By Ayesha Zuhair ‘Secure the Sanctity of Life’ is a message for all times – not just in times of war. That was the message inscribed in Sinhala, Tamil and English on a brightly coloured street mural at the Kynsey Road / Rosmead Place intersection in Borella. For both pedestrians and motorists alike, it was [...]
Archive of entries posted on 8th August 2012
More Thuggery In The Name Of Buddhism
by Indi Samarajiva I’m a Buddhist and have the utmost respect for the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, that being the community of practice. There are, however, claimed and robed Buddhists who are a shame to us all, to all Sri Lankans. For example, in Panamai, a mob led by a Buddhist monk has [...]
Sri Lanka in the midst of a National Revival is One of the most Peaceful and Stable Countries in the World
by Gotabaya Rajapaksa (Text of Keynote address by Defence and Urban development secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at opening ceremony of Defence Seminar – 2012′, at the Galadari Hotel, Colombo on August 8th 2012) It gives me great pleasure to address the Opening Ceremony of the Defence Seminar 2012. This is the second successive year in which [...]
‘I am a Woman of Principle and the UNP is my base Party’
Rosy Senanayake Interviewed by Dianne Silva Q:There have been a number of reports of child abuse in recent months, do you think that the responsibility of curtailing these incidents lies in the hands of the police and that they are doing enough to control the situation?
Government has Developed a Mania for Helicopters says Karu Jayasuriya
by Ajith Siriwardana Senior UNPer Karu Jayasuriya said today the government had developed a helicopter mania and were blatantly abusing state resources for their election campaign as never before. “They are using helicopters unnecessarily even to travel a short distance, such as attending a school sports meet,” he told a news conference in Colombo this [...]
Courts Suspend UNP Constitutional Amendment to Extend Party Leader Term for 6 Years
By Ananda Weerasuriya Mount Lavinia District Judge Priyantha Fernando issued an enjoining order yesterday, preventing the United National Party (UNP) Working Committee (WC) from extending the term of the party leadership to six years. The judge also issued notice on UNP leader Ranil Wickremesighe and 85 members of the WC to appear in Court on [...]
‘We Believe There is National Oppression of the Tamil and Muslim People but Reject Self-Determination or Devolution to North-Eastern Lanka’-FLSP
Premakumar Gunaratnam Interviewed by Peter Boyle Premakumar Gunaratnam, an ethnic Tamil from Sri Lanka, who now has Australian citizenship, returned to his home country in September 2011 to help organise the launch of a new left party, the Frontline Socialist Party (FLSP), a major breakaway from the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP, People’s Liberation Front). He [...]
Reconciliation is important in conflict prevention, co-existence and nation building
By Richard Obedi (An Ugandan perspective on the problems faced by Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling for the country’s citizens to build a new relationship amongst themselves; based upon a real understanding of each other’s respective needs, fears and aspirations) Post-Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) – split along ethno-national lines into three constituent people – denies [...]
“French Policy Towards Sri Lanka is Determined by Principles and Values and not influenced by the Tamil Diaspora “- French Envoy
By Ayesha Zuhair Christine Robichon, Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, while commending the “huge progress” accomplished on the economic front, opines that economic development alone is not sufficient to achieve a just and lasting peace. Foreign friends, she further asserts, cannot help much in [...]
