By Shanta Devarajan (The writer is a former World Bank Chief Economist for South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa. He is now Professor of Georgetown University) The announcement by the Governor of the Central Bank that Sri Lanka has earmarked $ 500 million to repay a maturing sovereign bond on 18 …
Former State Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha, who was removed from the said post last week, and several other government parliamentarians attended the slain Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike’s 123rd birth commemoration organised by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga last Saturday (8). Kumaratunga had organised one event to commemorate Bandaranaike’s 123rd birthday in front of the Bandaranaike …
The Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on Sunday sought from the visiting Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, a restructuring of the repayment of Sri Lanka’s debts to China and also a concessional trade-credit scheme to enable the island nation to import goods from China to make industries here operate smoothly. The rescheduling of the repayment …
By Buddhika Samaraweera Pointing out that it is the voice of the people that emerges from all quarters, including those who represent the Government and criticise certain government policies, State Minister of Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure Nimal Lanza said that such criticisms should not be underestimated. Speaking to the media yesterday (9), he said …
By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema During Foreign Minister Yi’s visit, Sri Lanka and China signed four agreements; namely an agreement on Economic and Technical Co-operation, the Letter of Exchange on the project of 2,000 subsidised housing units for the low-income category in Colombo, the Handover Certificate of the Technical Co-operation Project for the Bandaranaike Memorial International …
By Azzam Ameen A ceremony to start Mount Lavinia to Kankesanthurai Intercity services using recently received Full AC Diesel Multiple Units (AC DMUs) from India under an Indian loan facility was held today (09). According to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, Sri Lankan Minister of Transport Ms. Pavithra Wanniarachchi was the chief guest. Indian …
By Marianne David Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran in an interview with The Sunday Morning outlined the key challenges in the North and East – the economy, continuing militarisation and the national question remaining unresolved – while expanding on the party’s political concerns relating to the proposed new constitution, the hurdles in forging …
By P.K.Balachandran The visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Sri Lanka from January 8 to 9, and the Indian Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar’s recent phone call to his Lankan counterpart G.L.Peiris, have given the impression that both Asian giants are keen on helping Sri Lanka come out of the economic woods it has …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Even as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is reported to have cited a decision by the Sri Lanka Supreme Court (per the late Justice MDH Fernando) regarding collective responsibility of the Cabinet to justify sacking a state minister on the grounds that he criticised the Government, he may apprise himself of a plethora …
By Brian Baxter Sidney Poitier, who has died aged 94, was the first black actor to win an Oscar in a leading role, in 1964, for his performance in Lilies of the Field. This simple story about a handyman helping German nuns build a chapel in Arizona was enhanced by its star’s humour and vitality. …
Noting the tenet of collective responsibility and a constitutional cap on the number of cabinet ministries, Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday (07) defended a decision to sack a state minister who had openly criticised the government. “I had to remove a state minister. If a state minister says this government is wrong, he …
Sacked Sri Lanka Minister Susil Premajayantha has called for a probe whether he was spied upon by intelligence agents after a ruling party member claimed the sacking came in the wake of spy reports. Premjayantha was sacked shortly after he commented on the fertilizer ban which had put the agriculture sector in crisis at an …
The 13th anniversary of the assassination of The Sunday Leader founder Editor-in-Chief Lasantha Wickrematunge, which falls on 8 January, will be marked with a service at his graveside. Family, friends, former colleagues and others will gather at Borella Kanatte at 9 a.m. to mark the anniversary and remember Lasantha. Assassinated on 8 January 2009, Lasantha …
By Susitha Fernando With the social, political and economic changes in the country over the last two years, specially since the spread of the Covid 19 pandemic, Jathika Jana Balawegaya or National People’s Power (NPP), the broader alliance of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, has shown impressive progress in its popularity among all section of the society. …
By P.K.Balachandran Sri Lanka and India on Thursday signed a fresh agreement on the 99 giant oil tanks in Trincomalee to supersede the controversial one signed 19 years ago in 2003. Through the new agreement, 85 of the 99 tanks will be under the control of Sri Lanka, either directly or indirectly, the latter being …
Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Susil Premjayanth is one of the good ones; educated, intelligent, experienced, a fine speaker and debater be it in parliament or on TV. He is not one of those the protesting peasants refer to rudely as “the buffaloes in Parliament”. An SLPP member, he represents what is best in the SLFP tradition: he …
By Mahendran Thiruvarangan (Mahendran Thiruvarangan is a Senior Lecturer attached to the Department of Linguistics & English at the University of Jaffna) The last Kuppi Talk article by Erandika de Silva discussed the disjuncture between the emphasis on standardisation and the absence of serious efforts to address the challenges facing students and teachers in the …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj 13th Death Anniversary was on January 1st 2022. Year 2008 dawned on a dreadful note for Tamils in Sri Lanka as one more democratically elected Parliamentarian was assassinated in broad daylight. United National Party (UNP) Colombo district MP Thiagarajah Maheswaran was shot dead at the Shree Ponnambalavaneswarar Sivan temple in Kotahena. 41 …
Continue reading ‘Thiagarajah Maheswaran: Blend of Business Acumen and Political Savvy’ »
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “There is something in human history like retribution; and it’s a rule of historical retribution that its instruments be forged not by the offended but by the offender himself.” Marx (The Indian Revolt) The 2015 presidential election; as analysts and astrologers proclaimed and predicted a Mahinda Rajapaksa victory, a beggar in Galle …
BY Pamodi Waravita Although Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera told the media yesterday (4) that the Cabinet of Ministers had taken a “collective decision” to remove State Minister of Education Reforms, Open Universities, and Distance Learning Promotion Susil Premajayantha from his portfolio, Cabinet Spokesman Dullas Alahapperuma said at the cabinet decisions press briefing that this …
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has removed State Minister of Education Reforms, Open Universities and Distance Learning Promotion Susil Premajayantha from his Ministerial position with immediate effect. The same was made known through the President’s Media Division (PMD) today (04). This comes after Premajayantha levelled several criticisms towards the Government in the recent past. Courtesy:The Morning
By Pamodi Waravita Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said yesterday (4) that the Trincomalee Oil Tank Development Complex Project was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on Monday (3) and that the agreement pertaining to this development will be signed with India within a week. “The initial agreement in 1987 with India was for India and …
By Ruwani Fonseka Former State Minister Susil Premajayantha who was stripped of his Ministerial Portfolio today (04) by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appeared to be unfazed by this development while speaking to the media. Premajayantha also expressed that he will be returning to his profession as a lawyer. “These are not big things. I have a …
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, recounting how he was elected by a majority of Sinhalese voters, stated that the protection of Sinhala Buddhists and their heritage is his foremost responsibility. Speaking at the Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya after being bestowed the honorary title of “Sri Lankadheeshwara Padma Vibhushana” by the Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha …
By Nisthar Cassim The Cabinet of Ministers yesterday approved a massive but critical relief package worth Rs. 229 billion to people already reeling from the soaring cost of living, with the hope that the stimulus will invigorate the economy especially via the local economy including agriculture among others. Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa told a hurriedly …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene On the very day that the powerfully resonant voice of South Africa’s anti-apartheid advocate and priest Desmond Tutu was stilled (December 26th 2021), Sri Lanka announced a preposterous rule potentially requiring citizens who marry ‘foreigners’ to obtain security clearance from the Ministry of Defence. Parameters that defined the apartheid State There …
By W.A. Wijewardena Sri Lanka has entered 2022. It is the tradition of Sri Lankans to celebrate the arrival of a new year with kiribath, a symbol of foretelling of happiness, prosperity, peace, and splendour. While kiribath is partaken at every home on the first of January itself, employees of both government and private sector …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake Crackers did burst, and rockets did fly with blasts. As the old year folded up, the fireworks continued. Were some of the louder blasts from gas cylinders? Who knows, with no legal action taken against those gas-blast dealers so far. The law can wait till they draw in all the crooked profits. …
By Victor Ivan We are ready to take up the leadership of the country,” declared Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the Jathika Jana Balavegaya (National People’s Power – NPP) and the JVP at the Convention held on 20 December. He said so in a tone to impress the audience that it was the latest strategy …
What do the chief executives of Adobe, Alphabet, ibm, Match Group (which owns Tinder), Microsoft, OnlyFans (a subscription service featuring content creators in various stages of undress) and Twitter have in common? All seven happen to be of Indian origin. That is not surprising considering the abundance of subcontinental talent drifting into Western companies: in …
There were many times, Desmond Tutu recalled, when the apartheid rulers were strutting like cocks of the walk and his own people were being treated like rubbish, that he wanted to whisper in God’s ear, “God, we know that you are in charge. Why don’t you make it slightly more obvious?” For most of his …
By Ruwani Fonseka The Easter Sunday terror attacks of 21 April 2019 brought about tumultuous change to Sri Lanka’s social and political landscape, and gave rise to several questions, which remain to be fully addressed, on the true cause and nature of the attacks. Chief among these questions, and ones that have even been raised …
BY Shenal Fernando The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) released a receipt of the ¥ 10 billion (equivalent to $ 1.5 billion) currency swap to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) yesterday (29), increasing the official foreign reserves of Sri Lanka to $ 3.1 billion, according to the CBSL. CBSL Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka At the time of writing, a fundamentally important process of discussion and drafting is underway, shaping a united Tamil political stand on a matter that has ‘intermestic’ (Kissinger) implications. ‘Intermestic’ denotes matters ‘at the interface’ of the domestic and the international. Whatever is contained in the document due for release around New …
India’s government has refused to renew the foreign-funding licence for a charity founded by Mother Teresa. The Missionaries of Charity has thousands of nuns supervising projects like homes for abandoned children, schools, clinics and hospices. On Christmas Day, India’s home ministry announced it had not renewed the registration due to “adverse inputs”. Hindu hardliners have …
By Meera Srinivasan From the time he began voting, Kurunegala farmer B.M.H. Jayatilleka has not backed any party other than the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) at the polls. By extension, his vote in recent elections went to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP or People’s Front) that the Rajapaksas carved out of the SLFP …
By Nisthar Cassim President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday expressed confidence of completing his ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’ vision for Sri Lanka in the next three years despite losing the first two with COVID-19 pandemic induced setbacks. Speaking to a select group of editors at a luncheon, Rajapaksa listed priorities from his vision were boosting local …
By Meera Srinivasan After a year of visible strain in its ties with Colombo, New Delhi may finally have some reason for cheer. In a month’s time, Sri Lanka will ink the long-dragging deal with India to jointly develop the Trincomalee oil tank farms — a coveted project that has remained controversial for decades. “We …
By P.K.Balachandran Colombo, December 27 (newsin.asia): The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Sri Lanka, which is to take place around January 8 and 9, will be happening when the island nation’s economy is in dire straits, facing a severe dollar shortage, absence of foreign investment and a fall in international financial ratings. Colombo …
By Dr Nihal Jayawickrama, LL.B (Cey), Ph.D (Lond) The 1978 Constitution introduced into the law-making process of Sri Lanka the concept of a “referendum”. It was hailed in some quarters as a return to basics. In the tradition of the Greek city states, actual decision-making was being restored to the people. 43 years later, what …
Six Diaspora Tamil organizations active in the United States of America have joint letter to the newly designated US Ambassador to Colombo Julie Jiyoon Chung outlined a “Common Position” regarding the “existential threat” facing the Tamil people of Sri Lanka and submitted specific requests. Chief among the requests are a call for an internationally conducted …
(Text of a Press Release Issued by the Tamil National Alliance) The Tamil National Alliance mourns the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a man of God who not only fought against apartheid in South Africa and injustice everywhere, but also worked tirelessly for peace and reconciliation. As the Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, …
By Rachel Bartholomeusz The Romans might have invented the fruitcake, but Sri Lanka, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean, perfected it. (Full disclosure: I am half Sri Lankan and thus prone to hyperbole, but you’ve just got to trust me.) It might strike you as odd that a Buddhist-majority country is home to the …
By Alan Keenan On 28 October, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed the militant Buddhist monk Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara to head a presidential task force on legal reforms, shocking many in Sri Lanka and beyond. Gnanasara is the public face of the country’s leading anti-Muslim campaign group, Bodu Bala Sena (Army of Buddhist Power, or BBS). He …
By T. Ramakrishnan The Tamil Nadu government, which is keen on resolving the long-standing conflict in the Palk Bay, has been asked by the External Affairs Ministry to submit a list of probable participants from the fishing community in the State and tentative dates for the proposed talks between its fisherfolk and that of the …
(Text of Editorial Appearing in “The Hindu”of 23rd December 2021 under the heading Troubled waters: On Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody) The arrest of 68 Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan authorities between December 18 and 20 and the impounding of 10 boats for “poaching” in territorial waters have again raised concerns about the …
At first Bahrain-Lankan model Jacqueline Fernandez, who made good in Bollywood, refused to take the call from a mystery man last December who identified himself simply as ‘Shekhar Ratna Vela’. But that did not deter India’s ace conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar who knew there was more ways than one to skin a cat. In January this …
By V Suryanarayan (Senior professor (retd), Centre for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Madras) In a highly commendable move, the Rajapaksa brothers, who hold the reins of power in Sri Lanka, invited the UN Human Rights Council dealing with contemporary forms of slavery to visit Sri Lanka, study the living conditions of the …
Sri Lanka’s Agriculture Ministry Secretary Prof Udith K Jayasinghe has been replaced by D M L D Bandaranayake, the fifth person to take the position in just two years, the fourth in 2021. The President’s Media Division (PMD) announced the appointment on Wednesday (22), along with that of Anusha Palpita as Secretary to the Ministry …
By Col R Hariharan Even as Sri Lankan Parliament was debating the annual budget presented by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, he flew off to New Delhi, for a two-day visit on 1 December, to seek urgent help from India to ward off an impending economic collapse of the country. This drew a sarcastic comment from …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The Catholic church has questioned President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Government as to why they are not investigating the alleged plot to assassinate then President and incumbent Government Parliamentarian Maithripala Sirisena and current President Rajapaksa, which led to the arrest of then Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) Director Deputy Inspector General of Police …
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray Christmas has a lot of meanings. It is a day for reflection, penitence and reaffirmation of faith for devout Christians. It is also a moment of celebrating community. It is also a time of joy, goodwill, sharing and reunions. To me, it is all of these things. But looking back and …
By Meera Srinivasan For Muthu Sivamohan, a farmer leader in Sri Lanka’s northern Kilinochchi district, the uncertainty looming over his paddy yield, after the government banned chemical fertilizers, is only comparable to “two other periods of crisis”. “The first was when Prime Minister Sirimavo [Bandaranaike] introduced import substitution in the 1970s,” said the 63-year-old farmer. …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Even at the brink, if not firmly in the abyss of moral, legal and financial bankruptcy as a nation, Sri Lanka’s vicious peddlars of racial and communal hatred continue unabated with their grisly mischief. Grim comedy and Animal Farm charades This week, utter confusion reigned in regard to the reinstatement (or …
The Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenhong, made a highly profile visit the Tamil-majority Northern Province on December 15 and 16 exhibiting China’s new-found interest in that province. Observers see the visit as a thinly-veiled challenge to India’s claims vis-à-vis Northern Sri Lanka given its geographical proximity to India and cultural and linguistic affinity …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake The Budget for the next year has been passed, and the Festive Season is the stuff of politics today. Is the stuff of politics the absence of politicians? Now, don’t take wrong shots. President Gotabaya went abroad for a medical check-up. How can he be sure of a good medical check -up …
(Text of Editorial Appearing in the “Daily FT of December 18th 2021 under the heading “A broken justice system”) After an excruciating 18 months in detention, poet and teacher Ahnaf Jazeem was released on bail this week. Jazeem was arrested on 16 May 2020 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in connection with a …
(Text of Editorial appearing in the “Daily FT”of December 17th 2021 under the heading “The measure of patriotism”) In a televised interview organised by the Presidential Media Unit, Defence Secretary Retd. General Kamal Gunaratne was questioned about alleged attempts to link the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Suresh Sallay to the bombings that killed 269 …
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the largest international organisation of national Parliaments , which investigated the arrest and detention of Vanni District Parliamentarian Rishad Bathiudeen issued its decision on the matter yesterday (16). The IPU expressed concerns that Bathiudeen was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in the absence of prompt processing of his fundamental …
By Azzam Ameen Responding to allegations made by certain groups who claim that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the mastermind behind the Easter attacks as it served as a catalyst for him to come to power, Defence Secretary Retd. General Kamal Gunaratne at a press conference yesterday (15) rejected such allegations. “Many people tried to create …
By Ruwani Fonseka Chairman of the Information Technology Society of Sri Lanka, Rajeev Yasiru Kuruwitage, claimed that on the 10th of December, 5 people in civil attire forcefully entered and raided his house without a warrant. He made this statement during a media brief held yesterday (12). “5 people clad in civil attire raided my …
(Text of Editorial appearing in “The Morning”of December 13th 2021 under the Heading The Yugadanavi exposé and a Government exposed’) The controversial Yugadanavi agreement, to which only select members of the Government were privy, is no longer a secret. Last week, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) Leader and Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake …
BY Pamodi Waravita The world’s leading organisation of national human rights bodies has recommended that the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) be downgraded to a “B” status, primarily due to its appointment process and its failure to adequately address human rights violations. The recommendation was made last week by the Global Alliance of …
By Hansi Nanayakkara Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala, on the advice of Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam, on Friday (10), released Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary and head of the Presidential Task Force on One Country, One Law, Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera, from the case where he had been charged with denigrating the Islamic …
By P.K.Balachandran On the occasion of World Human Rights Day on Friday, the US State Department designated 12 officials of foreign governments under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriation Act, 2021, for their involvement in gross violations of human rights. Among the sanctioned were Lt.Commander Chandana Hettiarachchi of …
BY Meera Srinivasan A group of Opposition MPs in Sri Lanka, representing Tamils from the north and east, hill country (Malaiyaha Tamils), and Tamil-speaking Muslims on Sunday sought the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to ensure “existing rights are not snatched away”. The contentious 13th Amendment, born out of the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987, …
By W.A. Wijewardena Falling forex reserves Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange reserves are falling dramatically month after month. According to the data released by the Central Bank last week, foreign exchange reserves have declined from $ 2.3 billion at end-October to $ 1.6 billion at end-November. When one deducts the gold reserve and the position with …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Recent observations by the Supreme Court regarding the importance of the Attorney General independently exercising the enormous array of powers conferred on that Office by statute are, by a cynic’s perspective, nothing very new. Elephant smuggling and the law Reportedly, these cautions had been issued during the recent granting of leave …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake We have come to the Blast Stage in Sri Lanka! Gas explosions continue in kitchens and outside, and now there are explosions of liquid fertiliser too. It looks as if the Saubhagye Dekma thinking of presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa, were in fact a Maha Pipireema Dekma – a Vision of Huge Blasts. …
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a new five-member Right to Information Commission (RTIC), with two previous commissioners reappointed and three new commissioners. Letters of appointment from the Presidential Secretariat were hand delivered on Friday evening and yesterday, over two months after the RTIC ceased to function due to term lapses and resignations of the sitting …
By Asiri Fernando The Parliamentary Council (PC) last Friday (10) approved the President’s nominee for the post of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Chairperson, The Sunday Morning learnt. Presidential Secretariat Director General (Legal) Harigupta Rohanadeera confirmed that retired Supreme Court Judge Rohini Perera Marasinghe, nominated by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was approved by …
By Maheesha Mudugamuwa Yet another important national asset of the country, the oil tank farm in Trincomalee, was leased out to Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC) in 2003. Recently, it has been marred in controversy, with possible new investments discussed during Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s recent visit to India. As learnt by The Sunday Morning, …
(Text of Statement Issued on December 10 after a Two-Day (Dec 5&6) rip to Batticaloa District by a Multi-ethnic Fact Finding Mission) We, the undersigned, undertook a visit to Batticaloa in the Eastern Province on 5 and 6 December to ascertain the current plight of the different communities affected by the Easter Sunday attacks. The …
The United States has imposed human right-related sanctions on two more Sri Lankan military officials under Section 7031(c), gross violation of human rights, the US State Department announced on Dec 10 Tho two military personnel are: Chandana Hettiarachchi, a Sri Lankan naval intelligence officer, for his involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely, the …
By S.Ratnajeevan H. Hoole The Rev. Gnanasara Thero and his Hindu counterpart Maruwanpulavu Sachithananthan allege unethical conversions by Christians. As a Christian, knowing many converts to Christianity as sincere and genuine, I have always been dismissive of such claims and still am. Recent events however make me think that there is another dimension of their …
By Azzam Ameen n a message to mark International Human Rights Day, the Bishops of the Church and the Church of Ceylon called upon all Sri Lankans to join the United Nations of the world to reaffirm their commitment to the equality of all human beings who are “born free and equal in dignity and …
By Meera Srinivasan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday appointed a former Navy chief, previously accused of abduction and conspiracy to murder, as Governor to the North Western Province, delivering what victims’ families called “yet another blow” to their 12 year-long fight for justice. This is Mr. Rajapaksa’s second controversial appointment in recent months. In October, …
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has decided to establish a Green Agriculture Operative Centre to systematically and sustainably fulfil the priorities identified to make Sri Lanka a ‘green’ country. This is being implemented under the direction of Defence Staff Chief and Army Commander Gen. Shavendra Silva.
By Ruwani Fonseka A ship loaded with 20,000 tons of fertilizer from Shandong-based producer Seawin Biotech meant for export to Sri Lanka is on its way back after failing to reach any constructive agreement with Sri Lanka, despite relentless efforts to solve the dispute The Global times reports that the ship is to arrive in …
BY Pamodi Waravita Participants in the “One Country, One Law” Presidential Task Force’s (PTF) public consultation held at one of the divisional secretariats (DSs) in the Eastern Province alleged that the discussion was held predominantly in Sinhala, with no proper translators or language interpreters, which severely limited the accessibility of the public consultation. “They only …
By Ruwani Fonseka Admiral of the Fleet, Wasantha Karannagoda is tipped to be appointed as the Governor of the North Western Province, it is learnt. The Morning reliably learns that Karannagoda’s new appointment is likely to take place later today (09) Courtesy:The Morning
By Ruwani Fonseka As intra-country cargo builds around Indian west coast ports, feeder lines are flocking to connect the area to the Far East, shifting transhipment away from Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port in favour of India’s largest container port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) The Loadstar reports that as shippers desperately search for mainline connections …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “The road to self-deception is narrow to begin with, but there’s always someone ready to broaden it out…it’s all a matter of beginning” – José Saramago (Cain) Call it a metaphorical warning shot. Several parliamentarians, including a presidential nephew, were at a public meeting in Hakmana (Matara) when a monk invaded the …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Last Saturday (November 20) saw a group of self-styled political activists create a ruckus and disrupt a public meeting in the Scarborough area of Toronto City in Canada. The incident -though distorted and misreported in sections of the media – received wide publicity in Sri Lanka. Moreover it has generated a multi-faceted debate …
Continue reading ‘Turmoil in Toronto as “Tigers” Target TNA Meeting’ »
By Ruwani Fonseka While stating that Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa must always be present during the Budget debate, United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe claimed in Parliament today (07) that Rajapaksa flew to India for reasons unknown. “We have had past Presidents who have also served as Finance Ministers parallelly, but they have always …
By Penny Macrae As Sri Lanka’s short-lived plan to transform itself into an “organic utopia” collapsed last month, a diplomatic dispute with China over a fertiliser shipment threatened the debt-laden island nation’s hunt for a lifeline to shore up its crisis-hit economy as it stares down the barrel of a default. Colombo’s ban on pesticides, …
BY Shahaen Vishak A Chinese company, that had been awarded the tender to develop three hybrid power plants in the Delft, Nagadeepa, and Analthivu islands off the Jaffna peninsula, is likely to lose this contract as the project, which was previously being conducted under a loan disbursed by an international financial institution, will now likely …
(Text of speech made in Parliament TN Jaffna District MP M.A. Sumanthiran on 04th December 2021 on the votes of the ministry of Highway, Transport and Labour.) Thank you, Honorable speaker for this opportunity to say a few words at the committee stage discussion on the votes of the ministry of High ways, Transport and …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Is it not enough that politicians both in the Government and the Opposition are squabbling in the dark, literally so, as the Parliament chamber joined the rest of the nation this Friday with a full day blackout crippling essential functions? Do we not suffer enough by politicians and state agents disregarding …
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “Where has the tree gone, that locked Earth to the sky?” Philip Larkin (Going) Sirisena Cooray gave his final interview three months before his death. A Sunday Sinhala paper had carried a wildly inaccurate account of the Premadasa era. Sirisena Cooray called the editor and asked for an opportunity to set the …
By Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka My mother told me, decades later, that she was sure Sirisena Cooray knew I was under 18 when he let me slip into the cinema in my long-trousers for the 9:30pm show for movies that were ‘adults only’, having conspired with my father. She remembered Mr. Cooray laconically saying “wait till …
By Uwin Lugoda India’s Adani Group, owned by Indian business tycoon Gautam Adani, is to develop a 1,000 MW wind power project in Mannar valued at over $ 1 billion, The Sunday Morning learnt. It is also learnt that Adani is looking at developing a second wind power project in another location in the Northern …
by Anura Gunasekera A few days ago President Gotabaya Rajapaksa(GR), the first military man and, unarguably, the most ignorant in the ways of governance to occupy the presidential seat, celebrated the completion of two years as the eighth president of the Republic of Sri Lanka. The salutation coincided with the formal vesting with the Sangha, …
A mob in Sialkot brutally murdered a Sri Lankan man and set his body on fire over blasphemy allegations. Priyantha Kumara, the export manager of a private factory, was attacked by workers of the factory on Wazirabad road in Sialkot, Pakistan. Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rao Sardar Ali Khan directed the regional police …
by D.B.S.JEYARAJ In the ‘Political Pulse’ column of 10 November titled ‘Tiruchelvam QC and Sabry PC: A tale of two resignations,’ I had written to some extent about former Local Government Minister Murugeysen Tiruchelvam known as M. Tiru or Tiru. Interestingly much of the feedback I received displayed great interest and curiosity about M. Tiruchelvam. …
Continue reading ‘Murugeysen Tiruchelvam: Former Chief Political Strategist of the ITAK/FP’ »
Suhasini Haidar and Meera Srinivasan India and Sri Lanka agreed to a four-pronged approach to discuss initiatives on food and energy security to help mitigate Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, during a two-day visit by Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to New Delhi. Four-pillar initiative The decisions included a four-pillar initiative, comprising lines of credit …
The Chinese Embassy in Colombo yesterday (2) stated that a proposed hybrid energy project in three islands off the Jaffna peninsula has been suspended due to a “security concern” from a third party. In a Tweet, the Embassy said that the hybrid energy system to be built in three northern islands of Sri Lanka by …
A meeting between Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was scheduled to be held yesterday (2), has failed to materialise for what government sources indicated were scheduling issues, The Morning learnt. Rajapaksa is set to return to Sri Lanka today, after a two-day official visit to India to seek …
By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior ministers over the next two days. He is likely to seek crucial economic assistance from India by way of investments and enhanced tourist exchanges, official sources in Colombo indicated. …
By Azzam Ameen Sri Lanka Police have launched an investigation regarding two secretaries belonging to the personal staff of two Cabinet Ministers. The inquiry is being carried out with regard to accusations that the two members of ministerial personal staff had attempted to secretly unearth a stock of gold said to have been buried in …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera An official of the Public Security Ministry has been suspended of his duties on suspicion of attempting to secretly unearth a stockpile of gold which is believed to have been buried by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Puthukkudiyiruppu area in Mullaitivu during the war, while an inquiry is …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Has the law been forgotten to such an extent in Sri Lanka that individuals who happen to antagonise the politically (or militarily) powerful are being summoned to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on the basis that they have offended repealed laws? Does no one know what laws are in force in …
By Meera Srinivasan In Chundikulam village, located on the eastern tip of Jaffna Peninsula, farmers are facing a peculiar challenge. They are unable to access their lands in which they have recently sowed vegetables. “Border stones of the Department of Wildlife Conservation have sprouted on our plots,” said S. Arunthavaraja, a resident, pointing to a …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake Former President Maithripala Sirisena has struck hard on warnings of being deprived of Civil Rights by President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. In his recent statement, President Gotabaya was clear on observing the policies laid down in his Saubhagya Dekma manifesto. He recalled how the Yahapalana government had given no importance to the war heroes, …
By Radhika Coomaraswamy The piercing sound of the nadaswaram filled the air. A soul-rending call, expressing the constant yearning of the human spirit, I would hear echoes of it in dark spaces in New York in the sound of the tenor saxophone. It was “ther” day at the Nallur Kandasamy temple and musicians came from …
(Text of a Press Statement Issued by the Global Tamil Forum in London on 25 November 2021) Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation together with Global Tamil Forum (GTF) representatives (the “Delegation”), had many significant engagements in the US between November 15 – 22, articulating Tamil people’s concerns to key US Government policymakers and Members of …
By Ranga Jayasuriya A glorious day passed without much funfair. Two years ago on November 16, 6.9 million Sri Lankan voters elected as their executive president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the wartime defence secretary cum the presidential brother. Younger Gotabaya Rajapaksa was anointed as the candidate of the newly formed Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna (SLPP) by …
By P.K.Balachandran Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa is planning to visit New Delhi at the earliest, to seek from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urgent help to tide over the economic crises in the island, especially the part concerning foreign debt repayment. According to sources, a request has been made for an appointment with Modi. …
By Samantha Power Mangala Samaraweera was a remarkable public servant and one of the most remarkable individuals I have ever known. He was also a courageous leader, who dedicated his life to pursuing his vision for a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-lingual Sri Lanka that would, as he described it, “guarantee equal rights, justice and dignity …
By Rajpal Abeynayake President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected not despite his lack of political experience, but because of it. On the campaign trail, he was seen as the outsider who was not tainted by politics. He was Defence Secretary, but that was a public office, not a political office. The outsider element became especially important …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Emphasising that the policy of the Government is to direct agricultural activity in the country entirely towards the use of organic fertilisers, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the officials who do not agree with it are free to leave. “Stressing the need for officials to seek solutions for the protesting farmers within …