By D.B.S.Jeyaraj William Shakespeare wrote in his play “Julius Caesar” thus – “His life was gentle, and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, This was a man.” . Much hackneyed as they may be , these enduring words of the Bard of Avon aptly …
Continue reading ‘Gamini “Gamma”Weerakoon: From Reporter to Editor.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eleam (LTTE) leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran was born on 26 November 1954. If he were among the living, Prabhakaran would be celebrating his 69th Birth Anniversary today (Nov 26). This article intends focusing on the life and times of the man who determined the politico-military course of the island nation …
Continue reading ‘Little-known Facts About Legendary LTTE Leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran’ »
By Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene Weeks after the November 14th decision of the Supreme Court with the majority holding gross failures in fiscal and monetary discipline by the Rajapaksa-led regime from 2019-2022 had comprised an extraordinary breach of the Public Trust triggering Sri Lanka’s bankruptcy, it does not seem that political leaders or their cheering …
By Mimi Alphonsus In April 2020, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested Mohamed Razeek Mohamed Ramzy at his home in Katugastota for violating the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), among other charges. His crime was to have written a Facebook post urging Muslims to counter alleged racist attacks against their community through …
By Meera Srinivasan Recent arrests made by Sri Lanka police using a controversial anti-terrorism law, whose repeal remains a key demand of rights defenders in the island nation, has sparked concern among Tamil legislators, activists, and international agencies including the UN. In a post on social media platform ‘X’ on Friday, Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian …
For someone who promoted his own views so tirelessly, Henry Kissinger was surprisingly misunderstood. Many see him as the arch-exponent of an amoral realism that tarnishes America. Sure enough, like any diplomat, he lied for his country (and occasionally himself). More disturbingly, he was willing to see tens of thousands of people killed if he …
Early in june 1970, soon after America had invaded Cambodia, Henry Kissinger secretly visited Brian McDonnell, a 27-year-old peacenik he had spotted in Lafayette Park opposite the White House. It was one of his many efforts that year to persuade his younger critics that they should give war a chance. As with so many others, …
(Text of Editorial appearing in the “Daily FT”dated 30 November 2023 under the heading “Get basics right first in Colombo city before envisioning entertainment hub) President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced plans this week to make Colombo an “entertainment hub.” Any plan to make the country’s metropolis a more liveable city and make it tourist-friendly is welcome. …
. By Suhasini Haidar India has set up a “high-level” enquiry committee to look into allegations made by the United States government regarding an Indian plot targeting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S.-based Khalistani activist wanted on terror charges, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced here on Wednesday. The explosive allegations, contained in a U.S. …
By’ Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka has reached an “agreement in principle” with India and the Paris Club group of creditors including Japan, on a debt treatment plan that will help the crisis-hit island nation tap the next tranche of the International Monetary Fund’s nearly-$3 billion recovery package. “The OCC [Official Creditor Committee] and Sri Lanka …
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s highly inappropriate jocularity in Parliament this week when commenting about the ‘Public Trust’ Doctrine only reinforces the (unfortunately) pejorative stamp of his Presidency as undermining the Constitution. ‘Public Trust is everything’ Mind, this is not in the typically crude sledgehammer style of Medamulana rule but more subtle and …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj November 27, 1989, was the day on which the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) first observed its annual “Maaveerar Naal” or Great Heroes Day (GHD). The event continues to be observed in Sri Lanka and by sections of the Global Tamil Diaspora despite the military debacle suffered by the LTTE in May …
Continue reading ‘The Birth and Growth of the “Maaveerar Naal” (Great Heroes Day) Event.’ »
(Text of Speech made by Jaffna District Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran in Parliament on 22.11.2023) Thank you Hon. Chair for the time allocated to speak a few words on these heads of expenditure We have had an interesting debate so far, with his Excellency also participating. One of the institutions under consideration is the constitutional council, …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “It is apparent that the continued inaction to reintroduce and/or to raise taxes, and regain the government revenue that was lost, brought about an adverse impact on the economy which had a domino effect on the entire social fabric.” Supreme Court of Sri Lanka The Supreme Court judgement about the Rajapaksa culpability …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the three Rajapaksa brothers and a cabal of officials were responsible for the economic crisis, delivering an unprecedented judgement that could be the precursor to Sri Lanka’s long march for justice. The Court ruled by the majority judgment that the Rajapaksa brothers and five of …
The name of a top Sri Lankan politician has emerged in the latest release of Pandora Papers two years after the first leak of financial secrets of shell companies in overseas tax shelters. The individual, a minister in President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s cabinet, has been identified as the beneficial owner of two such firms registered in …
By Josh Robertson A retired police commander has shed new light on claims that the former Sri Lankan government may have colluded with a terrorist group for political gain, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people, including Australians, in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The attacks by Islamic state-inspired terrorists on churches and luxury …
By Meera Srinivasan China is “prioritising” the extension of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) to Sri Lanka, the country’s Special Envoy told President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday, in an indication that China is looking to scale up the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project in South Asia. Paying a courtesy call on the Sri Lankan …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Today November 11th is observed in many parts of the World including Sri Lanka as Remembrance day or War memorial day. It is also called Poppy day due to the tradition of wearing a poppy flower. Remembrance day has its origins in the end of world war one. Although world war 1 concluded …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Popular Tamil cinema actor Gemini Ganesan whose 103rd birth anniversary falls on November 17th is regarded widely as the greatest romantic lover in Tamil cinema . In a career spanning more than five decades Gemini Ganesan made his mark in Tamil films as the romantic hero par excellence. In fact he was …
By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene A ringing reminder by the Supreme Court this week holding three Rajapaksas (two former Presidents and a Minister of Finance) along with their economic tsars and a politically driven Monetary Board responsible for Sri Lanka’s calamitous bankruptcy, was that ‘the Rule of Law is not only rights and equality….(it) is also about …
By Dan Sheehan In a video address to the Munich Literature Festival yesterday, the human rights activist and Booker Prize-winning author of The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy made a powerful speech in solidarity with the Gazan people, and with the millions around the world marching for a ceasefire. Roy—who could not attend the …
(Text of Speech made by Jaffna District Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran During the Budget Debate on – 15th November 2023) Thank you presiding member for the opportunity to speak at the second reading of the budget proposals that have been presented to this House by his Excellency the President and Minister of Finance. Whenever I have …
By Chandani Kirinde President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday in Parliament presented his Government’s 2024 Budget, the second since taking office in July 2022 and the last before the country goes to the polls to elect a new Head of State late next year. Though the President made it a point to say it was not an …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda The Supreme Court today held that several respondents including former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and former Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal are responsible for economic crisis in the country.
(Text of Press Release Issued by the President’s Media Division on 14 November 2023) President Ranil Wickremesinghe underscored his desire for a resurgence of cricket in the country, linking its revival to the broader economic recovery. He made these remarks in response to a journalist’s inquiry during a meeting with heads of media organization at …
In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court yesterday determined that ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, along with former Finance Ministers Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, bear responsibility for Sri Lanka’s severe economic crisis and had thereby violated the fundamental rights of the people by mismanaging the economy between 2019 and 2022. The apex court found that the …
(Text of Budget Speech Delivered in Parliament by Preside Ranil Wickremesinghe in his Capacity as Finance Minister on 13 November 2023) Honourable Speaker, The Lord Buddha has elucidated on a concept called “Samjeewikatha” (balance living). He explained this concept in the Vyagghapajja Sutta. The concept elaborates on how to balance our budget. The Buddha has …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The landmark verdict delivered by a three -judge bench of the Supreme court in the first week of October has brought “glad tidings of great joy” to most Sri Lankan political parties in general and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) in particular. The Supreme court bench comprising Justices Padman Surasena , …
Continue reading ‘Rise and Fall of “Hafiz” Nazeer Ahamed in the Muslim Congress.’ »
By Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene The Supreme Court’s pronouncement while examining Sri Lanka’s Online Safety Bill in the determination communicated to the Speaker earlier this month that, ‘Parliament need not wait till a crime is committed to enact laws’ invites a measure of critical scrutiny in good conscience. What or who does the Bill protect? …
The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka has expressed its profound sorrow at the passing away of one of its founding members, Mr. Gamini Weerakoon, whose funeral took place in Colombo yesterday. Mr. Weerakoon was the former Editor of The Island and the Sunday Island.He joined Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., as a parliamentary reporter in …
Gamini Weerakoon, veteran journalist and one-time editor of The Island and Sunday Island, passed away yesterday (Nov 11 2023) after a brief illness. An alumnus of St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia of which he was later a loyal old boy, he entered the Science Faculty of the University of Ceylon (Colombo campus) and later transferred …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj This is the fourth and final part of the article about how I was arrested by the CID and detained on the infamous 4th floor in October 1987. The first,second and third parts were published in the “Daily Mirror” on 14,21 and 30 October respectively. In this fourth and final part the focus …
(Full Text of keynote address by First Lady Prof. Maithree Wickramasinghe delivered at the Breast Cancer Symposium 2023 on the theme ‘Empowering Hope, Uniting Hearts and Advancing Minds’ organized by the Indira Cancer Trust on Friday,13 October 2023) I consider it a distinctive privilege to be here this morning, (though not necessarily to be dressed …
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has suspended Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership of the ICC with immediate effect, the world’s cricket governing body said on Friday, a day after the island nation’s parliament unanimously decided to remove the current administrators of the sport. Sport Minister Roshan Ranasinghe stubbornly took the leadership to sack the current …
Scientists have rediscovered a long-lost species of mammal described as having the spines of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater and the feet of a mole, in Indonesia’s Cyclops Mountains more than 60 years after it was last recorded. Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, named after British naturalist David Attenborough, was photographed for the first timesince …
In a rare moment of unity, parliamentarians of both the Government and the Opposition yesterday came together to unanimously pass a resolution in Parliament against Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). The resolution, titled “Removal of Corrupt Officials, Including the Chairman, from Sri Lanka Cricket Board,” received unanimous support from both Government and Opposition MPs, leading Speaker …
(Text of Speech made by Jaffna District MP M.A.Sumanthiran PC in Parliament on 08th November 2023) Thank you Deputy Chairman for the time allocated for me to speak on the very important bill that has been presented by the Minister of Justice today. I am saying important bill because for a long time the need …
By Sahan Tennekoon The Minister of Sports Roshan Ranasinghe claimed that the recent stay order issued by the Court of Appeal (CA) suspending the Interim Committee appointed to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) depicts the downfall of the country’s Judiciary. Making a special statement in the Parliament yesterday (8), Minister Ranasinghe said that a conflict of …
By Jamila Husain Hours after Sports Minister Roshan Ranasingha appointed an interim committee headed by former cricketer Arjuna Ranatunga to assume control of Sri Lanka Cricket yesterday, an angry President Ranil Wickremesinghe telephoned Ranasingha and asked for an immediate explanation as to why he had made such a move without consulting him or the cabinet. …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The first and second parts of this article published on 14 and 21 Ocober respectively narrated the story of how I was arrested by the CID in October 1987 and detained on the 4th floor for having exposed the realities of the war between the Indian army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil …
Continue reading ‘How the CID Interrogated me About Suspected LTTE -JVP Links on the 4th Floor.’ »
By Meera Srinivasan, Dennis S.Jesudasan A video-recorded message by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was not telecast at the ‘Naam 200’ event in Colombo on Thursday due to reported objection from the Government of India over its “last minute” inclusion. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had addressed the event in person. However, Mr. Stalin’s video message …
(Text of address delivered by President Ranil Wickremesinghe when declaring open the modern courts complex in Welimada on November 3 2023) “The administration of justice we have is about the oldest in Asia coming from the Dutch and the British and we are the oldest as far as the rule of law is concerned. It …
By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s cracklingly combative question as to ‘why does the United Nations apply one rule to Israel and another rule to us?’ when declaring the opening of the Welimada courts complex this Friday must surely delight the hearts of his steadily growing band of nationalist cheerleaders in Sri Lanka. “The end …
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray Friends are the family we choose for ourselves. Friends are the home we never lose, the refuge we can count on when the world turns against us. Friends are the tree that shelters us from everything that is inclement and unseasonal. Johann Wijesinghe was such a friend to me. With him …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “How much past tomorrow holds.” Mahmoud Darwish (A rhyme for the odes Mu’allaquat) During her 2013 visit to Sri Lanka, then UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay wanted to lay a wreath to commemorate the war-dead. “When I go to a country, I like to honour the victims, all victims, victims of …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage will keep her Parliamentary seat after the Court of Appeal ruled in its majority decision that there is no merits in the writ petition which sought an order declaring that she is not qualified to be a Member of Parliament. Social activist Oshala Herath filed this …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj It’s almost official or unofficially official! President Ranil Wickremesinghe has stated publicly that the next Presidential election would be held in 2024. Addressing the United National Party ( UNP)’s Special convention held at the Sugathadasa Stadium on 21 October 2023, the President outlined the timeline for upcoming elections in line with the …
Continue reading ‘Why Ranil Wickremesinghe Wants to Hold a Presidential Election First in 2024.’ »
By Meera Srinivasan Chinese research vessel Shiyan 6, which arrived in Colombo last week amid concerns raised by India and the United States, is set to begin its two-day research off the Sri Lankan coast today, Sri Lankan authorities said. The research will be pursued off Sri Lanka’s western coast, and in collaboration with Sri …
By Sonia Gandhi On October 7, 2023, on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel, killing more than a thousand people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 more. The unprecedented attack was devastating for Israel. The Indian National Congress strongly believes that violence has no place in …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj It was in October 1990 that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forcibly expelled the Tamil speaking Muslim people from the Northern Province in an atrocious act amounting to ethnic cleansing. Within a few days the Muslims were chased out of their homeland where they had lived for many, many centuries. The …
Continue reading ‘“Black October”: The Mass Expulson of Northern Muslims by the LTTE 33 Years ago’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj (This is the second part of the article “How I was Arrested by the CID and Detained on the 4th Floor” published last week) As stated last week, the CID director DIG Bennet Perera showed me the letter written by Defence Secretary Gen.Sepala Attygalle instructing the Police to question me for information …
Continue reading ‘How I went on a “Hunger Strike” in CID Custody on the 4th Floor.’ »
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Spokesman and MP M.A. Sumanthiran writing to IGP C.D. Wickramaratne yesterday questioned the police’s inaction against the recent controversial comments inciting “racial hatred and violence” made by the Chief Incumbent of the Magalaramaya Vihara, Batticaloa – Ampitiye Sumana Thera. In a recent video shot this week the Thera’s behaviour became highly …
Sri Lanka’s human rights activist Ambika Satkunanathan has been appointed to the Board of Trustees of UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture by the UN Secretary General António Guterres. Satkunanathan has worked over twenty years with persons and communities impacted by human rights violations, especially in the conflict-affected North and East, and assisted them …
By Buddhika Samaraweera In the wake of recent controversies pertaining to lands in the Batticaloa District, Eastern Provincial Governor Senthil Thondaman said that the Government has dealt with the people who have forcibly acquired State lands in the district in accordance with the relevant legal provisions and not on the basis of their nationality or …
By Buddhika Samaraweera While it is up to the Defence Ministry to decide whether to implement the Parliament’s Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on National Security’s recommendation to inform United States (US) Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung to refrain from making remarks regarding the internal affairs of Sri Lanka, the said SOC stated that their …
By Ranga Jayasuriya If you keep yourself up to date with local news, you are also likely to be bombarded with an overdose of negativity, which might make an inquisitive tourist ponder whether he or she is in a different country. That dichotomy may partly be due to the differential exposure to the local life, …
The Judiciary of the Nineteenth Judicial District of the Commonwealth of Virginia on 20 October hosted a special ceremony to mark the investiture of the Divani Raveena Nadaraja who is of Sri Lankan origin. Judge Divani Nadaraja’s journey to this prestigious position has been marked by a wealth of experience and dedication to the pursuit …
(Text of Press Release Issued by the Presidents Media Division on 23 October 2023) The three Cabinet ministers took their oaths at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (23), in the presence of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Mr. Keheliya Rambukwella now serves as the Minister of Environment, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera as the Minister of Plantation Industries and …
Apparently ending speculation, President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday confirmed that the elections cycle will begin from next year. Speaking at the UNP’s convention, the President outlined the timeline for upcoming elections in line with the constitutional provisions, detailing that the presidential election is slated for the following year, followed by parliamentary elections. Furthermore, local Government …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “Do not use our death and our pain to bring the death and pain of other people and other families…” Israeli peace activist Noy Katsman (eulogy for his brother Hayim Katsman murdered by Hamas on October 7) Jewish Currents is a US-based leftwing Jewish magazine. Soon after October 7 Hamas attack, its …
By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene Sri Lanka’s political establishment continues to be in unusually excited tumult following this month’s Supreme Court decision in the Nazeer Ahamed case, upholding the opposition Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC)’s expulsion of a dissident member of parliament for voting against the party whip in Parliament. Amusing repercussions of the Court ruling He …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Thirty-six years ago in October 1987, I was arrested by the Sri Lankan Police and detained at the Crminal Investigation Department(CID) Office on the fourth floor of the Police secretariat in Fort, Colombo. I was then working as a journalist for “The Island” in Colombo. I was also the Sri Lanka Correspondent of …
Continue reading ‘How I was Arrested by the CID and Detained on the 4th Floor.’ »
(Text of Speech made on the current Israel – Palestine conflict by Jaffna District Parliamentarian M.A.Sumanthiran on 20th October 2023 in Parliament ) Thank you deputy speaker for the time allocated to speak on this very important issue that is shocking the conscience of the world. Let me at the outset express my solidarity with …
By Yohan Perera In accordance with the Constitution, the Presidential election is scheduled for next year, followed by the parliamentary election, President Ranil Wickremesinghe assured today despite reports that there will be Constitutional reforms instead. “Both the Presidential election and the general elections will be held next year while the Provincial Council election will be …
By Gideon Levy This bloodbath must be stopped immediately; it isn’t leading anywhere good. Massacres can be answered with massacres, but even a terrible massacre like the one perpetrated in southern Israel cannot justify whatever follows it, with no limits. A terrible massacre might even be able to justify another terrible massacre if it has …
Sri Lanka has received conditional nod from the staff of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following the completion of the first review of the $ 3 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program. IMF said the staff-level agreement is subject to the approval by its management and the Executive Board in the period ahead, contingent on: …
(Text of Press Release Issued by President’s Media division on 20th October 2023) President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China stated that China is committed to assisting Sri Lanka in achieving economic stability without any political agenda. He expressed his desire to collaborate closely with President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Furthermore, President Xi Jinping acknowledged …
State Minister Diana Gamage has been admitted to the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital following her claims about being assaulted by a male parliamentarian representing the main opposition. She also filed a complaint with Welikada Police prior to getting hospitalized. Earlier today, during the parliamentary session, Damage accused Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Sujith Sanjaya Perera of …
By Yohan Perera No one should contest the next presidential election for the sake of the nation, UNP Chairman and Member of Parliament Vajira Abeywardana said yesterday. “It is better if no one comes forward to contest the Presidential election next year as it would help the nation to stabilize,” MP Abeywardana told a media …
By Jamila Husain President Ranil Wickremesinghe is likely to make drastic changes in the higher up of the gov-ernment including in the cabinet and the defence ranks following the budget in November, the Daily Mirror learns. The move comes at a time when the government is feeling the heat over the inability of some ministers …
By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana There are no moves to scrap the Executive Presidency as it is a difficult task, Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapaksha told Parliament today. “Scrapping the Executive Presidency is a complicated and difficult process. There is no way we can do it through the present Parliament. It is also an …
The United National Party (UNP) will effect major changes to its constitution at its special convention scheduled for October 21 similar to the reforms introduced way back in 1978, party’s chairman MP Wajira Abeywardena said. He said that the Special Convention will be conducted at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo, at 2p.m. He said …
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene Not so long ago, on the cusp of some general election or the other, there was a pithily phrased segment in one of Sri Lanka’s electronic media channels titled ‘Kawde Pannin Ne?’ (in other words, ‘who will jump next?’) Heady inducements of ‘cross overs’ That was a ‘must watch’ commentary on …
By Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz (Dr Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz are chairman and assistant director (RTI), respectively, at Research Initiatives, Bangladesh ). The importance of people’s right to information (RTI) for good governance and sustainable development is often loudly proclaimed but quietly ignored by people and governments alike. It is heartening, therefore, that …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Mohammed Mihilar Mohammed Hanzeer alias Azad Maulana was the main whistleblower featured in the Channel 4 documentary on Sri Lanka that was aired on 5 September 2023. . Azad Maulana made some startling revelations against former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, State Intelligence Service head Maj-Gen Suresh Salley and Rural Road Development State Minister …
Continue reading ‘Life and Death of EPRLF Razeek the Relentless Tiger Hunter.’ »
By Indika Sakalasooriya China has taken the front seat in Sri Lanka’s external debt restructuring process making a calculated move akin to a chessboard strategy, catching everyone off-guard, by entering a preliminary debt deal with the Sri Lanka authorities. Despite being Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral lender, China remained in shadows as Sri Lanka initiated negotiations …
Human Rights Watch has determined based on verified video and witness accounts that Israeli forces used white phosphorus in military operations in Lebanon and Gaza on October 10 and 11, 2023, respectively. The videos show multiple airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon border. White …
In a static decades-long conflict that has rotted for the past 20 years, it can be hard to believe that real change is possible. Be in no doubt, however, that Hamas’s murderous assault has blown up the status quo between Israel and the Palestinians. The coming weeks will determine whether war in Gaza sinks the …
. By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Kathiravelu Nythiananda Douglas Devananda is a senior Sri Lankan Tamil political leader. The Secretary-General of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party(EPDP) has been continuously representing the Jaffna district in Parliament since 1994. Devananda known generally as Douglas , has served as a cabinet minister in different Governments for more than 15 years. He …
By Jamila Husain Sri Lanka’s political circle has gone into a quandary after information has spread that moves are underway to abolish the executive presidency before the Presidential Election next year as no candidate or political party will be able to secure an over 50 percent win at the polls. The Daily Mirror learns that …
By Meera Srinivasan Several Foreign Ministers, including those of India, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Iran, Malaysia and South Africa, will participate in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo on October 11, 2023, according to the Sri Lankan government, which is preparing to take over as Chair of the regional grouping this …
In the 18 years since withdrawing from the Gaza strip, Israel has invaded it twice. The first occasion was Operation Cast Lead, which involved a 15-day ground invasion in January 2009. The second was Operation Protective Edge in 2014, in which the Israel Defence Forces (idf) spent 19 days on the ground. A third ground …
The attack by Hamas was as unexpected to ordinary people in Gaza as it was in Israel. The Jewish state was horrified not just by videos of black-clad gunmen taking women and children hostage, murdering hundreds of unarmed civilians and overrunning military bases. It was also shocked that its intelligence and military forces had so …
The vicious success of Hamas, the Islamic movement that controls Gaza, in launching a massive terrorist attack on October 7th against communities in southern Israel, leaving at least 800 dead within Israel, without their plans being unveiled is matched by the astounding failure of Israeli intelligence at every level. Officials are in shock that an …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj 78th Birth Anniversary of Vijaya Kumaratunga on 9 October 2023. Kovilage Vijaya Anthony Kumaratunga, known to the world as Vijaya Kumaratunga, was born in Seeduwa on 9 October 1945. Vijaya was an endearing personality with an enduring vision whom I liked, admired and respected very much. He was a man who envisaged the …
Israelis woke on October 7th, Simchat Torah, the Jewish festival which celebrates the end of the yearly cycle of reading the Torah, to a hail of more than 2,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip, the Palestinians’ tiny coastal enclave. But soon reports began filtering through of a much more devastating attack. Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist …
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene If the Bard once said in a somewhat excessively sentimental aside that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, we can only remark that Sri Lanka’s counter terrorism or anti-terrorism bills emanate a distinctly unpleasant odour, irrespective of whatever ‘name’ it possesses. Risk of imperilling national security To …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The first part of this article was published in the “Daily Mirror”of 16 September 2023 under the heading “Who is Hanzeer Azad Maulana the Whistleblower on Channel 4?”. The focus of that piece was Mohammed Mihilar Mohammed Hanzeer alias Azad Maulana who appeared on a documentary aired on 5 September 2023 by the …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda The Supreme Court in a landmark judgment today determined that the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress’ decision to expel Minister Nazeer Ahamad from the party membership is legally valid. With this Supreme Court judgment, Nazeer Ahamad’s expulsion will lead to the loss of his parliamentary seat.
By Tisaranee Gunasekara Ramzi Razeek was arrested in the early days of the pandemic when knowledge of the virus was sketchy and myths filled the gaps. The Rajapaksa regime had militarised a health crisis. The army commander was running the show. Patients were treated like enemy aliens, entire communities forced into poorly-prepared quarantine centres literally …
By Kshama Ranawana Ranil Wickremesinghe just dug himself into a hole! In attempting to outsmart Deutsche Welle’s Martin Gak during an interview, President Wickremesinghe said that there had been no external involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday massacre. Claiming that the Sri Lankan government will not entertain an international inquiry, Wickremesinghe said he forgot to …
BY Kesara Abeywardena In recent times, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been making headlines with his candid and outspoken remarks on critical geopolitical issues during his foreign visits. His latest interview with DW News in Germany, although more of a verbal sparring match than a usual run-of-the-mill television interview, shows a stance against what could be …
By Ruki Fernando Today, 4th October will be 5000 days since the disappearance of cartoonist, journalist and human rights defender Prageeth Ekneligoda. It is also nearly 5000 days since I first met his wife Sandya Ekneligoda, in the initial days of her struggle to search for Prageeth and to hold those responsible accountable. The Ekneligoda …
By Dr.Radhika Coomaraswamy More than any other religion Buddhism has the capacity to capture the imagination of many people born to other faiths. Its intellectual clarity, its appeal to reason and foresight has appealed to those not born into the tradition. Being an outsider allows you to forsake the ritual and customs that parochialise all …
BY D.B.S.Jeyaraj (Article Commemorating Sivaji Ganesan’s 95th Birth Anniversary on October 1st 2023) Sivaji Ganesan, M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and Gemini Ganesan comprised the triumvirate that dominated Tamil cinema in India from the fifties to the seventies of the 20th century. The most senior of the trio was M.G.Ramachandran who was born in 1917. MGR passed …
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene Four months ago, President Ranil Wickremesinghe was quick to retort to his detractors, (friendly or otherwise), who were outraged by the Broadcasting Regulatory Commission Bill that he is a media ‘defender’ and, as such, had abolished criminal defamation laws in Sri Lanka. Presidential assurances and UK precedents Apparently stung by strident …
By Ravana Foreign Minister Ali Sabry has needlessly poked his finger into the Canada-India row. Sri Lanka has nothing to do with the Khalistan issue. The Canada-India row is purely a bilateral issue, where Sri Lanka has no status to get involved in a dispute outside her political spectrum. Minister Sabry was going on at …
Continue reading ‘The Diplomatic Buffoonery of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry’ »
. By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Remembering the Tiger “Martyr” Thileepan on his 36th Death anniversary -Part Two Rasiah Partheeban alias Thileepan engaged in a fast unto death protest on 15 September 1987. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE )stalwart died after 12 days of fasting on 26 September without even drinking water. Thileepan’s 36th death anniversary was …
By Meera Srinivasan A district judge from Mullaitivu in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province has resigned and fled the country citing threats to his life, Tamil media in Sri Lanka reported on September 29. In a letter that several publications reproduced in their news reports, Mullaitivu District Judge T. Saravanaraja — who recently ruled on two …
By Siva Parameswaran A senior Tamil Judge in the war-torn district of Mullaitheevu has resigned from his post and has fled the country fearing for the safety of his life. Mullaitheevu District Judge and Magistrate T. Saravanarajah has said his life is under threat in his letter of resignation sent to the Judicial Services Commission …
Mullaitheevu District Judge T. Saravanarajah has tendered his resignation from his posts due to threats on his life and a lot of stress, the Mullaitivu District Magistrate said. His resignation letter was sent to the secretary of the Judicial Services Commission on September 23. According to the letter, he resigned from the post of District …
By Anusha Rathi and Jack Detsch Congress is calling on the Biden administration to formally hold Sri Lanka responsible for its human rights abuses and violation of international humanitarian law, including decades of torture, military abuse, and other “horrific crimes” carried out against the country’s minority Tamil population. In a letter sent to Secretary of …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The first part of the article titled “Who is Hanzeer Azad Maulana the Whistleblower on Channel 4? Was published in these columns last week. Even as I was writing the second part of the article, I received some interesting information about an event in Geneva relating to the Channel 4 TV documentary and …
. By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The twenty-sixth of September has become an important day in Sri Lanka ever since the then Prime minister Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (SWRDB) was assassinated in 1959. Bandaranaike who was shot by Talduwa Somarama Thera on 25 September, succumbed to his injuries the following day. September 26th however is of particular …
Continue reading ‘Remembering the Tiger “Martyr” Thileepan on his 36th Death anniversary.’ »
By Meera Srinivasan Following India, the U.S. has raised concern with the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration, over the scheduled visit of a Chinese research vessel to Sri Lanka in October, Colombo-based media has reported. In a recent meeting with Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland took up …
By B.Kolappan As the country gears up for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the political discourse in Tamil Nadu is highly polarised. An opinion on any issue in the news is expected to be in favour of either the Hindutva ideology or the Dravidian ideology; a middle path is viewed with suspicion from those on …
By Bhuvanesh Chandar Greta Lee’s Nora turns her back to Teo Yoo’s Hae Sung and to a life she could no longer even daydream, and walks back to John Magaro’s Arthur, a life she was gifted with. The rain outside as I watched the scene might just be the tears of all star-crossed souls. And …
Continue reading ‘Why is Tamil cinema so reluctant to explore varied shades of romance?’ »
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene It takes a Government wholly insensible to public opinion to be audacious enough to gazette two Bills grievously impacting on constitutional liberties of citizens literally within a few days apace. Doom for Sri Lanks’s constitutional governance Or maybe this was precisely the intent, deadly and clear in its message. First, the …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Britain’s Channel 4 TV aired the documentary “Sri Lanka’s Easter Bombings” in its “Dispathes” program on Tuesday 5 September 2023 at 11:05pm. Prior to the telecast, Channel 4 Dispatches stated that the documentary has “exclusive interviews with high placed whistleblowers who allege that some Sri Lankan government officials were complicit in the bombings. …
In a damning report released in Geneva, coinciding with the 42nd regular session of UN Human Rights Council, the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) has named 58 from the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) of the Sri Lankan police as those involved in systematic brutal torture and sexual violence against men and women. Seventy-three survivors …