Veteran Sri Lankan journalist, Srimal Abeyewardene, passed away at the age of 79 last week in Toronto, Canada. He leaves behind a legacy that spans five decades in the media industry and has significantly impacted the Sri Lankan community in Canada and beyond. Over the course of his long career, Abeyewardene’s main achievement was the …
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene Hammer blows seem to be coming swiftly and cruelly from core points of political power in Sri Lanka, impacting hard on the country’s apex court. Was all this hot air warranted? First, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has resorted to his favorite tom-tom beat by warning the courts off interfering into what he …
By Meera Srinivasan A Chinese warship that arrived in Colombo on August 10 will be docking at the Colombo Port until August 12, the Sri Lankan Navy has said, exactly a year after the visit of a Chinese vessel caused diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Colombo. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy warship ‘Hai …
By Bharathy Singaravel Leave logic at home, go for the Rajinism. Director Nelson Dileepkumar and the Superstar offer a film that may have gaping plot holes, but you wouldn’t really care. Jailer is an undiluted adrenaline rush for the diehard Rajini fan. The star brings his trademark larger-than-life mannerisms into Nelson’s quirky storytelling: a combination …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Political struggle of the Sri Lankan Tamils to have their grievances redressed and lost rights restored has brought forth many “quiet” heroes. I say quiet because these persons never sought publicity or praise. They gave up their comfortable existence and served their community in many ways. Many of them refused to kowtow …
(Text of Special statement delivered by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament on August 9th 2023) The provincial council system was introduced in 1987 through the 13th Amendment to the constitution. This system has been operational in our country for 36 years. Nevertheless, numerous issues surround the implementation of the 13th Amendment, as well as the …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Jeyaraj’s Jottings The fifth death anniversary of former Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravidian Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) party leader M.Karunanidhi was commemorated on Monday 7 July 2023. Karunanidhi’s son and current Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin led a peace march in memory of his father. Stalin was joined by his sister …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj This special three -part article denoting the 40th the “Black July” anti-Tamil pogrom concludes this week. The first part of this article published on 12 July 2023 titled “Black July: Anatomy of an Anti-Tamil Pogrom” was a brief overview of the horrific anti-Tamil violence that engulfed the Sri Lankan nation in July 1983. …
Continue reading ‘My Family’s Experience of “Black July” Forty Years ago.’ »
By Col R Hariharan | President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s July 20-21 visit to New Delhi ended with India and Sri Lanka jointly evolving an economic partnership vision to speed up Sri Lanka’s economic recovery. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs released the India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Vision document on July 21, 2023 after the visiting President …
By Ranga Jayasuriya The All-Party Conference on the 13th Amendment convened last week (26) ended in predictable discord, but that was not so much for the hypocrisy of the convener, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, as you might have already heard from a horde of lawmakers. Hypocrisy was pervasive on all sides, but probably more so on …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj History was made on 26 July 2023 when Sri Lanka born Gary Anandasangaree was appointed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Mniister of Crown –Indigenous Relations to his cabinet. Sathiyasangary Anandasangaree – who abbreviated his first name to Gary – will go down in Canadian history as the first Sri Lankan …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “In the two months since February the two leading parties, the NPP/JVP and SJB, have experienced substantial declines in support…with the share of voters saying they would vote for other minor and unnamed parties increasing by 17 points to 28%. …support for the UNP seems to be plateauing at one in ten …
(Text of Media Release Issued by the Tamil National Alliance on 31 July 2023) This statement is being issued in order to clarify our position with regard to the political solution for the Tamil National Question, the 13th amendment to the constitution, the conduct of the long delayed provincial council elections and the All Party …
By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene The ‘arrest’ of a young journalist, Tharindu Uduwaragedera recorded by onlookers this Friday being forcibly dragged out of a three wheeler, grabbed by his hair and roughly manhandled by a posse of police officers before being whisked away in a police vehicle, is a chilling warning to Sri Lanka’s dissenters. Savages in …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj In a significant poitical development last week, some influential members of Tamil civil society in the northern and eastern provinces of sri Lanka took the initiative to write directly to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking India’s help in urging the Sri Lankan Government to hold Provincial Council elections as early as …
By Ranga Jayasuriya During his last week’s visit to New Delhi, President Ranil Wickremesinghe signed a host of agreements, which, if followed up earnestly, would interlock the Sri Lankan economy with the world’s fastest-growing large economy. Proposed collaboration in renewable energy, bidirectional energy trade, ports and acceptance of the Indian Rupee as a designated foreign …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The first part of this article published last week titled “Black July; Anatomy of an Anti-Tamil Pogrom” was a brief overview of the horrific anti-Tamil violence that engulfed the Sri Lankan nation in July 1983. The second part of this article being published this week will focus primarily on how “Black July”began in …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “All changed, changed utterly” is a powerful line from ‘Easter, 1916’, the famous poem of William Butler Yeats. The poem by W.B. Yeats was about the Irish Easter uprising in 1916, its cruel suppression and how all changed utterly in Ireland. In Sri Lanka “all changed” and “changed utterly” for the Tamil people …
Continue reading ‘“Black July”:Anatomy of the July 1983 Anti-Tamil Pogrom.’ »
BY BY TISARANEE GUNASEKARA “…the narrow exclusive, bigoted, simplistic attitude that reduces identity in all its many aspects to one single affiliation, and one that is proclaimed in anger… this is how murderers are made – it’s a recipe for massacre. – ”Maalouf Amin (In the Name of Identity – Violence and the need to …
By Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene It is only in singularly paradoxical Sri Lanka that Parliament can proudly announce its ‘unanimous’ passing of the country’s newest anti-corruption law while blithely counting in its ranks, a gold-smuggling parliamentarian and others on both sides of the political divide in regard to whom multiple allegations of gross corruption have …
(Text of Speech made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi on 21 Jult 2023 during the official visit of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to India) I warmly welcome President Wickremesinghe and his delegation to India. Today, President Wickremesinghe is completing one year in office. On this occasion, on behalf of all …
(Text of Speech delivered by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on 21 July 2023 before a distinguished gathering including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi during his first official visit to India) “I am honoured to be in New Delhi at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is my first visit to India …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa known as Gotabaya or Gota Rajapaksa made a glorious entry to the pinnacle of political power through a grand victory at the presidential election held on 16 November 2019. The former military officer and ex-secretary of defence who polled 6,924,255 votes(52.25) at the hustings was sworn in as President …
By Meera Srinivasan The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on Tuesday(July 18)) “categorically rejected” Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s offer to implement the 13th Amendment sans police powers, terming his proposal for development and power devolution “another hollow promise”. The 13th Amendment is an over 30-year old Sri Lankan legislation on the devolution of power from …
(Text of Press Release issued by the Presidents Media Division on 18 Jukly 2023) During a discussion with Tamil Parliamentarians representing the North and East today (18), President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that he has already put forth a comprehensive proposal to address the problems faced by the people in those regions and it is up …
By Meera Srinivasan For singer Srinivas, Sri Lanka is familiar performance terrain. He has been visiting since the 1990s, first in his corporate avatar and later as a musician. In his recent show for the Colombo-Indian CEO Forum’s 10th year celebration last week at the Taj Samudra, he had a special request from a member …
President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal to implement the 13th Amendment (13A) to the Constitution with the exception of police powers fell foul of the Tamil National Alliance yesterday forcing Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiram to remind the President that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in three joint statements with India had promised to implement 13A …
President Ranil Wickreme-singhe yesterday placed the responsibility for making further progress on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution (13A) back in the hands of Sri Lanka’s Tamil MPs representing the North and East. He urged them to reach a consensus on its implementation with the exception of police powers during the meeting held yesterday in …
By Meera Srinivasan A group of religious leaders, educationists, and professionals from Sri Lanka’s Tamil-majority north and east have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to “persuade” President Ranil Wickremesinghe to call for provincial council elections, without further delay. The civil society members handed over their letter at the Indian Consulate in the …
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s assertion during a recent interview with the French media that the Government of Sri Lanka will invite foreign jurists to ‘observe’ the sittings of the proposed Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) Commission and that therefore, ‘no one can say that it is a cover-up,’ is political satire of the …
The Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader Mano Ganesan has said that his party wants India’s support for the social advancement of the people of Indian Origin in Sri Lanka and not for their political goals. The TPA has changed the usual practice of demanding political support from the Indian government and asking the Government of …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Sri Lanka experienced its first suicide bomber attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) on 5 July 1987. The Sri Lankan armed forces had commenced “Operation Liberation” on 27 May 1987 and succeeded in recapturing the Vadamaratchy region of the Jaffna peninsula. A major detachment of the Army was stationed at …
Continue reading ‘“Golden Lord” A.Thangathurai was Trincomalee District’s Man for all Seasons.’ »
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray Someone in Sri Lanka, right now as I write, is distraught because a child, a parent or a loved one has died, is dying or is seriously ill due to lack of medicine and medical care. Some die because doctors just cannot handle the overwhelming number of patients, or they simply …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj This year 2023 marks the bicentennial of the arrival of people from India as ”indentured labour “ to work in Sri Lanka. Though persons from India have been coming over to the Island from time immemorial, it was in February 1823 that people were first brought “officially” as workers. This was during British …
(Text of Bar Association of Sri Lanka L statement titled ‘Upholding the Rule of Law and safeguarding the independence of the judiciary’ and signed by BASL President Kaushalya Nawaratne and BASL Secretary Isuru Balapatabendi) The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) re-affirms its commitment to upholding the Rule of Law and safeguarding the Independence of …
By Meera Srinivasan India is seeking a “positive transformation” in its ties with Sri Lanka, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, following a meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo on Tuesday. In a visit aimed at laying the groundwork for Mr. Wickremesinghe’s upcoming trip to New Delhi on July 21 — his first official visit …
By Ranga Jayasuriya A year ago, on July 9th, hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans, dispossessed by the economic destruction unleashed by a government they elected not long ago, descended on the Capital, Colombo. They stormed the President’s House while President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was hurriedly evacuated to a waiting naval ship. Three days later, Rajapaksa …
(This article appeared in the Asia section of “The Economist”print edition under the headline “If the dead could only speak”) As dark clouds of economic crisis, political chaos and mass protest loomed over Sri Lanka a year ago, optimists saw one silver lining. So incompetent and corrupt was the soon-to-collapse government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, …
By Dilshan Joseph The Anglican Church in Sri Lanka (Church of Ceylon) has made an immense contribution to education. The great school by the sea has educated thousands of young men, imparting in them core values of Christianity. When we read the Bible we find that Jesus was taken to the synagogue by his parents …
By Nimal Sanderatne The government’s controversial domestic debt restructuring (DDR) plan has been approved by parliament. This is a necessary condition for the restructuring of the foreign debt and stabilising the country’s foreign finances. Hopefully, this would enable the restructuring of foreign debt favourably. The country’s foreign debt liabilities are expected to be reduced by …
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene This week’s order of the Colombo High Court granting bail to comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya imprisoned under Section 3(1) of the much abused International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR Act, 2007) for commenting ‘disrespectfully’on Buddhism, is a fine example of legal rectitude if not basic judicial commonsense. Understanding the limits …
By Rathindra Kuruwita When the next Human Rights Council session comes up, Sri Lanka would have to present the steps it has taken to ensure the welfare of those affected by economic reforms, former head of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Prof. Deepika Udagama said, addressing the media recently. There was hardly …
(Text of Jaffna District Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran’s speech in Parliament on 1 st July 2023 during the Debate on Domestic Debt Restructuring ) Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for the time allocated to me to participate in this very important debate today. As I begin, I wish to bring to the notice of this house …
By Nisthar Cassim The Central Bank yesterday allayed unfounded fears and debunked doomsayers over the Domestic Debt Optimisation (DDO) insisting it did what is best for Sri Lanka considering multiple factors and eyeing the broader goals of the country. Amidst criticism from the Opposition and some analysts, the Central Bank defended the DDO framework saying …
By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka is counting on tourists from India, its primary source market, to boost foreign exchange earnings and aid economic recovery, as the island expects fewer tourists from Europe amid the ongoing recession. Colombo is currently hosting the 67th convention of the Travel Agents Association of India, in a bid to further …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj It has been the practice for this column to devote the first article of each month to a topic on films, film personalities or film-related matters. As such this week’s article will focus on the evergreen “Dingiri Dingaley” song from the Tamil film “Anbu Engay?”(Where is love?) that was first screened 65 …
BY Tisaranee Gunasekara “What causes do we not invent for the misfortunes that befall us? On what do we not place the blame, rightly or wrongly, so as to have something at which to strike?” – Montaigne (Essays) The question was simple: how the candidate was going to fund the many and extravagant election promises, …
The approval rating of the Government doubled to 21% in June 2023 from the 10% that was recorded in both February 2023 and October 2022, according to the latest round of the Gallup style ‘Mood of the Nation’ poll of Verité Research. The survey showed satisfaction with the state of the nation increased, although only …
(Text of Press Release Issued by the Presidents Media Division on 5 July 2023) President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized the importance of avoiding misleading arguments and instead urged the entire opposition, led by the opposition leader, to join the government in addressing the country’s challenges. He pointed out that the opposition’s allegations regarding the restructuring of …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Parliament on Saturday (1 July 2023) approved a domestic debt restructuring program that would rework nearly half of the country’s US$ 42.1 billion domestic debt. The plan covered US$ 19.5 billion of Domestic debt in Treasury bills and bonds held by the Central Bank and superannuation funds (mainly the EPF and ETF) …
By Asiri Fernando The special parliamentary session on the Domestic Debt Optimisation (DDO) plan of the Government was approved last evening (1) with a majority of 60 votes, following a lengthy and occasionally-heated debate about the impact on superannuation funds. Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera then informed Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana in writing …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former Sri Lankan President and ex-defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa known generally as Gota figured prominently in an Associated Press (AP) news report dated 22 June 2023 . According to AP, Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been accused of allegedly “tampering with police records in order to hamper investigations into mass graves discovered in an area …
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene When Chilean-born author Isabel Allende wrote with consummate skill of Chile’s ‘disappeared’ under Pinochet’s dictatorship in her best-selling book, ‘Of Love and Shadows’ (1987), about the mothers who, ‘were no longer afraid and had no hesitation about placing their lives in jeopardy though life was all they had left; everything else …
(Text of Message from Eric Walsh, the High Commissioner of Canada to Sri Lanka on the occasion of Canada Day on July 1, 2023) Happy Canada Day! As High Commissioner to both Sri Lanka and Maldives, it gives me great pleasure to extend my warmest greetings to all Canadians and friends of Canada working, traveling …
By Bharathy Singaravel The heart and soul of Maamannan is Vadivelu. After all, the title takes the name of his character. And it feels as if the actor never forgets that for even a moment when he is in front of the camera. This is a Vadivelu so spectacularly in form that you cry when …
By Gopinath Rajendran In one of Maamannan’s most important and stunningly captured sequences, a bunch of kids are having the time of their lives, swimming and playing in the temple well. When upper-caste men know about this, they stone almost all the kids to a watery grave. The news of caste-related violence is unfortunately not …
Sri Lanka United National Businesses Alliance (SLUNBA) Chairperson Tania Abeysundara yesterday expressed her disappointment at the Government’s failure to provide debt relief to local businesses struggling due to the ongoing economic crisis. “We requested our debt to be restructured. We asked to be given a grace period for repayments,” she said. “We simply requested the …
By Victor Ivan In this article I venture to analyse how Sri Lanka has become a failed and bankrupt nation and who should be held responsible for that? So far no one has endeavoured to make a rational political analysis about it. Sri Lanka remained a stagnant, underdeveloped nation when it became a British colony …
During a special press briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre on Domestic Debt Optimization (DDO), Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, the Governor of the Central Bank, emphasized the importance of relieving the burden on the banking system caused by the already excessive 50% taxes. This measure aims to safeguard the treasury, strengthen the economy, and ensure …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Five years back in China, I submitted my doctoral dissertation, having chopped off two complete chapters on my supervisor’s advice to be on the safe side for both of us. It was an analysis of competition for power and influence by China and India in South Asia. Given the vast power asymmetries …
By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka will shut down its banks and financial sector for five days beginning Thursday, ahead of an extraordinary weekend debate in Parliament on the government’s plan to restructure its domestic debt. The move comes a year after Sri Lanka decided to suspend servicing its foreign debt, to combat a devastating economic …
By Krishan Francis Sri Lanka’s former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was accused in a report released Thursday of tampering with police records in order to hamper investigations into mass graves discovered in an area where he was a military officer at the height of a bloody Marxist insurrection in 1989. The report by activist groups including …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga recently raised a pertinent question on Twitter about Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven.Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera and others of his ilk. She asked in her tweet why no action had ever been taken against Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera and others who had insulted other religions practised …
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray On Monday , the 26th of June 2023 , my father will turn 86. He’s not in the best of health and is in no condition to celebrate. My mother, brothers and perhaps some close relatives and friends will be there to wish him. I will be a few hours late. …
The Sri Lanka Core Group on Tuesday (June 20) called on the Government to protect freedoms of expression and association whilst several other recommendations. Delivering its statement at the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UK Human Rights Ambassador Rita French said Sri Lanka’s initial steps towards addressing concerns around land returns, …
President Ranil Wickremesinghe participated in the 40th anniversary event of the International Democrat Union (IDU) in London on the 19th and the 20th of June and joining the forum with former Canadian Prime Minister (Conservative Party) Chairman of the IDU, Mr Stephen Harper, he explained the circumstances that paved the way for his presidency and …
By Meera Srinivasan Accountability remains the “fundamental gap” in Sri Lanka’s attempts to deal with the past, a senior U.N. official has said while warning that “as long as impunity prevails, Sri Lanka will achieve neither genuine reconciliation nor sustainable peace.” Referring to the Sri Lankan government’s plans to set up a Truth Commission, to …
(Text of Editorial appearing in the “Daily FT’ 22 June 2023 under the heading “Take gun violence seriously”) For a country like Sri Lanka where private ownership of guns is highly restricted, the number of shooting incidents, most resulting in fatalities, is a danger sign that can no longer be ignored. In the first five …
(Text of Jaffna District Parliamentarian M.A.Sumanthiran’s Speech in Parliament on 21st June 2023) Thank you, honourable presidin)g member, I’m glad to speak just after the acting Minister of Finance who recognized some good that may have come about as a result of the economic crisis, he did say it, it’s not a good thing to …
By Meera Srinivasan Imported Indian drugs are at the centre of a medical storm in Sri Lanka, following cases of medical complications and fatalities, reportedly after patients were administered medicines sourced from India. On June 16, local media reported the death of a patient undergoing treatment at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital, in the Kandy district, …
By Vijitha Yapa Can a person who does not know how to write be the copyright-holding author of a book on a subject of which he is an expert? The person concerned is Publis, a culinary expert who works at Mount Lavinia Hotel. His name is recognised as an expert on Sri Lankan food. When …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “Already the snow falls…” Karl Kraus words in verses III In his fifth labour, Heracles cleans the Augean Stables by rerouting the rivers Alpheus and Peneus through the filthy abode of King Augeas’ divine cattle. Many believed that the aragalaya would have a similarly cleansing effect on Sri Lankan society, washing away …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Jaffna district Parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Gangaser Ponnambalam (GG Ponnambalam) has lately been very much in the news. The 49 year old lawyer was arrested by the Police at his Colombo residence, produced before the Kilinochchi magistrate and released on Rs 500,000 surety bail. Earlier he had been involved in an altercation with Police officers …
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene Speaking at the Homagama Divisional Secretariat this week, President Ranil Wickremesinghe effortlessly recasted the currently heated debates on Sri Lanka’s proposed Broadcasting Regulatory Commission Bill as a choice between ‘reasoned regulation’ and ‘giving the media the licence to commit arson.’ But in going to the aid of his embattled Media Minister …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) organization ceased to be a functional entity in Sri Lanka after being militarily defeated by the armed forces in May 2009. The LTTE known widely as the tigers was a powerful armed militant group which ruled over swathes of land in the Northern and Eastern provinces of …
Continue reading ‘Sangaree : The Tamil Leader Who Refused to Kowtow Before Tiger Tyranny.’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The armed struggle launched by Tamil militant groups to achieve the objective of a separate Tamil state caused massive loss of life and bloodshed. Many of those killed were victims of internecine conflict and fratricidal warfare. Among the many who were killed was Subathiran alias Robert, a charismatic personality with a colourful history. …
By Himal Kotelawala The historicity of Tamil Buddhism in Sri Lanka has not been a subject that has captured the public imagination to the extent that it perhaps deserves, at least in the south, though President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent remarks on the matter may have sparked fresh interest. According to Prof G P V Somaratne, …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The Police will not initiate any action against then-State Minister of Prisons Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and incumbent State Minister of Plantation Industries Lohan Ratwatte until the directions of the Cabinet of Ministers are received, although such has been recommended by the one-member committee that investigated the incidents involving the State Minister …
By Ruwani Fonseka Due to the economic crisis in the country and the inability to repay debts, it is highly unlikely an election could be held this year, says cabinet spokesperson MP Bandula Gunawardena. He made this statement during the cabinet meeting held today (13). “We are unable to repay our debts. Without managing this …
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan Days after being severely criticised by the President during a meeting, Director General of the Department of Archaeology, Professor Anura Manatunga, tendered his resignation to the Secretary of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, during the said meeting on 8 June, asked Prof. Manatunga, when an …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) will not initiate any form of disciplinary action against State Minister of Plantation Industries and former State Minister of Prison Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte over the incident of the latter having forcibly entered the Welikada and Anuradhapura Prisons and intimidated several inmates in 2021 …
By Buddhika Samaraweera The one-member committee that investigated the incident of then State Minister of Prison Management and Prisoners Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte having forcibly entered the Welikada and Anuradhapura Prisons and allegedly intimidated several inmates in 2021, has recommended that charges including those of attempted murder be filed against Ratwatte, The Daily Morning learns. The …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This article is a modified version of an Obituary published in the Indian Newsmagazine “Frontline” in June 2002) Former Parliamentarian, Deputy Speaker and President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), Murugesu Sivasithamparam passed away in a Colombo hospital 21 years ago on 5 June 2002. Sivasithamparam hailing from Karaveddy in the Vadamaraatchy …
By S. Rubatheesan After raising a breach of Parliamentary privilege in the House this week, Jaffna district Parliamentarian Gejendrakumar Ponnamablam is awaiting three separate bodies to conclude their probes into an incident involving two police officers in civvies, before he considers further legal action against his arrest which he claims is “illegal and arbitrary”. A …
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene When a collective of Sri Lanka’s Cabinet Ministers and their servile acolytes in the legal profession or administrative service sat down in sub-committee to prepare the draft Broadcasting Regulatory Commission Bill, was it their intention to deliberately infringe the 1997 Supreme Court ruling on constitutional imperatives in every conceivable shape and …
(Text of Editorial Appearing in the “Daily FT”of June 8th 2023 under the heading Archaeology Department must act impartially in N & E) The past few months have seen several protests held in the North and East over the acquisition of land to construct new Buddhist shrines. It has been alleged that Buddhist monks aided …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Today June 3rd is the 99th birth anniversary of Muthuvel Karunanidhi, the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, the closes Indian state to Sri Lanka both geographically and historically.Karunanidhi who passed away on 7 August 2018 was the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) for nearly 50 years.His son M.K. Stalin is …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “He who controls his hand, controls his foot, controls his speech and is well-controlled in all respects, delights in meditation, is composed, solitary, and content – him they call a bhikku.” The Buddha (Bhikku Vagga, Dhammapada) In 2005, the Newsweek magazine reported that officials at Guantanamo flushed a Koran down a toilet …
(Text of statement issued by “Justice for All” on 7th June 2023 about the current political and economic state of our Country) We are alarmed by the undemocratic measures pursued by President Ranil Wickremasinghe and his government that continue to undermine the rule of law, fundamental rights and democracy in Sri Lanka. Of particular concern …
Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) leader and MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam who was arrested over an incident in Jaffna between him and the police, was gran ted bail by the Kilinochchi Magistrate’s Court. He was granted bail with a surety of Rs. 500,000.
By Ruwani Fonseka MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, who is accused of obstructing the duties of police officers, was arrested this morning (June 07). The parliamentarian was taken into custody by a team of officers attached to Maruthankerny Police at his residence in Colombo. The Jaffna District MP, who represents the Ahila Ilankai Thamil Congress (AITC) or …
Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga yesterday took to Twitter to question why no action was ever taken against Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera and others who insulted other religions practised in the country. Kumaratunga said their words spreading hate against Muslim and Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka were far more vicious than those uttered by Standup …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party(FP) is in the grip of two problems. The premier political party of the Northern and Eastern Sri Lankan Tamils is presently facing an inter-party crisis as well as an intra-party crisis. The inter-party crisis relates to the recent split in the …
Continue reading ‘Tamil National Alliance Breaks up with TELO and PLOTE Challenging ITAK.’ »
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene The unsightly and itchy rash of ‘bad laws’ being proposed by the Sri Lankan Government seems to be never-ending. The Government’s unconvincing explanations Hot on the heels of the appallingly crafted Anti-Terrorism Bill and the Anti-Corruption Bill comes a proposal to establish a Broadcasting Regulatory Commission replete with major contradictions. A …
Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles yesterday ( June 3) called for a report into the incident where Tamil National People’s Front Parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam’s life had allegedly been threatened by a Police officer at gunpoint. When contacted, Minister Alles downplayed the allegations that MP Ponnambalam had been assaulted and stated that a report into …
(Text of Special statement by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on June 1st 2023 explaining to the nation, the national transformation road map to re- build the country) Since the day I took charge of our nation’s economy, I wanted to ensure that Sri Lanka’s actual economic situation was made clear and transparent. Over the recent months, …
(Text of Statement on Recent Arrests under the ICCPR Act & Shrinking Space for Dissent issued by the Centre for Policy Alternatives) The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is deeply concerned with the recent arrest of comedian Natasha Edirisooriya reportedly under the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act (ICCPR Act), …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj President Ranil Wickremesinghe has commenced a series of discussions with Parliamentarians from the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka with the objective of resolving the Tamil national question. Currently talks are underway with Tamil MPs from the five Northern and three Eastern administrative districts. These MPs are from both the Government …
By Ravinatha Aryasinha ( Text of tribute paid by former Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha at the funeral service for Late Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala, at Trinity College Chapel, Kandy, on 29 May 2023) I am humbled to have been asked by the family of the late Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala to speak a few words on this …
Continue reading ‘Jayantha Dhanapala – the Diplomat, the Advocate of causes, and the Mentor.’ »
(Text of Editorial appearing in the “Daily FT” of June 1st 2023 under the heading “Not too late to bring to book those responsible for Jaffna library burning”) Among the many tragic stories that Sri Lankans are familiar with, the burning of the Jaffna Public Library, 42 years ago, stands out as one of the …
Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader Mano Ganesan, taking to Twitter yesterday called for the laws relating to hate speech to be applied equally to Buddhist clergy as it is applied to civilians and those of other religious faiths. Directing his tweet at President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and the National People’s Party (NPP) …
(Text of Editorial appearing in the “Daily FT”of May 30th 2023 under the heading “No right to laugh”) In yet another brazen violation of a citizen’s right to free speech a stand-up comedian was arrested by the police for a joke she made on stage. Nathasha Edirisooriya was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) …
By Ranga Jayasuriya I have written on these pages that when the fuel queues disappear and a semblance of old times dawns, Sri Lankans themselves will return to their old habits. The usual charlatans would crawl back from their hiding spots, promising to protect the country and Buddha Sasana from an imaginary enemy. Conspiracy theorists …
By the “ Sunday Times” Political Editor Honoured as Very Important Persons (VIPs), most users of the hallowed gateway to the world, the VIP Lounge at Bandaranaike International Airport, are Members of Sri Lanka’s Parliament. Officials dare not ask questions when they arrive or depart. An added perk for these VIPs is the free refreshments …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) on 21 May 1991. He was killed at a place called Sriperumbhudur in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Death came in the form of Dhanu a young Tamil woman from Sri Lanka. Dressed in …
Continue reading ‘The Killing of Former Indian Prime Minister of Rajiv Gandhi on 21 May 1991’ »
By Ranga Jayasuriya Last time, when the world’s richest industrial nations, G-7, met in Japan, the only Asian country in the group, in 2016, then president Maithripala Sirisena was invited for the outreach meeting, alongside regional heavyweights from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam. The invitation to Maithripala Sirisena was in recognition of the democratic reforms in …
By Meera Srinivasan Marking 200 years since their arrival in Sri Lanka from southern India, to work in the British-run plantations, members of the island nation’s historically marginalised Malaiyaha [hill country] Tamil community have sought greater recognition, political rights, and improved living and working conditions. “Design, resource, and implement a 10-year development plan that is …
(Text of Statement issued by Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on 18 May 2023 for Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day) May 18, 2023 Ottawa, Ontario “Today, we reflect on the tragic loss of life during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, which ended 14 years ago. Tens of thousands of Tamils lost their lives, including at …
(Text of Editorial appearing in “the Island”of 24 May 2023 under the heading “Badger and mastiffs”) The Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe regime’s shameful efforts to oust Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Janaka Ratnayake, remind us of some gory western flicks, where swashbuckling, trigger-happy scumbags hang public officials who refuse to carry out their …
By Jamila Husain Just over a year since former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned from office following nationwide protests demanding him to step down, evidence has come to light that the former president’s staff who are mostly political appointees continue to be retained in the President’s Office under a newly created unit called ‘special projects’. Even …
By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene When French Prime Minister during World War I, Georges Clemenceau rousingly said that ‘war is too important to be left to the generals,’ Sri Lankans may be justified in muttering to themselves more than a hundred years later that, ‘laws are far too important to be left to the lawyers – …