by Subhashini Pathmanathan Nattuvanaars were the real mentors of Bharatha Natyam. But unfortunately the present generation Bharatha Natyam students have lost the opportunity to learn Bharatha Natyam under them. They were the masters in their field. They not only taught dance to the students but they also imparted and developed the overall self confidence of …
Continue reading ‘Nattuvanaars: Traditional Teachers of Bharatha Natyam’ »
(text of Press Release issued by Lawyers representing Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake) The media has quoted the Government Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee as having stated that they have found the Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake guilty of the 1st, 4th and 5th allegations in the impeachment motion while exonerating her of the 2nd …
(Text of a press statement issued on December 12th by the Lawyers representing Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake) The media has quoted the Government Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee as having stated that they have found the Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake guilty of the 1st, 4th and 5th allegations in the impeachment motion while …
By Rajavarothayam Sampanthan M.P. (Text of speech made in Parliament n December 7th 2012 by Tamil National Alliance Leader and Trincomalee District MP Rajavarothayam Sampanthan) 7th December, 2012 Thank you, Mr. Chairman, The war that raged in the North and the East of Sri Lanka for several decades has come to an end more than …
by Elizabeth Haq No one knows how many thousands of people died in Sri Lanka in 2009, the year that marked the end of a decades-long struggle between the Sri Lankan government and the secessionist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (known more commonly as the Tamil Tigers). Certainly, it was one of the bloodier conflicts …
Continue reading ‘Why does the world ignore Sri Lanka’s crimes?’ »
General secretary of UNP, Tissa Attanayake issued a statement in response to the public statement made by the president yesterday that he was prepared to appoint an independent body to study the PSC report:
By Salma Yusuf Attitudes towards the human right to development are unusual. There is a general willingness to support such a right in theory, but less enthusiasm in adopting such a right in practice. This does not mean that states ignore the right to development completely in their policies, but rather tend to attach greater …
Continue reading ‘Translating the Human Right to Development from Rhetoric to Reality’ »
By Karu Jayasuriya M.P. (Brief Notes of the Press Conference held by Hon. Karu Jayasuriya- UNP M.P. for Gampaha District on 12th December 2012) • We listened to the Speech of the President on the occasion of the Opening of the New Building of the Chartered Accountants Association yesterday. Large majority of citizens, including myself, …
By Dharisha Bastians During the inauguration of a four-storey building for the Institute of Charted Accountants of Sri Lanka at Malalasekera Mawatha in Colombo, President Mahinda Rajapaksa blithely asserted that he would appoint an independent committee to review the report by the Parliamentary Select Committee submitted to Parliament on Saturday (8).
Pandit Ravi Shankar, whose mastery over the sitar helped rejuvenate the classical instrumental tradition in India and popularise Indian music in the West through concerts and collaborations with well known artists, died in San Diego, U.S., on Wednesday.
– May your life be never ending like the current Presidency. – May your happiness increase steeply, like the price of food. – May all your worries disappear like that of G L Peiris
(This document contains recent developments affecting independence of judiciary Sri Lanka) 01. Threatening the Mannar Magistrate and attack on the Manner Magistrate Court and High Court 02. Response of the Government on the Supreme Court determination on “Divineguma Bill” 03. Interference with the JSC 04. Attack on Secretary JSC 05. Bribery Investigation against Chief Justice’s …
Continue reading ‘Recent developments Affecting Independence of Judiciary in Sri Lanka’ »
by Chandra Jayaratne Open Letter to: Anil Amarasuriya Esq. Vice-Chairman, Sri Lanka Banks’ Association (Guarantee) Ltd. 69, Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo 1. Dear Sir, I write this note to you as a client and a shareholder of several commercial banks, who are members of your Association, a collective with a proud heritage and high recognition both …
Continue reading ‘How did Confidential Banking Information of Chief Justice Leak out?’ »
By Dharisha Bastians President Mahinda Rajapaksa will appoint an independent panel to review the Parliamentary Select Committee report on the impeachment charges against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, as opposition to the fiasco gathers more steam. President Rajapaksa, speaking at the inauguration of a new building for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA …
by Christopher Weeramantry As the senior-most retired Judge in the country and as one who has been associated with the law both locally and internationally for 65 years I feel compelled to make some observations in regard to the current crisis facing the Sri Lankan Judiciary. It is a Judiciary which has been a great …
by Trevor Grant MICHAEL Atherton is a former captain of the England cricket team and now a skilled writer and commentator on the game. He is also a man of conscience. In 1995, an unashamedly racist article decrying the number of foreign-born players in the England team, including non-whites such Devon Malcolm and Phil DeFreitas, …
Continue reading ‘Australia Must Bat for Tamils by Considering Ban on Cricket with Sri Lanka’ »
The recent speech made in Parliament on December 7th 2012 by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader and Trincomalee district MP Rajavarothayam Sampanthan has irritated LTTE and pro -LTTE elements. He is now the target of these elements in e-mails and websites and as is usual is being dubbed “Tamil Traitor”.
By Anuradha Samuel The letter sent by Matara District United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian, Mangala Samaraweera, to the Commonwealth Secretariat, requesting its intervention to investigate the impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, had not had the approval of the party top command. According to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, this fact had been personally disclosed …
By Charitha Ratwatte A conundrum is a confusing problem or a question that is very difficult to solve. Sri Lanka, in the view of some analysts, faces a conundrum in relation to three reports concerning the situation of the end of the civil war in May 2009.
By Ashwin Hemmathagama The Budget of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) for 2013 in accordance with Section 213 of the Municipal Council Ordinance was tabled yesterday by Mayor A.J. Mohamed Muzammil, seeking approval from members to spend Rs. 9,212.6 million in developing the city while showcasing a minimum revenue estimate of Rs. 9,213 million.
by Col R Hariharan The walk out of Chief Justice Mrs Shirani Bandaranayake and her team of lawyers from a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) hearing on an impeachment motion against her Thursday was an eloquent testimony to the charade being enacted in Sri Lanka in the name of democracy. Probably it is a matter of …
Continue reading ‘Rajapaksa Inc Wants to get rid of 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s Constitution’ »
by Col R Hariharan [Summary of answers to questions from media analysts on the occasion of V Prabhakaran’s birth day on November 26 and the LTTE’s Heroes Day on November 27 are given in this article.] November 27 used to be celebrated as the Heroes Day by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). On …
Continue reading ‘Great Heroes Day of the LTTE and Current Situation of Sri Lankan Tamils’ »
By Hemantha Warnakulasuriya The legal profession could be considered the foremost profession in Sri Lanka as its paramount duty is to safeguard the freedoms of the ordinary people by opposing tyranny and the oppressors of those cherished freedoms. Even when a lawyer appears for the most wanted criminal, he is performing his duty much to …
By Dr.Janaka Ratnasiri The Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS) is the premier organisation of Sri Lankan scientists covering all scientific disciplines. It holds its annual sessions where members present the results of their research for review by their peers. It is generally held in December each year and the venue is …
Continue reading ‘SLAAS Sessions Wont be Held at Jaffna University Due to Prevailing Tension’ »
By Sarath de Alwis “The rot begins, when wild actions are received calmly by society. These are people that have lost the power of astonishment at their own actions. When they give birth to a fantastic passion or foolish law, they do not start or stare at the monster they have brought forth… These nations …
Continue reading ‘Does Our Leader of the Opposition fit in With the Rulers or the People?’ »
By C.V.Vivekananthan In Sri Lanka, sovereignty is in the people’s hands. It is inalienable. Sovereignty includes the powers of government, fundamental rights and the franchise. The sovereign people promulgated the Constitution and thus the Constitution becomes supreme and the three Organs; Parliament, Executive Presidency and Judiciary that are created by the sovereign People by their …
A man from west London is on the run after being sentenced to six years in jail for smuggling garlic from China into the UK. Murugasan Natarajan, and his assistant Lakshmi Suresh, were convicted of dodging £2m in import duty. They had told customs officials that thousands of kilos of garlic were, in fact, fresh …
Continue reading ‘Garlic Labelled Ginger:British Customs Uncover Pungent Fraud’ »
by Priyadershini S Sri Lankan-British singing sensation M.I.A will perform for the first time in India as part of the Kochi Muziris Biennale. She speaks to Priyadershini S. about her music rooted in dissent, politics, art, spirituality and India She came rapping into the hearts of the young. Rapping about issues that the world would …
Continue reading ‘Singing Sensation M.I.A to Perform for First Time in India’ »
(Incident Report of National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka ) 9th December 2012 A large mob including many Buddhist monks stormed the Jeevalokaya Sabhawa premises at Weeraketiya in Hambantota district where a Christian Congregation was gathered together for worship this morning(9th).
(Following the conclusion of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) proceedings, a cross-section of civil society members, trade unionists and political party members had this to say about the decision. The responses were Compiled by Ifam Nizam, Umesh Moramudali, Vyshnavy Velrajh and Amila Jayasinghe for “Ceylon Today”)
By a “Ceylon Today”staff reporter In a history-making moment, the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), which probed 14 counts contained in an impeachment motion moved against Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, by the ruling coalition, has recommended her removal from office by holding her guilty of three out of five counts.
By Shirley Candappa (On the November 29, 2012, after 65 long years the United Nations took a tentative step toward correcting a grave injustice committed against the people of Palestine when it recognised the State of Palestine . An overwhelming 138 voted for, with just nine against and 41 abstentions. The Daily Mirror interviewed Dr. …
Continue reading ‘International Community is Recognizing the State of Palestine-Palestine Envoy’ »
By M. S. Shah Jahan “Hello, good morning, King Edward VII Hospital.” It was Tuesday 4th December 5.30 am of London time. ‘Oh, hello there. Could I please speak to Kate please, my granddaughter?’ “Oh yes, just hold on ma’am.” Thinking she was speaking to the Queen, the woman who had been manning the hospital …
Continue reading ‘The Telephone Call ‘Hoax’ that Caused the Tragic Loss of an ‘Excellent’ Nurse’ »
Her glittering music career may have grabbed the headlines, but her new book, a vibrant collection of collages, photos and prints, reveals an artist of wide-ranging talents. Gillian Orr meets her Coming off a long and gruelling tour at the beginning of 2011, the singer and artist M.I.A. decided to take stock of all the …
By Thulasi Muttulingam and Megara Tegal For the thriving industrial hub of a country, Colombo has not done too badly when it comes to tree cover. Old and massive trees take pride of place on many sidewalks and pavements; pavings, roads and walls have been built to accommodate their stately presence, in many areas. Pedestrians …
Continue reading ‘The ‘Ungreening’ of Colombo: Whither the Garden City?’ »
By Dilrukshi Handunnetti From young days, the name Stratford-upon-Avon always held a certain fascination, and in adulthood, it continues to evoke a sense of wonder within me—primarily because this tiny Warwickshire village was home to the Great Bard. It was not just his birthplace, but was where he lived, loved, wrote his marvellous tales and …
Continue reading ‘Being Enthralled by the “Shakeapearience” at Stratford-upon-Avon’ »
By MA Sumanthiran M.P. Sri Lanka’s modern political system is largely a legacy of British colonialism. This legacy is reflected in the Parliamentary system of government that Sri Lanka inherited. With this system came the British political principle of Parliamentary Supremacy. Indeed this principle lies at the heart of the British political tradition.
An Interview with Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema Human rights lawyer and former head of Transparency International Sri Lanka, J. C. Weliamuna says the trial on the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake should be by an independent judiciary or tribunal. “We are following the Standing Orders rushed by J. R. Jayewardene to impeach Neville …
The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) that probed the charges contained in the impeachment motion moved on Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake yesterday (08) in its report submitted to Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa has found her guilty on charges 1, 4 and 5, and recommended there was strong evidence to removel of Dr. Bandaranayake from the Office …
by Kumudini Hettiarachchi and Udumbara Udugama There is a place in far off England dedicated to tiny Sri Lanka. ‘Uda Walawe’ elephant habitat and walkway at Twycross Zoo in the English Midlands modelled on our very own Uda Walawe National Park brings into focus the Sri Lankan elephant in its natural habitat and also the …
Continue reading ‘Experiencing Sri Lanka’s Uda Walawe National Park Elephants in England.’ »
by Dr.Nihal Jayawickrama We do not seem to appreciate the fact that in this country it is the Constitution that is supreme; not the President, not Parliament; not the Judiciary, but the Constitution. It is explicitly stated in its preamble, that the Constitution is the supreme law of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. …
A Reflection by Bishop Duleep de Chickera The recent tensions in Jaffna between university students and security personnel, in which a student protest was baton charged, a journalist assaulted and some students arrested and detained, centres around the freedom to remember the dead; whether loved ones, friends or heroes.
The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) should evaluate the situation in Sri Lanka and report on whether the Government was keeping to its declared commitment to the Harare Principles of Democracy and the Rule of Law, UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera said yesterday.
By Namini Wijedasa Construction of the Sampoor coal power plant, already a year behind schedule, has been further delayed by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) which is asking India’s National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to revise some crucial cost estimates.
By Naushad Amit In a bizarre move in school cricket both Royal and S. Thomas’ have decided to pull out of the current inter-school cricket tournament, run by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA). The SLSCA and officials from the Ministry of Education are set to meet tomorrow to discuss a national policy for …
Continue reading ‘Royal and S. Thomas’ pull out of school cricket tournament’ »
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Nowhere in South Asia or indeed the entire world (excepting in failed states) would a responsible government hire thugs and party supporters to jeer and hoot at the Chief Justice of the country while she was leaving the superior courts complex to appear before a parliamentary select committee considering her impeachment. …
Continue reading ‘This is the Comprehensive End of Sri Lanka’s Judicial System’ »
By S.L.Gunasekara (Senior Lawyer SL Gunasekara has written to Wijayadasa Rajapakshe President of Bar Association of Sri Lanka urging that a resolution be passed by the BASL asking members to refrain from accepting office as Chief Justice or acting chief Justice when the post falls vacant through impeachment of current incumbent. Text of the letter …
by Women’s Action Network (Text of a Statement of Concern by the Women’s Action Network) Women’s Action Network (WAN), as a collective of 11 women’s groups from the North and the East, is deeply concerned by the recent efforts to recruit women into the military in the districts of Killinochchi and Mullaitheevu.
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “The first waves of a sea of fire….” – Ivo Andrić (The Bridge over the Drina) The Rajapaksas, those Wonder-Brothers, have wrought another miracle. They have beaten Usain Bolt, hollow. The impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake deserves to enter the annals of world history and the Guinness Book of World Records …
6th December, 2012 We the undersigned, strongly condemn the arrest of four students of the University of Jaffna (UoJ) by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) on Thursday, November 29, 2012. While welcoming the release of Kanesamoorthy Sutharsan, a student of the Jaffna Medical Faculty on the morning of Tuesday, December 4, we condemn the continued …
by M.A.Sumanthiran M.P. (Text of speech made in Parliament on 7th December 2012) The other issue is also one of great concern to us, that of military rule. The Hon. Member was heard to talk of the Rule of Law. We don’t want military rule in any part of the country. Be it LTTE rule …
Continue reading ‘‘We Dont Want Military Rule in any Part of the Country. We want Civilian Rule’’ »
by Rajavarothayam Sampanthan M.P. (Text of speech made in Parliament on November 30th 2012) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am glad to be able to say a few words on the Votes of the Ministry of External Affairs. I do want to assure the Hon. Minister, who is a much beleaguered person, that what I …
by Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka (On November 23rd, 2012, Ambassador Dayan Jayatilleka participated as a panelist at the International Symposium on Multilingualism in Cyberspace organized by Maaya -World Network for Linguistic Diversity. The three-day symposium took place at the CNRS -French National Centre for Scientific Research.This is the text of his intervention-presentation) “In the earliest days of …
Continue reading ‘The Absence of Multilingualism Consumed Tens of Thousands of Lives’ »
By Mike Andree A delegation of senior lawyers, headed by President’s Counsel and former Attorney-General C. R. De Silva met the President in a bid to resolve the ongoing crisis between the Judiciary and the Executive. In order to peacefully settle this issue, so that both parties could come out of the controversy untarnished, the …
by Jaffna University Science Teachers’ Association (Text of letter sent to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by the Jaffna University Science Teachers’ Association, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka) His Excellency the President, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Your Excellency, Grave and dangerous plight of students at the University of Jaffna We members of the university community …
By Saman Indrajith Thirty one of the 117 MPs who signed the motion of impeachment seeking the appointment of Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to investigate charges against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake and recommended her removal from the position told the media yesterday that they wanted the PSC process to be expedited. Minister S. B. Dissanayake …
Continue reading ‘Thirty one Signatories to Impeachment Motion Want it Expedited -SB Dissanayake’ »
(Text of letter by four opposition MP’s sent to Chairman of Parliamentary Select Committee on impeachment of Chief Justice) 7 December, 2012 The Chairman Select Committee on the Chief Justice Sir, We the undersigned Members of the Select Committee wish to place on record the following matters:
By Saliya Pieris PC (Written by Saliya Pieris PC for and on behalf of the lawyers for the Chief Justice) The Government Information Department has announced that the parliamentary select committee has called several witnesses to give evidence against the Chief Justice within the course of today going onto the night. Until the Chief Justice …
Continue reading ‘Legal Team Appearing for Chief Justice Shocked!’ »
(text of a letter sent to Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa by the legal firm Neelakandan and Neelakandan representing chief justice Shirani Bandaranayake) Hon. Chamal Rajapaksa The Honourable Speaker Parliament Secretariat Sri Jayewardenepura. Kotte. Honourable Sir, We are instructed by our Client, Hon. Dr. Shirani A. Bandaranayake. As you are no doubt aware, our Client has withdrawn …
By International Commission of Jurists (text of media communique issued by ICJ) The impeachment process against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake ignores international standards and practice, says the International Commission of Jurists(ICJ). The ICJ urges the government of Sri Lanka to take immediate steps to uphold the independence of the judiciary and adhere to international standards …
Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Chief Justice’s Impeachment Hearing Violates Due Process’ »
By Gagani Weerakoon The entire Opposition walked out of the Chamber en mass, protesting the unfair process of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed to probe allegations mentioned in the impeachment motion against Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake. The MPs of the United National Party (UNP), the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) and the Tamil National …
By Veerasingham Anandasangaree (text of a letter sent by Veerasingham Anandasangaree, Secretary-General of Tamil United Liberation Front to President Mahinda Rajapaksa) Being a true patriot who loves his country and all the people in it, I have a sacred duty to bring to your notice, the disturbing trend in the country that may sooner or …
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “….Cicero’s tongue will have to be torn out, Copernicus’s eyes gouged out, and Shakespeare stoned. That is my system.” Dostoyevsky (The Possessed) With the speed of lightening and without as much as a nano-ripple, the Rajapaksa regime removed Neville Gunawardana, the ‘crime-busting’ Director General of the Customs. Mr. Gunawardana had commenced an …
On the 20th November 2012, a section of the media reported that Mr. Ajith Prasanna, a member of the Southern Provincial Council from the ruling alliance (UPFA), called for the legalization of sex-work (prostitution) to boost tourism in the country. While sex work as such is not criminalised in Sri Lanka, soliciting sex in public …
(Text of a Media Release issued by the Colombo Lawyer’s Collective) Today the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake walked out of the Parliamentary Select Committee in protest in the face of hostile and biased conduct of the government members of the PSC so as to ensure the dignity of the judiciary of …
After the special Parliamentary select Committee convened today to hear the impeachment inquiry, at 2.30 pm, the chief Justice (CJ) and her lawyers staged a walk out in protest. PC Romesh De Silva the chief of the panel of Lawyers for the CJ addressing the Committee said , they have no faith in this Select …
by Stewart Bell A Sri Lankan opposition politician said Wednesday he wanted his government to investigate allegations that an army officer now in Canada had been ordered to plant a bomb at his residence during the island nation’s civil war. M.K. Sivajilingam said he had no trouble believing the former Sri Lanka Army captain, who …
By Harim Peiris As the Rajapaksa Presidency pushes ahead with its the impeachment of the Chief Justice, UNP and Opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe pulled off his own coup within the UNP. He convened a party convention which met on December 1st, amended its constitution to ensure that the UNP elects its leader only once in …
Kithsiri Wijesinghe Interviews JC Weliyamuna Speaking to JDS, he shruged off threats as a less important matter. ‘I rose from humble beginnings in rural down south to become a professional. It’s my duty to stay and fight’ he says. In 2010, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Berlin based Transparency International. …
Continue reading ‘‘Entire State Mechanism is Basically Organized to Crush any Sort of Dissent’’ »
By Gagani Weerakoon The four opposition MPs nominated to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed to probe the charges against Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, warned they would walk out of the Committee, if there is no fair trial.
by Taylor Dibbert On December 1, Enrique Peña Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) assumed the Mexican presidency amid a flurry of protests against the party, whose previous 70-year rule defined the country’s authoritarian past. Yet it’s difficult to imagine that the new president’s term could be worse than the unmitigated disaster of his …
Continue reading ‘Enrique Pena Nieto and a Change in Security Policy for Mexico’s Drug War’ »
The legal firm Neelakandan and Neelakandan has on the instructions of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake written to “Sunday Observer” refuting allegations of financial impropriety made in an article published on December 2nd 2012.The text of the letter is as follows –
The Chief Justice (CJ) of a country is the highest judicial officer in the land. From such a person, it is fair for the public to expect a standard of conduct that is above reproach. As a result, the CJ would be expected to display the highest degree of honesty and integrity. Even if the …
By Dharisha Bastians “Democracy demands an opposition party” – Ben Manski, American Lawyer and political activist. The events of 23 November when Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake made her very first appearance before the Parliamentary Select Committee were not lost on the ruling administration. Round one had presented a clear winner and elicited mass sympathy for …
Continue reading ‘Shirani Bandaranayake Becoming Symbol of Resistance Against Rajapaksa Regime’ »
by Kath Noble We really should have learned by now that suppressing the peaceful activities of young people, however much we disagree with them, never actually works. There are always repercussions.
By Charitha Ratwatte A politician has gone on record labelling the regime to which he belongs as a ‘People’s Dynasty’. He has said: “It is a dynasty, but by people’s choice. A people’s dynasty.” The context was in that of a regime of centralised decision making which would further speed up in economic development. The …
by Ajith Samaranayake (December 5th 2012 is the 85th birthday of Maestro W.D.Amaradeva. This article by Ajith Samaranayake appearing in the “Sunday Observer” of January 10th 1999 was written to celebrate the Doyen of Sinhala music receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Peradeniya on December 29th 1998. It is reproduced here as a …
Continue reading ‘Amaradeva at 85: Giving tongue to a nation’s soul’ »
By Tisaranee Gunasekara Gotabhaya Rajapaksa does not hesitate to cavort where men less well-connected fear to tread even gingerly. As Defence Secretary and President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s younger brother, he has no need to mind his language. His verbal outbreaks are of the highest political relevance since they provide invaluable glimpses into the opaque mental universe …
Text and pix by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai Women, whose fathers, brothers, husbands and sons have been disappeared over the past years, took part in a religious protest recently in Colombo. Women walk with burning camphor pots through the busiest business streets Nearly 25 women from Batticaloa, Colombo, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaithivu and Trincomalee carried burning camphor pots …
(Text of Outgoing Ambassador Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka’s Farewell speech to the Sri Lankan community in France at a civic reception hosted by the Ambassador and madam Sanja Jayatilleka the Embassy Premises in Paris on November, 30th, 2012) “This event is the commencement of my process of transition. I have begun my farewell with this gathering of …
by M.S.Shah Jahan “With all respect, every day, thousands of people die, but still the world moves on. Just due to one politician died a natural death, everyone just goes bonkers. They should know, we are resilient by force, not by choice. When was the last time, did anyone showed some respect or even a …
Continue reading ‘Shiv Sena Goondas Erupt Over Facebook Comments About Bal Thackeray’s Funeral’ »
by Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. (I had been asked to speak on the votes of the Ministry of External Affairs during the Committee Stage of the Budget Debate, but was subsequently told that there was no time for this. Since I had prepared a text, which I felt discussed urgent issues in the current context, I …
Text and Pix by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai “Kaarthigai” is a month of purity and devotion. There is a story linked between “Kaarthigai” and lamps according to religious references. Brahma- The Creator, and Vishnu- The Preserver had a dispute between them as to who was greater, and who was the supreme. The Lord Shiva wanted to teach …
Continue reading ‘Kaarthikai Theepam Festival Where Light Triumphs Over Dark’ »
by MA Sumanthiran M.P. November 27, 2012 was a busy day for the Government of Sri Lanka. Government agents prohibited routine rituals in temples across the North and East, attacked and arrested peacefully assembled university students, invaded a female hostel, beat a newspaper editor, vandalized the vehicle of a Member of Parliament, abused political prisoners …
Continue reading ‘Karthiaai Vilakkeedu, Maaveerar Naal and the Lighting of Lamps in Jaffna’ »
By Mohammed Naalir The Tourism industry has started to bloom resulting with the elimination of the LTTE conflict. The Government targets to generate 500,000 direct and indirect employments in the tourism industry by 2016. Livelihood and economic development are the main focus of developing the tourism industry in the North and East.
by N. Sathiya Moorthy Announcing the filing of defamation suits against two Tamil newspapers published from Jaffna, an Army statement had this to say – and rightly so: “Just as much the Army is not above the law, we are not below the law either, and we will fight vigorously to protect the good name …
Continue reading ‘Army “Fights” Two Jaffna Newspapers Through Legal Means’ »
By Jayantha Sri Nissanka More and more incriminating evidence of summary executions of inmates in the Welikada Prison by the Police Special Task Force (STF) and a special police unit (SPU) that took place after the army commandos took full control of the prison on the night of November 9 have now been revealed, despite …
By S L Gunasekara Sri Lanka has been plagued by Provincial Councils (PCs) for the past 24 years. The debate about whether the 13th Amendment which gave birth to these Provincial Councils should remain or not continues and has now gained some momentum with proposals being made by persons who are supposedly influential that it …
By Telles Anandappa The Supreme Court this week ordered a local council in Jaffna to remove name boards of a village after residents claimed that the name would represent one caste only and thus create disharmony.The directive was issued to the Valikamam West Pradeshiya Sabha, in the Vaddukoddai electorate after 10 villagers filed a fundamental …
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) was forced to put on hold a decision to re-name 57th lane in Wellawatte as ‘Colombo Tamil Sangam Lane’ in recognition of a well known cultural centre along the road, after Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranathunga said he was revoking permission he had given earlier for the name change. …
by Smriti Daniel (Smriti Daniel speaks to an artist with a creative obsession, Mahen Chanmugam, whose third exhibition Ganeshism 3, a celebration of Lord Ganesh in art is on at the Barefoot Gallery until Dec. 16.) Enter Mahen Chanmugam’s house and you will find it impossible to escape the scrutiny of Lord Ganesh.
By Shalomi Daniel (The only Sri Lankan on the Australian Music Examiners Board in New South Wales, Navaranjini Olegasegarem, who was back home on a holiday, discusses how she has learnt to harmonise two passions in life, music and medicine) Five-year-old Navaranjini was too small to reach the piano keys and had to be carried …
Continue reading ‘Navaranjini Olegasegarem: Well Known Singer Blessed With a Beautiful Voice’ »
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene This week, a committed New Delhi based civil rights advocate and incidentally a good friend, observed in a dispassionate aside to an otherwise entirely different conversation in that country that ‘this situation that Sri Lankans are facing regarding the political impeachment of the Chief Justice is quite alien for us to …
Continue reading ‘Open Contempt is Shown for the Judiciary with Full Backing of the Govt’ »
(Text of a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development in response to a news story published in the Canadian Newspaper “National Post” that was posted on www.dbsjeyaraj.com blog under the heading “Sinhala Army Capt Testifies in Canada About Order to Plant Explosives at TNA Ex-MP Sivajilingam’s House”) Through out the course …
by Zacki Jabbar A triumphant UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe having secured a new six year term at yesterday’s 54th annual convention, held at Sirikotha called for a halt to the infighting and unity among the membership to oust what he termed the corrupt and dictatorial Mahinda Rajapaksa regime.
By Chitra Weerarathne The Supreme Court yesterday fixed the hearing of the reference from the Court of Appeal for December 13 and 14, 2012 and directed the Registrar of the Court to notify the respondents of the dates fixed for the hearing.
By Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga The last few months have seen several attempts at interference with the proper functioning of the judiciary. The Mannar incident, the unprecedented statement of the Judicial Service Commission, the physical attack on the Secretary of the JSC who released the statement on the direction of the JSC, use of State media …
Continue reading ‘By Protecting the Judiciary we Protect Ourselves and our Freedoms’ »
By Dharisha Bastians All laws including the Parliamentary Power and Privileges Act should be interpreted subject to the Constitution, Constitutional Lawyer and former Executive Director, Transparency International Sri Lanka, J. C. Weliamuna said yesterday.
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “…..to not to be a fanatic means to be, to some extent and in some way, a traitor in the eyes of the fanatic”. Amos Oz (How to cure a fanatic) What if after the defeat of the JVP insurgency, the Premadasa administration prevented Sinhala families from mourning their JVP-dead? What if …
by Kamaya Jayatissa (Kamaya Jayatissa participated at the French-Sri Lankan Diaspora Youth Workshop “Post-War Reconciliation Dialogue for a Sustainable Peace”, which took place in Paris, on October 27th, 2012. She intervened as a panelist on the theme “Individual and collective identity(ies): between search and struggle”. The event was organized by What’s Next!, an independent forum …
By Stewart Bell An officer in the Sri Lanka Army, who fled to Canada and claimed he was ordered to plant explosives at the home of an outspoken opposition politician, is raising new questions about military abuses committed during the island nation’s long civil war. Captain Ravindra Watudura Bandanage, 38, deserted after flying to Toronto …
by Sajith Premadasa M.P. (Speech made by the Deputy Leader of the United National Party and Member of Parliament, Sajith Premadasa, at the seminar on ‘Justice for Palestine’ held at the BMICH on 28 November, to mark UN International Day of Solidarity with Palestine and to Commemorate the 8th Death Anniversary of President Yasser Arafat.) …
(Chairman of SupremeSat, R.M. Manivannan , in a post-launch interview answers some pertinent questions about the final few hours before the launch of Sri Lanka’s first satellite, government support, and geo-political concerns) Question: Are you relieved now that the launch was successful? Answer: Yes. The last few days especially after the initial launch target date …
by R. M. B. Senanayake I refer to Mr. S. Rasalingam’s response to my article on devolution to be based on language. He disagrees with my interpretation of the origin of the conflict. He makes out that the opposition to the Sinhala only policy was not a demand of the Tamil people but a handle …
Continue reading ‘The Nation State was Equated with Sinhala Buddhists’ »
by Dr.Reeza Hameed There is no basis in the Sri Lanka Constitution for the proposition that the Sri Lanka Parliament is sovereign. It is neither sovereign nor supreme. Parliamentary sovereignty in England The doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty has its roots in the legal theory developed by A V Dicey in relation to English constitutional law. …
Continue reading ‘The Parliament in Sri Lanka is Neither Sovereign nor Supreme’ »
by Sunanda Deshapriya Minister Wimal Weerawansa, nicknamed as the ‘eldest son of the President’, during the 2010 presidential election campaign, came up with a rather serious proposal some two months back: To have a referendum to abolish the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the constitutional chapter that deals with devolution of power. Sinhala extremist parties …
Continue reading ‘How Wimal Weerawansa Will Help Tamil Diaspora Have Referendum in North-East’ »
by E.Saravanapavan M.P. November 27th is the Tamil Eelam Liberation Tigers’ Heros Day on which day people offer their commemoration to the demised warriors. It is customary for people to pay their respect to the deceased on such days. This salutation offered to their blood brothers, relations and parents has been mercilessly suppressed by the …
by Mahendran Thiruvarangan Remembering the past, its struggles and the actors and agents who advanced those struggles as a community is a key political act inextricably linked to our political journeys in the present. The past and the memories associated with it speak about our historical progress into the present, and therefore we tend to …
By Gagani Weerakoon Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa unreservedly rejected notices served on him and members of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the charges mentioned in the impeachment motion against Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, and declared they were “a nullity and entail no legal consequences.” Delivering his ruling last evening on a privilege issue raised …
By Usha S Sriskandarajah The internal probe commissioned to examine the conduct of the United Nations during the final months of the war in Sri Lanka with a view to putting its house in order is to be commended for being forthright about UN’s own failures. However it’s findings must also be seen as a …
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “We can neither ignore the catastrophes that affect us nor simply leave their solution to others” Orhan Pamuk (For Rushdie) Hours after Sri Lanka became a satellite-owning nation, a train collided with a three-wheeler at an unprotected railway-crossing in Ambanpola, killing 6 people, including 4 children. There are around 900 unprotected railway-crossings …