By C.A.Chandraprema It now seems almost a certainty that UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will be contesting Mahinda Rajapaksa even though the UNP’s decision making bodies have not yet made a formal decision to that effect. Those who were in favour of the UNP leader contesting the presidential poll under the green colour and the elephant …
By N Sathiya Moorthy The decision of Northern Province Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran to boycott all functions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his politico-administrative turf seems to have been born out of sheer Tamil frustration at not being able to get their constitutional due under 13-A. So should be the Northern Provincial Council decision …
By Nirmala Kannangara General Secretary of Ravana Balaya, Ven. Saddhatissa Thera accused the management of Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) of failing to ensure the safety of migrant workers in Middle East countries. Following last Thursday’s incident at the SLBFE where the Buddhist monks led by Saddhatissa Thera had a heated argument with …
By Hemanth De Silva External Affairs Ministry Monitoring MP Sajin Vaas Gunawardane said yesterday the EU decision to lift the ban on the LTTE was a shot in the arm for the LTTE and the diaspora. He told a media conference held at the Balapitiya SLFP head office that with this decision all EU members …
As soon as news of Jayalalithaa’s bail reached them, jubilant All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam cadre gathered outside the Parappana Agrahara, Central prison complex on Friday. They were desperate to catch a glimpse of their general secretary by evening, but were in for yet another disappointment as the formalities for her release could not …
By B. Aravind Kumar Breaking her nearly three-week long silence since she was lodged in a Bangalore prison after being convicted by a special court there in the assets case, AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa on Friday evening called upon her party cadre not to say or do anything that could besmirch the Judiciary’s majesty at …
By Kalana Senaratne In our long discussions about Sri Lanka’s post-independence political history, India’s large shadow falls inevitably upon us, bringing with it a curious and mixed effect; it is both alarming and inspiring at times, but also quite disheartening and dispiriting on other occasions. We were both part of the British Empire, both Mother …
BY MALINDA SENEVIRATNE There are those in which world who don’t mince their words. Being forthright has its pluses and minuses. Honesty is rewarded but then again in this day and age deceit is far more profitable. A silver tongue that is owned by a person of integrity is quite potent. The Minister of Higher …
Continue reading ‘Enough Reason to Sack SB Dissanayake-In Another Country,In Another Time…..’ »
By Udaya P. Gammanpila The Scottish Government held a referendum on 18 September 2014, to seek public opinion on gaining independence from the United Kingdom. Fifty five per cent of the people voted against independence at that referendum. Inspired by this referendum, Tamil separatists now propose holding a similar referendum in the North and East …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake It is easy to recall the quote from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet.” We seem to be increasingly obsessed with the changing of names, whether the new names have any relevance to a place or event, …
By Sanath Desmond and Lahiru Pothmulla The Railway Department has earned over Rs. 3 million in four days from trains running along the newly-restored northern line to Jaffna, Superintendent of Railways G.W. Sisira Kumara said. He said the average income from the air-conditioned inter-city express was Rs. 5 lakhs. “This is a generous income. We …
by Kamal Bogoda Leader of the Democratic Party (DP) and former Army Commander Gen. Sarath Fonseka yesterday said that depriving him of his right to exercise his franchise by the Elections Commissioner with a presidential election on the horizon demonstrated that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was scared of facing him in a presidential contest. Addressing a …
By Ranjan Kasthuri The name of Sarath Fonseka the former army commander and the leader of the Democratic Party is to be removed from the voters list by the Election Commissioner on the instructions of the Attorney General. This decision had been taken after the Elections Commissioner requested Attorney General for a ruling on whether …
By Krishnadas Rajagopal 10.30 am: The First Court of the country presided by a bench led by Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu and Justices Madan B. Lokur and A.K. Sikri assembles for the day. The courtroom is jam-packed. Many lawyers from Tamil Nadu and AIADMK cadre present in the inner sanctum of the court …
Continue reading ‘As it happened: a minute-by-minute account of Jayalalithaa bail hearing’ »
by J.Venkatesan &Krishnadas Rajagopal In a big relief to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, the Supreme Court on Friday ordered her release on bail in the Rs. 66.65 crores disproportionate assets case in which she was sentenced to undergo four years’ simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 100 crores. A three-judge Bench of …
By Krishnadas Rajagopal AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa, who was sentenced to four years’ simple imprisonment and imposed a Rs. 100-crore fine for her offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on Friday. The interim bail is applicable till December 18, 2014. The Chief Justice has asked for paperbook …
By Chamitha Kuruppu The UNP’s biggest stumbling block has been the deep divisions within the party, especially between the Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sajith Premadasa factions, said newly-appointed Deputy National Organiser of the United National Party and Opposition Leader of the Uva Province Harin Fernando. “Sajith Premadasa’s re-entry and appointment as the Deputy Leader is indeed …
By C.A.Chandraprema Leader of the Democratic People’s Front and former Colombo district parliamentarian Mano Ganesan who now commands over 15% of the Colombo city vote speaks to C.A.Chandraprema about his choice of a common opposition candidate for the forthcoming presidential election and the logic of ethnicity based politics. Q. If we start off from the …
By N Sathiya Moorthy Can courts punish popular leaders for offences under the law? That is the question that is being debated by supporters of former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa following her conviction by a special court in Bangalore which handed down a four-year jail term and Rs 100 crore fine on her in …
(Full text of an open letter sent by Veerasingham Aanandasangaree, Secretary General of the Tamil United Liberation Front(TUL to Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa) “His Excellency Mahinda Rajapakse President of Sri Lanka Your Excellency, Official Visit to the North I wish you all success in your historical three day visit to the North. Commencement of …
The External Affairs Ministry has, in a media statement, expressed the government’s concern over the decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) yesterday (16), to annul the EU regulations proscribing the LTTE. The Full text of the External Affairs Ministry statement is as follows : “The defendants of this case have been the Council …
European Union judges have struck down anti-terrorism sanctions imposed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)organization by citing a technicality, but ruled that the assets of the Sri Lankan group should remain frozen for the time being. The bloc’s lower court said a decision by EU leaders in 2006 to place the Liberation Tigers …
Well-known for his conduct and controversial statements Minister Mervyn Silva has come to the limelight once again with yet another allegation that there are some people who prevent him from carrying out his duties as a people’s representative. Recently, “Daily Mirror” had the opportunity of seeking the minister’s views on the subject and on a …
By Dharisha Bastians The Yal Devi chug-chugged to the Jaffna railway station on Monday, helping President Mahinda Rajapaksa fulfill an important post-war promise. After 24 years, Sri Lanka’s major southern towns were reconnected to the Tamil historic and cultural heartland of Jaffna by rail, once the easiest and most economical way to travel between the …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA HOW A WEAK OPPOSITION COULD STILL PLAY IT SMART It was exactly fifty years ago, in 1964, when I was 7 years old, that my father introduced me to the political personalities who would visit our Ward Place flat and took me around for public rallies including election meetings. Having closely …
By Shamindra Ferdinando The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is in a quandary over the ongoing large scale Indian funded projects meant to facilitate post-war reconciliation process. The five-party TNA on Monday (October 13) boycotted the inauguration of the 38 km Pallai-Jaffna railway line with the participation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Indian High Commissioner, Y.K. Sinha …
By Harsha Gunasena In defeating the LTTE, the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, then Army Commander and the then military leaders did a wonderful job by way of strategic military plans and implementing the same. Sun Tzu, a military commander who lived in China in 5th century BC wrote a book called ‘The Art …
British Airways says the decision to cancel flights to Sri Lanka was not related to political issues in Sri Lanka but purely on non-profitability. Following the recent announcement by British Airways that it was cancelling flights to Sri Lanka from next year, some diaspora groups had attempted to give the impression the move was relate …
By Anuradha Herath and Zahrah Imtiaz Foreigners, who wish to visit the North, will need prior approval from the Defence Ministry, Military Spokesperson, Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said, at a media briefing yesterday (15). Soon after the war ended in May 2009, foreigners were banned from entering the North, without prior permission from the military. Nevertheless, …
(Text of Media Communique Issued by the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka) 1. A ceremony was organised on October 13, 2014 to mark the inauguration of the Pallai-Jaffna reconstructed railway track and signal system. The ceremony was graced by H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka, Hon’ble Kumara Welgama, Minister of Transport, Hon’ble …
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan The Channel 4’s No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka – a supposedly investigative documentary about alleged human rights violations, that took place during the final weeks of the war in Sri Lanka in May 2009, is one of four documentaries nominated for the International Emmy Awards 2014 in …
The District Development Progress Review meeting of the Northern Province chaired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa was held on Monday (13) in Jaffna. The meeting commenced with a welcome speech by Minister Douglas Devananda. Minister Devananda at the conclusion of his speech made a few requests to the President on behalf of the people in the …
(Text of Press release issued from Brussels by the European Commission on 14 October 2014) Illegal fisheries: green cards for five countries, but red card for Sri Lanka In its fight against illegal fishing activities worldwide, the European Commission has today proposed to ban imports of fisheries products from Sri Lanka to tackle the commercial …
by Vishwamithra 1984 “Swordsmanship untested in battle is like the art of swimming mastered on land.” ~Hanshiro Tsugumo (a warrior without a lord) Those who do not learn from history will be condemned to relive it. The United National Party (UNP) and the mainstream parliamentary Opposition in Sri Lanka should be condemned for throwing away …
By Yohan Perera The main opposition UNP yesterday said it was not prepared to accept any form of a new devolution system other than the existing provincial council system and was ready to adopt a balanced foreign policy in developing ties with China, India and the West alike. UNP national leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who addressed …
By Meera Srinivasan Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran stayed away from a ceremony on Monday in which President Mahinda Rajapaksa re-launched train services to Jaffna. When contacted, Mr. Wigneswaran told The Hindu: “Our letter to President refers to our keeping away from all functions he is staging in the Northern Province,” referring to an …
By Charitha Ratwatte Joshua Wong is a charismatic, small-made, teenage schoolboy, going on 18 years, who wears rectangular glasses and sports a soup-bowl haircut. The other night he stood before an ocean of protesters who had taken over downtown Hong Kong, holding two microphones and addressing the massive crowd. His deep voice was drowned out …
Former Miss Sri Lanka and Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez has been offered a lead role in a British film, The Definition of Fear. The ‘Kick’ star revealed that the film’s makers approached her from London. “They were keen to sign me. The offer came from them, without me taking any initiative. It came as a …
By Suranjith Perera A Moratuwa University senior lecturer was yesterday remanded by Mount Lavinia Chief Magistrate Rangajeewa Wimalasena when produced in Court by the Colombo Crime Division for allegedly threatening External Affairs Monitoring MP Sajin Vaas Gunawardena by SMS. Senior lecturer Kotagamage Duminda Leshan Perera of Hena Road Mount Lavinia was remanded till October 17. …
(Text of statement S issued by Karu Jayasuriya, Chairman Leadership Council, UNP and Gampaha district M.P. on Oct 13th 2014) What was unleashed at the Pambahinna junction along the Colombo Badulla main road on a group of Sabaragamuwa University Students is by no means an action by a civilized Government of a civilized nation that …
By Meera Srinivasan As an engineer testing the newly-laid tracks in northern Sri Lanka, Ravindra Yadav is extra careful. “People tend to cross the tracks any time,” he says, driving a posh-looking yellow-coloured engine over tracks shimmering in the sun. Honking several times along the way, he adds: “You can’t blame the people. They are …
by Zacki Jabbar The next Presidential election was likely to be held before Jan. 13 2015 the government said on Friday night. Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who is also the Cabinet Spokesman, when asked for a tentative date for the Presidential Poll amidst various time frames ranging between January to March being mentioned by members …
President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday announced in Kilinochchi that he was ready to abolish the Executive Presidency, if the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Tamil Diaspora gave up the demand for the creation of a Tamil Eelam in the country’s North and East and made an announcement to that effect. Addressing a public rally where …
President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday accused the Tamil National Alliance controlled Northern Provincial Council government of hampering the development of the Northern Province. Addressing a public rally in Kilinochchi held to distribute land deeds to 20,000 people in the Northern Province, President Rajapaksa said the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) is not cooperating with Government’s plans of …
*President talks to Kshenuka,Prasad&Dilan Ariyawansa and says “No Assault took place” *Mahinda Refers to Nonis as “Eyagollo amuthu type ekey minissu ney”(they are a strange type of people) *Basil Tells Elder brother “Ehema kiyanna honda nehe”(it is not good to say like that) * British Foreign Secy Philip Hammond tells Nonis “Now you understand why …
By Camelia Nathaniel The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) has once again come under the media spotlight for the alleged involvement of its Deputy Finance Secretary, Ven. Wellampitiye Sumanadhamma Thera, in a fraudulent land transaction. The monk had allegedly been involved in a financial misappropriation of Rs 7.5 million, and he was arrested last week on …
By Don Manu Even as Jayaram Jayalalithaa must be pondering over her future fate and wondering whether she has reached the end of her road, Lanka’s very own Minister Mervyn Silva was busy last week conducting his own last rites in preparation, perhaps, for his imminent departure. Last Saturday at a meeting held in Peliyagoda, …
By Nadia Fazlulhaq Whether it’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa, First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa or MP Namal Rajapaksa, the Rajapaksa name is a goldmine for inventive rogues who scam the public by pretending to be anything from the President’s elephant supplier to the First Lady’s chauffeur. A staggering 143 arrests have been made by a Police Special …
(Text of Editorial Appearing in the “Sunday Times”of October 12th 2014 Under the heading “EAM like a madhatter’s dinner party”) There is nothing so deafening as the External Affairs Ministry’s continued silence on the resignation of Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in no less a capital than London, on a complaint that he was assaulted by …
The Government has imposed an indefinite travel ban on visits by foreign passport holders including tourists to the North, a senior Army officer said yesterday. The Army’s Media Director told the Sunday Times that the restrictions had been imposed in view of threats posed by some foreign passport holders who were acting in a manner …
CID detectives have been called in to probe an email allegedly critical of Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, Monitoring MP for the External Affairs Ministry.Detectives have recorded statements from P.M. Amza, former Director General of Economic Affairs, and Prasanna Gamage who was attached to the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) Secretariat. Both officials have …
By Dr.Subramanian Swamy I took oaths on November 21, 1990, as the senior most Cabinet Minister of the Chandrashekhar-led Janata Party government with two portfolios—Commerce and Law and Justice. As the party President then, I was instrumental in working out a coalition with the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress Party to dislodge the V.P. Singh coalition government …
bY N Sathiya Moorthy If someone in Sri Lanka thought that the jail-term handed down to Jayalalithaa, until then the Chief Minister of the south Indian State of Tamil Nadu, would ease avoidable political tensions across the Palk Strait, they should be sadly mistaken. If they thought that pre-occupation with pending bail petition(s) and appeals …
By C.A.Chandraprema Last Wednesday in a statement to the Daily Mirror, former Chief Justice Sarath N.Silva put out a new set of arguments against Mahinda Rajapaksa being able to contest a presidential election for the third time. The Daily Mirror article was titled “MR can’t seek opinion on 3rd term: Ex-CJ”. The gist of the …
By Eran Wickramatne M.P. The Rajapaksa administration is trying to ram the 2015 budget through parliament by deliberately cutting the debate short, in yet another attempt to undermine democracy, Parliament and in the process the rights and freedoms of the people of this country. Article 148 of the Constitution specifies that Parliament has full control …
DMK on Saturday appealed to the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court and Madras High Court to initiate contempt proceedings against AIADMK workers for allegedly denigrating the special judge who awarded four years jail term to their leader Jayalalithaa in a wealth case and the verdict itself. “The Chief Justices of the Supreme and Madras …
By Paul Owen,Mark Brown&Alison Flood Patrick Modiano has been named the 111th winner of the Nobel prize for literature. The 69-year-old is the 15th French writer to win the prestigious prize, worth 8m kronor ($1.1m or £700,000). His name was announced at a short ceremony in Stockholm with Peter Englund, the Nobel Academy’s permanent secretary, …
Continue reading ‘French writer Patrick Modiano wins the 2014 Nobel prize in literature’ »
By Paul Owen &Mathew Weaver Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi have won the Nobel peace prize, says committee chairman Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenage education campaigner shot on school bus in 2012 by a Taliban gunman, has won the 2014 Nobel peace prize. Malala won along with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian children’s rights activist. The …
By Ravi Ladduwahetty Sri Lanka’s former High Commissioner to London, Dr. Chris Nonis, “gate-crashed” the private dinner party, to which he was not invited, Government spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told the weekly news conference yesterday. Rambukwella said that though Dr. Nonis went uninvited, he was welcomed. The Minister said that the media also …
By Sruthisagar Yamunan & Krishnadas Rajagopal Thirteen days after entering the Parappana Agrahara prison in Bangalore, three-time former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday moved the Supreme Court challenging the October 7 Karnataka High Court order refusing to suspend the execution of her sentence and grant bail in a disproportionate assets case. Ms. Jayalalithaa, who was …
By Gagani Weerakoon and Skandha Gunasekara An attempt by JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, to raise the issue of an alleged assault on Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the UK, Chris Nonis, in Parliament yesterday, proved futile with Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody not granting leave to proceed. The Deputy Speaker prevented MP Dissanayake, on the …
By Vishwamithra 1984 “The bedrock of our democracy is the rule of law and that means we have to have an independent judiciary, judges who can make decisions independent of the political winds that are blowing”. ~Caroline Kennedy Extremists of both corners of the political spectrum, in India as well as in Sri Lanka, must …
An Indian Hindu nationalist group said Wednesday that it has no intention of forming an alliance with a hardline Buddhist group in Sri Lanka. The radical Sri Lankan Buddhist organization Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) on Tuesday said it was in “high-level” talks with India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist group linked to India’s …
by Prof.Carlo Fonseka – Chairman WKMH, Seeduwa Please give me a little space to tell the world how a minor hospital has served to perpetuate the nostalgic and melancholic memory of a major film actor – Wijaya Kumaratunga – the most adored cinema idol Sri Lanka ever had. He is also the most venerated political …
By Chamitha Kuruppu The Constitution should meet the aspirations of the nation, not those of an individual or a political party, stressed Udaya Gammanpila. Gammanpila, who is in political limelight once again following his challenge to United National Party’s Harin Fernando, pointed out: “In our Constitution, whatever features that had been tailor-made to meet personal …
(Text of Press Release Issued by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN, Geneva) Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva and Leader of the Sri Lanka delegation to the Human Rights Committee Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha asked the Human Rights Committee to “judge Sri Lanka in proportion to the challenges Sri …
By N Sathiya Moorthy In rejecting former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s bail application on Tuesday, October 7, Karnataka High Court Justice A V Chandrashekara cited several Supreme Court verdicts on corruption and its approach towards handling bail applications of the high and mighty in corruption cases. As Justice Chandrasekhara reportedly observed during the …
BY Ruwan Laknath Jayakody Introducing a constitutional draft for the country, the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) said Sri Lanka should be renamed ‘Sinhale’, with Sinhalese Buddhists being recognized as the historical and national race of the country. The BBS acknowledged that the country had only one race (the Sinhalese), linguistically the Sinhala language, the Tamil …
By Upul Joseph Fernando Diplomatic circles focused attention on President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent view that, following his talks with United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, he (Rajapaksa) felt that the US had softened its stance on Sri Lanka. It is not known that Mahinda took such a view due to the cordiality of Kerry …
By Sruthisagar Yamunan & Krishnaprasad The Karnataka High Court witnessed hectic arguments by lawyers of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and the others convicted in the disproportionate assets case during the hearing of their bail applications on Tuesday. Appearing for Ms. Jayalalithaa, senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani quoted profusely from the trial court order to …
By Krishnaprasad & Sruthisagar Yamunan Rejecting the bail plea of AIADMK chief and former chief minister of Tamil Nadu and three others, Justice Chandrashekara of the Karnataka High Court said, “When a public servant was found guilty of corruption after a judicial adjudicatory process conducted by a court of law, judiciousness demands that he should …
By S Venkat Narayan NEW DELHI, October 7: The Karnataka High Court in Bangalore on Tuesday refused to suspend the sentence imposed last fortnight on Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK Chief Jayaram Jayalalithaa and her three aides by a special court in the disproportionate assets case and refused to order their release on bail. Jayalalithaa and …
A Buddhist group accused of instigating religious hate attacks in Sri Lanka said Tuesday it is in talks with Hindu nationalists in India to form an alliance against what it called rising Islamic extremism in the region. The Buddhist Force, or BBS, says Sri Lanka faces a threat from radical Islam. It has been linked …
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN Sensing a political opportunity in Tamil Nadu in the wake of AIADMK General Secretary Jayalalithaa being locked up in jail on September 27, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is smelling power in the southern state. It has intensified its efforts to get Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on board to gain popular …
By Vishwamithra 1984 “The keys to brand success are self-definition, transparency, authenticity and accountability.” ~Simon Mainwaring As was shown in the Uva Provincial Council election results, there is no denying that the ‘Rajapaksa brand’ did suffer quite badly. To lose in a multi-ethnic district like Badulla and dropping 25% from the earlier poll in an …
By Charitha Ratwatte Many moons ago, ‘Wel Lakshe Wedi Handa’ was a very popular Sinhala drama, about a revolution brooding in the Uva Wellassa region, of South East Sri Lanka. At one time in our history, the area which is now described as Lower Uva, parts of the Badulla, Moneragala, and Hambantota Districts, were depicted …
Karnataka High Court on Tuesday denied bail to former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case. Earlier, Special Public Prosecutor G Bhavani Singh had said that the prosecution had no objection to her being granted conditional bail. Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani who appeared for Jayalalithaa in the bail petition filed before …
(Following are excerpts from the Political Column appearing in the “Sunday Times”of October 5th 2014. The Column written by the Political editor of the newspaper published the excerpted paragraphs under the sub heading “New York slapping incident”) There was heavy embarrassment for President Rajapaksa over a New York incident. It only remained a secret for …
by Kelum Bandara With the acceptance of the resignation of Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Chris Nonis, the External Affairs Ministry has asked the country’s Deputy High Commissioner to the Maldives Chanaka H. Talpahewa to take over as chargé d’affaires in London, a minister said.
By Meera Srinivasan The iconic Yal Devi Express from Colombo to Jaffna will resume its run on October 13, some 25 years after the link was suspended during the height of the Sri Lankan civil war. IRCON, an Indian Railways subsidiary, restored a section of the line from Omanthai to Pallai in the Northern Province, …
By Zahrah Imtiaz The new building on Sunday (28) however, became a place for old wounds to be healed and bottled up grievances to be aired as the Presidential Commission on Missing Persons held its sessions at this location.
The UNP has called upon the government to conduct an impartial inquiry into a recent incident where UPFA MP Sajin Vass Gunawardena allegedly assaulted Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK, Dr. Chris Nonis in the US. Dr. Nonis resigned from his post in protest against the attack. UNP Gampaha District MP Karu Jayasuriya has, …
By Don Manu If diamonds are a girl’s best friend then free foreign travel trinkets come a close second to captivate a woman’s diffident heart. Or so it seemed for Rosy Senanayake this week until a miraculous eleventh hour stroke of Providence changed her mind and saved her from public censure. Last week the President …
by Shamindra Ferdinando Newly elected Opposition leader of the Uva Provincial Council Harin Fernando on Saturday said that Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa should be named as the UNP’s prime ministerial candidate immediately. Former MP Fernando emphasized that the success of the UNP’s presidential election campaign would primarily depend on Premadasa, who could play a role …
By Taylor Dibbert Sri Lanka’s powerful defense secretary and brother of the president, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, has recently published a lengthy article in a policy-oriented journal called PRISM. The publication of this article, particularly at a time when the Sri Lankan government has been under the microscope for alleged war crimes and ongoing human rights abuses, …
By Chandran Rutnam It was in early 1956 that I was introduced to a young man named Gamini Fonseka. I was one of the first to be hired to work on the production of “Bridge on the River Kwai”, that was to be filmed on location in Ceylon. Since I had no experience in films, …
Continue reading ‘“I Salute my Friend,Gamini Fonseka, the King of Sri Lankan Cinema”’ »
By Sunil Jayasiri Kajeepan Sarmila, the widow of Ponniah Selvanayagam Kajeepan (alias Gobi), was detained at the Bandaranaike International Airport yesterday, when she was about to leave for Switzerland, informed sources said. They said that Sarmila was prevented from leaving the country although she had valid Swiss visa due to the ongoing inquiry against her …
BY DR. WICKREMA WEERASOORIA The Gampola Perahera Case, which occurred nearly 100 years ago is of great historical significance. Firstly, the Riots and Martial Law of 1915 can be traced to this case. Secondly, the facts of the case show the commitment of our Buddhist people to their religious festivals and ceremonies. Thirdly, and very …
by N Sathiya Moorthy For a Head of Government – and Head of State, to boot – addressing the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA), President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been more critical of the UN scheme than any other, possibly at any time. And at the same time, he has also invited UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon …
Tamil United Liberation Front(TULF) Secretary – General Veerasingham Aanandasangaree has in a letter sent to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi been critical of the Tamil National Alliance(TNA).The letter is published in full below- Hon. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, New Delhi. Your Excellency, Let Us Be Honest By Our People I am the Secretary …
“What should be covered must be covered. Women should not trouble others by wearing jeans,” K.J. Yesudas, musician, said here on Friday, inviting protests from political leaders, women’s groups and the public. He was speaking at the inauguration of the Gandhi Jayanthi cleanliness drive at the Sri Swathi Thirunal College of Music here. When women …
By B.Kolappan “Can a mortal punish God” asked a poster kept at a venue here where members of the film industry observed a fast against the conviction of the former Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa. “Can God be at the mercy of a human being for bail?” countered a rhetorical poser by an anti-AIADMK group on Facebook. …
The External Affairs Ministry on Friday accepted the resignation of Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Chris Nonis, ten days after he had tendered it to President Mahinda Rajapaksa following a physical assault he alleges was inflicted on him in New York last week by Sajin Vass Gunawardena, the Government MP Monitoring the …
By C.A.Chandraprema After the unexpected and very substantial recovery of the UNP in the Badulla district and to a lesser extent in the Moneragala district, one would have thought that the party would by now be brimming with confidence and preparing to give Mahinda Rajapaksa a run for his money at the forthcoming presidential election. …
Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Chris Nonis speaking exclusively to News1st confirmed that he was assaulted by the Monitoring MP of the External Affairs Ministry and that his letter of resignation was accepted on Friday. However, speaking at an exclusive interview with News1st on Friday, MP Sajin de Vaas Gunawardena said …
Hate speech is growing more effective and pervasive among media platforms in Sri Lanka, prompting concern from Muslim and Christian minorities amid mounting attacks. The Colombo-based Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) released a report this week on the challenges surrounding the significant uptick in online-based hate speech in post-war Sri Lanka. “The growth of content …
by K. Thirukumaran Featuring Translation of the Song “Vellai Thamarai Poovil Iruppall” A Song what can be referred as the “Anthem” of the Goddess of Wisdom, Saraswathy is “Vellai Thamarai Poovil Iruppall”. This song was written by Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathiyaar and has been rendered by many artistes, both as vocal and also instrumental. The song …
By Justin Trudeau With this motion, the Prime Minister has finally said in Canada what he said in New York City more than a week ago. He is intent on taking Canada to war in Iraq. ISIL is a threat both to the region and to global security. ISIL murders ethnic and religious minorities across …
Mario Andree reporting from Jaffna Many businessmen and investors requesting support from the government, complained to a senior minister about the lack of support by the local authority for projects initiated in the Northern Province. Investors highlighted the many obstacles placed in their way by the local authorities for their investments, at a forum organized …
by Sulohchana Ramiah Mohan The untold hardships and tiring long distance travel the Northerners had to experience, for almost four decades, due to there being no proper transport system, will soon be a thing of the past. No more will they have to languish in bus stands or hire vehicles paying exorbitant rates to reach …
The US said that there has been no softening of its stand on Sri Lanka with regard to the human rights situation, as being reported in a section of the media. The news report about such a change in American stance came after recent meeting of Secretary of State John Kerry, with Sri Lankan President …
By Zahrah Imtiaz In Kilinochchi A translation most confused and misleading by interpreters, from English to Tamil and vice versa, was witnessed by me when covering the Presidential Commission on Missing Persons, at a session held by them in Kilinochchi on Sunday, 28 September. Two such errors in translation, which were also highlighted by the …
President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was received at an audience by His Holiness Pope Francis last morning extended an invitation to His Holiness to visit Sri Lanka in January next year. President Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa who arrived at the Vatican last morning were received with honour by Head of Vatican Protocol Office, Msgr. …
By Rohana R. Wasala ‘DILIP KUMAR – The Substance and the Shadow’ (2014) published about three months ago by Hay House India is the autobiography of legendary Hindi cinema actor Dilip Kumar (born Yusuf Khan) who is approaching his 92nd birth day. The book entered the Amazon best seller list within two weeks of its …
by Tamara Kunanayakam The questions that everyone should be asking is: “Why now? Why in New York? Why in the context of the UN General Assembly? Why during the Human Rights Council session in Geneva? Who benefits from the crime? What is the mission of Sri Lanka’s diplomacy?” Sajin Vass Goonawardena, the man who runs …
by Zacki Jabbar UPFA MP Sajin Vass Gunawardena, who is alleged to have slapped Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in the UK, Dr. Chris Nonis during a function in New York recently, hurriedly summoned press conference yesterday morning, but cancelled it at the eleventh hour. An External Affairs Ministry official called The Island yesterday morning, to invite …
AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa is not getting VIP treatment, but being looked after as any other ordinary prisoner at the Parapanna Agrahara Central prison where she is lodged after conviction in the disproportionate assets case, according to a top jail official. “Madam (Jayalalithaa) is getting no VIP treatment. She is being treated as any other prisoner …
by N.Sathiya Moorthy At the end of the day, it is a political decision for imprisoned former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa to take, both at the personal and party levels. It would look as if the Delhi protest by her All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham MPs on Gandhi Jayanti and her party …
By Latheef Farook It appears that Islamophobia, devastating the island for the past three years and tearing apart communities, has reached the Matara Issadeen Town where Sinhalese and Muslims once lived like one family. The controversy began with some Sinhalese demanding the closure of a mosque without any valid reason. The relationship between the two …
By Hafeel Farisz The Government has still not launched a formal inquiry or investigation into the alleged assault on Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Britain, Chris Nonis by MP Sajin Vass Gunawardena, Daily Mirror learns. The assault had reportedly taken place at the residence of Dilan Ariyawansa who hosted a dinner for the delegates attending …
By T .M. Veeraraghav There is no substitute for demonstrable loyalty and it is an art the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has mastered. It was visible in abundant measure soon after the conviction and incarceration of its General Secretary Jayalalithaa on September 27. The crying during the oath taking of her replacement and …