The UNP Working Committee meeting which was to be held this morning, was postponed to Monday (10). The meeting was postponed after Opposition leader, Sajith Premadasa informed that he could not attend the meeting.
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s crisply yet firmly delivered (and electorally pitch-perfect) Conservative nationalist democratic discourse, the presence as ‘special distinguished guest’ of Russia’s Gen. Salyukov, Commander-in-Chief of Land Forces, the impressive military parade and colourful multicultural display, and on the flipside, the non-rendition of the National Anthem in Tamil, constituted the point-counterpoint of …
Former SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kapila Chandrasena and his wife Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, who were arrested on money laundering charges, were remanded until 19 February by Colombo Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake yesterday. The couple surrendered to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) last morning and statements were recorded from them before they were produced …
SriLankan Airlines ex-Chief Executive Kapila Chandrasena and his wife Priyanka Wijenaike who are wanted in the Airbus bribery case have surrendered to Police, a top official said. “They are now at the CID and their statements are being recorded,” Media Spokesman Superintendent Jaliya Senaratne told EconomyNext on Thursday. Sri Lanka’s Attorney General asked Chandrasena and …
By Rathindra Kuruwita Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told Parliament yesterday that those who had received houses in villages built by the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) between 2015 and 2019 were yet to receive deeds confirming ownership. The Premier said so in response to a query posed by UPFA MP Anuradha Jayaratne. Premier Rajapaksa said …
In his oration at the Independence Square here on Tuesday to mark Sri Lanka’s 72nd.year of freedom from the British, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa clearly outlined the policies he will pursue in the next five years. He said that he will build a composite Sri Lanka where every group (including ethnic and religious groups) will enjoy …
By Chandani Kirinde Police were unable to trace the whereabouts of former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena and his wife Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, after a warrant was issued for their arrest by the Colombo Fort Magistrate on Monday, following the Attorney General directing that they be apprehended and produced in Court to face charges of …
· (Address by His Excellency Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka at the 72nd Independence Day celebrations) Most Venerable Maha Sangha, Other Religious Dignitaries Hon. Prime Minister Hon. Speaker Hon. Chief Justice Hon. Ministers, Ministers of State and Members of Parliament Hon. Governors H. E. the Ambassadors and High Commissioners …
By Chandani Kirinde The Attorney General’s Department yesterday directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to obtain an arrest warrant from the Magistrate Court to arrest former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena and his wife due to their alleged links to a $ 2 million bribe from French plane-maker Airbus. This followed investigative material submitted by …
by D,B.S.JEYARAJ Singing The National Anthem In Tamil Trilogy – 3 This is my third and final column in this trilogy of articles about the singing of Sri Lanka’s national anthem in the Sinhala and Tamil languages. I would have very much liked to write about hot topics like Ranjan Ramanayake’s recordings or President Gotabaya’s …
Continue reading ‘Tamils Want To Sing The National Anthem In Their Mother Tongue’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Singing The National Anthem In Tamil Trilogy – 2 2020 has dawned!Greetings for the new year to all “Daily Mirror” readers. My article in these columns last week about moves being contemplated to forbid the singing of Sri Lanka’s national anthem in Tamil at the 70th independence day event, seems to have been …
Continue reading ‘The Past Under Mahinda Is Resurfacing In The Present Under Gotabaya’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Singing The National Anthem In Tamil Trilogy – 1 The news story appearing in the “Daily Mirror”last week was like a bolt out of the blue. It said that the national anthem would be sung in the Sinhala language only at the forthcoming celebratory event of Sri Lanka or Ceylon gaining full independence …
Continue reading ‘Singing The National Anthem in The Sinhala and Tamil Languages’ »
PLEASE JOIN US at an Independence Day event coinciding with the official government event on Feb. 4th, from 9-10.30am, at the Borella Cemetery (Kanatta) roundabout, where we will sing the National Anthem in both Sinhala and Tamil, at the same time it’s being sung at Independence Square, which we can follow on live feed. 📜 …
United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his Independence Day message, called for Sri Lankans to refocus on unity, pointing out that the cohesion that existed between different communities had eroded since Independence.
By Kelum Bandara Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) categorically rejected the idea mooted by opposition leader Sajith Premadasa for him to tie up with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in forming a government subsequent to the upcoming parliamentary polls. Addressing a recent press conference, SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris said the country had a bitter experience of …
The CID, yesterday evening, launched a search for former SriLankan CEO Kapila Chandrasena and his wife, Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, over a questionable aircraft deal. A senior CID officer said an arrest warrant had been obtained and a special team deployed to look for the suspects. Attorney General, Dappula de Livera, yesterday, directed the CID to …
Preparations are underway to celebrate Sri Lanka’s 72nd Independence Day in Colombo tomorrow with full military pageantry, attended by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, members of parliament, diplomats and others. Tomorrow’s ceremony, to be held at Independence Square under the theme ‘A Secured Nation – A Prosperous Country’, will be Rajapaksa’s first Independence Day commemoration since taking …
A day before the country celebrates her 72nd anniversary of independence, former Minister for National Integration and Official Languages MP Mano Ganeshan made a final hour call to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to allow the National Anthem to be sung in both Sinhala and Tamil at Tuesday’s celebrations, to be held at Independence Square, Colombo.
By Namini Wijedasa Airbus SE hired the wife of a SriLankan Airlines (SLA) executive as a business partner through a dummy company she registered in Brunei. The corporation then paid into this entity’s account US$ 2mn (Rs 362mn) out of a total US$ 16.84mn (Rs 3bn) promised in return for ensuring that the national carrier …
Tourist arrivals from China to Sri Lanka have dropped about 40 percent from January 23 as both countries tightened travel requirements in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, officials said. “A considerable number of travelers have stopped coming to the country from China, as a percentage it could be on average …
By Prof. Susirith Mendis I have written about this on a few occasions before. But this is the first time I am venturing to do so since President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected President of Sri Lanka. I reiterate, he was elected President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka as five others have been …
By Shehan Chamika Silva An arrest warrant was issued by Colombo Fort Magistrate today ordering the CID to arrest SriLankan Airlines former CEO Kapila Chandrasena and wife Priyanka Vijenayake over the Airbus deal in 2013. Earlier today, Attorney General Dappula De Livera directed the CID Director to obtain a warrant, arrest and produce former CEO …
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday ordered a full inquiry into allegations that the wife of a SriLankan Airlines executive was paid $ 2 million by Airbus through a Brunei shell company to obtain or retain business or advantage in the conduct of business with the national carrier during 2011-2015. “The President has become aware of the …
UNP MP and economist Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday declared that the expert forensic audits on irregularities of Bond auctions and EPF stock market investments have exposed the nexus between two Central Bank Governors Ajith Nivard Cabraal and Arjuna Mahendran with the controversial Arjun Aloysius. Armed with the copies of the five forensic audits which …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Exactly a day after the pomp and the show of India’s celebrations of Republic Day 2020 faded, a young law student standing in the imposing shadow of India Gate in New Delhi, the country’s iconic war memorial,passionately confesses her uncomfortable dissonance with the lavish display. ‘All this passion, where will this …
By Don Manu Why does Sajith Premadasa have that uncanny feeling this Sunday morning of finding butterflies fluttering in his abdomen? Or feel his ire rising to find fish shakin’ a fin to the baila beat of his agitated heart? Why does he fear the shadow that falls before him making him constantly look over …
By Sandun Jayawardana The Attorney General’s Department will proceed with the case against former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and former Navy Spokesman D.K.P. Dassanayake — accused in the abduction of 11 youths — unless there is a court order otherwise. This is after the AG wrote to the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) inquiring into alleged …
From 1,300 Chinese nationals arriving in the country to a mere 100, a sharp drop in daily arrivals is presently recorded, according to Immigration Controller General Pasan Ratnayake. He said daily about 800-1300 Chinese nationals arrived in the country as tourists, businessmen, students and workers. But since January 28, the rate has fallen to about …
By Rajpal Abeynayake It’s such a pity, what social media and media in general is doing to our friends the Chinese, these days. It shouldn’t be that way, particularly in this country. The Chinese have been our friends for thousands of years, literally. But look what the fringe elements in social media are doing these …
By Aanya Wipulasena Twenty-year-old Anjeleena Stronach wasn’t worried about the hoo-ha people were making over a virus till the teacher in charge of the student group she belonged to sent a message on WeChat. “There will be no bus between Tianjin and Beijing. If you want (to) go back to Sri Lanka you should take …
By Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka The book is titled ‘On Public Imagination’ and subtitled ‘A Political and Ethical Imperative’. It is edited by Victor Faessel, Richard Falk and Michael Curtin. It is a Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group publication out of New York and London. The introductory thematic essay is by Richard Falk and Victor Faessel …
by Shamindra Ferdinando UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa’s Camp, yesterday, January 31, assured that it wouldn’t press for the leadership of the party. Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s Office, No 30, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Premadasa faction’s spokesman Nalin Bandara, MP, admitted that they couldn’t pressure incumbent leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to give up …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake The goals of progress that were the key expectations of the call and movement for freedom have been pushed aside as we approach the 72nd anniversary of Independence from colonial rule. The celebrations on February 4 will be hugely affected by the coronavirus that has begun straddling the world, and the call …
By Disna Mudalige Thirteen MPs had either not spoken or had spoken only once during debates in Parliament last year, a statistical analysis by ‘Manthri.lk’ website run by Verité Research revealed. The analysis was based on Parliament Hansard reports from January to December last year.
By Chandani Kirinde Amnesty International (AI) said yesterday that Sri Lanka’s human rights record in 2019 was characterised by unrealised Government commitments to pursue truth, justice and reparations, continued impunity for violations and abuses, and compromised freedoms of religion and expression. Speaking at the launch of the human rights organisation’s Human Rights in Asia-Pacific: Review …
Britain’s departure from the eu, says Sir Bernard Jenkin, a Conservative mp, reminds him of an experiment his grandfather once carried out on a pet pike. He put a glass wall in the middle of the fish’s tank, thus halving its swimming space. After ramming the glass, “thunk, thunk” for a while, the fish adapted …
Continue reading ‘Brexit: Britain’s Regulatory-Divergence Dilemma – The Economist’ »
By Victor Ivan From an architectural point of view, Sri Lanka had a parliamentary building near Galle Face which looked majestic and fitting for a Parliament. The affairs of the old Parliament were carried out in this building in an optimum and dignified manner from 28 January 1930, when it was declared open, up until …
By Jamila Husain Chinese officials have unofficially raised concerns with the Sri Lankan government over some incidents of discrimination faced by Chinese nationals in Sri Lanka, stating that they were being turned away from public areas such as restaurants, hotels, hospitals, spas and supermarkets by locals who were worried that they may be carrying the …
By S. Jayanth Ten years after the end of the communal war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE), Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapakse has admitted that more than 20,000 missing persons during and after the war are “actually dead.” He was speaking to the UN Resident Coordinator Hanna Singer for Sri Lanka …
By Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe reaffirmed his position in the party as its leader today and refrained from reappointing some key figures such as MPs Sarath Fonseka, Ajith P. Perera and Rosy Senanayake to the working committee. In the annual reconstitution of the working committee for 2020, …
by AJA Abeynayake and Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon MP Ranajana Ramanayake yesterday said that he had not telephoned judges and it was the latter who had called him. MP Ramanayake speaking from the dock and said that he had around 124,000 records of phone conversations he had had with many powerful persons including judges. A media …
The United National Party Working Committee unanimously decided this afternoon to offer Sajith Premadasa the post of Prime Ministerial Candidate for the upcoming Parliamentary General elections, former Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella told EconomyNext. This would make him automatically the leader of the UNP-led New Democratic Front Alliance that will take on the Sri …
The United National Party (UNP) Working Committee has decided that party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will remain UNP leader. The decision was taken when the UNP Working Committee met today at the party headquarters in Sirikotha.
By Shamindra Ferdinando State Minister for International Cooperation Susil Premjayantha, yesterday, turned down UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa’s offer to serve as Prime Minister, in a government headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Premjayantha said that there was nothing common in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s vision and that of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. Addressing the media at …
The National Peace Council (NPC) yesterday urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to decide whether the national anthem will be sung in Tamil on Independence Day as soon as possible. “An issue that has surfaced and which is causing heartburn among Tamil-speaking citizens is the likelihood that the national anthem will not be sung in Tamil at …
By H.I.Perera I have had the privilege of reading many letters published in The Island newspaper on the prevalent controversy in regard to the National Anthem, during the last few months. As far as I can remember, most of the writers had favored the conservative view that the National Anthem should be sung only in …
By Kshama Ranawana It’s back to the drawing board for the Hathe Ape Potha, the supplementary reader on sexual and reproductive health. On Tuesday, January 21st, interested stakeholders, Buddhist clergy, officials of the Education and Health Ministries, Psychiatrists, representatives of the Child Protection Authority and Academics met for the second time to discuss whether or …
By Chandani Kirinde The Government yesterday imposed restrictions on Chinese nationals visiting Sri Lanka and sent Lankan students returning from Wuhan Province in China to the Diyatalawa Army Camp to be kept under observation for two weeks after the first positive case of the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was identified by health authorities in the country. …
By Harsha Gunasena On 24 December, the Daily Mirror reported that, according to the Public Administration Ministry, the 72nd Independence Day celebrations will be held on 4 February at Independence Square in Colombo on a grand scale and the national anthem would be sung only in Sinhala. This is a deviation from the practice followed …
By Eranda Ginige I was studying in grade seven when I joined the Scout Association at my school. Scouts have a list of tasks to complete. When you complete them successively, you get various badges and promotions. One of the very first tasks was to sing the national anthem by yourself. The seniors told us …
(Text if a Statement Issued by the Women’s Action Network – a collective of nine women’s groups working in the North and East) Last week, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had told UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer that those reported missing from the war are “actually dead” and that the government would soon issue death certificates. Although …
(Excerpted from Compilation of Viewpoints Presented by Kamanthi Wickramasinghe in the “Daily Mirror” under the Heading “Singing National Anthem in Sinhala only Tug of war continues over ‘Matha’ and ‘Thaaye’) “I am strongly in favour of the national anthem being sung in both languages whenever and wherever appropriate, certainly at national Independence Day celebrations,” said …
(Excerpted from Compilation of Viewpoints Presented by Kamanthi Wickramasinghe in the “Daily Mirror” under the Heading “Singing National Anthem in Sinhala only Tug of war continues over ‘Matha’ and ‘Thaaye’) “When Sri Lanka became an independent state in 1948 there was a competition to select a national anthem,” recalled veteran lyricist Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne . …
by Ifham Nizam Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa, yesterday promised a party where everybody would have a say and its leader could be expelled if he or she was at fault. Premadasa, speaking at a meeting consisting of parliamentarians, local council members, provincial council members and supporters, at the Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre, …
By Rathindra Kuruwita The Cabinet decision to approve the construction of a coal power plant and two LNG plants ran counter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s promise to meet 80% of Sri Lanka’s energy needs through renewable sources by 2030, Secretary of Solar Industries Association (SIA), Lakmal Fernando told The Island yesterday. Last week, the Cabinet …
Politically affiliated criminals would not be punished by governments formed by the main political parties because leaders of both parties have close links to each other, MP Hirunika Premachandra said yesterday addressing a press conference at the Opposition Leader’s Office, Colombo 07. “Leaders of both parties are good friends, they cut deals and don’t punish …
By Ruki Fernando January 24, 2020, was 10 years since the disappearance of journalist and cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda. It also marked 10 years of struggle for truth and justice by his wife, Sandhya Ekneligoda and two young sons. Investigative reports by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to the Homagama Magistrate Courts indicated that Ekneligoda was …
By Jamila Husain President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has informed the UN that necessary investigations would be conducted to find out the fate of those who had disappeared during the island’s civil conflict as most of the families had attested that those disappeared had been recruited or forcibly conscripted by the LTTE. The Presidential Secretariat said the …
The Government of India has decided to confer Padma Shri Awards on Deshabandu Dr. Vajira Chitrasena and Late Prof. Indra Dassanayake for their pioneering contributions in their individual fields of work and for strengthening India-Sri Lanka ties, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said. Padma Shri Awards are one of the highest civilian awards in …
by Zacki Jabbar The UNP, while pledging support to the Rajapaksa government’s fresh investigations into the Easter Sunday bomb explosions at three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21 last year, says that former President Maithripala Sirisena, who was also the then Defence Minister, is answerable for ignoring intelligence warnings and leaving for Singapore …
By Rajpal Abeynayake Picking the most valuable player in a cricket tournament may be a tad easier than picking the most effective talent in a political entity, particularly a relatively new one. Or a new governing coalition. But if we put the idea to a test, would there be general agreement on the most valuable …
BY Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Notwithstanding understandable wrath that Sri Lankans may feel over political betrayals of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe coalition during 2015-2019, the way forward does not lie in giving sweeping majorities to any political force in the upcoming General Elections. A despicable political culture True, the scorching fury of ‘good governance’ being replaced by ‘no-governance’ …
by Shamindra Ferdinando Government Spokesman State Power Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said on Wednesday, January 22, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s decision to increase the daily wage of an estate worker to Rs. 1,000 from March 01, 2020, had not been seriously opposed by the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon. Addressing the media at the Prime Minister’s Office, lawmaker …
One-time Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Nanda Mallawarachchi has been appointed Director General, Multi Development Task Force responsible for high profile project to recruit and train 100,000 members of low income families. The project implemented in line with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s 2019 presidential poll pledge aimed to uplift the living standards of the poorest …
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Government has declared areas in Chundi-kulam, Delft Island, Adam’s Bridge, Kotuaththawala, Kayankerni, and Madu Road as national parks. Moving the motion on Thursday in Parliament, Environment and Wildlife Resources, and Lands and Land Development Minister S.M. Chandrasena held some of these new national parks have already been longstanding sanctuaries with high levels …
By Meera Srinivasan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s recent remarks that those reported missing from the time of the civil war were “actually dead” have sparked concern among families of disappeared persons. Relatives, mostly women, of thousands reported missing have been protesting in Sri Lanka’s Tamil-majority north and east for nearly three years now, demanding that authorities …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake A good amount of my life as a journalist had to do with covering Parliament. I’ve seen and heard great debates, listened to members skilled in debate, who were rich with humour, satire, ridicule and sarcasm. There were members who spoke for hours on rich content, and some who brought fun to …
By Shamindra Ferdinando A group of lawyers, yesterday (24), protested at Hultsdorp against what a spokesman for them, Sunil Watagala, called the Attorney General resorting to arbitrary actions in the wake of leaked audio clips containing conversations between judges and UNP lawmaker Ranjan Ramanayake. Attorney-at-law Watagala alleged that the Attorney General hadn’t followed the proper …
By Dhammike Amarasinghe I presume that many people consider the mere idea of singing a National Anthem in more than one language strange and an anomaly. In this context it would be best to examine what the international practice is. I invite readers to refer to the articles titled ‘ List of National Anthems’ and …
Refuting allegations that former Lake House chief Krishantha Cooray is linked to the Swiss embassy saga, the main opposition United National Party (UNP) said there is a conspiracy afoot to discredit Cooray and other media personnel not toeing the government line. Speaking to reporters at the Opposition Leader’s Office this morning, UNP MPs Ajith P …
By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana (The following is a transcription of the lively speech Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake made on January 21 (Tuesday) in Parliament regarding the leaked telephone conversations, he had with prominent personalities, which have put the lawmakers in hot water.) “I relate my story to all the people in this country. Firstly …
By Ajith Siriwardana UNP MP Hirunika Premachandra today claimed that the leaked second phone recording clip said to be of her and MP Ranjan Ramanayake was maliciously edited and vowed to take legal action against those who published the clips. Posting a video on her facebook account, she said the content and voice in the …
by Bishop Duleep de Chickera With Freedom (Independence) Day in sight we should be reflecting on how best our freedom gained, is to be consolidated and what new freedoms are to be secured. As change occurs, our perception of life grows and our understanding of ethics evolve, the human quest to stay free never ceases. …
Last month India changed the law to make it easier for adherents of all the subcontinent’s religions, except Islam, to acquire citizenship. At the same time, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (bjp) wants to compile a register of all India’s 1.3bn citizens, as a means to hunt down illegal immigrants . Those sound like technicalities, …
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered measures to prevent the genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (formerly Burma). The decision comes despite de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi defending her country against the accusations in person last month. Thousands of Rohingya died and more than 700,000 fled to Bangladesh during an army …
By Nick Beake This judgment has surely obliterated any remnants of Aung San Suu Kyi’s international reputation. Remember, she didn’t have to go to The Hague and become the embodiment of Myanmar’s defence. She chose to argue, in person, there was no mass murder, rape or arson. Even her biggest critics used to acknowledge she …
By Anna Holligan It was an unexpected detour that led Abubacarr Tambadou from his home in the tiny West African country of The Gambia to experience an epiphany on the edge of a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. Listening to survivors’ stories he said the “stench of genocide” began drifting across the border into Bangladesh …
UNP Parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella yesterday said that any decision on party leadership will have to be approved by the Working Committee and be announced at a party convention, but was unclear when a new Working Committee would be appointed. Commenting on the ongoing leadership standoff, Kiriella warned that it should not affect party unity, which …
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Lawmakers yesterday called on the Speaker to ensure all details of the Central Bank’s forensic audit reports are released, after some sections and annexures were found missing in the CD distributed to parliamentarians. Lawmakers from both sides, bringing the issue to the attention of the Speaker, held the full report should be …
(Text of a press release issued by theMedia Office of the Tamil National Alliance) R. Sampanthan 21/01/2020 Member of Parliament Trincomalee Statement of urgent public importance pertaining to the Bungalow of the Leader of the Opposition and other matters related thereto. Dear Hon. Speaker, You recognized me as the Leader of the Opposition of the …
By Chandani Kirinde President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday expanded the scope of a Commission of Inquiry (COI) he appointed two weeks ago to look into political victimisation during the previous Government to ascertain if investigations and legal proceedings against members of the Tri-Forces, Police and public services had an impact on the national security of the …
By Joe Wallen The new Sri Lankan president has finally admitted the 20,000 missing Tamils who vanished during the nation’s civil war are dead. Gotabaya Rajapaksa – who was then defence secretary – led government troops to victory over Tamil soldiers, but his forces were accused of carrying out mass disappearances and executions. It is …
The Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar yesterday issued summons for 14 individuals, including the former Commander of the Navy Admiral (Retd) Wasantha Karannagoda, to appear before the Court on 24 January over the alleged abduction and enforced disappearance for eleven youths in 2008. The 11 youths had been abducted in Colombo and the suburbs between 2008 …
By Saman Indrajith UNP MP Ranjan Ramanayake yesterday said in parliament that he would request for two days bail for him to table all the evidence in his possession with regard to phone records scandal. He said that he was in a difficult position to table those material as he had promised on Tuesday as …
by Sudharshan Seneviratne (Emeritus Professor. University of Peradeniya. Sri Lanka’s former High Commissioner to India) Introduction Foreign Policy (FP) represents the long arm of the State protecting and imaging its national interest and projecting overseas all aspects of an independent sovereign State. As such, Foreign Policy is essentially based on a fundamental principle – that …
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, told the UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer here on Friday, that whether he gets the support of the Tamil political parties or not, he will develop the war-shattered economy of the Tamil-majority Northern Province, the Presidential Media Division said. On the issue of the missing, he said that, whether they …
By Maria Abi-Habib and Dharisha Bastians Dashing the hopes of thousands of families desperate for word about loved ones who went missing during Sri Lanka’s long, grisly civil war, the country’s new president has offered an unsparing rebuff to their quest for closure. The missing are in fact dead, said the president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and …
By Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa Traders in the Dambulla Dedicated Economic Center said a sharp drop in the prices of vegetables was being experienced at present and that it was mainly due to large stocks of vegetables arriving from the North.
By Saman Indrajith Former Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake, yesterday (21) apologised to all those who had got into trouble due to the leak of recordings of his telephone conversations with him. Speaking during the Parliamentary debate, MP Ramanayake said it had not been his intention to make the recordings of his conversations public. “The recordings …
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday approved the tabling of forensic audit reports on bond transactions of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), arguing that the release of the documents would not impact investigations or legal proceedings. Justifying his decision to release the forensic audit report yesterday in Parliament, the Speaker held that …
By Saman Indrajith UNP MP Hirunika Premachandra said that some of the recordings of telephone conversations between her and MP Ranjan Ramanayake had been tampered with. Premachandra said that there was a sinister campaign to tarnish her image. She had filed complaints against four television channels for defamation, the MP said.
By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwadana MP Ranjan Ramanayake today tabled in Parliament several CDs containing audio clips of phone conversations he has had with many people including a few heads of State. He did so while stating in Parliament that he was tabling the CDs containing telephone conversations he has had with politicians of …
By K. Ratnayake US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice G. Wells delivered a letter from President Donald Trump to President Gotabhaya Rajapakse during a one-day trip to Sri Lanka last Wednesday. The letter, according to the media, emphasised the White House’s “commitment and interest in furthering and deepening …
By Rathindra Kuruwita The government must immediately expose the high profits made by the plantation companies and inform the public that they could easily give their workers a daily basic salary of Rs. 1,000, the 1000 Movement, a collective of unions and civil society activists, said yesterday. Chinthaka Rajapakshe, Moderator of the Movement for Land …
By Victor Ivan The collection of recorded telephone conversations of Ranjan Ramanayaka can be said to have become a kind of collection of short films that reveal the degeneration of the entire institutional system of the country while conveying the message of it to the people in a simple and straightforward way. The reading habits …
The Government yesterday remained firm on the proposed daily wage hike for estate workers from March and asked the plantation firms to come up with a new formula to offer relief whilst minimising damage to financial viability. The outcome follows the Ceylon Planters Association and the Employers Federation of Ceylon meeting Plantation Industries Minister Dr. …
By Meera Srinivasan Thousands of persons reported missing since the time of Sri Lanka’s civil war are “actually dead”, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said. The President made the remark in a recent meeting with the UN Resident Coordinator, according to a statement from his office. Outlining his plans to address the issue of missing persons, …
The Sri Lankan Wildlife Department has been able to retrace the Sri Lankan Black Panther that was once considered to be long extinct. Out of the eight species of panthers living in the world, the sub-species, Sri Lankan Panther is extraordinary due to its very limited population. The Sri Lankan black panther is believed to …
By Mani Velupillai Almost all our public figures have disapproved of the leak of Ranjan Ramanayake’s phone recordings. They include Ramanayake’s celluloid colleagues, fellow politicians, some members of the clergy, officials and even journalists. It is a moot point, however, whether Ramanayake’s critics represent themselves or the public or both. Apparently they impute their own …
By P.K.Balachandran India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, who was on short visit here on Saturday, has told the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that it is important that India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives review the Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) regime, enhance it, and include other regional countries as observers. The MDA regimen …
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, yesterday, expressed surprise at the UNP’s sudden aversion to the MCC pact. Issuing a press release, Rajapaksa said that Opposition Leader, Sajith Premadasa, who was the Deputy Leader of the UNP and key member of the UNP Cabinet, before the Presidential election, had been silent on the MCC pact promoted by …
Veteran Sunday Island columnist, C.A.Chandraprema, has been appointed as Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations in Geneva, within which is located the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). At the UNHRC, Chandraprema will be expected to take up the cudgels on behalf of the government of Sri Lanka against Sri Lanka baiters from Western …
By Meera Srinivasan Back in his school days, Firi Rahman, 29, used to feel embarrassed to bring his friends home. Having heard people refer to his neighbourhood as a “slum” or “a den of drug dealers”, he wasn’t sure how his friends would react. “Those of us who belonged to this area felt stigmatised,” recalls …
By Meera Srinivasan National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Saturday met Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo and discussed key bilateral issues including economic development and strategic cooperation. “A very cordial discussion was held with National Security Advisor of #India, Ajit Doval today. Strengthening of bilateral cooperation on national security, intelligence sharing, maritime security …
By Lucien Rajakarunayake We are suddenly given an exposure to the crafty and deceitful politics. R-R with his ‘One Shot’ reputation is giving much more than just one shot. It is a chain of telephone call recordings, that we are told is illegal because no recording caution had been given. Recording caution is the stuff …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Leaked phone conversations between a politician and judicial officers with more details due to emerge has led to the interdiction of a Magistrate and inquiries into other judges even as the Sri Lankan public remain tantalised by these unfolding scandals. Weighty matters of governance are left discarded, the soaring cost of …
BY JAMILA HUSAIN Following the surprising revelation by UNP MP Harin Fernando that there were numerous recordings of conversations with current government members in MP Ranjan Ramanayake’s possession as well, the Daily Mirror learns that some ruling MPs had held informal discussions over the matter yesterday.
By P.K.Balachandran Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is to visit New Delhi in early February at the invitation of the Indian Premier Narendra Modi, will be discussing economic cooperation more than anything else, according to informed sources. The reason cited for this is that Prime Minister Mahinda is also Minister for Finance, Economy …
The government has deployed intelligence officers to find out if the Grama Niladaris are doing a proper job in recommending people for a programme to provide 100,000 jobs to eligible persons from low income groups. They will also monitor the performance of Grama Niladaris in a programme to provide food for the poor.
Respect for fundamental human rights in Sri Lanka is in serious jeopardy following Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election as president in November 2019, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2020. Rajapaksa, along with his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was named prime minister, were implicated in numerous human rights violations during their previous years in …
By Deepal Samarasiri However authentic or not the reports are about Ranjan Ramanayake one thing is certain. When the new government came into power there were high hopes that at least now the people in the country would be able to survive without having to pay exorbitantly for their daily bread. The farmers are very …