By Tisaranee Gunasekara “…it is not the elimination of racialism or nationalism that we want in this world today; it is the harmonisation of nationalism and racialism for future progress.” Speech during the debate of The Citizenship Act The news barely made the news. Defence secretary (retired) General Kamal Gunaratne and Army Commander General Vikum …

Continue reading ‘In a development unprecedented in Sri Lankan politics, both electoral front runners the JVP and SJB are going out of their way to woo the most Sinhala-Buddhist supremacist institutions in the country.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan India and Sri Lanka are set to take ongoing discussions on the Economic and Trade Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) forward, with the next two rounds of bilateral talks scheduled later this month and in March. The progress in negotiations is significant for New Delhi and Colombo, as the much-discussed pact was stalled in …

Continue reading ‘India and Sri Lanka Revive Negotiations on the Economic and Trade Cooperation Agreement(ETCA) Between Both Countries;Two Rounds of Bi-lateral Talks Scheduled for Feb and March’ »

(Text of Press Release Issued on 18 Feb 2024 by the High Commission of India in Colombo about the Visit of the Indian High Commissioner to the Northern Province of Sri Lanka) !.High Commissioner of India, H.E Santosh Jha undertook his first official visit to Northern Province from 15-17 February 2024. Diverse engagements during the …

Continue reading ‘New Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha Makes First Official Visit to Northern Province to reiterate India’s unwavering commitment to the people of the region and Deepen socio-economic and cultural ties with the Province’ »

(Text of Press Release Issued on 19 Feb 2024 by the High Commission of India in Colombo about the Launch of construction of 1300 houses under Indian Housing Project in 45 Estates across 10 Districts of Sri Lanka) !. His Excellency Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India joined President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Ranil …

Continue reading ‘Construction of 1300 houses built under Phase-IV of Indian Housing Project (IHP) in 45 plantation estates across 10 Districts of Sri Lanka Virtually Launched on 19 Feb 2024 by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian Envoy Santosh Jha’ »

By W.A. Wijewardena Former World Bank senior economist and novelist, Sriyani Hulugalle, has published her latest novelette in Sinhala under the title ‘Shadows of Hantana’, a story she had penned when she was at the University of Peradeniya in the 1970s. This is her third published creative work, the previous two being ‘Beyond the Rainbow’ …

Continue reading ‘Sriyani Hulugalle’s Novelette ‘Shadows of Hantana’: A romantic experience for readers’ »

The Mawbima Janatha Party (MJP) and its presidential hopeful Dilith Jayaweera on Saturday at the Colombo District Summit, revealed plans to soon launch an ambitious action plan aimed at transforming Sri Lanka›s socio-economic fabric. This announcement came during a significant gathering at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo, which saw an impressive turnout of nearly …

Continue reading ‘Mawbima Janatha Party Leader and Presidential aspirant Dility Jayaweera Addresses Party’s Colombo District Summit and Unveils Plan for a “New Era of Transformation and Prosperity”’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Distinguished Emeritus Professor and Eminent Author and Poet Yasmine Gooneratne passed away on Thursday February 15th 2024.She was 88. After schooling at Bishops College , Colombo Yasmine went on to graduate from the University of Ceylon at Peradeniya. Thereafter she received a PhD in English Literature from Cambridge University,UK. Yasmine Gooneratne relocated to …

Continue reading ‘Distinguished Emeritus Professor and Eminent Author and Poet Yasmine Gooneratne passes away on Thursday February 15th 2024 at the age of 88.’ »

Tamil National Alliance Opposition Parliamentarian, President’s Counsel (PC) M.A. Sumanthiran has filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition in the Supreme Court (SC) against Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana and Attorney General (AG) Sanjay Rajaratnam PC, respectively, over the Speaker’s purported certification of the Online Safety Bill (OSB) and the AG’s alleged wrongful and …

Continue reading ‘Jaffna District Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran PC Challenges Online Safety Bill’s Purported Enactment by Filing FR Petition in SC against Speaker and A-G for Alleged Breach of Trust’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj What do Ranil Wickremesinghe, Dinesh Gunawardena and Anura Bandaranaike have in common? They were born a year after independence in 1949 and were classmates together at Royal Colege, Colombo. All three were from illustrious families involved in politics and went on to be brightly shining stars in the Island nation’s political firmament. Anura …

Continue reading ‘Anura Bandaranaike: “Always the bride’s maid, never the bride”’ »

BY D.B.S. Jeyaraj “The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry, ”penned the Scottish bard Robert Burns in his poem”to a mouse”. This truth was brought home in an explosive manner to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) 37 years ago when a massive explosion rocked the Kaithady area in the Thenmaratchi …

Continue reading ‘The Bowser Explosion in Kaithady that Rocked the LTTE on Valentine’s day.; 43 Killed 51 Injured.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj 41 years ago on February 13, 1983, a privately owned Lear jet flew out of Malaysia’s Subang Airport at 8.41 p.m. with six on board. It was expected to reach Colombo by 9.45 p.m. that night. 15 minutes after taking off, the plane lost radio contact with the airport. The final message received …

Continue reading ‘Upali Wijewardene: Lanka’s Beloved Home Grown Business Tycoon with the Golden Touch in Commercial Pursuits.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The heading of this article is inspired by the title of Milan Kundera’s novel “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”. That novel was set in the eventful Prague spring period of the then undivided Czechoslovakia. This article is about an octogenarian Tamil political leader who tries to cling on to power selfishly without stepping …

Continue reading ‘The Unbearable Selfishness of Being “Maavai” Senathirajah: Clings on to Power for 10 Years as ITAK Party President.’ »

By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene The Sri Lankan Government can ill afford to take the moral high ground and object to the Opposition calling the Online Safety Act, No 9 of 2024 as ‘erroneous’ when it has become amply clear that the Act has disregarded the Supreme Court’s imperative revisions as detailed in (SD) No 66-120/2023. Was …

Continue reading ‘The Minister of Justice cannot merely admit to ‘shortcomings’ in the Online Safety Act on the “devious” basis that all laws have shortcomings and that the Govt is ‘open’ to considering amendments’ »

டி.பி.எஸ்.ஜெயராஜ் கடந்த பத்து வருடங்களாக இலங்கை தமிழரசு கட்சியின் தலைவர் பதவியை வகித்துவந்த மாவை சேனாதிராஜா ஜனவரி 21 திருகோணமலை நகர மண்டபத்தில் கட்சியின் பொதுச்சபை உறுப்பினர்கள் மத்தியில் நடத்தப்பட்ட இரகசிய வாக்கெடுப்பில் யாழ்ப்பாண மாவட்ட பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர் சிவஞானம் சிறிதரன் புதிய தலைவராக தெரிவுசெய்யப்பட்ட பின்னரும் நிலைவரம் எல்லாம் ஏதோ பழைய மாதிரியே இருப்பது போன்ற நினைப்பில் இருக்கிறார். கௌரவமான முறையில் பதவியில் இருந்து இறங்காமல் அவர் தொடர்ந்தும் தொங்கிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறார். தமிழரசு கட்சி 2022 ஆம் …

Continue reading ‘மாவை சேனாதிராஜாவின் பொறுத்துக்கொள்ளமுடியாத சுயநலம்’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Sri Lanka known formerly as Ceylon gained independence from British rule on 4 February 1948. The Island nation celebrates the 76th anniversary of her “tryst with destiny” on Sunday. Events marking freedom day festivity are scheduled for the week-end. Even as the greater part of the Island is enveloped in a melodious mood, …

Continue reading ‘Jaffna Youth Congress was the First to Demand “Poorana Swaraj”( Complete Self-Rule) For Ceylon/SriLanka From Britain.’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “No spectators at chasm’s door…” – Mahmoud Darwish (I have a seat in the abandoned theatre) Sri Lankans are a notoriously impulsive people, quick to violence and to generosity. In times of public disaster, if left un-manipulated, the generous impulse is likely to dominate. Deeply divided racial and religious communities coming together …

Continue reading ‘Despite surface differences, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake both seem like economic ingénues with no clear notion of how to deal with a 21st century economy.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan If anyone visiting Sri Lanka’s Galle city this January needed a reality check on the extent of the island’s recovery after its crippling 2022 crisis, the thaembili [king coconut] offered it. The popular thirst quencher that would have cost a few dozens of rupees a couple of years ago, is now priced …

Continue reading ‘Galle Literary Festival Resumes after a four-year break; Sri Lanka’s popular literary festival signalled an openness in spotlighting sensitive issues of the day.’ »

By Karthick Ram Manoharan (Karthick Ram Manoharan is Assistant Professor of Social Sciences at the National Law School of India University. He is the author of Periyar: A Study in Political Atheism). Irrespective of whether one believes in the god Ram or not, the formal consecration of the Ram temple on January 22, 2024, marked …

Continue reading ‘Dravidian Politics Rooted in Non-Brahminism, Equality, Social Justice, Federalism and Tamil Assertion Offers Resistance to the Exclusionary Politics of Hindutva in Tamil Nadu’ »

சமுத்திரன் ( சண்முகதாசனின் 31 வது நினைவு தினம் இன்றாகும் (8 -2 2024). அதை முன்னிட்டு இந்த கட்டுரை பிரசுரமாகிறது) ‘ பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் எனது இரண்டாவது ஆண்டு ,1939 — 40, எனது முழு வாழ்க்கையினதும் திசையை மாற்றிய அந்த ஆண்டில் நான் ஒரு கம்யூனிஸ்ட் ஆகினேன். அதன் பின்னர் நான் அதனின்று வழுவவேயில்லை.’ இந்த வார்த்தைகளுடன் ஆரம்பிக்கிறார் சண்முகதாசன் தனது அரசியல் நினைவுகள் பற்றிய நூலை. அரசியலில் ஐம்பது ஆண்டுகளை நிறைவு செய்த சந்தர்ப்பத்தில் …

Continue reading ‘என். சண்முகதாசன : சமரசம் செய்யாத ஒரு கம்யூனிசவாதியின் அரசியல் வாழ்வு’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of Sri Lanka’s leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP or People’s Liberation Front), who is currently visiting India on New Delhi’s invitation, on Monday met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, in an indication of the Union government’s high-level engagement with the 55-year-old …

Continue reading ‘JVP Delegation led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake has “Good” Discussions with Indian National Security adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister Dr.S.Jaishankarr on “ regional security, Economic Challenges and bilateral issues concerning India and Sri Lanka,”;’ »

By Meera Srinivasan The Indian government has invited a delegation led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of Sri Lanka’s leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP or People’s Liberation Front), to New Delhi, in a significant outreach to the island nation’s most popular politician at the moment. “We leave tomorrow [Monday] morning and will be there for …

Continue reading ‘India Extends Official Invitation to JVP for the First Time; JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake to head Party Delegation on 5 Day Visit to New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Thiruvananthapuram’ »

By Kishali Pinto- Jayawardene Amidst furore over the long delayed arrest of Sri Lanka’s former Health (and currently Environment) Minister implicated with his senior officials in the scandalous procurement of substandard human immunoglobulin, the certification of the Online Safety Act, No 9 of 2024 by the Speaker this Thursday plunges the country into new and …

Continue reading ‘The certification of the Online Safety Act, No 9 of 2024 by the Speaker this Thursday plunges the country into new and dangerously untried depths of state repression.’ »

வீரகத்தி தனபாலசிங்கம் தேசிய இனப்பிரச்சினைக்கு அரசியல் இணக்கத்தீர்வைக் காணும் முயற்சிகளிலும் வடக்கு,கிழக்கில் எதிர்நோக்கப்படும் பல்வேறு மனிதாபிமானப் பிரச்சினைகளுக்கு தீர்வைக் காணும் முயற்சிகளிலும் தமிழ் அரசியல் கட்சிகள் ஐக்கியப்பட்டு ஒருமித்த அணுகுமுறையைக் கடைப்பிடிக்கவேண்டும் என்பதே தமிழ் மக்களினதும் அவர்களின் நலன்களில் அக்கறைகொண்ட சிவில் சமூகம் மற்றும் அவதானிகளினதும் இடையறாத வேண்டுகோளாக இருந்து வருகிறது. ஆனால், தமிழ்க் கட்சிகளின் தலைவர்கள் அது குறித்து அக்கறை காட்டக்கூடிய மனநிலையில் இல்லை. ஏற்கனவே இருபது வருடங்களுக்கும் அதிகமான காலமாக பல்வேறு மாச்சரியங்களுக்கு மத்தியிலும் …

Continue reading ‘தமிழரசு கட்சியின் தலைவராக சிறிதரனும் தமிழர் அரசியலும்’ »

By Shipa Nair Tamil actor Thalapathy Vijay on Friday announced the formation of political party, ‘Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam,’ stating his commitment to “fundamental political change” with transparent, caste-free, and corruption-free administration. The actor made the big announcement after his fan club, Vijay Makkal Iyakkam, gave a nod to the formation of the political party in …

Continue reading ‘Tamil Film actor Vijay announces Launch of political party named ‘Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’ (Tamil Nadu Victory Association); Party to Contest 2026 Tamil Nadu State Election’ »

By Meera Srinivasan ( 55 th Death Anniversary of CN Annadurai on 3 Feb 2024) Former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai may have been instrumental in shaping the course of Tamil Nadu’s political history. But his artistic and literary persona played a major role in his achieving the rare iconic status he enjoyed. His contributions as …

Continue reading ‘Tamil Nadu’s First DMK Chief Minister CN Annadurai known as “Anna” made very significant contributions to Tamil theatre, cinema, and literature.’ »

Former Health Minister and the current Environment Minister Keheliya Rambukwella was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) yesterday in connection to the controversial scam involving the import of substandard human immunoglobulin IV vials to Sri Lanka. Rambukwella was taken into custody following a 10-hour statement provided to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). On Thursday …

Continue reading ‘Former Health Minister and current Environment Minister Keheliya Rambukwella arrested by the CID (CID) in connection with the controversial scam involving the importat of substandard human immunoglobulin IV vials to Sri Lanka.’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham Although Jaffna district Member of Parliament Sivagnanam Sritharan had told the media on what principles he would lead the struggle for the political rights of the Tamil people after being elected as the leader of the Ilankai Thamizharasu Kadchi (ITAK) popularly known as Federal Party, it was expected that he would officially …

Continue reading ‘Ultra- nationalist forces in Southern Sri Lankan polity will definitely take advantage of Shritharan’s rise as the leader of the main political party of the Tamils and whip up communal propaganda that the separatist forces are re- emerging in the North and East. There are already clear signs of that.’ »

By Keith Noyahr Many have been my blessings over the past 15 years after a fresh lease of life afforded me in 2008. Spending quality time with my family including my grandchild more recently as well as attending spiritual retreats, with the latest ending on Australia Day long weekend, have been standouts. Retreats are a …

Continue reading ‘How Fearless Publisher Krishantha Cooray Helped Save the Life of an Abducted Journalist During the Rajapaksa Regime: A Heartfelt Birthday salute by a Grateful Colleague and Friend.’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The media spotlight is focused to a great extent on Jaffna District Parliamentarian Sivagnanam Shritharan these days. The 55 year old former school principal has been elected as the president of Sri Lanka’s premier Tamil political party the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party(FP). Shritharan has been …

Continue reading ‘The Attack on ITAK Jaffna MP Sivagnanam Shritharan by “Unknown” Gunmen in Anuradhapura.’ »

(Text of Press Release Issued by the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) on January 29, 2024) It is with regret we inform our members, supporters and well-wishers that Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) office was broken into and set on fire on early morning of January 27, 2024 by unidentified individuals. This reprehensible act appears to be …

Continue reading ‘Canadian Tamil Congress Office in Toronto Broken Into and Set on Fire by Unknown Persons on 27 January 2024 Morning;Canadian Tamil Congress Condemns Attack on Office; Urges Community Unity Against Hate’ »

(Text of Media Release Issued by the Akhila Ilankai Tamil Mahasabha on 30 January 2024.) The Akhila Ilankai Tamil Mahasabha, being a recognized Political Party since 20}6, held its 10th National Annual Convention on 28th January 2024 at the Sarvodaya Auditorium situated on Nilaveli Road, Uppuveli, Trincomalee. After repealing and replacing its Constitution, the Party …

Continue reading ‘10 Member Executive Committee Elected for Akhila Ilankai Tamil Mahasabha at Party’s 10th National Convention. Dr. K.Vigneswaran Elected Leader and Prof.Selvarajah as Chairman’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “Blessed One, Arhat One, Great Sage Sri Samanthabadra…” Part of the official invitation to the self-proclaimed Arhat cum Chief Sage Samanthabadra to preach his dhamma. “Mahinda is a religion. Mahinda is a philosophy. Mahinda is a culture and a morality this country needs.” Chief Incumbent of Mirisewetity (Lanka news web – 14.8.2020). …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka is a country we kill to call our own and yet yearn to leave. If any Western country offers instant visas to all applicants, how many Sri Lankans would be left in this land of serendipity?’ »

By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene Perhaps it is only a politician of Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe’s or his close comrade Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ‘pedigree’ who has the chutzpah (read, audacity) to talk about Sri Lanka’s ‘pappadum’ political culture, hot on the heels of the Government passing one of the country’s most atrocious laws, the Online Safety Bill. Tasteful …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s Political Culture and its Political Leaders are like Puffed up “Pappadams” which Crumble Quickly and easily when Under Pressure’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The premier political party representing Sri Lankan Tamils in Parliament has got a new leader. The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party(FP) has elected Jaffna district Parliamentarian Sivagnanam Shritharan as its president in Trincomalee on 21 January 2024. The president elect will be formally installed in office at …

Continue reading ‘Is the ITAK President Elect Shritharan Changing Party Policy From Espousing Federalism to that of Supporting TamiL Eelam?’ »

By Janani K Music director Ilaiyaraaja’s daughter and playback singer Bhavatharini died of cancer on January 25. According to reports, she went to Sri Lanka to get treated for liver cancer. However, she died at around 5 pm in Sri Lanka. Her body will be brought to Chennai tomorrow, January 26, where the final rites …

Continue reading ‘Tamil Musician and Singer Bhavatharini Dies of Cancer in Sri Lanka on 25 January; 47 Year old daughter of Maestro Ilaiyaraja won Indian National award for song “ Mayil Pola Ponnu Onnu”’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa was portrayed as a monument of efficiency who could uplift Sri Lanka by his “Viyathmaga” cronies and his family party the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna(SLPP) at the Presidential elections of 2019. More than 6.9 millio people voted him to stupendous success, Barely three years later Gotabaya fled from Sri Lanka …

Continue reading ‘Bharatha’s Killing, Duminda’s Conviction, Gotabaya’s Pardon, Hirunika’s Petition and the Supreme Court’s Historic Ruling.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Fifty years ago in January 1974, the International Association of Tamil Research (IATR) held the fourth World Tamil research conference in Jaffna. Violence was unleashed against Tamil civilians attending a cultural event linked to the conferency by a Police contingent led by the then ASP Chandrasekera. The background to the Jaffna conference and …

Continue reading ‘People’s Tribunal Headed by Justice De Kretzer Condemns Police in Jaffna for Excesses at the IATR World Tamil Research Conference on 10 January 1974.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Jaffna District MP Sivagnanam Shritharan has been elected as the new President of the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party(FP). The inner party election was held on Sunday 21 January 2024 in Trincomalee. Shritharan will be officially declared ITAK President next week when the ITAK party convention takes …

Continue reading ‘Jaffna District MP Sivagnanam Shritharan Elected as the New President of the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) at Inner Party Meeting in Trincomalee on 21 January 2024.’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham The present Sri Lankan constitution, in place for more than four and a half decades, has seen 21 Amendments. Most of them were brought by incumbent presidents to suit their political interests and were fundamentally anti-democratic. But the 13th Amendment, which has a relatively democratic dimension in comparison, has long been the …

Continue reading ‘If a Sri Lankan govt does away with the 13th amendment, can such an arrangement be brought back through domestic domestic process given the fiercely anti devolution mood in the South?’ »

By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene When bare-faced lies are uttered by the President of a country to the apex court of the land, of what worth is the Constitution? The murky circumstances of the Silva pardon This question arises in the wake of Wednesday’s ruling by the Supreme Court holding that the pardon granted in 2021 by …

Continue reading ‘Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had failed to submit even a single document to establish that he had properly exercised his discretion in Granting a Pardon to Duminda Silva’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj “Suma, Shri And Yohes In Triangular Contest For ITAK/FP Leadership” was the heading of my article published in the “Daily Mirror”of 16 December 2024. Ihe article was about the forthcoming election for the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) President post. The ITAK known as the Federal Party (FP) in English is the premier political …

Continue reading ‘Shritharan Backed by Yoheswaran Asks Sumanthiran not to Contest the ITAK President Election.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The shooting of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and conviction of Duminda Silva was a controversial episode in contemporary Sri Lankan history. Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra known as “Lucky Aiya” and three of his bodyguards were killed on 8 October 2011 in a shoot-out near the Walpola junction close to Mulleriyawa town, about six miles away …

Continue reading ‘The Killing of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and Three Bodyguards in the Mulleriyawe Shoot-out near Walpola Junction.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Supreme Court Order Squashing the Presidential pardon granted by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to Ex-MP Duminda Silva has once again turned the media spotlight on the chief victim Bharatha Lakshman’s courageous daughter Hirunika Premachandra. The former MP has earned the sympathy and admiration of many people by her doughty campaign for justice …

Continue reading ‘Hirunika Premachandra’s Letter to Gotabaya Rajapaksa when he issued a Presidential Pardon to Duminda Silva Convicted of Killing Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra’ »

By Meera Srinivasan The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka on Wednesday revoked the presidential pardon granted to a former parliamentarian convicted for murdering a political rival. Ruling on the case challenging former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s 2021 pardon of ex-MP Duminda Silva, the country’s top court deemed the decision “arbitrary and irrational”, and directed prison authorities …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Supreme Court Quashes the “Arbitrary and Irrational” Presidential Pardon Granted by Gotabaya Rajapaksa to Convicted Killer Duminda Silva’ »

by Krishantha Prasad Cooray In a country of cosmetic changes where ‘new faces’ deliver disappointment or worse, it was indeed heartening to learn that Dr Upul Dissanayake has been elected as the next President of the Ceylon College of Physicians. I first met him years ago, but it didn’t take that long for me to …

Continue reading ‘Dr.Upul Dissanayake Hailed by Patients as “The Miracle Doctor” Elected as the next President of the Ceylon College of Physicians.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj A significant event in the post-independence history of the Sri Lankan Tamils took place fifty years ago on 10 January 1974 in Jaffna. A joyful cultural celebration was marred by the Sri Lankan Police unleashing violence against Tamil civilans. Ecstasy turned into agony when the panic-stricken people ran helter – skelter for safety. …

Continue reading ‘Jan 1974 World Tamil Conference in Jaffna, Poiice Attack on Public and Civilian Deaths .’ »

By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene When Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister calls upon an opposing parliamentary colleague taking issue with the ‘new’ Anti-Terrorism Bill tabled in Parliament this week, to justify where and in what country, anti-terrorism laws are solely dispensed with, he is missing the wood for the trees to put it mildly. The burden of …

Continue reading ‘The solution for Sri Lanka is to enact a narrowly drafted Anti-Terror Act that does not cause unholy confusion between who is a terrorist and who is not.’ »

By Sandun Jayawardana On Parliament’s first sitting day on Tuesday, Badulla District Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian Chaminda Wijesiri, making a shocking announcement, told the House that he chose to resign as the people had rejected all 225 MPs in the present Parliament and that it no longer had the people’s mandate. Mr. Wijesiri also …

Continue reading ‘Former Badulla MP Chaminda Wijesiri says what made him resign from Parliament was the sense of betrayal he felt when his own SJB Colleagues Failed to Support him at the Parliamentary Ethics Committee against him’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The ringing in of a new year is a time for reflection,re-appraisal and renewal. The year 2024 marks the 94th anniversary of universal franchise and the 76th anniversary of Independence from Britain for the Island nation. 2024 also marks the 15th anniversary of the end of its three decade long “civil” war. The …

Continue reading ‘Whither the “Ilankaith Thamizhar” (Lankan Tamils) of Sri Lanka?’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) had for long enjoyed the reputation of being a cohesive ,monolithic organization.Whatever the differences within the LTTE, the Tigers, to their credit, were able to project to the outsider a picture of impregnable unity. Despite the rumblings of discontent that have arisen at various times within the …

Continue reading ‘How Former LTTE Deputy Leader Gopalaswamy Mahendrarajah alias “Mahathaya” was Arrested on 3 August 1993 and Executed on 28 December 1994.’ »

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti (Text of message delivered at Lasantha Wickrematunge’s Grave, Borella on 8 January 2024) Fifteen years is a long time. A very long time to wait for justice and closure. Just now we spoke about keeping memories alive. Memories stay strong and our memories have made this gathering possible. But why are we …

Continue reading ‘Lasantha’s “Sunday Leader”’ was a long and sustained “Aragalaya” against Racism,Nepotism and Corruption and the newspaper was an early warning system coupled with a call to action.’ »

By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene Whether in regard to war crimes, gross corruption or economic white collar crimes, unearthing accountability in Sri Lanka is somewhat akin to peeling away multiple layers of a rotten onion. First, the stench overwhelms you. Secondly, each layer is correspondingly more decayed than the previous. Finally, one is left with the …

Continue reading ‘An unholy nexus between police abusers and politicians is very much out in the open, in the highly mis-titled ‘Yukthiya’ (‘Justice’) operation spearheaded by Public Security Minister Tiran Alles and Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennekoon.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj When the Tigers Shot Down the Lionair Flight 602 in the Mannar Sea-PART TWO The focus of this two-part article is the tragic plight of Lionair 602 flight twenty-five years ago. The first part of this article published last week related how the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) shot down an Antonov 24 …

Continue reading ‘The Tragic Plight of Lionair 602 Flight 25 Years ago.’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham Sri Lanka has seen eight Presidential elections after the introduction of Executive Presidency in 1978. But no previous election has been hyped like the upcoming Presidential election months before it is due to be held. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was elected by Parliament for the remainder of the term of President Gotabaya …

Continue reading ‘It is unfortunate that Sri Lankan Tamil politics is increasingly becoming a laughing stock! Is there a Tamil leader today who commands wide acceptance among the Tamil people in both the Northern and Eastern provinces?’ »

The 15th anniversary of the assassination of The Sunday Leader founder Editor-in-Chief Lasantha Wickrematunge, which falls on Monday, 8 January, will be marked with a service at his graveside. Family, friends, former colleagues, and others will gather at Borella Kanatte at 9 a.m. to mark the anniversary and remember Lasantha. Assassinated on 8 January 2009, …

Continue reading ‘Graveside memorial service to mark 15th anniversary of Lasantha’s assassination – On Monday 8 January 9 a.m. at Borella Kanatte’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “We talk about Tiananmen Square being all about democracy; it was because they had runaway inflation. The French Revolution wasn’t about liberté, fraternité, egalité, it was about rampant food price inflation” – Albert Edwards (Societe Generale: Global Strategy Alternative View) In China Mieville’s speculative murder mystery, The City & The City, two …

Continue reading ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe was more correct than his opponents when he opted for direct taxation to raise revenue; by returning to the seemingly easy path of hiking indirect taxes, he has regressed to the economic-policy-levels of those who seek to replace him.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Twenty-five years ago an Antonov 24 aircraft carrying fifty-five civilians from Jaffna to Colombo was shot down over the Gulf of Mannar by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 29 September 1998. The LTTE known as tigers was then at war with the Sri Lankan armed forces. Of the fifty- five …

Continue reading ‘When the Tigers Shot Down the Lionair Flight 602 in the Mannar Sea.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Mohammed Najeeb Abdul Majeed created history eleven years ago when he was sworn in as the Chief minister of the Eastern province on 18 September 2012 by the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Najeeb Abdul Majeed known popularly as Najeeb achieved two significant “firsts” then . Not only did he become the first Muslim …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s First Muslim Chief Minister Najeeb Abdul Majeed.’ »

By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene As Sri Lanka’s newest Bribery Commission cracks its shell with more than a smidgen of difficulty in the backdrop of ugly strain between its metaphorical parents, the Constitutional Council and President Ranil Wickremesinghe, circumstances can hardly be less propitious for this fledgling creature to survive, let alone thrive. Ministers and the proverbial …

Continue reading ‘Deshabandu Tennekoon along with Tiran Alles and Sagala Ratnayake presides over a media parade, ironically titled ‘Yukthiya’ (Justice) in catching ‘sprats’ of the drug underworld while their political and police Godfathers escape the net.’ »

by Arun Janardhanan & Janardhan Koushik Tamil super star and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) founder Vijayakanth, fondly called as ‘Captain’, passed away at a private hospital in Chennai on Thursday after a prolonged illness. He was 71. Vijayakanth’s death marks the end of an influential chapter in Tamil Nadu’s political history and leaves a …

Continue reading ‘Popular Tamil Cinema Actor and DMDK Party Founder -Leader Vijayakanth Known as ‘Captain’ and “Black MGR” passes away at the age of 71.’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando Eksath Janaraja Peremuna leader and SJB MP Patali Champika Ranawaka has said that Public Security Minister Tiran Alles could resort to legal action if there was no basis for the recent declaration by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) that he has offshore holdings, identified by Pandora Papers. Former Minister and …

Continue reading ‘Patali Champika Ranawaka wants the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) to conduct a proper inquiry into the allegatiion against Public Security Minister Tiran Alles by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) that he has offshore holdings, identified by Pandora Papers.’ »

டி.பி.எஸ். ஜெயராஜ்/ D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This is a Tamil Translation of the English article headlined “fSumanthiran , Shritharan and Yoheswaran in Triangular Contest to Become Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Latchi (ITAK)President.) பெடரல் கட்சி (எவ் பி ) என ஆங்கிலத்தில் அழைக்கப்படும் இலங்கை தமிழரசுக்கட்சி வடக்கு மற்றும் கிழக்கிலுள்ள இலங்கைத் தமிழர்களின் முதன்மையான அரசியல் கட்சியாகும்.தமிழரசுக்கட்சி யா னது 1949 டிசம்பர்18 இல் உருவாக்கப்பட்டது.இலங்கைத் தமிழரசுக்கட்சியின் 75வது தினம் …

Continue reading ‘தமிழரசுக்கட்சியின் தலைமைப் பதவிக்கு மும்முனைப் போட்டி: களத்தில் சுமந்திரன், சிறிதரன், யோகேஸ்வரன்’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) is at present intensely focused on the need for a national liberation movement. According to him, when looking at the social, political, and economic realities of Sri Lanka, it is clear that what is needed today is social change; what is needed for …

Continue reading ‘Anura Kumara Dissanayake ’s national liberation movement and the Tamil National question’ »

Rev. Fr. Jude Chrysantha has accused Public Security Minister Tiran Alles of making false accusations regarding an alleged appeal made to the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) on behalf of Fr. Cyril Gamini after a road accident. Convening a special press conference on Friday (22 Dec.) in his capacity as the Director of the …

Continue reading ‘Catholic Church in Sri Lank Publicly Accuses Public Security Minister Tiran Alles of Uttering Lies; “We urge Minister Tiran Alles to refrain from spreading such falsehoods” states Fr. Jude Chrysantha Director of the Colombo Archdiocesan Commission for Social Communications’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “Hey, c’mon, come out, wherever you are We need to have this meeting, at this tree Ain’t even been planted yet.” June Jordan (Calling on all minorities) On August 14, 2006 the Sri Lankan air force bombed an orphanage in Vallipunam killing 61 schoolgirls. The Rajapaksa administration insisted that the location was …

Continue reading ‘The dehumanising of non-Buddhists by the Mahawamsa is the tribal counterpoint to the Buddha’s universalist teaching. Though Sinhala-Buddhist children memorise that Dhammapada stanza, it is the Mahawamsa attitude that guides their lives.’ »

By Ranga Jayasuriya Sri Lankan economy expanded by 1.6 per cent in the third quarter of this year, slowly emerging from one and half years of contraction. With the service sector picking up and manufacturing showing a seasonal hike, the fourth quarter may log 7-8 per cent growth, partially compensating for the first two quarters …

Continue reading ‘One cannot deny Ranil Wickremesinghe the credit for lifting Sri Lanka from its worst-ever economic crisis. Ranil’s feat would loom large over peers in similar predicaments from Argentina to Lebanon.’ »

(Text of Media Release Issued by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) on 20 December 2023 under the heading “Reducing the Tax Burden”) Around 40 professional associations and trade unions representing vital sectors of the economy and the public services have been agitating for a reduction in income taxes for many months. In the meantime, …

Continue reading ‘The SLPP which I lead is a part of the government. However the present Head of the Government and Head of State is the leader of a different political party with different policies. At this moment, the primary duty of the SLPP is to ensure a stable government until the next national elections. ‘ –Mahinda Rajapaksa’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran,his spouse Madhivadhani Erambu. Daughter Thuvaraka and sons Charles Anthony and Balachandran along with thousands of other Tamils died in the final phase of the armed conflict at Mullivaaikkaal in the Karaithuriaipattru AGA division of Mullaitheevu district in May 2009. Though fourteen years have passed …

Continue reading ‘“Operation Leader’s Daughter”: The Attempted Fraud Using a False Thuvaraka Prabhakaran.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party (FP) is the premier political party of the Northern and Eastern Sri Lankan Tamils.The ITAK/FP was formed on 18 December 1949. The 75th birth anniversary of ITAK will be celebrated next year. The ITAK was the leading political party of …

Continue reading ‘Sumanthiran , Shritharan and Yoheswaran in Triangular Contest to Become Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Latchi (ITAK)President..’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Readers have evinced a lot of interest in the contents of the first part of this article published last week. This article’s focus on the fraudulent attempt to promote an impostor as Thuvaraka the daughter of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran has evoked much response from readers. The feedback …

Continue reading ‘How the Overseas LTTE Raised Funds From the Tamil Diaspora.’ »

By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene In another dubious record for Sri Lanka’s paralyzed criminal justice system, the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) who had assumed his post recently trailing clouds of controversy regarding his professional conduct, has been held directly responsible by the Supreme Court for violation of Article 11 of the Constitution (freedom from …

Continue reading ‘Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennekoon, along with subordinates had violated the law in arresting an ex-soldier for alleged implication in several thefts, thereafter unlawfully detaining and torturing him during 15th -22nd December 2010. States Supre Court Ruling’ »

By Meera Srinivasan As Sri Lanka tries to rebuild its battered economy after last year’s devastating crisis, the country’s political scene is gradually heating up, in the run up to two national elections scheduled next year — parliamentary and presidential — that will give citizens their first chance to vote, after they dislodged the Rajapaksas …

Continue reading ‘“Our appeal to people of the north is not ‘please join us, we will fulfil your needs’. We are appealing to them, to be part of this movement to defeat this corrupt ruling clique. We are saying let us unite, rebuild this country, and fulfil the requirements of the all the communities together” – JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake’ »

By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene Parliamentarians draping shawls supposedly in sympathy for the plight of the people of Gaza while deaf, dumb and blind to the fate of their own constituents and exchanging tiringly customary allegations across the floor of the House as to who is ‘more corrupt’ and ‘who is more communalist’ underlines the growing …

Continue reading ‘The signal focus of MP’s during the budget debates should be as to how Sri Lanka’s ‘recovery’ from bankruptcy can be ‘engineered’ to shield the most vulnerable segments of the populace from literal starvation.’ »

By Arjuna Ranawana The deep shadow of conspiracy that allegedly created the conditions for Gotabaya Rajapaksa to become President through the Easter Sunday massacre continues to darken many aspects of Sri Lankan life. Governance is in disarray, and the government’s inability to pick an officer of high calibre, whose reputation is intact, to fill the …

Continue reading ‘A Dysfunctional Government Brings Out a Controversial Acting Top Cop’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Yesteryear Actress Nissankara .Savitri was at one time regarded as the greatest actress to adorn the Tamil silver screen. She was hailed then as “Nadigaiyar Thilagam “( Doyenne of Actresses) in Tamil and “Mahanati” (Great Actress) in Telugu. Savitri was born on 6 December 1934. This article therefore is to denote her 89th …

Continue reading ‘“Nadigaiyar Thilagam “( Doyenne of Actresses) Savitri.; The Rise and Fall of a Great Actress.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Lankan poet and linguist M.A. Nuhman is deeply pained by the bloodshed and mass killings that ravage Gaza, sparing no one — not even infants. His anger at the brutal violence against civilians, and his solidarity with the people of Palestine, have found familiar expression in Tamil verse. Last month, he wrote …

Continue reading ‘A Voice for Palestine: How M.A. Nuhman’s translations of poems on the Palestinian cause have resonated with Sri Lankan Tamils Fighting State Oppression’ »

________________________________________ By Tisaranee Gunasekara “So it goes.” Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughterhouse-Five) In the grand scheme of things, a monk and a quack draping a robe on a Buddha statue may seem silly, at most. Even if the statue is a 1,500-year-old work of art. Sri Lanka, contrary to President Wickremesinghe’s assertions, is still teetering on the …

Continue reading ‘In Sri Lanka, saffron is the new colour of impunity. There’s very little a man cannot get away with, from slapstick comic to violently dangerous, if he happens to wear a yellow robe. Monks are not just above the law; they have a law unto themselves. Often, they are the law.’ »

By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka The responses to Henry Kissinger’s death at 100, proves that if a person’s contribution to his/her field is sufficiently significant, he or she will, on balance, be regarded positively as having made a lasting mark within that field, whatever the horrors he/she may have been responsible for along the way. Kissinger was …

Continue reading ‘Kissinger was the last great Realist thinker-practitioner in the fields of foreign policy and diplomacy. Viewed from the standpoint of ethics and morality, his crimes outweighed his constructive contribution, but from a Realist perspective, the evaluation is the reverse.’ »

By Ranga Jayasuriya Two weeks back, crisis-hit Argentina elected a far-right outsider as the President, ending nearly eight decades of dominance of the mainstream right and left in the politics of South America’s second-largest economy. President-elect Javier Milei, a libertarian and a media showman, rode on a wave of public anger at the political establishment, …

Continue reading ‘The JVP does not have the right ideological inclination and intellectual sophistication to lift the country out of the economic crisis. It might make things worse and cause Gotabaya’s destruction of the economy to look like child’s play’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj William Shakespeare wrote in his play “Julius Caesar” thus – “His life was gentle, and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, This was a man.” . Much hackneyed as they may be , these enduring words of the Bard of Avon aptly …

Continue reading ‘Gamini “Gamma”Weerakoon: From Reporter to Editor.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eleam (LTTE) leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran was born on 26 November 1954. If he were among the living, Prabhakaran would be celebrating his 69th Birth Anniversary today (Nov 26). This article intends focusing on the life and times of the man who determined the politico-military course of the island nation …

Continue reading ‘Little-known Facts About Legendary LTTE Leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran’ »

By Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene Weeks after the November 14th decision of the Supreme Court with the majority holding gross failures in fiscal and monetary discipline by the Rajapaksa-led regime from 2019-2022 had comprised an extraordinary breach of the Public Trust triggering Sri Lanka’s bankruptcy, it does not seem that political leaders or their cheering …

Continue reading ‘The mood on the street is clearly ugly and turning towards an even more deep-seated rejection of the ruling political establishment beyond the ‘Aragalaya’ (protest) of last year. Then, it was spontaneous anger combined with an idealistic demand to ‘send the crooks home. What is surfacing now is deadlier and vastly unpredictable in form.’ »

By Mimi Alphonsus In April 2020, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested Mohamed Razeek Mohamed Ramzy at his home in Katugastota for violating the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), among other charges. His crime was to have written a Facebook post urging Muslims to counter alleged racist attacks against their community through …

Continue reading ‘The Persecution of Mohammed Ramzy for writing a Facebook post urging Muslims to counter alleged racist attacks against their community through an “ideological jihad” (struggle) using the “pen and keyboard.”’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Recent arrests made by Sri Lanka police using a controversial anti-terrorism law, whose repeal remains a key demand of rights defenders in the island nation, has sparked concern among Tamil legislators, activists, and international agencies including the UN. In a post on social media platform ‘X’ on Friday, Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian …

Continue reading ‘Recent Arrest of 10 Persons by Sri Lankan Police Under the “Draconian” Preventionof Terrorism Act Sparks Concern among Tamil MPs, Human rights activist and International Agencies Including UN.’ »

For someone who promoted his own views so tirelessly, Henry Kissinger was surprisingly misunderstood. Many see him as the arch-exponent of an amoral realism that tarnishes America. Sure enough, like any diplomat, he lied for his country (and occasionally himself). More disturbingly, he was willing to see tens of thousands of people killed if he …

Continue reading ‘Many see Henry Kissinger as the arch-exponent of an amoral realism that tarnishes America.More disturbingly, he was willing to see tens of thousands of people killed if he thought that the national interest demanded it.’ »

Early in june 1970, soon after America had invaded Cambodia, Henry Kissinger secretly visited Brian McDonnell, a 27-year-old peacenik he had spotted in Lafayette Park opposite the White House. It was one of his many efforts that year to persuade his younger critics that they should give war a chance. As with so many others, …

Continue reading ‘Henry Kissinger’s style was to work outside the official machinery of the State Department and the foreign service, which he thought had sapped American diplomacy of its vigour and creativity.’ »

(Text of Editorial appearing in the “Daily FT”dated 30 November 2023 under the heading “Get basics right first in Colombo city before envisioning entertainment hub) President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced plans this week to make Colombo an “entertainment hub.” Any plan to make the country’s metropolis a more liveable city and make it tourist-friendly is welcome. …

Continue reading ‘President Ranil Wickremesinghe is a Colombo. Resident. Before Making Colombo an “Entertainment Hub”,he should be aware of the numerous issues that not only the residents of the city face but also thousands who come to the city every day.’ »

. By Suhasini Haidar India has set up a “high-level” enquiry committee to look into allegations made by the United States government regarding an Indian plot targeting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S.-based Khalistani activist wanted on terror charges, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced here on Wednesday. The explosive allegations, contained in a U.S. …

Continue reading ‘US Justice Dept Files Indictment against Indian National Nikhil Gupta Over Alleged Conspiracy to Assassinate US Citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun; Senior Indian Intellige Official Suspected of Masterminding Plot to kill Sikh Activist Pannu on US Soil’ »

By’ Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka has reached an “agreement in principle” with India and the Paris Club group of creditors including Japan, on a debt treatment plan that will help the crisis-hit island nation tap the next tranche of the International Monetary Fund’s nearly-$3 billion recovery package. “The OCC [Official Creditor Committee] and Sri Lanka …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka has reached an “agreement in principle” with India and the Paris Club group of creditors including Japan, on a debt treatment plan; Lenders ‘expect’ transparency from ‘other bilateral creditors’ alluding to China’ »

By Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s highly inappropriate jocularity in Parliament this week when commenting about the ‘Public Trust’ Doctrine only reinforces the (unfortunately) pejorative stamp of his Presidency as undermining the Constitution. ‘Public Trust is everything’ Mind, this is not in the typically crude sledgehammer style of Medamulana rule but more subtle and …

Continue reading ‘President Wickremesinghe characterised the Constitutional Council (CC) as being ‘part of the executive’. Undeniably, the CC was established to check executive power and not to act as an executive appendage.’ »

(Text of Speech made by Jaffna District Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran in Parliament on 22.11.2023) Thank you Hon. Chair for the time allocated to speak a few words on these heads of expenditure We have had an interesting debate so far, with his Excellency also participating. One of the institutions under consideration is the constitutional council, …

Continue reading ‘“Former President Mahinda Rajapakse,must resign, if he has any semblance of a sense of dignity, and if he respects rule of law, if he respects democracy, he must promptly resign from Parliament and accept responsibility.”- MA Sumanthiran MP’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “It is apparent that the continued inaction to reintroduce and/or to raise taxes, and regain the government revenue that was lost, brought about an adverse impact on the economy which had a domino effect on the entire social fabric.” Supreme Court of Sri Lanka The Supreme Court judgement about the Rajapaksa culpability …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan military is Sri Lankan in name only. In reality, it is a Sinhala-Buddhist military wedded to Sinhala-Buddhist interests. An anomaly in a demographically pluralist land and a dangerous one.’ »

By Ranga Jayasuriya Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the three Rajapaksa brothers and a cabal of officials were responsible for the economic crisis, delivering an unprecedented judgement that could be the precursor to Sri Lanka’s long march for justice. The Court ruled by the majority judgment that the Rajapaksa brothers and five of …

Continue reading ‘Supreme Court ruling has opened a window for any Sri Lankan to seek compensation from the Rajapaksas for economic, physical and psychological distress they had been subjected to due to the economic crisis.’ »

By Josh Robertson A retired police commander has shed new light on claims that the former Sri Lankan government may have colluded with a terrorist group for political gain, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people, including Australians, in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The attacks by Islamic state-inspired terrorists on churches and luxury …

Continue reading ‘Former Deputy Inspector General of Police Ravi Seneviratne Tells Australia’s ABC investigations that Probe by Police into the 2019 Easter Attacks were Derailed Through Political Interference Immediately after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was Elected President; Says Leade Investigator and 22 others were Removed and Over 700 CID Personnel Intimidated by an Overseas Travel ban.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan China is “prioritising” the extension of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) to Sri Lanka, the country’s Special Envoy told President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday, in an indication that China is looking to scale up the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project in South Asia. Paying a courtesy call on the Sri Lankan …

Continue reading ‘China will Prioritize the Extension of the China -Myanmar Economic Corri dor(CMEV) to Sri Lanka states Visiting Chinese Special Envoy Shen Yiqin in Colombo at meeting with President Ranul Wickremesinghe’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Today November 11th is observed in many parts of the World including Sri Lanka as Remembrance day or War memorial day. It is also called Poppy day due to the tradition of wearing a poppy flower. Remembrance day has its origins in the end of world war one. Although world war 1 concluded …

Continue reading ‘Larry Wijeratne: The Sinhala Army Officer who Won the Hearts and Minds of Vadamaratchy Tamil People.’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Popular Tamil cinema actor Gemini Ganesan whose 103rd birth anniversary falls on November 17th is regarded widely as the greatest romantic lover in Tamil cinema . In a career spanning more than five decades Gemini Ganesan made his mark in Tamil films as the romantic hero par excellence. In fact he was …

Continue reading ‘Gemini Ganesan Known as “Kaadhal Mannan” (Romance King) was the greatest lover on the silver screens of Tamil Cimema’ »

By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene A ringing reminder by the Supreme Court this week holding three Rajapaksas (two former Presidents and a Minister of Finance) along with their economic tsars and a politically driven Monetary Board responsible for Sri Lanka’s calamitous bankruptcy, was that ‘the Rule of Law is not only rights and equality….(it) is also about …

Continue reading ‘Supreme Court Ruling must surely make the political establishment, its avaricious panjandrums and the sundry collection of white collar parasites still feeding off Sri Lanka’s rotting carcass, shudder in their well heeled shoes’ »

By Dan Sheehan In a video address to the Munich Literature Festival yesterday, the human rights activist and Booker Prize-winning author of The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy made a powerful speech in solidarity with the Gazan people, and with the millions around the world marching for a ceasefire. Roy—who could not attend the …

Continue reading ‘“The solution can only be a political one in which both Israelis and Palestinians live together or side by side in dignity, with equal rights. The world must intervene. The occupation must end. Palestinians must have a viable homeland.”- Arundhati Roy’ »

(Text of Speech made by Jaffna District Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran During the Budget Debate on – 15th November 2023) Thank you presiding member for the opportunity to speak at the second reading of the budget proposals that have been presented to this House by his Excellency the President and Minister of Finance. Whenever I have …

Continue reading ‘“Public Money has been Stolen by he Former President,his brothers and several others who worked with them. They have taken the money out of the country. What the Supreme Court should have done is to have ordered them to pay compensation for every citizen of this country, and bring that money into the treasury and that would have seen the revival of this country’s economy.”- MA Sumanthiran MP’ »

By Chandani Kirinde President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday in Parliament presented his Government’s 2024 Budget, the second since taking office in July 2022 and the last before the country goes to the polls to elect a new Head of State late next year. Though the President made it a point to say it was not an …

Continue reading ‘President Ranil Wickremesinghe Presents Pre -election year Budget with incentives for public servants, pensioners and those on State welfare programs as well as promises of housing and land ownership for thousands of others.’ »

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda The Supreme Court today held that several respondents including former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and former Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal are responsible for economic crisis in the country.

(Text of Press Release Issued by the President’s Media Division on 14 November 2023) President Ranil Wickremesinghe underscored his desire for a resurgence of cricket in the country, linking its revival to the broader economic recovery. He made these remarks in response to a journalist’s inquiry during a meeting with heads of media organization at …

Continue reading ‘“This year’s budget is poised to reshape both the nation’s economy and political landscape. My goal is to ensure the success of the country’s economic development program without the influence of politics.” President Ranil Wickremesinghe Tells Media Institution heads’ »

In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court yesterday determined that ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, along with former Finance Ministers Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, bear responsibility for Sri Lanka’s severe economic crisis and had thereby violated the fundamental rights of the people by mismanaging the economy between 2019 and 2022. The apex court found that the …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Supreme Court determines that ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa along with former Finance Ministers Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, bear responsibility for Sri Lanka’s severe economic crisis and had thereby violated the fundamental rights of the people by mismanaging the economy between 2019 and 2022.’ »

(Text of Budget Speech Delivered in Parliament by Preside Ranil Wickremesinghe in his Capacity as Finance Minister on 13 November 2023) Honourable Speaker, The Lord Buddha has elucidated on a concept called “Samjeewikatha” (balance living). He explained this concept in the Vyagghapajja Sutta. The concept elaborates on how to balance our budget. The Buddha has …

Continue reading ‘Budget themed “A Prelude to a Bright Future,” Presented in Parliament by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his Finance Minister Capacity:Full Text Of Budget Speech’ »

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The landmark verdict delivered by a three -judge bench of the Supreme court in the first week of October has brought “glad tidings of great joy” to most Sri Lankan political parties in general and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) in particular. The Supreme court bench comprising Justices Padman Surasena , …

Continue reading ‘Rise and Fall of “Hafiz” Nazeer Ahamed in the Muslim Congress.’ »

By Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene The Supreme Court’s pronouncement while examining Sri Lanka’s Online Safety Bill in the determination communicated to the Speaker earlier this month that, ‘Parliament need not wait till a crime is committed to enact laws’ invites a measure of critical scrutiny in good conscience. What or who does the Bill protect? …

Continue reading ‘In principle, there is no doubt that sensible and fair regulation is needed. The question remains however as to whether the Government’s Online Safety Bill is a fit and proper legislative vehicle for the purpose?’ »

The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka has expressed its profound sorrow at the passing away of one of its founding members, Mr. Gamini Weerakoon, whose funeral took place in Colombo yesterday. Mr. Weerakoon was the former Editor of The Island and the Sunday Island.He joined Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., as a parliamentary reporter in …

Continue reading ‘Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka Mourns the Passing away of Former Editor of “The Island” and “Sunday Island” Gamini Weerakoon; Expresses Profound Sorrow at the Sunday Funeral of Veteran editor who was one of the Founding Members of the Guild’ »

Gamini Weerakoon, veteran journalist and one-time editor of The Island and Sunday Island, passed away yesterday (Nov 11 2023) after a brief illness. An alumnus of St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia of which he was later a loyal old boy, he entered the Science Faculty of the University of Ceylon (Colombo campus) and later transferred …

Continue reading ‘Veteran Journalist Gamini Weerakoo (Gamma)n No More! Former Editor of “The Island” and “Sunday Island” Passed Away on 11 November 2023 After a Brief Illness.’ »

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj This is the fourth and final part of the article about how I was arrested by the CID and detained on the infamous 4th floor in October 1987. The first,second and third parts were published in the “Daily Mirror” on 14,21 and 30 October respectively. In this fourth and final part the focus …

Continue reading ‘How I was Released from 4th Floor Detention by the CID and Cleared of all Charges by the A-G Dept and Courts.’ »

(Full Text of keynote address by First Lady Prof. Maithree Wickramasinghe delivered at the Breast Cancer Symposium 2023 on the theme ‘Empowering Hope, Uniting Hearts and Advancing Minds’ organized by the Indira Cancer Trust on Friday,13 October 2023) I consider it a distinctive privilege to be here this morning, (though not necessarily to be dressed …

Continue reading ‘“I was Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in March 2020 just as COVID-19 began sweeping the world and our island”—- First Lady Prof. Maithree Wickramasinghe talks about her experience with Cancer for the First time at a Public Event’ »