By Tisaranee Gunasekara “The arc of the universe may bend towards justice, but it doesn’t bend on its own.” Barrak Obama (Speech on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington) Violence has no place in the teachings of the Buddha. Yet when violence was unleashed on Kandy’s Muslims, in the name of Sinhala-Buddhism, only …
By Bhadri Durgabakshi · Life has a strange way of teaching lessons to those fortunate enough to have one. At 28 years, I was suddenly faced with the prospect of raising a baby on my own, in a new country, and carve a path to independence. This meant that I had to leave my infant …
By Bhavani Fonseka This week the Cabinet of Ministers approved draft legislation to establish an Office for Reparations in adherence to the commitments made by the Government in 2015. Unfortunately, there is a lack of public knowledge about what reparations are, despite successive Governments providing various forms of reparations over the years. At the time …
Continue reading ‘Importance of Establishing an Office For Reparations in Sri Lanka.’ »
United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka Atul Keshap has reportedly shattered the political ambition of former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to become the next President of Sri Lanka. The US envoy who is scheduled to leave Sri Lanka shortly after having completed his term of office in Sri Lanka is reported to have told Former …
By N.A.De S. Amaratunga Ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa is undoubtedly the most popular political leader at present, and therefore has the potential of coming back to power. If people want him back in power it cannot be stopped and it should not be stopped. Let the people decide. It should not be decided by the US, …
By K.K.S.Perera When a government, however popular, begins to help racial or religious emotionalism merely because it is a harsh and loud-noised demand made on it, and then interferes in the management and enforcement of law and order for the advantage of its favourites or to win the applause of a crowd, however out of …
(Text of Media release Issued by Former sri Lanka president Mahinda rajapaksa on June 17th 2018) The government has introduced in Parliament, a Bill to amend the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, No. 25 of 2002. The purpose of the original law was to facilitate cooperation between Sri Lanka and specified foreign countries in …
By Sarath de Alwis “Traitors in Black Coats Flocked Together,” was the caption of a news item that appeared on July 9, 2009 in the official website of the Ministry of Defence. The news story identified the five lawyers who represented the Sunday Leader newspaper at a July 9 hearing in a Mount Lavinia court …
by Maneshka Borham In many ways, last Thursday, June 14 was an extraordinary day. Controversial Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, the firebrand monk who has been the face of fear-mongering and hate speech against minority communities living in Sri Lanka over the past six years, strolled into the Homagama Magistrate’s Court with …
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi ‘Unique’ within an already ‘unique’ group – this is what the last of the two Sinharaja elephants are! As there was a deadlock, with President Maithripala Sirisena issuing instructions that moves to translocate (take from one place to another) the pair of elephants be halted forthwith and Wildlife Minister Field Marshal Sarath …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene When irrepressible British satirist, soldier and spy Malcolm Muggeridge said, ‘never to forget that only dead fish swim with the stream’, that warning beautifully underscored the tediousness of drifting in comforting safe shallows without challenging the odds in deeper waters. A woman who challenged the odds This week, the jail term …
By Dimuthu Attanayake Shashikala Harshani is a young mother living in the village of Illanthadiya, Norochcholai, bordering the Coal Power Plant that has been subject to much controversy. When Shashikala’s little girl was born, there was a patch that appeared on her skin, which looked like a kind of rash, on her hand. “We have …
By by Maneshka Borham Recent tearful scenes to bid farewell to a military officer serving in Vishwamadu, Mullaitivu underscores immediate needs in the impoverished and war-torn region, the continuing stigmatisation of rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadre, and the desperation for humanity and respect in a vulnerable community In the backdrop of militarisation fatigue and continuing calls for …
By Chitra Weerarathne The Attorney General yesterday assured the court of appeal that former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa would not be arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department in connection with the construction of D. A. Rajapaksa Memorial at Weeraketiya. The assurance was given by Additional Solicitor General Viraj Dayaratne.
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake Just as President Donald Trump appears to have got over his fire and fury fighting with North Korea’s Rocket Man Kim Jong Un, the US Ambassador Atul Keshap appears to have started a presidential battle issue in Sri Lanka or the Gotabhaya Game Dispute or Gota Keliya Aragalaya. Many have seen the …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake The politics of division bothering the governing coalition made worse by the two key politicians associated with questionable donations from Perpetual Treasuries and its associate companies, the focus of political debate in the past three weeks, has been pushed back by the reports of the US Ambassador Atul Keshap’s reported critical comments …
Sri Lanka’s highly controversial Buddhist monk, Galagodaatte Gnanasara, was sentenced to six months in jail Thursday for his criminal conduct outside a court house where he threatened violence against Sandya Eknaligoda. Gnanasara was found guilty on two counts under the penal code which carried a maximum sentence of two years in prison, an unspecified fine …
Mystery surrounds what transpired during outgoing US Ambassador Atul Keshap’s courtesy call on former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa last Sunday. On Wednesday, The Island daily quoted a source close to the former President to say that Ambassador Keshap told Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR for short) that his younger brother and former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Outgoing US Ambassador Atul Keshap has told former President Mahinda Rajapaksa that his brother, Gotabhaya was very unpopular. Indian American Keshap has based his assessment on information received by him, a spokesperson for the former President’s Office told The Island yesterday.Career diplomat Keshap succeeded Michele J. Sison in March 2015. He took …
By Lahiru Pothmulla In response to the news report published on a Tamil daily newspaper in Jaffna regarding a content of a meeting held between former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and outgoing US Ambassador Atul Keshap, the US Embassy today remained non-committal. When the Daily Mirror inquired about the meeting, the Embassy said that the Ambassador …
Two new State Ministers and five Deputy Ministers were sworn in by President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat on the morning of June 12th 2018 Ranjith Aluvihare was sworn in as State Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs while Lucky Jayawardana was sworn in as Hill Country New Villages Infrastructure and Community …
By Sheain Fernandopulle The United States (US) citizenship was not a barrier for former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to contest the upcoming Presidential Election, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader and MP Udaya Gammanpila said yesterday. Addressing a news conference, he said Mr. Rajapaksa had requested him to explain the true legal position and the procedure …
By The “Sunday Observer” Political Correspondent The year was 2007. Mahinda Rajapaksa and his 35-member entourage were returning from a private visit to London, having travelled there in winter to attend his second son Yoshitha’s graduation from Britannia Royal Navy College, Dartmouth. SriLankan Airlines, fully booked for holiday traffic in peak tourist season, found it …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka I was delighted to read Lalith Weeratunga’s revelatory article ‘The Troika’ (Counterpoint, Daily FT). I regard him as a friend and I respect him as one of the finest public servants we have had. President Rajapaksa could not have had a better Secretary to the President at a crucially testing time in …
By Lalith Weeratunga Background It is no secret that foreign ministries work in water tight compartments and often under immense pressure. As a result, they cannot be flexible, and quite obviously cannot think out of the box. Even the most experienced foreign service officers have to be cautious when dealing with their counterparts due to …
By Narada The Prime Minster has assured Parliament that he has no clue on the whereabouts of Arjuna Mahendran. On Thursday last week, this paper reported the story with an interesting profile of the Prime Minister that betrayed him experiencing his Pontius Pilate moment of truth. Just as the procurator of Rome failed in washing …
By Don Manu If SLFP MP and former Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera found himself in the public dock three weeks ago for accepting a million bucks from Bond Scam Godfather Arjun Aloysius, it was the UNP State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe’s turn this Thursday to make his less than grand entrance to the …
By A “Sunday Observer” Special Correspondent In 1992, gunmen shot and killed a Colombian judge who was investigating a charge of murder conspiracy against the fugitive drug lord Pablo Escobar. The victim, the Associated Press reported at the time, was 38 year old Miriam Rocio Velez, one of Colombia’s faceless judges whose identities were kept …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene In retrospect, one of the greatest missed opportunities of the now doomed Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Unity Government was its failure to grab Sri Lanka’s legal system by its ears (metaphorically speaking), cleanse the Bench of corrupt and politically compromised judges against whom files were stacked up aplenty and demonstrate the power of criminal …
by Maneshka Borham Earlier this week, Lindula Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman and Pohottuwa politico, Anagipura Asoka Sepala found himself embroiled in a child abduction controversy which led to the eventual arrest of the politician along with several others by the Police. Among the six arrested was also Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Councillor Ishara Anuruddha Manchanayake. …
As the holy season of Ramadan winds down former Defence Secretary and Viyath Maga Chairman Gotabaya Rajapaksa last week continued to woo the Muslim community for what observers say is a likely presidnetial bid last week, attending a grand Ifthar ceremony at the Galle Face Hotel Colombo on Friday, organised by loyalists. The Galle Face …
President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday requested Britain to have London-based LankaeNews Editor Pradeep Sandaruwan Senadheera arrested or sent back to Sri Lanka. He made the request during a 30-minute meeting with British High Commissioner James Dauris whom he summoned to his Paget Road residence. Among those present at the discussion were the President’s Coordinating Secretary Shiral …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake President Sirisena recently said Members of Parliament having an Honour prefix before their names should not be charged PAYE tax, because of the honourary nature of their duties. This is certainly confused thinking, not flowing from the 100-day programme he now knows nothing about today. Let’s get this straight. The “Hon.” Or …
Sri Lanka is set to establish another world record as its second international airport was left without a single scheduled flight from today (June 8) after the only airline using the jinxed facility scrapped its daily service. Dubai’s Flydubai announced the sudden withdrawal from the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) and offered to refund tickets …
by Saman Indrajith Minister of Higher Education and Cultural Affairs Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa yesterday raised concern over former Vice Chancellor of the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, who was under fire for allegedly misusing university funds, being sworn in as an MP. Seeni Mohamed Ismail was sworn in before Speaker Karu Jayasuriya as a …
President Maithripala Sirisena may have crossed a red line in shutting down the TNL network owned by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s brother in a worsening power struggle that undermines the government. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) which is directly under Sirisena had obtained an order from the Polgahawela magistrate to seal a TNL transmitter alleging …
By A.J. Abeynayake State Minister for International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe had received Rs. 3 mn from W. M. Mendis Company, a subsidiary of Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL), the Criminal Investigation department (CID) informed Fort Additional Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne, yesterday. The CID said that Rs. 3 mn had been received in three cheques between Aug 24, …
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the current government had faced ‘Dittadhamma Wedaniya Karma’. The former President said those who called him a rogue previously are now divided and they accuse each other of corruption. “The President calls the Prime Minister a thief and the Prime Minister calls the President a thief. This is nothing but …
By Yoshitha Perera According to a B report filed in Court today by the prosecution in connection with the inquiry into the CB bond scam, State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe had received three cheques of Rs.1 million each in 2015 and 2016 from W.M. Mendis & Company Ltd., a subsidiary of Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. The report …
By Amal Jayasinghe AFP – Three months after Sri Lanka was rocked by deadly anti-Muslim riots fuelled by online vitriol, Facebook is training its staff to identify inflammatory content in the country’s local languages. The social network has been seeking penance in Sri Lanka after authorities blocked Facebook in March as incendiary posts by Buddhist …
An attempt by dissidents in the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to unite rivals Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa, received a setback on Tuesday when they failed to get “common candidate” Dr.Sudarshani Fernandopulle elected to the post of Deputy Speaker of Parliament or even get a decent number votes. Dr.Sudarshani should have got 90 …
By Meera Srinivasan Last week, members of a Hindu outfit, ‘Seva Senai’, based in northern Sri Lanka, staged a protest in Jaffna, calling for a ban on cow slaughter and the sale of beef in the town of Chavakachcheri. “This is the land of Hindus and Buddhists. We worship the cow. Our tradition must be …
By Amarananda Wijesekera A vehicle belonging to the Skills Development Ministry, driven by Yashodara (25), son of State Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources and Disaster Management Range Bandara, crashed into a house at Bangadeniya-Kottapitiya junction on the Chilaw-Puttalam main road at 1.00 am on Wednesday (June 6) causing injuries to the driver.
By Methmalie Dissanayake Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said in the Parliament that steps are being taken to bring back Former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Arjuna Mahendran to Sri Lanka according to the Extradition Law. Wickremesinghe made this remark while answering a question by Chief Opposition Whip and Janatha Vimukthi …
By Saman Indrajith Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday told Parliament that he had not been in contact with former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran since the latter had left the Central Bank. The PM was responding to a question by Chief Opposition Whip and JVP Leader Anura Dissanayake, who asked why he could not make …
By Zahrah Imtiaz Co-cabinet spokesperson, Minister Rajitha Senaratne yesterday stated that the vote against Dr. Sudharshani Fernadopulle was not personal and that it was the split within the Joint Opposition that had led to her loss. “It was nothing to do with the individual.We saw that many in their camp, especially the Rajapaksas had left …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka “This is a sign of just how managerial and technocratic we have become; so much so that mediocre utilitarianism confuses itself with professionalism. And all of this is in place of what could be called humanism.” — John Ralston Saul, ‘Voltaire’s Bastards’ From President Sirisena’s whistle-blowing ‘State bank privatization plot’ speech to …
By Saman Indrajith Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesighe’s candidate MP Ananda Kumarasiri defeated SLFP Maithree-faction candidate Dr Sudarashini Fernandopulle by 44 votes to secure the post of Deputy Speaker in parliament yesterday. MP Kumarasiri received 97 votes while MP Dr Fernandopulle received 53 votes. One vote was declared invalid. Matara District UNP MP Buddhika Pathirana proposed …
By Skandha Gunasekara UNP candidate Ananda Kumarasiri was elected Deputy Speaker of Parliament yesterday, defeating the SLFP candidate Dr. Sudharshani Fernandopulle with a majority of 44 votes. The voting, done through a secret ballot, took close to two hours to complete and resulted in 97 voting in favour of Kumarasiri while Fernandopulle received 53 votes. …
By Lahiru Pothmulla TNL Chairman Shan Wickremesinghe today said the move to shut down their Polgahawela transmission centre was not only unjust but also sudden and that he would take legal action against the TRCSL. He said he was not informed of the court order which had been obtained by the TRCSL to search the …
By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera said today he regretted the shutting down of the transmission centre belonging to TNL television at Polgahawela and assured that he would submit a report in parliament on the matter. In response to a question raised by joint opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa, Mr. Samaraweera told …
By Saman Indrajith NFF leader Wimal Weerawsansa yesterday asked in parliament whether the shutdown of the transmission tower of TNL, which is owned by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s sibling by Telecommunication Regulatory Commission under President Maithripala Sirisena was a result of political tug o war between the SLFP and the UNP? MP Weerawansa said the transmission …
A television network owned by the family of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was suspended by the island’s telecom regulator Tuesday, worsening a power struggle in the fractious ruling coalition. The closure of Telshan Network comes days after the station criticised President Maithripala Sirisena, who promised to end an era of draconian restrictions on …
by Maneshka Borham In a country that is home to an estimated 6,000 elephants, the current number of these gentle giants in the wet zone areas of Sri Lanka are few and far between. Once hunted widely during the Colonial period, the increasing human population in lowland areas with the land being used to grow …
By Disna Mudalige A secret vote will be taken up in Parliament today(June 5) to elect a Deputy Speaker, Parliament Serjeant-at-Arms Anil Parakrama Samarasekara said. He told the Daily News that ballot boxes and other arrangements necessary for a secret vote will be facilitated today. The SLFP has proposed the name of National List MP …
The Organisations listed below are appalled that a political decision has been made to capture and relocate the last two elephants remaining in the Sinharaja Rainforest, a World Heritage Site. This comes about, according to media reports, in the wake of a villager on the borders of the forest going out of his home in …
Sri Lanka’s senior-most defence official, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, faces imminent arrest following allegations that he shielded the main suspect in the abduction and murder of 11 children. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) told the Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne that Admiral Wijegunaratne during his term as navy commander had repeatedly protected the chief suspect …
By Sarath de Alwis “The question whether objective truth can be attributed to human thinking is not a question of theory but is a practical question. Man must prove the truth, i.e., the reality and power, the worldliness of his thinking in practice. The dispute over the reality or non-reality of thinking which is isolated …
By NAN I was delighted when my friend Jean Solomons, now Arasanayagam, won the Gratiaen Prize for the best work of creative writing in English in the year 2017. Double glory as this award celebrated its 25th anniversary, founded in 1993 by Michael Ondaatje with the money from winning the Man Booker Prize for his …
By Dr.Carlo Fonseka (Talk given by Prof Carlo Fonseka at a commemoration meeting held in St Mary’s Church Bambalapitiya on May 28.) On April 29, 2018, Dr Lester James Peries, the greatest film-maker on earth at that time, was going on his 100th year. Then he radically changed course and embarked upon the journey “to …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Even before the Rajapaksa Presidency passed the 18th Amendment, we had been reassured by successive Governments (with more than a hint of perfunctory condescension), that Sri Lanka’s Rule of Law institutions were working well, even if not perfectly well. Administering last rites to governance Those reassurances contrasted strangely with the actual …
By Rajan Philips President Sirisena once again stole his own political thunder last week with a headlines grabbing outburst while appearing uninvited at a commemoration event to mark the 76th birth anniversary of the late Sobitha Thera. The outburst and the news reports of it are remarkable for not what the President said at the …
By Sanjana Hattotuwa “You are my creator, But I am your master…… – Mary Shelley (1818) Given the trend of tirades, it is not unreasonable to expect that President Sirisena will wake up one of these days and disclaim everything he did and said in 2015. The change maker is clearly out, though the charlatan …
By Jayadeva Uyangoda Among politically significant developments to have occurred during the past week or so, three stand out. They, not necessarily in the order of their importance, are: (a) Revelations made by MP Dayasiri Jayasekera about business donations to election funds of politicians, (b) the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution, and (c) Gotabaya …
By Sarath de Alwis President Maithripala Sirisena is unlikely to command a chapter or earn a paragraph in our post-colonial history. He will, of course, be a footnote in the convoluted chapter on our struggle to return to a parliamentary democracy for when we succeed in ditching the travesty – the executive presidency. The man …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda Four Supreme Court Judges have declined to sit on the Bench to hear the Fundamental Rights petition filed by former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, citing personal reasons. Supreme Court Judges Eva Wanasundara, Buwaneka Aluvihare, Priyantha Jayawardena and Murdu Fernando have so far declined to sit on the Bench regarding a Fundamental Rights …
By Manekshaw Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe travelled to Jaffna last week and when the Sri Lanka Air Force VIP helicopter touched down at the Jaffna Municipal Council grounds, he was received by one of the leading business magnates in Jaffna T. Thuvarakeswaran who is the brother of the late UNP Parliamentarian T. Maheswaran and the …
By Kavindya Perera The CID yesterday (31), informed Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne that former Navy Commander and current Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunawardene was connected to the disappearance of Lieutenant Commander Prasad Hettiarachchi, a suspect charged with the abduction and disappearance of 11 children. Attorney Achala Seneviratne, appearing for the aggrieved …
By Yohan Perera The United National Party (UNP) would reveal the truth and would respond to the statement made by President Maithripala Sirisena on the Hundred-Day Programme from next week, its newly appointed Spokesman Harin Fernando said yesterday. “ We will speak about the programme and other things from next Monday when we launch out …
By Sandun A Jayasekera and Ajith Siriwardana Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has written to the Secretary to President Austin Fernando to send him the list of names mentioned in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) Report as those who had allegedly received financial gratuities from Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. boss Arjun Aloysius. Mr Jayasuriya has made the …
(Text Of Press Statement Issued Through the Media Office of the Tamil National Alliance on 30.05.2018) The visiting United States House of Representatives Armed Services Committee Delegation led by Hon. McClellen Thornberry met with the Leader of the Opposition and the Tamil National Alliance Mr. Sampanthan today in Colombo. Mr. Sampanthan briefed the delegation on …
(TEXT OF STATEMENT ISSUED ON JUNE 1st 2018 BY RIGHT TO INFORMATION COMMISSION ON PROPOSED AUDIT BILL) In accordance with its duty to secure the effective implementation of Sri Lanka’s Right to Information Act, No 12 of 2016 (RTI Act) in Sri Lanka, the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) emphasizes the importance of upholding the …
By Shamindra Ferdinando President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday lambasted the top UNP leadership alleging that he thwarted a despicable attempt to transfer funds from state banks to private banks. Had that move succeeded entire state banking sector would have collapsed, President Sirisena said, recalling how he managed to halt the move after a three month long …
Cabinet Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka yesterday said that he, too, received about Rs100,000 from tainted businessman Arjun Aloysius at the last parliamentary polls.
By Ariyaratna Ranabahu President Maithripala Sirisena said today the late Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera, who came forward to set up a Government through a common candidate, never asked that common candidate to loot the Central bank. The President expressed these views at the 76th commemoration of the late Ven. Sobitha Thera held at Foundation Institute …
By Pani Wijesiriwardane Former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse’s recent “Economic Vision for 2020–2030” document is a policy blueprint for an authoritarian regime in Sri Lanka. Addressing the annual conference of the extreme-right Viyath Maga (Professionals for Better Nation) this month, Rajapakse called for a complete overhaul of the economy in order to exploit “windows of …
By Ranga Jayasuriya A decision by a local bank to suspend two of its employees for commemorating the war dead of the final phase of the Eelam war has now caused a fresh wave of controversy. The ‘disciplinary action’ was purportedly taken after Sinhala nationalist social media highlighted the incident. The Bank said in a …
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday focused on the need to link the Northern Province with southern development corridors to develop its economy focusing on agriculture, fishing, tourism and manufacturing. Wickremesinghe speaking in Kilinochchi during a visit to the war-affected Province noted that despite the war ending nine years ago, the region had not seen an …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka First of a Two -part Article Whom the Gods wish to destroy they first make mad, said the old line. I’d modify that and say that whom the Gods wish to destroy they first render stupid. There are two sorts of folks in Sri Lanka who are being driven stupid so to …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Second of a Two-part Article At the beginning of the first part of this article ,I referred to two groups of people whom the Gods are driving stupid as a prelude to driving them mad, which itself is a prelude to destruction. The first group was the pro-regime or anti-Rajapaksa liberals. The …
By K. Ratnayake President Maithripala Sirisena devoted his speech at a ceremony celebrating the 2009 defeat of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to eulogise the military and issue Sinhala chauvinist appeals. Sirisena, who is also the commander in chief of the Sri Lankan armed forces, presided over the so-called national war heroes’ …
By Air Vice Marshal(Retd) A B Sosa VSV psc In the past couple of weeks there have been divergent views expressed whether our brethren living in the North should be permitted to commemorate the deaths of their kith and kin and friends on the anniversary of the day that the LTTE was eliminated from our …
By C.A.Chandraprema As the month of June approaches, we realise that the incumbent President now has only 18 full months in office before the last date by which a presidential election should be held and a new president declared elected. According to Article 31(3) of the Constitution, the poll for the election of the President …
Continue reading ‘Snap Presidential Election Possible At Anytime after 9 January 2019’ »
By Dr Nalaka Godahewa American economist and social theorist Thomas Sowell once said, “The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or men and women, but between talkers and doers ” When a powerful minister of the government gets into a panic and issues a press statement criticizing a speech made …
Continue reading ‘Gota’s Viyathmaga and a Govt at a Standstill.’ »
By R. Jayaratne An Open Letter To The Former Cricket Captain Dear Kumar Sangakkara, Thank you very much for directing public attention, once again, to the subject of maladministration of Sri Lanka Cricket at the recent Colombo Club meeting despite being an unpleasant task to take upon at an otherwise pleasing event. As is evident, …
By Anurangh Singh When the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena threatened her in open court in January 2016, a new battle-front opened for Sandhya Ekneligoda, wife of missing journalist Prageeth. Braving threats and intimidation, even as she battled separately to find Prageeth, Sandhya saw the criminal intimidation case against Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera to …
By Sarath de Alwis At long last, the gauntlet thrown down during the recent hoopla at the Shangri-La has been taken up. Minister of Finance and Mass Media, Mangala Samaraweera has not only taken it up but has decided to run the gauntlet. The metaphor is appropriate. It describes the painful but necessary task of …
Continue reading ‘Viyathmaga,Facebook,Godahewa and Zuckerberg.’ »
by Uditha Kumarasinghe Former Sports Minister and UPFA Kurunegala District MP Dayasiri Jayasekara has run into a storm of controversy after it was revealed in court last week that he accepted Rs 1 million in campaign donations from a company linked to Perpetual Treasuries which is at the centre of the Bond scandal. In an …
By Kishali Pinto Jayaardene When the king cobra kills, it is said that its glare is so unnerving that the victim is fascinated first into a state of terrified immobility before the strike occurs, paralyzing through the injection of a potent neurotoxin that immobilizes the central nervous system. The victims, (including humans if the dose …
By Ahmed A. Jawad High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Canada I had just arrived on a sunny, hot Parisian afternoon on posting at our Embassy in May 1995. “Good afternoon, call me Lester,” he said rather casually in response to my “good afternoon, nice to meet you, Dr. Peries.” I had never met the …
Continue reading ‘Glimpses of Life With Lester James Peries In The City of Lights’ »
Following prestigious national awarding ceremonies hosted by the British Ambassador/High Commissioner in more than ten countries, and high-profile digital campaigns to celebrate 63 regional finalists, and 21 regional winners, the British Council has announced the names of three outstanding global award winners of the Study UK Alumni Awards. All are alumni of UK universities, representing …
The International Cricket Council has begun investigating allegations that two Sri Lankans agreed to tamper with the pitch at Galle to change the outcome of a Test match against England later this year. Sri Lanka cricket said it will fully co-operate with the ICC investigation. “Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to state that it has zero …
By Saman Indrajith UPFA MP Dayasiri Jayasekara yesterday admitted in Parliament that he received one million rupee Cheque from Walt & Row Associates. Making a statement in Parliament he said that there had been a newspaper report to the effect that he had obtained the cash cheque from Walt & Row associated with Perpetual Treasuries. …
By Disna Mudalige and Camelia Nathaniel Responding to a newspaper report published on Thursday, revealing that he had received a cheque of Rs.1 million from Walt & Row Associates – a Perpetual Treasuries Ltd, related group company in 2015, UPFA Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara, not denying the allegation, made an attempt to justify his actions by …
By Anjula Mahika Weerarathne Journalists who are bent on bringing the Rajapaksa regime back to power do not realize that they are willingly putting a noose around their own necks, said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday at UNP Headquarters in Sirikotha. Speaking further he said that a number of journalists who are propagating the Rajapaksa …
Sri Lanka’s former Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara Friday admitted that he received millions of rupees in unaccounted cash from undisclosed donors as he faced fresh allegations of sleaze. Jayasekara told parliament that he encashed a one million rupee cheque given to him by an associate of the controversial Perpetual Treasuries at the centre of the …
By Shehan Chamika Silva According to a further report (B report) filed into the magisterial inquiry over the Bond scam by the prosecution today, it was revealed that UPFA Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara had received a cheque of Rs.1 million from Walt & Row Associates-a Perpetual Treasuries Ltd related group company in 2015. According to a …
Sri Lanka’s highly controversial Buddhist monk, Galagodaatte Gnanasara, was facing the prospect of up to two years in jail Thursday after he was found guilty of two counts of criminal conduct by the Homagama Magistrate. Sentencing was put off till June 14, but the two counts under the penal code carries a maximum sentence of …
Authorities in India’s Tamil Nadu state should conduct a prompt, impartial, and transparent investigation into the police shooting of protesters against a copper plant that left at least 12 dead and 80 injured, Human Rights Watch said today. Television news video footage shows two plainclothes men firing at protesters from atop a police van during …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka When a future historian writes the political history of the most obtuse and inept government in postcolonial Sri Lanka, he or she will doubtless identify its most myopic move as the Constitutional prevention of Mahinda Rajapaksa running for President again, thereby opening the door for the fulfilment of the worst fear of …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka The Tamil politicians and civil society movements are about to blow it—yet again. A week after the TNA’s Mr. Wigneswaran, Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council, presiding over a militant mobilization at Mullivaikkal, greatly exceeded the remit of the Provincial Council by declaring a Tamil Genocide Day and a Tamil Genocide …
By Phil Miller Britain’s Foreign Office destroyed almost 200 files on Sri Lanka dating from the start of a Tamil Tiger uprising during which MI5 and the SAS secretly advised the country’s security forces, it has emerged. The loss of the files means that there is almost no record of the British government’s work with …
By Kavitha Muralidharan Thoothukudi: In an unprecedented turn of events, at least 11 protesters were killed on May 22 in Thoothukudi after police opened fire at the protest rally demanding the closure of the Sterlite unit in the town. The protest by the people of Thoothukudi against Sterlite, which they have claimed is polluting the …
by Manjula Fernando The first draft of the new Constitution will be presented to the Steering Committee on Thursday, May 24, after much interruption, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, M. A. Sumanthiran told the Sunday Observer in an exclusive interview. The presentation will take place after the expert panel, advising the steering committee, concludes and …
Development Strategies and International Trade minister Malik Samarawickrama made a scathing attack on former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa saying it is apparent that a coordinated campaign is underway to give undue prominence to his carefully choreographed speech given at the Shangri La Hotel last week. The event organisers should be commended for garnering prior publicity …
by Maheesha Mudugamuwa Johann Peiris became the second Sri Lankan to conquer the highest peak in the world when he successfully summited Mount Everest at 5.55 a.m. Nepal time yesterday (22). Johann was a part of the expedition that helped Jayanthi Kuru Uthumpala to become the first Sri Lankan to conquer Mount Everest back in …
By Walter Wuthmann Johann Peries became the second Sri Lankan to summit Mount Everest on Tuesday. Peries reached the almost 8,850-meter peak at 5:50 a.m. Nepal time, according to a release from the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry. “Our best wishes to you for a safe descent and journey home to (Sri Lanka),” the Ministry said. …
By (Lahiru Pothmulla Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Sunday said Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera was spreading false propaganda against him because the minister was aware of his ability. He recalled how Minister Samaraweera posted posters against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during the time of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. “Recently, Minister Samaraweera said he knew …
Sri Lanka’s President appeared to hitch his political fortunes to nationalism an d reflected glory from the military victory over separatists as he commemorated the annihilation of the Tamil Tigers. Addressing a military ceremony marking the ninth anniversary of defeating Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), President Maithripala Sirisena criticised his own state-run media for …
(Text of Special communique by the Finance and Media Minister,Hon. Mangala Samaraweera on May 20th 2018) 01. Former President and Kurunegala District MP, Mahindra Rajapaksa who is responsible for ruining this country by allowing his family relatives and cronies to plunder the country’s economy and, his siblings, former defense secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who unleashed terror …
By Sarath de Alwis Nationalism: the love of tribal fictions inspired by the hatred of social realities.” – Author unknown The Viyath Maga National Conference at the Shangri-La placed the former Defence Secretary positively and undoubtedly in the presidential race in 2019. It did something else as well. He demonstrated that he was different from …