elderly and the differently- abled. This past week I attended a presentation and panel discussion on ‘Women-Friendly Cities Challenge’ hosted by the National Chamber of Commerce and World University Service Canada (WUSC) with support from the newly- formed non-profit Stand By …

Continue reading ‘Can The Cities In Sri Lanka Be Regarded as “Women -Friendly” Cities?’ »

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana UNESCO has warned that it will remove the world heritage status given to Sinharaja, Dambulla and Galle Fort if they are not preserved properly, National Heritage Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told Parliament. The minister made this statement during a heated argument on the proposed demolition of the Mahinda Rajapaksa pavilion …

Continue reading ‘UNESCO Warns Sri Lanka That World Heritage Site Status Given to Dambulla Cave Temple,Siharaja Rain Forest and Galle Fort Precincts Will Be Abolished if They are not Preserved Properly.’ »

By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene The fact that the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) had accepted sponsorship from tainted primary dealer Perpetual Treasuries for the holding of the 2016 Law Asia conference led to incredulous responses in some quarters when this fact was initially disclosed some weeks ago. Before long however and in the nature …

Continue reading ‘Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Showed Lack of Good Judgement By Accepting Sponsorship Funds From Tainted Perpetual Treasuries Ltd To Hold 2016 Law Asia Conference’ »

By Namini Wijedasa A year-long effort by the Airline Pilots Guild of Sri Lanka (APGSL) to secure details of salaries, allowances and other benefits of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Head of Human Resources and the Chief Commercial Officer of SriLankan has borne fruit, with the details being released to the Right to Information …

Continue reading ‘Information Obtained Throught RTI Petition Shows Sri Lankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Suren Ratwatte Was Getting 3.27 Million Rupees Monthly Salary With Benefits Like Vehicle With Driver,Fuel Costs and Club Membership etc’ »

By M.A.Sumanthiran (Text of Speech by M A Sumanthiran, MP in Parliament on 20th July 2018 in Response to recent allegations made regarding Experts Panel Report of Constitutional Assembly Steering Committee) I have obtained permission to make a personal explanation in view of certain statements made in this House yesterday while I was not here, …

Continue reading ‘“Story Being Spread That Suren Fernando, Dr.Jayampathy Wickramaratne and I Drafted the Expert Panel Constitution Draft Document is Entirely False” – M. A. Sumanthiran MP’ »

By Lucien Rajakarunanayake There were no Members of Parliament from the Medamulana Raja Pavula when the New York Times report of China funding the last Mahinda Rajapaksa presidential poll was debated in Parliament this week. The quorum bell had a weird and crooked ring when it failed to gather enough members to continue the debate …

Continue reading ‘Does “No Quorum” For China Funding Nahinda Election Campaign Issue Debate in Parliament Indicate That MPs on Both Sides of the House are not Interested in Clean Government and Politics?’ »

(Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, who has been nominated as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Russia, participated as a panelist at the international conference on “21st Century, Towards the New Humanism” on 23rd January 2012 at the Russian Centre for Science and Culture.Dr. Jayatilleka’s speech was delivered during the first session chaired by Mr. Hans d’Orville (Assistant Director-General …

Continue reading ‘“The Search For a Humanistic Worldview is Not Only Some Ideal Exercise But a Very Practical Answer To The Global Crisis Of Today” – Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka’ »

A Sri Lankan deported by Australia even though his partner had refugee status there was charged upon his return with illegally leaving his home country. Thileepan Gnaneswaran, who was separated from his wife and 11-month-old daughter, arrived in Colombo Tuesday along with another 17 who had also their asylum applications rejected by Australia. “They were …

Continue reading ‘18 Sri Lankan Asylum Seekers Deported From Australia Were Arested Upon Arrival, Produced in Courts For Leaving the Country Illegally and Released on Bail.’ »

By P.K.Balachandran Sri Lanka’s Tamil leaders are pulling in different directions on crucial issues of common concern to the Tamils of the island. The Chief Minister of the Tamil majority Northern Province, C.V.Wigneswaran, is stubbornly adhering to his position that a political solution of the Tamil question should precede economic development. Giving priority to economic …

Continue reading ‘TNA Leader Sampanthan Remains “Silent” While Northern Chief Minister Wigneswaran Continues With Controversial Utterances and Action.’ »

Debunking what seems to be fake news circulating in social media, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had not issued any statement on the Joint Opposition’s Presidential candidate for 2020.

Amidst continuing controversy over the proposed implementation of capital punishment to curb the narcotic trade, the Catholic Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has said that the resumption of judicial execution should be the last option, if at all. The Sri Lankan Church Leader said that the Holy Father Pope Francis has not accepted the …

Continue reading ‘Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith Issues Clarification Stating That His Sinhala Newspaper Interview About Capital Punishment Had Been Mistranslated in English and That He Like Pope Francis Opposes The Death Penalty’ »

A Democratic Unionist MP in the UK is facing calls to quit after a watchdog recommended his suspension from the House of Commons for failing to register two family holidays funded by the Sri Lankan government. Ian Paisley had already apologised for what he said was his “unintentional failure” to register the hospitality, which he …

Continue reading ‘British MP Ian Paisley who Received Two Family Holidays Funded by Sri Lanka Under Pressure to do the “Honourable Thing” and Resign from Parliament.’ »

(Text of a Press Release issued by the Media office of the Tamil National Alliance) The Visiting Belgium-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group met with the Leader of the Opposition and the Tamil National Alliance today at the office of the Leader of the opposition in parliament. Briefing the delegation MrSampanthan highlighted that the present Sri …

Continue reading ‘Opposition Leader R.Sampanthan Tells Visiting Belgian Delegation that a New Constitution Must be Adopted if Country is to Move Forward in Every Aspect.’ »

A British legislator faced suspension Wednesday for failing to disclose free luxury holidays he and his family received from the then government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in exchange for backing Colombo at the human rights council. Ian Paisley Jr of the Democratic Unionist Party was suspended from 30 sittings of the House of Commons, or …

Continue reading ‘Democratic Unionist Party MP Ian Paisley Jr Suspended for 30 Sittings of British House of Commons Due to Receiving Luxury Holiday Trip From Rajapaksa Regime in Exchange for Support at UN Human rights Council.’ »

By S .S. Selvanayagam The Court of Appeal yesterday reserved for 8 August its judgment on the alleged offence of Contempt of Court against Ven. Gnanasara Thero. The Bench comprised Justices P. Padman Surasena (President/CA) and Arjuna Obeysekera. Senior Counsel Manohara de Silva with Anusha Perusinghe appeared for Ven. Gnanasara Thero. Deputy Solicitor General Rohantha …

Continue reading ‘Court of Appeal Reserves Judgement for August 8th in Contempt of Court Case Concerning Bodu Bala Sena Gen – Secy Ven.Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero’ »

(Text of a media releae issued on behalf of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa by his media secretary Rohan Welivita on July 18th 2018 under the heading “Alert regarding false Media Release”) It has come to our notice that a forged document purporting to be a media release issued by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been …

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Has not Yet Officially Selected Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as Presidential Candidate of the Sri Lanka Podujana Party States Ex-President’s Media Secretary’ »

By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka The recent ‘Friday Forum’ statement signed by distinguished scholars and retired civil servants, condemns “…a personal attack by retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara on Dr. Deepika Udagama, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL)…Weerasekara denounced Dr. Udagama as an LTTE supporter and a traitor to this country, with the …

Continue reading ‘In a Future Fascistic Dispensation Cabinet Will Be Dominated by Ultra- Nationalist Ex-Military Officers While Civilian Democratic Politicians Including Mahinda Rajapaksa Will be Reduced To Figureheads and Hostages’ »

Sri Lanka’s police Tuesday arrested a man for sharing a bottle of beer with his one-year-old son and detained three others for filming what police consider to be cruelty to a child and releasing it on Facebook. Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said police carried out investigations following the viral video made at the village of Meehalewa …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Police Arrest Father who Shared a Bottle of Beer with his One Year old Son along with Three Others who Filmed and Posted the “Feeding” on Face Book.’ »

by Cyril Wimalasurendre The Anglican Church of Ceylon has taken exception to the government’s decision to resume judicial executions of repeat drug offenders. A joint statement issued by the Bishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Dhiloraj Canagasabey and the Bishop of Kurnegala Rt. Rev. Keerthi Fernando says, ‘The Church of Ceylon (Anglican Church) cannot, in any …

Continue reading ‘Anglican Bishops of Colombo and Kurunegala Disagree with Govt Decision to Resume Judicial Executions of Drug Dealers While Pointing out that “Sprats” and Not “Sharks” in Drug Trade are Getting caught’ »

By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Dr. Deepika Udagama’s father, Dr. Premadasa Udagama, and my uncle, Prof Ebert Fernando, were not only neighbors but much more importantly, the core members of the pro-SLFP, pro-Left caucus of academics at Peradeniya in the run-up to the 1970s elections. Dr. Udagama, an educationist, became the Secretary to the Ministry of Education …

Continue reading ‘“Sinhala Fascism Cannot be Defeated by Frontally Opposing Sinhala Buddhism or Sinhala nationalism.Sinhala Buddhist– nationalism Must be Internally Reworked to Fairly and Justly Accommodate Pluralism”’ »

Thirty-seven civil society organisations and 170 individuals yesterday released a statement condemning the threats against Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Chairperson Dr. Deepika Udagama. Given below is the full statement: We are appalled at statements akin to death threats, violence and hate speech against the Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka …

Continue reading ‘37 Organizations and 170 Individuals Issue Statement Condemning Rear Admiral(Retd) Sarath Weerasekera’s “hate Speech”against Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission Head Dr.Deepika Udagama.’ »

(Text of a press release issued by Finance and Media minister Mangala Samaraweera) In response to a question on the restoration of Capital Punishment for drug dealers at a press conference last week, while reiterating my opposition to Capital Punishment, I said that certain individuals connected to the drug trade try to cover their sins …

Continue reading ‘Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera Expresses Regret and Apologizes for Inadvertent References to Members of Lions and Rotary and Religious Organizations in Making Comments About Drug Dealers.’ »

By Ajita Kadirgamar Long before the advent of the internet, social media and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn, Sri Lankans were masters of the networking game. Networking, whether social or professional is basically, ‘the exchange of information and ideas among individuals or groups that share a common interest’. It has evolved into an art, …

Continue reading ‘My Father Lakshman Kadirgamar Was Possibly One of The Most Prolific Networkers in Sri Lankan History.’ »

By Gangani Weerakoon President Maithripala Sirisena, last week, said that he would sign required orders to execute capital punishment for convicted drug traffickers who carry out large scale drug smuggling operations while in detention. The President’s office quoted the President as saying that although there are certain opinions regarding capital punishment in a Buddhist society, …

Continue reading ‘Can President Sirisena Actually Implement Capital Punishment Even Though He Announces That He wants To Do So?’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka’s prison authorities will soon call for applications to fill a long-time vacancy — they need two hangmen. The requirement arose after President Maithripala Sirisena recently said he might sign orders on the execution of convicted drug peddlers currently in prison. Though Sri Lankan courts continue to impose the death penalty …

Continue reading ‘After Decades of Conflict An Already Brutalised Society Would be Further Brutalised by the Grisly Spectacle of Individuals Being Intentionally Killed by the State,’ »

By Sharmini Serasinghe President, Maithripala Sirisena dropped a bombshell out of the blues last week, sans all ‘maître’ (loving-kindness) when he launched a coup de mainon drug offenders. He threatened to use his powers to place his signature to execute the death sentence on those sentenced for drug offenses. Drug trafficking carries the death penalty …

Continue reading ‘Capital Punishment:What Moral-Right Has Any Man to Decide if Another Should Live or Die!’ »

By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya While much ink has already been spilled over The New York Times’ recent piece on Chinese bribes allegedly given to the Rajapaksa camp ahead of the 2015 presidential election, some interesting questions remain to be addressed. Setting aside, for now, the report’s inaccuracies (such as describing the Port City project as a …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Politicians of all Parties Seem Content to Continue with the Present Unregulated System of Election Campaign Financing’ »

by C.A.Chandraprema Last Thursday, the Professionals’ National Front (PNF) which brings together professionals from the medical, engineering, banking, IT, architectural, and many other spheres held a seminar to a packed audience at the Sri Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi Mandiraya in Thunmulla on the SL-Singapore Free Trade Agreement ahead of the debate in parliament on the same matter …

Continue reading ‘Professionals National Front(PNF)Strongly Criticises National Trade Policy Formulated by Malik Samarawickrema and the Sri Lanka -Singapore Free Trade Agreement.’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed — and thus clamorous to be led to safety — by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” H.L. Mencken (In Defence of Women). Julampitiye Amare is now a forgotten man. Not so just six …

Continue reading ‘Why Dont Those Who Advocate The Return of the Rajapaksas As The Only Solution Check Their facts First?’ »

Sri Lanka’s top drug dealers are not languishing in jails, but holding high posts in social services organisations such as Lions, Rotary and some Buddhist charities, Finance minister Mangala Samaraweera said. The outspoken minister noted corruption involving law enforcement as well as the criminal justice system and said what was needed was better enforcement of …

Continue reading ‘“The Big Drug Businessmen of Sri Lanka are in Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs and Buddhist Organizations.They are the ones who Should be Arrested”Says Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera.’ »

(Excerpted From the “Sunday Times” Political Column) The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has started investigations into allegations in The New York Times report that China’s state owned China Harbour Engineering Company paid at least US$ 7.6 million from its account at the Standard Chartered Bank to affiliates of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidential election campaign. The focus, …

Continue reading ‘CID Commences Investigation Into “New York Times” Allegation Chinese Company Paying US 4 7.6 Million Through Standard Chartered Bank To Mahinda rajapaksa’s Election campaign’ »

By Kishali Pinto Jayewardene Curiously, each time that Sri Lanka announces that it would put an end to the country’s more than thirty years moratorium on implementation of the death penalty, an immediate practical problem surfaces for the administration of Colombo’s Welikada Prisons. The grisly realities of the job This is the insuperable difficulty of …

Continue reading ‘Links of Politicians to the Drug Mafia and Underworld is an Accepted Fact’ »

By THE FRIDAY FORUM The recent public statements by Rev Vendaruwe Upali Thero, Anunayake of the Asgiriya Chapter at a celebration of Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s birthday, Ms Vijayakala Maheswaran, former State minister at a public meeting in Jaffna, and a personal attack by retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara on Dr Deepika Udagama, Chairperson of the …

Continue reading ‘From “Eliya” (Light) to “Andura” (Darkness) and on to a “Vipath Maga”(Road to Disaster)’ »

By Lucien Rajakarunanayake There are new employment opportunities opening in the country – for hangmen. The prison authorities are already calling for applications for two hangmen. Why stop at two? There are so many persons involved in drug trafficking in our prisons, engaged in a fruitful business from within those walls. Why not many more …

Continue reading ‘Is Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith Going Against Pope Francis By Supporting President Sirisena’s Proposal to Re-introduce the Death Penalty?’ »

By Austin Fernando Born on 12th June 1942, having had my primary education at Hikkaduwa Sinhala School, post-primary education at Richmond College, Galle, I was admitted to University of Ceylon, Peradeniya in July 1960. As a young graduate I entered the teaching profession in May 1963 and joined the Ceylon Administrative Service (CAS) in October …

Continue reading ‘“Therefore, if I could not adjust myself to politics because I am not a politician and inconvenienced him (President Sirisena) I regret”- Ex-Presidential Secretary Austin Fernando’ »

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday issued an order directing the Department of Official Languages to provide the Sinhala and Tamil transcripts of the video footage pertaining to the alleged offensive statement made by former State Minister Vijayakala Maheshwaran regarding the resurgence of the LTTE at a public gathering held in Jaffna. …

Continue reading ‘Colombo Chief Magistrate Directs Official Languages Dept to Provide Sinhala and Tamil Transcripts of Ex-State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran’s Controversial LTTE Resurgence Speech Video Footage.’ »

By Charumini de Silva * Dismisses allegations made by former President and Finance Minister on fuel pricing formula and Govt. revenue *Reiterates economy progressive and despite latest revision fuel prices still lower than MR era *Recalls how Rajapaksa exercised executive powers to disregard SC ruling for lowering fuel prices *Challenges MR to a public debate …

Continue reading ‘Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera Launches Scathing Attack on Ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa For Misleading the Public on Fuel Price Rise Without Acknowledging all the Facts.’ »

Colombo International Container Terminals Limited (CICT), in a statement issued yesterday said that Rs.19,410,000/- (equivalent to US$150,000) had been donated in 2012 to the Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation, in good faith, for the construction of houses for the less privileged. The statement was issued in the wake of New York Times allegations that President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s …

Continue reading ‘Colombo International Container Terminal Ltd Says It Donated US $150,000 Dollars In Good Faith to the Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation To Construct Houses for the Less Privileged’ »

(Text of Press release issued by Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa under the heading “Fleecing the public through fuel price manipulation”) Fuel prices have been increased yet again within a period of about eight weeks – a situation we have never experienced earlier. Now the price of petrol is Rs. 145 and diesel Rs. 118 while …

Continue reading ‘Ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa Says His Govt Sold Petrol in 2008 at Rs 120 and Diesel at Rs 70 When World Price was US $97 per Barrel but Present Govt Selling Petrol at 145 Rs &Diesel at 118 Rs Even Though World Price had Dropped to US$74 Per Barrel.’ »

The Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Tamil majority Northern Province, C.V.Wigneswaran, has opted out of the Presidential Task Force on economic development of the Tamil-speaking Northern and Eastern Provinces, saying that the Tamils need a political solution for their long-standing problems before they embark on economic development. In a letter to Sri Lankan President Maithripala …

Continue reading ‘Northern Chief Minister Wigneswaran Opts Out of Presidential Task Force on North -Eastern Economic Development saying Political Solution is Necessary Before Economic Development.’ »

By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara writes that “After the 2015 Presidential elections, for reasons better known to DJ, he approached GR and joined Viyath Maga.” That’s a blatant lie. As Dullas Alahapperuma and Matale mayor Mohammed Hilmy will attest, “After the 2015 presidential election” I met ex-President Rajapaksa at Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa’s residence …

Continue reading ‘“Rear Admiral Weerasekara is Not Merely a Sinhala Buddhist Ultra-nationalist.He and His Co-thinkers Are Quite Simply, Dangerous Fascists” – Dayan Jayatilleka’ »

by Rear Admiral (Retd) Dr Sarath Weerasekera VSV RWP USP There was a swollen headed Brahmin called “Akkosha Bharadvaja” who, after studying a few Vedic stanzas and theories, thought that he was the only brilliant intellect in the country. This man, festered with venom and ill will, once unleashed his wrath on the Buddha. Buddha …

Continue reading ‘“The Very Fact That People Like Dayan Jayatilleka Are Living in Luxury in Colombo Without Any Fear, is Ample Evidence That There Are No Sinhala Buddhist Extremists In This Country”-Sarath Weerasekera’ »

By Sasanka Perera Reading Ms Vijayakala Maheswaran’s statement at a public meeting in Jaffna on 2nd July 2018 reminded me of two popular aphorisms on history and the past. They deal with humanity’s propensity to not learn from the past. In the first of these, Margaret MacMillan observes, “we can learn from history, but we …

Continue reading ‘Reactions To Vijayakala Maheswaran Show That Even to Make Absurd and Outlandish Political Statements and to Get Away With Them, One’s Ethnicity Truly Matters.’ »

By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka ‘Every Picture Tells a Story’ was the title of the best Rod Stewart album! The landmark Viyath Maga event at the Shangri-La Hotel opened with the image in the very first slide, which showed Gotabaya Rajapaksa with only one other person in the frame, leaning over the shoulder of the seated GR. …

Continue reading ‘If Notorious Hawk Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara (retd) Were in the US Military His Washington Nickname Would Probably Be “Mad Dog”.’ »

By Prof. Carlo Fonseka In 1989, the year in which the events portrayed in this film took place in Sri Lanka, the country became literally the bloodiest place on earth. Its estimated murder rate was over 100 per 100,000 of its population. The rage for murder was generated and fueled by several interrelated conflicts. There …

Continue reading ‘Most Significant Aspect of Sanjeewa Pushpakumara’s “Burning Birds” Film is the Director’s Fearless Depiction of State-sponsored Violence Which Prevailed in our Country’ »

By Ranga Jayasuriya State Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs, Vijayakala Maheswaran has called for the resurrection of the LTTE to give dignity and order to Tamils. “All of you know how our people lived before 2009-05-19. When comparing with today’s situation, it seems the LTTE should be revived. If our children and women are …

Continue reading ‘State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran’s LTTE Speech Has Generated Two Contrasting Reactions’ »