by Dilrukshi Handunnetti At the entrance to Zone 0 or what is referred to as the Kadirkaamam Village, stands the usual sentry point. Puppies at Kathirkaamar zone of Menik Farm in Chettikkulam ~ pic by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai ~ via twitter.com/DushiYanthini There is barren land, piles of roofing sheets, the occasional UN Co-op vehicle transporting whatever …

Continue reading ‘Cattle and Dogs Roam Inside 700 Hectare Precincts of Closed Menik Farm IDP Camp’ »

By M. S. Shah Jahan “This is what Islam is like: Islam of killing, Islam of terrorism,Islam of setting things on fire. We are stating the truth and showing the path of redemption. I wish you would be civil and be reasonable and respond to what is said against Islam with calm reason. They are …

Continue reading ‘The Mischievous Guru Behind the ‘Innocence of Muslims’ Film’ »

By M.A.Sumanthiran M.P. Teachers and students across the island have succeeded in securing space in national discourse for Sri Lanka’s degenerate education system. They have raised fundamental concerns about the quality of education being provided and the quality of student being produced. For three months, nearly 5,000 university professors have been on strike forgoing their …

Continue reading ‘Solution to Education Crisis Lies in Encouraging Democratic Discourse, Dialoguing with FUTA and Realigning the Budget to Reflect Constituent Values’ »

by Asif Fuard Sri Lanka’s endeavours to strengthen diplomatic ties in the region hit a snag, with the country becoming entangled in what is being viewed as the latest spy scandal to rock the South Asian diplomatic arena. The scandal comes in the wake of Indian intelligence reports implicating Pakistan of recruiting Sri Lankan nationals …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Gets Entangled in Espionage Controversy Between India and Pakistan’ »

by Dilrukshi Handunnetti Removed from Sri Lanka’s onetime largest facility for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the Menik Farm, on Monday (24) and relocated to Seeniyamottai in the Mullaitivu District, these 346 IDPs have little hope of resettling in their place of origin. Closest Access This is the closest access ~ From top of the lane …

Continue reading ‘Journalists Denied Permission To See Situation of Rapidly Relocated IDP’s From Menik Farm at Seeniyamottai’ »

by Arthur Wamanan ‘Suththam Sugam tharum’ (Cleanliness gives good health) is an age old Tamil adage that underscores the importance of a healthy life. Cleanliness is an important aspect for a healthy environment. Healthcare in Jaffna has gone through several phases during the war and after.Healthcare system in the North is still finding its feet …

Continue reading ‘Jaffna seeks wealth through health: Peninsula’s post war concerns regarding Healthcare’ »

by Lasanda Kurukulasuriya The controversial Divineguma Bill appears to be yet another move by the Government that points to a pattern of rushing legislation through without due regard for the need for, and the right to, debate and discussion on matters of public importance. It was not so long ago that the 18th Amendment was …

Continue reading ‘Divineguma Concentrates Power in the Hands of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa’ »

by Kishali Pinto Jayawardene President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s indignant retort to newspaper editors this week that he did not attempt to interfere with the independence of Sri Lanka’s judiciary has all the hallmarks of the classic ‘swing and swerve’ tactics adopted by his administration. In other words, this refers to its now entrenched policy of swinging …

Continue reading ‘President Rajapaksa’s ‘Swing and Swerve’ tactics with the Independence of the Judiciary’ »

“the real tyrant is a man who sacrifices a whole nation to his ideal or his ambition”. – Camus (Caligula) By Tisaranee Gunasekara Separation of powers and power-devolution are alien to Rajapaksa thinking and inimical to the Dynastic Project. History’s watershed moments are generally identifiable only with hindsight. Sri Lanka might be experiencing an exception …

Continue reading ‘Can The Judiciary Resist The Rajapaksa-tide?’ »

by Pulsara Liyanage It is well known that a man named Samuel Clemens wrote as Mark Twain, those wonderful adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn and many more, in the 19th century. In the 21st, we still refer to the author as Mark Twain. His assumed name was a term which he had borrowed …

Continue reading ‘‘Tamil Tigress’ by Niromi de Soyza is a book that Must BeTranslated into Sinhala and Tamil and Read in Sri Lanka’ »

by Tisaranee Gunasekara “A situation has arisen where there is a danger to the security of all of us and our families, beginning from the person holding the highest position in the judicial system”. – Manjula Tilakaratne, Secretary, Judicial Services Commission (Daily Mirror – 29.9.2010) The main budgetary allocations for 2012 are out; and the …

Continue reading ‘Occupation of Sri Lanka by Despotism will be Complete the Day Judiciary Becomes Subservient to the Ruling Family’ »

by Nirmala Kannangara The Sunday Leader journalist and the photographer who were in Mullathivu last Wednesday and Thursday were stopped from entering the Suriyapuram camp in Nanthikadal by the army officers on guard. This was the camp where the last batch of IDPs from the Manik Farm was brought to although the government claimed they …

Continue reading ‘The Sunday Leader journalist and Photographer threatened in Mullaitheevu by Army Personnel’ »

By Nirmala Kannangara from Pudukudiyiiruppu and Nanthikadal in Mullaitheevu District The government last week announced moves to resettle the last batch of IDPs who were in the Kadiragamar and Ananda Kumaraswamy relief villages at Menik Farm for the past three years. However, many of the remaining IDPs hailing from Kepapilaw Grama Niladhari Division and Manduwil …

Continue reading ‘Journalists Not Allowed to Enter Suriyapuram Where IDP’s from Menik Farm Camp Have Been Brought’ »

by Ben Doherty AUSTRALIA – the tiny slice he saw of it, the Cocos Islands and the immigration detention centre at Christmas Island – was heaven, Anthony Sujith says. ”They were very nice to us, the food was very good, warm showers, and good houses to live in. We could play sport and take English …

Continue reading ‘Asylum Seekers Promised 3,300 Dollar Re-integration Packages to Return Willingly to Sri Lanka’ »

by Shabna Cader When in need of a short but quick vacation, it’s best to choose to go to a country that is situated close by. On this week’s Travel Guide, we give you a tour of a city in the southern region of India known as Chennai. The city is certainly full of life, …

Continue reading ‘Chennai City is Apt Destination for a Short, Quick Vacation’ »

By Dilanthi Jayamanne The Ministry of National Languages and Social Integration yesterday said that it had issued instructions to the Police to take legal action against bus operators who failed to display the destination boards in Sinhala and Tamil. Media Secretary to the Minister, Mahendra Harishchandra, said that the Ministry had repeatedly instructed the Private …

Continue reading ‘Jail term for Operators of Buses Without Destination Boards in Sinhala and Tamil’ »

by Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka On September 28th, 2012, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Paris held “ Sri Lanka in Bloom”, an international photographic exhibition arranged by Mr. Sudath Silva, Media Director to H.E. the President of Sri Lanka. The exhibition depicted Sri Lanka ’s experience in combating terrorism, as well as the ongoing development …

Continue reading ‘There Can Be No Permanent Peace Without Justice, Dialogue, Equality of Rights, Freedom for all and the Support of our Friends’ »

by N Sathiya Moorthy Three episodic developments in as many weeks, and suddenly there is an ‘air of permissiveness’ in southern Tamil Nadu, as never before at least over the past decades. Independent of one another, street-protests over the post-war revival of the ‘Sri Lankan ethnic issue’, the re-launched ‘Koodamkulam anti-nuclear demonstrations’ and the Islamic/Islamist …

Continue reading ‘Pan -Tamil Politics of Tamil Nadu Enters New Phase by Going Beyond State Borders to Protest Against Rajapaksa Visit’ »

by Gibson Bateman As the 21st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (HRC) ends on 28 September 2012, ongoing human rights developments in Sri Lanka will undoubtedly linger in the minds of many. Observers will look forward to the country’s upcoming Universal Periodic Review, which will take place this November, and to the …

Continue reading ‘Independent International Mechanism to Investigate Wartime Atrocities in Sri Lanka is not a Viable Option as Long as President Rajapaksa is in Power’ »

By Vishnuguptha However much the Opposition in general or the United National Party in particular, tries to dislodge the present incumbent regiment, they will not succeed unless and until they find a game-changing issue. If an issue is found that has the potential for changing the game, the issue itself will find a leader to …

Continue reading ‘Abolition of Executive Presidency is a Game Changing Single Issue Campaign that can Unite all Anti-Rajapaksa Forces’ »

by Vinod Moonesinghe Hector Abhayavardhana, the last of the early leadership of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), passed away last Saturday (September 22). He was the principal theoretician of the party and was responsible for the formulation which enabled it to join the coalition government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1964.

by Jagath Gunawardana The Layard’s Flycatcher, also known as the Brown-breasted Flycatcher, is a common winter migrant that arrives in Sri Lanka every year around early October and keeps itself unnoticed and unidentified with its drab colouration and silent and quiet demeanor. It also closely resembles the Asian Brown Flycatcher. However, it is a bird …

Continue reading ‘The Brown-breasted Flycatcher was Scientifically Named by Layard After ‘Muttu’ of Point Pedro’ »

Theirs has been a successful on-field partnership as captain and deputy, and Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara’s rock-solid bonding has helped them become successful business partners too. pic: facebook.com/MINISTRYOFCRAB The Sri Lankan skipper and his deputy have jointly invested along with the country’s most well-known Master Chef, Darshan Munidasa, to run a restaurant called ‘Ministry …

Continue reading ‘Cricket and Crabs: Mahela and Sangha run “Ministry of Crab” Restaurant Specialising in Lagoon Crab Dishes’ »

by Dhaneshi Yatawara The National Zoological Garden in Dehiwala has been a favourite spot for both local and foreign visitors. It carries memories of everyone’s childhood and each one of us will be sure to have a story to tell of some incident during a visit. It is such an attractive place that a school …

Continue reading ‘Congestion at Dehiwela Zoo Places Lives of Animals at Risk’ »

by Dharisha Bastians The academics are marching. The students are marching. The Muslims are marching. Every day hundreds images of throngs of people shouting slogans and demonstrating blare across television screens, newspapers and of course, the internet. SMS news alerts about road closures and barricades abound as popular discontent rises to the surface through trade …

Continue reading ‘Locked horns, pitched battles and marches of discontent’ »

by Camelia Nathaniel The Kilinochchi grid substation was opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa last morning (25), connecting the Northern Peninsula to the national grid, after a lapse of 25 years. Constructed at a cost of Rs. 3200 million, the project was funded through a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) grant, at concessionary interest rates.

by Risidra Mendis The discovery of a new tree snake in the Kalutara District has caused confusion among researchers, with two herpetologists claiming its discovery. The new species, presently named the New Bronzeback discretion (Dendrelaphisspp), was reportedly discovered by researcher and herpetologist, V. Vijaya Anand recently. However, another researcher and herpetologist, Mendis Wickramasinghe, has claimed …

Continue reading ‘Competing Claims for Credit in Discovering New Bronzeback Tree Snake in Kalutara District’ »

by International Crisis Group With the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) meeting again this month in Geneva, Crisis Group took the opportunity to write to council members with an update on the Sri Lankan government’s continued failure to address its grave human rights problems. Six month’s after the HRC’s important resolution on Sri Lanka, the government …

Continue reading ‘Two Actions Amounting to Minimum Demonstrations of Good Faith Required from Sri Lankan Govt’ »

By Alan Keenan Masters of prevarication, the Sri Lankan Government is once again stalling the UN’s attempt to ensure an open assessment of the brutal final stages of the country’s civil war. The regime is probably hoping interest will fade, but every day it refuses a fair examination of some 40,000 civilian deaths is another …

Continue reading ‘International Community Must Demand Action not Action Plans from Sri Lanka’ »

by Rajavarothayam Sampanthan M.P. (Text of the statement issued by Rajavarothayam Sampanthan the President of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi after the Working Committee meeting of the ITAK held in Vavuniyaa on September 22nd 2012) The Working Committee of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (I.T.A.K.) met at Vavuniya on 22 nd September 2012. The Elections to …

Continue reading ‘ITAK Strongly Condemns SLMC for Betraying and Undermining the Democratic Verdict of Eastern Voters’ »

by N Sathiya Moorthy It is heartening to note that after a series of incidents where visiting Sri Lankans were at the receiving end of mob attacks, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has promised that her Government would ensure the safety and security of the common man from the island-nation in the south Indian State.

By Kapila Punchimanna The battle between the government and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is likely to intensify, in the wake of certain decisions taken at an emergency meeting President Mahinda Rajapaksa had with several ministers and presidential advisors on Monday (24) According to highly placed government sources, one of the recommendations made at the …

Continue reading ‘President Rajapaksa Holds Emergency Meeting to Prepare for ‘war’ Against the Judicial Services Commission’ »

by Prof.Kopan Mahadeva (Rasiah Parthiban alias Thileepan Fasted unto Death 25 Years ago in Nallur) He passed away in full view of a hundred thousand or more pairs of tear-filled eyes, Fasting in steadfast defiance of violence of seventy thousand misguided gun-toting guys, Consuming not even water for eleven whole days, not just his rice, …

Continue reading ‘Thileepan Fasting in Defiance’ »

by Adele Balasingham Thileepan, the young Tiger leader of Jaffna, took the podium on the 14th September at the Nallur Kandasamy temple to commence his fast- unto-death as a protest against India’s failure to fulfill her pledges, and to mobilise the frustrated sentiments of the Tamils into a national mass upsurgence. Thileepan’s non-violent struggle was …

Continue reading ‘Thileepan’s Fast Touched the Spirit of the Tamil Nation and Mobilised Masses in Unprecedented Solidarity’ »

by An Old Soldier A thrill starved, gullible Colombo population was once again titillated by the violent behaviour of two vicious sons of politicians. This time the victim of their behaviour was an army major who was pistol whipped in the car park/foyer of the Hilton Colombo Residence two weeks ago. He looked a sorry …

Continue reading ‘Silva and Wijeratne:Violent Behaviour of two Vicious sons of Politicians’ »

Secretary Defence and Urban Development Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa accompanied H.E. the President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a visit to Mullaitivu today (25th September). The President was there to attend to a series of functions organized to coincide with the final resettlement of the remaining IDPs in the Mullaitivu district.

Jaffna, the northern town with a unique flavor of Sri Lanka, has many features that only she can boast of. Thousands flock to this town just to get the feel of the culture, the people, and her exquisite cuisine The taste has just got better with the addition of its very own ice cream flavors, …

Continue reading ‘‘Rio’ Ice cream with Unique Flavours Going Strong in Jaffna for 40 years’ »

by Pushpa Iyengar Quiet, Pragmatic -Secrecy: They say Freemasons are more open than Chettiars, highlighting their secretiveness -Practical: Since the decline of Chettiars in business, many are taking up salaried jobs -Traditional: Are educated, keep a low profile, have a quiet elegance. Families meet in their huge village mansions for family functions. -Land all-important: Traumatised …

Continue reading ‘Economic Fall and Rise of the Tamil Nadu Chettiyar Community’ »

by Vaiju Naravane In what can be described as a fitting response to Anders Breivik’s brutal assault on Norwegian multiculturalism, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg appointed a 29-year-old Muslim woman of Pakistani origin the new Culture Minister. Hadia Tajik is the first Muslim and youngest Minister ever in Norwegian political history. Ms. Tajik, who has degrees …

Continue reading ‘Woman of Pakistani origin is new Norwegian Culture Minister’ »

By B.Raman The Indian media has reported last week the arrest of a suspected spy of an ISI officer posted in Colombo by the Tamil Nadu Police. Our media has stated as follows: “The arrest of Dhameem Anzari, the alleged spy nabbed while attempting to pass on sensitive information to the ISI in Colombo, has …

Continue reading ‘Is Pakistan Intelligence Operating Via its Colombo Mission Spying on India Through Tamil Speaking Sri Lankan Muslims?’ »

by Karu Jayasuriya M.P. The onslaught on this country’s democratic establishments and rule of law institutions by the incumbent regime, warrants attention and unreserved condemnation by all those who aspire to higher democratic standards.

The connecting of the Jaffna peninsula to the national electricity grid after a period of 25 years will take place today under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Meera Udayakumar, wife of S P Udayakumar the leading activist of the anti-nuclear protests in Koodankulam, talks about her hopes and fears: “I meet him once every month. Since the past few months it has been like that. I would go to Idinthakarai with my two sons and meet him. I have commitments here. My …

Continue reading ‘Koodankulam is about India’s hopes- Meera Udayakumar’ »

By Thulasi Muttulingam Ernest Macintyre is one of the most famous names in Sri Lanka’s golden era of theatre but having emigrated to Australia in 1973 to provide a better education for his children, he might not be so familiar a name to the generations that have come after. Acting and directing plays since his …

Continue reading ‘Ernest Macintyre: Half a century of Theatre in Sri Lanka and Australia’ »

By Risidra Mendis The death of yet another victim of a crocodile attack, has once again brought to the surface, the human-crocodile conflict, and the need to introduce stringent measures to protect the large aquatic reptiles, whose population is rapidly diminishing in the country. Crocodiles are strictly protected under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance …

Continue reading ‘Coping with Human – Crocodile Conflict and Hosting Global Crocs Confab’ »

By Chackravarthy SLMC’s going with the government in the East is not a surprise. This order was written by the higher ups. Present day SLMC is a party where cadres and leaders think differently. While the former is prepared to shed blood for the party the latter is accused of looking for a cushy political …

Continue reading ‘Will the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress run into an Eastern storm?’ »

by Ajith Samaranayake (This article was first written to commemorate the 87th birthday of Hector Abhayavardhana and is reproduced from the “Daily News” of January 5th 2006 to honour the life and memory of the veteran LSSP theoretician who passed away yesterday) At the age of 87 today Hector Abhayavardhana is the last of the …

Continue reading ‘Hector Abhayavardhana: The wise elder of the Left’ »

by Jayantha Somasundaram If a man does not keep pace with his companions, Perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music that he hears, However measured or far away. – Henry Thoreau (1854) Last month the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), the country’s oldest political movement, celebrated its …

Continue reading ‘Hector Abhayavardhana: The Internationalist’ »

by Dilrukshi Handunnetti The name Menik Farm, can only conjure up memories of one kind; of displacement, overcrowding, unhealthy conditions and even flooding. Three years after the war, and after multiple deadlines for its closure, the camp that grabbed international headlines will be finally empty this week. Recently returned IDPs meet with Ambassador Michelle J. …

Continue reading ‘World’s Largest Internment Camp Menik Farm to be Closed Down Permanently This Week’ »

By Vishnuguptha The process that started with the easy passage of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka, seems to continue without any break towards a certain death of democracy and freedom. The right to information is acknowledged as a universal right of each and every human being. Of all SAARC countries, only …

Continue reading ‘Trio Concept of ‘the land, the race and the faith’ has driven the country into a corner, from which it seems extremely hard to come out’ »

by MA Sumanthiran M.P. For many persons of Sri Lanka, survival is daily struggle. In Mullaitivu fishermen aren’t allowed to fish. In Kilinochchi, homemakers and housewives are displaced from their homes and houses; In Kanguveli farmers are denied access to their farms. Rally on Aug 23, 2012: pic courtesy of: VikalpaSL It is easy to …

Continue reading ‘This Govt has Adversely Affected all Sri Lankans by Severely Diminishing Their Quality of Life’ »

By a staff writer The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) yesterday passed two strong resolutions. One resolution condemned interference in the work of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Bar Association President Wijedasa Rajapakshe said.

The death occurred yesterday of Mr. Hector Abhayawardhana, a founder member of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party and perhaps the last of the party’s old guard from its glory days. He was over 90-years old at the time of his death but was in command of his faculties almost to the end of his life. …

Continue reading ‘Veteran LSSP Theoretician Hector Abhayawardhana Passes Away’ »

by Raja Senanayake The official language refers to the language in which records are maintained in official records. British colonial rulers used English as the Official Language, and Court proceedings were recorded in English even when witnesses spoke in Sinhala and Tamil. Lawyers too spoke in English. It was the same in government offices – …

Continue reading ‘Sinhalese Politicians Oppose Devolution For Fear of Losing Power and Control’ »

By Waruna Rajapaksha After the prolonged nationalist war the reality confronting the masses from all national communities should be explored carefully. ‘Stop Disappearances and Abductions’ ~ [International day against disappearances] ~ in Vavuniya – 2012 August 30, Organized by-Committee for Investigation of the Disappeared- pic: courtesy of: VikalpaSL The Rajapaksa regime manipulates the so-called victory …

Continue reading ‘United Movement to Struggle Against Oppressors for Equal Rights of Every Community Necessary’ »

by Kishali Pinto Jayewardene D0ictators do not believe in half hearted measures. This is an essential lesson that Sri Lanka is now learning at a painful cost. Lawyers protest against white van abductions in the court premises-Feb 2012-pic: courtesy: VikalpaSL We were immeasurably too ignorant, too consumed by self interest or too stubborn to realize …

Continue reading ‘Popular Movement of Legal Professionals Must Fight for Survival of the Judicial System Facing Crisis’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “…they were cunning, ignorant and cruel like old beasts of prey and…if we let ourselves be overcome by fear or piety, they would finally destroy us”. – Jose Luis Borges (Ragnarök) The king can do no wrong’ was a foundational premise of absolute monarchy. The Rajapaksas have taken this anti-democratic concept to …

Continue reading ‘Why Major Chandana Pradeep Withdrew his Charges of Malaka Silva and Rehan Wijeratne Assaulting Him’ »

by Gamini Weerakoon Groucho Marx an outstanding comedian for about four decades of the last Century described ‘Military Intelligence’ as a ‘contradiction in terms’. Groucho’s perception can be appreciated. In his time the gentlemen in khaki were not considered to be blessed with much intelligence. And those with intelligence – ‘nerds’ as we call them …

Continue reading ‘Justice in Sri Lanka is Where the Victim Begs Pardon from the Offender for Daring to Challenge the Offender!’ »

by Gnana Moonesinghe I accepted the invitation from Sri Lanka Unites to participate at the Fourth Season of the Future Leader’s Conference to be held in Jaffna with interest but without any notion of what course the meeting on reconciliation will take. That it turned out to be an invigorating experience, an event that made …

Continue reading ‘‘A new Generation Dares to Unite the Nation’: Fourth ‘Sri Lanka Unites’ Future Leaders Conference in Jaffna’ »

by Randima Attygalle “There is no friend as loyal as a book.” -Ernest Hemingway Colombo International Book Fair 2012, Sri Lanka’s premier and best attended consumer fair marked its 14th milestone last week, with crowds flocking to BMICH. Spearheaded by Sri Lanka Book Publisher’s Association in 1999, the Fair has grown into a much sought …

Continue reading ‘Colombo International Book Fair 2012 Underway at BMICH with over 400 Stalls’ »

by Kamani Hettiarachchi Despite several political upheavals the government last week managed to appoint the new chief minister to the Eastern Province, Abdul Majeed Mohammed who polled 11726 preference votes contesting under the UPFA banner in the Trincomalee district. He also created history in the annals of the PC polls in Sri Lanka by becoming …

Continue reading ‘First Muslim Chief Minister of East Speaks Out: An Interview with Najeeb A Majeed’ »

By Uditha Jayasinghe The Government has leased the iconic Transworks House land to India’s Krrish Group for 99 years at $ 49 million, whilst the $ 450 million mega project is slated to be completed by 2014. The land encompasses the Transworks House, a colonial building that once housed the former Public Works Department (PWD). …

Continue reading ‘Four Acre Property in Colombo Fort Encompassing Heritage Building “Transworld House” leased for 99 years to Indian Firm for 49 million Dollars’ »

In clear signs that Sri Lanka’s trade with India is set to grow further and recent noise about Sri Lanka in Tamil Nadu has almost no impact on the surging Business-to-Business (B2B) linkages, a 45-member strong biz delegation led by S. Rethinavelu, Senior President of the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries (TCCI) is …

Continue reading ‘45 Member Tamil Nadu Top Business Delegation in Colombo to Promote Greater Trade Cooperation with Sri Lanka’ »

by Sandeep Dikshit With Sri Lanka’s human rights record coming up for review towards the end of the year, India believes that Colombo should accept the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) as a credible interlocutor and get down to discussing a road map for political devolution of powers as this will send a positive signal world-wide …

Continue reading ‘Manmohan Singh Asks Mahinda Rajapaksa to Discuss with TNA and Devise Road Map For Devolution of Powers’ »

By Salma Yusuf The release of the publication titled Faithing the Native Soil: Dilemmas and Aspirations of Postcolonial Buddhists and Christians in Sri Lanka, authored by Dr. Shanthikumar Hettiarachchi, specialist in religion, conflict and community engagement, is timely for its potential contribution to the ensuing discourse on post–war reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

by Vishnuguptha Could we envision a country that is devoid of racial discrimination, where each citizen is judged, in the immortal words of Martin Luther King Jr., “not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character”? Can we envision a nation that is free of racial prejudice and ‘white vans’ …

Continue reading ‘Could we Envision a Country That is Devoid of Racial Discrimination?’ »

By G. Ananthapadmanabhan On 24 January 2010, Prageeth Eknaligoda, journalist, cartoonist, father of two, stepped out of his office near Colombo. Prageeth had been actively reporting on the country’s forthcoming Presidential Election. The previous week, he had done a comparative analysis of the two main presidential candidates, coming out in favour of the opposition candidate, …

Continue reading ‘India Despite its Dubious Human Rights Record Must Exert Pressure on Sri Lanka’ »

by Sanjeewa Ranaweera During the 90s, I was a boarder at the Royal College Hostel. We, the hostellers were supposed to shift dormitories annually. And once, I was in the dormitory called ‘Galoya – III’. (Yes, all our dormitories were given the names of these well-known water reservation projects – Victoria, Kotmale, etc. And I …

Continue reading ‘Have we made Gestures of Goodwill Towards the Tamils of this Country After the War?’ »

by S.Dorairaj In his literary career spanning six decades, Dhandapani Jayakanthan, ‘JK’ to his friends and comrades, has won acclaim for wielding his pen against social injustices and economic inequality. An inimitable orator, committed film-maker, accomplished journalist and fearless activist besides being an outstanding writer, he has never hesitated to join hands with the votaries …

Continue reading ‘An Interview with ‘JK’ Jayakanthan the Award-winning Tamil writer’ »

By Thulasi Muttulingam The peninsula of Jaffna is famous for its unique and flavourful cooking. The cooking style is heavily influenced by the neighbouring regions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu but there are a few items considered to be uniquely Yarlpaanum; savouries made from the palmyrah fruit such as Panangai Paniyaarum being one example. Here …

Continue reading ‘Jaffna Titbits: Pt.Pedro Thattai Vadai and Panangaaip Paniyaaram’ »

by Taylor Dibbert Barack Obama inherited a mess, but his presidency has been, by most historical standards, a massive disappointment. Obama has had some foreign-policy successes, but most Americans could not care less about foreign policy. Besides, he has alienated the left-wing of his party by perpetuating (and even expanding upon) many of the counterterrorism …

Continue reading ‘Some Thoughts on a Frustrating Presidential Race’ »

OneIndia: What can India ideally do to force the Sri Lankan government in the process of reconciliation of the Tamils? Irrespective of the Tamil politicians’ fury, the fact is that Sri Lanka is an independent country and we have already paid a price of intervening in the late 1980s and early 1990s. India can only …

Continue reading ‘No Nation not even India or US can Force Lankan Govt to Carry out Reconciliation Process with Tamils | Col.Hariharan (retd) Interviewed by ‘One India’’ »

(Text of Press communique Issued by the TNA) A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance met with Mr Hanny Megally, Chief, Asia, Pacific, Middle East and North Africa Branch, Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and his team of officials on 20th September …

Continue reading ‘Tamil National Alliance Briefs Visiting UN Human Rights Team’ »

by P S Suryanarayana Abstract The real storyline of the Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister’s latest talks withIndian leaders in New Delhi is in the timing and the broad-based themes of his visit to India –the first in eight years by a military dignitary in his position.

by Charitha Ratwatte The Government has gazetted a Bill, on 27 July 2012, to set up a Divi Neguma Department, which will take over the existing Samurdhi Authority, the Southern Development Authority and the Udarata Development Authority (successor to the Kandyan Peasantry Commission). The Bill will also set up a Divi Neguma Community Based Organisation, …

Continue reading ‘‘Divi Neguma’ Dept: Development catalyst, dependency creator or just a white elephant?’ »

by Dharisha Bastians The Silvas are at it again. A week dominated by news of political brats on the rampage once more, this time directing their rage at an Army Major, ended with the soldier recanting his story and the two main suspects in remand being transferred to prison hospital on “medical” advice.

By Kath Noble Mahinda Rajapaksa must really love elections. Since he came to power, at least some part of the country has gone to the polls almost every year, sometimes more than once. We had local and provincial council elections in both 2008 and 2009, parliamentary and presidential elections in 2010, more local elections in …

Continue reading ‘A TNA-led Administration in North is Necessary to Show Govt It Cannot Get Away with Everything Everywhere’ »

Niromi de Soyza Speaks to Shanika Sriyananda “We had lost our footwear in previous skirmishes; but we still had our ‘kuppies’, the cyanide capsules we wore around our necks. We were better prepared for death than for life.” This is what a 17-year-old child soldier holding the AK-47 thought to herself while moving forward to …

Continue reading ‘“War Doesent Determine Who is Right -Only Who is Left”’ »

By Fr JC Pieris Like the low black monsoon clouds heavy with unshed rain ominously raising a dark fearful mood is the state of mind of the normal, good and decent citizens of Sri Lanka who are depressed and infected with discontent, discouragement and the frustration of helplessness with the disgusting situation in the country. …

Continue reading ‘Monsoon of our Discontent will Cause Downpour to Wash Away Rotten Muck from our Country’ »

by K S Sivakumaran Writers in Tamil in Lanka include Tamils, Muslims, and Malays. They are from different parts of the island. One such place is Mannar in the Northern Province. Almost an icon in the area and a widely known writer, poet, journalist and critic is Kalai Vaathi Kaleel. He hails from a traditional …

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by Dr. S. P. Udayakumar Ph D Just like a hapless wife brutally assaulted by her male chauvinistic and drunken husband, like an innocent little child beaten up by his abusive parent, our honest, hardworking, and pious people have been violated, their possessions vandalized, their 400-day long nonviolent movement vilified. By our own government! By …

Continue reading ‘The Global Nuclear Mafia Sees our People as Their Sworn Enemies’ »

by Col R Hariharan (Retd.) Al Qaeda in Yemen has asked Muslims to step up their protests and kill more U.S. diplomats after the U.S. ambassador to Libya was killed when violent anti-U.S. protestors attacked the U.S. embassy in Benghazi. In a significant statement, the Libyan Prime Minister has said the attack on the U.S. …

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By Col R Hariharan Post Conflict Sri Lanka: Rebuilding of the Society Edited by VR Raghavan Vij Books, New Delhi, 2012, pp 194, Rs 850 Sri Lanka army ended 25 years of Tamil separatist insurgency on May 19, 2009 when it defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). But the victory in what the …

Continue reading ‘Post Conflict Sri Lanka: Rebuilding of Society and Roadblocks to Ethnic Reconciliation’ »

(Text of a press communique issued by the Tamil National Alliance) Following on an invitation from Mr Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President to the TNA leader Mr. R Sampanthan on the night of 1th September 2012, for a meeting at the Presidents House on 18th morning, a mee ting took place between the President …

Continue reading ‘A TNA-led Administration in North is Necessary to Show Govt It Cannot Get Away with Everything Everywhere’ »

by Sachin Jayawickreme (The writer is the elder brother of Rehan Wijeratne-Jayawickreme who is at the centre of the controversy regarding the assault on an Army Major outside the JAIC Hilton.) First of all I must say that I was indeed surprised when I read the Sunday papers early this morning. I was expecting a …

Continue reading ‘Alleged Assault on army Major by Malaka and Rehan-An Elder Brother Says “He is not Proud”’ »

by Sachin Jayawickreme (The writer is the elder brother of Rehan Wijeratne-Jayawickreme who is at the centre of the controversy regarding the assault on an Army Major outside the JAIC Hilton.) First of all I must say that I was indeed surprised when I read the Sunday papers early this morning. I was expecting a …

Continue reading ‘Alleged Assault on army Major by Malaka and Rehan-An Elder Brother Says “He is not Proud”’ »

By Salma Yusuf The race to the Whitehouse has begun. With the conventions concluded, attention is turning to the upcoming debates. It is less than two months until Election Day, November 6. Thus far the quality of the discourse has been disappointing as the major party candidates have seemed to focus much of their efforts …

Continue reading ‘South Asia Including Sri Lanka is now Central to American Foreign Policy and Security Establishments’ »

By Radhieka Peeris “Ganga addara ma sihil senehi sanahi…” an all time favourite hit song from the 1980 Sinhala classic movie Ganga Addara starts playing in the background. Vijaya Kumaranathunga comes to mind on the banks of the Kelani river, balancing on his left palm a miniature boat made of dried leaves, extending it towards …

Continue reading ‘Sumitra Peries Celebrates her Fiftieth Year in Sinhala Cinema’ »

By Anukshi Jayasinha When Jacqueline Fernandez won the title of Miss Sri Lanka Universe in 2006, Sri Lankans across the island knew she would somehow bring fame and success to our tiny island. Unlike former beauty queens who went on to win titles only to retire in obscurity a few years later, Fernandez, popularly known …

Continue reading ‘Dazzling Lankan Beauty Jacqueline Fernandez Shines in Hindi Cinema’ »

by Sir Alan Haselhurst (Text of the he Lakshman Kadirgamar Memorial Lecutre 2012 delivered by Sir Alan Haselhurst M. P. Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Executive Committee on 12th September 2012 at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute) It was a huge surprise, but a great honour to be invited to deliver the sixth Lakshman …

Continue reading ‘Sustainable Peace Requires Genuine Reconciliation Between Peoples and an Understanding and Redress of Grievances’ »

by P S Suryanarayana Abstract The X-factor that makes China view India more seriously now than at any time before is the rising interest in both Washington and New Delhi for reciprocal defence cooperation. There is,of course, no direct evidence, at the official levels, to suggest that the United States and India have already begun …

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by Rex Clementine Sri Lanka’s struggles to gain Test status were many, but since becoming full members of the ICC in 1981, the three decade period has been an eventful one. Sri Lanka became World Champions in ODI cricket in 1996 and on four other occasions reached finals of various ICC events, once ending joint-champions …

Continue reading ‘Kumar Sangakkara’s Secret of Success: ‘Work,Work and More Work’’ »

by B.Kolappan Thyagaraja Vilas, the house of the grand old man of Tamil literature (Tamil Thaatha), U.V. Swaminatha Iyer, and one of the city’s landmarks, will soon disappear. The descendants of Iyer have reportedly sold the property at Thiruvatteeswaranpet and the buyer is demolishing the house. The inner walls have been brought down. Nameboards bearing …

Continue reading ‘Historic House in Thiruwatteeswaranpet Where ‘Thamizh Thaathaa’ Swaminatha Iyer Lived is Being Demolished’ »

by Kishali Pinto Jayewardene It is a profound paradox of sorts that while Sri Lankans fight to save a hapless Sri Lankan housemaid from public execution in Saudi Arabia, this government itself is readying the hangman’s noose for implementation of the death penalty after more than two and a half decades of being a de …

Continue reading ‘Activation of the Death Penalty is no Solution to Our Problems’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “And the people bowed and prayed, To the neon god they made” Simon and Garfunkel (The Sound of Silence) How more blatant can it get? President Mahinda Rajapaksa had reportedly wanted a special exposition of Kapilawastu-relics at Temple Trees. ‘Relic diplomacy’ is a standard weapon in the arsenal of those in possession …

Continue reading ‘Provincial Poll Results Show UPFA voter base is Eroding and Rajapaksa Magic is Weakening’ »

by M.A. Sumanthiran MP The Tamil People of this country have one big complaint. They’ve had it for over sixty years. The ‘democracy’ that is practised in this country since ‘independence’ in 1948 is nothing but majoritarianism. When the colonial masters left, we were handed over to the Sinhalese to rule over us. Not even …

Continue reading ‘Skewed Democracy Enables Defeated UPFA to Form Govt in the East’ »

by Tisaranee Gunasekara “What sheer unfeeling idiocy”. Rolf Hochhuth (The Deputy) In Sri Lanka ‘War Hero’ reigns supreme; he is feted and honoured, loved and respected, invoked and venerated. In the abstract! In the concrete, flesh and blood war heroes plant grass and pull weeds, sweep sidewalks and carry garbage, build and maintain exercise tracks …

Continue reading ‘Duminda, Mervyn and Malaka are the ‘Silva Symptoms’ of a Plague Called Rajapaksa Rule’ »

by Namini Wijedasa A top US official passed through Sri Lanka last week with a fresh dose of pressure on everything from the business environment and elections to accountability and demilitarization. Significantly, this is US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake’s last visit to Sri Lanka before the US presidential election. An observer of US-Sri …

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by Ahilan Kadirgamar With the university teachers on strike for over two months, what has been most impressive about this struggle is its national character and independence from party politics. The public debate created by the breadth and commitment of this struggle provides great hope for rethinking our political culture and people’s participation in shaping …

Continue reading ‘FUTA Strike Action and Trade Unionism at Jaffna University’ »

by Frederica Jansz Rehan Wijeratne was the first to arrive at Apartment 15/03 at the JAIC Hilton on Saturday September 8. The time was around 6 p.m. The apartment had been rented for a day by his best friend and buddy Malaka Silva. The two boys have told their friends that they had done so …

Continue reading ‘Malaka Silva,Rehan Wijeratne and the Assault on an Army Major: What Really Happened?’ »

(London, September 15, 2012) – The United Kingdom should immediately suspend deportations to Sri Lanka of ethnic Tamils with real or imputed links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or who have engaged in activities the Sri Lankan authorities might view as anti-government, Human Rights Watch said today. The next scheduled deportation of …

Continue reading ‘Human Rights Watch Urges UK to Halt Deportation of Tamils to Sri Lanka and Urgently Review Allegations of Tamils Being Tortured’ »

An Interview with Hirunika Premachandra by Hafeel Farisz Q:There were many “pretty faces” that spoke on different issues with the same venom that you have in the recent past like for instance Anarkalee, Upeksha, Malini Fonseka etc. What makes you different from the rest? Do you have anything beyond a “pretty face”? All of them …

Continue reading ‘‘I am not Against This Govt but I am Against Certain Personalities who are part of this Govt’’ »

by Mike Andree When Giuseppe Verdi wrote the lyrics and composed the music of ‘la donna è mobile’, for his opera ‘Rigoletteo’ and it was sung by the famous ‘Raffaele Mirate’, it became an instant hit. The very next day, the whole of Venice, including the gondola boatmen and thereafter the whole of Europe, was …

Continue reading ‘Hirunika Premachandra: ‘Always a Lovely, Pretty Face, She Changes in Voice and Thought Like a Feather in the Wind’’ »

by Navamalar Kanagasuntherie Jaffna Holy Family Convent alumni from around the world are on their way to Sri Lanka to celebrate their alma mater’s sesquicentennial in October this year Starting with a dinner in Colombo on the 21st of October, hosted by the Colombo Branch of the School’s Past Pupils Association the celebrations will move …

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by Risidra Mendis A study conducted by the Joint Secretary of the Ceylon Bird Club (CBC), Kithsiri Gunawardana, on ground nesting Terns at the Adams Bridge Islands in Mannar, has revealed that many species are breeding and producing young successfully. The Adams Bridge Islands and Thalaimannar have become a breeding ground for a wide variety …

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