By Maleeha Hamid Siddiqui IT is 8am on Saturday and I am outside Carlton House, the forest-green-coloured residence of Mahinda Rajapaksa, former president of Sri Lanka. It is a modest structure and on a low roof perches a medium-sized board carrying a picture of him beaming. He has been residing in his hometown Tangalle after …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA A man or woman must have the courage of his or her convictions. If you do something, do so because you think it is right. If you oppose something, do so because you think it is wrong. If you’ve done something because you think it is right, say so, defend your …
(Text of Statement made by Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera at the High-level Segment of the 28th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 2 March 2015) Mr. President High Commissioner for Human Rights/ Madam Deputy High Commissioner Excellencies Distinguished Delegates Ladies and Gentlemen It is an honour for …
(Text of Media Release Issued on February 27th 2015 about Distorted Accounts Published by the Northern Provincial Council ) Northern Provincial Council Financial Statement as at 31st December 2014 published in the NPC website is a distorted accounts. The Leader of Opposition pointed it out during the question time in the council on 24th February …
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan The most outspoken Bishop in Sri Lanka, Dr Rayappu Joseph of Mannar says a purely domestic inquiry will not be perceived by Tamils as impartial, at least at this stage. Also, what should be done now as first step is to cooperate with the UN investigation and discuss next steps after …
By Malinda Seneviratne Ranil Wickramasinghe is the Prime Minister of this country. He is Prime Minister today because he helped Maithripala Sirisena become President of this country. If he enjoys any power today it is simply because the President has unofficially conferred to him much of the decision-making powers vested in his office by the …
(Text of Second Resolution passed by the Central Working Committee of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) on 1st March 2015 in Vavuniya) Resolution 2 The Central Working Committee of the ITAK continues to observe the unwarranted and unacceptable steps being taken against its Senior Leader R. Sampanthan and Deputy General Secretary for International Affairs …
Text of First Resolution passed by the Central Working Committee of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) on 1st March 2015 in Vavuniya. Resolution 1 On this 1st of March 2015, the Central Working Committee of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi considering the changed political environment prevailing after regime change in Sri Lanka, resolves to …
By The “Sunday Times”Political Editor The Government this week crossed the half way mark of its hundred-day programme to fulfil promises made to the people during the campaign for the January 8 presidential election. Ironically that milestone has arrived with some election assurances remaining unfulfilled and was to take a turn for the worse on …
By Nirmala Kannangara When thousands of peasants struggle to find a proper meal to their children due to the high cost of living, millions of rupees of public money had allegedly been ‘wasted’ monthly by the former regime on 38 Presidential Advisers. The Sunday Leader learns that out of the 38 Presidential Advisers, 20 were …
By Don Manu All women tend to lie about their age. But not all women get landed in the slammer for it. Sashi’s – or is it Shehasa’s or is it Shirja’s’s — alleged mistake was to have falsified her name and age on documents tendered to obtain a diplomatic passport, an offence which carries …
By Nirmala Kannangara The new Government which came to power after the Presidential elections held last month has further exposed the forceful taking over of land in Panama when the former Government was in power. The Sunday Leader had in 2013 exposed how the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and the …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene A most discomfiting sight witnessed in Sri Lanka post the January 2015 ‘yahapalanaya’ elections was this week’s less than coherent public haranguing of the country’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) and his officers by the new Government’s Public Security Minister John Amaratunga. Lack of political will manifested The general theme appeared …
By Malinda Seneviratne Spokesperson for the Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA), staunch supporter of the Maithripala regime and shrill advocate of good governance Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri posed a question to certain individuals on Facebook. He wants to know what they think are the political meanings of a political force Wimal Wererawansa, Dayan Jayatilleka and …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA MANGALA’S TRIDENT: INSTRUMENTS OF INQUISITION INTO SRI LANKA Does President Sirisena know what Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera is up to or has he been kept in the dark, which isn’t a safe place to be, depending on the company? Does the Parliament or do Mr. Samaraweera’s Cabinet colleagues know what he …
After months of anticipation the first leg of the Girl Power Inter School Old Girls Sportsmeet flags off on March 1st at Independence Square, when ‘Old Girls’ from Holy Family Convent, Ladies’, Methodist, Musaeus Colleges, St Paul’s Milagiriya and Visakha Vidyalaya compete in the first-ever Girl Power Inter School Cycle Race. This is an open …
By S. V. Kirubaharan The Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Mangala Samaraweera, is scheduled to speak on the opening day of the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council – UN HRC, in Geneva, on 02 March 2015. With my experience of Sri Lanka and the UN Human Rights forums, I predict that the …
By Dharisha Bastians In 2009, some months after the war ended, media personnel were offered military tours of Velupillai Prabhakaran’s ‘luxury’ bunker and swimming pool deep inside his hideout in Mullaitivu by the defeated regime. Subsequently, the bunker was turned into a special exhibit on the ‘war tourism’ trail, for first time visitors from the …
By Dharisha Bastians Hardline sections of the TNA are breathing fire against the new Prime Minister for the Government delays in releasing lands seized by the military in war time back to its original owners in the North and East. The two major regions being contested are Valikamam North in the Jaffna District and Sampur …
Continue reading ‘“Dont Shout at me. I Understand Your Issues” -Ranil Tells TNA in Stormy Meeting’ »
By Udhav Naig Name: Kaaki Sattai Director: R.S. Durai Senthilkumar Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Sri Divya, Vijay Raaz Producer: Wunderbar Films Music: Anirudh Ravichander Actor Sivakarthikeyan seems to have decided that it is time to tool up and fast track the process of his anointment as a star. The actor’s latest, Kaaki Sattai, is a star vehicle, …
Popular Tamil director R.C Sakthi, who launched Kamal Haasan in a lead role, breathed his last at a private hospital in Chennai on Monday. He was 75. “Director Sakthi passed away at SRM hospital due to old age—related ailments,” a source close to the director’s family told IANS. Sakthi started his career as a theatre …
By Meera Srinivasan Signalling a departure from its recent decision to be lenient with Indian fishermen allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters, the Sri Lankan Navy on Thursday night arrested 86 Indian fishermen off Mullativu in the island’s Northern Province. Ten trawlers in their possession were seized. After the Maithripala Sirisena-led Government assumed charge in …
By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena and Venkatesh Nayak Introduction In giving necessary context to Sri Lanka’s draft Right to Information (RTI) law disseminated by the current Government in order to obtain feedback from citizens, a few matters need to be clarified. In substantial respects, this draft is the 2003/2004 Bill of the United National Front (UNF) administration. …
It is 27 February; the new Government has clocked 50 days of power and it is opportune to review its performance during this period. If one is to go by the rumblings and the ramblings in Colombo, there is increasing disillusionment with the UNP-dominated new Government. The previous Government, try as they did, was unsuccessful …
(Text of an Editorial Appearing in “The Island”of February 27th 2015 Under the heading “Pursuing the hare”) National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa’s wife Sashi has been further remanded over an allegedly forged birth certificate. Wimal has also been summoned to the CID and questioned over an alleged incident of unlawful assembly. If the Weerawansas …
By Harim Peiris The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) dominated and led United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) met its political Waterloo, about two months back when Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated in the presidential elections by Maithripala Sirisena from the UNP led National Democratic Front. That stark reality that they lost the presidential election has obviously …
The Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) strongly condemns the burning of effigies and images of TNA leaders, Mr. Sampanthan and Mr. Sumanthiran. We believe these acts are aimed at weakening the democratically elected leadership of Tamil people in Sri Lanka and thereby silencing the democratic wishes of Tamil people. In the last presidential elections, the Tamil …
The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) welcomes the appointment of a Coordinator for Charismatic, Evangelical and Pentecostal Christian Churches by Hon. John Amaratunga, Minister of Public Order, Disaster Management & Christian Affairs. Established in 1952, NCEASL represents a constituency of traditional and non-traditional Evangelical churches that has been present in the country …
By Dharisha Bastians A crisis, precipitated by shadowy forces, may in fact have hastened the reshuffle in the military establishment this past week, and the appointment of the new Army Commander. The new Government has been aware for several weeks now that sections of the military remain fiercely loyal to former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA Chief Minister Wigneswaran attempted to explain away the Northern Provincial Council’s ‘Genocide’ Resolution by saying it was not directed against the present administration but rather against its predecessor. He was not telling the truth, to put it mildly. The Resolution has a specific target and that target is unveiled in the …
By Dharisha Bastians In anticipation of a parliamentary election in just over two months, hardliners on both sides of the ethnic divide are moving in for the kill, threatening to derail a fragile process of reconciliation the new Government has pledged to undertake and bring back an autocratic leader ousted in January. The 20,000 strong …
By B. Kolappan Veteran cinematographer A. Vincent, who teamed up with late film director C.V. Sridhar in his masterpieces such as Kalyanaparisu, Sumai Thangi, Nenjil Or Aalyam, Then Nilavu and Kathalikka Neramillai died here on Wednesday. He is survived by his wife, two cinematographer sons-Jayanan Vincent and Ajayan Vincent-and a daughter. Vincent, born in Calicut, …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Bishop of Mannar Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph on Tuesday (Feb 24) joined a Tamil National Alliance (TNA)-led demonstration in Jaffna against the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) delaying the release of a report that dealt with accountability issues in Sri Lanka during the war as well as post-conflict period. Addressing …
By Lakna Paranamanna The State Minister for Higher Education Professor Rajiva Wijesinha maintains that the promises made during the presidential campaign period have taken a backseat with the general elections in the offing. At an interview with the Dailymirror Prof. Wijesinha was candid on the reasons that led to his resignation, on the reforms he …
By Ruki Fernando This month, the UN Human Rights Council announced it would defer publication of a major report that investigates allegations of serious human rights violations and related crimes during the last years of Sri Lanka’s civil war. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, whose office had been entrusted with the task, had …
By Upul Joseph Fernando The media reported on Monday that former Maldivian President Abdul Nasheed was arrested on terrorism charges. The fate of Nasheed is a lesson for Maithri and Ranil who leads the present government. Today, the President of Maldives is Abdullah Yameen, half brother of former President Abdul Gayoom who ruled Maldives for …
By Zahrah Imtiaz Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (23) morning made an offering of a six-inch gold trident to the Kataragama Maha Devalaya. Folklore states that King Dutugemunu too, made such an offering before he set out to war. Thus, rumours are afloat that this might be an indication of the former Head of State …
By Ishara Ratnakara The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) yesterday expressed willingness to withdraw the case filed against former Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, for not having disclosed her assets, but the Chief Justice’s party did not agree to that. When the case against the former Chief Justice was taken up …
By Dasun Edirisinghe UPFA Provincial Councillors and local government members in the Western Province have launched a campaign demanding former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Ministerial Candidate and an immediate end to moves to remove Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga. Their first meeting was held at the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha Auditorium on Monday with the …
By S Venkat Narayan NEW DELHI, February 24: Fan frenzy reached its peak at some places in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday as AIADMK supremo filmstar-turned-politician Jayaram Jayalalithaa turned 67. Many AIADMK supporters pierced themselves with spears and hooks as penance for ‘Amma’ (mother) to return to power. Partymen also organized a number of welfare activities …
Leader of the Frontline Socialist Party Kumar Gunaratnam yesterday said that incumbent government’s political duplicity had become evident in its moves to deport him while calling upon those who had fled the country for political reasons to return home. In a press release issued yesterday, Gunaratnam says the higher echelons of government had repeatedly called …
By N Sathiya Moorthy Maldives is at it again. With the return of the political tug-of-war between the Government and the Opposition threatening to peak, the police arrested former President Mohammed Nasheed on Sunday in connection with the long-pending ‘Judge Abdulla arrest case’ and ended up ‘manhandling’ him outside the court hall a day later, …
By Lalith Abeysinghe I was a final year student in the Faculty of Arts of the University of Peradeniya in 1978. Politically it was a tough and a crucial time with regard to the fate of the working class and the disadvantageous groups in particular and to the future of the country in general. Mr. …
by S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole The burning in Jaffna by a group including TNA representatives of an effigy of M. A. Sumanthiran, TNA MP, induces déjà vu in me. Mr. R. Sampanthan the TNA leader and Mr. Sumanthiran took a bold step in attending the recent Independence Day celebrations, the first time the Tamil leadership …
By A.G. NOORANI ONE hopes that Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena’s visit to India on February 15 will truly mark a turning point in the relations between the two countries. To accomplish that, India’s outlook and approach will have to change in fundamental respects. India has legitimate security interests in the region and legitimate concerns …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Messrs Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Dinesh Gunawardena and Udaya Gammanpila who cannot win at the next Parliamentary Elections without contesting on the SLFP-UPFA ticket, want Mahinda Rajapaksa to make a political comeback –in order to save their own political future and not so much the future of the country. For that purpose, …
By Eric Meyer One year ago, Chinese Third World diplomacy was widely seen as being in crisis. Throughout Africa, Latin America and Asia, a growing number of emerging countries were expressing reluctance to be involved in relations with the Middle Kingdom based on its exploitation of their mineral resource riches. This sense of unease and …
BY Ishara Rathnakara Former Minister, Wimal Weerawansa’s wife, Shashee Weerawansa, who was arrested for providing false information and presenting forged documents to obtain passports, was banned from travelling abroad by Colombo Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya, yesterday (23). It is said that Shashee Weerawansa had obtained a diplomatic passport by providing false documents and CID had told …
BY Cassendra Doole and Rathindra Kuruwita Leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) Wimal Weerawansa was grilled by the CID yesterday (23) in connection with an alleged demonstration he led in 2011 in Kaduwela. He arrived at the CID around 9:30 a.m. with a group of lawyers. “Those who worked tirelessly towards freeing the country …
Hey poet, submissions for the Annasi & Kadalagotu Vol V are open until 15 March. Poets are encouraged to send in their most recent, previously unpublished work to publisher@kadalagotu.com. Annasi & Kadalagotu, coined by Capt Elmo Jayawardena, author of ‘Sam’s Story’ (Gratiaen Prize 2001) and co-founded by Imaad Majeed, is a small-press publishing house based …
Continue reading ‘Submissions from Poets Invited for Annasi & Kadalagotu Vol V’ »
By Zacki Jabbar recently in Jaffna Some members of the Tamil diaspora had come in their numbers with enough funds to invest in the North, following the end of the war, but the unprecedented red tape had resulted in them making a hasty retreat, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Yarlpanam (CCIY) said. Asked …
By Jayantha Samarkoon The Immigration and Emigration Department said today that they had been unable to locate Frontline Socialists Party (FSP) central committee member Premakumar Gunaratnam, whose tourist visa had expired on January 31.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law of Singapore, K. Shanmugam, who is on a two day visit to Sri Lanka from 23 to 24 February 2015, met with Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera today at the Foreign Ministry. The visit, marking the first high-level interaction of the Singapore Government with the new …
By Gardiner Harris COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Paintings at Temple Trees, this country’s White House, are still leaning against walls waiting to be hung, and the gated grounds are no longer teeming with guards and stewards who served the home’s previous occupant like supplicants at a royal court. But more than a month after taking …
By Amanda Hodge SRI Lanka’s new Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, claims the Australian government’s silence on alleged human rights abuses was the price it paid to secure co-operation from the former Rajapaksa government on stopping asylum-seeker boats. In an exclusive interview with The Australian, the veteran politician also said that Tony Abbott’s close relationship with …
By Shamindra Ferdinando The army has released 26,865 out of 34,561 acres of land held by five security forces commands in the Northern and Eastern Provinces since the conclusion of the war in May 2009 up to Dec. 2013. Land has been released in stages with the people living in area covered by Security Forces …
(Following is the text of an open letter sent by former Sri Lankan Police officer K.Krishnadasan to senior DIG of Police Edward Gunawardena about assertions made by the retired DIG about the burning of the Jaffna public library in a book written by him.Mr.Krishnadasan who claims to be an eyewitness to the burning questions Ex-DIG …
By Jake Coyle LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The long take of “Birdman” has stretched all the way to the Academy Awards, where the jazzy, surreal comedy about an actor fleeing his superhero past, took Hollywood’s top honour in a ceremony punctuated by passionate pleas for equality. On a stormy night in Hollywood, the 87th annual …
BY Joe Neumaier and Ethan Sacks With Nancy Dillon “Birdman” took home the top prize at Sunday’s 87th Annual Academy Awards, another feather in the cap in a big night night for the indie drama. The cinematic wet kiss to actors and their artistic demons took home four statuettes, besting presumed favorite “Boyhood,” a 12-years-in-the-making …
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has dared former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the next general election as the UPFA’s prime ministerial candidate. Addressing a meeting of UNP Puttalam District activists at Wennappuwa on Saturday, Wickremesinghe said he would reduce Rajapaksa’s votes to five million from 5.8 million if the latter entered the fray. Wickremesinghe said: …
By Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha I am deeply sorry that the Federation of University Teachers, in an otherwise very sensible statement regarding the current controversy over the Chairperson of the University Grants Commission, has misrepresented my position in the matter. It has claimed that ‘the misrepresentation of FUTA’s call for her resignation, as a form of …
By Harischandra Gunaratna Shashi Weerawansa, wife of former UPFA Minister and National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa was taken into custody by the CID at the Neville Fernando Hopsital, Malabe yesterday evening. The Police Media Unit said last night that she would be referred to a Judicial Medical Officer in Colombo prior to being produced …
By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya The UN Human Rights Council on Monday approved a recommendation by the High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’Ad Al Hussein to defer the publication of his report on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka till the Council’s 30th session in September instead of presenting it at the 28th session that starts …
By Ananth Palakidnar The Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran, defending the NPC’s genocide resolution as democratic and timely, emphasized on the need for the war victims to prepare themselves to gather more evidence in order to strengthen the OHCRC’s OISL report to be released in September this year. He also added that an …
By Udaya P. Gammanpila The Northern Provincial Council (NPC) passed a resolution on 10 February urging the United Nations to probe alleged genocide of Tamils committed by all successive governments of Sri Lanka in the post-independence history. It was presented by the Chief Minister (CM) Wigneswaran, himself. Two days later, the CM visited President Sirisena …
by By K. Ratnayake Sri Lanka’s presidential election on January 8 resulted in the ousting of Mahinda Rajapakse and the installation of Maithripala Sirisena as president. While the new government’s leaders and their pseudo-left backers claim this outcome was the result of an “uprising of the people” against Rajapakse’s autocratic rule, it was in reality …
by Zacki Jabbar The “Official SLFP” and not small organizations such as the one headed by Wimal Weerawansa would decide on who its prime ministerial candidate would be , a leading member of the party said yesterday. Cabinet Spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, who along with President Maithripala Sirisena now wield considerable influence in …
By K.Godage It was indeed a rude shock to learn that Asanga Abeygoonasekera, who was the Director at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, had been removed as he had been considered a ‘Political Appointee’, this brings up the question as to the matter of defining who a political appointee is; is it a person who has …
By Malinda Seneviratne The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is suffering from an identity crisis. The signs are all over the place. The SLFP has more Members of Parliament than any other party, and yet finds itself in the Opposition. The man who secured the support of a majority of voters is the leader of …
By Prasanna Sanjeewa Tennakone General Sarath Fonseka’s son-in-law Dhanuna Tilakaratne made newspaper headlines when a warrant was issued for his arrest in the wake of the arrest of his father-in-law who was also the former Army Commander soon after the 2010 Presidential poll. Police could not arrest him as he went underground. Five years later, …
By Don Manu If it came as a surprise that the Northern Chief Minister Vishvalingam Wigneswaran had helped write the now infamous genocide resolution, had presented it and had it passed by the Northern Provincial Council unanimously, resolving that the Sinhalese are a demon tribe of barbaric genocidal racists bent on exterminating the Tamil people …
By Niranjala Ariyawansha It has been reported to Ceylon Today that Chief Secretary of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Minister of Power and Energy Champika Ranawaka, is extremely displeased with the government as they are still following an inactive procedure by not taking legal action against those accused of corruption and fraud, which have been …
By C.A.Chandraprema The event last week which infused a new dynamic into the body politic was undoubtedly the Nugegoda rally organized by Dinesh, Vasu, Wimal andUdaya. If anybody thought it was not possible to stage Hamlet without the prince, they were proved wrong last Wednesday. The rally in Nugegoda organized by four small political parties …
By Rasika Jayakody “Is this President Sirisena’s government? If this government belongs to President Sirisena, how on earth do the SLFP supporters get hammered in villages? How do SLFP supporters lose their jobs? What we ask President Sirisena is to have his own government by having Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister. The SLFP cannot …
100 Day Work Programme After Maithripala Sirisena Becomes President – Detailed diary description January 2015 Saturday January 10 The new President, Maithripala Sirisena, will take his oath of office Sunday January 11 A Cabinet of not more than 25 members, including members of all political parties represented in Parliament, will be appointed with Leader of …
1 Resolution: Sri Lanka’s Genocide Against Tamils This resolution provides an overview of the evidence demonstrating successive Sri Lankan governments’ genocide against Tamils, and respectfully requests the ongoing United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) to investigate the claim of genocide and recommend appropriate investigations and prosecutions …
(Text of speech in Parliament on February 18th 2015 by Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera) Hon. Presiding Member, as you maybe aware, at the end of January, I was in Brussels, the home of the European Union. The objective of my visit was largely to revive positive relations and begin a new chapter in Sri …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake The days are ticking away, and the countdown of the 100 days that began on January 9, is gathering interest, especially among politicians who see opportunities in breasting the tape with success behind them, and many others who are keen to see a finish bereft of full achievement for the champions of …
By M. Devarajah and A. Shanthakumar President Maithripala Sirisena’s government is responsible for a blatant assault on basic democratic rights, with Sri Lankan police attacking plantation workers and youth who protested against the death in police custody of a young man near Hatton, in the central hills district. The police repression followed the death of …
By M. Devarajah and W.A. Sunil The pro-government National Union of Workers (NUW) sabotaged a determined strike of 600 plantation workers from the Glenuige Estate at Maskeliya in central Sri Lanka who were fighting against increasing their workloads. The workers are due to return to work. Workers from the Deeside plantation of the Glenuige Estate …
By Izeth Hussain I wonder whether the Sri Lankan Tamils are in a unique position compared to other ethnic groups all over the world. They can be assured of the sympathy and support of their fellow Tamils in Tamil Nadu, though the extent of that sympathy and support can vary greatly over a period of …
FOR many Sri Lankans the most remarkable feature of Maithripala Sirisena’s four-day trip to India this week, his first as president after a stunningly unexpected election victory in January, was that he took a commercial flight. His predecessor, Mahinda Rajapaksa—who, with his family, had given the impression of intending to rule for the long run—usually …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA THE RISING: NUGEGODA FEB 18TH “Come on up for the rising Come on up, lay your hands in mine Come on up for the rising Come on up for the rising tonight” – Bruce Springsteen: The Rising There was a WANTED poster out for Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday at Nugegoda, and it …
By Nelka Medagedara A Supreme Court bench presided over by Chief Justice K. Sripavan yesterday issued notice on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa returnable on March 31. The other Judges comprised, Justices Priyasath Dep and Eva Wanasundara. The SC issued notice after having considered a fundamental rights petition filed by Peratugami Party Leader Duminda Nawagamuwa.
By C.A.Chandraprema MEP parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardene was one of four party leaders who organised the meeting in Nugegoda last Wednesday with a view to bringing Mahinda Rajapaksa back into politics. That meeting drew a crowd never before seen at a political meeting held in Nugegoda despite the fact that Mahinda Rajapaksa was not scheduled to …
By N Sathiya Moorthy It could not have been better. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s maiden overseas visit, to India, was a very positive one. Not only did he have reportedly good meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Indian leaders in Delhi, his visit would also herald a return visit by an Indian …
by Dasun Edirisinghe Newly appointed National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Susil Premajayantha yesterday said former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had not yet made known whether he would contest a parliamentary election again though several UPFA constituents at a public rally in Nugegoda on Wednesday evening demanded that Rajapaksa be nominated the prime ministerial …
By Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. (Text of a Spech Delivered by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha at Peradeniya University on 18th February, 2015) I am immensely honoured to have been invited by Mrs Sugandhi Kadirgamar to be Chief Guest at the ceremony to hand over to Peradeniya University the portrait of the Hon Lakshman Kadirgamar, easily the best …
By Ajith Siriwardane Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a message to those who attended the massive rally in Nugegoda on Wednesday urging him to return to active politics said he could not ignore the hands of honour and affection extended to him by the people and the leadership forces of the UPFA led by the …
Senior Journalist Shakuntala Perera has tendered her resignation as Editor in Chief of “The Sunday Leader” English weekly newspaper published in Colombo. She has done so in protest against recent moves by the ownership/management to impose restrictions curbing her editorial freedom. The full text of the letter submitted by Ms.Shakunatala Perera to Chief Executive Officer …
By Kathie Klarreich – 100Reporters A United Nations presence in Haiti has become as familiar as the country’s barren hillsides. Troops of some sort have been there almost continuously since 1993, including five peacekeeping missions. The most recent, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH, arrived in 2004 to provide a peaceful transition following …
By Jayashika Padmasiri Several United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) strongmen yesterday called on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to re-enter politics and compete for the Prime Ministerial post at the next general election. Facebook status update by Namal Rajapaksa MP-with 31k “Likes” as of Feb 19, 08:00 AM-facebook.com/NamalSL This request was made at a mass rally …
By Dasun Edirisinghe Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was keeping President Maithripala Sirisena under his thumb and the latter was helpless, National Freedom Front (NFF) leader and former minister Wimal Weerawansa said yesterday. What the country had at present was a UNP government in all but name and the SLFP had no say in it. “If …
By Saman Indrajith Former Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapska was granted leave of absence from parliament for three months from yesterday (18). The leave motion was moved by Leader of the Opposition Nimal Siripala de Silva. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake demanded to know what purpose the leave had been taken for. “The House …
by Atul Aneja Steering clear of a perception of China-India rivalry, Beijing has proposed at triangular partnership with India and Sri Lanka, ahead of a month-end visit to Beijing of the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. Asked to comment on the visit to India by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson …
Continue reading ‘Beijing Proposes Tripartite Partnership Between Sri Lanka, India and China’ »
By T.S.Subramanian The signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement on July 29, 1987, in Colombo by Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene marked a turning point in the history of Sri Lanka as well as in India-Sri Lanka relations. Under it, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was despatched to the island’s Northern …
By Disna Mudalige The Frontline Magazine has not been banned in Sri Lanka, but the Customs Department has stopped the release of bulk of the latest issue of the Magazine, Media Ministry Secretary Karunarathna Paranaithana told Daily News yesterday. The Secretary said the Customs officials have done so due to a contempt material found in …
By Zahrah Imtiaz Turmoil erupted once again in the coalition government as yet another State Minister, Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, in charge of Higher Education, threatened to resign. Faizer Musthapha, State Minister for Civil Aviation, resigned not too long ago. The common issue among the increasingly disgruntled ministers is that Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, insists on …
By Ranga Jayasuriya It is sad that the Tamil political leadership is not learning from their misadventures in the past. The “genocide” resolution that was passed by the Northern Provincial Council is a calculated act to whip up ethnic frenzy in a country that is going through a democratic transition, trying to reconcile with its …
By Rupert Shortt The beheading of 21 Coptic Christians in Libya by forces sympathetic to Islamic State over recent days is sadly not an isolated case. On the contrary, it is the latest of countless outrages perpetrated against Christians in or near the Church’s Biblical heartlands over many years. The latest victims were migrant workers …
By Dr. Sarath Amunugama Siri Gunasinghe, one of the most influential contributors to modern Sinhala culture, reaches the age of ninety this week. This short essay seeks to outline some of his many gifts as well as to extend my sincere thanks for a wonderful friendship that spans over five decades. As young undergraduates who …
Three Poems by Siri Gunasinghe Translated by Professor Ranjini Obeyesekere 1. The Water Buffalo My beard on fire in haste, I was running, running down in the dawn, bearing the burdens of life all on my back; at the edge of the road, in a large clump of grass like a fat merchant spread eagled …
The Federation of Environmental Organizations of Sri Lanka (FEO) in partnership with the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOG SL) and supported by Otara, will launch the inaugural Colombo Bird Race on the 21st of February 2015. Our objective is to raise awareness of the spectacular range of our urban wildlife in and around …
Continue reading ‘Inaugural Colombo Bird Race on February 21st 2015 From 6.30 am to 10.30 am’ »
By Jude Fernando “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it—always” Mahatma Gandhi “Freedom for the wolves has often meant death …
By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai Mahasivarathri or ‘the great night of Lord Siva’ is a celebration of Siva’s spirit, celebrated by Hindus the world over. It falls on the fourteenth day of the lunar fortnight and is considered the most important day for Siva worshippers and marked with special celebrations. Hindus around the world celebrating “MahaSivarathri” this …
Continue reading ‘“Maha Siva Rathri”: The Great Night of Lord Siva Observed this year on Feb 17’ »
By Kamal Bogoda At the first meeting attended by new National Organiser of the SLFP Susil Premajayantha at Biyagama with over 1,000 party members, it was unanimously decided by the SLFP Central Committee there that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa should be the Prime Ministerial Candidate at the next general election.
The resolution adopted by the Northern Provincial Council is another extension of the arm of communalism. When masses stretch their hands for national unity the communalists unable to comprehend the new political situation that has been created or willfully wriggle into the dark caves of communalism states a media release issued by the Political Bureau …
Western province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga yesterday declared that he would participate at today’s Nugegoda meeting organised by some of UPFA’s constituents calling for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s return to active politics. The National Freedom Front (NFF), the MEP and the Democratic Left Front (DLF) want the SLFP to declare Mahinda Rajapaksa as the UPFA’s …
By S Venkat Narayan NEW DELHI, February 17: Visiting Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has conveyed to India’s leaders here that his government wishes to be friends with both India and China, but will not be aligned with either. It will stay non-aligned vis-a-vis New Delhi and Beijing. In his talks with President Pranab Mukherjee, …
Major General Jagath Rambukpotha will be appointed as the Commander of the Army with effect from February 22, informed sources said. Current Army Commander Daya Ratnayake is to be retired from the position on February 21. Prior to the decision taken to replace Gen.Ratnayake with Gen.Rambukpotha as army Commander Gen.Daya Ratnayake transferred Fifteen Major Generals …
By Suhasini Haidar In a sign of a closer strategic partnership between Sri Lanka’s new government and India, President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a civil nuclear cooperation agreement on Monday, which is Sri Lanka’s first nuclear partnership with any country. Calling the bilateral agreement on civil nuclear cooperation “another demonstration of …