Enhancing practical efforts to uphold the language rights of millions of ethnic Tamil-speaking Sri Lankans could play a key role in the country’s long-term peace and reconciliation, say analysts and activists.

“Language parity is one of the biggest challenges to Sri Lanka’s peace and reconciliation efforts, and indeed its future. Without it, I doubt we will ever be able to move forward,” Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, a human rights lawyer and writer on jurisprudence, told Integrated Regional Information Networks(IRIN), in Colombo, the capital, which is located in the south of the island.
Continue reading ‘Language parity for Sinhala and Tamil essential for reconciliation and national unity in Sri Lanka’ »

By Camelia Nathaniel

V. Suresh Kumar, former Chairman of the Kadawath Satara Pradeshiya Sabha(town and gravets Pradeshiya sabha) in Trincomalee and a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) candidate in the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council elections, was among the three suspects arrested by the CID in connection with human smuggling, Police Spokesman SP Ajith Rohana said.

According to police, the suspects have been involved in smuggling asylum seekers out to the Christmas Island in Australia.
Continue reading ‘TNA Provincial Council Trinco District candidate Suresh Kumar arrested as people smuggler suspect’ »

by J. Jeganaathan

The Government of India (GoI) has extended the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for two more years. LTTE was first banned in 1991 in the aftermath of the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

Students forming a human chain to express solidarity with Sri Lankan Tamils amidst heavy downpour in Chennai – Oct 24, 2008-pic:Dinamani.com

According to the Home Ministry of India, “LTTE continues to adopt a strong anti-India posture as also continues to pose a grave threat to the security of Indian nationals, it is necessary to declare LTTE as an ‘unlawful association’ with immediate effect.”
Continue reading ‘India’s LTTE Ban Renewal is unnecessary and counter productive’ »

by Radhika Coomaraswamy

Dear colleagues, partners, and friends,

As the primary users of our website, I am proud to announce that Children and Armed Conflict’s new website, http://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org goes live today.

A screengrab of the new site, Jul 25, 2012

Included in the redesign, are many new features that will make it easier for you to access essential and interesting information and stories.
Continue reading ‘Children and Armed Conflict Launches new website’ »

by Asif Ahmed

Islam , mainly of the Sunni sect, is practiced by 4% of the population of Burma according to the government census.

Soldiers patrol through a neighborhood that was burnt during recent violence in Sittwe on June 14, 2012 – Reuters pic via: HRW.org

However, according to the US State Departments 2006 International religious freedom report official statistics underestimate the non-Buddhist population which could be as high as 30%, the country’s non-Buddhist populations were underestimated in the census.
Continue reading ‘Burma: Planned Religious And Racial Riots Against Muslims: A Historical Overview’ »

By Kath Noble

Everybody knows about the crisis in the UNP. Of the many elections there have been in Sri Lanka in the last two decades, it has lost all but one.

This includes four presidential elections and four out of five parliamentary elections. And it will have the opportunity to lose a few more in September, as the Eastern, North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces go to the polls.
Continue reading ‘To end its losing streak UNP needs to rebuild its base among Sinhalese’ »

Sirisena Cooray

by B.Sirisena Cooray

(Excerpted from book written by Srisena Cooray titled “President Premadasa and I – our Story)

The day we heard about the killing of the 13 soldiers in Jaffna I went to see Mr. Premadasa. He was on the phone to the President. There was a lot of tension in the country and we were extremely worried about the way things were moving.

Mr. Premadasa turned to me and informed me that the President is planning to bring the bodies of the dead soldiers to Colombo, to be cremated at Kanatte. Mr. Premadasa had been trying to get the President to change his mind when I walked in.
Continue reading ‘Army pressured to have bodies of 13 soldiers brought to Kanatte for mass funeral’ »

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The tragic history of post – independence Sri Lanka records that the Tamils of Sri Lanka have been subjected to mass –scale mob violence in the years 1956, 1958, 1977, 1981 and 1983. The anti-Tamil violence of July 1983 was the most terrible and horrible of them all.

Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka~pic courtesy of: ETV-Dibrief News

It remains etched in memory even after 29 years.
Continue reading ‘‘Black July’ 1983: Remembering the Horrors of a Pogrom’ »

by Inside Outsider

Having been through the grind in the field of Sri Lanka’s mainstream print journalism for nearly two decades, what I feel is a growing sense of frustration.

[A Newsstand in Minuwangoda, Sri Lanka, Picture by Dennis S. Hurd, New Westminster, BC, Canada]

Whatever standards and respectability that was maintained by our past peers are deteriorating to the extent that journalists are being looked at, more with ridicule, than with esteem.
Continue reading ‘If Journalists and Journalism in Sri Lanka are to be taken seriously Economic Empowerment, Better Education and Training are a must’ »

by K.S.Sivakumaran

Writers in Tamil include Muslims, Malays and Thamilians. Most Muslim writers hail from the Eastern province. A good many are living in the western and southern and a few from north central, northwestern and the hill country.

Although their writing find a place in national newspapers and magazines there are no exclusive literary journals or newspapers to feature their contributions.
Continue reading ‘Muslims writing in Tamil Encouraged by Revival of ‘Yatra’ Journal’ »

Hunais Farook

(Text of Speech made by Hunais Farook , UPFA Vanni Dist MP, in Parliament on July 20 2012)

I am thanking you for giving this opportunity. I have the duty to speak about the incidents that took place in Mannar today and yesterday.

UNP Member of Parliament, John Amaratunga and Sri Ranga M.P. stated that the incident was planned and perpetrated by a minister. That is against the truth.
Continue reading ‘‘What is the injustice committed by Minister Rishad Bathiudeen’?’ »

by Salma Yusuf

Much ink has been spilt over the years on the subject of human rights in Sri Lanka. The opinions, observations and indeed ultimatums have emanated from official, unofficial, international and domestic quarters.

The issue of media freedom and related rights have come to the fore time and again.
Continue reading ‘Has the time come for us to develop a National Charter on Human Responsibilities?’ »

by Charitha Ratwatte

An important feature of the recent Sri Lanka Economic Summit, which both the Guest Speaker Gurcharan Das, Author, Columnist and Management Consultant and Keynote Speaker Dr. Kalpana Kochar, Chief Economist – South Asia of the World Bank, referred to were the opportunities presented to Sri Lanka by the ongoing process of globalisation and particularly the economic resurgence of China and India

Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2012 – Inauguration Ceremony Keynote Speaker – Dr Kalpana Kochar – pic courtesy of: Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Kochar also emphasised the sectors of Sri Lanka’s economic performance which need to be improved if the opportunities presented by global economic developments are to be effectively harvested.
Continue reading ‘Rapid Reform, Rule of Law and Accountability: Three Point Prescription for Successful Sri Lankan Economy’ »

Photos by Manjula Dayawansa

By Radhieka Peeris

It is not that often that people in Colombo get to witness art exhibitions by muslim women from Jaffna.

Against all odds, Zhamshiya Kaleel (54), from Jaffna made it work for her, when she held her maiden solo exhibition of art work at the National Art Gallery recently.
Continue reading ‘She comes from Jaffna: Zamshiya Kaleel Displays her Art in Colombo’ »

by Thulasi Muttulingam

Landscapes, nudes and portraits in charcoal, pencil and watercolours dot the living room of Mervin Mendis, a retired civil servant, now dedicated artist.

Photos by Manjula Dayawansa

“Even as a child, I had a fascination for drawing,” he recalls. “In the absence of other media, I would even draw portraits of people on the sand, with my big toe.”
Continue reading ‘Landscapes, nudes and portraits in charcoal, pencil and watercolours’ »

By Azra Ameen

Loud speakers, parades, posters, cutouts and banners are a common sight during elections. Most candidates feel that not making a public announcement while displaying banners and posters is not a favourable atmosphere for elections.

The Election Secretariat had ordered all political parties not to hold rallies and parades on nomination day and pre-nomination days of the upcoming PC polls.
Continue reading ‘Election laws violated as Propaganda begins for provincial Polls’ »

Michelle Bachmann

by Rob L. Wagner

In 1953, young reserve Air Force lieutenant Milo Radulovich lost his security clearance for maintaining a “close and continuing relationship” with people who were communists or had communist sympathies.

Those people? His father and sister.
Continue reading ‘Congresswoman Michelle Bachman spearheads drive to demonise Muslims in USA’ »

By Ahmed E Souaiaia

The Arab Spring has provided scholars and analysts with a laboratory to observe radical social change.

cartoon by Egyptian cartoonist Doaa Eladl – via: twitter.com/globalcartoons

Tunisia and Egypt taught us about non-violent resistance and the power of the people to overcome regime repression. In Libya, we saw tribal, regional, national, and international actors whose interests intersected to create allies out of discordant ideological and religious entities.
Continue reading ‘The Arab People are tired of leaders who monopolize Political and Economic Power’ »

by Ben Doherty

A remote stretch of Sri Lanka’s west coast lies the village that wants to come to Australia.

‘Five hundred people have left from this village, from this area, all for Australia’ … Kajan, above in his village, says there is no work and people are desperate

The homes here are built alike, low and squat, their thatched roofs tightly tied down against the monsoon’s rains and wind. And from almost every one, someone has left for Australia.

Some reach Christmas Island, phoning home to say they’re safe. Others are caught before they can board a boat, or have their vessel stopped and turned around by Sri Lankan navy ships. Still others leave and are never heard from again.
Continue reading ‘The Sri Lankan Tamil village which wants to come to Australia’ »

by Dr. S. P. Udayakumar

July 21, 2012 marked the 125th day of my and Pushparayan’s self-exile here at Idinthakarai. We have not gone out of this coastal village for more than four months now except two brief visits to the neighboring Kuthenkuzhi village by sea.

Koodankulam Nuclear Plant – pic by: Eunheui

Rayan and I live in a quarter kilometer radius area. The southern border is the Bay of Bengal and the northern limit is the Lourde’s hospital. But most of the days, we walk only a few meters from the Parish Priest’s Bungalow to the relay fast staged on the front porch of the St. Lourdes Church and back.
Continue reading ‘Ordinary citizens will set in motion an extraordinary history for Tamil Nadu and India’ »

by Nirmanusan Balasundaram

“Given that 75% of the army’s divisions are stationed in the Northern Province, in addition to other formations such as task forces and independent brigades and regimental units, it is not unreasonable to assume that at least 60% of the army, i e, approximately 180,000 personnel, are stationed across the Northern Province.” – Notes on the Military Presence in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province | Economic & Political Weekly, July 14, 2012

Nearly four decades of asymmetric war between the Sri Lankan state and the Tamil guerrillas ended in an unprecedented bloodbath, which was seen by some as “unacceptably high”.
Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka: Militarizing the Land and Terrorizing the Minds’ »

Minister Rishad Bathiudeen with President Mahinda Rajapaksa-pic: nation.lk

By Hemantha Warnakulasuriya

One of the worst indictments on JRJ’s tenure was his interference with the judiciary. As a man inebriated with power, he would not permit anyone to correct him or caution him that by his attitude he would eventually destroy himself and the country he rules.

The voters were inveigled into believing in the ‘Dharmishta Samajaya’ he promised to establish, when there was, as he opined, freedom of the individual intertwined with the independence of the Judiciary.
Continue reading ‘How a cabinet Minister threatened a Magistrate cum Additional District Judge’ »

by Veerasinghmam Anandasangaree

(Full text of a statement issued by TULF Secretary -Genera Veerasingham Anandasangaree titled ‘Open appeal to leaders of all political parties, important personalities and religious dignitaries in India)

TULF Head office, A9 Road, Kilinochchi-pic by: KVS

This appeal comes as an urgent measure taken by a very senior Tamil Politician who had been in Politics for nearly sixty years, in Parliament for four terms and winner of the UNESCO’s Madenjeet Singh award for the “promotion of tolerance and non-violence”.

The message is to Tamil Naad to maintain calm and caution in dealing with the Sri Lankan ethnic problem.
Continue reading ‘If Tamil Nadu wants to help their brothers here it must be cautious in dealing with Sri Lanka’ »

By Ayesha Zuhair

On 3 May 2012, long before the Mannar mayhem, the Sri Lanka Police acknowledged a growing trend – that of people taking the law into their own hands.

In a media communiqué, Police Headquarters stated that certain groups were increasingly behaving in a violent manner, and noted that 105 individuals had been brought before the law for perpetrating multifarious acts of extrajudicial punishments.
Continue reading ‘Mannar Incident: Is not the Bar Association attempting to influence course of Justice through its Judgemental Resolution?’ »

By Camelia Nathaniel

Despite the fact that it has been three-and-a-half years since the war that ravaged this country ended, the sufferings of thousands of war widows have been ignored.

These widows continue to live in poverty and suffer from social stigmatisation and economic deprivation, purely because they have lost their husbands.
Continue reading ‘Pathetic plight of war widows in Eastern Province’ »

Pranab Kumar Mukherjee

by J.Balaji

Pranab Kumar Mukherjee, 76, was declared elected the 13th President on Sunday.

The UPA nominee defeated the former Lok Sabha Speaker, P.A. Sangma, by 3,97,776 value votes. While Mr. Mukherjee polled 3,095 votes, (value 7,13,763) Mr. Sangma got 1,483 votes (3,15,987).
Continue reading ‘Pranab Kumar Mukherjee will be Sworn in as Thirteenth President of India on July 25th’ »

Dr. Lakshmi (Swaminadhan) Sahgal

by Parvathi Menon

The fight will go on,” said Captain Lakshmi Sahgal one day in 2006, sitting in her crowded Kanpur clinic where, at 92, she still saw patients every morning.

She was speaking on camera to Singeli Agnew, a young filmmaker from the Graduate School of Journalism, Berkeley, who was making a documentary on her life.
Continue reading ‘‘Captain’ Dr. Lakshmi (Swaminadhan) Sahgal of Netaji’s Indian National Army Passes away at 97’ »

May 1958: A Tamil passenger was taken out of the vehicle and beaten up ~ Photo courtesy: Victor Ivan

By M.A. Sumanthiran M.P

There is a growing trend in the political culture of the North that the rest of the country does not seem to have taken note of.

The advent of the ‘grease yaka’ saw people coming out on to the streets in large numbers to apprehend these offenders, and in several instances, confront military personnel who they thought were harbouring the offenders.
Continue reading ‘Moral Resilience and Non-Violent Resistance of North-Eastern People is Remarkable’ »

By M.S. Shah Jahan

“Some 40,000 deeds have been given to Tamil refugee families within the past three years. However, not a single plot of land has been provided to any one of the Muslim refugee families in the North.

Why is the Muslim community in the North receiving step motherly treatment?”
Continue reading ‘Never ending sorrow of Northern Muslims!’ »

By Ifham Nizam

A white Tiger cub walks around during a photocall at the “Serengeti” Safari park in the northern German village of Hodenhagen at the April 21, 2010. Two white Tiger cubs named Rico and Kico were born on March 8, 2010 at the private safari park and they will be raised with bottled milk by keeper Regina Hamza. Photo courtesy of: REUTERS/Christian Charisius

The National Zoological Gardens in Dehiwala, despite having the services of curators and veterinary surgeons, assistant directors and deputy directors to carry out special tasks and programmes, had completely messed up at a crunch situation, particularly when it came to saving endangered species.
Continue reading ‘Three White Tiger and Sixteen Bengali Tiger cubs have died in Dehiwela Zoo in three years’ »

N. Thangathurai and Kuttimani Yogachandran amidst prison guards

By Gagani Weerakoon

Black July 1983 -1

Kathiravelu Nithyananda Devananda, was in the cell facing the gallows of Welikada Prison when he heard the commotion outside the prison walls on 25 July 1983, just two days after the infamous Black July began.

“We did not know what was happening at the time, and I was watching the commotion taking place on the road outside the prison premises. That was before they actually came in.
Continue reading ‘Douglas Devananda recalls Welikada jail massacres of July 25th and 27th 1983’ »

by An Old Soldier

Black July 1983 -2

With a remarkable increase in subversive activities in the Northern Peninsula, commencing with the killing of the Mayor of Jaffna, Alfred Duraiappa on 14 May 1976, the then government introduced the Prevention of Terrorism Act on 15 July 1979.
Continue reading ‘The mood of the military over the Thirunelvely July 23rd 1983 ambush’ »

By A Thirunelvely Eyewitness

Black July 1983 – 3

Many Tamils who recall horror stories of the July 1983 riots lived in Colombo at the time. This was where the worst atrocities were committed.

In Jaffna, however, where Tamils were the majority, not much violence is related. I, being a native of Thirunelvely, Jaffna where it all started, come from one of the very few families who do relate it.
Continue reading ‘It all began with LTTE ambush and Army retaliation’ »

By Gagani Weerakoon

BLACK JULY 1983 -4

Leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), Veerasingham Anandasangaree is known for his denouncement of violence committed by any party.

Sangaree, who is a staunch supporter of federalism, was awarded the 2006 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence, for being an indefatigable advocate of democracy and a promoter of a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Continue reading ‘Violence was perpetrated by handful of Govt sponsored Sinhala civilians – Anandasangaree’ »

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

BLACK JULY 1983 -5

The late Yasapalitha Nanayakkara was a trendsetter in the Sinhala cinema with his penchant for commercially successful film-making. Often he cast the late Vijaya Kumaratunga as his chosen hero. In the late sixties, it was becoming trendy to produce Tamil twins to the Sinhala movies.

Scene in Naan Ungal Thozhan (1978) – Subashini, K.S. balachandran and V.P. Ganeshan

Often, the Tamil hero was Vaithilingam Palanisamy Ganesan, also known as Sri Lanka’s M.G.R.
Continue reading ‘Mano Ganesan talks about destruction of Tamil Film Industry in Sri Lanka’ »

By Asif Fuard

BLACK JULY 1983-6

Two days after Sri Lankan Tamils suffered a brutal massacre, sounds of pandemonium were still heard outside the impenetrable walls of the Welikada Prison, while the stench of burnt rubber mixed with the odour of blood and corpses filled the air.
Continue reading ‘Reliving horrors of Welikada Massacres – A former inmate’ »

By A Jaffna scribe

BLACK JULY -7

The communal riots against the Tamils in post-independent Sri Lanka first took place in 1958. The second unrest was experienced in 1977 and the worst was, as history recorded, in 1983 not only claiming the lives of hundreds of Tamils in the island but also destroying assets running into several million rupees in Colombo.
Continue reading ‘The ’83 riots, a turning point’ »

By Anes Alic

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) remains one of the few countries in the world without lyrics for its national anthem, as politicians have squabbled over its words since its adoption 13 years ago.

Most recently, the Bosnian parliament on July 3rd rejected the lyrics proposed by its own commission.
Continue reading ‘No National Anthem yet for Bosnia-Herzegovina due to ethnic political rivalry’ »

By Joshua landis

A sectarian look at Syrian unrest

Will the Alawites try to establish an Alawite State centered in the Coastal Mountains?

Many opposition figures and journalists insist that the Alawites are planning to fall back to the Alawite Mountains in an attempt to establish a separate state. This is unconvincing.
Continue reading ‘Why The Alawites cant set up a separate state in coastal regions of Syria’ »

Dr Neelan Tiruchelvam

Democracy, Pluralism and Constitutional Law: Remembering Neelan Tiruchelvam’s Intellectual Legacy

By Asanga Welikala

Sunday 29th July 2012 is the thirteenth death anniversary of Dr Neelan Tiruchelvam, which will be commemorated, as is now customary, with the annual Neelan Tiruchelvam Memorial Lecture.

An old friend, Professor Sujit Choudhry of the New York University School of Law, will deliver the lecture this year. I have been asked to write a few words of remembrance and reflection to mark the occasion, an invitation I take up here with both pleasure and sadness, as well as a measure of trepidation.
Continue reading ‘In the absence of Neelan post-war Tamil Nationalism finds itself in state of ideological disarray and strategic confusion’ »

By Salma Yusuf

The year was 2010, the venue was the United Nations General Assembly, and the occasion was the 65th session of the General Assembly. The context was a world where crises are rampant and hopelessness is contagious.

The effects of globalization were being felt in every continent on the planet and in every sector of human existence, be it political, financial, social, religious or cultural.
Continue reading ‘Evaluating Prospects of a Movement of Moderates for Sri Lanka’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara

“How could we have seen what was coming, until it had arrived in our midst, clanking and smoking?” John Banville (Shroud)

Last week the law of the jungle reached the portals of judiciary.

According to media reports, Rishard Badurdeen, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises, tried to intimidate the Mannar Magistrate into reversing a judicial murder. According to the Judicial Service Association of Sri Lanka, “the Minister has threatened to instigate violence against the courts if the order is not revoked. When the magistrate did not follow the order to revoke his decision a mob has attacked the court complex as the Minister has warned the day before”
Continue reading ‘Lawyers and Judges did nothing in the past as Law of Rulers replaced Rule of Law’ »

by Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne

Defence secretary said in an interview “No, in fact I clarified that in the conversation with her over the phone – the very same conversation.

All I said was that people are so angry with persons like her who have worked against the war effort and the country, that if she attends a function, 90% of the people would be against her, and that I would be able to point this out to her at such a function.
Continue reading ‘People are beginning to understand the reality of Gotabhaya type thinking’ »

by Dinouk Colombage

Land owners in Sampoor in Trincomalee have petitioned the Supreme Court challenging the acquisition of land for what is said to be a multi-billion-dollar investment project to establish a special zone for heavy industries. They allege that the government has illegally acquired their land for the project.

The land acquired by Gazette Notification No. 1758/26 dated May 17, 2012, is to be developed as a Special Zone for Heavy Industries
Continue reading ‘Displaced Sampoor Tamils petition Supreme Court to prevent setting up of heavy industries project in their ancestral lands’ »

By Ranga Jayasuriya

The government’s strongman in Mannar, Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Earlier, he was blamed for spearheading a policy that overtly favours his supporters while discriminating against local Tamils, in land allocation and doling out resettlement assistance.

This time around, he had allegedly threatened the Mananar District Court Judge and Magistrate Anthony Pillai Judeson after the judge ordered the arrest of a group of men, alleged to be supporters of the minister over an arson attack of fisheries houses belonging to local Tamil fishermen.
Continue reading ‘Minister Bathiudeen Threatened Mannar Magistrate on Telephone that ‘Court would be Torched’’ »

By Namini Wijedasa | in the Mullaitheevu district

What I did was right,” read the words on the wall of chamber D-05, a small and dingy cell that still smells of urine.

Sivakumari, a Tamil woman, had left them there. The army believes she was killed by fleeing terrorists before the war’s end. She was among an estimated 76 people locked up in LTTE prison cells at Visuvamadu. Most of them were executed.
Continue reading ‘Soilders Guide Pre-dominantly Sinhala Visitors on ‘Terrorism Tour’ of Mullaitheevu District’ »

by Shamala Kumar

On Thursday, July 12th, the day of FUTA’s all island signature campaign, a colleague and I walked through Kandy town to speak with people and ask them to sign our petition to save public education. We were a bit wary of the whole task, not sure if we would be chased away, scolded… who knew.

We were both aware of the negative publicity the FUTA campaign was getting from the government and felt that most people would only be exposed to the government’s version, sponsored by government TV channels and newspapers.
Continue reading ‘We found that FUTA is engaged in a struggle that had begun years ago for most people’ »

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera says that he never went down on his knees to apologize to Sajith Premadasa over the alleged slandering remark on his website, adding that the exposure they have received consequent to the ‘raid’ in fact made his website more popular, both locally and internationally.
Continue reading ‘I will say again and again that Gota must go – Mangala Samaraweera’ »

by Ranga jayasuriya

Minister Bathiudeen has allegedly turned the Mannar district into his fiefdom, say local community leaders. He openly discriminates against Tamils in favour of his supporters, in resettlement projects, they allege.

The minister was earlier at the centre of a controversy after he tried to tamper with a list of beneficiaries of a development assistant programme funded by the Indian government.
Continue reading ‘Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph Alleges Minister Bathiudeen of Racially Disciminating practices’ »

by Duvindi Illangakoon

For Haresh Selvaskandan, the best thing about carrying the Olympic Torch was having his parents and friends there to support him.

Exhilarating experience: Haresh carrying the Olympic Torch cheered by the crowd-pic: SundayTimes.lk

Perhaps this is a reflection of the life and attitudes of a young man who went into medicine with the aim of helping others and was chosen to be part of the select group carrying the Olympic Torch thanks to his humanitarian work in the field of medicine.

The Olympic Torch is perhaps the most famous herald of the Olympic Games. It is ignited at the site of the Ancient Olympics in Olympia, Greece several months before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Continue reading ‘Haresh Selvaskandan Recounts Exhilaration of Running with Olympic Torch’ »

by Shanika Pitigala

The heritage of the ancient historic city of Kandy, the final capital of Sri Lankan Kings is on the verge of being devalued before the very eyes of its own people. The petty self centred notions of politicians are the root cause for the downfall of this historic city sooner or later.

In an exclusive interview, the Opposition Leader of Kandy Municipal Council, former Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijerathne revealed to The Nation that Kandy is going from bad to worse with malpractices and the unbecoming political conduct of members of the ruling party in the council.
Continue reading ‘Kandy may Lose UNESCO World Hertage City Status Due to Municipal Maladministration’ »

Lawyers for the Editor of The Sunday Leader Frederica Jansz on Friday sent a letter demanding 50 million rupees in damages to the Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella for defamatory remarks made against her after the weekly post cabinet news conference on Thursday.

The publisher and the Editor of The Island newspaper were also sent similar letters of demand for publishing the minister’s allegations. The Island newspaper was the only media outlet in the country to report Rambukwella’s remarks.
Continue reading ‘Sunday Leader Editor Frederica Jansz Sues Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella For 50 Million’ »

by Sanjeewa Ranaweera | Attorney-at-Law

Last Friday, the lawyers across the country boycotted court proceedings. The learned judges of the lower courts also did not take their respective benches. And the cases that were to be heard in the superior courts had to be postponed as a result of the lawyers’ absence. So, the 20th of July 2012 made history as a day, on which the justice system of the country shuddered to a halt of its own volition.

Well, one might argue that bringing the judiciary to a virtual standstill is not the proper response to an assault on its independence. But it was only a mark of protest. And such protests are inevitable when ministers are beginning to feel that the learned judges of this country need their (the Ministers’) instructions to make a just and fair court order.
Continue reading ‘Public perception is that political authorities are manipulating decisions of the judiciary’ »

By Vishnuguptha

“The incentives toward reactive ethnic voting are strong. When voters of one group choose, in effect, not to choose, but to give their vote predictably on an ethnic basis to an ethnically defined party, they put voters of the other group who do choose among parties at a collective disadvantage. All else being equal, such voters will seek to reduce their disadvantage by concentrating their votes in a comparable ethnic party. In such a situation, ethnic votes tend to drive out non-ethnic votes.” – Donald Harowitz

The present regime, it appears, is not interested in moving beyond the euphoria of the war victory to resolving the real problems of the Tamil community. The evidence is overwhelming. From the time the guns fell silent, thanks mainly to the brilliant and persevering efforts and tactics of the commanders of the three forces – Army, Navy and Air Force – the President and his Cabinet of Ministers are perpetually engaged in triumphalism, an ego-trip beyond the pale.
Continue reading ‘Tamil Leadership must understand the True Nature of the Sinhala mindset’ »

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Sri Lanka and Australia are on a collision course over what the Australian High Commissioner in Colombo Ms Robyn Mudie asserts is the failure on the part of the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) to put an end to human smuggling.

Australian HC Mudie urged Navy Commander Vice Admiral Somathilake Dissanayake to step up SLN action, at a hurriedly arranged meeting at SLN headquarters to discuss the issue last Wednesday (18).
Continue reading ‘Lankan Navy Chief and Aussie Envoy ‘clash’ over refugee boats issue’ »

by Dr. Theodore A. Fernando

A famous Aesopian fable tells us about a lion which prowled about a pasture where three bulls always grazed together. He had tried without success to lure one or the other of them to the edge of the pasture in order to kill.

He had even attempted a direct attack on them, only to see them form a circle so that from whichever direction he approached he was met by the horns of one of them.
Continue reading ‘Lion and The Bulls Fable and The FUTA Trade Union action’ »

by Ranjith C. Perera

Some years back while serving as an Instructor in English at a Vocational Training Centre in a Middle-East Country, I encountered an experience perhaps unique to a Teacher of English.

My students although they were adults and in their late teens, were quite unfamiliar with the English Language and its usage and could read with extreme difficulty.
Continue reading ‘Knife, Kitchen and the correct usage of alphabet ‘K’’ »

Mannar is said to have returned to normal following Wednesday’s violent protests, which left several police personnel injured and a court house and a police station damaged. But, let’s not lull ourselves into a false sense of complacency.

The situation is far from normal there if the frayed tempers and public resentment are any indication. Most of all, the dispute over a boat mooring beach which led to the clashes remains unsolved. It is the effect that has been tackled and not the cause, we reckon.
Continue reading ‘President must Intervene Directly to Resolve Mannar Dispute -The Island’ »

by Srinath Fernando

The United National Party (UNP) is the single largest political party in Sri Lanka and has had the good fortune of maintaining this position since it was formed in 1946. The founder of UNP was D.S. Senanayake, who was at the forefront of securing independence for Ceylon.

The ideals he cherished were carried forward by the successive leaders of UNP up to incumbent Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. Never in the history of UNP has it ever played the racist card for narrow political gains and on the contrary it accommodates all shades of political opinion. It has deep-seated values in promoting harmony among all ethnic groups.
Continue reading ‘Has Ranil Wickremesinghe been Adequately Marketed as ‘Mr.Clean’?’ »

Most Palestinians, whether they supported their late leader Yasser Arafat or not, were in agreement that he did not die of natural causes. They believed he was murdered by Israel or its agents.

But are Palestinians justified in blaming Israel for his death?

French doctors treating Arafat did not issue a conclusive report identifying the cause of his illness.
Continue reading ‘Was Yasser Arafat really murdered by Israel or its agents’ »

by Mandip Singh

The recent announcement by the Chinese government to set up a $30 billion tourism project in Tibet came as a surprise for ardent Tibet watchers. The turnaround in China’s policy to open Tibet to tourists and thereby to the world is a major departure from its policy of keeping Tibet ‘in closed doors’. In fact, even today Tibet is closed to foreigners and diplomats stationed in China.

This ban has been necessitated by the need to keep a lid on simmering discontent in Tibet after as many as 45 self immolations have brought Tibet into world focus.
Continue reading ‘China to ‘open up’ Tibet through $30 Million tourism project showcasing Tibetan Culture as a ‘Living Museum’’ »

by K. Venkatraman

Veteran Tamil Nadu politician M. Karunanidhi has announced the revival of the Tamil Eelam Supporters’ Organisation, a forum he had floated in the mid-1980s to drum up support for the creation of a separate Tamil nation in Sri Lanka.

In 1986, it was a broad-based political platform that attracted leaders from different parts of India and there was widespread support for the cause. A quarter century on, the most striking feature of the attempt to revive it is its incongruity in the current political context.

The Tamil Eelam project was never really on, as neither India nor the world at large was ever interested in dividing Sri Lanka. Further, neither the domestic situation in Sri Lanka nor the global or regional context contains any objective condition for the establishment of a separate state.
Continue reading ‘Revival of TESO makes a mockery of The Political Predicament of Sri Lankan Tamils’ »

by Dianne Silva

Tamil National Alliance National list Member of Parliament M.A Sumanthiran spoke to the Daily Mirror on the TNA preparations for the Eastern Provincial Council Elections, the commitment of the party to the Parliamentary Select Committee and the Militarisation of the North.
Continue reading ‘Threats and intimidation have already started: Sumanthiran’ »

by Azra Ameen

A total number of 3,073 candidates from recognized political parties and independent groups will be contesting the forthcoming Provincial Council polls in the North-Central, Eastern and Sabaragamuwa Provinces.

The acceptance of the nominations ended without any interruptions or problems with the enthusiastic participation of candidates at 12 noon at the three Provinces yesterday, according to the Commissioner of Elections, Mahinda Deshapriya.
Continue reading ‘3,073 Candidates for 114 seats in Provincial Councils of Sabaragamuwa, North-Central and Eastern Provinces’ »

by N Sathiya Moorthy

Unknown to the world and unacknowledged by the international community, Sri Lanka may be running to a point of no-return, all over again. ‘International intervention’ in the form of UNHRC resolutions has made the Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa more vulnerable in electoral terms – or, that is the internal perception – and this has consequences for the course of the ‘ethnic discourse’ in the country.

So has international invention given ideas to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and more so the Tamil Diaspora, the latter having imbibed the duplicity of the LTTE with disastrous consequences as in the past.
Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka: Incremental Devolution is what a Political Solution is all About’ »

By Ranmali Wijesuriya

There is so much talk of this Diaspora in Sri Lanka. Diaspora did this. Diaspora did that, and so on. However, I am yet to see any article which describes what the Diaspora is. In Sri Lanka the word Diaspora is used to refer to the Tamil Diaspora which is pro LTTE terrorists or LTTE terror supporters.

Other democratic and independent people of Tamil origin, Sinhalese, Muslims, Malays and Burghers are not referred to as the Diaspora by Sri Lanka or writers
Continue reading ‘Fraudulent ‘LTTE Terrorist Diaspora’ must be Exposed Through Extensive Campaign’ »

Rajesh Khanna

by Ziya us Salam

(Rajesh Khanna, actor, died in Mumbai on 18 July 2012, aged 69. He was born in Amritsar on 29 December 1942. He is survived by two daughters, Twinkle and Rinke)

A rose, a candle, a couplet. Rajesh Khanna, Hindi cinema’s first real superstar who passed away in Mumbai following a prolonged illness on Wednesday, used these props freely and easily to capture for the first time in Indian cinema a romance that was both adult and modern.
Continue reading ‘Rajesh Khanna: Super Star Who Changed Image of Heroes in Hindi Cinema’ »

Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa

by Alan Keenan

We need to be careful here. While there is some truth to some of the arguments in this piece and in the Washington Post article that inspired it, it misses some crucial points. To wit:

1. The trope of “Sri Lanka doesn’t need the West anymore, its support from China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, etc is enough” is now an old and tired one – first trotted out by the Sri Lankan government officials in 2007 when the brutality of their counterinsurgency strategy (e.g., hundreds of forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of Tamil suspected of involvement with the LTTE and murders of journalists and dissenters) was first being challenged internationally.
Continue reading ‘Story of Waning Western Influence in Sri Lanka Should Not Be Over Blown’ »

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The Tamil National Alliance(TNA) regarded as the chief political formation of Sri Lankan Tamils is gearing up to face the forthcoming elections to the Eastern Provincial council under the house symbol of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi(ITAK)without aligning with any other political party or group.

Earlier the TNA was exploring the possibility of tying up with either the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC)on a common symbol or contesting together with the chief opposition United National Party(UNP).
Continue reading ‘TNA to field Muslim Candidates also for Eastern Provincial Poll’ »

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

In a significant political development, strong grassroots pressure exerted by the Tamils of Sabaragamuwa province has led to political parties representing the interests of Up Country Tamils sinking their differences and uniting to contest the forthcoming provincial council polls by submitting a combined list of candidates under the symbol of cockerel.

Three main parties of the Tamils of recent Indian origin known generally as Up country or Hill country Tamils (Malaiahaththamilzhar) namely the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), Democratic Peoples Front(DPF) and Up Country Peoples Front (UPF)will be contesting the Sabaragamuwa polls under a common symbol and common list of candidates.
Continue reading ‘United List to be Submitted for Sabaragamuwa Polls Under CWC Symbol on July 16th’ »

by Dr.Janaka Ratnasiri

The recent article by Dr Tilak Siyambalapitiya highlighting the delay in starting work on the Sampur coal power plant (CPP) prompted me to write this article.

This project was conceived several years ago to be executed in collaboration with India’s National Thermal Power Corporation of India (NTPC), a government owned company. The MOU for the project was signed between CEB and NTPC last September.
Continue reading ‘Govt Must Re-negotiate with India and go for a Natural Gas plant at Sampur’ »

By Prof. Wiswa Warnapala

The alarming increase in the rate of shameful incidents involving the political leadership of the local government institutions and the failure on the part of these institutions to execute their responsibilities in the urban and semi-urban areas prompt one to critique the nature of local administration in the country.
Continue reading ‘Ward System could be re-introduced to arrest deteriorating trend in Local Govt Institutions’ »

Photo by: Sarath Kumara

by Thulasi Muttulingam

For the fourth time within the last month, animal rights activists staged a protest demanding to know where the dogs they are feeding are disappearing.

Ever since 2010, canines have been disappearing off the roads of Colombo according to the activists. They have been campaigning since then to get the dogs back.
Continue reading ‘Disappearing Dogs of Colombo City’ »

by Jagath Gunawardana

It would surprise many to know that a short, narrow strip of privately owned swamp forest is the only known place in the world where two critically endangered and endemic plants, amongst another large number of endemic species, are found.

The existence of this forest speaks volumes not only of the critical situation of some of our biodiversity, but more importantly, how the preservation of even a small extent of habitat can ensure the survival of one or more endangered endemic species, and how the initiatives taken by a family or individual can cause the survival or the demise of such species.
Continue reading ‘Walawwewatta Waturanae Owned By Wijesekara Family is Unique Swamp Forest with endangered and endemic Species’ »

SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem – pic courtesy of; AlJazeera

by Zacki Jabbar and Lal Gunasekera

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) decision to contest the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council Election (EPCE) on its own has the blessings of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and was on the understanding that it will not oppose the government.

Informed sources told The Island that when talks between SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem and the UPFA General Secretary, Susil Premajayanth, who was joined by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa on signing a Memorandum of Understanding to contest the EPC on the UPFA ticket had failed last morning, Hakeem had informed President Rajapaksa that his party would contest under its own Tree Symbol, to which he had agreed provided the SLMC did not oppose the UPFA government, the sources said.
Continue reading ‘Muslim Congress To Contest Eastern Poll Separately With President Rajapaksa’s Consent’ »

By Javid Yusuf

The run up to the Eastern Provincial Council Elections has once again exposed the lack of a clear political vision or strategy among Muslim political actors.

In the weeks leading up to nominations there were a number of statements from Muslim politicos as well as news items which painted a conflicting picture of what the Muslim political parties had in mind for the forthcoming elections.
Continue reading ‘Ghetto Mindset inevitably Encouraged By An Exclusive List of Muslim Candidates Will Not Benefit Muslims Or National Interest’ »

by Namal Rajapaksa MP

(Text of address made by Namal Rajapaksa M.P. at “India Today”conclave held on March 15th&16th at New Delhi)

Namal Rajapaksa MP at an event in Kilinochchi-June 2012

Distinguished Invitees
Friends

1. It’s a pleasure for me to participate in this prestigious India Today Conclave. Thank you for giving me the honour of being a part of this event.
Continue reading ‘‘I Represent The Third Generation of Politicians of The Rajapaksas’’ »

pic: Courtesy of YATV

by R.M.B Senanayake

The Government has been compelled to take notice of the agitation by the University staff.

Their demands not only relate to their remuneration but include outlawing private universities. One demand is that the educational budget should be 6 percent of GDP.
Continue reading ‘No Other Country In The World Gives Completely Free University Education To All Its Students’ »

June 2007: President Mahinda Rajapaksa meets Norwegian International Development Minister and former special peace envoy Eric Solheim in Geneva Pic by Sudath Silva

by David Ucko

The Washington Post has a very interesting article on Sri Lanka’s apparent slide ‘toward dictatorship’.

Since the military defeat of the LTTE in 2009, the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has become increasingly autocratic, stifling opposition and silencing – sometimes violently, so the article suggests – those who speak out against it.
Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s ‘illiberal peace’: Implications for Western influence’ »

by Sarath.N.Silva | (former Chief Justice)

Sexual violence and child abuse are abhorrent crimes that evoke the righteous indignation of the people. The media should be commended for giving due publicity to the more serious instances which would galvanise public opinion against the alarming rise of these crimes.

Such action is necessary in the face of apathy on the part of the authorities who follow an ostrich policy of denying any rise in the wave of crime and act in a manner which resonates with that of Nero in the waning days of the Roman empire.
Continue reading ‘Sexual Violence and Child Abuse:A co-ordinated programme of action- the need of the hour’ »

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa

By Kath Noble

These days, I rarely feel like thanking the Government for anything. It squandered the opportunity it had post-war to push through a deal with the TNA and put the country on a new and more productive, forward-looking track, preferring instead to focus on consolidating its own power.

Now the discussion is back to its old pattern, with neither side trusting the other and neither side feeling like compromise.
Continue reading ‘This Govt has uncanny ability to attract embarrassing global condemnation while achieving absolutely nothing’ »

by Dr Tilak Siyambalapitiya

You open the morning paper on the last working day in each month. You see a notice from the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), explaining the key features of international petroleum price movements within the month.

Then you see a table showing the calculation of petroleum prices and the allowed maximum selling prices for the next month. If the notice says prices are to go up on the 1st of next month, if you like, run to the filling station. If the prices are to go down, relax.
Continue reading ‘Govt must tell truth about Petroleum Prices to the People’ »

by Thulasi Muttulingam

A name to look out for when it comes to recreating and renewing the traditional dance forms of Sri Lanka is Rangika Jeewantha. Or else the institute that is synonymous with his name – The Rivega Dance Studio.

pic by: Tharaka Basnayake

They are an up and coming troupe who have been on the scene for a few years now; people who have seen them all praise the vibrancy and creative ingenuity of these relatively new faces of traditional dance.
Continue reading ‘NATMO 2012: Modifying Traditional Dances to Suit Modern Tastes’ »

George R. Willy P.C

by Hemantha Warnakulasuriya

President of Greece Karolos Paoulis told me “Your Excellency, today the Minorities are more powerful than the majority. Every nation emerging from internal strife must accept this 21st century reality.

We are very a happy with the reconciliation strategies adopted by your country, but we believe that much has to be done to win over the minorities. We, as nation failed in our efforts to reconcile the warring groups. Sri Lanka could learn from our example and ensure that our mistakes are not repeated”.
Continue reading ‘Recalling the Speech made in Houston by George Willy before President Rajapaksa’ »

By Gomin Dayasiri

India is a friend of Sri Lanka? Often said but listened in disbelief. If it is in India’s interest, the answer is, yes. Who stays mum to help a friend in distress and seek multiple benefits in return?

India opts to cheer at the mayhem of another and enjoys watching the discomfort. Worse, never to mind its affairs, prefers to covertly interfere. Pakistan has been a friend in the midst of all its troubles. China from a distance impacts the region thriving on distrust and suspicion India attracts.
Continue reading ‘At crunch time India would de-stabilise Sri Lanka as it did in Geneva 2012’ »

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in London, June 2012

By Salma Yusuf

When history repeated itself on 6 June 2012, it became clearer that something is amiss in our post-war nation building efforts.

One and a half years on, the itinerary of a Presidential visit to the United Kingdom was once again altered when an invitation to deliver the keynote address at the Commonwealth Economic Forum organized by the Commonwealth Business Council was cancelled on the morning of the event.

The Commonwealth Economic Forum was organized as one of the events to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in London.
Continue reading ‘Setting up a specially designated Office for Diaspora Affairs’ »

by Jehan Perera

It was past eight pm and most of the two to three hundred strong audience present at the open air theatre of the Centre for Performing Arts in Jaffna had not dispersed.

King Coconuts on Kasthuriyar Road-pic by: Feng Zhong

They had come to be part of the golden jubilee celebration of the CPArts founder, Fr N M Saveri. Most of the audience was composed of women and youth. Despite the lateness of the hour there was no sign of uneasiness or tension.
Continue reading ‘Every visit to Jaffna can be a learning experience to those who are outside of it’ »

The British High Commission marked the International Day of Peace on 21 September 2011 by hosting an Art Festival in Colombo, involving over 50 school children-pic courtesy: UK In Sri Lanka

by Sumanasiri Liyanage

Giving an interview to an Indian national newspaper based in Chennai, The Hindu, appears to have become a perennial practice of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

In this interview, he has revealed that “We want to hold elections in September 2013. We are working towards it [the elections] in a systematic manner.”
Continue reading ‘Unitarist mindset most visible obstacle for Peace, Reconciliation and National Integration’ »

By JC Weliamuna

Another round of elections has been fixed and the country is turned into election mode. Elections are said to be a benchmark of democracy, and then why are we bothered when more and more elections are held?

More and more elections, have we correspondingly increased democracy in Sri Lanka? What does an election mean and how does it help a democratic framework in a country? Is there anything new in Sri Lankan form of elections? Where are we heading to? This article is dedicated to find some answers to these issues.
Continue reading ‘Future Elections in Sri Lanka will be Based on Role of Military and Commitment to keep current Regime in Power’ »

By Victor Ivan

The opposition political parties are in disarray. This situation, whilst weakening the opposition movement of the country, has substantially contributed to strengthening the power of the government.

pic courtesy of: karujayasuriya.lk

Against this backdrop, Karu Jayasuriya has endeavored to propose a solution of a newer kind to the difficult and complex problem of uniting the opposition parties which are currently in a state of disintegration into a cohesive and consistent movement.
Continue reading ‘Karu Jayasuriya Proposes Opposition Unity to Change Political System’ »

by Prof. Nimal Gunatilleke | University of Peradeniya

A newspaper report titled ” Caught transporting weniwelgeta” appeared a few months ago in The Island newspaper and several related incidents that I came to know recently prompted me to spotlight on this disconcerting issue.

Aricanut Trees close to the Pothupitiya Village-pic courtesy of: jmsbandara

Unsustainable harvesting or in general terms ‘plundering’ of dwindling natural resources for short-term commercial gain by a few, at the expense of a more eco-friendly and community oriented management regimen, is a serious impediment to conservation of biological diversity, indeed.
Continue reading ‘Weniwelgeta / Maramanjal: Can Dwindling Resources Cope with Increasing Demand?’ »

by Mario Andree

Time was not in Sri Lanka’s favour as it stands to lose major opportunities with India seeking to finalise comprehensive economic partnership agreements (CEPA) with other nations, the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Ashok K. Kantha said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh-pic: PTI

“The governments of both countries have not had enough dialog to rectify and finalise the agreement.
Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka the loser by delaying CEPA agreement with India says Indian Envoy’ »

pic courtesy of: YATV

by Kumudu Kusum Kumara

The government having taken one whole week to ‘study’ the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations’ (FUTA) proposals for education reforms has come up with one general proposal of setting up a presidential commission to investigate ‘complex issues’ in the higher education sector.

While no one would deny the value of an independent presidential commission to examine the ills higher education is afflicted with to come up with a white paper for public discussion as the basis for a higher education reforms bill and a new University Act, FUTA members believe that setting up of a commission cannot resolve the specific issues raised by the FUTA.
Continue reading ‘Setting up a Commission Cannot Resolve Specific Issues Raised by FUTA’ »

By Risidra Mendis

A statement made by the Diyawadana Nilame that the annual peraheras are facing a shortage of tuskers, has irked environmentalists who say no measures have been taken to breed the existing elephants.

An elephant at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka-Aug 2011–Pic by: steve chao- Al Jazeera

There are 150 tame elephants in the country. However, the issue of breeding tame elephants and tuskers has taken a backseat as private elephant owners are only interested in using the animals as a money spinning venture.
Continue reading ‘Cruel Exploitation of ‘Captive’ Elephants in Sri Lanka is a National Disgrace’ »

By Roel Raymond

At last week’s (5 July) media briefing on Cabinet decisions, Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella made known a government decision to include news websites under the Press Council Law. This announcement came in the wake of a raid on the offices of two news websites – lankamirror and lankaxnews – and the arrest of a number of its employees.

The minister said several websites, not excluding the aforementioned two, were still engaged in reporting news bordering on the scurrilous whilst hiding behind a cloak of anonymity and said the move to bring all news websites under the purview of the Press Council Law was only to ensure more ethical media practice online.
Continue reading ‘Govt has no clear Understanding of what Constitutes a Website’ »

By Cassandra Mascarenhas

Keeping to tradition, the final plenary session of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce’s Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2012 featured a panel of young Parliamentarians, giving them an opportunity to air their views on key economic issues affecting the country and for the audience to pose questions and express their suggestions on creating a better environment for business to grow.

The panel featured MPs Ruwan Wijewardene, Dr. Harsha De Silva, Udaya Gammanpila, Navin Dissanayake, Sunil Handunnetti, M.A. Sumanthiran and Udith Lokubandara and was moderated by Copyline Group and APEX Consultancy Services Chairman Mano Tittawella.
Continue reading ‘Younger Parliamentarians speak out on Economic Issues at Panel Discussion’ »

by Charitha Ratwatte

The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines ‘reconcile’ as ‘finding an acceptable way of dealing with two or more ideas that seem to be opposed to each other’.

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II shakes hands with Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister and former IRA commander Martin McGuinness as First minister Peter Robinson looks on at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast-Jun 27, 2012-pic: The British Monarchy/AP-via Financial Times

‘Reconciliation’ is defined as ‘an end to a disagreement and the start of a good relationship again,’ and as ‘the process makes it possible for two different ideas to exist together without being opposed to each other’.
Continue reading ‘If Reconciliation Process is to move forward in Sri Lanka, Civil Society must take the lead as in Northern Ireland’ »

By S.S Selvanayagam

In view of the undertakings given by the State, the Writ application filed in the Court of Appeal challenging the impugned controversial Land Circular on the management of land in North East withdrawn yesterday.

A Writ petition had been filed by TNA Parliamentarian M.A Sumanthiran challenging the said controversial Land Circular. The matter came up before the Bench comprising Justices S. Sriskandarajah (President) and Deepali Wijesundera.
Continue reading ‘Sumanthiran Withdraws Writ filed in Appeal Court as State withdraws impugned circular on land in North-East’ »

J.Sri Ranga MP

by Arthur Wamanan

General Secretary of Citizen’s Front and Parliamentarian J. Sri Ranga charged that Tamil politicians were taking people for a ride for their own benefits.

In an interview to The Nation, Ranga said the likes of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) misled the people and were not genuine on going for a political solution to the ethnic conflict. Ranga also ruled out the possibilities of his joining the UNP, labeling its leadership as ‘government sponsored’.
Continue reading ‘Tamil people are misled by certain politicians – J. Sri Ranga’ »

by FLORET

When the British took over the island in 1796, Colombo had a population of 4,700. In the city of Colombo, there were horse driven carriages, bullock carts and rickshaws.

This was a time when ladies wore long gowns and had feathered hats. Most of the gentlemen had long whiskers and top hats. There were no established educational institutions during this era. Colombo was a hub of activity with trade, commerce and many social events. Cinnamon Gardens might have been a mere urban forest.
Continue reading ‘‘Disce Aut Discede’: Royal College celebrates 177 years of excellence’ »

by Carlo Fonseka

Victor Ratnayake, the much loved reigning King in the Kingdom of Sinhala music, is the creator of the all time musical extravaganza called Sa. By a very wide margin Sa has proved to be the greatest solo song show in Sri Lanka’s recorded history.

Those who listen to Sinhala music and have come to love Sa and its creator welcomed the show on July 20, 1973.

mp3: Api Okkoma Rajawaru

I remember the day as though it was yesterday. I enjoyed the maiden performance of Sa from a front row seat at the Lumbini theatre.
Continue reading ‘Victor Ratnayake: Reigning Monarch of Sinhala Music’ »

by Rajpal Abeynayake

A Sunday newspaper last week alleged that the said newspaper’s female editor had called the defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to clarify a story about a matter allegedly involving him — and that the defence secretary had abused her in unparliamentarily language, and also threatened her.

Certain media rights groups have meanwhile taken up the matter, and some others including opposition politicians have called for the resignation of the defence secretary on the issue.
Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa Responds to Allegations by Frederica Jansz’ »

pic courtesy: Sunday Leader.lk

by Gamini Weerakoon

The uprooting of the Bandaranaike colossus that towered over Galle Face and its environs brought to our mind a poem we learned in the Fifth Form more than half century ago on the fickleness of immortality – Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley:

I met a traveller from an antique land, Who said –
Continue reading ‘Immortality through Monuments: Mahinda Rajapaksa has outdone them all’ »

by Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne

All democratic organizations vehemently condemned the unlawful killing of political prisoner Nimalaruban, without any trial, at the Vavuniya prison.

Ranil Wickremesinghe attending May Day in Jaffna, May 1, 2012-pic: TamilWIn

Everybody in the north as well as in the south understands that he and other prisoners were severely assaulted and beaten with iron rods by the police and others, while they were under the supervision of defence secretary.
Continue reading ‘‘I do not think Ranil as Conservative; he can think and act like a Social Democrat’’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara

“The answer to bad speech his nearly always better speech and those who argue otherwise rarely create countries worth living in” Nick Cohen (Standpoint – 14.7.2012)

The Rajapaksa government is going hell for leather not against child rapists or murderers.

The Rajapaksa government is going hell for leather against journalists.
Continue reading ‘Rajapaksa Govt is going hell for leather against Journalists’ »

By Raymond Stock

Closing a celebration on June 30, 2012 for his swearing-in as what the world hailed as Egypt’s first civilian, freely elected president, Mohammed Mursi declared, “We will not look back, nor will we look beneath our feet, but we will look forward always.”

Mohamed Morsi supporters celebrate his initial victory in the Egyptian presidential elections in Tahrir square-pic by: Zeinab Mohamed

In that simple, seemingly pedestrian statement he summed up the strategy that has brought the Society of the Muslim Brothers from humble but ambitious beginnings in Ismailiya in 1928 to political (if not yet physical) dominance in the largest Arab nation, and most other parts of the region, today.
Continue reading ‘How The Muslim Brotherhood Conquered Egypt And Conned The World via Facebook’ »

By Risidra Mendis

The Minister of Environment has come under flak for allegedly violating the Forest Conservation Ordinance and taking a decision to cut a road across the Makandawa Conservation Forest to the Pallebage village.

Purple-faced leaf monkey in Makandawa Rain Forest, Sri Lanka -Pic: Sergey Yeliseev

Makandawa is part of the Kitulgala-Kelani Valley Conservation Area and is well-known for its rich bio-diversity. Concerned environmentalists allege the road is meant to facilitate illegal timber transporters and sellers.
Continue reading ‘Deputy Minister Mithrapala and Son Dushmantha behind road construction through Makandawa Forest Reserve’ »

By Cassandra Mascarenhas

Economic Summit kicks off with wakeup call for Sri Lanka

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce-organised Sri Lanka Economic Summit kicked off yesterday, with an emphatic message to both the Government and the private sector that challenges are mounting and success as a nation will depend on a strong collective effort to be competitive.
Continue reading ‘Though Sri Lanka has experienced strong growth in recent years the country remains vulnerable – Kalpana Kochhar’ »

Dr.P.B. Jayasundara – pic: Development.lk

By Dr.P.B. Jayasundara

(Following is the full text of Secretary to Ministry of Finance and Planning and Ministry of Economic Development Dr. P.B. Jayasundera’s keynote address titled ‘Sri Lankan Economy in Perspective’ at first plenary session of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka Economic Summit yesterday under the theme ‘Positioning Sri Lanka in the Global Economy)

Chairman, panellists, ladies and gentlemen,

I am indeed pleased to be invited as the keynote speaker at this plenary session that is dedicated to review current macroeconomic position in Sri Lanka and deliberate the policy framework that is desired for future economic progress.
Continue reading ‘Govt Development Strategy attempts to promote benefit of growth across all segments of the population’ »