By Don Manu If those ultra chauvinists who thump the ‘Sinhala only’ drum, do so out of a genuine concern that a separate state of Tamil Eelam will sooner or later be established on Lankan soil if measures are not taken now to prevent its inevitability, they should be amongst the first to hail the …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene A revealing comment was made to me by an infuriated social justice activist last week in relation to disturbing trends that have surfaced in public debate. As he said caustically; ‘when we raise criticism of government policy in discussion, the immediate response within some civil society groups is that of unmitigated …
By P.K.Balachandran The Tamil politicians’ allegation that the Sri Lankan army had injected a poisonous drug into former Tamil Tiger combatants while the latter were in detention or undergoing rehabilitation in camps run by it, is likely to lose steam because those who have made the charge are unable to come up with any names …
By Yohan Perera The people in the North want the Navy to remain there in order to prevent the South Indian fishermen from encroaching into Sri Lankan waters, a Tamil politician said today. Minister of National Integration, Reconciliation and Languages Mano Ganesan, who was the chief guest at the launch of the Sinhala translation of …
By Disna Mudalige All Joint Opposition MPs attached to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will step down from their district and electoral organiser ranks within the next few days, MP Keheliya Rumbukwella said. Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, Rambukwella said the resignation letters would be sent to the Party Leadership shortly. MPs Dullas …
By Pradeep Samarakoon and Chaminda Silva Prisons, Rehabilitation and Re-settlement Minister D.M. Swaminathan has said that under no circumstances will anyone be allowed to remove the existing Buddhist temples or statues in the North, and Buddhist monks and devotees had the right to build temples and statues in any part of the Northern Province.
By P.K.Balachandran Facing a major challenge from former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to his authority as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), a challenge which could affect his chances in the crucial local bodies’ elections to be held early next year, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena went on a two-day pilgrimage to Tirupathi, …
Believe it or not! The National Security Council (NSC) recently considered a proposal by a top Defence Ministry official to impose a ban on Muslim women in Sri Lanka wearing the burqa or niqab. The burqa is the full body dress, usually black, with a mesh cover over the eyes. This is worn by some …
By The Political Editor of “Sunday Times” After the religious rituals ended on Nikini Poya day (on Wednesday August 17), President Maithripala Sirisena, who was at his Paget Road residence found time to read the day’s newspapers. His attention was drawn to a report of a news conference the ‘Joint Opposition’ leaders had given on …
by Randima Attygalle “If we humans are supposed to be the most evolved species, we should be understanding other animal species and work around them. On the contrary, we do our development work assuming that elephants (in this case) will work around us. So we get the bright idea of fixing an electrical fence and …
Continue reading ‘Human-Elephant Conflict Should be Converted to Human-Elephant Co-Habitation’ »
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “If the ‘development’ of a country goes hand in hand with the worsening of the living conditions of the people, for whom or for what is that development? A developed country for a malnourished people – is this not an insanity? Must the people of the country gaze at highways like a …
By Kanthar Balanathan The Northern Province population of 993,741, is 31.92% of the total population of 3,113,247 Tamils in the island. The remaining 68.08% of Tamils live outside the Northern Province. The population composition of Tamils by district is: Jaffna -577,745 -18.56% of total Tamil population Mannar – -80962 – 2.6% -do- Vavuniya -142,561 – …
by Saman Mallawarachchi Undergraduates of the Eastern University yesterday held Higher Education and Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella incommunicado for hours till he agreed to give them a written assurance that he would solve the problems they were faced with. The minister arrived at the university around 9.30 am to declare open several buildings, but the …
By P K Balachandran The United States has backed out of an undertaking to medically examine former combatants of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who had allegedly been injected with a poisonous drug when they were in detention or undergoing rehabilitation in camps run by the Sri Lankan army. The Chief Minister of …
by Shamindra Ferdinando The Australian government has told the breakaway JVP faction, the Front-line Socialist Party (FAP) that it could revoke its leader Kumar Gunaratnam’s Australian citizenship only if Sri Lanka guaranteed he would be given Sri Lankan citizenship again FSP spokesperson Pubudu Jagoda said that their leader wanted to revert to Sri Lankan citizenship …
President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday threatened to reveal it all if the SLFP rebels formed a new party. He said the SLFP-UNP coalition would continue till 2020 and what it planned to do next would be disclosed at that time. The president was addressing a large gathering in Matara to mark the first anniversary of the government. …
State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene has dismissed the claims by the Tamil politicians in the North that the rehabilitated members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been poisoned by the Government when they were undergoing rehabilitation at Government camps. Sri Lanka’s Tamil politicians have alleged that 105 former LTTE members have …
The Financial Crimes Division (FCID) of the Police today informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate, that Sujani Bogollagama, a director of N.R Consultant and Govers Corporation had admitted herself to the paying ward of the National Hospital, to avoid arrest. The Colombo Fort Magistrate ordered to the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) to examine the suspect Sujani …
By P.K.Balachandran The Governor of Sri Lanka’s Tamil majority Northern Province, Reginold Cooray, is organizing an international investment forum in Jaffna on August 22, and is planning to set up a One-Stop Shop at the Jaffna Secretariat to help persons wanting to invest in the war-devastated Northern Province. But this move could become an issue …
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said today that President Maithripala Sirisena must take responsibility for the spilt within the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). He also said the President was conspiring to give the UnIted National Party (UNP) the upper hand. He was referring to the President’s decision to remove members of the Joint Opposition from …
The proposal by D.M. Swaminathan, Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs, to accept the national policy on durable solutions for conflict-affected displacement, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. The policy was prepared with the consultation of ministries, national, provincial and district level stakeholders, UN agencies, Civil Society organisations, and displaced …
By Uditha Jayasinghe The Government is hoping for a leg up for the Northern Province from an investment forum that targets key segments of the local economy and hopes to attract fresh investors to the job-starved region. Organised jointly by the Northern Governor Reginald Cooray and the Board of Investment (BOI), it is expected to …
By P.K.Balachandran In a tragic incident early in the morning on Wednesday, four elephants, including a calf, were killed when they got in the way of a speeding train near Madu in North West Sri Lanka. The elephants were crossing the track when the Colombo bound night mail train dashed against them, police said. The …
By P.K.Balachandran The Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Tamil-majority Northern Province, C.V.Wigneswaran, has said that US Air Force’s medical team, currently in the province on a goodwill visit, will examine former Tamil Tigers combatants who had fallen sick allegedly because they were injected with poisonous substances by the Sri Lankan armed forces when they were …
(US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Atul Keshap’s Remarks at the Reception Held in Jetwing Hotel, Jaffna August 15, 2016) Thank you so much for joining us on this beautiful rooftop on an absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous evening here in Jaffna. I have a few prepared remarks. The first thing I want to say – and I …
By Dharisha Bastians “The Report of the 1994 Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate the Disappearances of Persons noted that its investigations echoed the common yearning; Never Again” – Dr. Vasuki Nesiah, Clarifying the Past & Commemorating Sri Lanka’s Disappeared It all happened in a flash of black and the terrifying sound of shots fired …
By Gagani Weerakoon President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday handed over letters of appointment to forty new District and Electoral Organizers of the SLFP after stripping many of the former stalwarts, who are now openly supporting the Joint Opposition, off their posts. Accordingly, 16 Electoral Organizers and 24 District Organizers received their appointment letters at the President’s …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka “We all remember the horrors of the past, the violence of three decades and the anti-democratic governments. Compare that situation to today. Civil society groups are flowering and members are key advisors in governmental task forces and decision making.” – US Ambassador Athul Keshap, ‘US Air Force strengthens historic American ties with …
Continue reading ‘Referendum on New Constitution Would be the “Stalingrad Battle” of Sri Lanka’ »
By Ajantha Kumara Agalakada This interview with President Maithripala Sirisena appearing in the “Daily Mirror” covers the controversial issues of the Paada Yathra,VAT Bill, Port City project and plans to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Sri Lankan Freedom Party (SLFP). The President shared his views with the “Daily Mirror’s sister paper ‘The Sunday Lankadeepa’ …
By Nushka Nafeel A tense situation erupted during the campaign of ‘Different yet Equal’ close to Baudhaloka Mawatha yesterday. A group of monks representing the “Singha Le Jathika Balamuluwa” disrupted the unity campaign claiming that the campaigners cannot use the term “Singha Le” during their demonstration. The ‘Different yet Equal’ refuted it saying that “Singha …
By Rasika Jayakody “Future generations are not going to ask us what political party were you in. They are going to ask what did you do about it, when you knew the glaciers were melting” – Martin Sheen The centre-left Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, a party that pushed former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to a path of …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda Nithya Senani Samaranayake who functioned as a director of two companies owned by Hambantota district MP Namal Rajapaksa was ordered remanded till August 22 by a Colombo Court for her alleged involvement in money laundering amounting to Rs.45 million. On Monday (15) MP Namal Rajapaksa and Sudarsha Bandara Ganewatta who were arrested …
By Vishwamithra1984 It was reported last week that President Maithripala Sirisena would be the chief guest at the 70th Anniversary celebrations of the United National Party (UNP). Maithripala Sirisena is not only the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka; he is the current leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), in …
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) Leader and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan is reported to have had a microphone thrown at him by Northern Provincial Council Deputy Chairman Antony Jeyanathan during an argument over the appointment of a national list Parliamentarian.
By Somapala Gunadheera The recent gimmicks seen at the passing of the “Office of Missing Persons Bill” (OMP), reminded me of a couplet I used to hear often in the heyday of ‘Thuppahi Culture’. It ran, “If you want to marry me darling, come the proper way – Peeping through the window darling what will …
By Shaahidah Riza If there was any bad precedent in passing the Office of the Missing Persons (OMP) Bill, the Joint Opposition MPs were responsible for it, said Minister for National Co-existence Dialogue and Official Languages, Mano Ganesan.
The government is using intimidatory tactics to stifle dissent ahead of reintroducing the new VAT amendment Bill in parliament traders’ told The Island. On the 8th of August the shops of three traders in Pettah who had taken part in the anti-VAT hartal were sealed by the Customs Department. Asian Traders, Anglo Shirts and Romax …
By Chamodi Gunawardana The Joint Opposition yesterday said it planned to seek court intervention to issue a Writ Order against the Office of Missing Persons to be established by the Government in the next few weeks. Speaking to the media, Democratic Left Front General Secretary Vasudeva Nanayakkara and a vehement supporter of MP Mahinda Rajapaksa …
DIFFERENT YET EQUAL Come and stand with us for a free, equal and peaceful Sri Lanka, at 4.30pm, on 15th August (Monday) 2016, on Bauddhaloka Mw (past Arcade near the traffic lights leading to Independence turn-off). WE ARE… Sri Lankan citizens from diverse backgrounds unified in our desire for a just and democratic country. We …
By Namini Wijedasa Angry protests from Sri Lankans domiciled in Australia and the High Commission there forced the withdrawal of Australia’s Bureau of Statistics (ABS), giving an option, particularly to those of Tamil origin, to declare whether they are from ‘Tamil Eelam’ when responding to a query on their “country of birth”. This is for …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene The raucous commotion in Parliament this week with the passing of the Office of Missing Persons Bill without a vote is reflective of our utterly degenerate political culture. Even now, there is no clear idea of the numbers mustered on the floor to ensure the passage of this enormously significant legislation. …
By Chandani Kirinde Thus far, members of the Joint Opposition (JO) group have managed to grab more than their fair share of attention, mainly due to their boisterous behaviour within Parliament, than for their role in enriching the legislative business. However, this week they got bogged down in a situation they themselves created by attempting …
by Saman Indrajith Incidents during the debate on the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) Bill in the House on Thursday had caused huge damage to the dignity and decorum of Parliament and both the government and the Opposition should be ashamed of it, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said yesterday. Jayasuriya said the Joint Opposition MPs were …
By Razeen Sally Expectations were high after the January and August elections last year. The incoming Government promised a new era of political liberalism, good governance, ethnic reconciliation and a balanced foreign policy. Not least, it stirred hopes of a more market-oriented economic policy that would, finally, make Sri Lanka achieve its long-heralded potential. What …
Continue reading ‘“Achilles Heel”of Yahapalanaya Govt is Lack of Credible Economic Plan’ »
By P.K.Balachandran Sri Lanka has come to an agreement with China to create a Colombo International Financial City (CIFC) which will not only be an international financial services center, but a place where people can park their money, the Minister in Charge of the Megapolis project, Patali Champika Ranawaka said here on Friday. Speaking to …
By Saman Indrajith State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe’s conduct in the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) came under severe criticism from his fellow COPE members yesterday evening for his attempt to intimidate and threaten witnesses of the controversial Central Bank bond issue, a senior COPE member told The Island. The state minister threatened and tried to …
By P.K. Balachandran Undeterred by the clashing interests of the US, India and China in the South and East Asian region, Sri Lanka is assiduously wooing these countries to achieve a quantum leap in economic development making up for 30 years of stagnation brought about by an ethnic conflict and a brutal war. While the …
(Text of Statement on the Bill on the Office on Missing Persons tabled in Parliament by Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Foreign Affairs, MP, on 11 August 2016) Hon. Speaker, The Office on the Missing Persons’ Bill, which we will be debating today in this House, I believe heralds a new beginning, a new era …
By Dharisha Bastians The National Unity Government passed landmark legislation to help thousands of families trace missing loved ones after skillfully outmanoeuvring the pro-Rajapaksa Joint Opposition, which launched a sustained effort to obstruct proceedings and prevent the bill’s passage in Parliament yesterday. The Office of Missing Persons Bill was passed with amendments and without a …
By Saman Indrajith The Joint Opposition’s protest enabled the government to rush the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) Bill through parliament yesterday. The Bill was passed with amendments amidst shouting and chanting of slogans by Joint Opposition against the government. When the time came for Notice of Motions and Orders of the Day, Leader of …
The draft Bill to establish an Office on Missing Persons (OMP) was passed with amendments in Parliament without a vote. The Bill was adopted despite objections raised by the joint opposition which alleged that the Bill will betray the military. The government had earlier said there have been strong requests for providing true information on …
SEVEN years ago, at a busy crossroads in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s largest city, armed men in an unmarked white van abducted Stephen Sundararaj. He was going home, his three children snuggled up against him, after idling for weeks in a police cell. Mr Sundararaj, then a 39-year-old project manager at a local human-rights group, had …
By Dharisha Bastians The Paada Yaathra in March 1992 led by Mahinda Rajapaksa, the 47-year-old SLFP Parliamentarian from Hambantota, was epic. Over 17 days, the marchers travelled 280 kilometres from Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo to Kataragama, in the deep southern heartland that the Rajapaksa family calls home. The trajectory of the 1992 Paada Yaathra intentionally …
By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe Wasim Thajudeen, a talented rugby player, a friend to all and a man full of smiles, was brutally murdered and his body was left in a charred state at Narahenpita, four years ago. After much investigation, many breakthroughs and dead-ends, the case is yet to be solved. Although nothing was heard of …
By Emilio Mayorga Courtesy of Suba Sivakumaran LOCARNO — Suba Sivakumaran’s has been presenting her debut project “The House of My Fathers,” at the 69th Locarno Open Doors showcase, devoted this year to national cinemas from South Asia region.
By Sandasen Marasinghe and Disna Mudalige A large number of Bills were passed and became law during the last decade in the same manner following the procedure which has been followed in respect of the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, although the latter had been treated differently, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday. He also …
By Upul Joseph Fernando Former British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka David Gladstone, speaking to BBC Sandeshaya related a wonderful story on 2 July 2008. “During the government of President Premadasa, present President Mahinda was a very good friend of mine. He came often to meet me. On occasions he met me, he told me …
By Saman Indrajith Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday informed Parliament that the Supreme Court had determined that the Value Added Tax (Amendment) bill was unacceptable as it had failed to adhere to due process a financial bill should follow. Making a special announcement the Speaker said: “The Court has determined that the provisions contained in Article …
BY Lankesh Gooneratne An Interview with UPFA Puttalam District MP Sanath Noshantha Perera who has been Suspended from the SLFP for allegedly criticising President Mauthripala sirisena’s leadership in a TV Debate Excerpts: Q;What is your opinion about being suspended as a Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) member? A: I actually think that I should not …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Sri Lanka is now making a collective effort to seek national reconciliation. That would require concerted actions, through constitutional and administrative means, to address specific grievances of minorities. However, to begin that process, one should first have to distinguish between real and fictitious grievances. The problem in this country is that genuine …
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday, considered the disciplinary action to be taken against Puttalam district Parliamentarian Sanath Nishantha as a disciplinary action to be taken against all SLFP members in the Puttalam district.
By Manushi Silva The party would forgive Puttalam district Parliamentarian Sanath Nishantha and reconsider the decision taken by the Central Committee to suspend his party membership if he makes a public statement that he accepts President Maithripala Sirisena as the President of the SLFP, Western Province Chief Minister Isura Dewapriya said. The SLFP Central Committee …
by Zacki Jabbar The United States of America says it wants to partner with the Sri Lankan military while assisting the government in drafting a new constitution and meeting commitments it had made to the United Nations Human Rights Council with regard to accountability issues. An UN Human Rights Council endorsed resolution has called for …
by Pradeep Samarakoon UPFA Puttalam District MP Sanath Nishantha threatens to move courts against President Maithripala Sirisena if the latter removes him from the party. He says he will also expose all those who are out for his scalp. He said he would not accept President Sirisena as the Chairman of the party.
by Shyam Nuwan Ganewatte Traders’s unions are poised to hold protests throughout the county starting from tomorrow against the government’s plan to take up the VAT amendment bill in Parliament on Thursday. Union representatives said that they would conduct a countrywide hartal tomorrow by shutting down their shops and taking to the streets. As part …
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN NEW DELHI, August 8: Bollywood film Dishoom starring Sri Lankan beauty queen Jacqueline Fernandez with John Abraham and Varun Dhawan has grossed over a billion rupees in nine days at the worldwide box office since its release on July 29. The film has grossed INR 830.7 millionat the domestic box office …
By Gagani Weerakoon Meanwhile, the government has raised its concerns over the behaviour of Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran over the past year or so. Wigneswaran who assumed duties as the Chief Minister in October 2013 has thus far failed to assist previous government or the present government which also has the backing of …
By P.K.Balachandran Although Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena had promised that his government would release, by November 7, 2015, all incarcerated members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) against some of whom charges had not been filed, 90 are still to be released. The Tamil detainees, who consider themselves “political prisoners” and not …
By P.K.Balachandran The Chief Minister of the Tamil-majority Northern Province of Sri Lanka, C.V.Wigneswaran, has said that accountability for the war crimes allegedly committed in the last phase of Eelam War IV must be established before the Sri Lankan government formulates a new constitution to address the basic political question. Addressing the Tamil Peoples’ Council …
By Zahrah Imtiaz Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Chairman, President Maithripala Sirisena along with the party Central Committee has unanimously decided to empower the General Secretary to take disciplinary action against any member who is found to have defied party orders. “On Thursday evening, we had two important meetings, one was with leading SLFP activists …
By Ishara Ratnakara Though Additional Colombo Magistrate Nishantha Peiris had ordered the arrest of Joint Opposition (JO) and SLFP Hambantota District MP Namal Rajapaksa on charges of having carried out illegal transactions at the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) using political clout, the Police have failed to arrest him to date though nine days have elapsed …
By Shakthi De Silva In a recent event concerning the foreign policy of Sri Lanka, Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda declared that Sri Lanka’s foreign policy since the government change of 2015 has been ‘friendship with all; enmity with none.’1 The significance of coining this phrase has been missed by some. The import of this statement rests …
by Maheesha Mudugamuwa The National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS) scientists have named three new Sri Lankan tiny goblin spiders of the genus Brignolia species in honour of prominent Sri Lanka authors. NIFS Science Education and Dissemination Unit Communication and Media Officer Pradeep Piyathilake told The Island yesterday that the study authored by NIFS scientist …
By Ranjit J. Perera The Auditor General in his report on the affairs of the University of Jaffna, for the year ended 31 December 2013, appears to have effectively obscured attention on several problems in this important seat of learning in north Sri Lanka. The report was published in the Government gazette just one day …
By Rajan Hoole Conflicting nationalist narratives – as adaptations of received history to explain the present and direct the future – have, for each community, its inner logic. This is evident in how the Sri Lankan media has treated the Jaffna University’s first clash between Tamil and Sinhalese students. In this regard, the university has …
By Malinda Seneviratne What did the Joint Opposition achieve by marching from Kandy to Colombo? What does it say about the strength of the joint Opposition? Does it say anything about the strength or otherwise of what is being called, tongue-in-cheek, the ‘Official SLFP (Sri Lanka Freedom Party)’? Has to solidified the alliance between the …
Continue reading ‘Kandy to Colombo March Clearly Showed Where the Rank and File of the SLFP Stood’ »
By P.K.Balachandran Hundreds of Sinhalese students of Jaffna University, who had fled to their homes in South Sri Lanka after a violent clash with their Tamil counterparts on July 16, are yet to come back to the campus despite assurances from the University Vice Chancellor that peace prevails and that their security is assured. Sources …
By Rasika Jayakody When the Joint Opposition’s ‘Paada Yatra’ protesters approached the SLFP headquarters at Darley Road, on Monday evening, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a patron of the SLFP and a party member for over 45 years, was leading the march. The moment they saw the SLFP headquarters, protesters started chanting slogans against the party …
by C. A. Chandraprema The Joint Opposition’s pada yathra from Kandy to Colombo over five days from the 28th of July to the 1st August undoubtedly made political history. This country has not seen anything like it before. I observed the commencement of the pada yathra in Kandy on the 28th and its end in …
By Upul Joseph Fernando Ranil Wickremesinghe recently went to China similar to when Gamini Dissanayake was sent by JR to India during the period 1983-1987 when India was growling at Sri Lanka. JR sent Gamini to India to see whether, the LTTE India made could be given back to India and put an end to …
Continue reading ‘China Too Cunning to Fall Into Trap Set by Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »
by Rajiva Wijesinha Chanaka Amaratunga died 20 years ago on August 1st, 1996. He died a very disappointed man, for he had not been put into Parliament at the previous election. Those of us who have been in Parliament can vouch that that is no panacea for disappointment, given how sadly our Parliamentary traditions have …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka In the Denzel Washington movie ‘The Equalizer’, a character explains his behaviour after an especially dramatic scene, saying “It sends a message: I am here”. That is the single most important effect of the significant Paada Yatra, the long march from Kandy to Colombo. Mahinda Rajapaksa has sent that same message to …
Award-winning Sri Lankan carrier Srilankan Airlines, yesterday signed on board actress Jacqueline Fernandez, as their brand ambassador, Indian media reported. The letter of agreement was exchanged between Srilankan Airlines Chairman Ajit Dias and Jacqueline Fernandez, at St. Regis Hotel, in Mumbai.
By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya The recent outburst against journalists by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has caused raised eyebrows, not least because it flies in the face of the yahapalana government’s pledges to create a freer environment for the media. The PM’s remarks at an event in Kandy on the 23rd were unabashedly threatening. He did not …
Continue reading ‘Ranil’s outbursts against journalists: A case of controlling the narrative?’ »
By Dasun Edirisinghe The Kandy-Colombo Pada Yathra was only a warm-up act and the Joint Opposition (JO) would achieve its goal with the help of the next mass protest, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in Colombo last evening. Addressing a massive crowd at the Lipton Circus at the conclusion of the five-day Pada Yathra, which …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Joint Opposition spokesman MP Udaya Gammanpila yesterday alleged that the police had made a series of abortive attempts to sabotage Pada Yathra at the behest of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government. The police acted as if they had been receiving directives from Sirikotha as regards the five-day protest, UPFA MP Gammanpila said. The MP …
by Rex Clementine On Saturday, Angelo Mathews achieved what even legendary Sri Lankan captains like Arjuna Ranatunga and Mahela Jayawardene failed to achieve. Mathews’ two predecessors were brilliant tacticians and had outstanding teams at their disposals, but never achieved a Test win against world’s best team – Australia. Mathews leading a young Sri Lankan team …
By DR. DAYAN JAYATILLEKA [Former Ambassador to the UN in Geneva] I write to refute a statement made with direct reference to me, by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera in the course of his response to former President Rajapaksa in the newspapers of Monday August 1st 2016 under the caption “Enough is Enough”. I have no …
(Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s response to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s statement on the Office on Missing Persons) Presidential commissions, including those appointed by Mahinda Rajapaksa such as the LLRC and Paranagama Commissions, have received complaints from the tens thousands of family members of those who have gone missing due to conflicts in the …
By Anura Balasuriya, Pradeep Samarakoon and Chaminda Silva The Pada Yathra from Kandy to Colombo against the government entered its penultimate phase yesterday with the Joint Opposition protesters resuming the walk from Nitambuwa to Kiribathgoda around 9.30 a.m. The organisers of Pada Yatra said they anticipated government sponsored moves to disrupt their protest march in …
By Aubrey Kuruppu in Pallekele Angelo Matthews’ much-maligned men performed the incredible when they swept to a 106-run win over Australia slightly before tea on day five of the opening Test in the series at the Pallekele Stadium yesterday. Under the cash for their performances from the World Cup, the Sri Lankans, unheralded and unsung, …
Police are investigating whether any external element was behind the recent violence at Jaffna University while a committee appointed by the university administration conducts its own inquiry into the matter. Violence erupted over the disputed staging of a Kandyan dance act during festivities welcoming first-year students to the university on July 16. “We are investigating …
by Gamini Weerakoon Muttiah Muralitharan, who brought unparalleled fame and glory in cricket to Sri Lanka not so long ago, was last week being accused by this country’s cricketing nincompoops, fanatical nationalists and bookie associates of treason! It was indeed ironic that while this baying at the moon was continuing, the supreme body for Cricket, …
By Skandha Gunasekara Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa charged that the government had attempted to sabotage the Pada Yathra protest walk from day one of the march. Addressing media persons during the walk yesterday, the former President alleged that attempts to disrupt the walk began with the arrest of his brother and former Minister of Economic …
BY SHAAHIDAH RIZA AND RATHINDRA KURUWITA The government will not be a barrier to the Joint Opposition’s (JO) Pada Yathra; however they might self-impose a barrier and blame it on the government, said Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister for Health Rajitha Senaratne. Addressing a media briefing yesterday he also denied that the government has not blocked …
By Dasun Edirisinghe SLFP Chief Ministers of Provincial Councils yesterday asked their PC members not to participate in the Pada Yatra protest march organised by the Joint Opposition from Kandy to Colombo, starting today. Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Colombo, six chief ministers from Western, Southern, North Western, North Central, Sabaragamuwa and …
By Chaminda Jayalath and Kavindya Chris Thomas Mawanella Magistrate L.K. Mahinda yesterday ordered the Joint Opposition (JO), which is set to start its march from Kandy to Colombo today, to use alternative routes circumventing the Mawanella town and its city limits. The JO is set to kick off its much touted four-day protest march from …
by Cyril Wimalasurendre Kandy Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala after considering an application by the police ordered the organisers of the Joint Opposition’s protest march from Kandy to Colombo starting today to commence the march from outside the city limits. The magistrate also ordered the membership drive organised by the United National Party (UNP) to follow …
By Ajith Siriwardana The Joint Opposition said today that they would commence their scheduled Pada Yathra from Galaha Junction tomorrow morning while respecting the court order not to conduct the protest march within the Kandy city limits.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced today that Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan will be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He is the first Sri Lankan to be accorded the honour.
Cricket heavyweights Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara have come out in defense of former team-mate Muttiah Muralitharan, saying the spin-king need not defend his decision to coach the Australian team.
Canadian Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion will arrive in Sri Lanka on an official visit , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced . In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sri Lanka said: ‘This bilateral official visit to Sri Lanka by a Foreign Minister of Canada takes place after 13 years, and within less than …
Former Sri Lanka cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara said that spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan doesn’t have to defend himself as ‘Murali is a great son of Sri Lanka’. “Murali is a great son of Sri Lanka and he doesn’t have to defend himself. He love his country. He is free to consult or coach anyone,” Sanga …
By Amaradasa Silva The right status and respect deserved for Buddhism should remain intact in the constitution, Colombo’s Archbishop Rt. Rev. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said today. He expressed this view while participating at a religious ceremony held under the patronage of Chief incumbent Ven. Daranagama Kusaladhamma Nayaka Thera at the Sri Sambodhi Viharaya in Colombo. …
Sri Lanka’s record-breaking spinner Muttiah Muralitharan launched a blistering attack Monday on his former bosses after they complained about his behaviour in his new role as a mentor to Australia. After his former employers said Muralitharan was damaging his legacy, the 44-year-old accused Sri Lanka’s board of setting him up as a fall guy if …
BY SULOCHANA RAMIAH MOHAN It was just a another clash between two groups studying at the same campus, but this clash at the Jaffna University aroused much attention on 16 July onwards. The sudden outbreak of verbal abuse, pelting of stones and fisticuffs erupted over a matter that should have been solved on the previous …
By P.K.Balachandran C.V.Wigneswaran, Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Tamil majority Northern Province, and S.Thavarajah, Leader of Opposition in the Northern Provincial Council (NPC), have together asked the Lankan government to set up a “full-fledged” Commission of Inquiry to conduct an in-depth probe into last Saturday’s clash between Tamil and Sinhalese students in Jaffna University saying …
(Following is the text of the 93rd Birth Anniversary memorial oration of Late Leader of Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) M Sivasithamparam at the Karaveddy, Thachchai Araneri School, Jaffna made by Leader, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and Minister of City Planning and Water Supply, Rauff Hakeem. ‘We need new remedies to old problems.) Ladies& Gentlemen, …
Continue reading ‘“Our First Problem is that we Dont Know What Our Problem is” – Rauff Hakeem’ »
By Radhika Coomaraswamy (C.Suntheralingam: – Grandfather’s Letters – Edited by Anjalendran – A Review by Radhika Coomaraswamy) Before I say a few words about the book, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I must first position myself re Mr. Suntheraligam. I am a grand niece of his in the way Sri Lankans define grand …
Continue reading ‘“Maverick” C. Suntheralingam was the Muhammed Ali of the Tamil Community’ »
By Jolly Somasundram “ Whereof we cannot speak, thereof we must be silent” – Ludwig Wittgenstein. The front page of the “Island” of 13th July carried a media statement of His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, on delays of rehabilitation by government, of those who suffered from the explosion of ordnance at Salawa. The statement “urged …
Continue reading ‘Procedures? Bungawewa! The Santa Claus Approach to Salawa Rehabilitation’ »
By P K Balachandran A violent clash between Tamil and Sinhalese students of Jaffna University last Saturday has led an indefinite closure of the university, the only institution of higher learning in Sri Lanka’s Tamil-majority Northern Province. Four Sinhalese students were injured, one of them seriously, when students belonging to the two communities attacked each …