By Charles Haviland (After a series of attacks on mosques, wild rumours about animal slaughter and an attempt to outlaw the halal system of classification, the BBC’s Charles Haviland investigates how Sri Lanka’s Muslim minority is being targeted by hardline Buddhists.) On a January morning a crowd of Buddhist monks storm a law college, yelling, …
Continue reading ‘The Hardline Buddhists Targeting Sri Lanka’s Muslims’ »
By Michele.J.Sison (Text of prepared Opening Statement by US Ambassador to Sri Lanka,Michele.J. Sison at Press Round Table held on March 22, 2013 at the American Center Colombo) Yesterday’s vote at the Human Rights Council was clear–the international community encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to fulfill its own obligations to its people, and to …
Text and pix by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai In Sri Lanka, photography is a field strongly dominated by men. Few women have taken up photography or photojournalism as their career. Engaging in this special craft requires women practitioners to often justify their reasons for choosing a challenging and male-centric career. “Women in Politics”by Dushiyanthini Kanagasbapathipillai There had …
Continue reading ‘From the Comfort Zone to the Conflict Zone’ »
BY D.B.S JEYARAJ The Brahadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavoor in Tamil Nadu state is the biggest Temple in India. The temple dedicated to Lord Siva was built by the Great Chozha emperor Arulmozhivarman known as Rajaraja Chozhan in 1010. The temple was originally known as “Rajarajeswaram”. It’s splendid structure is visible testimony to the magnificent antiquity …
Continue reading ‘Two Sri Lankan Buddhist Priests Attacked in Tamil Nadu:What Exactly Happened?’ »
by Special Correspondent S Venkat Narayan The Sri Lankan Government may continue to stonewall the global community’s demand for a credible and independent investigation into the excesses committed by its security forces during the last phase of Eelam War IV in 2009, according to defence analysts here. This may be because such a probe will …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday said that those wanting to haul Sri Lanka up before an international war crimes tribunal on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations propagated by the LTTE rump should examine the circumstances leading to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 by Western forces. Western governments and major media …
By Bishop Duleep de Chickera Over the past months Sri Lankans have been educated on two Arabic words: halal and haram (that which is permissible and not permissible). Unfortunately the circumstances of learning have been an unprecedented antagonism towards the Muslim community much deeper than the halal issue. This trend must be addressed without delay …
By Eran Wickramaratne M.P. For a country to progress socially, economically and be at peace within her borders, democracy, justice and good governance needs to flourish. On the threshold of independence in 1948 Sri Lanka held much promise compared to her neighbor in the Indian Ocean. While most countries in the region have struggled from …
By Ananth Palakidnar Dr. A. Baheerathan, son of the late TULF leader, Appapillai Amirthalingam, was in Sri Lanka last week and in an exclusive interview with Ceylon Today traveled extensively ‘down memory lane’ in the North. He was happy to note there were no more cruel deaths on a daily basis and the people were …
By Vishnuguptha “In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.” – Mahatma Gandhi Condemnation by a majority of the Members of the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) would not speak well for a people of any country. The Government of Sri Lanka, steeped in an irrationally clannish mindset, has chosen …
By Javid Yusuf Picking up the pieces after a protracted and debilitating civil war that drained national resources for over three decades would be a daunting task for any country. If it is a country which is on the bottom half of the economic ladder the task of rebuilding becomes that much more difficult. Moreover, …
A Chinese firm has won the award to supply fuel to the international airport in Mattala and the harbour at Hambantota for the pre-commissioning of a bunkering facility and tank farm. The winner, China Hanqui Contracting & Engineering Corporation, has just completed work on the project in Hambantota. The fuel requirements are for the pre-commissioning …
By Namini Wijedasa Sri Lankans forced to vacate college hostels due to student protests in Tamil Nadu (TN), are looking for alternate accommodation in private homes—and not always finding it easy. One Sri Lankan student from an Arts college in Chennai, yesterday approached an Indian family for paid lodging. She was turned way as she …
By Amit Baruah It took me some time as a Delhiwallah in Colombo to understand how important the politics of the various Dravida Kazhagams and some fringe groups in Tamil Nadu was to Sri Lanka. Soon after I landed in Colombo as The Hindu’s correspondent in 1995, their significance grew on me. Those were days …
By N. Sathiya Moorthy Independent of the voting pattern, the much-hyped UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka has left it almost where it had begun. There is thus the underlying admission that for ethnic peace in the island-nation to prevail, the whole-hearted support and involvement of the Government in Colombo is still the prime requisite. In …
By Quintus Perera Sri Lanka’s loss at this week’s UN vote in Geneva and religious intrusion into the market place was the main focus of a discussion on Monday organized by the Sunday Times Business Club (STBC).The club is sponsored by Etisalat. In all the crises building up in Sri Lanka, the Government appeared to …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “The future lies in darkness and the forces of right are weak”. Brecht (On the suicide of Walter Benjamin). Almost four years after winning the Eelam War, Sri Lanka has no discernible enemy and a very discernible military. This gross disproportion would not have mattered overmuch had the economy fared better and …
By M.A. Sumanthiran MP The recent passage of the second UN Human Rights Council resolution on reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka was a triumph for all its citizens. This is because it is now clear that Sri Lankans who desire ethnic reconciliation, democratic reform, positive peace, justice, and an end to the culture of …
By Meena Kandasamy Marx begins his Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, modifying Hegel’s assertion that history always happens twice, by adding that it occurs “once as tragedy, and again as farce”. First, the tragedy. On April 27, 2009, in the absurd theatre of parliamentary electoral politics, M. Karunanidhi mercilessly wagered the lives of more than …
By Pranay Sharma In his college days, Prasad Kariyawasam, Sri Lanka’s high commissioner to New Delhi, was a promising cricketer. But in the turning track of Indian politics, the 59-year-old diplomat had to summon all his diplomatic and cricketing skill to play with a straight bat. In the wake of India’s vote against Sri Lanka …
By By Saba Naqvi ,Anuradha Raman & Panini Anand • July 1997 The DMK threatens to withdraw support from the United Front government over its differences with the CPI(M), especially on fodder scam accused Laloo Prasad Yadav, and allocation of ministerial berths • November 1997 The I.K. Gujral-led UF government falls after Congress withdraws support …
(Text of Press Release issued by sri Lanka’s Ministry of External Affairs) The Government of Sri Lanka regrets the recent incidents of intimidation of Sri Lankan nationals particularly instances of violent assaults against Buddhist Monks in Thanjavur and at the Central Chennai Railway Station, India. Ministry of External Affairs has lodged strong protests with the …
By Raisa Wickrematunge The Bodu Bala Sena manifesto doesn’t just touch on halal food; it also focuses on a variety of different issues. One of the group’s goals, which does not seem to have garnered much attention is the aim to stop sending female domestic workers to the Middle East. This proposal was one, which …
By Vishnuguptha “Civilization is a movement and not a condition, a voyage and not a harbor.” ~Arnold J. Toynbee Fundamentalism, whether it’s Christianity, Islam or any other religion has been the order of the day in modern society. Its attraction to the elements that dwell on the fringes of any religion is beyond doubt. Its …
by Dilrukshi Handunnetti Similar to the time when Sri Lanka stepped up the military engagements in 2008 against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), when some 11 citizens of Tamil Nadu sacrificed their lives in dramatic form for the Tamil cause – in one week, two more lives have been lost, in similar fashion …
Continue reading ‘Sri Lankans Studying in India Feel Insecure Due to Current Political Situation’ »
By N.M. Ameen (Following is the text of a letter sent to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by Mr. NM Ameen the President of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka) His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, The President, Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka, Office of the President, Temple Trees, 150, Galle Road, Colombo 3, SRI LANKA. Your Excellency …
By N. Sathiya Moorthy Despite outgoing DMK partner’s demand for a parliamentary resolution on the post-war ethnic situation in Sri Lanka, most political parties, including those from other regions, have refused to be tempted into taking yet another pot-shot at the Government of the day, which anyway was suffering one embarrassment after another on a …
By Narayan Lakshman At the eleventh hour before a crucial United Nations Human Rights Council resolution calling on Sri Lanka to improve the post-war welfare of ethnic Tamils on the island, the U.S. appears to have watered down the text of that resolution. Washington’s revised draft copy of the resolution, which was freely circulating on …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday expressed his deep disappointment with the Indian government’s position articulated by its envoy to the UNHRC, Dilip Sinha. Responding to a statement attributed to Sinha that Sri Lanka should address accountability issues to the satisfaction of the international community, the Defence Secretary told The Island that those …
By Saman Indrajith The US sponsored anti-Sri Lanka resolution, at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva, could not achieve anything positive except for spreading hatred, distrust and violence among South Asian nations, External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris told Parliament yesterday.
Renowned Nigerian author Chinua Achebe has died at the age of 82 after a brief illness. A statement from his family said his “wisdom and courage” were an “inspiration to all who knew him”. One of Africa’s best known authors, his 1958 debut novel Things Fall Apart, which dealt with the impact of colonialism in …
A USA-sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka, calling on the Sri Lankan Government to conduct credible independent investigations into allegations of war crimes, was passed in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) yesterday with 25 member States, including India, voting in favour and 13 against. Eight member States abstained.
(Intervention by India in the United Nations Human Rights Council under Agenda Item: 2 on the Resolution on Promoting Reconcilation and Accountability in Sri Lanka) Mr. President, Allow me to make a few remarks on the resolution under discussion “Promoting Reconciliation and Accountability in Sri Lanka”. India believes that the report of the LLRC and …
By John Kerry (text of Press Statement made by the US secretary of State) Today’s vote in the UN Human Rights Council encourages the Government of Sri Lanka to continue on the path toward lasting peace and prosperity following decades of civil war and instability. This resolution, which builds on a similar 2012 resolution, reaffirmed …
(Text of a Press Communique Issued by the Amnesty International) A new UN resolution passed today, does a good job of highlighting past and on-going human rights violations in Sri Lanka, but regrettably fails to establish an independent and international investigation into alleged crimes under international law, Amnesty International said. The UN Human Rights Council …
JOSEPH STALIN is unhappy. The boss of a Sri Lankan teachers’ union claims that the country’s schools are losing their independence. Last month, unions say, nearly 4,000 headteachers were invited to interviews at the National Cadet Corps. Successful applicants will get 45 days of training, and then full military titles. The idea, supposedly, is to …
Continue reading ‘Army’s grip is Spreading Across Sri Lankan Society’ »
By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) – A younger brother of Raj Rajaratnam was charged with insider trading on Thursday, nearly two years after the founder of the Galleon Group hedge fund was convicted of that crime. Prosecutors said Rengan Rajaratnam, 42, conspired with his brother to trade on non-public information concerning Clearwire Corp and …
By SAMANTH SUBRAMANIAN A YEAR ago, when I was living in Colombo, Sri Lanka, I arranged to meet a friend for lunch, to talk about a Sri Lankan journalist who had gone missing and was presumed dead. By the time we met, my friend had a new mission: to keep another Sri Lankan safe. The …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “A key lesson is that civic passivity and willed blindness were the preconditions for the triumph of National Socialism….” – Fritz Stern (Leo Baeck Lecture) Fanatics hate facts. Therefore the fact that the Sinhala population has actually increased between 1982 and 2011 would be of no interest to those who are trying …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj There is much concern among members of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka over the increasing number of unprovoked attacks on Muslim women wearing the “Abaya”, the robe like overgarment that covers the whole body. The issue is being viewed with concern at discussions of the Muslim community in different places in Sri …
by B.Raman Is there a neo-LTTE emerging nearly four years after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was wiped out in May, 2009, by the Sri Lankan security forces? That is a question that needs the attention of the intelligence agencies in the wake of the growing support for the Sri Lankan Tamils’ political …
By Ben Doherty (The repatriation of Sri Lankan asylum seekers has, for the moment, ‘stopped the boats’. But many of those forcibly returned to Sri Lanka say they are not safe. Ben Doherty reports from Batticaloa.) Megaraj Suresh* agrees to meet, after some reluctance, outside a Hindu temple under renovation. We sit under a banyan …
By S. Vijay Kumar A students’ organisation spearheading ongoing protests against Sri Lanka on Wednesday warned that it would go to any extent to stop Sri Lankan cricketers from playing in IPL matches in Chennai. Urging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to prevent Sri Lankan players from participating in the IPL …
By Smita Gupta The all-party meeting called by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Wednesday evening to seek a consensus on the government’s draft resolution on Sri Lankan Tamils failed: if the text did not go far enough for the DMK and the AIADMK, the BJP, the Samajwadi Party and the Janata Dal-United all said …
By Alan Keenan With a vote due soon on a U.S.-sponsored resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC), the Indian government has a chance to strongly encourage sustainable peace and political reform in Sri Lanka. Policy-makers in Delhi are clearly disturbed by the Sri Lankan government’s backsliding on promises of devolution of power to …
By Dharisha Bastians Sri Lanka will feature prominently in an extraordinary meeting of a powerful grouping of Commonwealth nations with the muscle to suspend and expel member states, following a vote on a US backed resolution against Colombo that will be taken at the UN Human Rights Council’s 22nd Session today.
By Dharisha Bastians Vasudeva Nanayakkara, current Minister of National Integration and long-time friend and ally of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, tells a fascinating story.In September 1990, after a violent insurrection had been crushed with brutal force by the United National Party Government at the zenith of its power, a young Opposition politician from Hambantota joined Nanayakkara …
by Harim Peiris Sri Lanka continues to be under international scrutiny for its lack of progress on human rights and reconciliation. The absence of any progress on implementing the excellent recommendations of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) has meant that the international community to whom undertakings of post war reconciliation was promised, seeks …
By Dr. Nimalka Fernando Chennai is burning. Tamil Nadu is in uproar. As I sit in my room in Geneva glancing through the resolution on Sri Lanka the papers scream that Karunanidhi’s DMK has pulled out from the Indian Congress led UPA government. With 18 DMK members including 5 Ministers out of the UPA government …
By Dharisha Bastians “Last night, I dreamt Buddha was shot dead by the Police, guardians of the law. His body drenched in blood on the steps of the Jaffna Library. Under cover of darkness came the ministers. “His name is not on our list, why did you kill him?” they ask angrily, “No sirs, no, …
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA-The UPA government has convened an all- party meeting this evening to discuss a resolution it plans to move in Parliament on violation of human rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka, a demand which the DMK had placed as a condition to stay in the ruling coalition. Though the DMK withdrew support …
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials on Wednesday raised concerns over the safety of its national players who would be taking part in the Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 tournament starting next month following the recent spate of attacks against Sri Lankans in Tamil Nadu.
By S.Vijay Kumar Many Sri Lankan nationals, who had planned to visit Tamil Nadu as tourists or pilgrims, cancelled their trips following a travel advisory issued by their Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday. According to diplomats, a large number of citizens of the island nation who called the Sri Lankan High Commission in New …
By The City Bureau Protests against the Sri Lankan government’s human rights record heated up in the city on Tuesday, with road and rail rokos, demonstrations and fasts taking place across several locations. While a few train services were briefly disrupted and traffic had to wend its way through marches, the agitations were mostly peaceful.
In view of the current situation prevailing in the southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development has advised Sri Lankan travelers to avoid Tamil Nadu when transiting to other states in India. Issuing a statement Military Spokesman Ruwan Wanigasooriya said, “Sri Lankan tour operators who organize group pilgrimages to …
. By Supun Dias Hirunika Premachandra and three others were taken into custody this evening and released on police bail by the Borella police for allegedly assaulting and threatening a businessman last Thursday after entering his shop in Kinsey Road.
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA: A day after the DMK withdrew support to the UPA government on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, the party’s five Union Ministers on Wednesday submitted their resignation to the Prime Minister amid speculation that party chief M. Karunanidhi’s son M.K. Alagiri was unhappy for not being kept in the loop. Eyebrows …
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA: Protests over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue continued all over the state on Wednesday with CPI(M) and BJP also holding agitations. In Chennai, protests including demonstrations, were held by the advocates of Madras High Court, CPI(M) under its state unit secretary G. Ramakrishnan, BJP’s youth wing and the recently founded Aam …
Continue reading ‘Widespread Protests Against Sri Lankan Regime Continue in Tamil Nadu’ »
By A Staff Reporter In a suspected retaliatory response to the protests against Sri Lanka in Tamil Nadu, four fishermen from the State were brutally assaulted allegedly by Sri Lankan Naval personnel off Kodiakkarai in Vedaranyam in the early hours of Wednesday.
By A Special Correspondent All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday accused her rival and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi of seeking to deceive the people of the State and cover up “his role that caused untold misery to Sri Lankan Tamils” Reacting to Mr. Karunanidhi’s announcement …
By Smita Gupta As efforts went on through the day to see whether a resolution on the issue could be passed in Parliament to appease the DMK, and the Congress Core Group took stock of the situation, ministerial sources said that with or without the party’s 18 MPs, the government was stable: the Samajwadi Party …
By B.Kolappan Amid raging protests by students and an upsurge in pro-Lankan Tamil sentiment in Tamil Nadu in the run-up to the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) vote against Sri Lanka, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Tuesday decided to come out of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), arguing that staying in the government and the …
(Text of Editorial Appearing in “The Hindu”of March 20th 2013 Under the Heading “From Defensive to Offensive”) The less there is to lose, the more there is to gain. In quitting the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre with only a year to go before the general election, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is not …
by Nirupama Subramanian If the pressure being brought to bear by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and other Tamil political parties and groups on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to take a strong stand against Sri Lanka in the Human Rights Council (HRC) is aimed at helping the Tamil minority in that country, it …
By Upul Joseph Fernando Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his speech made in Parliament pertaining to the US resolution to be tabled at the UN Human Rights Council, made no mention of the photograph of Prabhakaran’s son or the war crimes allegations against Sri Lanka. He only stated his government was committed to safeguarding …
by Sivamohan Sumathy (Sivamohan Sumathy is attached to the Department of English, University of Peradeniya) HALAL by Fazeel Kariyappar
by Kath Noble In the third week of the UN Human Rights Council sessions, Karunanidhi played what he hopes will be his trump card. Unless India not only votes against Sri Lanka but also ensures that the resolution includes a commitment to a war crimes investigation, his party will quit the coalition government. Whether or …
By Tamara Kunanayakam (Tamara Kunanayakam is a Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the UN in Geneva) These past few weeks, the Sri Lankan media and Indian officials have echoed US claims that its latest draft resolution is only procedural and, hence, will not harm Sri Lanka’s national interests and sovereignty. According to other media reports, …
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA: Slamming DMK president M. Karunanidhi for announcing his party’s withdrawal from the UPA over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Tuesday described it as a “drama” and indicated it was an action which came too late in the day. His announcement that the party was …
As the DMK decided to withdraw support, the government on Tuesday moved to bring a resolution on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue in Parliament in an attempt to placate the key ally which has set it as one of the conditions for reconsideration of its decision. Sources said the government is drafting a resolution to …
by Dasun Edirisinghe A senior census and statistics official yesterday disputed a claim being propagated in the country that the Muslim population is likely exceed that of the majority community. The Sinhala population in the country is 74.9 per cent according to the Basic Population Information Report of the Census of Population and Housing 2011. Director, …
By Dianne Silva (Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa spoke to the Daily Mirror about the ongoing development projects undertaken across the country, intra-party politics and his future political aspirations) Q. What is your stance on the Bodu Bala Sena issue? From time to time these issues arise. However we as the government have to …
By Mahinda Rajapaksa (Full text of the speech made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he inaugurated the Mattala Rajapaksa International airport on March 18th 2013) President Mahinda Rajapaksa at arrival to declare open Mattala Rajapaksa International airport, Mar 18, 2013 Today is a significant day for us here at Mattala and the entirety of Sri …
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday demanded an “independent and credible” inquiry into the violation of human rights in Sri Lanka even as she refused to comment on key UPA ally DMK withdrawing support to the government at the Centre.
by G Pramod Kumar The Indian government seems to have been successful in watering down the proposed second US resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC. The revised US draft, which was tabled on Monday, is much softer and “there is a lot of evidence to clearly show the imprint of Indian influence,” said G …
By B. Kolappan The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has bought time from its ally DMK, which is threatening to leave the alliance, by promising to adopt a resolution in Parliament supporting two important amendments to the U.S.-sponsored draft resolution against Sri Lanka in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
(Text Of Statement Issued by Tamil Information Centre in London) We have observed the recent attacks on Buddhist monks and other Sri Lankan visitors in Tamil Nadu with grave concern and extreme unease. These attacks are callous and disgraceful and will not help the Sri Lankan Tamils, but may cause them more harm. We offer …
NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar topped the list of most gorgeous women politicians in the world, a survey conducted by India Today said on Wednesday. Khar, who was elected member of national assembly from the seat of Pakistan Peoples Party, is famous for wearing attractive and fashionable outfits. Her handbags and dresses …
By NICK CUMMING-BRUCE GENEVA — The United Nations Human Rights Council is preparing to vote this week on a resolution that urges Sri Lanka to deliver on its promises to investigate allegations of mass civilian slaughter in the army campaign that crushed a rebel group in May 2009, and expresses growing international concern over a …
The DMK on Tuesday quit the UPA and its government voicing dismay over India’s stand over Sri Lanka at the UNHRC, but Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said there was no threat to the government. DMK chief M. Karunanidhi announced that his party could not accept New Delhi’s bid to bail out Sri Lanka, which faces …
(Text of Editorial Appearing in “The Hindu”of March 19 2013 Under the Heading”Mindless Solidarity”) A fanatic fringe seems intent on hijacking the protest movement in Tamil Nadu against Sri Lanka’s treatment of its Tamil citizens. With the terrorist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam no longer in the picture, large sections of the people in Tamil …
By S. Vijay Kumar The Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Southern India has written to the State government asking for increased security to be given to Sri Lankan people and establishments in the city. The request follows Statewide agitations on the issue of Sri Lanka’s human rights record and attacks on Buddhist monks, including …
By Vivek Narayanan A Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka was assaulted by three unidentified persons on board the Tamil Nadu Express, just as it arrived at Chennai Central Railway Station on Monday. This is the second such attack in three days, the first being on a monk at the Big Temple in Thanjavur on Saturday. …
(Text of Letter dated 18.3.2013 addressed to Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India by Selvi J Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu is reproduced below) “As you are aware, Tamils in Tamil Nadu and the Tamil diaspora spread across the world are legitimately outraged and incensed over the impunity with which the Sri Lankan …
Six distinguished former Ambassadors will be converging under one roof on Wednesday March 20th to discuss various issues concerning Sri Lanka’s forign Policy. The event will held at 6 pm at the CPA auditorium in Colombo is the fifth in the series of discussions organized by the Liberal Party on Ideas for Constitutional Reform. The …
Pix and Text by By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipilllai “Without peace there can be no happiness” said Saint Thyagaraja. All musicians and music lovers gathered to pay tribute, and sing and play the Gems of Thyagaraja. Men and women of all ages dressed gorgeously, and sat cross-legged on the ground. Five Keerthanams are known as the “Panchrathna …
Continue reading ‘Thyagaraja Aradhana: A Celebration of Carnatic Music’ »
By Dharisha Bastians Signalling an about-face on a key issue on its agenda, the hard-line Bodu Bala Sena group yesterday declared victory in its battle against the Halal certification and slammed the English-language press, even singling out the Daily FT for being traitors to the Sinhala Buddhist cause. Addressing a massive rally in Kandy town …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Religious groups compete with each other for their constituency, just like terrorists, trade unions, or any other factions of competing ideologies do. That would perhaps explain the increasing militant activism of two controversial Buddhist groups: Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya. On Saturday, protesters affiliated with Sinhala Ravaya stormed a house which …
From “The Hindu” Tiruchi Bureau Eight persons, who were arrested in connection with the assault on a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk in Thanjavur and Tiruchi on Saturday, have been remanded to judicial custody. Pathberiye Gnanaloka Thero was assaulted by a group of persons owing allegiance to Thamizh Desiya Poduvudamai Katchi and Naam Thamizhar Katchi when …
Controversially impeached Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, who is to appear before the Commission to investigate into allegations of bribery or corruption today has turned down a request from a Commission official to come in through the backdoor instead of using the main entrance. The Daily Mirror learnt that Justice Dr. Bandaranayake was contacted by a …
by Ranga Jayasuriya On the eve of the forthcoming resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Tamara Kunanayakam, Sri Lanka’s permanent representative at the UN Office in Geneva during the 2011-2012 period, relates her experience during the previous resolution in March 2012, and explains why she believes the new resolution is …
By Sir Ronald Sanders The most important reason for the selection of a country as the host-venue for a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is that it serves the interests of the Commonwealth as a whole. If this reason were a consideration, President Mahinda Rajapaksa would already have withdrawn Sri Lanka from hosting the …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Sri Lanka’s refusal to move a joint resolution on accountability issues, at the ongoing United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions, has set the stage for a vote on the second US motion, targeting the country, since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009. The vote will take place on March …
By Mike Andree With Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Italy being ordered to return to Sri Lanka on or before March 20, comes the news that three domestic aides employed by him have done the vanishing trick. Three days ago, as many of the staff had expected, Asitha Perera complained that all three doemstic aides had …
By Izeth Hussain It is questionable whether there are today any purely internal problems, serious internal problems, without any external dimension to them at all. It is true that governments frequently try to explain away internal problems, for which they alone are responsible, by alleging foreign interference. It is true also that there is the …
By M.A.Sumanthiran MP “Violence in the voice is often only the death rattle of reason in the throat” – H.G. Bohn On 9th September 2011, a Muslim shrine which had stood for 300 years in Anuradhapura was destroyed by a mob reportedly led by monks. The Police, though present, did not intervene. On 20th April …
Continue reading ‘Facilitating an “encore” with the anti-Muslim hate campaign?’ »
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “Hatred of one group can lead to hatred of others” Amartya Sen (The Argumentative Indian). In Sri Lanka the boundary line between myth and history is dangerously amorphous. And this twilight world often plays a decisive role in Lankan politics. Sinhala schoolchildren are taught that they belong to a race which began …
By Jayantha Jayaweera (Jayantha Jayaweera BSc Civil Eng (Lon), MIE (Aust), CPEng, an old boy of both Thurstan and Isipathana wanders down memory lane as the 50th encounter of the Thurstan-Isipathana big match draws near) This year two leading boys’ schools in Colombo, Thurstan College and Isipathana College, are celebrating their 50th annual big cricket …
By D.B.S.JEYARAJ Beware of the “Ides of March” (March 15th) was the warning given to Julius Caesar who was assassinated on that day by a Roman cabal including Cassius and dear Friend Brutus.To the Muslim population of Historic Kandy the D-day is March 17 2013!Tension mounts amidst the Muslim people of Kandy as the day …
By D.B.S.JEYARAJ At a time when Sinhala Government ministers maintain cowardly silence about the racist Anti-Muslim campaign of the Bodhu Bala Sena(BBS), some positive,encouraging developments have occurred in the North-Western Province known as Wayamba. Many parts of the North-Western Province have been in recent times a hotbed of BBS activity. Areas in Wayamba province such …
By A Special Correspondent Justifying his threat to leave the Congress-led UPA government if his demand that India seek effective amendments to strengthen the US-sponsored resolution in the UN Human Rights Council was not met, DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Saturday said that in the past such pressure tactics from him had produced the desired …
By A Sri Lankan Muslim It was early hours of Sunday 17 March. I was returning from Macau to Hong Kong after a short visit with my nephew who was browsing his iPhone. I was in deep thought of the situation in Sri Lanka. All of a sudden he gave me his phone and said …
By G. Srinivasan and R. Rajaram A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, Pathberiye Gnanaloka Thero, was assaulted by members of Tamil outfits at the Big Temple in Thanjavur on Saturday. He was part of a team of students of the Institute of Archaeology of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), New Delhi, on a study tour. …
By Easwaran Rutnam The government has refused to accede to a request by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue, to visit Sri Lanka. The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva has told La Rue that …
By N.Sathiya Moorthy The Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa could not have asked for more. The Opposition UNP’s offer to work with the government on the issues and problems flowing from the second US resolution at the UNHRC, Geneva, means different things to different stake-holders nearer home and afar. Yet, on the face of it, …
By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema TNA Leader R. Sampanthan says the government seems determined to imprint upon the Tamil community the status of an inferior people. He observed that the government’s performance has been under observation by relevant UN agencies and others who have presented resolutions. “The government most regrettably seems to think that by persistently …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene As family members of a murdered ruling party politician travelled to Geneva this week to lay their case for denial of justice before the United Nations Human Rights Council, the ironies are palpable, almost painful. Are we to see in coming months, an unfairly impeached Chief Justice, persecuted Cabinet Ministers and …
Continue reading ‘Why Have We Let Ourselves be Made the Virtual Laughing Stock of the World?’ »
By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya Reports of a news conference by Buddhist prelates led by the Ven Bellanwila Wimalaratana Thero, held jointly with the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) on Monday, point to the salutary effects of consultations between religious and other groups in defusing a potentially explosive situation. The …
By C.A.Chandraprema Those of us in Sri Lanka have to understand, that voting in international fora is often no different to the way votes are conducted at national level. Interest group block votes, bribery, skulduggery, arm twisting, all have a role to play in voting in international bodies. For at least a decade, one of …
Continue reading ‘After Finishing One War Sri Lanka Finds Herself on the Frontline of Another War’ »
by Michele. J Sison, U.S. Ambassador In my second week in Sri Lanka I visited a workshop to see American development aid in action. Our office at the United States Agency for International Development was helping sponsor a three day Peace Camp. Toward the conclusion of this camp, a young Sinhalese girl from Gampaha approached …
By C.A.Chandraprema As at the time of writing, there still isn’t a final draft of the US sponsored resolution that is to be presented to the UNHRC against Sri Lanka. The world’s most powerful nation is finding it difficult to word a resolution against one of the smallest and weakest nations in Asia. What would …