By

Thulasi Muttulingam

Ever since I landed in Colombo, some 10 years ago (after growing up/ living most of my life abroad), I have been noticing a phenomenon leaching into my subconscious that is not new to many other Tamils living in Sri Lanka; guilt. A sense of having to be answerable for being Tamil. A sense of accepting that my citizen’s rights can and will often be trampled and there is nothing I can do about it.

Young Tamils, both male and female, automatically came under suspicion during the war years. We were all prospective Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres in the eyes of the guards at army checkpoints.
Continue reading ‘Travails and Troubles of Being “Tamil” in Sri Lanka’ »

By Izeth Hussain

By now practically everything useful that can be said about the fundamentals of the impeachment move against the Chief Justice has already been said, amply and cogently in the editorials and erudite commentaries that have been appearing in our newspapers. I will not recapitulate any of it.

Instead I will make a couple of suggestions, before getting to the main focus of this article which is on the struggle for democracy. There does seem to exist a broad national consensus that the Government has acted hastily and put itself in the wrong.
Continue reading ‘There Seems to Exist a Virtual Unanimity That the Govt is Acting Unconstitutionally’ »

by
Sebastian Rasalingam

Mr. R. M. B. Senanayake (RMB), writing in his article in The Island (of Nov. 26) talks of `devolution on a linguistic basis’. He presents the common but patently incorrect genesis of the conflict touted by the anglicized-Sinhalese journalists and Colombo Tamils who do not know Tamil. Here, I present another aspect of the tragedy of the Tamils then, and even now.

Continue reading ‘Route to Reconciliation is Not Devolution or Making Linguistic or Ethnic Partitions’ »

by R. M. B. Senanayake

Sinhala nationalists who deny that the Tamils have any grievances are now campaigning for the abolition of the Provincial Councils under the 13th Amendment. But S.W. R. D. Bandaranaike, the western educated liberal who introduced the Sinhala Only Law realized that an injustice was done to the Tamil people for it was not only an instrument to discriminate against Tamils in State employment but also to force them to deal with the State and its agencies only in Sinhala which the large majority of Tamil people did not know. How could the Tamil people give voice to their problems to the powers that be unless they learn Sinhala for, given the Sinhala as the only medium of education, future political leaders would know only Sinhala?
Continue reading ‘Why Devolution Should be on a Linguistic Basis’ »

By Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha M.P.

I have been confronted with many problems during meetings of Divisional Secretariat Reconciliation Committee meetings, but perhaps the most unusual was the question of garbage which came up at Kattankudy. I was told that garbage was being piled up at the edges of the area coming under the Secretariat, though I should hasten to add that this was not the fault of what seemed an efficient and responsive administration under the Divisional Secretary – yet another of the bright youngsters I keep coming across, who should be given greater responsibilities, with commensurate reporting obligations to the people they serve.

Continue reading ‘Kattankudi Garbage Issue Shows Why National Policy Should Remain With Central Govt’ »

28th November 2012
His Excellency the President
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Temple Trees
Colombo 3
Your Excellency,

Importance of avoiding apprehension in the minds of the people in dispensing law and justice in a Democratic Society

Sri Lanka is an island which won the eulogy “Daham Divayina” from time immemorial and was praised here and abroad. But society at present is full of grave crimes such as murders, rape, robberies, arson, abductions, bribery, drug trafficking and child abuse; committed with craving and hatred. Almost every day these are reported in the media.
Continue reading ‘Mahanayakes Write Joint Letter Asking President to Withdraw Impeachment Motion Against Chief Justice’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

Sweeping changes are taking place on Reid Avenue, Colombo. A shiny white colonial building looks set to be the city’s next favourite shopping precinct and hangout. A twin construction is being erected adjacently.

As the Urban Development Authority under the purview of the Ministry of Defence continues beautifying the capital city, large and ancient trees that in living memory have always lined the street, are being felled to make way for paved walkways and cycle lanes.
Continue reading ‘Parliamentary Select Committee on Impeachment of Chief Justice Violates Principles of Natural Justice’ »

by Srinath C. Samarasinghe

(Srinath C. Samarasinghe participated in the French-Sri Lankan Diaspora Youth Workshop “Post-War Reconciliation Dialogue for a Sustainable Peace”, which took place in Paris, on October 27th, 2012, as a panelist on the theme “Building inter-communal dialogue/understanding through the arts and culture: an alternative approach towards reconciliation”.

The event was organized by What’s Next!, an independent forum comprising of post-graduates and young professionals of Sri Lankan origin residing in France. What’s Next! seeks to promote a sustainable peace in Sri Lanka through intellectual exchange and multicultural dialogue)
Continue reading ‘In an After-war-dark-sky, Art and Culture will be two Bright Stars Helping our Boat to Reach the Bank of Peace’ »

by Terry Benson

In 2006 my wife Lilamani and I had the unforgettable good fortune to experience Danielle de Niese’s dazzling performance in UK as Cleopatra in the Glyndebourne Festival Opera’s production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar), directed by David McVicar.

Taking a bow: Danielle with members of the Chamber Music Society of Sri Lanka. Pic by M. Pushpa Kumara

That was the one that catapulted Danielle to stardom aged 26. She went on to perform as Cleopatra for an unprecedented three seasons in five years at Glyndebourne, also in the same production at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2007, and in a different production at the New York Met also in 2007.
Continue reading ‘Asian Recital Debut of Divine Diva Danielle de Niese in Colombo’ »

by Roshan Samarakoon

A Common Man is an upcoming psychological thriller film by Sri Lankan film-maker Chandran Rutnam with Oscar Award winner Ben Kingsley and Ben Cross in the cast.

Chandran Rutnam

The story is adapted from a concept conceived while Chandran was watching the Hindi movie A Wednesday. However, Rutnam has developed into a highly suspenseful thriller.
Continue reading ‘Chandran Rutnam Makes ‘A Common Man’ as a Sri Lanka-Hollywood Co- production’ »

by Anusha David

Svayam is a Sanskrit word that, in essence, means ‘self’: its interpretation varies within each context.

Charmaine Vanderkoen Mendis

The paintings and drawings exhibited by Charmaine in her latest exhibition are, in her own words, “an expression of myself, my feelings, my experiences, my escape; they are my meditations, my relaxation, and the meanderings of my mind, whilst my body is firmly rooted in the mundane present”.
Continue reading ‘Charmaine Vanderkoen Mendis a Multi-Faceted Diamond’ »

By

M. Thiyagarajah

With all the media focus on the militarization of the Northern land, some issues of bread and butter concern have escaped the attention. The damage inflicted by the three-decade old Tiger insurgency was extensive.

The fact that it is not easy to make the area turn a corner has made the issue nobody’s case.

Continue reading ‘With 20% unemployment and 30%underemployment Northern Sri Lanka is Sitting Atop a New Volcano’ »

By the “Ceylon Today” Investigations desk

Gratitude is one thing. Receiving step-motherly treatment is something else, altogether. While the former remains a distant memory, three years after the end of the war, the latter is what a group of valiant soldiers, assigned to the once embattled North, are complaining of today.

Continue reading ‘Soldiers Stationed in North Complain of Step-motherly Treatment and “Slave Labour”’ »

By
Tisaranee Gunasekara

“It is therefore apparent that these charges are baseless and groundless… We hope that with the true facts being revealed, the public will realise the evil perpetrated on her.” The Interim Response by the lawyers of the Chief Justice.

Last week, the popularly elected President of Egypt, Mohammed Morsi, issued a Constitutional Declaration barring judicial authorities from overturning any decision made by him. Seeing in this move an attempt to undermine the judiciary and place the president above the law, and country burst out in protest. Egyptians of all walks of life and every political persuasion, and none, spoke and demonstrated against the President’s dictatorial moves.

Continue reading ‘We May Understand Full Value of Even a Flawed Democracy and Semi-Independent Judiciary Only After We Have Lost Both’ »

By
Prof S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

Minister Douglas Devananda’s speech on the budget on the 17th was a defence of the government’s record in the North and an anti-TNA diatribe. His claims are worth an internal TNA review for its own edification.

Continue reading ‘Interference of Douglas Devananda in Matters Concerning the Jaffna University and Teaching Hospital’ »

By The Sunday Times Political Correspondent

When Emirates flight 231 from Dubai touched down 38 minutes ahead of schedule at Washington’s Dulles International Airport on a chilly Thursday morning, a posse of secret service agents and a motorcade were on the ready.
Within minutes, they whisked away President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who arrived in the US capital, to the Four Seasons hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. The hotel overlooks the eastern front of the harbour there. The 256 room/suite hotel is barely a year old.

Continue reading ‘What Will Happen If Supreme Court Rules Parliamentary Select Committee on Impeachment of Chief Justice is Not Legally Constituted?’ »

From an NGO Worker Communication to S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

Returning home is never an easy task in the Vanni. After years of being caught in the cross-fire, hiding little children from Tiger press-gangs, running away from rampaging soldiers, having the entirety of several districts emptied of people, and living in camps, there was finally hope of a new life. People are slowly beginning to rebuild their lives through the help of NGOs and the government and, most of all, by their own sheer will. These farmers restarting life in their ramshackle shells is a testament to their resilience.

Continue reading ‘Ancestral Lands of Re-Settling IDP’s in North-East are Being Illegally Acquired.’ »

by

Kishali Pinto Jayawardene

The Government’s brushing aside of the Supreme Court’s entirely appropriate order this week requesting Parliament to desist from continuing with the impeachment of the Chief Justice until a final determination was handed down in petitions being heard filed before it, was arrogant but unsurprising.

Continue reading ‘Steady Gathering of Public Empathy for a Court Under Siege is Now Noticeably Underway’ »

by Dr.Nihal Jayawickrama

In seventeenth century England, the Stuart Kings seriously undermined the independence of the judiciary by the practice of dismissing judges who gave decisions unfavourable to them.

Consequently, in 1701, as part of the revolution settlement on the accession of William and Mary, the English Parliament enacted the Act of Settlement which guaranteed the tenure of judges “during good behaviour”, and provided for their removal only “upon the address of both Houses of Parliament”.
Continue reading ‘Bangalore Principles Are Not Intended For Removal of a Judge From Judicial Office’ »

By
C.A.Chandraprema

The Lalith Athulathmudali memorial oration was delivered by a distinguished Sri Lankan legal luminary C.G.Weeramantry last Thursday. The event was organised by the Institute for Democracy and Leadership headed by Ravi Karunanayake and sponsored by the Fredreich Naumann Foundation which is affiliated to the German Liberal Party.

It was Judge Weeramantry who headed the team that drafted the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct which were extensively quoted in this column a couple of weeks ago.
Continue reading ‘If Shirani Bandaranayake Loses Chief Justice Position There Wont Be Any Lawyers to Shout”Jayawewa” For Her’ »

by
MA Sumanthiran M.P.

Last week we saw an unprecedented action by the Supreme Court. I wonder whether any court, let alone the Supreme Court, has ever before made a ‘request’, without making a coercive order. This perhaps was dictated to by the experience gained on two previous instances. Both involved the former Chief Justice Sarath Silva.

Continue reading ‘When Supreme Court Made Request the Select Committee Should Have Stayed Proceedings Until SC Determined on Impeachment’ »

(Text of Interim Response sent by Lawyers Representing Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake to Parliamentary Select Committee on Impeachment)

Dear Sir,

We regret that our client was not provided with more time.

The letter dated 14/11/2012 was delivered to our client’s official residence at approximately 7 pm on 14/11/2012 asking her to respond to the 14 alleged charges by the 22/11/2012, which is approximately one week’s time.
Continue reading ‘Chief Justice Denies Purported Charges Against Her as “Baseless, Groundless and Frivolous”’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Dictatorships breed oppression, dictatorships breed servility, dictatorships breed cruelty; more loathsome still is the fact that they breed idiocy…” Jose Luis Borges (Speech at the Argentine Society of Writers)

Here is it finally, the ‘D’ word. Uttered by Minister Basil Rajapaksa, no less: “It is a dynasty, but by people’s choice, a people’s dynasty” (Sydney Morning Herald – 19.11.2012).

North Koreais the ultimate anti-democratic dystopia, a nominal republic in which the people are the chattels of a dynasty which embodies absurdist-horror. But in official parlance, this vassal state of the Family Kim is a Democratic People’s Republic.

If Vellupillai Pirapaharan won his Eelam, he would have appended an equally fancy name to his state, in which Tamils would have had the choice of being either voiceless victims or silenced spectators.
Continue reading ‘Basil is Right About Rajapaksa Rule Being a “People’s Dynasty”.’ »

By Shanaka Jayasekara

It is often said that timing plays a crucial role as to howthe media frames an issue, and for the most part of the last three years, Sri Lanka has been reacting to anti-Sri Lankan campaigns globally. The lack of a strategic vision for post-war Sri Lanka has led to ad-hoc decisions that have seriously deteriorated the credibility of the country and the leadership.

Continue reading ‘The government’s policy making process is not driven by what’s best for the country but what’s best to consolidate power.’ »

By
Bishop Duleep de Chickera

The move to impeach the Chief Justice (CJ) and the prison riot at Welikada in which a number of prisoners died, have aroused considerable public interest over the recent past. The Government’s reactions and actions have come under the scrutiny of the people in what seems like an unofficial referendum. But public interest and scrutiny must be sustained consistently if the Judge and the judged are to receive the justice they are both entitled to.

Continue reading ‘Circumstances Surrounding Impeachment of Chief Justice Are Worrying’ »

By Gagani Weerakoon

Flanked by six of her lawyers, Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake arrived at the Parliamentary Complex yesterday to attend the hearing conducted by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), which decided to grant her time till 4 December to file objections in her defence.

Continue reading ‘Chief Justice Faces Select Committee on Impeachment with Six Lawyers’ »

By Chitra Weerarathne

The Supreme Court yesterday granted leave to proceed with the fundamental rights violation applications, filed by three petitioners, complaining that the Impeachment Process, contained in Standing Order 78A, which sought to permit judicial or quasi judicial powers to be exercised by Parliament, contravened Articles 4 © and 3 of the constitution.

The three petitioners are, Janaka Adhikari of Anuradhapeura Athula Chandrapala Thenuwara of Ethul Kotte and Mahindra Jayasinghe, the General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union.

Continue reading ‘Fundamental Rights pleas Against Impeachment of Chief Justice Allowed to Proceed by Supreme Court’ »

By Chitra Weerarathne

The Supreme Court yesterday said that it was not inclined to grant interim relief against the proceeding of the Parliamentary Select Committee, appointed to inquire into allegations against Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake.

Continue reading ‘SC recommends PSC on CJ defer inquiry till it interpretes law’ »

By

P. K. Balachandran

On paper, the Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC) has an impressive policy on the ethnic and religious minorities, with all the rights expected from a modern state guaranteed. But performance falls far short of promises in crucial matters, particularly in the political sphere.

No wonder a delegation of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), which spent ten days in China earlier this month at the invitation of the Chinese Government, came back to Sri Lanka disappointed.

Continue reading ‘Tamil Delegation After China Visit Says China Will Not Help The Tamils Secure Justice And Political Autonomy in Sri Lanka’ »

by Celina Cramer

(Celina Cramer participated at the French-Sri Lankan Diaspora Youth Workshop “Post-War Reconciliation Dialogue for a Sustainable Peace”, which took place in Paris, on October 27th, 2012. She intervened as a panelist on the theme “Individual and collective identity(ies): between search and struggle”.

The event was organized by What’s Next!, an independent forum comprising of post-graduates and young professionals of Sri Lankan origin residing in France. What’s Next! seeks to promote a sustainable peace in Sri Lanka through intellectual exchange and multicultural dialogue.)
Continue reading ‘The Struggles of Identity in Sri Lanka’ »

On November 22nd, 2012, Radhika Coomaraswamy, former Under Secretary General of the United Nations/Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, was awarded the Special Jury Prize 2012 by the Fondation Chirac for her actions in favor of the protection of children during armed conflict in the presence of Bernadette Chirac, wife of the former French president Jacques Chirac.
Continue reading ‘Radhika Coomaraswamy receives Fondation Chirac Special Jury Prize 2012 in Paris’ »

The Supreme Court, has recommended the postponement of the Parliamentary Select Committee sessions that were to examine the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice, until the Supreme Court gives its determination on the interpretation of the constitution, as requested by the Court of Appeal.
Continue reading ‘Supreme Court Recommends Deferment of PSC Sessions on Impeachment of Chief Justice’ »

By
Dharisha Bastians

Justitia, the Roman goddess of justice, is often depicted with a set of scales in one hand and a double-edged sword in another. Later replicas of this icon depict Lady Justice with a blindfold over her eyes.

Through the centuries the statue has come to represent the moral force of the judicial system, with scales to represent the weighing of merits of a case, the sword to symbolise the power of reason and justice and perhaps most importantly, the cover over her eyes to signify the objectivity of the law in the face of identity, money, power or weakness.
Continue reading ‘Will Impeachment of Chief Justice Impact on 2013 Commonwealth Summit in Colombo?’ »

By
Karu Jayasuriya M.P.

(Salient Points made at Press Conference held by Hon. Karu Jayasuriya MP UNP Gampaha District on 21.11.2012)

•
People of this country suffer triple fears.

• First is to eke out day to day life, secondly protection of lives, thirdly, the doubt they have whether they could get justice done in the presence of political goons, henchmen and those who use illegal weapons.

Continue reading ‘Law of the Jungle is Implemented at Times by this Govt’ »

By
Frances Harrison

(Frances Harrison, a former BBC correspondent in Sri Lanka, is the author of Still Counting the Dead: Survivors of Sri Lanka’s Hidden War (published in Canada by House of Anansi).

It’s been called Ban Ki-moon’s Rwanda moment: a little-reported war three years ago on a tiny Indian Ocean island where tens of thousands of civilians were slaughtered, waiting for the United Nations to come and rescue them.
Continue reading ‘UN Possessed Reliable Information Showing Sri Lankan Govt Was Responsible for Majority of Deaths’ »

By
Bob Rae

(Bob Rae is Leader of the Liberal Party in Canada From 1999 to 2006, he served as chairman of the Forum of Federations and was an adviser to the Sri Lankan peace process)

There was no doubt among those watching on the ground as the Sri Lankan army carried out its blitzkrieg across the northeast of the island in early 2009. The loss of civilian life would be mammoth, and those killed would, as often as not, be in “safe zones.”

Continue reading ‘Let There be no Doubt: A Sovereign Government Brutalized and Killed its Own Civilians.’ »

By Alan Keenan, Special to CNN

(CNN Editor’s note: Alan Keenan is the International Crisis Group’s Sri Lanka project director and senior analyst. The views expressed are his own.)

International attention on Sri Lanka has focused recently on a devastating report from the United Nations reviewing its own failure to protect civilians during the humanitarian catastrophe of the final months of the island nation’s civil war in 2009. Yet as many in the international community have been looking back, a new, quieter crisis is threatening Sri Lanka’s battered democracy – and the chances of lasting peace – with the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa moving to impeach the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Continue reading ‘Commonwealth Must Follow Canadian PM Stephen Harper on Sri Lanka Hosting 2013 Summit’ »

By Kath Noble

Last week I felt like I had been transported back in time. We were back in those awful first six months of 2009, when I was by turns horrified at the plight of the people caught up in the fighting in the Vanni and disgusted with the way in which the international community was responding.

Continue reading ‘The UN Knew in 2008 that the LTTE Was Going to Use Civilians as Human Shields’ »

By Camelia Nathaniel reporting from Vavuniya

A group of 23 ex-LTTE combatants, who had undergone the rehabilitation programme of the Ministry of Rehabilitation, received a huge boost to kick-start their new life last week, when Alliance Finance PLC facilitated their acquisition of three-wheelers without initial down payment and at reasonable rates payable in five years.

Continue reading ‘23 Ex-LTTE Combatants Get Three -Wheelers in Vavuniya’ »

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA

In the matter of an application for a mandates in the nature of a Writs of Certiorari and Prohibition under and in terms of Article 140 of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne
President’s Counsel
231/12A, First Lane
Kalapaluwawa
Rajagiriya

C.A. Writ Application No: 361/2012
Petitioner
Continue reading ‘Full Text of Petition Filed by Jayampathy Wickramaratne Against Impeachment of Chief Justice’ »

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA

In the matter of an application for a Writ of Prohibition under and in terms of Article 140 of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

Chandra Jayaratne,
2, Greenlands Avenue,
Colombo 5.

Petitioner
Case No: CA/WRIT/ /2012
Continue reading ‘Full Text of Chandra Jayaratne Petition Against Impeachment of Chief Justice:’ »

by International Crisis Group
 
Executive Summary of  ICG Asia Report 239 and Recommendations

The Sri Lankan government’s refusal to negotiate seriously with Tamil leaders or otherwise address legitimate Tamil and Muslim grievances is increasing ethnic tensions and damaging prospects for lasting peace. The administration, led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party of Mahinda Rajapaksa, has refused to honour agreements with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), broken promises to world leaders and not implemented constitutional provisions for minimal devolution of power to Tamil-speaking areas of the north and east. Militarisation and discriminatory economic development in Tamil and Muslim areas are breeding anger and increasing pressure on moderate Tamil leaders.

Tamil political parties need to remain patient and keep to their moderate course, while reaching out more directly to Muslims, Upcountry Tamils and Sinhalese. International actors should press the government more effectively for speedy establishment of an elected provincial council and full restoration of civilian government in the north, while insisting that it commence serious negotiations with elected Tamil representatives from the north and east.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Govt Refusal to Address Legitimate Tamil and Muslim Grievances’ »

Text and Pix By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai

Performance in the temple compound

“Kantha Shashti”, known as the strictest fast is currently being observed by the Hindus all around the world. The fast began on the 14th of November, and will end on 20th of November, according to the Tamil Almanac.

Devotees fast for six days to invoke blessings of Lord Murugan. It’s a rare fast, most Hindus observe “Upavaasam” (complete fast without any meals) for six days, and at the end of the fast on the seventh day, at crack of dawn they conclude it with the “Paaranai” (vegetarian meals cooked and consumed before the sunrise).

“Lord Murugan waged a war against the demon King “Soorapathman” and his army, who caused immense hardships to the “Thevars”. Lord Murugan promised to save their lives from the demon King and his army.

[related mp3: Maruthamalai Mamaniye (Lord Murugan praised as The Great Pearl of Maruthamalai) ~ Violin Instrumental ~ By Kunnakkudi Vaithiyanathan ~ ]

“Soorapathman” used various tactics to escape alive, but was killed on the sixth day by Lord Murugan with a “Vel” (lance), gifted by his mother, and liberated the “Thevars” from “Asurars” and their hassle.
Continue reading ‘Strict Hindu Fast of Kantha Shashti Underway Till Nov 20th’ »

By Katie DeRosa

Nirangela and her husband knew when they boarded the MV Sun Sea, along with 490 other men, women and children, that they were in for a long and dangerous journey to Canada.

The Tamil couple had waited anxiously for seven months in a muggy apartment building in the Silom district in Bangkok, hiding from the authorities to avoid being arrested as illegal immigrants. Finally, they were taken by bus to the port city of Songkhla, where they crowded onto the rusty cargo ship and watched the land disappear behind them, hoping the next solid ground they touched would be in Canada.

Continue reading ‘Seeking Refuge Across The Seas:Experience of a Tamil Asylum Seeker’ »

By
Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P.

I was called up by the BBC when they received a leaked copy of the Report to the Secretary General on the work of UN Agencies in Sri Lanka during the conflict period. They wanted me to comment and, though they would not share with me what they had, I agreed since I did not want the debate to go by default.

Continue reading ‘I Have Tried to Suggest That We Work More Coherently With The UN’ »

By Muttukrishna Sarvananthan

The National Budget is the financial strategy (expenditure and income) of a government towards achieving specific economic and social development goals during the forthcoming financial year and beyond.

Continue reading ‘2013 Budget Promotes Consumption and Pampers the Urbanites’ »

By
Hemantha Warnakulasuriya

When we were conducting a Mobile Service in Modana, three Tamil women wanted to meet me to discuss problems relating to the Tamils in Italy. Two days earlier, I received an anonymous telephone call asking me to immediately stop my campaign against the LTTE and that they were following me and would destroy me, as it was a very minor matter as they were working with the Italian Mafia.

Continue reading ‘How Tamils in Italy Wanted Mahinda Nominated for Nobel Prize For Liberating Them From LTTE’ »

Interviewed by Rohan Abeywardena

(Sri Lanka Freedom Party organiser for the Batticaloa District Arun Tambimuttu like his late father, assassinated TULF parliamentarian Sam Tambimuttu stands up for his convictions and does not mince his words when he says that the 13th Amendment and the provincial councils need to go as the time has come to evolve a more practical system of devolution and administration in their place. He notes that the British who devised the provinces in the first place abandoned it as it was not practical and instead settled for the district level administration with easy access to most people, which continues to this day. These are not the ideas of a fanatic, but of a thoughtful man in his mid-30s. He points to the district as the base for the new system and if it could be shown how workable and fair it would be for everybody, the international community would also have to automatically accept it.)

Continue reading ‘Only one Tamil From North or East Among 61 Ministers -Arun Tambimuttu’ »

by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Whatever I have to do to have my way, I will have my way”. Hitler (quoted in ‘The Germans: 1933-45: They Thought They Were Free – Milton Mayer)

There is an unbroken thread linking the Rajapaksas’ ‘humanitarian operation’ with the Rajapaksas’ impeachment assault, the asphyxiation of the 17th Amendment with the planned throttling of the 13th Amendment, the advent of the 18th Amendment with the impending arrival of the 19th Amendment.
Continue reading ‘Once Judiciary is Broken the Rajapaksas will use the Courts to Destroy Every Remaining Right or Freedom’ »

By

MA Sumanthiran M.P.

Why does a dark cloud of derision continue to linger in Sri Lanka with no signs of dissipating?

The problem lies with our perceptions. Our political reality is mirror of how we as citizens view our neighbours, our government and ourselves. The political notion of ‘unity’ is hollow if we fail in the simple task of seeing each other as equals. The notions of ‘representation’ and ‘accountability’ are vacant if we come to view government as the source and not the steward of power. It is in these simple tasks that we as Sri Lankans have most tragically failed. Instead of defining our politics, we have become a society defined by politics.

Continue reading ‘13th Amendment is not the Best the Govt can do Because it is not the Best Sri Lankans can do’ »

Dayan Jayatilleka Replies Peter Schalk

Sweden’s Uppsala University’s Professor Emeritus Dr.Peter Schalk has recently in a note to “Tamilnet” critiqued Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to France Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka on the question of autonomy being possible within a unitary state.

Prof. Schalk has been critical of Dr.Jayatilleka’s address at a seminar in Paris where the Ambassador had spoken of Sri Lanka striving for “autonomy within a unitary structure”.Prof. Schalk opines that a centralized unitary structure by definition excludes autonomy.

Dr.Jayatilleka too has countered the criticism by reiterating his advocacy of the Autonomy within Unitary structure concept in a written response issued exclusively to this blog.

Both pieces are published here together for the benefit of readers.

Continue reading ‘Is Autonomy Within a Unitary Structure a Structural Impossibility?’ »

by Randima Attygalle

(Picture credit: Palmyrah Development Board)

Tasting pinatu and sipping Palmta, whilst making a mental note of ‘what to take home’ among an exotic collection of thal petti (boxes made out of palmyrah leaves), mats, baskets and delicacies ranging from jaggery, kottei kilangu to thal wadei showcased at Katpaham was a phenomenal experience

Stepping into the sales outlet of Katpaham down Galle Road- the sales outlet of the Palmyrah Development Board, you can treat yourself to the wonders of the Northern Peninsula personified in none other than Palmyrah, Panei or Thal.
Continue reading ‘Palatable Delights of the Palmyrah’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

(The government’s strongman in Jaffna, Minister Douglas Devanada says the president has expressed his commitment to ‘the 13th Amendment Plus’ as the solution to the national question. The president proposed it and I am for it,” he said. He spoke to Ranga Jayasuriya of LAKBIMAnEWS about a wide-range of issues including how influential he is within the government.)

Q.Some influential personalities of the government, some of whom are very close to the president are calling for the abolition of the 13th Amendment. What do you think of this?

A.
This is a coalition government and there are various groups in this government and they have different opinions and different agendas. We cannot help that. There are others who are also in the government, who share a totally different ideology as well. People such as Rajitha Senaratne and Dilan Perera have aired totally different opinions (in favour of the 13th Amendment). The majority of the people within the government are overwhelmingly in favour of the 13th amendment. The president did not state in his budget speech that the 13th Amendment should be abolished. He only suggested that there should be changes.

Continue reading ‘I am the Govt Point Man Among the Entire Tamil Community Not Only in Jaffna Says Douglas’ »

by
Arthur Wamanan

(Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Douglas Devananda reiterated the government was committed to a meaningful implementation of the 13th Amendment accusing the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) of misleading the people. In an interview to The Nation Devananda alleged the TNA continued to make the same mistakes as it had done in the past by misinforming the public and blinding them to reality.)

Following are excerpts of the interview:

Continue reading ‘President Wants to Improve 13th Amendment not Repeal It -Douglas Devananda’ »

United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Jayalath Jayawardena, recuperating at the Sri Jayawardenepura hospital after a heart ailment had an in important visitor: President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who turns 67 today. Newspapers showed pictures of Rajapaksa at Jayawardena’s bedside, clasping his hands and wishing him a speedy recovery.

It is not certain whether Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Jayawardena in hospital. Even if he did, the media did not record the event. This difference in the impact of what the two men do is a significant reason why Rajapaksa celebrates the seventh anniversary of his presidency today while Wickremesinghe languishes as the country’s longest serving Opposition Leader

Continue reading ‘Firmly Entrenched in Power Mahinda Must be Pondering Where to From Here?’ »

by

Kishali Pinto Jayawardene

It did not take much prescience to foretell that parliamentary privilege would be formally wielded to prohibit public discussion of the PSC process with the commencement of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to consider the impeachment of the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka this week. The Speaker’s warning to party leaders on Friday that matters discussed at the PSC may not be divulged to the media is therefore unsurprising.

Continue reading ‘Core Question is Whether This is an Impeachment or Inquisition of The Chief Justice?’ »

D. M. Jayaratne
Prime Minister

(November 18th is the 67th birthday of President Mahinda Rajapaksa)

The year was 1994 when the UFPA Government was formed after 17 years of UNP rule. The victory ushered an era free of post-election violence, a time of joy and happiness enabling the entire population of the country to breath a sigh of relief. As the General Secretary of the alliance I worked relentlessly amid numerous hardships, sometimes even foregoing meals and satisfying my hunger with just a glass of water.

Continue reading ‘President Rajapaksa Must be Careful in Choosing His Trusted Lieutenants’ »

by

Dr A.C.Visvalingam

The Citizens’ Movement for Good Governance (CIMOGG) has emphasized repeatedly that there is a strict need for the Constitution and all subordinate laws to be honoured not only by the citizenry but equally so by the People’s representatives. A few of the issues raised by us previously have acquired a particular importance in view of the current proceedings that have been initiated against the Chief Justice. Whereas the present impeachment effort is considered to be sub iudice and, hence, out of bounds, there are many questions of law which arise in this instance that have ramifications outside the impeachment itself. We need to look at these.

Continue reading ‘Have All The MP’s Submitted Annual Returns of Their Assets and Liabilities as Required by the Law?’ »

By

Gomin Dayasri

The contents in the charge sheet are indeed damning and affect the office of the Chief Justice. Charges are such that it is strategically required to respond rapidly with a defense, before faulty perceptions gets ingrained in the mind of the public.

Ordinarily, defendants do not flash around their defenses by revealing their stance to the media before the trial, as it discloses their position to the prosecution.

Continue reading ‘Lawyers for the Chief Justice Took an Unusual Unorthodox Route by Directly Accessing the Public’ »

by
Rajan Philips

The impending impeachment of the country’s first female Chief Justice must not be treated as a purely constitutional issue. It is fraudulent to say that impeachment is right because it is constitutional. On the contrary, it must be said that it is wrong even if it is legal. In fact, what is not right must not be legal because a constitutional provision meant for extremely exceptional situations should not be turned into an excuse for misguided prosecutorial misconduct, and in a forum that is not at best organized to conduct judicial proceedings. In the end, justice may not only appear to be undone but also be undone.

Continue reading ‘Impeachment of Chief Justice:The Brotherhood of Power vs. the Sisterhood of Justice’ »

(Transcript of BBC Newshour Interview with Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha M.P. on 13 Nov 12)

Razia Iqbal: Why (did) the Govt of Sri Lanka want the UN to go? Was it because you couldn’t protect them or did you have another reason?

Rajiva Wijesinha: Well in fact we didn’t want them to go. In Sept we asked the NGOs to leave, one of them had actually been supplying vehicles to the Tigers.
We specifically asked, and that letter is available, UNFPA and UNHCR to stay along with the Red Cross. I’m afraid the then UNDP rep was galvanised by some people who wanted almost to blackmail us to say “No no, if we can’t all stay then we are going to leave”. So the Sec Defence said then leave. But the ICRC stayed right through and we have got all the details of the ICRC interventions during that period. We also have the UN interventions …

Continue reading ‘“We Asked UNFPA and UNHCR to Stay Along With the Red Cross but They Said We Are Going to Leave”- Rajiva Wijesinha’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara

“No questioning arises from subservient lips”.
Andrée Chedid (For Rushdie)

Ideally Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranaike would have prevented her husband from accepting Rajapaksa largesse; ideally.

Ideally, the Supreme Court would have resisted the 18th Amendment; ideally.

Ideally the term-limit provision would be in place and a post-Rajapaksa future just five years away; ideally.

But as Gandalf of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy told Frodo Baggins, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us”. And the time that is ours has given us just three options: follow the Rajapaksas out of conviction, fear or cupidity; seek refuge in indifference; or do whatever possible, within the law and within democratic norms, to preserve the last remaining non-Rajapaksised spaces.
Continue reading ‘It’s Not Mahinda vs. Shirani but the Rajapaksas vs. the Rest’ »

(FULL TEXT OF STATEMENT BY THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT)

A host of questions can be raised following recent events regarding the Chief Justice of our country.

A survey of developments involving the independence of the judiciary can go way back to the 1972 Constitution, to the de facto sacking of judges by the 1978 Constitution, the summoning of Supreme Court Justices Wimalaratne and Colin Thomé before a Select Committee of Parliament, the attempted impeachment of Chief Justice Neville Samarakoon, the physical attacks against and killings, in a later era, of lawyers and litigants engaged in fundamental rights cases. Subsequently came the allegations levelled against Chief Justice Sarath Silva and the moves to impeach him.
Continue reading ‘The Attempt to Remove The Chief Justice’ »

Exclusive By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 15

The scandal of the UN’s amateur blacking-out of portions of its report on its actions and inactions in Sri Lanka in 2009 which pointed the finger at envoy Vijay Nambiar, ex-humanitarian chief John Holmes and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon himself is worse that Inner City Press reported yesterday.

Now Inner City Press has learned of significant portions of the penultimate draft of the report which were omitted (and added) even to the “final” redacted version. Inner City Press has also obtained the removed Executive Summary, and publishes it in full below, as a public service and hope for accountability.

Continue reading ‘Executive Summary of UN Internal Report on Sri Lanka’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

Hulftsdorp or the village of Hulft, named for Dutch Governor Gerard Pietersz Hulft, became synonymous with the law only after the Supreme Courts of Ceylon were moved there by British Governor Sir Fredric North.

At the time, North faced massive resistance from members of the Judiciary about the move from Colombo Fort, where the British garrison were also stationed. Today the hilly area in Maradana is the beating heart of Sri Lanka’s legal system.

Continue reading ‘No Member of Ruling Family Has Signed Impeachment Motion Against Chief Justice’ »

By

(Sandya Ekneligoda, wife of journalist Pradeep Ekneligoda who involuntarily disappeared more than 1000 days ago, writes to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa and Opposition Leader and Leader of United National Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremesinghe, on behalf of the families of the disappeared in Sri Lanka, reminding them of the hardship faced by the families of the disappeared and urging action to bring about justice. The letter is also copied to S. Mahendran, Secretary, Committee for Investigating Disappearances, all Members of Parliament, Permanent Missions and the Media)

This petition is being handed over to you a thousand (1000) days after the disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda.

Continue reading ‘1000 Days After Disappearance of Pradeep Ekneligoda:A Petition to the Powers That Be.’ »

By

Justinian

Amartya Sen once noted, reportedly with a high degree of exasperation, that South Asia’s developmental obstacle was the region’s politicians. By this he meant, not all and sundry, but those who enjoy sufficient political clout to decide the course of a nation State.

Sen must have been exasperated by Indian politics whereas if he were to train his eye on Sri Lanka, he is much likely to conclude that this lot defies definition– meaning, one can’t even hold those at the helm of affairs responsible for the mess that we are in.

Continue reading ‘We Are a Nation With Its Core Values Lost and Our Sense of Justice at Its Lowest Ebb’ »

By

(Text of a presentation by Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, MP at the International Conference on India-Sri Lanka Relations: Strengthening SAARC Centre for Indian Ocean Studies (CIOS) Osmania University, Hyderabad, November 8-9, 2012 )

It is clear that Sri Lanka stands today at a cross-roads. Following the successful conclusion of the war against LTTE terrorism, Sri Lanka has an opportunity to build up a prosperous pluralistic future. This however seems increasingly difficult in the light of continuing international criticism, which has in turn put Sri Lanka on the defensive. This has contributed to failure to move swiftly on inclusivity and reconciliation, and I fear that unless there is greater trust, and confidence building, on all sides, we can only look forward to greater tensions, with increasing difficulties for not only Sri Lanka, but also India and the entire SAARC region.

Continue reading ‘Confusing Advocacy of Restorative Justice for the Minorities With Determination to Demonize the Architects of Military Victory’ »

By Chathurika Rajapaksha

Chathurika Rajapaksha

(Chathurika Rajapaksha participated in the French-Sri Lankan Diaspora Youth Workshop “Post-War Reconciliation Dialogue for a Sustainable Peace”, which took place in Paris, on October 27th, 2012, as a panelist on the theme “The role of the Diaspora youth in Sri Lanka’s peace building process”.

The event was organized by What’s Next!, an independent forum comprising of post-graduates and young professionals of Sri Lankan origin residing in France. What’s Next! seeks to promote a sustainable peace in Sri Lanka through intellectual exchange and multicultural dialogue.)
Continue reading ‘Acknowledgement of Unity in Diversity Arising From Religious and Ethnic Differences in Nation Building’ »

From left to right: Prof. Eric Meyer, H.E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, and Dr. Max -Jean Zins

Ambassador Dayan Jayatilleka participated as a panellist at a conference entitled “ Sri Lanka & South Asia : New challenges for a regional policy” organized on November 7th, 2012, at the CNRS, the prestigious French National Centre for Scientific Research.

The conference gathered intellectuals and scholars from various fields. The event was organized in partnership with the Foundation for Human Sciences (FMSH – Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme) and the Asia Pacific Network.
Continue reading ‘Ambassador Jayatilleka speaks at French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)’ »

(New York) – The United Nations secretary-general’s internal review on UN action in Sri Lanka should lead to specific and concrete measures to ensure the UN takes all needed measures to prevent mass atrocities in future conflicts, Human Rights Watch said today.

Continue reading ‘UN: Act on Failings in Sri Lanka | Human Rights Watch’ »

By

Isabel Hilton

The UN will never be a perfect organisation: nothing so ambitious could be, and the organisation will tend to be blamed for the failures of its member states. But it has advanced many fundamental humanitarian principles, of which the responsibility to protect must count as one of the most important. Nothing can bring back the estimated 30,000 civilians who died in 2009 in the closing months of the war in Sri Lanka, but if the UN is to learn from its shocking failure to protect those civilians it must do more than mouth regrets and resolutions.
Continue reading ‘Massacre in Sri Lanka Shows UN Has Not Learnt Lessons from Failures in Rwanda’ »

By

Introduction

There is a widespread feeling of pessimism among South Asians at the halting progress made by the South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since its inception in 1985.

Though SAARC is world’s largest regional grouping of 1.47 billion people, it has not been able to assert its collective strength like the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) or the European Union (EU).

Continue reading ‘Three National and Notional Issues Affect Relations Between India and Sri Lanka’ »

by

Mark Leon Goldberg

The top story buzzing around the UN today the soon-to-be-released report on the failure to protect civilians caught in the final days of the Sri Lankan civil war. Parts of the report were already leaked to the BBC, and Ban Ki Moon is expected to make it public tomorrow. The short story is that there was a massive and system wide failure to prevent the slaughter of an estimated 40,000 ethnic Tamils in five short months in the winter and spring of 2009. (To put that in perspective, there has been an estimated 30,000 Syrians killed in over a year of violence.)

Continue reading ‘Systemic Failure by UN to Prevent Killing of 40,000 Ethnic Tamils in Five Months During 2009’ »

By Kath Noble

There was one thing that everybody was sure of on Friday afternoon as news of the riot at Welikada prison broke – there would be a lot of bodies.

And so it happened. Twenty-seven deaths had been announced by Saturday morning. The stand-off lasted for an hour, as inmates somehow managed to get the better of not just their regular guards but 200 fully-armed members of the STF.
Continue reading ‘Why Were We Sure There Would Be a Lot of Bodies After The Welikada Prison Riot?’ »

By Lyse Doucet Chief International Correspondent, BBC News

Hundreds of thousands of Tamils ended up trapped in a tiny strip of land

The United Nations failed in its mandate to protect civilians in the last months of Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war, a leaked draft of a highly critical internal UN report says.

Continue reading ‘UN “failed Trapped Tamil Civilians”, charges Internal probe Report’ »

(Press Release on the impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake -13 November 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) expresses grave concern over the initiation of impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake. A number of reports in the press reveal that several charges against her have now been placed before Parliament in the form of a Resolution presented to the Speaker. The context within which these proceedings have been instituted, the procedure established by Parliament for impeachment hearings in Standing Order 78A, and the content of a number of charges against the Chief Justice are deeply troubling.

Continue reading ‘Impeachment Motion Against Chief Justice Has Factual Error Regarding “Groundviews” of CPA’ »

By

Karu Jayasuriya M.P.

(Brief Notes on the Media Conference held by Hon Karu Jayasuriya UNP Member of Parliament for Gampaha District on 13th November 2012)

1. Yesterday a statement made by the present Commissioner General of Prisons appeared in an English Newspaper. He has proposed that the Prisons should come under the control of the Ministry of Defence.

2. We are amazed by this statement and regret that such a childish statement has been made by a state official holding a high post.

Continue reading ‘Prisons are Brought Under Military in Dictatorships and not in Democracies like Sri Lanka’ »

Two men were arrested and placed in custody since Sunday, in the investigation of the murder of one of the leaders in Paris of the former rebel separatist Tamil Tigers, said on Monday sources close to the investigation.

Continue reading ‘Two Suspects Arrested Over Killing of LTTE Leader Parithy in Paris’ »

By
DEBARSHI DASGUPTA

• ”Government provides missionary visa…open invitation to carry out conversions.”
***

Siddhartha Chatterje is pretty much your conventional NRI techie, giving firms valuable tips on how to make the most of technology. But, when he is on Twitter, he has another avatar (@ma_falesu)—one who, in his words, is a “non-secular Hindu; pis*ed off with liberal bs; want to learn and share; want to see democracy (real one) in India”. Twitter is where Chatterje takes on public intellectuals who “preach lofty liberalism but practise a worse form of hypocrisy”. What was once just a hobby gradually became a calling.

Continue reading ‘Right Wing Hindus who Launch “Anonymous” Vicious Attacks Against Liberal Views on Internet’ »

(Text of a Press Release Issued by the British Tamil Forum)
The World Tamil Conference held in London in the British Houses of parliament last week endorsed a historic resolution, stressing “the United Nation member states to urgently set up an ‘international independent investigation’ into the complete conduct of the Sri Lankan State against the Tamil Nation and specifically call upon the investigation of War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and the Crime of Genocide against the Tamil people”.

Continue reading ‘Tamil National Alliance and Transnational Govt of Tamil Eelam Support Resolutions at Tamil Conference in London’ »

By Hemantha Warnakulasuriya

In Italy, like in other Western countries, the LTTE had established a very powerful network of agents and was carrying out a massive campaign of misinformation which helped them to collect funds. Their headquarters in Italy was situated on the island State of Sicily, in the southernmost part of Italy. The capital of that State was Palermo. It was estimated that there was a Tamil population of more than 15,000 in Sicily. The LTTE worked hand in glove with the Sicilian Mafia. They were responsible for transporting drugs for the Mafia and were involved in money laundering operations. Information received revealed that the LTTE was very close to one of the biggest Mafia families in Sicily, known as the Greco family.

Continue reading ‘The LTTE Worked Hand in Glove with the Mafia in Sicily’ »

by I. P. C. Mendis

It is now common knowledge as to the circumstances in which the 13th Amendment to the Constitution came into being.. The fact that it was introduced under duress and was forced down our throats is not in dispute. Nor is the position that although India ostensibly displayed to Sri Lanka and the international community that its intentions were honourable in presenting it as a just and reasonable solution which could bring a lasting solution towards Tamil aspirations and a door towards peace, the LTTE which claimed to be the sole representatives of the Tamils,(reiterated most emphatically by the Tamil National Alliance led by R. Sampanthan), did not accept it as a solution. Rajiv Gandhi paid for it with his life.

Continue reading ‘13th Amendment Must be Rehashed Carefully With Adequate Safeguards to the Minorities’ »

by Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P.

I am sorry about the current attempt to impeach the Chief Justice, since it seems to me rather like taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut. What makes it worse is that those responsible for the impeachment motion seem to be going after the wrong nut.
Continue reading ‘Attempt to Impeach Chief Justice is Like Using the Sledgehammer to Crack the “Wrong” Nut.’ »

by Kumudini Hettiarachchi

The dust has settled not only on the humiliating defeat that Sri Lanka faced at the T-20 in October but also on the bitterness that fans felt over the loss.

Just a few weeks before though at another cricket match, it did not matter who won or lost, but that a game was played, with strong bonds being forged for national unity and the promise of a continuing alliance to strengthen the north-south dialogue.
Continue reading ‘Ananda College, Jaffna Hindu College Reach Across North – South Divide By Playing Cricket For Sivagurunathan Trophy’ »

By

Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P.

The Universal Periodic Review has come, and gone, and as usual there seems to be general satisfaction in Sri Lanka as to how it went. I have no doubt that the generally excellent team sent from Sri Lanka performed well, and gave sensible answers to the questions raised.

Continue reading ‘Unfair to Expect Mahinda Samarasinghe to Continue Defending Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Record Without Being Able to Improve It’ »

By

Udaya Gammmanpila

Pompeia was the second wife of Julius Caesar. Caesar divorced her because of rumours of her opprobrious behaviour. Roman guards caught a youth disguised as a woman inside a religious function restricted to women organized by Pompeia. According to the rumour, Pompeia managed to take him inside since the youth was her lover. At the trial, Caesar said he knew nothing about his wife’s rumoured adultery but asserted that he divorced her because his wife ‘ought not even be under suspicion’. In other words, Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion. The Chief Justice must be above suspicion like Caesar’s wife.

Continue reading ‘Chief Justice Shirani Like Caesar’s Wife Pompeia Must be Above Suspicion’ »

By Thisara Devasurendra

(Thisara Devasurendra participated in the French-Sri Lankan Diaspora Youth Workshop “Post-War Reconciliation Dialogue for a Sustainable Peace”, which took place in Paris, on October 27th, 2012, as a panelist on the theme “The role of the Diaspora youth in Sri Lanka’s peace building process”.

The event was organized by What’s Next!, an independent forum comprising of post-graduates and young professionals of Sri Lankan origin residing in France. What’s Next! seeks to promote a sustainable peace in Sri Lanka through intellectual exchange and multicultural dialogue).

“Start as you mean to go along”. Cemal Tosun

Rather than quoting empirical data, and authors or complex theories, today I will speak to you through my experiences.
Continue reading ‘Gap Between Current Situation and Diaspora Beliefs Could Harm the Reconciliation Process in Sri Lanka’ »

Theruni Sebastiampillai

by Theruni Sebastiampillai

(Theruni Sebastiampillai participated at the French-Sri Lankan Diaspora Youth Workshop “Post-War Reconciliation Dialogue for a Sustainable Peace”, which took place in Paris, on October 27th, 2012. She participated as a panelist on the theme “Individual and collective identity(ies): between search and struggle”.

The event was organized by What’s Next!, an independent forum comprising of post-graduates and young professionals of Sri Lankan origin residing in France. What’s Next! seeks to promote a sustainable peace in Sri Lanka through intellectual exchange and multicultural dialogue.)

How do I define my identity? At first glance, the answer would be simple and clear: I am a French citizen with Sri Lankan origins. This would be enough for any administrative paperwork. But in daily life, the reality is quite different depending on the situations that we are facing.
Continue reading ‘How Does a French Citizen of Sri Lankan Origin with a Tamil Father and Sinhala Mother Define her Identity?’ »

By
Ravi Sundaralingam

Immense excitement and euphoria followed among the Tamil Expatriate Communities when the LTTE was given the status of being the Lankan Tamil Leadership and taken to the capitals of Western Countries by the Norwegians.

After the demise of the LTTE, Tamil MPs were taken to see Switzerland and other European countries, bringing joy to their hearts and satisfaction to those receiving money form the sponsors of these events, and the rest of the Tamil population desist to express their happiness.

Continue reading ‘TNA Visit to Guangxi is an Exercise to Bring About Accommodation Between Victors and the Destroyed in Sri Lanka’ »

By
Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Any who have borne her ill now have ample opportunity to bring against her whatever accusations they please…. All the indictments retain their force and validity however perfect her answers to them… The judges invent clever devices to build up new proofs of guilt to convict her to her face, so that when reviewing the trial, some university faculty can confirm her burningalive”.Friedrich von Spee (Precautions for Prosecutors)

Before the term witch-trial entered public discourse as synonymous with injustice and persecution, women who were accused of being witches by their enemies were tried by their accusers, found guilty by their accusers and burnt at the stake by their accusers.

Continue reading ‘The Witch-Trial of Sri Lanka’s First Female Chief Justice’ »

By Damith Wickremasekara and Skandha Gunasekara

It all began on Friday (9) afternoon, with heavily armed Special Task Force (STF) personnel in search of banned items such as mobile phones, tobacco, alcohol, narcotics, etc among prisoners serving life and long sentences at Welikada jail.

The STF Commandant being rushed for emergency medical attention after being shot in the abdomen

The search operation involving more than 200 STF personnel started around 2.00 pm from Ward ‘L’ which accommodates remand as well as convicted prisoners. It began smoothly without incident, until the STF moved towards the Chapel Block housing prisoners on death row.
Continue reading ‘27 Dead and 59 Wounded in ‘Welikada War’’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayewardene

It is heartening to witness an element of angry vigor emanating from Sri Lanka’s legal profession against the pending impeachment of the country’s Chief Justice. The resolutions issued by the general membership of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka yesterday expressing concern over the impeachment and the indignation displayed by provincial Bar Associations show that decency and sanity is not yet lost in the country.

Continue reading ‘Bar Association Resolutions Over Impeachment Issue Show Decency and Sanity is Not Yet Lost in the Country’ »

The Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka will stage its first ever performance in Jaffna on November 17th as part of the Japanese Embassy’s 60th anniversary celebrations. The Concert titled “Music from Around the World” will will feature three excellent Japanese professionals as the conductor – Keiko Kobayashi, the main soloist (Clarinet) Ado Kihara and the Japanese composer, Eiji Suzuki, who will introduce his special composition to the People of Jaffna.The Concert in Jaffna is free of charge

Continue reading ‘Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka Will Perform in Jaffna on Nov 17th’ »

By Dr.Nihal Jayawickrama

On 14 March 1984, Mr Neville Samarakoon, the first Chief Justice to be appointed directly from the unofficial bar within living memory, made an ill-advised speech at an inappropriate venue. President Jayewardene, who had appointed him some six years earlier, decided that he should be removed from office. Article 107 of the 1978 Constitution provided that a Judge of the Supreme Court shall hold office during good behaviour and shall not be removed except by an order of the President made after an address of Parliament had been presented to the President for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity.

That Article also required Parliament to provide, by law or by standing orders, for all matters relating to the presentation of such an address, including the procedure for the investigation and proof of the alleged misbehaviour or incapacity.

Continue reading ‘When President JR Jayewardene Tried To Impeach Chief Justice Neville Samarakoon’ »

By Dr. Tharindra Ranasinghe

The impeachment of the Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake is the hottest political topic in Sri Lanka at present. As usual, many observers and critics have already taken sides based on their preconceived political views.

Many critics of the Government are quick to castigate the Rajapaksa regime for its apparently gross interference to the judicial independence of Sri Lanka. For them, the Chief Justice has suddenly become a heroine – a woman of unbound courage and personal conviction who fearlessly stood up against the tyranny of the Rajapaksa regime and being hounded by the regime for that same reason. The irony is that, not too long ago, it is this same crowd that demanded the resignation of the Chief Justice following the serious allegations of corruption that were levelled against her husband. It is this same crowd who insinuated that the Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of “The Underperforming and Underutilized Assets Act” – which went in favour of the Government — was politically biased.

Continue reading ‘Chief Justice Should Have Resigned When Serious Charges Were Levelled Against Her Husband.’ »

By

Dr.Vickramabahu Karunaratne

In the domain of liberal democracy a motion to impeach a judge of the Supreme Court is a serious matter. That is permissible only if either there is suspicion of insanity or some problem akin to it. Analysis of any impeachments of any judge in the post modern world show that whole intelligentsia in that country and in related countries were participant in one way or the other in the judgment. It was a public, transparent affair where intimidation, political pressure and discrimination were brought to a minimum.

Continue reading ‘Chief Justice Has Become The Goat To Be Sacrificed For The Unitary State Of Sinhala Chauvinists’ »

Professor S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, our Chief Justice, is being threatened with impeachment. I got to know her personally when I was organizing an Ethics Seminar for SLAAS in 2003. I was looking for someone who could speak with authority on Human Rights in Education. Several people encouraged her name and told me that I would be lucky if she agreed. To my pleasant surprise, she readily agreed and called me to her chambers at the Supreme Court.

My daughter who was highly motivated just hearing about a woman Supreme Court Justice, tagged along. She spoke to my daughter personally, encouraging her in her studies and my daughter went on to specialize in Gender and Society at Ivy League Universities.

In my book Enforcing Human Rights: Towards an Egalitarian Sri Lanka, published by the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (2003), Justice Bandaranayake’s chapter received a prominent place.

Continue reading ‘If Moves Against Chief Justice Prevail, No Judgement On Political Matters Will Ever Again Be Against The Govt’ »

by R.K.Radhakrishnan

In the strongest indication yet that Sri Lanka is having a serious rethink on the India-mediated concept of autonomy for provinces in the country, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, announced in parliament on Thursday that “a change in the prevailing Provincial Council system is necessary to make devolution more meaningful” to people.
Continue reading ‘Mahinda Announces Change in Provincial Councils System’ »

By James Crabtree in Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Hundreds of former Tamil Tigers, the defeated Sri Lankan rebel army, are moving into a peaceful trade, swapping a history of bombs and guns for bras and football shirts.

Continue reading ‘Ex-Cadres of LTTE to Work in Garments Industry in Kilinochchi’ »

By Kalana Senaratne

The clash between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, popularly (and wrongly) perceived as a battle between the executive/legislature and the judiciary, does not provide much hope for the latter. Both parties are presently engaged in a drive to convince the people of their narrative, their case. President Rajapaksa’s publicity campaign, as well as the manner in which some of the charges against CJ Bandaranayake have been framed (with prominence given to matters of financial impropriety) has had an effect among the people. That CJ Bandaranayake has understood this is reflected in the response issued by her through her lawyers, denying these serious charges; implying further that the rest of the charges are so flimsy that the trouble need not be taken to even refute them.

Continue reading ‘Clash Between President and Chief Justice Wrongly Perceived as Battle Between Executive/Legislature and Judiciary’ »

by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“You’d wear out a marionette of steel if you pulled the string and jerked it all day long”. Diderot (Rameau’s Nephew)

The impeachment of the Chief Justice is neither the beginning nor the end of the Rajapaksa-rush towards absolutism. But it does constitute a watershed moment in that journey, perhaps its final really-existing breaking-point.

Whether the impeachment boomerangs on the Rajapaksas or scythes Lankan democracy depends on how the judiciary, polity and society, including the non-SLFP parties in the UPFA, respond to it.
Continue reading ‘Make the Impeachment Boomerang on the Rajapaksas’ »

By Chamitha Kuruppu

“Chief Justice or no Chief Justice, one cannot have improprieties,” emphasised former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, adding that if there are charges against the higher Judiciary, there is nothing wrong in the Government bringing an impeachment motion.Silva stresses the importance of introducing a different mechanism during an impeachment rather than having the entire country involved in the matter, which will only damage the judicial system.
Continue reading ‘“Nothing Wrong in Govt Bringing an Impeachment Motion Against Chief Justice” Says Ex-Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva’ »

by

Shaveen Bandaranayake Kariyawasam

My mother is the 43rd Chief justice of this country. She is also the 1st female Chief Justice in this country’s 200+ year history. She is an academic, one who possessed a PhD in Law before it went on sale. She is also a loving sister, mother and a wife. She is a hardworking woman who loves her country dearly and wishes to preserve its seemingly flailing integrity.
Continue reading ‘Son of Chief Justice Calls Upon Sri Lankans to Take a Stand Against Tyranny’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

The fact that the crisis between the Executive and the Judiciary culminated in the Government bringing a motion of impeachment against the Chief Justice is, as far as most members of the public are concerned, a step too far. For many it is proof long sought that the political trajectory of the country is taking a definite turn for the worse.

Continue reading ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Knowledge and Tissa Attanayake’s Letter’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

“The Chief Justice of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is making a stand: which side you take will define who we are as Sri Lankans,” announced Shaveen Bandaranayake, son of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, on his Facebook page, the same day that an impeachment motion against her was handed over to the Speaker of Parliament at an auspiciously chosen time.

Since then, with the publicity his impassioned plea received, Shaveen’s social network page has turned activist, gathering opinion from across the spectrum about the manifest threats to Sri Lanka’s judicial system.

Continue reading ‘Frivolity and Lack of Due Diligence in Framing Impeachment Motion Against the Chief Justice is Astounding’ »

by Suzanne Nossel

(Washington, D.C.) – Suzanne Nossel, Amnesty International USA executive director issued the following statement in response to the re-election of President Barack Obama:

“When President Obama was first elected in 2008, many human rights activists rejoiced. It had been eight long years where the United States tortured, detained hundreds without charge and trial and tried to justify the horrors of Abu Ghraib.
Continue reading ‘President Obama Must ‘Recapture the Human Rights High Ground He Staked Four Years Ago’’ »