by Austin Fernando Having read a post by HE Jaliya Wickramasuriya, our Ambassador in the USA, titled “A Role for Sri Lanka in US Pivot to Asia”, I thought it may be ideal to understand how others compete to be in the US pivot to Asia to do business. I mean “business” only in economic …
Beirut) – United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities should not deport 19 Tamil refugees to Sri Lanka because they would be at serious risk of torture and persecution upon return. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has recognized all 19 as refugees, but the UAE authorities have told the group they must leave the country by …
By A Special Correspondent Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan has urged the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Naina Lal Kidwai to cancel the proposed trip by a delegation of Parliamentarians to Sri Lanka, “in solidarity with the sufferings of innocent civilian Tamils in Sri Lanka and …
By Meera Srinivasan A delegation of six Indian parliamentarians will visit Sri Lanka between April 8 and April 12. They will also visit Colombo and Jaffna during the trip, which is being organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
By Janaka Perera The 42nd anniversary of the April 1971 insurgency fell on Friday. This is an account of little-known facts of the attempt to free JVP Leader Rohana Wijeweera from the Jaffna Prison during the uprising. In 1969-1970 the JVP – then popularly called the Che Guevarists – was supporting the Opposition United Front’s …
by Izeth Hussain I read in a newspaper an account of a recent meeting on the Government’s foreign policy, in which several ex-Ambassadors and others had participated. The outcome was apparently unfavorable to the Government, since it was seen as making foreign policy mistakes which have placed Sri Lanka in a very disadvantageous position. In …
By Ranga Jayasuriya True to Sri Lankan style, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to appoint a ‘presidential commission’ to conduct an inquiry into the Matale mass grave. The mandate of the proposed commission is to be finalized in two days, Presidential Spokesman Mohan Samaranayake, said, confiding to our correspondent that he too is awaiting further …
By Ranga Jayasuriya (A grieving mother of two teenage sons who were abducted by the Army in 1989, narrates how she was stopped and sent back when she went to meet then Military Coordinating Officer (MCO) for Matale, Lt. Col. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa). The two teenage sons of K.G. Kamalawathi were snatched by the soldiers who …
by Kamal Nissanka The Liberal Party is concerned about the ongoing multifaceted campaigns by a few self-proclaimed organizations in Sri Lanka against religious minorities. A clear sinister campaign is also launched by these organizations to boycott commercial establishments run by Muslims. The Liberal Party understands that the demands by these extremist organizations cannot be practically …
By Umesh Moramudali With racial discrimination on the rise, Minister of National Languages and Social Integration, Vasudeva Nanayakkara is due to submit a Cabinet paper, seeking approval to ban hate language, which is designed to incite communal disharmony. Ceylon Today interviewed asked him about the steps he intends taking to stem the increasing incidents of …
By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema TNA parliamentarian, Attorney-at-Law M. A. Sumanthiran says the international community has realized that the request for time and space is not a genuine one but only for the government to implement its own agenda. He observed that if the government acts responsibly at least at this stage and engages constructively with …
The famed Tamil Language scholar and Tamil Pandit Madulugiriye Wijerathne was honoured with the Buddha’s Light Award for the monumental contribution he has made for the propagation of Buddhism through the Tamil Language.
by N. Sathiya Moorthy Military Spokesman Brig. Ruwan Wanigasooriya’s exposition that Sri Lanka will need foreign help to determine the number of deaths in ‘Eelam War IV’ stands to reason. He has said, and rightly so, that many have migrated through the years of ethnic conflict; some among the 300,000 freed from the LTTE’s clutches …
By Krishan Francis COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A red-robbed Buddhist monk calmly picked up stones and hurled them at a security camera. Then, as police looked on, his followers smashed up a popular, Muslim-owned clothing store. Last month’s attack on the Fashion Bug chain near Colombo, filmed by a local television station whose cameraman …
Continue reading ‘Anti-Muslim Campaign led by Buddhist Monks is Fast Gaining Ground Among Youth’ »
Who is Dr.Indra Samarasekera? She is the 12th president of the University of Alberta, one of Canada’s most respected research-intensive universities. Building strong international partnerships is a signature feature of her leadership. The International aspect involves German Research Centres, the Aga Khan University, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) apart from others. Indira Samarasekera is …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “The history or the future of Sri Lanka does not belong to any group”. Ranasinghe Premadasa (Speech on 12.11.1990) Character can be fate, for both individuals and collectives. The answer to where Sri Lanka is headed depends, at least in part, on what Sri Lanka is. In 1956, the dominant Sinhala opinion …
By Kuldip Nayar Sri Lanka and India, although separated only by a channel, have never gotten along well. It is like the UK and France being at war with each other, centuries ago. Both Colombo and New Delhi are really distant neighbours. Their mistrust is so deep that one attributes all types of motives to …
By Ven Maduluwewa Sobitha Thero 1. Abolition of Executive Presidency The Executive Presidency (EP) shall be immediately and totally abolished with a return to a Parliamentary form of Government. The best thing that can happen is for the present Government to agree to the abolition of the Executive Presidency and bring a constitutional amendment to …
Continue reading ‘Suggestions for Immediate Constitutional Reform’ »
by Manjula Dissanayake Who are the “diaspora”? The International diaspora Engagement Alliance (IdEA) describes them as “a community of people who live outside their shared country of origin or ancestry, but maintain active connections with it. A diaspora includes both emigrants and their descendants.” According to the World Bank, the official global diaspora remittances reached …
By Dr.Ruvaiz Haniffa The speech of Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thera at a public meeting in Kandy on March 17 shamed the nation and sent shudders over the spines of the island’s Muslim community. Addressing the gathering Bodu Bala Sena Secretary Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thera asked the Sinhalese to rise against the island’s Muslims, whom he …
By Dr. Devanesan Nesiah The title of this article is a line from a beautifully haunting hymn written by Bishop Heber of Calcutta who, clearly, had an imperialistic mindset. He visited our island in 1825, and the hymn must have been written around that time. The next line reads, ‘The Heathen in his blindness bows …
Continue reading ‘Where every prospect pleases, man alone vile’ »
By Vishnuguptha “Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.” ~Charles de Gaulle In this fast changing world, most of those closet-gay guys and gals came out of their self-built closets and identified themselves as what they really are-either gay or not. …
By Christie F.J.Richards Rod is R.D. Perera. We met in 1954 when he enrolled in the University Entrance class (HSC) at Jaffna College. Before it became associated with the slogan of Eelam, Vaddukoddai’s sole claim to fame was that Jaffna College was located there. Apart from that Vaddukoddai was a cultural desert. There were no …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj In a bizarre move tinged with “black humour” the anti-Muslim, Bodhu Bala Sena(BBS)is planning to form its own Muslim unit within its organizational structure in the near future.
By Valli Sanmugalingam and Ali Beydoun In Sept. 2007, Mahmoud Ahmedinaejad, president of the authoritarian and oppressive Iranian regime, gave a speech at Columbia University, claiming that “women in Iran enjoy the highest levels of freedom” and denying that the Holocaust occurred. The speech was met with uproar and protests from within Columbia University as …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “A state of permanent war….where violence pervades all spheres of life, where the rich flourish and the poor live in misery; a state that will be deserted by the best of its children? Yuri Avnery (Countercurrents) Last week, the Cimmerian darkness enveloping Sri Lanka was breached by a spark of resistance. The …
By D.B.S.JEYARAJ Weligama in Matara District of the Southern Province has become the latest venue of anti –Muslim activity in Sri Lanka.Weligama meaning “Sandy Village”in Sinhala is situated 144 Km from and is a well-known tourist destination in the Island.Although Sinhalese are the preponderant majority in the area the population of Weligama is diverse with …
Text and Pix by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai Temple worship is an integral part of Hinduism. Illustrative of this “Kopuram” or the tower over the main entrance of the temple is splendidly covered with sculpted images of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, and celestial beings. The tower is meant to be visible from afar, so that devotees can …
The Most Revd Justin Welby was today enthroned as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury in a service that celebrated the diversity of the Anglican Communion. As the Archbishop of Canterbury entered the cathedral, he was greeted by a fanfare and questioned by Evangeline Kanagasooriam, a young member of the congregation. He replied: “I am Justin, …
By Dharisha Bastians “The attack on religious freedoms radicalises the polity and unleashes dangers that cannot be controlled even by those who foster them” Retired Supreme Court Justice C.V. Wigneswaran at the BASL Convocation on 30 March Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem meeting with Australia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bob J Carr and Immigration Minister Brendan …
By Dharisha Bastians More than three years after he made a bid for the presidency and 10 months after his release from prison, former Army Chief Sarath Fonseka yesterday inaugurated his political party under the symbol of the flaming torch, pledging to change Sri Lanka’s political culture and restore much-needed democracy.The Elections Commission formally registered …
by National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (Text of Press Release Issued by the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka) The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) is deeply concerned regarding the prevalence in Sri Lanka of an organized campaign of hatred against adherents of non‐majority faiths. In recent months Muslims …
(Text of a media release issued by the Tamil National Alliance) The Tamil National Alliance expresses its grave concern over an attack today, 3rd March 2013, by armed assailants of the Kilinochchi distribution office of the Uthayan newspaper. Two staff were hospitalized after sustaining injuries, and property – including vehicles – has been damaged. The …
by Karu Jayasuriya M.P. (Text of Media Release by Hon. Karu Jayasuriya UNP Member of Parliament Gampaha District – 3rd April 2013) Once again the right of the people in the North to hold dissenting opinion has been threatened. The latest example is the attack on the office of the Udayan newspaper by goons. According …
By Frances Harrison Perhaps most shocking was that they came in military uniform to an arts festival. It could have been a bold move to include a session on war reporting in the latest literary event in the Sri Lankan capital – Colomboscope. Sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank and organised by the British Council and …
by YUDHANJAYA WIJERATNE (ALCH3MIST) Once, in Europe, there was a country that had just gotten through a war. It wasn’t the best place to be. It wasn’t the richest country in the world. Nevertheless, it was home to large numbers of people from a variety of races. People were, by and large, getting along and …
They call upon Centre to impose economic sanctions on island nation Endorsing the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution on Sri Lanka, the South Indian Artistes Association, the apex body of film actors in South India, on Tuesday called upon the Union government to impose economic sanctions on the island nation till the safety and rights of …
By Upul Joseph Fernando When the resolution against Sri Lanka was being tabled in Geneva, it was the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Hina Rabbani Khar, who appeared to be the busiest person, perhaps, even more so than our own Minister of External Affairs. She took special pains to instruct to the Pakistan High Commissioner in …
By Dr.Vickramabahu Karunaratne Kandy people’s assembly met at the YMBA hall on 31 Sunday. This is the 3rd such assembly to meet, after Colombo and Kurunegala. All these were organised by the civil society organizations led by the Platform for Freedom. The Protest of the Opposition, the action alliance convened by the leader of the …
By P.Jayaram Way back in 1994, four Colombo-based Indian journalists and the Sinhalese correspondent of an international news agency got a rare permission to visit Jaffna. Rare because, at that time, the northern peninsula was almost totally controlled by the Tamil Tigers, who had driven out the government forces in conventional battles. Journalists required permission …
By Indika Sri Aravinda Minister of National Language and Social Integration Vasudeva Nanayakara is to submit a Cabinet paper seeking a ban on extremist groups, including the Bodu Bala Sena, Ravana Balaya and Sinhala Ravaya. The Minister told The Sunday Leader that the Cabinet paper is being drafted and will be submitted in two weeks …
By Nita Bhalla NEW DELHI, (AlertNet) – The Sri Lankan government must find and prosecute those responsible for the massacre of 17 aid workers during the country’s 25-year civil war, French charity Action Contre La Faim (ACF) has said. The killing of the aid workers, who were shot at point-blank range outside their office in …
by Dasun Edirisinghe JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva yesterday called for legal action against those responsible for torturing and killing his party members between 1987 and 1990. Addressing the meida in Colombo, he said President Mahinda Rajapaksa had campaigned against the killing of youth by the then UNP government’s death squads and later the People’s …
By S.L.Gunasekara What greater act of enmity and/or treachery can one country commit towards another other than by arming, equipping and training a gang of disgruntled citizens of that country to commit mass murders of residents of the latter country, regardless of their ages, genders, ethnicity and/or religious persuasions and to destroy the property of …
By Chrishanthi Christopher The Hambantota Port, named after President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is proving to be a disaster. The Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port (MMRP), opened two years ago with the aim of increasing the number of cargo ships berthing at the Port, and rejuvenating bunkering, which at this point in time has proved to be a …
by Karu Jayasuriya M.P. (Brief Notes of the Media Conference held by Hon. Karu Jayasuriya MP UNP for Gampaha District, on 2nd April 2013) • This press conference is being held today at a time when all spheres in the country are in disarray. • When we look at some incidents, we get the feeling …
By Praveen Swami I’d travelled up the elevators in the Akashdeep Building up to the eleventh floor, as high as they would go. Less than two dozen steps now separated me from the Asian Regional Institute of the Juche Idea, the largest Indian outpost of “supreme commander Kim Jong-Il and his impregnable country”. Kim’s trusted …
Continue reading ‘Political ‘Fan Bhakti’ is killing Indian democracy’ »
By D.B.S.JEYARAJ A blatant attempt is underway in Sri Lanka to “cover up” and whitewash the despicable role played by the “Bodhu Bala Sena”(Buddhist Power Force)in the recent attack at Pepiliyana on the Muslim owned apparel establishment”Fashion Bug”. Although the Bodhu Bala Sena(BBS) has disclaimed responsibility for the incident ,such denial seems rather unconvincing as …
By D.B.S.JEYARAJ Sri Lanka’s national flag was disgraced and disrespected in the Northern town of Kilinochchi on Saturday March 30th 2013 when a motley crew of “State Terrorists” launched a stone attack on the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) office premises while a political discussion was in progress. The assortment of state sponsored, inebriated rowdies shouting …
By Charitha Ratwatte Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor recently commented that “Africa must shake off its romantic view of China and accept Beijing as a competitor as much as a partner capable of the same exploitative practices as the old European colonial powers.” Governor Lamido Sanusi reflects the growing number of senior African bureaucrats who fear …
By An Anonymous Writer When elephants fight it is the grass that suffers, so goes an old Kenyan proverb. In the maelstrom of political hysteria unleashed by Jayalalitha and Karunanidhi ostensibly in aid of Sri Lankan Tamils, democracy, truth and solidarity have been the biggest casualties. Over the past few months, Tamil Nadu has witnessed …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Lanka is faced with its Srebrenica moment. The Judicial Medical Officer’s report on the mass grave at the Matale Hospital premises, and another specialist report by Prof. Raj Somadeva, the Professor of Forensic Archaeology at the University of Kelaniya, have established that (a) the mass grave dates back to the government’s counter-insurgency …
By Dilrukshi Handunnetti Veteran film actor Ravindra Randeniya refers to him as the ‘master of movie set-making’, an apt title for Errol Kelly, Sri Lanka’s quintessential art director and production designer, who, despite his international repute and an incomparable contribution to the world of cinema, remains the epitome of humility. For Errol Kelly, it had …
By C. V.Wigneswaran (Text of address delivered by former Supreme Court Judge C.V.Wigneswaran at 39th annual convocation of Bar Association of Sri Lanka on March 30th 2013 ) Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwaraha Guru Saakshaat Para Brahma Tasmai Shree Gurave Namaha Your Ladyship Dr.Mrs.Shirani Bandaranaike, President of the Bar Association Mr.Upul Jayasuriya, Former …
By Upul Jayasuriya (Text of Inaugural Address by Upul Jayasuriya PC the New President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka at the Navaranghagala on March 30th 2013) Ven. Maha sangha, Your Lordships Judges of the Supreme Court Hon. Attorney General, Your Lordship President of the Court of Appeal and other judges of the Court …
Text and Pix Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapatipillai Women in the North and East were pushed to bear a double burden, after the men in the families were killed by the war, disappeared, surrendered or were detained during and after the end of the war. “My son is a fisherman and has been missing since 2008 from Mannar” …
Continue reading ‘Women in Families of “Disappeared” Take on New Role as Sole Breadwinners’ »
By Izeth Hussain Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, the term “racism” has come into vogue. I myself have been using it for years, in preference to the term “ethnic” in connection with our famous ethnic problem. But otherwise it has been normally used in Sri Lanka only to allege “Tamil racism”, the assumption behind which is …
Continue reading ‘Genocidal Drive is the Underlying Reality Behind Racist Anti-Muslim Campaign’ »
By N. Sathiya Moorthy Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, has reiterated the government’s post-war apprehension that the mood of the international community, particularly the sentiments in the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu, could ‘discourage those pushing for devolution of power under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.’ Much as Colombo would have to share a …
By S.Sivathasan “Youth is the embodiment of revolt and revolt is the very quintessence of youth.” Nehru What is seen in Tamil Nadu now are the words of Nehru in full flush. The students and the youth have given expression to their depth of feeling in ample measure. An emotional upsurge sparked by the continuing …
By Vishnuguptha Cricket, the celebrated game of gentlemen is turning out to be a totally farcical spectacle manipulated and maneuvered by power-brokers and unscrupulous traders of corruption and bribery. The days of glory and glamour seem to have passed; though some spectacular display on the field appears to be continuing both with the willow and …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “The elephant is crashing about in the room, trampling people to death, and politely ignoring it is no longer an option”. AC Grayling (To Set Prometheus Free) With the mob-attack on a Muslim-owned shop, Sri Lanka took a giant leap towards a new conflagration. The attack on the Pepiliyana outlet of the …
By Thayalan Bartlett “On a quiet day in August of 1977, the night mail train from Bandarawela was making its way to Colombo. On the winding journey to the capital the train routinely stopped at Nawalapitya at around 1.00am to take in passengers. Breaking the still of the night were blood-curdling shouts from people embarking …
by Capt.Elmo Jayawardena (Long War, Cold Peace by Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka -Vijitha Yapa Publishers- A review by Capt Elmo Jayawardena ) Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka has not stopped at merely hitting the nail on the head; he’s gone a lot deeper. The man has taken a Black and Decker and drilled the skull of the reader and …
Continue reading ‘“Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka,I Salute You for a Book of Excellence”’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj A mob numbering hundreds led by Buddhist monks attacked the showroom cum warehouse complex of the reputed apparel firm”Fashion Bug” in the suburbs of Colombo city at about 8 pm on Thursday March 28th 2013. The Muslim owned “Fashion Bug”chain of clothing stores with the motto of catering to “changing life styles” is …
By Vishnuguptha At a ‘Think Tank’ session held in the South a couple of weeks ago, an American representative in attendance in the audience made a very relevant point. Drawing an example from his own country’s 2004 Presidential Elections, he stated that a party that is running on a totally negative platform would always lose, …
By Jaliya Wickramasuriya As economic and political power shifts east, western nations are responding by reinforcing trade and security alliances across Asia. With the U.S.-Korea free trade agreement, a new military base in Australia, and deepening alliances across the region, the U.S. has recommitted to the Asia Pacific. As President Obama’s foreign policy pivots to …
By Austin Fernando Robert O. Blake has once said, “International mechanisms can become appropriate in cases where states are either unable or unwilling to meet their obligations.” After Geneva March 2013, US officials have reiterated this in stricter terms. TNA MP Suresh Premachandran has said the final Geneva Resolution will not relieve the affected Tamils …
Continue reading ‘Responding to Geneva by Exemplary Restitution’ »
By Human Rights Watch (New York, March 28, 2013) – The Sri Lankan government should act on the call by a government deputy minister to investigate war crimes by examining his own role in serious abuses, Human Rights Watch said today. In early March 2013, Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, known as Col. Karuna, called for …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants…” Camus (Resistance, Rebellion and Death) The Rajapaksas are imposing the superstructure of a prosperous, developed nation on the base of an underdeveloped, cash-strapped economy. The Rajapaksas are antagonising every single ethnic and religious minority in Sri Lanka, simultaneously. …
(Text of Interview given by Robert O. Blake, Jr. Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs to the BBC Sinhala Service) BBC: First of all, this is the second resolution, and having agreed the international community that Sri Lanka has so far failed to implement their pledges, their obligations. What would the U.S. …
By G. Parthasarathy With a population of barely 20 million, people in Sri Lanka have, in recent years, shed earlier prejudices and fears about India. Roughly one-third of its Tamil population of 3 million are descendants of Indian workers. Facing discrimination in the years following independence, Tamils who have inhabited the island’s north-east for centuries, …
By Dharisha Bastians A swashbuckling opening for the country’s second airport ahead of a vote on a US-backed resolution against Sri Lanka could not quite take away the sting of defeat at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Days later, warning bells sounded in Washington DC about an impending international war crimes probe if Sri …
Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Interviewed by Dianne Silva (Academic and former Diplomat Dayan Jayatilleka spoke to the Daily Mirror on the consequences of the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution against Sri Lanka, the importance of holding the Northern Provincial Council elections in a free and fair manner and Sri Lanka’s lack of foreign policy architecture). Consequences …
By Latheef Farook The speech of Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thera at a public meeting in Kandy on March 17 shamed the nation and sent shudders over the spines of the island’s Muslim community. Addressing the gathering Bodu Bala Sena Secretary Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thera asked the Sinhalese to rise against the island’s Muslims, whom he …
By B.Kolappan From a bitter critic of the LTTE to a champion of the ‘Tamil Eelam’ cause, the political evolution of the AIADMK headed by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has always been a roller-coaster ride.
by Vishakha Wijenayake The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) has highlighted in their website the fact the latest census reports have indicated a reduction of the percentage of the Buddhists in Sri Lanka by around nine per cent during the recent past. Stirred up the masses The BBS has likewise stirred up the masses with rhetoric …
By Frances Harrison Sri Lanka is a test case for reform of the Commonwealth, intended to produce a renewed commitment to rule of law, democracy and human rights. It looks as if the 54-nation body is already failing dismally. The custodian of the Commonwealth’s political values is a rotating group of Foreign Ministers gathered in …
By Sankaran Krishna A photograph often cuts through tonnes of verbiage and exposes the truth. One such photograph was published on March 19 soon after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi announced his party’s withdrawal from the United Progressive Alliance government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It showed a handful of smiling DMK …
By D.B.S.JEYARAJ The latest target in the on going anti-Muslim campaign of the Bodhu Bala Sena (BBS)is Ms.Ferial Ashraff, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Singapore. The BBS has demanded that Ferial Ashraff’s services be terminated immediately and that she be recalled from Singapore. The demand was made publicly by the Bodhu Bala Sena General Secretary …
By Dr.Vickramabahu Karunaratne The US resolution on accountability and reconciliation, which was moved at the UNHRC, remains a threat directed at the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. But many Tamils feel that it falls far short of their expectations. It is naïve of them to believe that global powers will go against a regime that has won …
By Major General Boniface Perera RWP RSP Sri Lanka is an island with a land mass of 65,610 Sq km. About 74% of the Sri Lankan population is represented by Sinhalese and about 12.55% is Tamils, the majority of who live in the North and the East of the island and the rest is represented …
The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday called upon the Union government to take steps to move a resolution in the United Nations Security Council, asking for various measures against the Sri Lankan regime including a referendum for the creation of separate Eelam. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa moved the resolution and the House adopted it unanimously through …
By P.Satyanarayana CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa has called for a referendum among Sri Lankan Tamils on the formation of a ‘Separate Eelam’ (Tamil land) within Sri Lanka. The referendum, she said, should be held for the sake of their future welfare. “The referendum should be conducted among Tamils in Sri Lanka and …
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA-Sri Lanka’s former captain Arjun Ranatunga on Wednesday slammed IPL Governing Council’s decision to withdraw Sri Lankan cricketers from Chennai matches of the tournament and asked the players to opt out of the entire high-profile event beginning from April 3.
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA-Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan is disappointed at the IPL governing council’s move to disallow players from his country to play matches in Chennai, a decision taken in view of the prevailing anti-Sinhalese sentiments in the state. Bowing to intense political pressure, top Sri Lankan players were yesterday withdrawn from the Chennai …
by Dr.SUDHARSHAN SENEVIRATNE (TEXT OF ACCEPTANCE SPEECH DELIVERED AT THE AWARDS CEREMONY OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA on January 4th at Seattle. USA) President Bartman, members and professionals of the AIA, Ladies and Gentlemen! I was honored to receive a communication from President Bartman stating my name as recipient of the 2013 Award for …
Continue reading ‘Humanizing, De-colonizing and De-politicizing Archaeology & Heritage Management’ »
By Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. (Remarks by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha at the launch on Saturday March 23, at COLOMBOSCOPE, of Dayan Jayatilleka’s ‘Long War, Cold Peace’ -Vijitha Yapa Publishers, 2013) In Parliament yesterday I told Dr Jayalath Jayawardena, who is a master manipulator, that instead of making insidious use of the government’s misfortunes, he should be …
By N Sathiya Moorthy Independent of the evolving politics and engaging protests, there is more to Tamil Nadu and the politics in the State than the ‘Sri Lankan Tamil issue’. If anything, the politics and the protests have the potential to do more harm than good to the State and its people -and by possible …
by Kath Noble The UN Human Rights Council sessions ended last week with the passage of another resolution on Sri Lanka. It was a victory for the United States, which secured 25 votes in favour compared to 13 against, with eight abstentions and the representative from Gabon being recorded as AWOL. Life having continued as …
(Text of an Editorial Appearing in “The Hindu”of March 27th 2013 under the heading”Chauvinism at its Worst”) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa did more than give her stamp of approval to calls for protests against the participation of Sri Lankan players in the Indian Premier League. By declaring that the State government will permit the …
By Vasudeva Nanayakkara Organized, merciless attacks carried out by gangs in Tamil Nadu on innocent civilians who travel to India on pilgrimages in search of spiritual serenity/happiness, have caused much distress amongst all and they have displayed horror whilst sympathizing with those who have been subjected to violent attacks. It is understandable if protests have …
By Gotabhaya Rajapaksa (Full Text of Keynote Address delivered on March 25th by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Secretary of Defence and Urban Development at the Serendip coast Festival 2013 at the Light house hotel in Galle) Good Morning. I would like to thank Mr. Geoffrey Dobbs, Mr. Herman Guneratne and the others involved in the Serendip Coast …
By M R Venkatesh The anger of the common man, especially the youth, in Tamil Nadu is palpable. Colleges are being shut down. Even school children are seen discussing the mess in Sri Lanka. Private conversations invariably veer to this colossal human tragedy. In more ways than one this rage is explainable. After all, what …
By Fred Carver Sri Lanka is disrupting BBC broadcasts in an apparent attempt to censor reports of a United Nations resolution that criticises escalating violence against the island’s ethnic Tamils. The Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) interrupted transmissions by the BBC’s Tamil language service as a high level UN human rights session in Geneva prepared …
(Text of Press Release Issued by BBC) The BBC’s World Service Director, Peter Horrocks, today announced the suspension of BBC broadcasts on SLBC (the Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation) following continued interruption and interference of BBC Tamil programming on SLBC.
(Text of Joint statement signed by Activists and Organizations working for Women’s rights Condemning Views Expressed by Child Development and Women’s Affairs minister Tissa Karaliyadda on 11th March 2013, regarding women in leadership) On the 11th March the Minister of Child Development and Women’s Affairs, Mr. Tissa Karaliyadda, stated that “women are incapable of performing …
by Nirgunan Tiruchelvam A hurricane hit Sri Lankan cricket last week, but it was barely mentioned. Kusal Perera, a 22 year-old left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper blasted 336 off 275 balls for Colts CC against Saracens at Havelock Park, Colombo. The innings featured savage hitting with 14 sixes and 29 fours. The innings is the highest …
PRESS TUST OF INDIA- Bowing to intense political pressure, top Sri Lankan players were on Tuesday withdrawn from the Chennai matches of the IPL after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa refused to host them in view of the prevailing anti-Sri Lanka sentiments in the State. Ms. Jayalalithaa wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan …
by Gargi Parsai The Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Friday amid unruly scenes of AIADMK members breaking mikes and throwing papers in the air, even as the DMK protested against the Chair proceeding with conducting private members’ business. The House also witnessed acrimonious exchanges between DMK members and Congress member Renuka Chowdhury soon after she …
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA-Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday made a strong appeal to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to attend Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Colombo during November 15-17. In her letter to Dr Singh, the Chief Minister said the Sri Lankan regime, “which continues to deny Tamils their legitimate …
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA-As protests in support of the Sri Lankan Tamils continued, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today said IPL matches would be permitted in the state only if there were no Sri Lankan players, umpires, officials or support staff in these matches. “In view of the popular antipathy and anger in Tamil Nadu …
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA-Faced with the looming threat on the safety of Sri Lankan players taking part in the upcoming Indian Premier League, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has sought the government’s advice on the cricketers who are scheduled to play in Chennai. SLC Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said that they have sought the External Affairs …
By Frances Harrison He lay in agony on the ground on a tarpaulin sheet in the open, bandaged in rags in the scorching tropical heat after two major surgeries on his leg and hip, but Thevam considered himself extremely lucky. Just the day before he’d been moved out of the school building turned into a …
Continue reading ‘“None of the Hardened Ex-LTTE Fighters I have met Wanted to Take up Arms Again”’ »
By MA Sumanthiran M.P. (Text of Speech made in Parliament on 21st March 2013 during debate on the Resettlement Authority Bill) Thank you Mr. Deputy Chairman. The Hon. Minister for External Affairs concluded with a question: ‘Is this right? Can we be happy with the way our Motherland is being treated by the United Nations …
By Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. In the last column in this series, I will look at the Civil Rights Movement, which was founded in 1971. In discussing its contribution to Rights, and the manner in which Rights can be most productively promoted, I will also talk about one of its founding members, Bishop Lakshman Wickremesinghe, whose …
Continue reading ‘Bishop Lakshman Wickremesinghe and the Civil Rights Movement’ »
By Ranga Jayasuriya Our persistent opposition to any kind of international criticism of our mishandling of domestic affairs has much to do with the inflated egos of our foreign policy handlers and politicians, than whatever those lofty claims of sovereign equality, internal sovereignty and non interference of internal affairs, and so forth. Sometimes, when those …
By S. L. Gunasekara The resolution against Sri Lanka proposed by the International thug otherwise known as the United States of America has, predictably, been passed by the UNHRC. Similarly and equally predictably, the resolution to impeach Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake was also passed by Parliament by a 2/3 majority. Theoretically, where a person votes …
By Shamindra Ferdinando External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris said yesterday that the second US sponsored resolution was meant to ensure that Sri Lanka would come up for consideration as part of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) agenda every six months, with human rights chief Navi Pillay to brief the council at its …
Speech made by MA Sumanthiran of Tamil National Alliance in Parliament on March 21st 2013
By Col R Hariharan The UNHRC passed the U.S. sponsored resolution (A/HRC/22/L.1/Rev.1) on Sri Lanka at its 22nd session at Geneva on March 21, 2013. The text of the resolution is at Annexure. The resolution was passed by 25 votes to 13. Eight nations abstained. Gabon was absent. The result was not unexpected. However, the …
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA: After quitting the UPA coalition on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, DMK on Monday demanded that India should boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting scheduled to be held in Colombo in November this year. “While Commonwealth Secretariat should not convene the meeting at Colombo, but if it happens, India should …