By Dr. U. Pethiyagoda As a sector of indisputable importance to the nation, the tea industry draws periodic comments and now seems such a time. Court Lodge Estate, Kandapola-pic by: UKInSriLanka The various assessments and comments are naturally, not wholly acceptable. In fact, my long held view is that the assumed profitability of the industry [...]
Archive of entries posted on April 2012
‘Why India? I don’t know why everybody talks about India’? – Basil Rajapaksa
By Namini Wijedasa Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa who is once again playing a central role in directing India-Sri Lanka relations last week refused to clarify whether President Rajapaksa had promised a visiting Indian delegation to implement the 13th Amendment in full. Excerpts from the interview: How healthy are India-Sri Lanka relations? I think very [...]
The Dambulla crisis and need for a policy for multiculturalism and post-war social integration
by Dr. Darini Rajasingham-Senanayake Sri Lanka has a long and proud tradition of religious co-existence which is attested by the presence of multi-religious sacred sites throughout the island, as well as, its uniquely mixed cultural geography. The solution to the unfolding Dambulla Mosque crisis must hence build on, protect and nurture traditions of religious syncretism, [...]
If ‘hand of politics’ had not deprived team of ‘full strength’ in Manila, Lanka would have been 2012 Asian Rugby Champions
By T.M.K. Samat SRI Lanka ’s fall at the final hurdle of the A5N rugby tournament in Manila last week evokes much regret. The failure to get among Asia ’s top five nations is obviously disappointing, but more hurting was seeing the triumphant march of a team of brave young Sri Lankans finally come to [...]
Dambulla Mosque controversy: Conflicting versions prevail
By Raisa Wickrematunge and Niranjala Ariyawansha | reporting from Dambulla Muslims in Dambulla are still reeling from last week’s events, which could mean the demolition and relocation of a 65 year old mosque. We were there until the last minute… people were throwing rocks and stones, so we had to leave at around 1:30 pm,” [...]
Immediate investigation needed for Dambulla Mosque incident
by Javid Yusuf The incidents surrounding the Dambulla mosque and its aftermath have left the Muslim community shaken and uneasy. The Muslims have over centuries lived in harmony with their brother communities and enjoyed excellent relationships with both the Sinhala and Tamil communities. This state of being was rudely shaken on April 20th when the [...]
DMK Chief Karunanidhi revives Tamil Eelam demand
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Muthuvel Karunanidhi the Octogenarian leader of India’s Dravida Munnetra Kazgagham (DMK) has a flair for creating controversy through provocative pronouncements. Karunanidhi known widely as “Kalainjer” or Artiste has been the chief minister of Tamil Nadu state for nearly 19 years serving five terms in office. The latest controversy triggered off by the Tamil [...]
Sri Lanka with 103,000 Players is the Second largest Rugby Playing Nation in Asia next to Japan
by Emma Stoney WELLINGTON — When you think of Sri Lanka, rugby is not generally something that springs readily to mind. The island nation is certainly better known for cricket, tea exports and its recently ended civil war. But Sri Lanka’s British colonial forefathers left behind more than cricket as a sporting staple. Royal shocked [...]
The truth behind the Trincomalee Hospital Pillaiyar Temple issue
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj A news item published by some Tamil newspapers in Sri Lanka a few days ago stated that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) had issued a directive calling for the removal of the temple dedicated to Pillaiyar or Lord Ganesha at the Trincomalee general hospital premises. Pillaiyar at the Gopuram of Sri Maha [...]
Beyond the sparks and fumes of India’s Agni-V Test
by P S Suryanarayana Abstract India now exudes confidence at having come of age as a space-faring power with a minimum credible nuclear deterrence. A follow-up task awaits New Delhi. It must prudently send out the right political message across to China and other major powers.
Discovering the White Van in a Troubled Democracy
By J.C. Weliamuna An analysis of ongoing “abduction blueprint” in Sri Lanka In a country that has achieved so much in literacy, education and social development, is it not indeed unfortunate that “White Van” has frightened the entire nation? Appearance of a white van assures a disappearance of some one. If you Google or do [...]
Demolition of Dambulla Mosque means loss of Muslim support to govt
By Latheef Farook Prime Minister D.M. Dayaratne’s order to demolish a 65 year old mosque in Dambulla and instead build a mosque in another place strikes at the very root of religious freedom .It also shocked and hurt the island’s Muslim community. Responding to the order and expressing the community’s mood Muslim Congress Secretary and [...]
Was 13th Amendment not discussed by President Rajapaksa with visiting Indian MPs?
by R.K.Radhakrishnan The events seem to be a replay. It was External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna then. It is India’s Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj’s turn now. A leading newspaper in Sri Lanka has claimed that no discussion was held regarding the devolution of powers to States when the Indian MPs delegation met President Mahinda [...]
World Future Council: Defending the rights of future generations
By Judge C. G. Weeramantry, Ashok Khosla, Dr. Scilla Elworthy Today, vast factory trawlers are vacuuming every living thing off the floor of the oceans. Toxic wastes are being dumped on poor communities whose governments turn a blind eye. Millions of acres of irreplaceable primeval forest are purposely being burned every year, to make way [...]
Indian MPs’ Sri Lanka visit: A clear message from Indian polity
by N Sathiya Moorthy The six-day-long visit of a 12-member Indian parliamentary delegation to Sri Lanka could not have come at a more inopportune moment in the contemporary context of bilateral relations — after New Delhi had voted against Colombo at the Geneva UNHRC. The Indian Parliamentary delegation to Sri Lanka led by Smt Sushma [...]
The mysterious lady who knelt at the President’s feet and related a tale
by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, MP Last week, I was told, a mysterious lady approached the President while he was at a funeral, knelt at his feet, and came out with a terrifying story. The person who told me the story evidently thought of the lady as she who must not be named, but she was [...]
An attempt to answer some questions Tamils ask
By Dr.Rajasingham Narendran In response to my comments on the article in’ “www.dbsjeyaraj.com” by S.Venkatanarayan titled, ‘Who says Sinhalese are against devolving powers to Tamils? That’s absolute rubbish! says Chandrika Kumaratunge, ‘Quaero’ asked the following questions. After heavy rains in November 2011, the village of Thadduvankoddy in Kilinochchi district was cut off for several days-pic: [...]
I felt we had won a moral victory, a battle well fought – Tamara Kunanayagam
By Ayesha Zuhair In an e-mail interview with Ayesha Zuhair of the Daily Mirror, Ambassador Tamara Kunanayakam,Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, discusses the US-backed resolution against Sri Lanka which was adopted at the 19th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and the challenges ahead. QUESTION: A crucial report [...]
Hirunika Premachandra will seek justice for her father in Sri Lanka and will not internationalize issue
by A Special Correspondent The daughter of slain Presidential Trade Union Advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra said that she is in possession of vital evidence which could further implicate the chief suspect in the case pertaining to her father’s gruesome murder on October 8 last year. In an interview with LAKBIMAnEWS she maintained that she will [...]
JVP are ‘Bolsheviks’ using Nationalism as tactic to gain power
by Patali Champika Ranawaka There is still much debate surrounding the alleged abduction of Premakumar Gunaratnam. It is yet to be established whether he faked his own abduction, or whether he was indeed abducted by members of the security forces. Nevertheless, Sri Lankan society, especially the Sinhalese community, should re-examine the background behind the formation [...]
Madhu forest sanctuary in Mannar District being systematically destroyed through excavating sand and felling trees
By Rathindra Kuruwita Heavy excavating machinery rumbles relentlessly inside the Madu forest sanctuary — digging into the earth and felling trees — while truckloads of tipper lorries driven by drivers halfway drunk by 11am, packed to the brim with soil dug up, race through the road which runs through the sanctuary. Both the road and [...]
Fighting Food Fascism: The Beef-eating festival at Osmania University
by Meena Kandasamy “The university and all teaching systems that appear simply to disseminate knowledge are made to maintain a certain social class in power, and to exclude the instruments of power of another social class…. The real political task in a society such as ours is to criticise the workings of institutions, which appear [...]
How do people who call themselves Sinhalese and Tamils know they are Sinhalese and Tamils?
By Dr. A.C. Visvalingam In its modern form, the origins of the so-called National Question go back to the early twentieth century. The British High Commission marked the International Day of Peace on 21 September 2011 by hosting an Art Festival in Colombo, involving over 50 school children-pic courtesy of: UK In SriLanka As understood [...]
Wimal Weerawansa has become a joke after he left our party – Vijitha Herath
by Dianne Silva JVP MP Vijitha Herath spoke to Dianne Silva of the Daily Mirror about drama revolving around the disappearance of Premakumar Gunaratnam, the survival of the JVP and the interference of India in internal matters of Sri Lanka The White van culture Question: What is your opinion on the perceived white van culture [...]
‘Sri Lanka Unites’: A Sri Lankan youth model for reconciliation
By Jonathan Kay Like Israel and Rwanda, Sri Lanka serves, for many world-watchers, as a byword for ethno-religious conflict. For almost three decades, the country’s largely Buddhist Sinhalese majority engaged in an on-and-off civil war against a guerrilla insurgency waged by elements from within the country’s largely Hindu Tamil minority. And yet, despite this bitter [...]
It is not Ethical to Speak of Difficulties I Faced During the White Flag case as an Appeal is Still Proceeding
Former High Court Judge.T.M.P.B.Warawewa Interviewed by Ayesha Zuhair Question: Could you narrate your experience as a judge; how you started, where you have served, and why you picked the judicial profession? Answer: I must say that I became a judge unexpectedly. I was called to the Bar in February 1979 and since then I was [...]
UNHRC Resolution: Sri Lanka is ‘Test Case’ for US to Continue Assault on International Law
by Dharshan Weerasekera The United Nations Human Rights Council at its recent sessions held in Geneva, adopted a US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka, expressing dissatisfaction with the pace of reconciliation and accountability since the end of the war with the LTTE, urging the government to make haste in implementing the recommendations of its own Lessons [...]
Kumar Gunaratnam alias ‘Gemunu’ led JVP in guerilla war against Indian Army in 1989
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj The enforced “disappearance” and dramatic “re-appearance” of Premakumar Gunaratnam alias Kumar/Kumara Mahathaya a.k.a. Noel Mudalige has evoked much interest into the revolutionary antecedents of this colourful personality who was at one time a key leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) or People’s Liberation Front. Even though Gunaratnam alias Mudalige has now [...]
‘Learn, learn, learn’: Lessons for the Left in Lanka
By Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka Each generation brings its own collective formation and experience to the Left project. Each historical period produces its own Left or mutates the existing Left. An abiding failing of older leftists is to fall prey to two opposite responses to a newly emergent left, or a left born of different experiences [...]
Human Rights and the pronouncements of Minister Mervyn Silva
by Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. In considering again the extraordinary attack on Dayan Jayatilleka by the destructive elements in the Ministry of External Affairs, being indeed forced to do so by their gratuitous inclusion of me therein, it occurred to me that one reason for the ongoing dysfunctionality of government at present is the contradictory motivations [...]
How Gotabhaya ‘helped’ Col. Karuna go to UK on a diplomatic passport under a false name
by Ranjith Jayasundera Hello Friends, There is a raging controversy on about the abduction and release of Frontline Socialist Party leaders Kumar Gunaratnam and Dimuthu Attygalle. Much of the spotlight is on Gunaratnam alias Noel Mudalige and his alleged offences of travelling under a false passport and overstaying his visa. The Australian Govt is also [...]
Sandhya Ekneligoda, Wife of missing Sri Lankan journalist speaks out to WSWS
By Panini Wijesiriwardane and Wasantha Rupasinghe Sandhya Priyangani Ekneligoda, wife of disappeared Sri Lankan journalist and cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda, recently spoke to the World Socialist Web Site about her ongoing struggle to discover what happened to her husband, and the continuing harassment of the Sri Lankan authorities. Prageeth Ekneligoda disappeared on 24 January 2010, after [...]
‘We never deported him; he could have stayed but he wanted to leave the country’-Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
by Shamindra Ferdinando Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday said that many of those listed missing during the war could have obtained new identities courtesy foreign governments. The recent Gunaratnam affair revealed how Australia had issued a passport (N 1016123) to the leader of the newly formed Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) under a different name in [...]
‘Who says Sinhalese are against devolving powers to Tamils? That’s absolute rubbish!’ says Chandrika Kumaratunga
by S.Venkatnarayan Chandrika Kumaratunga speaks with “Island” Special Correspondent in An Exclusive Interview Former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has vehemently rubbished the claim being made by some people in the present government that the majority Sinhalese are opposed to devolving political power to the minority Tamils in her island-nation. “Who says the Sinhalese are [...]
Will launch of Frontline Socialist Party lead to revival of ‘Left’ in Sri Lanka?
By Niel Wijethilaka and K. Govindan (Nava Sama Samaja Party) More than 5,000 people packed Colombo’s Sugathadasa stadium for the inaugural conference of the Peratugami Samajawadi Pakshaya (Frontline Socialist Party – FSP) on 9 April 2012. Most were members and sympathisers of this new Left party – a breakaway from the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (Peoples’ [...]
‘Hey Geneva’ by Ajith Kumarasiri! Birth of Sinhala Blues?
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj Hello Friends “Hey Geneva” is a song performed by musician-singer-composer Ajith Kumarasiri at his live concert”No More” at Punchi theatre in Borella on March 31st 2012. It is now featured on You Tube. It was Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka, Sri Lanka ’s former Ambassador to the UN in Geneva who informed me first about [...]
By downgrading ties with India and US, Sri Lanka is in danger of cutting its nose to spite its face
By Sudha Ramachandran BANGALORE – Sri Lanka’s Minister of Power and Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka’s recent announcement that Colombo was considering raising the issue of the safety of India’s nuclear power plants with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been widely interpreted in the Indian media as retaliation for India’s vote supporting an anti-Sri [...]
India has thrown a life line For Sri Lanka in Geneva that must be grasped
by M. Sooriasegaram Time has come for all Sri Lankan people to come together to defend the sovereignty and independence of their mother country. People of Sri Lanka have a historic role to play at this juncture. The need of the hour is to mobilise all democratic and anti-imperialist forces to compel the Sri Lankan [...]
LTTE leader Prabhakaran is alive and will re-emerge says TNA MP Shritharan in Tamil Nadu
by D.B.S Jeyaraj Sri Lanka’s Tamil National Alliance MP from Jaffna District Sivagnanam Shritharan has stated in India that LTTE leader Prabhakaran is alive. Shritharan said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran was alive&safe& that he would re-emerge again.
Kumar Sangakkara chosen by Wisden as Leading Cricketer in the World plus One of Five Cricketers of the Year for 2011
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara has been chosen as both one of the Five Cricketers of the Year and the Leading Cricketer in the World for 2011 in the 2012 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, it was announced on Wednesday. The 34-year-old Sangakkara, one of the outstanding batsmen of his generation and for much of his [...]
Is Sri Lanka targeting India’s Koodankulam project as retaliation for UNHRC vote in Geneva?
By Indrani Bagchi NEW DELHI: In what is seen as an apparent retaliation for India’s vote against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council, Sri Lanka’s energy minister has said they were threatened by the Kudankulam nuclear plant, in case of a Fukushima-like disaster. “We are not Alone, We are all Together.” by Emi [...]
Tamils fearful about re-appearance of disappearances
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Hello Friends The Long – suffering Tamil ethnicity in Sri Lanka is once again getting apprehensive and fearful! The war between the Security forces of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended three years ago. This resulted in one set of problems faced by ordinary Tamils becoming non – [...]
An Overview of the ‘Enforced Disappearances’ Phenomenon
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Hello Friends The spectre of “Enforced Disappearances” is looming large on the Sri Lankan horizon again! The recent disappearance and reappearance of leftist political activists Premakumar Gunaratnam and Dimuthu Attygalle have very effectively beamed the spotlight on this curse both nationally and internationally.
The Koodankulam protest is to assert democracy
by V. Suresh By all accounts, the 230-day anti-Koodankulam nuclear power plant protest by villagers of Idinthakarai and Koodankulam in Tirunelveli district has been totally Gandhian. Not a single stone has been thrown, although local people have been engaged in an intense struggle to safeguard their rights to a safe environment threatened by the nuclear [...]
‘Disappeared’ Kumar Gunarathnam released and deported at 7:40 AM
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj “Disappeared”woman activist Dimuthu Attygalle has been “released” now at newly formed party office in Madiwela will have press conference soon Aussie citizen Kumar Gunarathnam released due to Australian pressure. What about “Disappeared” woman activist & ex-JVP MP Dimuthu Attygalle?
Strategic reasons behind India supporting the Resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC
by P.S.Suryanarayana Abstract: A comprehensive calculus of ethnic, political, and strategic factors has shaped India’s firm vote against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council on 22 March 2012. In a broad sense, India has cast a Diaspora Vote, which is compatible with the so-called ‘Indira Doctrine’ of the 1980s. However, New Delhi, [...]
We must implement comprehensive action program that is not restricted to conditions laid down in UNHRC Resolution only
By Victor Ivan It is correct for Sri Lanka to express its protest against the US sponsored United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution against Sri Lanka. Yet, the government had apparently failed to mobilize the protest move in a manner conducive to safeguarding the dignity of the country. The government’s approach has resulted in [...]
Abduction of political activists Premakumar Gunaratnam and Dimuthu Attygalle
Political activists and leaders of the People’s Struggle Movement in Sri Lanka , Mr. Premakumar Gunaratnam[1] and Ms. Dimithu Attygalle[2] disappeared on 6th April 2012. Prior to their disappearance both activists had been preparing for the first convention of the Frontline Socialist Party, a party formed by a dissident group from the opposition party, Janatha [...]
How Tamil Women in UK can Help War-Affected Women in North – East Sri Lanka Through Thrift and Credit Co-operatives
By Rajani Iqbal Today we are assembled here to commemorate the International Women’s Day that falls in March, 2012. I wonder whether the women in the war affected parts of Sri Lanka today would be happy to commemorate this day or whether they would look at it in despair due to the sad plight in [...]
Is Dayan Jayatilleka the target of a witch-hunt?
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj “I see, these books are probably law books, and it is an essential part of the justice dispensed here that you should be condemned not only in innocence but also in ignorance.” – Franz Kafka in “The Trial”. April is here and it’s spring time now. My thoughts turn to Paris . [...]
Did Sri Lanka misconstrue that everything was fine internationally including India?
By Austin Fernando Parliamentarian Mahinda Rajapaksa was a rights defender. Among political demands during ‘Pada Yathra’ he led, were two, i.e.: (1) Premadasa Regime should take responsibility for the disappearances taken place (2) implementing a peace solution instead of warring. Ironically and unfortunately, in Geneva President Rajapaksa’s representatives battled against similar international demands, under different [...]
‘You do not want the TNA because you want to remove the roots of our right to equality, justice and dignity’
by Rajavarothayam Sampanthan Mr. Deputy Chairman of Committees, we are discussing in the House today, an Adjournment Motion pertaining to the Resolution passed at the UN Human Rights Council at the 19th Session last month. Before I commence my views in regard to what happened at Geneva , I think I need to outline briefly [...]
Anatomy of the LTTE military debacle at Aanandapuram
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj This article was first written on April 10th 2009 under the heading”Top Tiger Leaders killed in a major debacle for LTTE”.Subsequently it was updated,revised and posted under the current heading. “It is being posted here again to commemorate the third anniversary of the decisive battle of Aananthapuram that concluded on April 5th [...]
‘I Used Myanmar As An Example, Just As Others Have Used Israel And Cuba As Examples’– Amb. Dayan Jayatilleka
By Dianne Silva Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Paris Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka has come under scrutiny in recent days for his controversial remarks in the aftermath of the passing of the United States sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council Sessions, last month. Certain remarks that were misconstrued as having compared [...]
Theepan of the LTTE: Heroic saga of a Northern warrior
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj Hello Friends Today April 4th is the third death anniversary of Velayuthapillai Bhagheerathakumar alias Theepan of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE). He died in the decisive battle of Aananthapuram along with several frontline commanders and hundreds of cadres of the tigers in that confrontation. Theepan like Balraj was a fearless fighter [...]
UNHRC vote in Geneva shows that Muslim countries were Sri Lanka’s sincere friends
By Latheef Farook In times of crisis in Sri Lanka, Muslims countries have always come to the island’s rescue with no strings attached. This friendly gesture was demonstrated once again by Muslim countries when they voted against the US sponsored United Nations Human Rights Council resolution against Sri Lanka. Protest in Colombo on March 15 [...]
Text of Letter sent to Ambassador Dayan Jayatilleka by Ministry of External Affairs
Letter dated March 30th 2012 sent by Mr.W.A.S. Prasanna, Actg Director General (Overseas Administration) states thus: “Instances of administrative and financial irregularities resulting from your administration of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Paris have come to the attention of this Ministry. In this context, while noting the following instances, explanations on the same are hereby [...]
‘An Insiders Account of the JVP’ By Lionel Bopage
Book Review by Prof.V.Suryanarayan Rebellion, Repression and the Struggle for Justice in Sri Lanka – The Lionel Bopage Story (Written by Michael Colin Cooke) (Agahas Publishers, Colombo, 2011), pp. 566, Price US Dollars 25/- Known to the Arab travelers as Serendib (The island of happy fortune), Sri Lanka, in the post-independence years, was neither happy [...]
Distressingly for Rajapaksa administration ‘Accountability’ will be the elephant in the room
by Gibson Bateman Sri Lanka’s Minister of External Affairs, G.L. Peiris, has recently given one additional reason for the passage of a resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN’s Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva: “collective commitments.” Evidently, Mr. Peiris had been informed by one of his European counterparts that certain members of the European [...]
SJV Chelvanayagam’s Son Chandrahasan will return permanently to Sri Lanka after 27 years in India
by B.Kolappan Ever since he arrived in Chennai in August 1983 after violence broke out against Tamils in Sri Lanka, S.C. Chandrahasan and his family lived with the hope that in three months they would be back in their motherland. S.C.Chandrahasan,Attorney-AT-Law,Treasurer OfERR (Organisation for Ealam Refugees Rehabilitation) – Photo: K.Pichumani History proved otherwise and his [...]
India appears to have done everything possible to push Colombo into Beijing’s stifling embrace
by Ajai Sahni “If such an outcome were to be secured in Iraq or Afghanistan or, now, even in Pakistan, it would be embraced by the West as an unadulterated and righteous triumph. In Sri Lanka, however, it appears to have provoked, across much of Europe and among the most prominent international agencies – including [...]
Tamil Nadu State Govt delays implementing pledge given to PNAME about releasing imprisoned protesters and withdrawing cases
Text of a press Release issued by PMANE on April 1, 2012 The People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) entered into a negotiation with the Tamil Nadu State officials on March 27, 2012 with the assistance of some credible and respectable mediators. Koodankulam: pic courtesy of: thehindubusinessline.com As per that mediation, the Tamil Nadu State [...]
Is ‘News Story’ about 150 Tamil ‘Terrorists’ being trained in Tamil Nadu true or inspired mischief?
Subterranean threats to India-Sri Lanka relations By Col. R. Hariharan According to a news item in the Colombo daily “The Island,” Sri Lanka intelligence services have received information that around 150 terrorists who returned to Sri Lanka from India were now hiding in the North and the East. They are reported to have undergone “a [...]
External Affairs Ministry threatens to charge Dayan Jayatilleka under Penal Code
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj In an unprecedented and controversial move Sri Lanka ’s Ministry of External Affairs has threatened to charge the country’s Ambassador to France Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka under the Penal code! It is learnt that the External ministry’s overseas administration division Acting Director General Mr. W.G.S.Prasanna has sent a lengthy five page letter to Dr.Jayatilleka [...]
This is the time to repair and re-launch USA – Sri Lanka Relations
by Teresita Schaffer Teresita Schaffer, a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, was U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka from 1992-1995 The meeting in Geneva is over, leaving a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. It’s time to put Sri Lanka’s political rebuilding on track, and repair US-Sri Lanka relations in the process. Despite [...]
Kolonnawa in firm grip of criminal mafia with political influence
By Chandana Kariyawasam and Wijitha Nakkawita Kolonnawa, a suburb of Colombo, is bizarre. It came to the limelight a few months ago when one of its prominent citizens, former Member of Parliament, was killed. View Larger Map Though the news headlines flashed the slaying of the former MP and Presidential Advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, there [...]
