By Malinda Seneviratne Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was spot on when chided those who are raising a hue and cry about the proposed Economic and Technology Cooperative Agreement (ETCA) with India. His point was simple: how can you object to something that does not exist? Correct. There’s no ETCA. Yet. That’s the catch. Yet. And …
By C.A.Chandraprema The main issue of the week past was supposed to be the commencement of the constitutional reform process with the passage of the Prime Minister’s resolution on parliament sitting as a committee of the whole house to draft a new constitution for Sri Lanka. The debate on the PM’s resolution was held, but …
Though the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) earned a name for passing a record number of resolutions in the recent past, this week the councillors were at loggerheads when Chief Minister C.V. Wigneshwaran moved a resolution against a resolution that had already been passed. He claimed that the reason for submitting his own resolution was that …
By P.K.Balachandran Sri Lankan Tamils, whether living in the island or overseas, have a dim view of Tamil Nadu poet and lyricist Vairamuthu’s intention to write a kavyam (epic) on the Lankan Tamils’ liberation struggle. While acknowledging Vairamuthu’s capabilities as a lyricist, poet and writer, Lankan Tamils wonder if he is driven by the right …
(Text of Press Communique Issued by the Media Centre of Former President and Kurunegala District Parliamentarian Mahinda Rajapakse) Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake said at a press conference yesterday that president Mahinda Rajapaksa had ordered a luxury cubicle worth four million US Dollars to be fixed onto aircraft used by him and that because of the agreement …
by Dasun Edirisinghe The JVP on Thursday vowed not to allow the government to implement the highly controversial Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with the Indian government even if it was passed by Parliament. It said it would go all out to torpedo it. Addressing the media at the Centre for Society and Religion …
Continue reading ‘JVP Vows to Torpedo ETCA Pact with India Even if Parliament Passes it’ »
By Chitra Weerarathne The fundamental rights violation petition filed by Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara thera against two police officers of Homagama police station and the IGP will be called before the Supreme Court on March 17 and 18, 2016. The respondents cited in the petition are officer-in-charge of miscellaneous complaints of Homagama police, Inspector Wijeratne, Headquarters …
by Dasun Edirisinghe The National Freedom Front (NFF) led by former minister Wimal Weerawansa yesterday said it would take to streets if the government inked the Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had threatened in Parliament to go ahead with the project regardless of protests. Weerawsansa said PM Wickremesinghe had …
by Saman Indrajith The Speaker’s Office yesterday announced that only MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena of the Joint Opposition group of the UPFA would be allowed to make special statements under the provisions of the Standing Order 23-2. With UPFA parliamentary group leader Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva’s permission Deputy leader of the UPFA and MEP …
By C. A. Chandraprema The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has spearheaded opposition to the proposed Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India. This opposition was based on the information that the government had communicated to the GMOA about the proposed agreement. Politicians at all levels parliamentarians, political party leaders, and even the cabinet …
By P.K.Balachandran Tamils are disputing the Sri Lankan government’s claim that there are 22, 254 Tamil Buddhists in the country. Most Tamils feel that this is a gross exaggeration. The Minister of National Dialogue, Mano Ganeshan, told Express, that the claim might have been made “for propaganda purposes”, to show the dominant Sinhalese-Buddhists that significant …
By Prof. Susirith Mendis I have been reading many commentaries and opinions on the above matter in the press, blogs, facebook and other media. There has been a plethora of views and opinions expressed. So I thought adding my few cents worth will not cause any further serious harm than already caused. I am of …
By Saman Indrajith There were 22,254 Tamil Buddhists and 11 Tamil Bhikkus in the country, Parliament was told yesterday. A document tabled in response to a question raised by UNP Matara District MP Buddhika Pathirana by Chief Government Whip and Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka said that a census regarding Tamil Buddhists …
By P.K.Balachandran The Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Tamil majority Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran, touched off a new political controversy when he said in Jaffna on Monday, that he does not favor Sinhalese-Tamil marriages before the Tamils get equal rights in the country. Wigneswaran was responding to Provincial Governor Reginold Cooray’s suggestion at the 9 …
By Priyantha Kodippily Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, son of the former president responded to the many allegations thrown against the Rajapaksa regime. Excerpts – Q: It’s a very bad time for you, isn’t it? It is the nature of politics. Politicians do not have power for ever; it comes intermittently. When Mahinda Rajapaksa was in power …
By Upul Joseph Fernando It was reported that the Commanding Officer in Jaffna, Major General Chagi Gallage, was transferred to Army Headquarters in Colombo last week, following a heated argument with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. The Major General was transferred to Colombo following the Foreign Minister’s refusal to include two military officers in the committee …
Continue reading ‘Is the Maithripala – Wickremesinghe Govt in Fear of Facing a Military Coup?’ »
By Saman Indrajith Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday that the Indo-Lanka Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement would be inked by mid-2016 and a special Indian delegation was scheduled to arrive in the country on March 04 to discuss its content. PM reads The PM said the final draft of the agreement would be …
By- Sharmini Serasinghe “An established morality is as necessary as good government to the welfare of society. Societies disintegrate from within more frequently than they are broken up by external pressures” – Judge Patrick Arthur Devlin Given the manner in which this land is touted as the “Miracle of Asia” by some, living in a …
Continue reading ‘Requiem for Morals and Ethics – Foreboding Dark Clouds Hovering Over Sri Lanka!’ »
By Gagani Weerakoon The presence of certain controversial individuals in the close proximity of President Maithripala Sirisena on few occasions during his historic State visit to Germany kept the atmosphere heated among the Sri Lankan delegation even though the actual Berlin remained as low as 100 – 70 Celsius. The President and the Lankan delegation …
By Tamara Kunanayakam (Presentation made on 18 February 2015 by Tamara Kunanayakam On the occasion of the Launch of Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha’s book – “Triumph and Disaster: The Rajapaksa years ‘Success in War: My time at the Peace Secretariat, 2007-2009”) Rajiva’s latest book, Triumph and Disaster: the Rajapaksa Years, is a remarkable documentary of the first …
By Dilanthi Jayamanne Government doctors in the Uva province yesterday expressed their displeasure at what they called snide comments made by Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure (TDI) Minister and Badulla District MP Harin Fernando against Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) President, Dr Anurudda Padeniya. The controversial comments the minister made at a media briefing in Badulla …
By Daya Lankapura The government parliamentary group that has met so far as a single entity is scheduled to meet as two separate groups for the first time at 11.30 am today at the Parliament complex. The UNP group will meet under the leadership of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, while the SLFP MPs of the …
Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Secretary – General and former Jaffna district Parliamentarian Veerasingham Anandasangaree has in a letter written to President Maithripala Sirisena requested that prisoners detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) be released by adhering to provisions of the Indo – Lanka Agreement signed on July 29th 1987. The full text …
By P.K.Balachandran Vestiges of a bridge which was erected over the Kelani river at Kithulgala 92 km from the Sri Lankan capital for the shooting of the iconic Hollywood film Bridge On The River Kwai 60 years ago, are now in danger of being wiped out, causing dismay among film buffs. A government plan to …
(Text of Editorial Appearing in “The Island”of of February 22nd 2016 Under the Heading “ETCA and Mandates”) The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has annoyed many a government leader by opposing the controversial Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) to be signed with India. Hardly a day passes without some self-important ruling party potentate venting …
By Sarath De Silva Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Saturday that threatening trade union leaders and attacking protesters had become the order of the day under the present government. Addressing the media at Thalawathugoda, the former President said: “Whenever trade unionists stage demonstrations or come out with their demands, the first response of the …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe vowed on Saturday to go ahead with the Indo-Lanka Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) regardless of mounting opposition to the government move. He said the government had the required majority in Parliament to achieve its objectives. The UNP leader was addressing the media at the Hambantota Port …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Last week residents of a large slum in Thotalanga blocked the Japan-Sri Lanka Friendship Bridge to protest against an alleged arbitrary order to vacate their slums and move to new apartment blocks that have been built for them. A week before that, members of several professional unions held a protest march in …
By The Political Correspondent of ECONOMYNEXT Sri Lanka’s government came face-to-face with military insubordination at a very high level when Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera visited Jaffna to launch a website for ethnic reconciliation. The usually unflappable Samaraweera was surprised by the tone of Major General Chagi Gallage when he visited Jaffna soliciting public views on …
By C.A.Chandraprema It was the GMOA that blew the lid off one of the government’s closely guarded secrets – the economic and technical cooperation pact that was being planned with India. They published on their website the draft of the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement that had been given to them by the government. For …
Continue reading ‘Opposition Mounts Against Creeping Indianisation of Sri Lanka Through Backdoor’ »
(Excerpted from the Column Written by the “Sunday Times” Political Editor Appearing in the “Sunday Times”of february 21st 2016) Despite the normalcy and the rapid pace of development (In the North), serious issues do exist. Main among them are matters arising from the Geneva resolution. That they would soon come under a probe for alleged …
By P.K.Balachandran Indian official sources clarified on Saturday, that there is no scope for an influx of Indian personnel into Sri Lanka through the India-aided Emergency Ambulance Service which is to be introduced in two Lankan provinces shortly. The Mahinda Rajapaksa-led Joint Opposition Group (JOG) had alleged that the service, to be run by the …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene These are curious times indeed. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his supporters who treated the Sri Lankan media and the legal system as their family hunting ground are struggling to emerge as newfound libertarians. We witness with enormous skepticism their ‘strutting and fretting’ on the political stage to protect the propriety …
The battle between Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneshwaran and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran continues. The latest was after the new Northern Province Governor Reginald Cooray assumed duties on Friday.As politicians, officials and Tamil Parliamentarians were walking up to the Governor, the Chief Minister noticed that Mr. Sumanthiran was standing behind him. …
by Dr Nihal Jayawickrama The Prime Minister stated on the floor of Parliament that the Constitutional Council had not yet been able to determine the “procedures” for the performance of its duties and functions as required by Article 41E (6) of the Constitution. He attributed the delay to the urgency with which the Council had …
Continue reading ‘The Constitutional Council and the Tale 0f the Emperor’s New Clothes’ »
By Tilak Samarawickrema I lived in Italy for over 12 years and often went to the Teatro alla Scala with my Milanese friends, but I was never a great opera enthusiast. Nevertheless, being exposed to a fair amount of music internationally, I developed a taste for both western and eastern music. Kishani Jayasinghe’s rendition of …
By Chitra Weerarathne Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya yesterday acquitted Dr Shirani Bandaranayake, the retired Chief Justice, of all the charges of corruption, filed by the Permanent Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.
By Malinda Seneviratne Not too long ago, when in the name of development, the economic prosperity of Colombo and city beautification, slums and shanties as well as other areas described as ‘urban blight’ were bulldozed, there were howls of protest. The howlers mostly wrote in English. They deconstructed ‘development’. They talked of high-handedness. They spoke …
Continue reading ‘Deafening Silence of Slave Island Eviction “Howlers” Over Thotalanga Eviction’ »
By Taylor Dibbert It’s been over a year since Maithripala Sirisena assumed the presidency, although much about daily life in Sri Lanka’s war-torn Northern Province remains the same. “There’s a reduced number of troops on the road,” says Shalin Uthayarasa, a journalist. “We’re experiencing a temporary respite in repression.” Uthayarasa goes on to mention that …
By Chitra Weerarathne The Colombo High Court Judge A. A. R. Heiyanthuduwa, yesterday, issued notice on the officer-in-charge of the FCID (Ranasinghe) Assistant Superintendent of Police (Serasinghe), Deputy Inspector General/Director Financial Crimes Investigation Division (Ravi Waidyalankara), the IGP and the Attorney General, cited as respondents in the revision application filed by Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of …
by Dasun Edirisinghe Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila yesterday challenged any government member to come for an open debate with him regarding the money invested in the Carlton Sports Network (CSN). Addressing the weekly press briefing organised by the Joint Opposition at the Dr N. M. Perera Centre in Borella, Gammanpila denied that …
By Dayan Jayatilleka I had a great time at the Colombo Jazz and Blues Festival and a bad one reading about the Consultational Task Force of NGO types to “enforce” the intrusive, US-driven Geneva resolution under the monitoring of a UN expert. “An eleven-member Consultation Task Force will enforce provisions of the US-backed resolution…Its work …
Continue reading ‘Only the Politically Deaf Do Not Hear The Rumblings of Sinhala Rage’ »
By Dr. Devanesan Nesiah There have been diverse responses to the singing of our National Anthem in both our national languages; some sensible, some stupid; some patriotic, some racist. Among the questions that arise are the following: 1) If the National Anthem depicts the unitary character of the state, do states that are expressly federal, …
By Upul Joseph Fernando The Attorney-General’s Department disappeared from the Gazette notification in the lists which were in the Gazette relating to the respective ministries, when the ministers were sworn in after the 2010 general election. When the media inquired about it from then Justice Minister John Seneviratne, the minister said he too was searching …
By Gamini Akmeemana An internationally renowned soprano from Sri Lanka sings the popular devotional song Danno Budunge at Galle Face as part of the independence day celebrations. She gets hooted by the crowd and pilloried by television and electronic websites. A week after this shameful event, none of the better-informed media, or people who should …
By Jayasuriya Udukumbura and Chaminda Silva Grassroots level politicians of the Joint Opposition yesterday called upon President Sirisena to hand over SLFP leadership to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The decision had been taken at a meeting of the SLFP local government members in Negombo with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa presiding, former Western Province Chief Minister, …
Four extremist Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka, wanted for alleged rioting outside a court, today surrendered before police after which they were remanded to custody till tomorrow. The General Secretary of the Ravana Balaya, Venerable Ittekande Saddhatissa Thero, President of the Sinhala Ravaya, Venerable Akmeemana Dayarathana Thero and two other monks were ordered to be …
By Tissa Devendra In view of the recent philistine ha-ho about Kishani Jayasinghe’s wonderful rendition of John de Silva’s moving lyric, I decided to share some old memories “to set the record straight”. I was a pre-undergrad in 1948 and witnessed the formal renunciation of British sovereignty and the hoisting of the [unstriped] Lion Flag …
By P.K. Balachandran To nip the politicization of the Sri Lankan navy in the bud, Lankan naval authorities on Monday commenced disciplinary action against four navy rugby players who wore armbands showing solidarity with Lt. Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the incarcerated naval officer son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa who is currently heading the “Joint Opposition Group” …
By Ranga Jayasuriya UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein concluded his four day visit with what was widely seen as a conciliatory note: He conceded that the involvement of foreign judges was a contentious issue here and added that whatever the recommendations of his office – which is mandated to …
By Gagani Weerakoon The tug-of-war between President Maithripala Sirisena and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to get the reins of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has reached its penultimate stage with the latter opening a new political operations office with the alleged support of the majority of Provincial Councillors and Local Government members. Several senior …
Continue reading ‘Is China Funding the new Political Party Being Formed by the Rajapaksas?’ »
Former UPFA Minister Reginald Cooray was appointed the Governor of the Northern Province yesterday. Cooray was Chief Minister of the Western Province twice. He succeeds former senior diplomat H. M. G. S. Palihakkara, who requested the President to relieve him of gubernatorial responsibilities at the conclusion of his term. Cooray was Minister of Minor Export …
By Bishop Duleep de Chickera The singing of our National anthem in Tamil on freedom day was not simply about singing it in another language. It was about our National Anthem being sung in the mother tongue of a substantial number of Sri Lankan citizens who had been deprived of this right and privilege since …
By P.K.Balachandran The ideological and political rift between the Northern Province Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran and the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government in Colombo appears to be widening, with Wigneswaran’s efforts to maintain cordiality being half-hearted and perfunctory. The Tamil Peoples’ Council (TPC), which Wigneswaran had created in December 2015, had proposed a constitutional scheme for Sri Lanka which …
by Rasika Jayakody The Disciplinary Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will initiate action against 30 MPs for violating party discipline. The SLFP Central Committee, when it met on Friday, decided to delegate full authority to the Disciplinary Committee of the party to take action against MPs breaching party discipline, irrespective of their …
By Rasika Jayakody With Yoshitha Rajapaksa being arrested in connection with the CSN TV station controversy, close allies of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa are now convinced that the wheels of law enforcement are moving. As an immediate result, they realised the importance of ‘fast-tracking’ their process of forming a new political alliance, so that they …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene As President Maithripala Sirisena and the Constitutional Council (CC) played a virtual game of ‘catch the ball if you can’ with each other over the appointment of Sri Lanka’s 29th Attorney General (AG) this week, the Rajapaksa-led section of the opposition engaged in raucous antics over not being allowed to sit …
Continue reading ‘Bypassing the Rule of Seniority in the Appointment of the Attorney – General’ »
By C.A.Chandraprema The attempt by the SLFP parliamentarians in the Joint Opposition to become an independent group in parliament came to naught with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya refusing to grant them that recognition. The excuse he gave was one of the lamest ever – that he cannot take the responsibility for having committed the crime of …
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “…an anti-civilatory, myth-making nationalism…” – Karl Dietrich Bracher (The German Dictatorship) It beats the Grimm’s Tales and the Arabian Nights hollow, that story of a princess who runs away from her home and mates with a lion. Not a lion-like man, not a member of a tribe named after the ‘king of …
by Reeza Hameed Markandey Katju, quondam Justice of the Supreme Court of India, is a man who does not mince his words. A maverick, he has a penchant for courting controversies. Not long ago, he dubbed Mahatma Gandhi ‘a British agent’ (he also called Subhash Chandra Bose ‘a Japanese agent’). Katju accused Gandhi of serving …
Continue reading ‘Deconstructing the Mystique of “Mahatma” Gandhi.’ »
(Text of Remarks made by Former President Rajapaksa on Pledge Given to Prince Hussein by President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe) The President and Prime Minister have given the UN Human Rights Commissioner an assurance that last year’s UN Human Rights Council resolution against Sri Lanka will be implemented. This UNHRC resolution was accepted and …
(New York) – The Sri Lankan government’s appointment to parliament of the former army chief whose forces were implicated in widespread abuses contradicts pledges to investigate alleged war crimes, Human Rights Watch said today. On February 9, 2016, the United National Party of Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe appointed Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka to parliament as …
By Taylor Dibbert Before I know it we’re wheels up at Dulles International Airport and I’m looking forward to visiting the Middle East (airport style) yet again. One day, I will actually travel to Doha or Abu Dhabi or Dubai or Amman and see something besides an airport. Maybe I’ll do that on my 100th …
By Prof Carlo Fonseka For me the highpoint of our 68th Independence Day celebrations came when I heard a group of children singing our national anthem with great feeling and enthusiasm, in Tamil. The heart of our anthem is its enchanting melody imbued with a flavor of Tagorean music. It was composed by Ananda Samarakoon, …
By C. A. Chandraprema Concluding his four-day visit to Sri Lanka, UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Al Hussein told the media in Colombo that he had met President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that morning and they had both assured him that Sri Lanka would be meeting its human rights commitments. The UN …
By Saman Indrajith Parliament sittings lasted for only two hours as Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had to adjourn the House following a protest staged by the MPs of Joint Opposition demanding that they be assured their right to act as an independent group in Parliament. The government, however, managed to get the Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) …
By P.K.Balachandran The Sri Lankan government’s bid to reform the community of Buddhist monks has all but failed, with the Supreme Court telling parliament that the bill on the rules of conduct for monks will have to be passed by two thirds majority and submitted to a referendum. The court’s “determination” on the bill was …
By Norman Palihawadana Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said the appointment of leader of the Democratic Party and former Army Commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka as an MP via the National List would become a legal issue.
Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka took oaths as a Member of Parliament (MP) before Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday. Soon after the sittings commenced, Speaker Jayasuriya announced that Fonseka would be sworn in as a new MP, and Sergeant-at-Arms Anil Parakrama Samarasekera accompanied Fonseka to the Speaker’s table. Fonseka was sworn in while the entire House was …
By Upul Joseph Fernando Whenever Sarath Fonseka emerges in politics, those opposed to him appear excited and confused. Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka is a sensation in every field he treads because those who envy him view this character as a sensational figure, may be with fear. Fonseka is outspoken and that had been to his …
By Vishwamithra 1984 “If you must break the law, do it to seize power: in all other cases observe it.” – Julius Caesar He is in the news again. Parading in yellow robes, portraying himself as a martyr of the present day and saviour of Sinhala Buddhists; Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thero, a Buddhist monk whose …
(Text of Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, at the end of his mission to Sri Lanka in Colombo on 9 February 2016 ) Good afternoon, and thank you for coming. I come to you shortly after wrapping up my visit here with meetings with President Maithripala Sirisena and …
I am ready to provide any support to build up this new political party, which will lead the true SLFPers By Shanika Sriyananda Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the second most powerful man among the Rajapaksa clan during the previous regime, asserted that no one could politically destroy the Rajapaksas even if they were jailed or killed. The …
By Ram Manikkalingam Two days ago the national anthem was sung in Tamil for the first time at the official celebration of independence day since independence in 1948. Six years ago the government’s own regional director for education in the Tamil north, Markandu Sivalingam, was assassinated by “unidentified”gunmen for disagreeing with President Rajapaksa’s directive to …
Continue reading ‘A War Crimes Court Should Not be the Top Priority At The Present Time’ »
By Cyril Wimalasurendre The Mahanayaka Theras of Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters, the premier seats of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist Order, informed the visiting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra-ad Al Hussein, yesterday (08) that there was no need for foreign involvement in an inquiry into allegations of war crimes. The prelates categorically stated that …
by Zacki Jabbar Amidst objections by Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa, the UNP Working Committee yesterday endorsed the appointment of Democratic Party Leader, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka to Parliament via the National List. The vacancy arose as a result of the recent death of Lands Minister M. K. A. D. S. Gunawardena. Informed sources told The …
By Anura Balasuriya A campaign to collect one million signatures for a public petition against the proposed war crimes investigation commenced at the Sri Sambuddhaloka Vihara, Colombo yesterday. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa signed the petition first while members of the Maha Sangha chanted pirith. Thereafter, Buddhist monks, former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, former Minister Prof. …
By PK Balachandran The Sri Lankan government has set up an 11-member multi-ethnic Consultation Task Force (CTF), comprising leading lights of civil society, to aid the implementation of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution of October 1, 2015. A top source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Express on Monday, that the CTF …
Just a day before Lt. Yoshitha’s arrest, investigations against members of the Rajapaksa family figured at the national executive council meeting on January 29 (Friday). The meeting was chaired by President Sirisena. Besides ministers, the heads of the CID, FCID and representatives of the Attorney General’s Department and organisations representing civil society were present. The …
by Tamara Kunanayakam It should by now be obvious to any keen observer of events in Geneva and vacillations of Sri Lanka’s ruling class that the ‘human rights’ game being played out has little to do with the Sri Lankan people and everything to do with the island’s strategic location on the Indian Ocean as …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene The 20th century essayist and philosopher George Santayana’s caustic observation that ‘those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it’ may well have been specifically tailored for Sri Lanka. This is true not only for politicians who are generally characterised by a singularly bovine stupidity but also for many …
Minister of Law and Order and Southern Development Sagala Ratnayake in a statement yesterday said that thorough scrutiny of company emails had uncovered the connection between former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son Yoshitha and Carlton Sports Network (CSN), which is being probed by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID). The FCID commenced investigations on March 15, …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Finally, the Joint Opposition, a euphemism for the cronies of the ex-President in Parliament, has turned to God. If the legend in Sinigama lives up to its fame, the hundred thousand coconuts they smashed at the Devalaya there during the weekend to invoke ritualistic curse on the Financial Crime Investigation Division could …
By P.K.Balachandran The main thrust of the two-day visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Sri Lanka which ended on Saturday, was abundantly clear. It was to increase and strengthen India’s economic ties with Lanka, taking advantage of the “transformational change” brought about by the coming into power of two – India-friendly leaders, …
By C.A.Chandraprema UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Al Hussein arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday. In the days prior to his arrival, it appeared as if a divergence of opinion had emerged between the President and the Prime Minister about the implementation of last September’s UNHRC resolution against Sri Lanka. One of the key demands in …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday said that the UK’s outright rejection of the UN ruling that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange be allowed to go free highlighted again British double standards vis-a-vis Sri Lanka. “Obviously, the British do not practice what they preach to us here as well as other international forums …
by Dr Nihal Jayawickrama The Constitutional Council was hailed as the principal and singular achievement of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Its duty was to recommend to the President fit and proper persons for appointment to the independent commissions established under the Constitution, and to approve or reject persons recommended by the President for …
By Gamini Weerakoon Ranil Wickremesinghe has pelted stones at Lanka’s demi-gods and the gods have taken to quite an ungodly act: pelting back not only stones but hurling mud, rumours and calumny against Ranil for his sacrilegious act. We feel inclined to raise at least one and a half cheers – instead of the full …
The recent arrest of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second son, Navy Lt. Yoshitha Rajapaksa, was cast to the shadows last week by the latest move in the country’s political scene – the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between UNP Leader Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Democratic Party Leader, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. The …
(Following is the full text of the speech delivered by President Maithripala Sirisena at the 68th Independence Day celebrations on Feb 4th 2016 at Galle Face, Colombo 3) Today we all join together to celebrate the 68th anniversary of Independence Day with pomp and glory. Since we got independence from the British colonial rulers, we …
By P.K.Balachandran Reginald Cooray, an acclaimed leftist liberal and a veteran Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) politician who had been Chief Minister of the Western Province twice, is most likely to be appointed Governor of the Tamil-majority Northern Province succeeding HMGS Palihakkara, who has expressed a wish to demit office at the earliest. A source …
By Shanika Sriyananda The former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa urged the Government to strengthen the mechanism to monitor the hardcore LTTEers before releasing the remaining hardcore LTTE operatives in jails. He said without strengthening surveillances with the assistance of the military intelligence agencies, releasing hardcore LTTE cadres will pose a grave threat to the country’s …
by P.K.Balachandran The Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera will visit India at the earliest at the invitation of the Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, the media was informed here on Friday. Swaraj is now on a two-day visit to Lanka to co-chair the 9th meeting of the India-Lanka Joint Commission along with her …
By P.K.Balachandran Breaking a long-standing tradition of singing only the Sinhalese version of the Sri Lankan national anthem at official functions, President Maithripala Sirisena allowed the singing of the Tamil version at the Independence Day celebrations held at the Galle Face Green here on Thursday. “Sri Lanka Thaaye”, the Tamil version of the anthem written …
By- Sharmini Serasinghe A 2500 year-old Culture that was! The current wave of Sinhala-Buddhist supremacism/extremism/racism, and attempts to establish a ‘Sinhala-Buddhist Raj’ in Sri Lanka, if left unchecked will eventually lead, to fragmentation of Sri Lanka into separate states, of the minorities. It may not happen in the immediate future, but it’s a reality staring …
By P.K.Balachandran The entry of Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka’s Democratic Party (DP) into the United National Party (UNP)-led United National Front (UNF) on Wednesday, coupled with the distinct possibility of his being nominated to Parliament later this week, will add to the nationalistic credentials of the UNP ahead of the crucial local body elections in …
by Dr. Kalana Senaratne With days turning into weeks and weeks into months, President Maithripala Sirisena appears to have realized that power is ultimately the primary concern of politics and political leadership. What necessarily follows from this is also the realization that to sustain a ‘good government’ in trying times one has to engage in …
By Rasika Jayakody Although Yoshitha Rajapaksa was never a politician like his father, brother and uncles, the junior Navy officer never failed to make headlines after his father fell out of power in January, last year. Despite being a military officer, Rajapaksa addressed meetings organized by Tharunyata Hetak and Nil Balakaya, the youth wing of …
By Upul Joseph Fernando A glance at a decade in the past records that Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Yoshitha joined the Sri Lanka Navy in December 2006. When Yoshitha joined the Navy, Mahinda proudly announced that unlike other world leaders, he had given his son to fight the war to protect the country. The Maha Sangha …
By Dayan Jayatilleka ‘President Sirisena says his government will not act “in haste.” This is unacceptable.’ – New York Times Editorial, Jan 28, 2016. “…there is no ethnic group called the Sinhalese.” – Chief Minister Wigneswaran, Jan 19, 2016. President Sirisena has followed up his important BBC interview on accountability with a lengthier one on …
By Hafeel Farisz Girls too young to understand the essence of religion adorn the Nikab. Some forced due to cultural imposition, and others too young to know why. Madrasas spread across the island ignore history, art culture, literature and theology which form the core of religious education. Instead the focus is on rituals and taboos. …
Continue reading ‘The “Nikab”Veil and Increasing “Arabianization”of the Muslims of Sri Lanka’ »
By Norman Palihawadana On a request made by the family members of the five suspects including former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son Yoshitha charged under the money laundering Act, all their meals were allowed to be brought to the Welikade prison from home, Commissioner General of Prisons Nishantha Dhanasinghe said.
By Cyril Wimalasurendre KANDY: Former President Rajapaksa yesterday urged the government to hold local government elections. Else, legal action would be taken against it, he warned. The ex-president was answering queries by the media after paying homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic at the Sri Dalada Maligawa. Rajapaksa said the government did not seem keen …
By DHARISHA BASTIANS and GEETA ANANDJAN. Sri Lankan authorities arrested a son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on money-laundering charges on Saturday, the government’s latest attempt to prosecute members of the previous administration, many of whom have been under investigation since Mr. Rajapaksa’s election defeat last year. The police said Mr. Rajapaksa’s 27-year-old son, Yoshitha, …
By Rasika Jayakody The Ven. Galagodaaththé Gnanasara Thera, a relatively unknown bhikkhu in the latter stages of the Rajapaksa administration, has now become the face of Sinhala-Buddhist ultra-nationalist ‘terror’ in the country’s political sphere. Ven. Gnanasara Thera rose to fame in mid-2012 when he formed the Bodu Bala Sena (Buddhist Power Force) organization, a movement …
By Don Manu He may not have realised it yet, perhaps it may take some time for the light to shine through his burly, black, boorish brawn, but Bodu Bala Sena Chief Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera is, no doubt, the darling of the foreign missionaries who use his mug to portray the ugly face of Buddhism. …
by Saman Indrajith Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday told Parliament that there was a Brahmin class within the media and that class was becoming vasalas (outcasts). “The Brahmin class in the media was created by a Maha Brahma who is non-existant now. The so-called Brahmin class has become a vasala class. That Brahmin class used …
Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second son was remanded in custody for two weeks after he was arrested and questioned yesterday under the Money Laundering Act, police and court officials said. Navy officer Yoshitha Rajapaksa, 27, was questioned at length at the navy headquarters in Colombo and then arrested and taken before Kaduwela magistrate Dhammika Hemapala …
By C.A.Chandraprema Sri Lanka is indeed a country like no other as the tourist brochures say. We have a president, a prime minister, a cabinet and a parliament where the PM commands a two thirds majority, but no functioning government. There is no sense of direction and no decisions are being made. An ambitious programme …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Several wickedly problematic tragi-comedies are playing on Sri Lanka’s political stage right now, none of which are to the benefit of the country. Why was no deterrent action taken earlier? The spectacle of mad monks running amok in the Homagama Magistrate’s Court abusing the magistrate, the lawyers and the wife of …
By Rashmin Tirimanne de Silva On the 25th and 26th of January a group of monks came in to conflict with the law when Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero, General Secretary of the infamous Bodu Bala Sena stormed into Court and disrupted proceedings by giving a speech which led to the Homagama Magistrate issuing an arrest …