By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Lohan Evindra Ratwatte is a Sri Lankan politician who is often under the media spotlight for the wrong reasons. The 53 year old Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna(SLPP) Kandy district MP- known generally as Lohan – received a great deal of negative publicity last week over an incident in which he reportedly humiliated and …
BY CANADIAN STANDARDS the election campaign was the ugliest in many years. Protests dogged the candidates of the main parties. Loutishness went “beyond the typical uptick” for federal elections, said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It came especially from anti-vaccine activists. This month someone threw gravel at Justin Trudeau, the Liberal prime minister, who says …
By Buddhika Samaraweera Claiming the ongoing investigations into recent incidents involving the former Prison Management and Prisoners Rehabilitation State Minister Lohan Ratwatte are not at a satisfactory level, the March 12 Movement (M12M), which advocates for a clean political culture, has requested that an independent committee with a membership respected by society be appointed to …
(Text of a Press Release Issued by the President’s Media Division) The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that the UN will provide its full support to Sri Lanka in moving forward to promote unity among different communities. The UN Secretary-General made these remarks during the meeting he held with the …
By Azzam Ameen Following the alleged incident where former State Minister of Prison Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte entered the Anuradhapura Prison and attempted to degrade and punish Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suspects by ordering them at gunpoint to kneel down in front of him, The Morning learns that the detainees affected …
By Pamodi Waravita Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader and National People’s Power (NPP) Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (19) claimed that the Government of Sri Lanka had signed an agreement with US-based energy company New Fortress Energy Inc. past midnight on Friday (17), transferring the Treasury’s 40% stake in the Yugadanavi Power Station in Kerawalapitiya …
By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya Installation of CCTV cameras in the Welikada prison is currently underway and only three prisons in the country are equipped with CCTV camera system, the Prisons Department said . In the wake of recent incidents at Welikada and Anuradhapura Prisons involving State Minister Lohan Ratwatte, concerns were raised whether the controversial …
By Azzam Ameen As the five-year term of the first Right to Information (RTI) Commission will be coming to an end this month, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has exercised the right given to it under and in terms of Section 12(1) (a) of the Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016 …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake What a gem of a minister he is! Who? Who else, State Minister Lohan Ratwatte, the gem and jewel of today. Why? He resigned from his Prison Portfolio, not having done anything wrong, as he says it. He has gone beyond the stuff of any politician. He truly deserves to be given …
By Jamil Husain State Minister of Gem and Jewelry Related Industries Lohan Ratwatte who has pushed the government into a hot soup over allegations that he threatened a group of Tamil prisoners over the weekend, yesterday denied all accusations leveled against him saying he was ‘not stupid’ to resort to such action. Breaking his silence …
By Sheain Fernandopulle Referring to the recent incident transpired in the Anuradhapura Prison involving State Minister Lohan Ratwatte, Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa said Lohan set an example for political culture by resigning from the post following the incident. He told reporters that it was obvious for people to make mistakes, but what is important is …
BY Dinitha Rathnayake The Prisons Department and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) have commenced investigations into incidents at the Welikada and Anuradhapura Prisons which involve former Prison Management and Prisoners Rehabilitation State Minister Lohan Ratwatte, while the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is likely to begin its own investigation on the matter today …
By Ruwani Fonseka Attempts have been made to delete CCTV footage at the Anuradhapura Prison, Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners Chairman Attorney at Law Senaka Perera alleged at a press conference held on SEp 15. He made such statements with regard to Former State Minister of Prisons and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte’s alleged offences …
By Ruwani Fonseka The Human Rights Commission in Sri Lanka (HRCSL) visited the Anuradhapura prison on Sep 15 following the incident that took place last Sunday in which Former State Minister of Prisons and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte was allegedly involved, The Morning learnt. During this visit, the HRCSL was able to the speak to …
By Meer Srinivasan Sri Lanka’s prisons minister resigned on Wednesday, following allegations that he asked Tamil prisoners to kneel, threatening them at gunpoint. A statement from the Presidential Media Division said: “Lohan Ratwatte, State Minister of Prison Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation has tendered his resignation, acknowledging his responsibility for the incidents”. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa accepted …
By JAMILA HUSAIN State Minister of Prison Management, Lohan Ratwatta has resigned from his portfolio a short while ago. He has sent his resignation letter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The President’s Media Division in a statement said Ratwatta had tendered his resignation acknowledging his responsibility for the incidents that took place at the Welikada and …
Responding to reports that Sri Lanka’s State Minister for Prison Management and Prisoners Rehabilitation, Lohan Ratwatte, forcibly entered a state prison in Anuradhapura on 12 September and held Tamil prison inmates incarcerated under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) at gunpoint and threatened to kill them, Yamini Mishra, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director said: “These dumbfounding …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) today called for the immediate resignation of State Minister of Prison Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte for the authorities to initiate a credible investigation into the alleged incidents, and action taken without fear or favour. In a statement, the CPA stated that it was deeply …
(Text of Statement Delivered by UK’s Ambassador to the UN and WTO in Geneva, Simon Manley on behalf of the Core Group of Sri Lanka at the 48th Session of the UN Human Rights Council on September 14th 2021) Thank you Madam President This statement is by the Core Group on Sri Lanka comprising Canada, …
(Text of Statement by Prof G.L.Peiris Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka at the 48th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 14 September 2021) < strong>Madam President, Let me begin by reiterating our strong and continued cooperation with this Council and the United Nations mandated human rights system, in keeping with …
(Oral Update on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka at the 48th session of the Human Rights Council by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, 13 September 2021) Distinguished President, Excellencies, I am pleased to update the Human Rights Council on Sri Lanka and the trends and issues identified in …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Defence Secretary Gen. Kamal Gunaratne says certain interested parties are propagating lies that the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks had been carried out to influence the electorate at the 2019 presidential election. Gen. Gunaratne says attempts are being made to drag President Gotabaya Rajapaksa into the controversy. The former General Officer Commanding (GoC) …
Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa never sought an audience with Pope Francis during his visit to the Vatican, the foreign ministry said after the head of the country’s Catholic church Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith claimed the visit was an attempt to mislead the Vatican about the 2019 Easter attack probe. “At no stage has …
By Yohan Perera Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, today alleged there were moves by the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to mislead the Pope and international community over the Easter Sunday investigations during the Prime Minister’s visit to Italy which will begin tomorrow. Opposing the move by the government to brief the Vatican about …
By Meera Srinivasan On August 30, 2021, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, using powers vested in the country’s Public Security Ordinance, declared Emergency regulations pertaining to the distribution of essential food items. The regulations sought to empower authorities to provide essential food items at a “concessionary rate” to the public by purchasing stocks of essential …
Continue reading ‘What is the Emerging ‘food emergency’ in Sri Lanka?’ »
Basil Rajapaksa yesterday, in his first speech in Parliament as Finance Minister, painted a bleak picture of the economy and said that, amid the foreign exchange crisis, the country had lost around Rs. 1.6 trillion in Government revenue due to the COVID pandemic. “The country is facing a serious foreign exchange crisis. Similarly, revenue has …
By Ranga Sirilal and Ayeshea Perera Sunil Perera, one of the stalwarts of Sri Lanka’s baila genre – a memento of Portuguese colonisation – died on Monday aged 68, his family said. He is believed to have died of Covid-related complications. Along with his band The Gypsies, Sunil wrote and performed songs with catchy tunes …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene In decades of the dreaded Public Security Ordinance (PSO) in Sri Lanka, this is perhaps the first time that the use of this law has been justified by the Office of the President as necessary to ensure the availability of staples such as rice, dhal and sugar to the populace at …
The Sri Lankan national shot dead inside a shopping mall in Auckland on Friday after he attacked several locals has been identified as Ahamed Aathill Mohamed Samsudeen, a 32-year-old from the Eastern town of Kattankudy. He went to New Zealand on a student visa in 2011 and then asked for political asylum claiming he and …
Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris this week handed over to UN Head in Sri Lanka Haana Singer-Hamdy the first copy of a 13-page response to obviate criticism over non-implementation of key elements in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution passed early this year. The 13-page note prepared on the eve of the forthcoming UNHRC sessions …
A man has been fatally shot by police officers and six shoppers have been injured – including three critically – in horrific scenes at a West Auckland supermarket this afternoon. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was a terrorist attack carried out by a known threat, who was under constant police surveillance. “What happened today …
Police in New Zealand shot and killed a “violent extremist” after he stabbed and wounded at least six people in an Auckland supermarket. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the incident was a “terrorist attack” carried out by a Sri Lankan national who was under police surveillance. The man, who has not been officially named, was …
What do we know about the New Zealand attacker? The man, whose identity cannot be revealed due to court suppression orders, arrived in New Zealand in October 2011. He became a person of national security interest in 2016. He had been under round-the-clock monitoring and heavy surveillance due to concerns about his ideology. He was …
by Phil Mercer, BBC News This callous act in Auckland will stir painful memories of the deadly mosque attacks in Christchurch in 2019. In that attack, a lone gunman – a self-confessed white supremacist – murdered 51 worshippers. Once again, New Zealand’s geographic isolation and peaceful reputation have proved to be no defence against extremism. …
Continue reading ‘Extremism rears its head again in New Zealand -An Analysis’ »
By Arun Janardhanan An ongoing National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the seizure of 300 kg heroin, five AK-47 rifles and 1,000 live rounds of 9mm ammunition off the coast of Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram has led to speculation that an international drug running and weapon trading racket is aimed at reviving the Sri Lankan Tamil …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “Our Hero who works, loving motherland forever If anyone is protecting the country, that noble man is you” – Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidential campaign theme song – The warnings were clear. Churches will be attacked on Easter Sunday. Authorities turned a deaf ear. The massacre happened. 269 innocent lives were lost. Three days …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake This lockdown is not as tough as it was expected to be. There is plenty of traffic on the roads, and very little stopping by the Police. People are also moving about, and most of those who called for a lockdown see it as a play of presidential politics: giving what you …
By Chanchala Gunewardena Mammi had many achievements in the telecom sector. My favorite of these was the installment of dial-up in my parents’ home, a personal windfall. When I was old enough to access a search engine I browsed my way through the good, bad, and mean spirited about my family. From both back in …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawrdene As much this millennium’s devastating global pandemic has brought deaths, destruction of livelihoods and mindless misery to millions across borders, there is a harsh mirror that it holds up to us. Political braggadocio and military might does not stop this virus; sensible public health leadership does. It is as simple as …
By Alim Kheraj When Priya Ragu signed her record deal, her parents told her not to give up her day job. “I thought: ‘I can work and do the music at the same time,’” says Ragu. The problem was that she was employed as a technical purchaser buying aircraft parts – hardly the sort of …
By Chandri Peris When one hears a single bell toll, the message become clear. Someone within your community has passed. In the last few weeks, we have been hearing the bell toll over and over again with increasing rapidity until it reached a deafening crescendo this morning, Mangala is no more! “Stop all the clocks …
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday, August 27, announced a welfare package of Rs 317 crore, which includes rebuilding houses, for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in the state. A committee would be set up soon for their welfare, which shall, among other things, work towards long term solutions on matters like citizenship …
A powerful bomb blast struck the perimeter of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport on Thursday, as civilians continued to seek to escape on flights from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. At least 95 people were killed and 150 others wounded. The Pentagon confirmed 13 US service personnel were among those killed. The bombing came hours after Western governments …
AS THE AUGUST 31st deadline to conclude the evacuation of Afghanistan loomed, the drumbeat of warnings grew louder. On August 24th President Joe Biden warned of an “acute and growing risk” of a terrorist attack, by the local branch of Islamic State (IS), against Kabul’s airport, thronged by thousands of Afghans desperate to escape the …
By JAMILA HUSAIN Yoshita Rajapaksa ,Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has denied rumors that he slapped musician and song writer Iraj Weeraratne, which is why Iraj submitted his resignation as director of the National Youth Services Council (NYSC). Yoshitha told Daily Mirror that such rumors being circulated on social media were baseless …
By Henry Kissinger THE TALIBAN takeover of Afghanistan focuses the immediate concern on the extrication of tens of thousands of Americans, allies and Afghans stranded all over the country. Their rescue needs to be our urgent priority. The more fundamental concern, however, is how America found itself moved to withdraw in a decision taken without …
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray The loss of Mangala Samaraweera is a devastating blow to statesmanship in Sri Lanka. In the words of theologian James Freeman Clarke, “the difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician thinks about the next election while the statesman thinks about the next generation.” In that way, Mangala …
By Prof. Rohan Samarajiva A big tree has fallen. What are the consequences? Mangala went out on a high. A month ago, on 25 July, he had that news conference at Freedom Hub, surrounded by young people. On that day and in the subsequent media interviews, he said what he believed and felt, without compromise. …
By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka’s former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera passed away on Tuesday at a private hospital here due to COVID-19 related complications. File | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy The former Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka was under treatment for COVID-19. Mangala Samaraweera, a former Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka and a notable advocate …
(TEXT Of MESSAGE FROM FORMER PRESIDEN CHANDRIKA BANDARAAIKE KUMARATUNGAON THE PASSING AWAY OF FORMER MINISTER MR. MANGALA SAMARAWEERA) Mangala, my dearest friend, brother, comrade-in-arms. On this dark day, you have lost your battle for life. Your family and friends fought with you, cried and prayed to keep you alive. We too lost this battle. But …
(Text of a Media Release Issued by the Tamil National Alliance) Tamil National Alliance express our deep sorrow at the untimely passing away of Mr. Magala Samaraweera, former minister and truthful friend of the Tamil People. Mr. Samaraweera entered politics in 1989, and became a minister in 1994 in the government of President Chandrika Bandaranayeka …
Sri Lanka’s former finance minister Mangala Samaraweera passed away Tuesday ( Aug 24) in hospital where he was being treated for Coronavirus, a coordinator for the former minister said. The 65-year-old Samaraweera contracted the virus earlier this month and was receiving intensive care unit (ICU) treatment at the Lanka Hospital, despite being fully vaccinated. When …
By Victor Ivan The decision reached by Mangala Samaraweera who is considered a colourful, controversial, daring and creative political figure in the old or the traditional political landscape of Sri Lanka, which is currently on the verge of decay and death, to abandon the course of traditional politics and choose to tread on an alternative …
By Sharmini Nagahawatte Serasinghe It took Mangala Samaraweera to stare death in the face, for many to realise what the nation was about to lose. Mangala has quit parliamentary politics for good, and nothing and no one can make him change his mind. Hence there is no necessity for any politician, be they in Government, …
Continue reading ‘Mangala Samaraweera – What Our Nation Almost Lost!’ »
By Dr.Gehan Gunatilleke Vaccines play a vital role in the battle against COVID-19. Countries that have vaccinated a majority of their population are doing better compared to their situation prior to vaccination. The rationale for swiftly and efficiently vaccinating a population seems self-evident. Sri Lanka’s recent rise in COVID-related deaths would hopefully fall as the …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene The black flags that the head of Sri Lanka’s Roman Catholic Church has requested his flock to hoist this Saturday in silent protest against the Government’s inaction to secure justice for hundreds of innocents killed in jihadist attacks on Sri Lankans (2019), should be fluttering aloft the houses of all people, …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (At least 60 were killed and 155 seriously injured on August 14th 2006 when the Sri Lankan airforce launched an aeial attack on Tamil civilians in the Vallipunam area of Mullaitheevu district. This article was written by me about the incident then for “The Sunday Leader” newspaper edited by the late Lasantha Wickrematunge. …
Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the head of Sri Lanka’s Catholic church, has demanded an explanation on an alleged attempt to pin the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Speaking to reporters in Colombo on Friday (13), the cardinal claimed that a military intelligence officer referred to as …
By Yohan Perera Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today urged the government not to recognise the Taliban administration and to shut down the Sri Lankan mission in Kabul, Afghanistan.
It was only a question of time before Kabul fell, says A.S. Dulat, a former head of India’s top spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, speaking from Delhi. The only surprise was the speed of the Taliban’s advance, concurs the ex-boss of Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence, or isi, Asad Durrani, speaking from Islamabad. The two …
By Charumini de Silva In a critical evaluation of Sri Lanka›s trade to the European Union (EU), a top diplomat last week said exports to the region were in an unfavourable position and warned that Sri Lanka would not only lose its GSP+ facility, but also the market, as a result of their non-compliance of …
(Text of Letter Sent to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa by the Tamil National Alliance Leader Rajavarothyam Sampanthan on August 14th 2021) R Sampanthan Member of Parliament B12, Mahagamasegara Mawatha, Colombo 7 14th August 2021 His Excellency President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, The Presidential Secretariat, Colombo 1. Your Excellency,< /em> …
By P.K.Balachandran Through sheer grit and a fierce commitment to their tribal and Islamic values, the Afghans have frustrated a series of imperialistic attempts to dominate them. Between 1842 and 2021, the British, Tsarist Russia, Soviet Russia and the US had tried occupying Afghanistan to derive benefits from its strategic location in South and Central …
By Rajpal Abeynayake The vaccine has been mandated in this country for all intents and purposes, with the Army Commander stating that a vaccine certificate would be required for any person to visit a public place from 15 September. The futility of vaccine mandates and their odious nature was written about in this space last …
By Azzam Ameen The broad Trade Union (TU) alliance covering public, private and estate sectors have warned authorities that if the Government does not lockdown the country by Friday (20), the TU alliance will declare a unilateral lockdown from Monday (23). At a press conference held this evening, the TU alliance stated that all unions …
By Jamila Husain Seven Ministers were handed new portfolios today in a cabinet reshuffle which got underway at the Presidential Secretariat a short while ago. One of the notable changes was that of the Health Minister. Pavithra Wanniarachchi was sworn in as the Transport Minister while Keheliya Rambukwella was sworn in as the new Health …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Confounding its claim to an ancient and painfully established legal heritage of some note in South Asia, Sri Lanka is degenerating to a primordial nation-state, where the very meaning of ‘law’ is reduced to a farce. Letters cannot restrict constitutional rights Ad hoc statements of officials, from the Army Commander to …
Scottish Police are reported to have put on hold an ongoing scheme to train Sri Lankan Police officers but is yet to officially inform the authorities in Colombo. Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara said yesterday that he was unaware of reports that Police Scotland had put the long-running programme to train Sri Lankan police officers …
By Krishan FrancisThe Associated Press Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church said Friday that 25 people charged this week in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed 269 people could be “smaller fish,” and accused the government of still not taking steps to identify the true conspirators. The head of the archdiocese of Colombo, …
By P.K.Balachandran Unsustainable claims put forward by the Sinhalese and the Tamils on language, religion and ethnicity, have muddied Sri Lankan politics in the post-independence era. The Sinhalese loudly proclaim that Buddhism is quintessentially and exclusively, a “Sinhala” religion. The Tamils, on the other hand, claim with equal vehemence, that they have always been unalloyed …
Former President Chandrika Kumaratunge’s son Vimukthi Kumaratunge said he had no intention whatsoever of engaging in Sri Lankan Politics and refuted recent media reports of him entering the local political arena. He said in a statement that he appealed to everyone to disregard any statement alleging his aspirations to become a Sri Lankan politician.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is to reshuffle the Cabinet with changes likely to key Ministries, including Foreign Affairs and Health. The others set to undergo portfolio changes include Education, Tourism, Power, and Media, the Daily FT learns. Education Minister G.L. Peiris is slated to be the new Foreign Minister while Dinesh Gunawardena, who currently holds the …
By Azzam Ameen Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam has sent indictments to Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya this afternoon (10) seeking the appointment of a Trial-at-Bar against 25 suspects indicted for conspiracy over the Easter Sunday terror attacks. According to reliable sources, The Morning learns that the suspects are to be tried before Court for 23,270 charges …
By Shavini Madhara Former Minister Rishard Bathiudeen who was arrested and detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act was remanded till August 17 by Fort Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage yesterday. The investigators had conducted a comprehensive probe into funding of the Easter Sunday suicide bombers and a range of financial transactions that had taken place in …
The President’s Office yesterday insisted that there was no U-turn in the Government’s policy on promoting organic fertiliser and that the latest gazette only aims to facilitate the importation of “specialised fertilisers”. “The Government has not granted permission to import chemical fertilisers for local agricultural purposes, neither has it made any changes to the decision …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “If mankind commits suicide, it will be because people will obey…the archaic passions of fear, hate, and greed…” – Erich Fromm (On Disobedience: Why Freedom Means Saying “No” to Power) Sri Lanka is in transition into becoming the Pearl of the Silk Route politically. But America still haunts the imitation dreams of …
By Jamila Husain Sri Lanka is heading for its worst medical tsunami in the coming weeks as there is a risk that the Delta variant is spreading beyond control, leading medical experts told Daily Mirror yesterday. Senior physicians at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic said that hospitals across the Western Province were filled to …
By Aazam Ameen The gazette published on 06 May which detailed the ban of imports of chemical fertiliser was fundamentally flawed, The Morning learnt. Speaking exclusively to The Morning on the matter, Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Dr. Harsha De Silva explained that the gazette contained a mistake where both chemical fertliser and mineral fertiliser were …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The Finance Ministry, through the gazette notification number 2238/45 of 31 July 2021, has relaxed regulations on the import of chelated (a type of bonding of ions and molecules to metal ions) minerals and micronutrients for the purpose of producing fertiliser. Accordingly, nitrogen (N) fertiliser, phosphate (PO₄³⁻) fertiliser, potassium (K) fertiliser, fertilisers …
New Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has lifted the ban imposed on chemical fertilisers import. The relaxation has been published via Gazette No. 2238/45 of 31 July. The move is following recommendations of the Agriculture Department and the Fertiliser Secretariat and will be a big boon for farmers during the upcoming Maha paddy cultivation season, officials …
By Ranjith Padmasiri The tape recording of a telephone conversation between former Solicitor General Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe and Avant Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadipathi which resulted in the interdiction of the senior state prosecutor had been edited and doctored, an Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) has established. Ms. Wickramasinghe was interdicted and sent on compulsory leave by …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Amendments certified on the 15th of July 2021 to Sri Lanka’s Code of Criminal Procedure Act (1979) and to the Convention against Torture (CAT) Act (1994) are, to put it baldly, an insult to the hundreds if not thousands of victims bloodied and battered by torture at the hands of law …
By Gamini Weerakoon A raging debate on ‘militarisation of academia’ has been sweeping through the ‘Paradise Island’ for weeks. Paradoxically, indications of ‘militarisation’ of government for over a year and half, since former Lt. Col. Gotabaya Rajapaksa (Retd.) was elected the president, appear not to have been taken as seriously as the move — as …
(Excerpts from the “Sunday Times”Political Column of August 1st 2021) The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is set to crack the whip on Sri Lanka at its 48th sessions just six weeks ahead. It is not only on issues arising from the March sessions of the damning Resolution on Sri Lanka caused by dismal …
By Suhasini Haidar and Meera Srinivasan After months of strain over a number of issues including the cancelled port project in Colombo , Sri Lanka is preparing to send its High Commissioner designate to Delhi, along with a ‘roadmap’ to restore ties that includes resolving fishermen’s issues, building connectivity, trade and investment, as well as …
(Text of the final Pastoral letter written by the Anglican Bishop of Kurunegala , Rt. Rev. L Wickremasinghe, in September 1983 after the July 1983 Violence.Bishop Lakshmn passed away some weeks after this on October 23rd 1983.) Dear Church Members and Citizens assembled in Council We are in the midst of our worst national crisis …
By K.Thirukumaran Rajendran Rajamahendran passed away in Colombo, Sri Lanka on July 25. He was born on May 19, 1943. Who is he? Some outside of Sri Lanka may ponder, especially in all the outpouring tributes he comes across as a remarkable icon, perhaps as a global one for that matter of these times. Why?
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray It was early 2005, a few months after I had been made the CEO of Rivira Media Corporation. I had been warned that the media industry was a cutthroat one, and to expect little help for a fledgling newspaper like Rivira. Still I decided to reach out to the heads of …
By Chandani Kirinde All stories have their heroes and villains. During the Welikada Prison massacre of July 1983 in which 53 Tamil prisoners lost their lives, there were few prison officials who put their lives on the line to protect the Tamil inmates while there were the others, who by their complicity, encouraged the attackers …
Former Minister and Parliamentarian Mangala Samara-weera yesterday spearheaded the launch of an apolitical movement called ‘Radical Centre’ by a group of multifaceted multi-ethnic youth calling themselves as true patriots. The middle path or ‘Radical Centre’ is based on the principles of democracy, freedom, equality and justice as the four pillared-foundation for a just, caring and …
By Nisthar Cassim Against widespread fears and claims of default sans multilateral donor help, Sri Lanka yesterday completed the groundwork towards the settlement of $ 1 billion worth of International Sovereign Bonds (ISBs) maturing today. The move, according to Money, Capital Market and Public Enterprises Reform State Minister Nivard Cabraal, has proved all the doomsayers …
The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and its Executive Director Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu yesterday filed a Petition in the Supreme Court (SC SD 28/2021) challenging the proposed Finance Bill, which was placed on the order paper of Parliament on 20 July. The bill seeks to provide an amnesty from tax, penalty or interest, or from …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene To a protesting (Sinhalese) Stalin, (or for that matter, a Marx or Lenin), who is released along with comrades following public outrage and street anger after unjustifiable detention by the police using Sri Lanka’s covid-19 health protocols, there are a hundred others who languish in squalid detention under the country’s savagely …
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi A sharp rise has been seen in the number of COVID-19 patients seeking treatment at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) this week and many warned that it may be an “early signal” of what to expect from other parts of the country. This week, the NHSL saw more than 200 …
By Namini Wijedasa Sri Lanka has no immediate plan to seek financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Presidential Secretary P.B. Jayasundera has said. “Right now, it is not a question of whether we want the IMF or not,” the former Finance Ministry Secretary explained in an interview. “The IMF coming won’t bring tourism here. …
By Lt Gen A.S. Kalkat (Retd) I was on a sabbatical in London, United Kingdom for a fellowship with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) when I received a message from Brigadier (now Lt Gen) Satish Nambiar, the Military Attaché in London to call the Army Headquarters. I did so from his office and …
By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya Three persons including the wife and father-in-law of former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen have been arrested in connection with the death of a 16-year old domestic aide at the former minister’s house, police said. Police Spokesman SDIG Ajith Rohana said that 46-year old Sheyabdeen Ayesha, her father 70-year-old Mohammed Sheyabdeen and the …
The death occurred yesterday of senior Attorney-at-Law and Human Rights activist Manouri Muttetuwegama (85), wife of the late MP and Attorney-at-Law Sarath Muttetuwegama. A former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka,she was also the Chairperson of the All Island Commission on Disappearances and Chairperson of the Consultation Taskforce on Reconciliation Mechanisms.She was …
(This article appeared in the Asia section of “The Economist “ under the headline “Rajapaksa Raj”) Since winning the presidency in a landslide nearly two years ago, Gotabaya Rajapaksa has worried not that he has too many relatives in government, but that he has too few. One of the 72-year-old’s elder brothers, Mahinda, himself president …
(Text of Press Release Issued by the High Commission of India in Colombo on July 21st 2021) Acting High Commissioner of India, Mr. Vinod K Jacob had a productive meeting with Hon’ble S. Viyalanderan, State Minister of Backward Rural Areas Development and Promotion of Domestic Animal Husbandry & Minor Economic Crop Cultivation and Batticaloa District …
The no-confidence motion against Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila was defeated by a majority of 91 votes, with 152 voting against the motion and 61 in favour. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), which moved the motion, along with other Opposition party members, including UNP MP Ranil Wickremesinghe, voted in favour of the motion. All SLPP MPs, …
There are no plans to arrest SJB MP Harin Fernando, but he is duty bound to provide information he has regarding the Easter Sunday attacks to the CID, Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekera said yesterday. Responding to a privilege issue raised in the House by UNP MP Ranil Wickremasinghe, the Minister said Fernando had …
(Eid- ul-Alha Message from Rauff Hakeem Leader, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress) On this holy day of Eid-ul-Alha, let us celebrate with patience and perseverance for peace and justice to prevail for all in Sri Lanka. We join the Muslims all over the world marking this year’s festival under challenging circumstances and trying conditions in their …
By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday said he would seek a second term in office, shifting from his earlier position to serve only one term. Mr. Gotabaya, in a meeting with owners of local media institutions, spoke of having not just three years of his remaining term, but an additional five …
By Azzam Ameen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has today (19) declared that he would contest for a second term in office.
By Gamini Weerakoon Sri Lankan rulers think that they have found a permanent cure for headaches, having rejected the ancient wisdom: You can’t cure headaches by changing pillows. Paradise Island is not only beset with the global pandemic crisis that all countries are attempting to ward off but has many more crises — a billion-dollar …
By Nimal Sanderatne The country is in a multiplicity of inter-related and intertwined crises and widespread social upheavals. Apart from solutions to the specific grievances, drastic changes in economic policies are required to ensure financial and economic stability. Social unrest Protests and social upheavals due to severe economic difficulties, unavailability of fertiliser, protests against the …
By Chris Kamalendran All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) Leader Rishad Bathiudeen, who is in Criminal Investigation Department (CID) custody, was admitted to the National Hospital in Colombo yesterday due to a suspected heart attack. Mr Bathiudeen had complained to CID officers last morning that he was feeling ill. They had, thereafter, taken him to the …
Former MP Duminda Silva, who was serving a death sentence over the killing of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra but was released from jail on a special presidential pardon last month has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Housing Development Authority.
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Friday (July 16th) was an eventful day for Sri Lanka. Just as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was holding forth to obediently head-nodding members of the Maha Sangha comprising the Government’s Buddhist Advisory Council gathered at the Presidential Secretariat, on his firm intent to proceed with enactment of the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) …
By Imesh Ranasinghe Just over a week after they were sent to quarantine camps under legally questionable circumstances, 22 trade union members in Sri Lanka including Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) general secretary Joseph Stalin were released Friday (16) afternoon. The union members had been arrested for engaged in protests that police said were in violation …