By Gardiner Harris COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Paintings at Temple Trees, this country’s White House, are still leaning against walls waiting to be hung, and the gated grounds are no longer teeming with guards and stewards who served the home’s previous occupant like supplicants at a royal court. But more than a month after taking …
By Amanda Hodge SRI Lanka’s new Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, claims the Australian government’s silence on alleged human rights abuses was the price it paid to secure co-operation from the former Rajapaksa government on stopping asylum-seeker boats. In an exclusive interview with The Australian, the veteran politician also said that Tony Abbott’s close relationship with …
By Shamindra Ferdinando The army has released 26,865 out of 34,561 acres of land held by five security forces commands in the Northern and Eastern Provinces since the conclusion of the war in May 2009 up to Dec. 2013. Land has been released in stages with the people living in area covered by Security Forces …
(Following is the text of an open letter sent by former Sri Lankan Police officer K.Krishnadasan to senior DIG of Police Edward Gunawardena about assertions made by the retired DIG about the burning of the Jaffna public library in a book written by him. Mr.Krishnadasan who claims to be an eyewitness to the burning questions …
By Jake Coyle LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The long take of “Birdman” has stretched all the way to the Academy Awards, where the jazzy, surreal comedy about an actor fleeing his superhero past, took Hollywood’s top honour in a ceremony punctuated by passionate pleas for equality. On a stormy night in Hollywood, the 87th annual …
BY Joe Neumaier and Ethan Sacks With Nancy Dillon “Birdman” took home the top prize at Sunday’s 87th Annual Academy Awards, another feather in the cap in a big night night for the indie drama. The cinematic wet kiss to actors and their artistic demons took home four statuettes, besting presumed favorite “Boyhood,” a 12-years-in-the-making …
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has dared former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the next general election as the UPFA’s prime ministerial candidate. Addressing a meeting of UNP Puttalam District activists at Wennappuwa on Saturday, Wickremesinghe said he would reduce Rajapaksa’s votes to five million from 5.8 million if the latter entered the fray. Wickremesinghe said: …
By Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha I am deeply sorry that the Federation of University Teachers, in an otherwise very sensible statement regarding the current controversy over the Chairperson of the University Grants Commission, has misrepresented my position in the matter. It has claimed that ‘the misrepresentation of FUTA’s call for her resignation, as a form of …
By Harischandra Gunaratna Shashi Weerawansa, wife of former UPFA Minister and National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa was taken into custody by the CID at the Neville Fernando Hopsital, Malabe yesterday evening. The Police Media Unit said last night that she would be referred to a Judicial Medical Officer in Colombo prior to being produced …
By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya The UN Human Rights Council on Monday approved a recommendation by the High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’Ad Al Hussein to defer the publication of his report on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka till the Council’s 30th session in September instead of presenting it at the 28th session that starts …
By Ananth Palakidnar The Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran, defending the NPC’s genocide resolution as democratic and timely, emphasized on the need for the war victims to prepare themselves to gather more evidence in order to strengthen the OHCRC’s OISL report to be released in September this year. He also added that an …
By Udaya P. Gammanpila The Northern Provincial Council (NPC) passed a resolution on 10 February urging the United Nations to probe alleged genocide of Tamils committed by all successive governments of Sri Lanka in the post-independence history. It was presented by the Chief Minister (CM) Wigneswaran, himself. Two days later, the CM visited President Sirisena …
by By K. Ratnayake Sri Lanka’s presidential election on January 8 resulted in the ousting of Mahinda Rajapakse and the installation of Maithripala Sirisena as president. While the new government’s leaders and their pseudo-left backers claim this outcome was the result of an “uprising of the people” against Rajapakse’s autocratic rule, it was in reality …
by Zacki Jabbar The “Official SLFP” and not small organizations such as the one headed by Wimal Weerawansa would decide on who its prime ministerial candidate would be , a leading member of the party said yesterday. Cabinet Spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, who along with President Maithripala Sirisena now wield considerable influence in …
By K.Godage It was indeed a rude shock to learn that Asanga Abeygoonasekera, who was the Director at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, had been removed as he had been considered a ‘Political Appointee’, this brings up the question as to the matter of defining who a political appointee is; is it a person who has …
By Malinda Seneviratne The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is suffering from an identity crisis. The signs are all over the place. The SLFP has more Members of Parliament than any other party, and yet finds itself in the Opposition. The man who secured the support of a majority of voters is the leader of …
By Prasanna Sanjeewa Tennakone General Sarath Fonseka’s son-in-law Dhanuna Tilakaratne made newspaper headlines when a warrant was issued for his arrest in the wake of the arrest of his father-in-law who was also the former Army Commander soon after the 2010 Presidential poll. Police could not arrest him as he went underground. Five years later, …
By Don Manu If it came as a surprise that the Northern Chief Minister Vishvalingam Wigneswaran had helped write the now infamous genocide resolution, had presented it and had it passed by the Northern Provincial Council unanimously, resolving that the Sinhalese are a demon tribe of barbaric genocidal racists bent on exterminating the Tamil people …
By Niranjala Ariyawansha It has been reported to Ceylon Today that Chief Secretary of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Minister of Power and Energy Champika Ranawaka, is extremely displeased with the government as they are still following an inactive procedure by not taking legal action against those accused of corruption and fraud, which have been …
By C.A.Chandraprema The event last week which infused a new dynamic into the body politic was undoubtedly the Nugegoda rally organized by Dinesh, Vasu, Wimal andUdaya. If anybody thought it was not possible to stage Hamlet without the prince, they were proved wrong last Wednesday. The rally in Nugegoda organized by four small political parties …
By Rasika Jayakody “Is this President Sirisena’s government? If this government belongs to President Sirisena, how on earth do the SLFP supporters get hammered in villages? How do SLFP supporters lose their jobs? What we ask President Sirisena is to have his own government by having Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister. The SLFP cannot …
1 Resolution: Sri Lanka’s Genocide Against Tamils This resolution provides an overview of the evidence demonstrating successive Sri Lankan governments’ genocide against Tamils, and respectfully requests the ongoing United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) to investigate the claim of genocide and recommend appropriate investigations and prosecutions …
(Text of speech in Parliament on February 18th 2015 by Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera) Hon. Presiding Member, as you maybe aware, at the end of January, I was in Brussels, the home of the European Union. The objective of my visit was largely to revive positive relations and begin a new chapter in Sri …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake The days are ticking away, and the countdown of the 100 days that began on January 9, is gathering interest, especially among politicians who see opportunities in breasting the tape with success behind them, and many others who are keen to see a finish bereft of full achievement for the champions of …
By M. Devarajah and A. Shanthakumar President Maithripala Sirisena’s government is responsible for a blatant assault on basic democratic rights, with Sri Lankan police attacking plantation workers and youth who protested against the death in police custody of a young man near Hatton, in the central hills district. The police repression followed the death of …
By M. Devarajah and W.A. Sunil The pro-government National Union of Workers (NUW) sabotaged a determined strike of 600 plantation workers from the Glenuige Estate at Maskeliya in central Sri Lanka who were fighting against increasing their workloads. The workers are due to return to work. Workers from the Deeside plantation of the Glenuige Estate …
By Izeth Hussain I wonder whether the Sri Lankan Tamils are in a unique position compared to other ethnic groups all over the world. They can be assured of the sympathy and support of their fellow Tamils in Tamil Nadu, though the extent of that sympathy and support can vary greatly over a period of …
FOR many Sri Lankans the most remarkable feature of Maithripala Sirisena’s four-day trip to India this week, his first as president after a stunningly unexpected election victory in January, was that he took a commercial flight. His predecessor, Mahinda Rajapaksa—who, with his family, had given the impression of intending to rule for the long run—usually …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA THE RISING: NUGEGODA FEB 18TH “Come on up for the rising Come on up, lay your hands in mine Come on up for the rising Come on up for the rising tonight” – Bruce Springsteen: The Rising There was a WANTED poster out for Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday at Nugegoda, and it …
By Nelka Medagedara A Supreme Court bench presided over by Chief Justice K. Sripavan yesterday issued notice on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa returnable on March 31. The other Judges comprised, Justices Priyasath Dep and Eva Wanasundara. The SC issued notice after having considered a fundamental rights petition filed by Peratugami Party Leader Duminda Nawagamuwa.
By C.A.Chandraprema MEP parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardene was one of four party leaders who organised the meeting in Nugegoda last Wednesday with a view to bringing Mahinda Rajapaksa back into politics. That meeting drew a crowd never before seen at a political meeting held in Nugegoda despite the fact that Mahinda Rajapaksa was not scheduled to …
By N Sathiya Moorthy It could not have been better. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s maiden overseas visit, to India, was a very positive one. Not only did he have reportedly good meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Indian leaders in Delhi, his visit would also herald a return visit by an Indian …
by Dasun Edirisinghe Newly appointed National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Susil Premajayantha yesterday said former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had not yet made known whether he would contest a parliamentary election again though several UPFA constituents at a public rally in Nugegoda on Wednesday evening demanded that Rajapaksa be nominated the prime ministerial …
By Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. (Text of a Spech Delivered by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha at Peradeniya University on 18th February, 2015) I am immensely honoured to have been invited by Mrs Sugandhi Kadirgamar to be Chief Guest at the ceremony to hand over to Peradeniya University the portrait of the Hon Lakshman Kadirgamar, easily the best …
By Ajith Siriwardane Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a message to those who attended the massive rally in Nugegoda on Wednesday urging him to return to active politics said he could not ignore the hands of honour and affection extended to him by the people and the leadership forces of the UPFA led by the …
Senior Journalist Shakuntala Perera has tendered her resignation as Editor in Chief of “The Sunday Leader” English weekly newspaper published in Colombo. She has done so in protest against recent moves by the ownership/management to impose restrictions curbing her editorial freedom. The full text of the letter submitted by Ms.Shakunatala Perera to Chief Executive Officer …
By Kathie Klarreich – 100Reporters A United Nations presence in Haiti has become as familiar as the country’s barren hillsides. Troops of some sort have been there almost continuously since 1993, including five peacekeeping missions. The most recent, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH, arrived in 2004 to provide a peaceful transition following …
By Jayashika Padmasiri Several United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) strongmen yesterday called on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to re-enter politics and compete for the Prime Ministerial post at the next general election. Facebook status update by Namal Rajapaksa MP-with 31k “Likes” as of Feb 19, 08:00 AM-facebook.com/NamalSL This request was made at a mass rally …
By Dasun Edirisinghe Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was keeping President Maithripala Sirisena under his thumb and the latter was helpless, National Freedom Front (NFF) leader and former minister Wimal Weerawansa said yesterday. What the country had at present was a UNP government in all but name and the SLFP had no say in it. “If …
By Saman Indrajith Former Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapska was granted leave of absence from parliament for three months from yesterday (18). The leave motion was moved by Leader of the Opposition Nimal Siripala de Silva. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake demanded to know what purpose the leave had been taken for. “The House …
by Atul Aneja Steering clear of a perception of China-India rivalry, Beijing has proposed at triangular partnership with India and Sri Lanka, ahead of a month-end visit to Beijing of the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. Asked to comment on the visit to India by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson …
Continue reading ‘Beijing Proposes Tripartite Partnership Between Sri Lanka, India and China’ »
By T.S.Subramanian The signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement on July 29, 1987, in Colombo by Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene marked a turning point in the history of Sri Lanka as well as in India-Sri Lanka relations. Under it, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was despatched to the island’s Northern …
By Disna Mudalige The Frontline Magazine has not been banned in Sri Lanka, but the Customs Department has stopped the release of bulk of the latest issue of the Magazine, Media Ministry Secretary Karunarathna Paranaithana told Daily News yesterday. The Secretary said the Customs officials have done so due to a contempt material found in …
By Zahrah Imtiaz Turmoil erupted once again in the coalition government as yet another State Minister, Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, in charge of Higher Education, threatened to resign. Faizer Musthapha, State Minister for Civil Aviation, resigned not too long ago. The common issue among the increasingly disgruntled ministers is that Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, insists on …
By Ranga Jayasuriya It is sad that the Tamil political leadership is not learning from their misadventures in the past. The “genocide” resolution that was passed by the Northern Provincial Council is a calculated act to whip up ethnic frenzy in a country that is going through a democratic transition, trying to reconcile with its …
By Rupert Shortt The beheading of 21 Coptic Christians in Libya by forces sympathetic to Islamic State over recent days is sadly not an isolated case. On the contrary, it is the latest of countless outrages perpetrated against Christians in or near the Church’s Biblical heartlands over many years. The latest victims were migrant workers …
By Dr. Sarath Amunugama Siri Gunasinghe, one of the most influential contributors to modern Sinhala culture, reaches the age of ninety this week. This short essay seeks to outline some of his many gifts as well as to extend my sincere thanks for a wonderful friendship that spans over five decades. As young undergraduates who …
Three Poems by Siri Gunasinghe Translated by Professor Ranjini Obeyesekere 1. The Water Buffalo My beard on fire in haste, I was running, running down in the dawn, bearing the burdens of life all on my back; at the edge of the road, in a large clump of grass like a fat merchant spread eagled …
The Federation of Environmental Organizations of Sri Lanka (FEO) in partnership with the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOG SL) and supported by Otara, will launch the inaugural Colombo Bird Race on the 21st of February 2015. Our objective is to raise awareness of the spectacular range of our urban wildlife in and around …
Continue reading ‘Inaugural Colombo Bird Race on February 21st 2015 From 6.30 am to 10.30 am’ »
By Jude Fernando “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it—always” Mahatma Gandhi “Freedom for the wolves has often meant death …
By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai Mahasivarathri or ‘the great night of Lord Siva’ is a celebration of Siva’s spirit, celebrated by Hindus the world over. It falls on the fourteenth day of the lunar fortnight and is considered the most important day for Siva worshippers and marked with special celebrations. Hindus around the world celebrating “MahaSivarathri” this …
Continue reading ‘“Maha Siva Rathri”: The Great Night of Lord Siva Observed this year on Feb 17’ »
By Kamal Bogoda At the first meeting attended by new National Organiser of the SLFP Susil Premajayantha at Biyagama with over 1,000 party members, it was unanimously decided by the SLFP Central Committee there that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa should be the Prime Ministerial Candidate at the next general election.
The resolution adopted by the Northern Provincial Council is another extension of the arm of communalism. When masses stretch their hands for national unity the communalists unable to comprehend the new political situation that has been created or willfully wriggle into the dark caves of communalism states a media release issued by the Political Bureau …
Western province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga yesterday declared that he would participate at today’s Nugegoda meeting organised by some of UPFA’s constituents calling for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s return to active politics. The National Freedom Front (NFF), the MEP and the Democratic Left Front (DLF) want the SLFP to declare Mahinda Rajapaksa as the UPFA’s …
By S Venkat Narayan NEW DELHI, February 17: Visiting Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has conveyed to India’s leaders here that his government wishes to be friends with both India and China, but will not be aligned with either. It will stay non-aligned vis-a-vis New Delhi and Beijing. In his talks with President Pranab Mukherjee, …
Major General Jagath Rambukpotha will be appointed as the Commander of the Army with effect from February 22, informed sources said. Current Army Commander Daya Ratnayake is to be retired from the position on February 21. Prior to the decision taken to replace Gen.Ratnayake with Gen.Rambukpotha as army Commander Gen.Daya Ratnayake transferred Fifteen Major Generals …
By Suhasini Haidar In a sign of a closer strategic partnership between Sri Lanka’s new government and India, President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a civil nuclear cooperation agreement on Monday, which is Sri Lanka’s first nuclear partnership with any country. Calling the bilateral agreement on civil nuclear cooperation “another demonstration of …
by Chaminda Perera Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Leader and Member of Parliament R. Sambandan yesterday refuted media reports that the party has appointed a committee to take a decision on whether it should accept Ministerial portfolios in the Eastern Provincial Council.
A strong show of unity was evidenced at a special meeting of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s (SLFP) Executive Committee and National Working Committees held yesterday (Saturday) at ‘Ape Gama’ Battaramulla. In addition to key appointments of office bearers and the setting up of a National Advisory Council (Anushasaka Sabhawa), the party reaffirmed support for …
(Text of Press Release issued on February 16th 2015 by the Office of the UN high Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva) GENEVA (16 February 2015) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Monday explained his recommendation to the Human Rights Council to delay the consideration of a long-awaited report …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Sri Lanka’s efforts to delay the presentation of a controversial report on accountability issues have suffered a serious setback with 16 Tamil groups based in Europe, America, Australia and South Africa demanding that the on-going external investigative process should go ahead as scheduled regardless of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s defeat at Jan. 2015 …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA INDIA-USA-CHINA: THE NEW GOVERNMENT’S FOREIGN POLICY “…we’re going to talk today about President Sirisena’s thoughts about how to move Sri Lanka away from 30 years of war with the Tamils…”– Secretary of State John Kerry, Feb 12, 2015 Given that India is Sri Lanka’s only neighbor and that it is a …
By Suhasini Haidar With a promise for a “new beginning” in India-Sri Lanka ties, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena arrived in New Delhi on Sunday evening, ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. This is Mr. Sirisena’s first visit abroad after he defeated Mahinda Rajapaksa in January, and his spokesperson Lakshman …
By Meera Srinivasan New Delhi must continue pushing Colombo towards the implementation of the 13th Amendment, senior Tamil leader R. Sampanthan said. Speaking exclusively to The Hindu on Friday, the Leader of the Tamil National Alliance – the main party representing Sri Lanka’s northern Tamils – said he wished both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and …
(Text of Editorial Appearing in “The Island” of February 16th 2015 Under the heading”Geneva report as acid test”) A government effort to secure UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s assistance to have the March 25 release of UNHRC war crimes report on Sri Lanka delayed has come a cropper. The UNSG reportedly told Foreign Minister Mangala …
By a Special Correspondent,Daily FT It is extremely disappointing, and distasteful, to see the hypocrisy displayed by most politicians in their attempts to win the public vote. For example, the United National Party which has always called for increased efficiency in the State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) is now openly stating, at various public fora, through …
By C.A.Chandraprema At the time the then joint opposition started their campaign last year, the UNP despite being by far the biggest opposition party was regarded only as the first among equals in the opposition line up. But after winning, they have managed to maneuver themselves into a dominant position in the new government. That …
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “…half ready to believe That a crippled trust might walk.” Seamus Heaney (The Cure at Troy) Walter Benjamin called fairytale ‘the first tutor of mankind’ (Illuminations). One of the most evocative warnings about the dangers of ignoring limits comes precisely from a fairytale – the much-narrated story of the fisherman, his wife …
Continue reading ‘Rajapaksas are not the First Rulers to Self-Destruct Through Hubris’ »
By Asanga Abeyagoonasekera Vijaya Kumaranatunga was brutally assassinated on February 16, 1988. This year marks the 27th death anniversary of Vijaya who was the founder of Sri Lanka Mahajana Party (SLMP) which used to be the third largest party at a point in Sri Lanka’s political history. Vijaya and the founding members of the SLMP, …
Continue reading ‘Vijaya Kumaranatunga was a Symbol of True Ethnic Reconciliation.’ »
By S.Thavarajah (Text of a press release issued by Northern Provincial Council Leader of Opposition S. Thavarajah on Feb 15 2015) Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran has told the President Maithiripala Sirisena that the resolution “Sri Lanka’s Genocide Against Tamils” passed by the Northern Provincial Council on the 10th of this month was not aimed …
By Anura Balasuriya There was confusion at the ‘Ape Gama’, Battaramulla on Saturday during a meeting of the SLFP Executive Committee and the National Working Committee with members representing the local bodies holding a protest demanding that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa be made the party’s Prime Ministerial candidate or they would not support any other …
by Colonel R Hariharan Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena is visiting New Delhi on February 16, his first port of call after becoming President. Narendra Modi’s spectacular rise as a national leader from the sidelines of Gujarat state, hopping over seniors in the party hierarchy, to lead the nation is a real life …
By C.A.Chandraprema Had the SLFP executive committee meeting held yesterday been mishandled, it could have resulted in a seismic shift in the political landscape of Sri Lanka. But President Maithripala Sirisena steered clear of making any contentious changes. He remains the party chairman, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa the general secretary, Susil Premajayantha has been appointed national …
By Vasana Surangika Vithanage and Sunanda Gardiyawasam What is Mahinda Rajapaksa doing now, is a question that many people ask. Now he speaks to thousands of people who visit him daily at his Carlton residence in Tangalle. Bus loads of people visit him daily. He is the leader who reconnected the North and South of …
By DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA THE WRITING ON THE WALL: HOW SRI LANKA IS TO BE DISMANTLED If a woman files a formal complaint or publicly accuses a man of repeated conjugal rape, attempted murder and the serial killing of her children over the years, it is hardly likely that she plans to reconcile with him …
By Niranjala Ariywansha & Skandha Gunasekara Effecting dramatic changes to the upper echelons of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, President Maithripala Sirsena yesterday removed a few Mahinda Rajapaksa confidantes from their positions, while also dismissing former Tamil rebel, turned politician, Vinayagamoorthy Muralidharan aka Karuna, when the Executive Committee met yesterday at Battaramulla. Parliamentarians A. H. …
State Minister of higher Education Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha has resigned from his ministerial portfolio, reliable sources told Ada Derana. The MP, who defected from the UPFA government to support Maithripala Sirisena at the presidential Election, was reportedly distraught in the wake of the pressure exerted on UGC Chairperson Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama to resign. According to …
State Minister of Higher Education Prof. Rajiva Wijesinghe today said that it is “completely wrong” to bow down to pressure from groups and remove the UGC Chairperson, without even probing the allegations against her. Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama had resigned as the Chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC), amid pressure from the Federation of University …
Some members of the SLFP Working Committee (WC) staged a walkout protesting against being kept in the dark about the new appointments to the party hierarchy, at yesterday’s Central Committee meeting. After the new appointments were approved with President Maithripala Sirisena in the chair as SLFP leader, the WC members raised issue over them being …
by Maheen Senanayake “Mr. R Paskaralingam is back in the country and is helping the PM’s office, the Finance Ministry and several other institutions,” Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and Assistant Leader of the UNP said yesterday. “He has a wealth of knowledge to share and all of us have much to learn from him,” he …
By Rasika Jayakody MP Pensions are clearly more important than accusations against Minister John Amaratunga of encouraging an attack against the Chairman of the Wattala Pradeshiya Sabha (File Photo) MP Pensions are clearly more important than accusations against Minister John Amaratunga of encouraging an attack against the Chairman of the Wattala Pradeshiya Sabha (File Photo) …
By Malinda Seneviratne A group of essentially one-man parties have organized a rally. They’ve invited the 5.8 million who voted for Mahinda Rajapaksa in a losing cause on January 8, 2015 to attend. They have asked for a show of force. Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Dinesh Gunawardena, Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila are all fiery speakers no …
By S. V. Kirubaharan Sri Lanka is neither a rich country nor an arms-producing country. Most of the arms used to kill over 200,000 Tamils were provided by certain deals with countries known as champions of human rights. Mahatma Gandhi of India, the father of non-violent struggle has still not been given a Nobel Peace …
Katrin Mozhi – Rendered by Sujatha – Music – Vidyasagar – With an English Translation of Poem by Vairamuthu Featuring “LOVE” Sculpture by Robert Indiana at – 55th Street and 6th Avenue – NYC. lingo of the wind is it tune or sound lingo of flower is it scent or color lingo of shore is …
Continue reading ‘Love’s Lingo ♥ by Poet Kaviyarasu Vairamuthu ♫’ »
Song was written by Poet Vaali (29 October 1931 – 18 July 2013), for the 1966 blockbuster Nadodi starring Makkal Thilagam M.G.R – M.G. Ramachandran & Bharathi ♫ sings of the “One” “language of love” – as a true global spirit, for the betterment of humanity everywhere.
via US Embassy, Colombo, Sri Lanka For the first time in history, a road in the United States has been named after a person from Sri Lanka. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently named a street ‘Kalyana Ranasinghe Way’ to honor Mr. Kalyana Ranasinghe, a Sri Lankan American who died on duty working …
By Natasha Kuhrt Although the International Court of Justice has taken 16 years to decide that neither Serbia nor Croatia have a case against each other, the judgment is nevertheless of interest for several reasons. Firstly, it reminds us that the ICJ is primarily a judicial organ (part of the United Nations system) but that …
(Text of letter sent on behalf of the Tamil Civil Society Forum to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva) Vavuniya, 12 February 2015 His Excellency Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Your Excellency, OISL Inquiry We write on behalf of the …
THE English language, we all know, is in decline. The average schoolchild can hardly write, one author has recently warned. Well, not that recently perhaps. It was William Langland, author of “Piers Plowman”, who wrote that “There is not a single modern schoolboy who can compose verses or write a decent letter.” He died in …
Continue reading ‘Generational Litany of Woes About the Decline and Fall of the English Language’ »
The police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) questioned former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday on the weapons armoury maintained by a security firm which he had launched while he was in office. Rajapaksa, the brother of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was questioned at his residence in Colombo over the armoury maintained by Avant-Garde Security firms and …
By Shamindra Ferdinando The SLFP as well as UPFA constituents, the Communist Party and the LSSP have distanced themselves from an ambitious project meant to bring back former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to active politics ahead of dissolution of parliament in late April. Authoritative political sources told The Island that the SLFP wouldn’t take part in …
by Izeth Hussain In the aftermath of the recent Presidential election a new political configuration seems to be taking place, which requires careful assessment as it could be of immense importance for Sri Lanka’s future. Obviously, a convergence has been taking place between the two major parties, the UNP and the SLFP, as I have …
Continue reading ‘Racism has Always been Most Powerfully Concentrated Within the SLFP’ »
By S.C.Chandrahasan (Text of letter addressed to the Prime Minister and concerned Ministers of India, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and concerned officials and the President of Sri Lanka and concerned persons focusing on issues relating to ending the protracted refugee status of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees accommodated in India) We welcome the visit of …
(Remarks by Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka about Sri Lanka – US Relations at the National Press Club, Washington DC on 12 February 2015) Mr. John Hughes, Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you Mr. Hughes for the introduction. I am delighted to be here in Washington. It has been a …
By M.A. Sumanthiran M.P. This year’s Independence Day marks a new era in Sri Lanka’s political history. For the first time in a long time, Sri Lankans are hopeful. They dared to vote for change and they now expect to see it. Promises of an era of good governance, an end to the norm of …
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera held official talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington DC on Thursday 12 February 2015. Remarks by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera before their meeting. SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. It’s my great pleasure to welcome Foreign Minister …
By Meera Srinivasan In his upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is likely to discuss possible areas for Indian investment in Sri Lanka, a senior Minister said. Briefing the media on Cabinet decisions on Thursday, Plantations Minister and Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella said investment, education and highways …
The resolution passed by the Northern Provincial Council in Sri Lanka seeking a probe into 60 years of ‘genocide’ against Tamils in the island nation found support among some political parties in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. While the ruling AIADMK had no immediate reaction, the DMK and the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) felt that more …
(Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera delivered an address on the theme “Sri Lanka after the Presidential Election,” outlining the priorities of the government at the prestigious Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in Washington DC on 11th February 2015 to a full house.This is the full text of the speech) Ambassador Burns, Mr. Fredrick Grare, …
by Meera Srinivasan The Sri Lankan government will release 1000 acres of land in its Tamil-majority North Province that were until now under the Army’s control, senior Ministers said following a Cabinet decision on Thursday. To start with, the government would resettle 1,022 families displaced by the war in a model village that is to …
By Shamindra Ferdinando The Illankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) led Tamil National Alliance (TNA) run Northern Provincial Council (NPC) has reiterated its call for a UN investigation into what it calls genocide committed by successive Sri Lankan governments since 1948, in spite of Mavai S. Senathirajah, General Secretary of both organisations, ruling out a wider …
By Lakna Paranamanna One of the most influential figures of the Rajapaksa regime, he was admired by many, feared by some and hated by others. With many allegations made against him following the end of the Rajapaksa rule, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa spoke to Dailymirror and responded candidly to the accusations that are being …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA For personal reasons that would be too painfully obvious to state, I can well remember a time that Sri Lankan newspaper Editors would be unforgiving with their newsroom, if the biggest political story of the week had failed to make it to their front page or any page at all, especially …
by N. Sathiya Moorthy It’s change, yet, it’s change with continuity. The sweeping victory of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Delhi assembly polls is reminiscent of a near-similar parliamentary poll experience for the nation as a whole. Replace parties and personalities between then and now – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister …
By Rohit Bhan Rajkot: A temple dedicated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to officially open in his home state of Gujarat on Sunday. pic coutesy of: BBC Tamil The temple, funded by 300 admirers is located in a village 130 miles from Ahmedabad. “He is like a God for us and we have …
By Vishwamithra 1984 The presidential election campaign of December 2014 saw prominent members of the then opposition loudly voicing strident rhetoric on the rampant corruption of the Rajapaksa regime. The newspaper and evening television news were saturated with allegations of multibillion-rupee deals, hefty commissions being made by unscrupulous politicians, and vulture-like businessmen preying on the …
By Upul Joseph Fernando There’s a visible battle within the government over the Chinese Port City Project initiated by the previous government. The cause of this battle was the recent announcement to the media by the Health Minister and Cabinet Spokesman, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne that the Cabinet had decided to go ahead with the project …
By Suhasini Haidar The Indian government took note of the resolution by the Sri Lankan Northern Provincial Council internally, but officials said it was too early to gauge its importance to the reconciliation process already initiated by President Maithripala Sirisena’s new government. Officials are studying if the genocide resolution would affect the Geneva conference of …
by Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial Council (NPC) on Tuesday passed a strongly worded resolution accusing successive governments in the island nation of committing ‘genocide’ against Tamils. The resolution moved by Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran sought to give “an overview of the evidence demonstrating successive Sri Lankan governments’ genocide against Tamils” and appealed to …
(Text of the Statement of Peace made by the Government of Sri Lanka at the 67th Independence Day Celebrations on Wednesday 4th February 2015) “Today our beloved nation is at a moment of unprecedented opportunity. Terrorism and violence have ended. “The time and peace required for healing and building sustainable peace and security for all, …
By Nitin A.Gokhale Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former defence secretary of Sri Lanka, former army officer and former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s brother, was largely seen as the driving force behind Sri Lanka’s Eelam War IV that decimated the Tamil Tigers and ended an intense, quarter century long civil war in the island nation in 2009. …