The heat on the United National Party (UNP) will increase this week as the Opposition’s No Faith Motion against Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake gathers momentum. This morning (Aug 8th) House Speaker Karu Jayasuriya will meet Party leaders to decide on a date for the motion filed by the Joint Opposition against Karunanayake to be debated …
By Ranga Jayasuriya It is conventional wisdom that Minister Ravi Karunanayake should have resigned – or failing that be sacked — after those earth shattering revelations that were made at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the bond scam. Instead, he has clung to his portfolio and foul-mouthed the Attorney General’s Department while his …
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe held a special meeting with Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake, on Saturday evening. Informed government sources said the Prime Minister would soon have a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena on Minister Karunanayake’s issue.
By Yohan Perera Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe speaking at a public function in Hatton today said this government would not protect thieves, and would remove them, but stressed that there should be room for a transparent investigation. “Today there are so many investigations that ministers are brought before the Attorney General and are questioned. Was …
BY Kavindya Chris Thomas UNP strongman, former Finance Minister and incumbent Foreign Minister in the Good Governance Government, Ravi Karunanayake, provided his testimony before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Treasury Bond issues last Wednesday (2). While it might have been an obvious strategic move, most definitely recommended by his high-calibre attorneys, Minister Ravi …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene It is an exceedingly disconsolate reflection that key Cabinet Ministers of the unity alliance, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice for instance, appear to have a magic cloak around them, affording impunity for acts which should have, to put it bluntly, led to resignations by now. A favorite chorus that …
by C.A.Chandraprema The appearance of Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake before the Bond Commission was the talk of the week. No one can fail to notice that there is a major difference in the way Ravi Karunanayake has been treated when compared to how Hirunika Premachandra was treated when it came to her abduction case and …
By The “Sunday Times” Political Editor Minister Ravi Karunanayake appeared Wednesday before the Commission probing the bond scam and his testimony plunged a Government, voted to office on the edifice of fighting bribery and corruption, into its worst embarrassment. During five hours of testimony, he denied any knowledge of how the apartment where he lived …
Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake Saturday denied he was under pressure from President Maithripala Sirisena to resign following his testimony before the commission investigating the controversial bond auctions. Karunanayake said the President had not even spoken to him on the matter since his testimony on Wednesday and there was no question of him being asked to …
By Yohan Perera Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday denied reports which said President Maithripala Sirisena had asked him to resign from his post. “The reports and the rumours that I have been asked to resign from my post is utter nonsense,” he told Daily Mirror on Friday night.
Former Finance Minister and current Foreign Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake, testifying before the Commission of Inquiry probing the Central Bank bond scams of 2015 and 2016, said he was totally ignorant of the transaction to lease out an apartment for his family from Arjun Aloysius who is implicated in the scam. Mr. Karunanayake was questioned …
By Winston de Valliere It’s a measure of the man’s temperate nature that he accepted the portfolio of Sports Minister although his academic and political track record would justify him being entrusted with tasks at a higher level in the Cabinet. In the 2010 General Election, he received 132,600 preference votes which was the highest …
By Chathuri Dissanayake Amidst mounting public pressure, Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake is set to resign from his ministerial portfolio in the coming days. Following representations made to both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesighe by both United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members, the leaders are said to have …
By Natasha Siribaddana The Joint Opposition (JO) yesterday handed over a No-Confidence motion against Minister of Foreign Affairs Ravi Karunanayake to the office of the Secretary General of Parliament. Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff of Parliament, Neil Iddawela confirmed that MPs Bandula Gunawardena, Ranjith Soyza and Mahindananda Aluthgamage on behalf of the JO …
By P.K.Balachandran On the face of it, India’s military strength looks impressive. But what is worrying defense analysts is whether India can fight a war with Pakistan or China for more than 10 or 15 days without seeking foreign help. The doubt arises from the Indian armed forces’ organizational and industrial shortcomings. Its defense industry …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength” – George Orwell “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is”. – Winston Churchill “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance”. – Confucius “It is certain, in any case, …
By Maheesha Mudugamuwa Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader MP Udaya Gammanpila has alleged that Foreign Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake seems to lack a stable memory and, therefore, the President and the Prime Minister should refrain from sending Minister Karunanayake to represent the country. Gammanpila said so while addressing the media at the Dr N. M. …
Foreign Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake’s daughter Onella has made an impassioned plea on her Facebook page asking why it was only her father to blame “in such a huge Government?”. “Just ask yourself? Why only one man’s name comes up all the time in such a huge government?” she asked, making comparison to her father’s …
Parliament yesterday moved a vote to felicitate Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on his completion of continuous membership of the House over a period of 40 years and appreciating the selfless and dedicated service rendered by him for the betterment of Sri Lanka in general and Parliament in particular. Conveying his best wishes to Ranil Wickremesinghe …
By Hafeel Farisz and Amali Mallawarachchi Minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday defended himself before the Bond Commission insisting that he did not know of any of the transactions entered into by his wife and daughter and their connected companies with regard to the Penthouse Apartment at the Monarch residencies in which he currently resides. In a …
By Shamindra Ferdinando The office of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday accepted a no-faith motion against Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake submitted by the Joint Opposition (JO) over his alleged involvement in Central Bank bond scams in Feb. 2015 and March 2016. At the time of the alleged scams, UNPer Karunanayake held finance portfolio. President Maithripala Sirisena …
by Shyam Nuwan Ganewatta and Sarath Dharmasena Foreign Minister and former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday vehemently denied any involvement in the leasing or the subsequent purchase of a penthouse at Monarch Residencies in Colombo 03. He said all those matters had been handled by his family. Karunanayake made the daring denial before the Presidential …
By Chitra Weerarathne The Colombo High Court yesterday imposed five-year RI on the former chairman of the Rambewa Pradeshiya Sabha for accepting a bribe of Rs. 100,000 from a farmer to have him employed in Korea. The former Pradeshiya Sabha member, Rohit Madawe was convicted of all three charges in the indictment. The complainant is …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Proposed constitutional amendment to put off scheduled Provincial Council polls in the Eastern, Sabaragamuwa and North Central provinces required a two-thirds approval in Parliament, provincial councils and local government minister Faiszer Musthapha said yesterday. Minister Musthapha was responding to a query by The Island at an SLFP media briefing at the party …
By Shamindra Ferdinando State Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle yesterday accused the government of reneging on its much-touted promise to increase women’s representation in local government bodies. State Minister Fernandopulle flayed the government for proposing amendments to local authorities act that would certainly result in the reduction of seats allocated …
By S.S.Selvanayagam The Court of Appeal yesterday issued an Interim Order staying the proceedings of the Jaffna High Court in respect of the death of an Old Boy of St. Patrick’s College at the annual big match between Jaffna College and St. Patrick’s College. The bench comprising Justices L.T.B. Dehideniya and A.L.S. Gooneratne issued this …
by Dr Alavi Sheriffdeen (The contributor is a teacher based in Australia who lost his father and little brother at the Kattankudy mosque massacre in 1990. He has been leading a number of community educational and empowerment projects in the East of Sri Lanka since the war ended in 2009) Every year, when the Month …
Continue reading ‘Re-visiting the Kattankudi Mosque Massacre by the LTTE 27 Years Ago.’ »
By Uditha Jayasinghe Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday remained defiant before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry denying any knowledge of payments made on the Monarch apartment allegedly rented on his behalf and rejecting conflicts of interest with Perpetual Treasuries Director Arjun Aloysius even though he admitted to a longstanding friendship. Karunanayake, who was Finance Minister …
(Full text of Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Statement) The manner in which the government privatised the Hambantota port has shocked the nation. Parliament was not allowed to debate the Agreement to privatise one of Sri Lanka’s most important strategic assets. No one knows who did the valuation of this asset. No one appears to have …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka The worst thing about Hambantota is Trincomalee. The Chinese are not our neighbours; we have no border with China and thus no deeply inscribed history of incursions and annexation; there is no Chinese minority on the island and China never intervened in our conflicts or supported cross-border terrorism. The real danger about …
By Ranga Jayasuriya This government has routinely blamed the corruption of the former regime for the current economic hardships in the country. Now, how on earth did it manage to behave like nothing had happened after recent jaw-dropping allegations against its former Finance Minister cum incumbent Foreign Minister? Last week, Anika Wijesuriya, a directress of …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene For decades since independence, Sri Lankans were wont to look over the Palk Strait and enviously compare the strides that the Indian legal system had been taking in regard to protection of the Rule of Law. True, serious blimps were evidenced on the radar in regard to practical implementation of good …
Continue reading ‘Octopus-like Tentacles of Corruption Reach Into Highest Levels of Govt’ »
Police have launched an intense manhunt in the Northern province to arrest the killer of Police Sgt Sarath Hemachandra (PS 24330) on Saturday July 22nd 2017 in Nallur,Jaffna. 51 year old Hemachandra hailing from Chilaw was on duty providing security escort on a motor cycle to Jaffna High court judge Manickavasagam Illancheliyan when he was …
By The “Sunday Times” Political Editor President Maithripala Sirisena hurriedly interrupted the Cabinet meeting that was in progress last Tuesday. He rose from his chair and asked ministers whether they could feel something like a tremor that was causing vibration of the floor. He said he could feel such a phenomenon where he sat — …
An unidentified man seized the pistol of a Police officer and opened fire at a vehicle carrying Jaffna High Court Judge M. Ilancheliyan, wounding his security officer. The incident occurred near the Nallur Kandasamy Kovil in Jaffna last evening. Judge Ilancheliyan, who was unhurt, told reporters he was the target of the assailant and there …
by C.A.Chandraprema The brawl that everyone saw taking place within the North Central Provincial Council on TV news bulletins last week was the outward signs of a new political development with far reaching political implications. The mace that was broken in the melee just about symbolised the impact this event would have on the political …
By Tamara Kunanayakam, – former Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva and Dr. PalithaKohona, – former Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York The Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Ben Emmerson’s haughty statement at a media briefing in Colombo on 14 July,with the UN Resident Representative at …
Continue reading ‘Why Was Ben Emmerson Allowed to Bully, Threaten and Blackmail Sri Lanka’ »
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene United Nations Special Rapporteur Ben Emmerson QC’s warning to the Sri Lankan Government following last week’s mission visit to the country was certainly the most irascible that we have seen from a UN mandate holder in a while. After more than two years of the United Nations’ uncritically accepting sunshiny rhetoric …
Continue reading ‘Ben Emmerson’s Irascible Warning Conveys Dash of Icy Cold Reality to Govt.’ »
By Vijith Samarasinghe Last Friday marked three months since the catastrophic collapse of the Meethotamulla garbage dump in Colombo. Angry victims are blaming the government for the loss of lives and for evicting them from the area without providing proper housing or a means of income. The official death toll of the Meethotamulla disaster is …
Continue reading ‘Three months after the Meethotamulla Disaster in Sri Lanka’ »
Against the worrying background of attempts by extremists to tear Sri Lanka apart on ethnic and religious grounds, the Minister of Coexistence, Dialogue and Official Languages, Mano Ganeshan, has brought out an excellent book showing Sri Lanka as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious island – a vibrantly colorful mosaic which was known in ancient times, quite …
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan A sudden announcement by the government that it has gazzetted the long awaited Office of the Missing Persons (OMP) came in without much ado and at a time when the UN under Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffery Feltman was in town. It’s obvious the high-powered official seemed to have held …
(Text of a Statement issued by Tamil National Alliance Spokesperson M.A. Sumanthiran M.P. on July 22nd 2017) The Tamil National Alliance strongly condemns the attack on Jaffna High Court Judge Illanchelliyan. We pray for Judge Illancheliyan and for the speedy recovery of the Police officers injured in this incident. We urge the Inspector General of …
The launching ceremony for a book titled ‘People of Sri Lanka’ published by the Ministry of National Co-existence, Dialogue and Official Languages was held under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena at the BMICH this week. The book, which contains the details of 19 ethnic groups living in Sri Lanka as well as their cultures …
(Text of a Press Statement Issued Through the Media Office of the Tamil National Alliance) A meeting was held between the Tamil National Alliance led by R. Sampanthan and visiting United Nations Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffery Feltman today at the UN office in Colombo. Mr. Sampanthan raised concerns related to matters that …
by Shamindra Ferdinando Joint Opposition (JO) parliamentary group leader Dinesh Gunawardena has called for an end to UN interference in on-going constitutional making process in accordance with Geneva Resolution 30/1 adopted in Oct 2015. MP Gunawardena has said that the JO that represented a large segment of people strongly opposed to the current UN initiative …
Ram Nath Kovind was elected India’s new president Thursday, the second time since independence a head of state has been chosen from the bottom of the Hindu caste system. The first Dalit President was K.R.Narayanan, who as the 10th.President of India, served from 1997 to 2002. Kovind won the largely ceremonial position with more than …
Continue reading ‘BJP Dalit leader Ram Nath Kovind elected 14th President of India’ »
By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka police on Monday detained and questioned an Indian tourist who was wearing a dress with a print of the Buddha on it. Wearing the image of the Buddha remains a sensitive matter in the island where a majority practise Buddhism. In 2014, a British tourist was deported for sporting a …
By Taylor Dibbert Well-known Sri Lankan Political analyst and journalist Kusal Perera has written a book about former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa titled “Rajapaksa”. Freelance Journalist Taylor Dibbert Interviews the author about “Rajapaksa” and related matters. Excerpts- Question: Your book “Rajapaksa” will be released soon. Would you tell us a bit about it? Answer;
By Vishwamithra 1984 “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” ~ William Faulkner Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), although purported to be following the Bandaranaike policies and principles, basically consists of socialized economic principles and hard nationalism bordering on extremism. Its fundamental appeal has been to …
by Maheesha Mudugamuwa The Joint Opposition (JO) consisting of SLFP and UPFA dissidents loyal to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa broke into two factions yesterday after one of its main partners, the National Freedom Front (NFF) opted to pull out of the new constitution making process. NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa has informed Speaker Karu Jayasuriya in writing …
President Maithripala Sirisena sought clarification from his Cabinet of Ministers on the procedure through which Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism Ben Emmerson obtained clearance to meet detainees held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, Cabinet Co-spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne told the media yesterday. However, he insisted that the Government had not found fault with …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka If you say one thing and do quite another, that’s deceit. If you stick one label on something but sell quite another, then that’s fraud – a criminal act. Going by what TNA’s MP M.A.Sumanthiran has said on the record, that’s exactly what the new Constitution is intended to do. The TNA …
By Sanja de Silva Jayatilleka “They are commitments that Sri Lanka voluntarily undertook in the light of 70 years of experience of Transitional Justice since the Nuremberg trials…” -Ben Emmerson QC, UN Special Rapporteur One of the 2 resolutions adopted at the 5th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council on the 18th of …
Full Statement by Ben Emmerson, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, at the conclusion of his official visit Preliminary findings of the visit to Sri Lanka Colombo (14 July 2017), The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Mr. Ben Emmerson, visited …
By Kavindya Chris Thomas Last Thursday (13) Co-Cabinet Spokesman, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, addressing the Cabinet media briefing, said that the Anti-Corruption Secretariat had not delivered on its promises. This was in response to a question which was raised regarding extending the Anti-Corruption Secretariat’s term which expired on 30 June. “The government spent Rs 65 million …
Continue reading ‘Birth and Death of the Anti-Corruption Secretariat’ »
By S.S. Selvanayagam The Court of Appeals on Monday granted another date for five police officers who had been arrested in connection with the shooting of two Jaffna University students to file a counter objection on 3 August in regard to their appeal. The accused police officers are seeking the court to transfer their case …
Hundreds of villagers protested near Pointpedro over the police shooting of a young worker. The town is situated on the northern-most point of the Jaffna Peninsula, where the Tamil residents were the victims of racist police violence and killings in 1984. Yogarajah Thinesh, a 24-year-old man from Thunnalai village, was killed on Sunday evening while …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Ben Emmerson, the UN special rapporteur on counter terrorism and human rights, who visited Colombo last week criticized Sri Lanka for the slow pace of the transitional justice process and warned that the international community was running out of patience. He demanded that the government repealed the Prevention of Terrorism Act, but …
Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka should not shut itself to international scrutiny as Mr Rajapaksa did.’ »
By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya Tamara Kunanayakam was the recipient of ‘Inspirational Woman of the Year’Award in this year’s ‘Top 50 Professional and Career Women Awards’ organized by Women in Management, in partnership with the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group. The 50 winners from Sri Lanka and the Maldives received their awards at a …
Continue reading ‘Tamara Kunanayakam Receives “Inspirational Woman of the Year”Award.’ »
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka The visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Countering Terrorism, Ben Emmerson QC, a British national, was newsworthy in the extreme. Firstly, it exposed the promise made by Prime Minister Wickremesinghe to appoint a Special Prosecutor. This promise is stated in the official statement issued by Emmerson, which is …
Continue reading ‘UN Special Rapporteur Ben Emmerson Q.C. Wants ” A New Order” in Sri Lanka’ »
By Yohan Perera Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today stressed the need to continue the national government with the participation of the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) despite the difficulties. He said this at the foundation-stone-laying-ceremony for the Viyathpura Green Professional City in Pannipitiya last morning.
Media and political strategist Krishantha Prasad Cooray has been appointed as the Chairman of Associated Newspapers of Ceylon (Lake House), succeeding Kavan Ratnayaka. He will assume duties at Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd On Tuesday July 18th. The new appointment is in addition to Cooray being the Chairman of Hotel Developers (Lanka) Plc, the owning …
Top professional Kavan Ratnayaka has taken over as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), succeeding industry veteran Paddy Withana. Ratnayaka was previously the Chairman Associated Newspapers of Ceylon (ANCL). The SLTDA is the successor to the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. Formed as the apex body for Sri Lanka Tourism under Section …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene When disreputable elements engage in fear-mongering, one can only react with disdain. That said, this is a time where the line between the reputable and the disreputable runs very thin on the ground. Therefore it may be conceded that these are distinctions veritably without a difference. Sensible rationale not reflected Nonetheless, …
by Rajan Philips They are the three corners of Sri Lanka’s vicious political triangle. Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family are nothing if they are not blatant about everything. They defeated the LTTE, so they can do no wrong. They will return to power, they insist, and rule for ever, no matter what. If and when …
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”Franklin Roosevelt (The State of the Union Address, 1944) This is not fiddling while Rome burns. This is taking ‘selfies’ on the railway track ignoring the hurtling express train. No government can remain eternally popular. Governments, …
By Don Manu Well, as they say, better late than never. Especially when one realises that one’s 5 year tenure on the nation’s throne has reached the half way mark, giving rise to a mid life crisis as the leaves of one’s popularity start to fall with the coming of Autumn. Last week’s President Sirisena’s …
By C.A. Chandraprema The former Navy Spokesman Commodore D.K.P.Dassanayake was arrested last week on charges of causing the disappearance of 11 persons in 2008. Dassanayake, a highly decorated Naval officer who played a major role in the war, is the latest high ranking armed forces officer to be arrested under the present government. After January …
By Abdul Samad As we approach the half-way point of the term with unity government, it is clear beyond any doubt that the administration has failed in all aspects including the foremost touted political and ethnic reconciliation process. A rotten capital market, uncontrollable inflation, and absolutely pathetic fiscal/economic policy, corrupt politicians and legislators, inefficient bloated …
Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa:The Man and his Vision’ »
By Chandani Kirinde The Government will not take instructions from the United Nations on how the new Counter-Terrorism Bill is drafted and will go ahead with the bill approved by the Cabinet, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said yesterday. “The laws have to be made here and they have to be approved by our Parliament. We …
In the case of investigations carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), a delay on the part of the Attorney General’s Department has been listed as the reason why no action has been taken. According to a note prepared by the CID, those cases include the following: • Date of complaint; January 14, 2015 …
By Meera Srinivasan (*Some names have been changed on request) People in Batticaloa, one of the poorest districts in Sri Lanka, are badly hit by ‘predatory’ microfinance loans with exorbitant interest rates “First, it was the tsunami that destroyed our community. Then came the war. Now, it’s microfinance.” That is how Jesudasan Rajitha describes the …
By Niranjala Ariyawansha The 18 dissident Sri Lanka Freedom Party Ministers, Deputy and State Ministers in the Unity Government, who have said they were considering whether they should remain in, or quit the Government, will within this week take their crucial ‘remain or exit ‘ decision. One of the dissidents, Minister of Labour and Trade …
By M. M. Zuhair (The writer is a President’s Counsel and a former Member of Parliament. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect on the positions presently or previously held by the writer) For decades nations guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and similar international human rights and humanitarian laws have been …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, had a heated argument with Ben Emmerson, QC, Special Rapporteur at the onset of a meeting over latter leveling unsubstantiated allegations at law enforcement authorities and the judiciary. Emmerson had a series of meetings over the past few days after his unexpected encounter with the Justice …
by Shamindra Ferdinando Alleging that ‘retrograde elements in the security establishment and their allies’ in the government were trying to undermine post-war reconciliation process, the UN yesterday warned Sri Lanka of dire consequences unless the government fully implemented Geneva Resolution 30/1 co-sponsored by the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration in Oct 2015. The warning was given by Ben …
The entire Board of Directors of the country’s main investment promotion agency resigned yesterday following a directive from President Maithripala Sirisena. Sources said the move was to facilitate an overhaul including the appointment of a new Board of Directors. The BOI Board comprised Chairman Upul Jayasuriya PC, Buddhi Keerthi Athauda, Manoj Cooray, M.A. Neeth Udesha …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda The Colombo District Court issued an Interim Injunction preventing Chief Incumbent Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera from utilising Narahenpita Abhayarama temple property for political, commercial and trade union activities, today. This order will be effective until the final determination of this lawsuit. Colombo District Court Judge Sujeewa Nissanka made this order consequent to …
By Chathuri Dissanayake Giving a damning report on Sri Lanka’s failure to take adequate action against human rights violations during the conflict and amend the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), United Nations Special Untitled-1Rapporteur on Human Rights and Countering Terrorism Ben Emmerson yesterday warned that the international community is running out of patience and called …
Women of North and East Call For Ending Impunity and Ensuring Non-Recurrence of Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances in Sri Lanka “We, as conflict affected women and victims, have searched for disappeared loved ones and witnessed thousands of others searching for their loved ones. Many have gone before numerous state initiatives including several commissions of inquiry …
By P.K.Balachandran The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the principal Tamil grouping in Sri Lanka, has denied media reports that it is planning to meet the Mahanayakes or the High Priests of Buddhism in Sri Lanka soon, to explain to them the need for a new Sri Lankan constitution to devolve power to the provinces so …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, had a heated argument with visiting UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter Terrorism Ben Emmerson, QC, over UN intervention here as regards promotion and protection of human rights. Sri Lanka in December 2015 extended a standing invitation to the UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders. …
By Kelum Bandara The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for the Jaffna District M.A. Sumanthiran, in an interview with the Daily Mirror stressed the point that the bill to give effect to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance should be enacted. He said enforced disappearance of persons is a …
By Meera Srinivasan A Tamil parliamentarian on Thursday challenged a proposed housing project of steel maker ArcelorMittal in the Supreme Court, questioning both its suitability for the post-war region and the government’s tendering process. Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP and lawyer M.A. Sumanthiran petitioned the court seeking an interim order against the project, which has …
BY FAIZER SHAHEID The gruesome rape and murder of Vithya Sivaloganathan in 2015 is hardly discussed anymore, even among the activists who laboured and campaigned vigorously to have the perpetrators arrested, at least, not outside of the North where the entire ordeal took place. However, the case filed in the Jaffna High Court has progressed …
Dr.Vickramabahu Karunaratne President Maithripala Sirisena’s visit to meet the Mahanayakes of the Buddhist Sangha in Kandy proved premature and it disturbed the continuity of discussions within the Constitutional Council: Because both the President and the Prime Minister denied that parties in the government have agreed on a framework for the Constitution. This was really the …
Continue reading ‘Faltering “Yahapalanaya”Govt Unable So Far To Deliver What it Promised.’ »
By Gomin Dayasri The UNP, written off as a party of the past, till the Badulla Provincial Council election showed it’s result; Mahinda Rajapakse (MR) rejoiced ruling the majority Sinhala voters, as he pleased. They standing firmly behind him. Results showed, in predominantly Sinhala electorates with a diminutive minority vote, where extreme Sinhala activists like …
Continue reading ‘How and why Mahinda Rajapaksa Lost the 2015 Presidential Elections’ »
By VISHWAMITHRA 1984 “An honest man in politics shines more there than he would elsewhere.” -Mark Twain Ivor Jennings, who was primarily responsible for drafting our Constitution upon gaining Independence from the British, handed us a secular constitution. Multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural as Ceylon was then and now is, the Jennings Constitution safeguarded certain rights …
By K. Ratnayake Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena met with the country’s chief Buddhist priests in Kandy last Friday to assure them no constitutional changes would be made without their consent. The top priests, from all the Buddhist groupings, had issued a series of demands last Tuesday aimed at whipping up Sinhala Buddhist supremacism. Their …
Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Govt Adopts Policy of Appeasement Towards Buddhist Clergy Hierarchy.’ »
By Champika Fernando Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews has tendered his resignation as captain of the national side from all three formats. Mathews resignation comes in the wake of the recent defeat to Zimbabwe in the five-match limited over series, where the tourists recorded country’s first-ever series win against the Islanders, beating them 3-2. Mathews …
The Archeological Advisory Council, which met yesterday, decided to temporarily close the Dambulla Cave Temple complex to local and foreign tourists, until further notice. “The Council held an in-depth discussion on the necessity to conserve the paintings and wooden statues of the Dambula Cave Temple. The Council also decided to seek the assistance of local …
by Nirupama Rao It is said of Bhutan that it walks between giants. Its geo-strategic situation makes it a hugely important country, however. Sandwiched between India and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, it has succeeded admirably in preserving its national identity, its rich cultural and spiritual heritage, and in advancing the development of its …
Continue reading ‘Bhutan Sandwiched Between China and India is Like a Yam Between Two Boulders.’ »
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka “How can legitimate governments, deriving their sovereignty from their people, accept fetters on their freedom from outside? We must be alert to the danger of a new colonialism, wrapped in spurious moral considerations, emanating from alien cultures.” – – ( President Premadasa, Address to the opening session of the 6th SAARC Summit, …
Continue reading ‘Core Philosophy That Animated President Premadasa’s Foreign Policy’ »
By Ranga Jayasuriya During much of his political life, ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa was a shrewd street fighter. Recently he has also proved what an accomplished puppeteer he is too. In many recent incidents, ranging from the mini-riot in Hambantota over the proposed export zone, to SAITM and the recent ill-advised intervention by the Mahanayakas, Mr …
Continue reading ‘If The Rajapaksas Are Brought To Book, Much Of The Current Protests Would Stop’ »
By Frances Bulathsinghala The Maithripala Sirisena-Ranil Wickremesinghe regime in Sri Lanka is suffering from a stress induced migraine since its election in 2015, triggered by strikes from trade unions against foreign assisted development projects, strikes by doctors against a controversial private medical college, and the shadow of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, suffered yet another attack …
Continue reading ‘Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Regime Is Suffering From Stress Induced Migraine’ »
BY GAGANI WEERAKOON The most heated Cabinet meeting ever since the election of President Maithripala Sirisena in 2015 took place last Tuesday at the President’s Secretariat with the impatient President cracking the whip against his UNP coalition partners for inaction or rather lethargy shown in taking action against the former First Family. As for the …
By The “Sunday Times” Political Editor The first real sign that the two and half year old coalition — once dubbed harmoniously as the ‘National Unity Government’ — is cracking emerged last Tuesday.It surfaced at the weekly Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Secretariat. In a no-holds-barred speech, an angry President Maithripala Sirisena did not mince …
by C.A.Chandraprema While the government seemed unable to come up with a solution for the SAITM crisis, a breakthrough in the impasse has come from an unexpected quarter – the Supreme Court. With the Supreme Court allowing the GMOA to become an intervenient petitioner in the appeal filed by the Sri Lanka Medical Council, a …
By Yohan Perera Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Saturday he would come up with a new proposal shortly to include provisions in the Constitution that would prohibit Governments from interfering with internal matters of three main Buddhist Chapters. The Prime Minister said this at the opening of the Weli Maluwa at Ruwan Weliseya in …
Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday criticised former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and backed the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances Bill, pointing out it would not be implemented with retrospective powers and would secure the rights of all Sri Lankan citizens in the future. Recapping Sri Lanka becoming a signatory to the UN International Convention …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene An ongoing war of words between President Maithripala Sirisena and prominent Ministers in the United National Party (UNP) sums up in a nutshell what’s wrong with the seeming ‘unity’ alliance. Perturbingly, the ‘unity’ part is looking increasingly tattered as we go along. Public anger regarding dysfunctional law enforcement In one sense, …
By Don Manu It was the Venerable Sobitha Thera’s battle cry for real change; and the joint opposition candidate Sirisena’s spring board to power to gain the presidency and then turn it into a eunuch to serve the needs of a parliamentary harem. But the fondest hope of the noble monk to see Sirisena birth …
BY GAGANI WEERAKOON A fresh tug of war has erupted between State authorities and Bhikkhu hierarchies over the ownership of Golden Temple in Dambulla which is recognized as the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka with Buddhist mural paintings (covering an area of 2,100 m2) and 157 statues, being dropped off the list of …
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan The Government has decided to closely monitor all Non Government Organizations (NGOs) and has initiated measures to take action relating to activities of ‘certain civil society organizations’ which are acting against the State. The Government has also decided to scrap the abbreviation ‘NGOs’ and replace it with CSOs , an abbreviation …
By Dr. Prasanna Cooray Enough is enough. This country has suffered a lot from a civil war fought on ethnic lines for nearly three decades. It left thousands dead including combatants and civilians caused irreparable damage to property, both private and public. The war cost us dear on the economic front as well. Furthermore, time …
By Shaahidah Riza Human rights lawyer Lakshan Dias asserted that he has factual evidence of churches being intimidated by hate groups and that he can, when necessary, produce evidence to support his claim. He went on to note that the mainstream media is biased and distorts facts, thus incidents of hate crimes are either under …
Sri Lanka will transform a former war torn district in the north into a major tourism hub in the region, the Tourism Ministry said in a statement here Friday. The Ministry said it had identified the Mannar District for major tourism infrastructure development projects and already over Rs. 40 million had been spent on making …
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By P.K.Balachandran The Sri Lankan government is in a bind over two important commitments it had solemnly made two years ago, one to the electorate of Sri Lanka, and the other to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. Maithipala Sirisena and Ranil Wickemesinghe became Sri Lanka’s President and Prime Minister respectively by promising …
BY WINSTON DE VALLIERE On 13 June the Cabinet of Ministers issued a statement stating that the Government had directed law enforcement authorities and the Attorney General to take immediate action against instigators and perpetrators of violence and hate speech against religious and ethnic groups. The nation is holding its breath waiting for that incredible …
By Ajit Kanagasundram Our foray into aviation has been nothing short of disastrous except in the early years and getting worse with almost daily revelations of corruption and ineptitude. I have chosen the title “Fly me to the Moon” as a parody of Mrs Bandaranayake’s promise to bring rice from the moon and provide it …
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday assured the House that no steps will be taken to amend Article 9 of the Constitution, which has assured the foremost place and the duty of the State to protect and foster Buddha Sasana, while assuring the rights granted to all other religions by Article 10 and 14 (1) (e …