Mourning Tireless Rights Advocate Sunila Abeyesekera Human Rights Watch on Loss of Leading Voice for Rights in Sri Lanka’s Deadly Conflict (New York, September 10, 2013) – Human Rights Watch mourns the death of Sunila Abeysekera, a prominent and highly respected Sri Lankan activist who spent more than two decades documenting human rights violations in …

Continue reading ‘Sunila Abeyesekera the Tireless Human Rights Advocate of Sri Lanka Passes Away’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando President of Sri Lanka-India Friendship Society, attorney-at-law Kandiah Neelakandan has called for Indian intervention to save the civil society here. The top lawyer was making an unscheduled speech at the annual gathering at the rooftop of the Taj Samudra on Saturday night to celebrate India’s Independence Day. Indian High Commissioner Y. S. …

Continue reading ‘Senior Lawyer Kandiah Neelakandan Calls for Indian Intervention to Save Civil Society in Sri Lanka’ »

by Mano Ratwatte I know it is not fashionable to talk or mention ex-Presidents or political leaders of the past when it comes to matters of importance in Sri Lanka because the very same people who curry favor and act as sycophants are usually the first to abandon and deny the leaders (faster than Peter) …

Continue reading ‘Chandrika Kumaratunga Always had a Good Sense of Right and Wrong About Ethnic Issues and Religious Extremism’ »

(Text of Opening Address by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms.Navanethem Pillay at the 24th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva) Mr. President, Distinguished Members of the Human Rights Council, Excellencies and Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for this opportunity to address you. In September two years ago, when …

Continue reading ‘“I Stress my Concern for Protection of Human Rights Defenders.Journalists and Communities I met in Sri Lanka from Any Reprisal,Intimidation or Attack”-Navi Pillay at UN’ »

by Ranga Jayasuriya The Liberian flagged container vessel, MV Northern Power, left the Pakistani port of Karachi on 17 June. Five days later, the ship arrived at the Colombo Port. The ship, 264 metres in length and 32 metres in width, had a gross tonnage of 47,855 tonnes. Tucked away among its thousands of containers …

Continue reading ‘Is Sri Lanka Becoming a Transshipment Hub for Illegal Drugs Enroute to Europe from Pakistan and Afghanistan?’ »

By Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. I noted earlier that the visit of Navanethem Pillay should be seen as an opportunity by the Sri Lankan government, and the way the visit went, as well as the statement she made, confirms this view. Of course we had to contend with the fact that not all the advice …

Continue reading ‘Navi Pillay delivered in Sri Lanka the First Foursquare Condemnation of the LTTE from the UN System’ »

BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA “…The recent visit to Sri Lanka by the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner is another instance of this attention. This has been accomplished mostly by the actions of the LTTE linked groups, which have many trained LTTE cadres and operatives who are now fully engaged in propaganda activities.” – Mr Gotabhaya …

Continue reading ‘Is Sri Lanka Ruled by Popularly Elected Leadership or by the so Called National Security/Defence Apparatus?’ »

by Tisaranee Gunasekara “In other countries who (sic) are successful, they were successful because immediately one person he takes the decisions. In Sri Lanka, the main problem is that that is not there, more decisions have to be centralized” Basil Rajapaksa (Sydney Morning Herald – 19.11.2012) The Minority Conundrum In his review of Hannah K, …

Continue reading ‘An Insidious Plan to Criminalise Tamil and Muslim Politics in the name of Anti-Racism’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Niranjana is the only student in her batch at the fine arts department of Jaffna University who is currently training to play the violin. “How do we oscillate the note ga in the ragam Mohanam without showing the ma ? Isn’t it wrong if the ma is heard?” — When the petite …

Continue reading ‘Tamil Nadu Artistes Sudha Ragunathan, Leela Samson, TM Krishna & AK Palanivel Stage “Divine Ecstasy” Cultural Event in Jaffna and also Conduct Recital Workshops in Song, Music and dance’ »

By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya A look at the manifesto of the Tamil National Alliance for the upcoming Northern Provincial Council election, released this week, shows that the positions adopted by the alliance have hardly changed, in spite of the other variables having altered significantly. The demands of the TNA reflect an unwillingness to adapt to their …

Continue reading ‘Tamil National Alliance Election Manifesto Aimed at Tamil Diaspora and not Meant for Tamil Voters of North’ »

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, is expected to highlight the possibility of reprisals and attacks on human rights defenders, journalists and communities she met up with during her recent visit to Sri Lanka, when she makes the opening statement at the 24th Session of the United Nations Human …

Continue reading ‘Navi Pillay Expected to Both Praise and Condemn Sri Lanka During her Opening Statement to UN in Geneva on Sep 9th’ »

by N. Sathiya Moorthy At the end of the day, the much-publicised and equally important week-long visit of UNHRC chief Navaneetham Pillay to Sri Lanka will be remembered for two wrong reasons. One is for Navi Pillay’s observation that Sri Lanka is moving increasingly towards ‘authoritarianism’. Coming from a senior UN diplomat, it is bad …

Continue reading ‘Minister Mervyn Must Be Condemned for the “Indecent Proposal” Made to UNHRC Chief Navi Pillay who was so very Deeply Hurt’ »

by Gamini Weerakoon Navi Pillay got the goat of most Sri Lankans last week during her visit here but did she deserve the mass hysteria that broke out – particularly in the media? President Mahinda Rajapaksa met Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at Temple Trees on Aug 30-pic by: Sudath …

Continue reading ‘Navi Pillay Came Here to Create Waves but the Govt Reaction to her Caused a Tsunami’ »

By Vishnuguptha “Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.” ~Bertrand Russell Never was there a time in Sri Lanka’s post-independence history like this. There was never a time when hypocrisy on the part of politicians has been so rampant, from the …

Continue reading ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe Must be Replaced as UNP and Opposition Leader First If One Wants to Get Rid of the Rajapaksa Regime.’ »

By Zacki Jabbar Sri Lanka Cricket Vice President K. Mathivanan resigned from his post after receiving a “call” in connection with his candidacy for the Presidency of a leading Colombo Cricket Club, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday. Speaking during a ceremony to mark the 67th anniversary of the founding of the UNP, at ‘Srikotha’, …

Continue reading ‘SL Cricket Vice President Mathivanan Resigned his Post After Receiving a “Call” Charges Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

by Hafeel Farisz Sri Lanka Cricket Vice President K. Mathiavanan resigned from his post in a shock move, that could create ripples in the cricketing fraternity after he was compelled to withdraw from a contest with SLC Secretary Nishantha Ranathungafor the Presidency of leading Cricket Club- Colts today. Speaking to the Daily Mirror Mathiavanan said …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Cricket Vice-President K.Mathivanan Resigns From Post and Withdraws from Colts CC President Elections.’ »

By Izeth Hussain There should be a broad consensus in Sri Lanka that something effective should be done to halt the anti-Muslim campaign that has become what looks like a permanent feature of our political landscape. There have been statements against it by a wide range of civil society institutions, by our political parties, and …

Continue reading ‘The Present Anti-Muslim Campaign May Gather or Lose Momentum but the Problem of Anti-Muslim Racism Will Continue’ »

Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen issued the following statement yesterday: “The All Ceylon Muslim Congress deplores the statement made by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa alleging Muslim extremism in the country at a security conference held in Colombo attended by representatives of countries across the globe. The statement seemingly gives credentials to the false …

Continue reading ‘Rishad Bathiudeen Wants Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to Clarify his Statement About Muslim Extremism As Muslims are Perturbed’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday reiterated that extremism posed a severe threat not only to post-war Sri Lanka but many countries in the region as well as the industrialised world. The war veteran was responding to a statement issued by Justice Minister Hakeem, who is also the SLMC leader, in the wake …

Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Says Minister Hakeem has Misconstrued his Assertion about “Extremism”and has Misinterpreted Facts’ »

By Rauff Hakeem (Text of Statement by Minister of Justice and Leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Rauff Hakeem to the Secretary of Defence, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, in reaction to his key-note address at Defence Seminar on the theme ‘Post Conflict Sri Lanka: Challenges and Regional Stability’) I make the following statement on behalf of the …

Continue reading ‘“I would like to publicly contradict the assertion of the Secretary of Defence on Behalf of the Muslim Community of Sri Lanka-Hakeem’ »

by Ranga Jayasuriya Sadly though, the government returned to its old habits soon after the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, left the country after her official tour. All the hard work the government had done to put on its best face for Pillay were soon to be dwarfed by its usual paranoid …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Govt Should be Happy that Navi Pillay Prefers a Credible Local Process Instead of Pressing for an International War Crimes Investigation’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “If the King destroys a man, that’s proof to the King that it must have been a bad man….” Robert Bolt (A Man for All Seasons) Where would all the fairy tales be without the monsters? How does a hero escape irrelevance, once the last monster is slain? Can a king muster …

Continue reading ‘Rajapaksa Regime Needs Suitable Enemies Just as Living Beings Need Oxygen’ »

By Vishnuguptha “What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other’s folly – that is the first law of nature.” ~Voltaire Navi Pillay’s statement on her findings at the end of her recent visit to Sri Lanka has succeeded, if not …

Continue reading ‘Navi Pillay Being the Consummate Diplomat Pulled no Punches,Spared no Villain and Minced No Words’ »

By Dharisha Bastians Rajeswari Ganesan, mother of a 28-year-old Vavuniya prison inmate who died under suspicious circumstances in June last year, sobbed out her grief to visiting UN Human Rights Commissioner Navanethem Pillay in the North last Tuesday. This past year, Rajeswari’s grief over the death of her only son, who authorities claim died of …

Continue reading ‘UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay’s Report on Sri Lanka will be a Bare-naked Reading of the Human Rights Situation on Ground.’ »

By Dr.Vickramabahu Karunaratne The UN Human Rights Commissioner came and went. Those who expected a dramatic exposure from her were disappointed. The war was a tragedy, not only for the Tamil people but also for the people in the South. It enhanced the path of enslavement to the global powers. It was an aggression and …

Continue reading ‘As Long as Mahinda Govt Works According to IMF Guidelines no UN Body can Harm the Rajapaksa Regime.’ »

By Paramu Thirugnanasambanthar The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka condemns the war plans by the US and its allies against Syria. The SEP calls on workers, youth and the oppressed masses in South Asia, including Sri Lanka and India, and around the world to oppose the planned US military attack on this small, …

Continue reading ‘HANDS OFF SYRIA!Socialist Equality Party in Sri Lanka Denounces US War Threat.’ »

By Taylor Dibbert Barack Obama’s aversion to using military force or projecting American power in any form is well-known. Now with his most recent foreign policy decision, he appears to have taken his propensity for dithering and incredible reluctance to lead to a new level. The fact of the matter is that Mr. Obama doesn’t …

Continue reading ‘President Obama Doesn’t Need Congress’s Permission to Engage in Limited Military Acttion Regarding the “Problem from Hell”.’ »

By Dharisha Bastians The Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay broke its silence yesterday over Government claims that she had attempted to a pay floral tribute where LTTE Leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran had been killed, saying the allegations were a ‘gross misrepresentation’. Spokesman for the High Commissioner Rupert Colville told the Daily …

Continue reading ‘Floral Tributes to LTTE Allegation against Navi Pillay Dismissed by UN as “Latest in a Pattern of Mendacious Abuse”’ »

An Interview with The Social Architects of Sri Lanka by John Lyman For those that follow developments in Sri Lanka over the past several years invariably the Sri Lankan Civil War comes to mind. The Sri Lankan Civil War began back in July of 1983, and was fought between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam …

Continue reading ‘Greatest Stumbling Blocks to Reconciliation are President Rajapaksa’s deeply Intolerant Policies and Misguided Strategies-The Social Architects’ »

by DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA To go by its election manifesto the TNA seems completely unmindful of the massive effort that had to be made for the Provincial Council system to be set up in 1987-88, for the 13th amendment to be preserved in 2013 and the PC election in the North to be held under …

Continue reading ‘References to The LTTE by The TNA in Its Electoral Manifesto are Explicit,Uncritical and Deceitful’ »

BY TILAKA WIJESOORIYA AND DHAMMIKA NAMAL KORALA It is reported that the statue of Goddess Sri Badhrakali has been destroyed by dashing it on a flat stone used for washing clothes, consequent to it being removed from the kovil at the Dambulla sacred area. It was also revealed the statue was destroyed in the vicinity …

Continue reading ‘Statue of Hindu Goddess Sri Bhadrakali in Dambulla Sacred Area Dashed on Stone and Damaged by Vandals’ »

By Neil Corcoran In 2009, as part of the extensive celebrations in Ireland for his 70th birthday, RTÉ broadcast a documentary about Seamus Heaney. Towards its close, Heaney, who has died aged 74, was asked whether anything in his work seemed appropriate to him as an epitaph. He demurred at first but, when gently prodded, …

Continue reading ‘An Obituary for Irish Poet and Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney:Born April 13 1939-Died August 30 2013’ »

By Gotabhaya Rajapaksa ( Full Text of the Keynote address delivered by Secretary of Defence and Urban Development Gotabhaya Rajapksa at the ‘Defence Seminar 2013’ held on 03rd September 2013 at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo) It gives me great pleasure to deliver the keynote address this morning, at the 3rd Annual Defence Seminar organised …

Continue reading ‘Emergence of Hardline Groups Within Majority Community is a Consequence of Increasing Insularity Amongst Minority Ethnic Groups’ »

By Fred Abrahams – Human Rights Watch The paradox could not be starker. The world’s attention is focused on Syria – did President Bashar al-Assad use chemical weapons? Should outside powers use military force? Yet states are not offering enough aid to stem the suffering of the millions of Syrians caught in the conflict. Today …

Continue reading ‘If Govts Really Care about Crisis in Syria they Must Help Civilians in Urgent Need’ »

(Text of Statement and Manifesto Issued by the The Tamil National Alliance for the Northern Provincial Council Election – 2013) THE MANDATE GIVEN TO THE TAMIL NATIONAL ALLIANCE (TNA) The Tamil People overwhelmingly gave the TNA a mandate at the General Election held in April 2010. The TNA has continued to act in accordance with …

Continue reading ‘Lives of our People Must be Rebuilt While Regaining Our Political Rights and Maintaining our Distinct Identity as a People-TNA Manifesto’ »

By Dharisha Bastians (UN Human Rights Chief slams Sri Lankan Government critics and propagandists, saying abuse directed at her on the basis of her Indian Tamil heritage was both wildly inaccurate and deeply offensive, condemned the LTTE as a murderous organisation and urged the Diaspora not to glorify the defeated terrorist group. Journalists in Sri …

Continue reading ‘Navi Pillai’s Press Conference one of the most Explosive Briefings by an International Diplomat in Recent Times.’ »

by Col R Hariharan Introduction The growing presence of the Chinese in Sri Lanka, when India-Sri Lanka relations are under stress, has disturbing strategic connotations for national security. Chinese actions are closely related to the domestic and external policy dispensations of the new Chinese leadership under Xi Jingping as well as China’s desire to takeover …

Continue reading ‘Growing Chinese Presence in Sri Lanka when Indo-Lanka Relations are Under Stress Has Disturbing Strategic National Security Connotations’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has told United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay that the United States of America had no moral right to move a resolution targeting Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) in Geneva. The Defence Secretary pointed out the irrationality in the US action in …

Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa says Navi Pillay took up Petty Political Issues at the Behest of Those Unable to Stomach Eradication of the LTTE’ »

(Text of Press release issued by the Department of Government Information) pic: Defence.lk The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms Navanetham Pillay was on a week-long visit to Sri Lanka on an invitation extended by the Government of Sri Lanka in April 2011. This invitation is a part of Sri Lanka’s consistent engagement with …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Govt Irked by UN Human Rights Chief’s Statement About Country “ “is showing signs of heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction”’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “…superficial unity, which is the result of the denial or the sacrifice of differences”. Tagore (The One Nationalist Party) The regime reverted to business-as-usual literally on the day Navi Pillay left Sri Lanka. The first salvo of lies against the UN High Commissioner Human Rights was fired, predictably, by the state-owned Sunday …

Continue reading ‘Sinhala Buddhist Supremacy,Sinhala Ravaya and the Sihalaramaya Syndrome’ »

(Opening remarks by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay at a press conference in Colombo held on August 31st during her mission to Sri Lanka) Good morning, and thank you for coming. As is customary at the end of official missions such as this, I would like to makesome observations concerning the human …

Continue reading ‘Calling me the “Tamil Tigress in the UN” is not only Wildly Incorrect but Also deeply Offensive-Navi Pillay’ »

by N.Sathiya Moorthy President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s belated decision to create a Ministry for Internal Law & Order should be welcomed for more reasons than one. Ceremony held at the Ministry premises in Chatham Street with the participation of distinguished gathering and Major General (Rtd) Mallawarachchi recently-pic: Defence.lk The appointment of a veteran top-soldier, former Army …

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapksa’s Belated Decision to Create a Ministry for Internal Law and Order Should Help in the Transition’ »

By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema The past week has been a nightmare. Apart from the trauma experienced by my family and myself due to the pre-dawn break in at our residence on Saturday (24), the biggest disappointment has been the actions of certain sections of the media and their false reportage of the incident.

By Vishnuguptha “In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.” ~Martin Luther King Jr Fifty years ago, on August 28, 1963, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., the uncrowned …

Continue reading ‘Will A Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr “Appear” and Inspire Languishing Sri Lanka?’ »

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of …

Continue reading ‘“I Have a Dream”: Full Text of Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.’s Historic speech in Washington 50 Years Ago’ »

(Text of Memorandum Submitted to H.E. Navaneetham Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights by the Alliance of Media Organizations in Sri Lanka on August 29th 2013) Freedom of Expression is a constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right in Sri Lanka, while it’s also guaranteed by virtue of Sri Lanka being a party to the International Covenant …

Continue reading ‘Alliance of Media Organizations in Sri Lanka Present Memorandum to UN Human Rights Commissioner Ms. Navaneetham Pillay’ »

by Tisaranee Gunasekara “I am the last and only dictator in Europe” -Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus The day the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights arrived in Sri Lanka, the President of Sri Lanka flew to Belarus. President Mahinda Rajapaksa arriving in Belarus-pic via: news.lk Belarus has been ruled by Alexander Lukashenko since 1994. …

Continue reading ‘Some of our People say “We will Tell Madam Pillay”(Pillay Nonata Kiyanawa) -Basil Rajapaksa’ »

BY Dharisha Bastians The small strip of coast beside the emerald waters of the Indian Ocean, in the Mullaitivu District, was a rapidly shrinking space between February-May 2009. The 12 kilometre beachstrip that would become a lasting legacy of Sri Lanka’s protracted conflict, lies on the left bank of a large lagoon known as Nandikadal. …

Continue reading ‘Politically Astute Sections of Govt Determined to Create Positive Impresson of Post-War Sri Lanka by Providing Navi Pillay Unrestricted Access’ »

Families of Missing Persons file Habeus Corpus Application in High Court • Use of Cluster bombs and chemical weapons alleged • Indian naval ship fired into civilians in Mullivaikkal • Christian priest too among the disappeared • Women young and old stripped naked and abused in refugee camps • Entire family including 3 small children …

Continue reading ‘Families of Persons who went Missing After Surrendering to Military file Habeas Corpus Applications in Vavuniya High Court’ »

by Ekatha Ann John CHENNAI: Three idlis, a bowl of sambhar and a tumbler of filter kaapi — Chennai’s traditional breakfast is not just a gastronomical delight for many but also the most nutritious morning meal compared to those in other metros. ‘India Breakfast Habits Study’, a survey conducted in four metros, found that Chennai …

Continue reading ‘Traditional Chennai Breakfast of Idlis, Sambhar and Filtered Coffee most Nutritious Morning Meal Reveals Survey of Indian Cities’ »

by Vishnuguptha “The most glorious moments in your life are not the so-called days of success, but rather those days when out of dejection and despair, you feel rise in you a challenge to life, and the promise of future accomplishments.” – ~Gustave Flaubert She has all the credentials that an international diplomat should possess; …

Continue reading ‘Wise Men Would Treat Navi Pillay’s Visit to Sri Lanka as A Blessing in Disguise and Make her the Solution Instead of a Problem.’ »

By Walter Scott The arrest of 35 fishermen from Pamban by Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly crossing the international maritime boundary line and fishing in the neighbouring country’s waters has come as a shock to the fisherfolk of Rameswaram island. A. Simon, was shocked and upset when he heard that 35 fishermen from Pamban area …

Continue reading ‘Arrest of 35 Fishermen from Pamban by SL Navy for Entering Lankan Waters the First Such Incident in 50 Years’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando Democratic Party leader Gen. Sarath Fonseka yesterday alleged that visiting United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Navanethem Pillay was pursuing an agenda of her own. An irate former war winning army commander told The Island that the UN mission in Colombo and the visiting Commissioner had deprived him of an opportunity to make …

Continue reading ‘Sarath Fonseka Lashes out at Navi Pillay and UN for Denying him an Opportunity to meet the Visiting UN Human Rights Chief’ »

An Exhaustive Interview with SLMC General Secretary M.T.Hasen Ali M.P. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has decided to contest the upcoming Provincial Council elections independently, shunning requests to contest on the ticket of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) under the common ‘betel leaf symbol’. The move signals an expanding rift between the SLMC …

Continue reading ‘Expanding Rift Between the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the United Peoples Freedom Alliance’ »

By Kath Noble One of the reasons people dismiss the support of Tamil Nadu politicians for Tamils in Sri Lanka is their complete lack of concern for the immediate welfare of the community. Where they are going to get their next meal doesn’t matter. Unless their problems can be used to blame the Government, they …

Continue reading ‘Tamil National Alliance Must Intervene Positively in Fishing Dispute Between Tamil Fishermen of India and Sri Lanka’ »

Buddhist monks from the controversial Ravin Balaya movement led a protest against visiting UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay in front of the United Nations Compound at Bauddhaloka Mawatha yesterday, demanding that the UN cease interference in Sri Lankan affairs. pic courtesy of: twitter.com/azzamameen

By Uditha Jayasinghe and Dharisha Bastians Talking tough as expected, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay yesterday placed heavy focus on the rise of religious extremism in Sri Lanka and the Government’s failure to roll back the contentious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) during successive discussions with Senior Ministers in Colombo. The …

Continue reading ‘Navi Pillay Meets Chief Justice,Attorney General and Ministers Rauff Hakeem and Vasudeva Nanayakkara for In Depth Discussions’ »

by Tisaranee Gunasekara “In our world there will be no emotions except fear, rage, triumph and self-abasement…. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless.” George Orwell (Nineteen Eighty-Four) Just 24 hours after the new Ministry of Law and Order came into …

Continue reading ‘24 Hours After New Ministry of Law and Order an Armed Gang Invades Home of “Sunday Leader” Associate Editor’ »

By M.A.Sumanthiran M.P. During President Rajapakse’s visit to Japan in March 2013, he expressed his strong commitment to hold an election for the Northern Provincial Council. The Japanese embassy in turn, indicated that it will support the conduct of free and fair elections and further recognized quite rightly, that this election would be a milestone …

Continue reading ‘Involvement, Interference and Intimidation by Army During Northern Provincial Elections Campaign Causes Serious Concern’ »

By Kath Noble As the Commonwealth Summit draws closer, the world is going to turn its attention to the situation in Sri Lanka. It is a major international event, and people will want to know what is happening in the host country. When Mahinda Rajapaksa stands up to welcome his fellow heads of government, talking …

Continue reading ‘Navi Pillay Must Stop Focusing on War Crime Allegations and Stress Issues of Concern to All.’ »

By Vishnuguptha “Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us.”– ~Thomas L. Holdcroft Gamini Dissanayake, one of the patriarchs of Sri Lanka’s modern day politics was a victim of a brutal attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE). pic via: facebook.com/mayantha.dissanayake On October 24, 1994, …

Continue reading ‘Was There an Attempt to Engineer an Automobile Accident to Befall Gamini Dissanayake’s Second son Mayantha?’ »

By N. Sathiya Moorthy With the elections have also come the TNA’s charges of misuse of official machinery by the government parties and their Ministers.The Northern Provincial Council polls are for real now. Tamil leaders of all political hues not wanting to resign their seats in parliament to contest the Chief Minister’s post may be …

Continue reading ‘TNA Needs to Win the Upcoming Northern Elections for More Reasons than One’ »

The two-page Gazette notification creating the new Ministry of Law and Order has divested all functions of the Police Department from the Ministry of Defence. Whilst the Police Department has been listed as the only organisation under the Ministry, the laws it is required to implement are-

By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s announcement this week that ‘I am no dictator’ (see Daily Mirror, August 21st 2013) may gladden the hearts of his eager sycophants but will do little to placate fears of concerned Sri Lankans that the country’s democratic institutions are being gradually dismantled. Establishing a new ministry under the …

Continue reading ‘Setting up a New Ministry of Law and Order to Supervise Police and STF with an Ex-Army Chief of Staff as Secretary’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando President Mahinda Rajapaksa has created an Internal Law and Order ministry to take charge of police operations with immediate effect.

by G. Pramod Kumar Going by the fate of two big Tamil films in the recent past — Kamal Hasan’s Vishwaroopam and Vijay’s Thalaivaa — both of which ran into political rough-weather, actor-producer John Abraham may not be able to release his Madras Cafe in Chennai and the rest of Tamil Nadu.

by Zacki Jabbar Many government politicians had been accused of raping and killing children and women, but no action had been taken against them, the UNP said yesterday. pic courtesy of: facebook.com/UNPofficialpage Anuradhapura District UNP parliamentarian Chandrani Bandara told a news conference in Colombo that in the majority of cases where children and women had …

Continue reading ‘Govt Politicians Accused of Raping and Killing Children and Women are Protected by Rajapaksa Regime-UNP’ »

The 1,076 km-long Tamil Nadu coastline is on high alert following an Intelligence Bureau warning of possible attacks by terrorists infiltrating Sri Lankan waters. Coastal Security Group personnel have stepped up vigil. C.Sylendra Babu, Additional Director General of Police, Coastal Security Group (CSG), said on Thursday that a 38-strong fleet manned by security personnel was …

Continue reading ‘Security Intensified along 1,076 km Tamil Nadu Coastline Due to Intelligence alert of “Terrorists” Infiltrating via Sri Lankan Waters’ »

By Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. The impending visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, can be seen as a great opportunity for the government to improve policies and practices as to Human Rights in this country. I can only hope that this opportunity will be taken, and that she will not instead …

Continue reading ‘Govt Must See Impending Visit of Navi Pillay as an Opportunity and not View her as a Threat.’ »

by Lata Ganapathy Girls in pretty cotton paavaadais with neatly-braided hair and studious-looking boys with vibhuti on their foreheads lustily belt out “Varaveena” in Mohanam or “Brova bharama” in Bahudari to the strains of a tuneful tambura — a likely scene from a typical music (paatu) class of the Madras of the 70-s. Are things …

Continue reading ‘“Bhagavathar is a Cool Dude” now: Carnatic Music is Popular even in the Modern Ethos of Chennai’ »

by Nita Bhalla NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The United Nations human rights chief said on Friday she has an “open mind” and will not be “pre-judging anything” ahead of her first trip to Sri Lanka, which is under growing pressure from the international community to address alleged war crimes. Navi Pillay, who arrives …

Continue reading ‘UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay has an “Open Mind” and will not be “Pre-judging anything” on Sri Lanka Prior to her Visit’ »

by Deepanjana Pal At 6 pm yesterday, a gangrape took place in central Mumbai. News of this terrible incident reached us a few hours later, after the young woman – a photojournalist – was taken to a hospital and reports of her rape appeared in a couple of city publications. (See here and here.) Predictably …

Continue reading ‘Why the Gangrape of a Photojournalist in Mumbai Violates all Women who are not Safe in Their Country’ »

by Anand Patwardhan Pune, Aug 22. Last night a FTII and Yugpath student organized screening of “Jai Bhim Comrade” began with a tribute to anti-superstition campaigner Narendra Dabholkar, who had just the previous day been gunned down by fanatics in the same city. It was our 4th screening of the film at the FTII and …

Continue reading ‘A Personal Account of the Attack on Kabir Kala Manch at the FTII in Punyanagari (The Virtuous City)’ »

(Text of an Editorial Appearing in “The Hindu”of August 22nd 2013 Under the Heading “Crowd Censoring”) Tamil nationalist groups are again displaying an intolerant streak. They want Madras Café, a film loosely based on the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, to be banned because it shows the Tamil Eelam struggle in Sri Lanka in a poor …

Continue reading ‘Demand to Ban “Madras Cafe” Displays an Intolerant Streak of Tamil Nationalist Groups.’ »

The Tamil version of the John Abraham-starrer Madras Café was cleared by the censors with no cuts on Thursday, but the film’s distributors found no takers among the exhibitors for a release in Tamil Nadu on Friday.

By Meera Srinivasan The Sri Lankan government is considering confiscating Indian trawlers if they trespass into their waters, Sri Lanka’s Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Rajitha Senaratne said here on Thursday. “We recognise the fact that this is a livelihood issue for the Indian fishermen. We will release them immediately. It is the owners of …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka May Confiscate Indian Fishing Trawlers Poaching in Lankan Waters to Penalise Business Magnates Instead of Tamil Nadu Fishermen’ »

Students’ Association Film and Television Institute of India, FTII Students’ Association Press Release, 22/08/13 Five students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) were attacked outside of the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) on Wednesday 21/08/13 by the Akhila Bharateeya Vidyarti Parishad (ABVP)

GENEVA (22 AUGUST 2013) Australia’s indefinite detention of 46 recognized refugees on security grounds amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, inflicting serious psychological harm on them, a UN Committee has found after examining their cases. The Geneva-based Human Rights Committee said Australia should release the refugees, who have been held for at least two …

Continue reading ‘Australia’s detention of 46 refugees ‘cruel and degrading,’ UN rights experts find’ »

by Milan Lin-Rodrigo Book Review: The Hungry Ghosts, by Shyam Selvadurai Doubleday Canada, 373 pp; $29.95 I greatly enjoyed reading Shyam Selvadurai’s recent novel “The Hungry Ghosts.” Already the author of two successful works of fiction, he has given us another thought provoking story, weaving together a number of serious themes into one complex fabric. …

Continue reading ‘Shyam Selvadurai’s Beautifully Written Novel “The Hungry Ghosts” is full of Substance and Dichotomy’ »

By Dharisha Bastians UNHRC session-March 2013-pic: UN Louise Arbour, the last UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Sri Lanka, arrived in the country in October 2007, just over a year into the Government’s ‘humanitarian operation’ to liberate the north and east from the Tamil Tigers. Government forces had recently secured the strategic LTTE …

Continue reading ‘Future Course of International Action on Sri Lanka will be Determined by what Navi Pillay reports after her Sri Lankan Trip.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Bala Tampoe-pic by: Meera Srinivasan When Bala Thampoe, a young Botany lecturer, was asked to address a group of workers on trade union and political rights for public servants, he had no clue. Like for many young Marxists, the working class was just a category in his mind. “Students become Leftists without …

Continue reading ‘Bala Thampoe:Senior Most Trade Union Leader in Sri Lanka is Yet Active at 91’ »

by Alan Keenan Some recent moves by Sri Lanka meant to show it was finally confronting the country’s entrenched culture of impunity have been dramatically undone by two incidents this month. On 1 August, soldiers shot unarmed Sinhalese protestors demanding clean drinking water in a village outside the capital, Colombo, and on 10 August police …

Continue reading ‘Navi Pillay should Press Colombo to end Impunity,Restore Rule of Law and Protect Rights of all Ethnic and Religious Communities.’ »

Press Trust of India-Security has been stepped up in this island following an alert from the Intelligence Bureau that terrorists plan to sneak in through the Palk Strait from Jaffna in Sri Lanka and attack Madurai and Mayiladuthurai in the State, police said. Superintendent of Police Mayilvahanan said there was information that eight terrorists plan …

Continue reading ‘Security Increased in Tamil Nadu Due to Intelligence Alert that ” 8 Terrorists” are Coming From Jaffna Via Palk Straits to Attack Madurai and Mayilaaduthurai’ »

by Aarti Dhar In 1985, the Rockefeller Foundation published a report titled Good Health at Low Cost to discuss why some countries or regions achieve better health and social outcomes than others at a similar level of income and to show the role of political will and socially progressive policies. Twenty-five years on, the Good …

Continue reading ‘Tamil Nadu Model of Low Cost Health Care Can Serve as Example for Other States in India.’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “Lies are believed amongst every race; And was any race ever the sole possessor of Truth? – – Abdallah al-Mar’arri (973-1057)[i] When Martin Wickremesinghe’s Bhavatharanaya was first published, some Sinhala-Buddhists (lay and ordained) wanted it banned for ‘insulting’ the Buddha. There are American Evangelicals who think that Harry Potter books should be …

Continue reading ‘Are Rajapaksas Planning to Ignite Intra-Religious Conflicts Just as they are Igniting Inter-religious Conflicts?’ »

By Sachin Parathalingam I was interviewed recently by Ceylon Today with regard to the forthcoming visit of Navenethem Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Some of what I said had to be edited out for reasons of space but, though the paper did a good job, I thought that some of what they …

Continue reading ‘“Navi Pillay Visit Could be a Great Opportunity for Sri Lanka”-Rajiva Wijesinha MP’ »

Text and pix By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai Although the war ended in May 2009, the illegal journeys to Australia, either to seek refugee status or enter Australian soil through other false declarations, have not come to an end. In fact, according to the authorities, it is an ongoing crisis. Local people confirm that large groups of …

Continue reading ‘The illegal boat ride to Australia’ »

by Premalal Wijeratne A special police team under the Senior SSP for Nuwara Eliya, M.H.K.B, Mahagedara, has been dispatched to the Talawakelle Police to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident where the Minister of Estates and Infrastructure, Arumugam Thondaman, had allegedly stormed into the police station, abused the officers on duty, and had behaved …

Continue reading ‘Cabinet Minister Arumugan Thondaman of CWC Goes on the Rampage at Talawakelle Police Station.’ »

By Vishnuguptha “My grief lies all within, and these external manners of lament are merely shadows to the unseen grief that swells with silence in the tortured soul” – ~William Shakespeare Darmasena wakes up every morning to the haunting melody of the cuckoo’s morning call. Bare-bodied and in his one and only ragged pair of …

Continue reading ‘Tamils, the Imaginary Enemy up in the North are your Brothers and Sisters’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando The US has refused to include Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jagath Dias and Military Secretary Maj. Gen. Sudantha Ranasinghe in a military programme, scheduled to be held in Auckland, New Zealand during the second week of September, citing accountability issues. They were among three Majors General nominated by army headquarters for ‘Pacific …

Continue reading ‘US Denies Admission to Gen.Jagath Dias and Gen.Sudantha Ranasinghe for Military Seminar in New Zealand Due to “Accountability”Issues.’ »

By Meena Menon Former Pakistan president General(retd) Pervez Musharraf was charged with murder and criminal conspiracy in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case by an anti terrorism court on Tuesday in Rawalpindi. In a nation which has been ruled by the military for the best part, he is the first ex army general to be so …

Continue reading ‘Pervez Musharraf Charged with Murder and Criminal Conspiracy in the Benazir Bhutto Assassination case’ »

by Dr.Vickramabahu Karunaratne The SAMAGI BALAWEGAYA or FORCE for UNITY led a protest on a very worthy cause on August 14, at the Fort Railway station. Going by those who have fallen ill with anti Ranil phobia, it seemed to have been a little underwhelming. A foreign news agency in its report on the protest …

Continue reading ‘August 14 “Force for Unity” Opposition Protest which Mobilised Thousands of People Against a Fascist Type Govt was a Great Success’ »

by Kath Noble It doesn’t take many people to destroy a country. This is a lesson that we have to learn, and we have to do it fast, while the hard won peace in Sri Lanka is still more or less intact. On Saturday night, a mob attacked a mosque in the Grandpass area of …

Continue reading ‘Sinhala Extremist Organizations Try to Hide Their Involvement in Specific Acts of Violence After They Take Place’ »

By Upul Joseph Fernando There are many who question the validity of the much-bandied about contention that Mahinda Rajapaksa ultimately succumbed to Indian pressure to hold the Northern Provincial Council election with the 13th Amendment in place in its original form. Not so, those who doubt, argue, and come up with another more likely explanation. …

Continue reading ‘Did China and Russia Advise Mahinda Rajapaksa not to Antagonise India as the USA Told JR Jayewardene Earlier?’ »

by Ranga Jayasuriya With two crucial events in its political calendar, the government is trying to put on its best face to the world. It has vouched to retrain itself as it braces for more troubles. The two events are the forthcoming visit by the UN Human Rights Commissioner, Navi Pillay, later this month and …

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Govt Panders to Navi Pillay and Commonwealth Due to fear of International Isolation.’ »

Press Trust of India- Among various religious groups, Muslims have the lowest living standard with the average per capita expenditure of just Rs. 32.66 in a day, says a government survey. At the other end of the spectrum, the Sikh community enjoys a much better lifestyle as the average per capita spending among them is …

Continue reading ‘Muslims in India are the Poorest Religious Group with Lowest Living Standards and Expenditure says NSSO Survey’ »

by Karthik Subramanian There is a lot of interest on the etymology behind the famed Madras Baashai online. The dialect offers plenty of scope for both fun-filled ‘guess work’ and proper research on the origin of the words. Some of it sounds very plausible — take the case of OC, the slang for free. There …

Continue reading ‘“Vaa Vaathyare Vootandey”:Origins and Growth of the Unique Chennai Tamil Dialect Known as “Madras Baashai”.’ »

by N Sathiya Moorthy The recent Indian demarche to Sri Lanka on the continuing arrests and judicial detention of Tamil Nadu fishermen in the island-nation should bring back to memory the October 2008 Joint Statement on the subject. According to this statement, the two countries had “agreed to put in place practical arrangements to deal …

Continue reading ‘Constant Trespassing of Indian Fishermen in Sri Lankan Waters and Their Continuing Arrest and Detention.’ »

After nearly a two week delay, popular Tamil actor Vijay’s film “Thalaivaa” (Leader) finally hit screens across Tamil Nadu, sending his die-hard fans into frenzied celebrations. In keeping with the traditional manner of welcoming a new release in Tamil Nadu, the fans poured milk on huge cut outs of the actor, garlanded his posters and …

Continue reading ‘Actor Vijay Thanks Chief Minister Jayalalithaa as Delayed “Thalaiva” Film Screens in Tamil Nadu Without Tag Line “Time to Lead”’ »

Part III: A Tennis Rejuvenation in Namibia by Harrish Thirukumaran ‘Sports don’t always come as a cakewalk as it does take patience as well’ At the BNC, the daily schedule would be as follows: in the morning to mid-afternoon the students were able to participate in expanded non-academic programs such as yoga, basketball, and tennis. …

Continue reading ‘Instilling Patience and Social Skills via Sportsmanship: Namibian experiences of a student-volunteer’ »

A Two Part Panel Discussion on Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka’s Book – “Long War, Cold Peace” ~ On 21st August 2013 and 30th August 2013 – at 3:30 PM, at The Marga Auditorium: ‘Was it a Just War? How can we get to a Just Peace?’

by Ananth Palakidnar The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will stress on the need to demilitarize the North, and request the United Nations Human Rights Commission’s intervention to obtain the release of Tamil political detainees, when the Alliance meet the UNHRC Chief, Navaneetham Pillay, on 30 August.

By Madura Ranwala Several individuals were injured and 14 vehicles damaged as a result of a clash between supporters of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) and the National Workers’ Union (NWU) at Commercial Junction in Kotagala yesterday (19), an election monitoring group said. The CWC and NWU are both constituent parties of the UPFA.

By Don Asoka Wijewardena Nearly 300 new Tamil drivers and conductors, who are interested in joining the private bus industry, have been registered with the National Transport Commission (NTC). They will work in the Kilinochchi and Mannar districts. These drivers and conductors would undergo training from August 21 to 23, the NTC said.

by Srilal Miththapala On the evening of August 17 (Saturday) news began to filter in that Gemunu, the iconic and infamous elephant of Yala National Park had been shot by someone, and was injured. Subsequent reports, confirmed by the DWC, said that a group of unknown persons carrying firearms , had come across Gemunu inside …

Continue reading ‘Who Fired Guns and Injured the Iconic Elephant at Yala National Park Known as “Gemunu” to Visitors?’ »

By W.A. Sunil Sinhala extremists led by several Buddhist monks attacked a mosque at Grandpass in Colombo on Saturday during the evening prayers at about 6.30 pm. According to local residents, more than 150 people came armed with wooden poles, stones and glass bottles. The mob has also attacked several homes belonging to Muslim people. …

Continue reading ‘Grandpass Mosque Attack Reveals Pattern Where Govt is Whipping up Communalism Through Sinhala Buddhist Extremist Groups’ »

By Latheef Farook Shawwal moon sighting controversy? Predominantly Muslim area of Kinniya is located in the north east coast of the island. Around 98 percent of the population there are Muslims. They belong to all walks of life from religious scholars, educationists, traders, farmers and fishermen to number of other professions. The entire atmosphere changes …

Continue reading ‘Time to Overhaul All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulama to Restore its Integrity and Dignity and to Serve Community’s Needs.’ »

BY SUDHISH KAMATH Ever since the promos of Chennai Express came out, there has been an outrage of sorts from the South, especially from hardcore Chennaiites. And those not exactly outraged were at least mildly amused by the misrepresentation and approximation of different races, cultures and accents from the South through its “Tamil” heroine played …

Continue reading ‘“Chennai Express”Continues Hindi Film Trend of Misrepresenting South India via the Madrasi Myth’ »

by Col R Hariharan National security after 66 years of independence [This background note on the state of national security since independence was prepared for two TV interviews on August 15 and 16, 2013.] Overview on national security since 1947 Indian armed forces were guardians of British colonial rule before independence. They have now distinguished …

Continue reading ‘India has Lost some of its Influence in Countries like Sri Lanka.Nepal.Maldives and Bangla Desh After China’s Entry into Region.’ »

By B.Kolappan The names are different. Prabhakaran is Bhaskaran (played by Ajay Ratnam) in the film. Rajiv Gandhi is referred to as the young former prime minister. And the LTTE is LTF. Though the producers of Madras Cafe have insisted the film has nothing to do with the Tamil Tigers, the connections are unmistakable. Six …

Continue reading ‘“Naam Thamizhar”Seeman Opposes release of Hindi film “Madras Cafe”Portraying LTTE’s Prabhakaran as LTE’s Bhaskaran.’ »