By Kath Noble Everybody knows about the crisis in the UNP. Of the many elections there have been in Sri Lanka in the last two decades, it has lost all but one. This includes four presidential elections and four out of five parliamentary elections. And it will have the opportunity to lose a few more [...]
Archive of entries posted on 24th July 2012
Army pressured to have bodies of 13 soldiers brought to Kanatte for mass funeral
by B.Sirisena Cooray (Excerpted from book written by Srisena Cooray titled “President Premadasa and I – our Story) The day we heard about the killing of the 13 soldiers in Jaffna I went to see Mr. Premadasa. He was on the phone to the President. There was a lot of tension in the country and [...]
‘Black July’ 1983: Remembering the Horrors of a Pogrom
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj The tragic history of post – independence Sri Lanka records that the Tamils of Sri Lanka have been subjected to mass –scale mob violence in the years 1956, 1958, 1977, 1981 and 1983. The anti-Tamil violence of July 1983 was the most terrible and horrible of them all. It remains etched in [...]
‘Genocides and Mass Atrocities Don’t Just Happen Spontaneously: They are Always Planned’
by Hillary Rodham Clinton (Remarks made on July 24th 2012 by US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton at the US Holocaust emorial Forwatd looking symposium on Genocide prevention) Thank you very much, and it’s a tremendous honor for me to be here on this occasion for such an important conference. I want to start [...]
If Journalists and Journalism in Sri Lanka are to be taken seriously Economic Empowerment, Better Education and Training are a must
by Inside Outsider Having been through the grind in the field of Sri Lanka’s mainstream print journalism for nearly two decades, what I feel is a growing sense of frustration. Whatever standards and respectability that was maintained by our past peers are deteriorating to the extent that journalists are being looked at, more with ridicule, [...]
Muslims writing in Tamil Encouraged by Revival of ‘Yatra’ Journal
by K.S.Sivakumaran Writers in Tamil include Muslims, Malays and Thamilians. Most Muslim writers hail from the Eastern province. A good many are living in the western and southern and a few from north central, northwestern and the hill country. Although their writing find a place in national newspapers and magazines there are no exclusive literary [...]
‘What is the injustice committed by Minister Rishad Bathiudeen’?
(Text of Speech made by Hunais Farook , UPFA Vanni Dist MP, in Parliament on July 20 2012) I am thanking you for giving this opportunity. I have the duty to speak about the incidents that took place in Mannar today and yesterday. UNP Member of Parliament, John Amaratunga and Sri Ranga M.P. stated that [...]
Has the time come for us to develop a National Charter on Human Responsibilities?
by Salma Yusuf Much ink has been spilt over the years on the subject of human rights in Sri Lanka. The opinions, observations and indeed ultimatums have emanated from official, unofficial, international and domestic quarters. The issue of media freedom and related rights have come to the fore time and again.
Rapid Reform, Rule of Law and Accountability: Three Point Prescription for Successful Sri Lankan Economy
by Charitha Ratwatte An important feature of the recent Sri Lanka Economic Summit, which both the Guest Speaker Gurcharan Das, Author, Columnist and Management Consultant and Keynote Speaker Dr. Kalpana Kochar, Chief Economist – South Asia of the World Bank, referred to were the opportunities presented to Sri Lanka by the ongoing process of globalisation [...]
She comes from Jaffna: Zamshiya Kaleel Displays her Art in Colombo
By Radhieka Peeris It is not that often that people in Colombo get to witness art exhibitions by muslim women from Jaffna. Against all odds, Zhamshiya Kaleel (54), from Jaffna made it work for her, when she held her maiden solo exhibition of art work at the National Art Gallery recently.
Landscapes, nudes and portraits in charcoal, pencil and watercolours
by Thulasi Muttulingam Landscapes, nudes and portraits in charcoal, pencil and watercolours dot the living room of Mervin Mendis, a retired civil servant, now dedicated artist. “Even as a child, I had a fascination for drawing,” he recalls. “In the absence of other media, I would even draw portraits of people on the sand, with [...]
Election laws violated as Propaganda begins for provincial Polls
By Azra Ameen Loud speakers, parades, posters, cutouts and banners are a common sight during elections. Most candidates feel that not making a public announcement while displaying banners and posters is not a favourable atmosphere for elections. The Election Secretariat had ordered all political parties not to hold rallies and parades on nomination day and [...]
Congresswoman Michelle Bachman spearheads drive to demonise Muslims in USA
by Rob L. Wagner In 1953, young reserve Air Force lieutenant Milo Radulovich lost his security clearance for maintaining a “close and continuing relationship” with people who were communists or had communist sympathies. Those people? His father and sister.
The Arab People are tired of leaders who monopolize Political and Economic Power
By Ahmed E Souaiaia The Arab Spring has provided scholars and analysts with a laboratory to observe radical social change. Tunisia and Egypt taught us about non-violent resistance and the power of the people to overcome regime repression. In Libya, we saw tribal, regional, national, and international actors whose interests intersected to create allies out [...]
