By Ayesha Zuhair A popular newspaper column lamented on Sunday (September 30) that while the punishment for murder is death upon conviction, the punishment for the murder of hundreds, i.e. a terrorist act, is “only” life imprisonment. Taking a critical stance of the recently Cabinet-approved counter terrorism bill for apparently soft-pedalling the issue of terrorism, …

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By Dr. Nirmala Chandrahasan LL.B, LL.M ,Ph.D, Attorney-at-Law. I was surprised to see the statements by Malcolm Cardinal Ranjit, which appear to downplay Human Rights. The Cardinal sees it as a secular western European concept, but does not seem to be aware of its Christian roots. Similarly, Minister Mangala Samaraweera in his rebuttal of the …

Continue reading ‘Christian Doctrine Has Shaped Human Rights Law and Concepts Over The Years While Papal Encyclicals set Out Clearly the Catholic Church’s Concerns For Human Rights.’ »

by Kamaya Jayatissa “The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.” – Charles de Montesquieu Going through the recent statements made at Geneva, as well as on its sidelines, I wonder how much time each of us take …

Continue reading ‘Both citizenry and national identity are two evolving notions that need to emerge organically through a social contract between the people and the State.’ »

(Text of a press release issued by Anomaa Rajakaruna Festival Director of Jaffna International Film Festival) Dear Sir/Madam, TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Reference to Jude Ratnam’s statement of DEMONS IN PARADISE which was to be screened at Jaffna International Cinema Festival Jude Ratnam’s film which was premiered on 24th May 2017 has been traveling …

Continue reading ‘Jaffna International Film Festival Director States The Slot Allocated To Jude Ratnam’s Film On the Schedule Was Kept Open .’ »

(Text of a press release issued by Jude Ratnam the Writer/Director of the film “Demons in Paradise”) Dear Sir/Madam, TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Allegedly owing to pressure from a group known only as the ‘Community’ in Jaffna, the festival organizers of the Jaffna International Cinema Festival have decided to remove the film DEMONS IN …

Continue reading ‘Director Alleges His Film Was Removed From Screening Schedule At Jaffna International Film Festival By The Organizers Due To Pressure By a Group Called “Community”.’ »

John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) yesterday announced the appointment of Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the company with effect from 1 October. Dr. Coomaraswamy received her BA from Yale University, LLM from Harvard University and the Doctorate in Jurisprudence from Columbia University. She served as UN Under Secretary General and as …

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The internationally renowned film ‘Demons in Paradise’ which was competed at the prestigious Cannes Film festival in France has been removed from being screened at the International Jaffna Cinema Festival starting this weekend, its Director Jude Ratnam said. Issuing media release, he said the festival organizers of the Jaffna International Cinema Festival had decided to …

Continue reading ‘Jaffna International Film Festival Director Anoma Rajakaruna Offers Explanation About “Demons In Paradise” Saying Director Jude Ratnam Walked Out of Discussion and Issued Statement About Non -Screening.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan A Sri Lankan Tamil filmmaker’s take on the country’s civil war, which was scheduled to be screened at the Jaffna International Cinema Festival later this week, has been removed from the list, raising questions about the space for free expression in Sri Lanka’s post-war north. According to filmmaker Jude Ratnam, festival organisers, …

Continue reading ‘Filmmaker Jude Ratnam States His Film On Sri Lankan Conflict ” Demons In Paradise” Scheduled Ti Be Screened in Jaffna Film Festival Has Been “Removed ” Without Explanation.’ »

By Kelum Bandara Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran in an interview with Daily mirror , speaks about the current status of the Constitution-making process and future politics. He shared the following: Q How do you look at the current status of politics? A; Well, there was a change in 2015. …

Continue reading ‘“Northern Chief Minister Wigneswaran Has Disqualified Himself From Being Re-nominated by Campaigning Against His Own Party At The Parliamentary and Local Govt elections” Says MA Sumanthiran MP in Interview’ »