(Text of Press Release Issued by the Presidents Media Division on 5 July 2023)

President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized the importance of avoiding misleading arguments and instead urged the entire opposition, led by the opposition leader, to join the government in addressing the country’s challenges.

He pointed out that the opposition’s allegations regarding the restructuring of local debt have been proven false.

The President encouraged the opposition to participate in the next presidential election and contribute to rebuilding the country by fulfilling their responsibilities to the people. He also expressed his willingness to assign additional duties to the opposition in consultation with the Speaker, if necessary.

These remarks were made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the “Amarawiru Abhiman 32” ceremony, which honoured Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, the Minister of Agriculture, for his 32-year political career.

During the event, the President received a special commemorative edition of “Amaraviru Abhiman 32” and presented commemorative gifts to farmers, agriculture supporters, and students who achieved academic success in the Hambantota district.

Minister Mahinda Amaraweera presented a memento to President Ranil Wickremesinghe as a tribute to the people of Hambantota, and the President reciprocated by presenting a souvenir to Minister Amaraweera in appreciation of his dedicated service to the people of the district.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe further commented:

Continue reading ‘President Wickremesinghe Invites Opposition Leader and Opposition to Join Govt and Solve Challenges Faced by the Country Instead Engaging in Misleading Arguments’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

Parliament on Saturday (1 July 2023) approved a domestic debt restructuring program that would rework nearly half of the country’s US$ 42.1 billion domestic debt. The plan covered US$ 19.5 billion of Domestic debt in Treasury bills and bonds held by the Central Bank and superannuation funds (mainly the EPF and ETF) and excluded the domestic banks due to the fears of destabilizing the banking sector.

The superannuation funds would have the choice of swapping their short-term bills and bonds to those of longer maturity (2027-2038) at 12% interest until 2025 and, after that, 9%, failing which, they have the option to pay a 30% in tax, instead of the current 14% preferential rate.

Fear that the pension funds would be forced to take a haircut on the principle did not materialize, perhaps disappointing those who wished for chaos. A five-day bank holiday preceding the vote also highlighted the concerns over the potential market instability, much less for the function of market forces, but for the deliberate manipulation and disinformation leading to a bank run.

For a country with a history of even the slightest economically meaningful measures being forced to roll back by the protestors, a successful domestic debt restructuring is a salient feat. Optimism might be premature, for the usual naysayers may gang up and challenge the plan in the coming weeks.

Continue reading ‘By opposing every govt measure to lift the country out of the economic crisis, the Opposition might be misreading public opinion. That may come to haunt them in future elections’ »

Asiri Fernando

The special parliamentary session on the Domestic Debt Optimisation (DDO) plan of the Government was approved last evening (1) with a majority of 60 votes, following a lengthy and occasionally-heated debate about the impact on superannuation funds.

Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera then informed Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana in writing that the DDO programme had been passed by Parliament.

The vote on the plan saw 122 votes in favour and 62 against, with the members from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) leaving the chamber prior to the vote while dissident SLFP MPs voted in favour of the proposal.

There was also a split in the votes of dissident Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MPs in the Opposition, with some voting in favour of the DDO and some voting against.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), National People’s Power (NPP), and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) voted against the DDO plan.
The Parliament was adjourned till Wednesday (5) following the vote.

Continue reading ‘Parliament Passes Govt’s Domestic Debt Optimisation Plan by 60 Vote majority; 122 vote for and 62 against; SJB,NPP and TNA Vote against while SLPP in Govt and some SLPP dissidents in Opposition vote for;SLFP keeps away while Dissidents vote for;COPF chair Harsha de Silva votes against’ »

By
D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Former Sri Lankan President and ex-defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa known generally as Gota figured prominently in an Associated Press (AP) news report dated 22 June 2023 . According to AP, Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been accused of allegedly “tampering with police records in order to hamper investigations into mass graves discovered in an area where he was a military officer at the height of a bloody Marxist insurrection in 1989”. The allegation was made in a report released last week by activist groups including the International Truth and Justice Project, Journalists for Democracy and Families of the Disappeared in Sri Lanka.

The report alleged that Gota Rajapaksa while serving as Defence secretary under his brother President Mahinda Rajapaksa had “ ordered the destruction of all police records older than five years at police stations in the region after mass graves were discovered in the Matale district of central Sri Lanka in 2013.”
The mass graves were suspected to date from the time of a violent Marxist insurrection in 1989, when Rajapaksa, as a military officer, was involved in counter-insurgency in the region.The report called for action against Rajapaksa and senior police officials involved in the alleged hampering of the investigations.

It is well-known that Gotabaya Rajapaksa was appointed commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Gajaba Regiment (1GR) and military coordinating officer of the Matale district during the second insurrection of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) which took place from 1987 to 1990.Gota reportedly functioned in Matale District from May 1989 to January 1990. “He (Gota) was posted to Matale as the district coordinating officer tasked with bringing the JVP under control,” wrote well-known journalist and former envoy to the UN in Geneva, C.A. Chandraprem in his biography “Gota’s war”.

There have been numerous allegations of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, torture, and extra-judicial killings being committed by Government security forces between May 1989 and January 1990, in the Matale District, during the JVP uprising. Over 700 persons most of them Sinhalese allegedly disappeared then. There has been complete lack of accountability and judicial action against the State authorities allegedly identified as perpetrators of the violations committed so far.

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Human Rights Violations in Matale District During the 1988-90 JVP Insurgency.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene

When Chilean-born author Isabel Allende wrote with consummate skill of Chile’s ‘disappeared’ under Pinochet’s dictatorship in her best-selling book, ‘Of Love and Shadows’ (1987), about the mothers who, ‘were no longer afraid and had no hesitation about placing their lives in jeopardy though life was all they had left; everything else had been taken from them,’ she was writing of conflicts past, present and future.

A tone-deaf State

She could have been writing presciently about Sri Lanka or Kashmir or anywhere else in the world racked by the agony of human beings caught in the crossfire between the State and its bitterly adversarial enemies.

Uncannily similar too are the agonies of parents who died while still hoping for their sons and daughters to come home. Their pain echoes across continents and through millennia, right down to anguished lamentations to the gods for justice that never came.

Typically, the Sri Lanka State has been tone-deaf to these lamentations. A few days ago, the release of a report on the country’s ‘mass graves’ and ‘failed exhumations’ compiled by a collective of local and foreign civil society organisations reawakened much of these old – but still recurrent – nightmares.

What is remarkable in that release is not so much the contents of the report which encapsulates, analyses, and reflects on decades-old documentation on Southern (Sinhalese) and Northern (Tamil) partially exhumed mass graves, numbered as being at least twenty from Mannar to Matale, but in the questions still left unanswered.

Why has Sri Lanka not yet adopted an exhumation policy on mass graves that adheres to international law and gives the affected families the right to join in and be represented?

Continue reading ‘The joining of common struggles for justice for the ‘disappeared’ from Point Pedro to Dondra may have been a powerful point of pressure on all Sri Lankan Governments, rather than divisions along race and ethnicity’ »

(Text of Message from Eric Walsh, the High Commissioner of Canada to Sri Lanka on the occasion of Canada Day on July 1, 2023)

Happy Canada Day!

As High Commissioner to both Sri Lanka and Maldives, it gives me great pleasure to extend my warmest greetings to all Canadians and friends of Canada working, traveling or residing in this part of the world.

On this special day, the 156th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation, the thoughts of Canadians around the world turn to home – a country known for its breathtaking landscapes, multiculturalism, and unity in diversity – a vibrant society standing as a beacon of inclusivity and progress.

Today, we celebrate the remarkable achievements and contributions of the Canadian people, and reflect upon the values that have made Canada an inspiration for many around the world.

Since my arrival in December, I have met Sri Lankans from various communities across the country who have either travelled to Canada to further their education, to visit family and friends, or to make it their home.

The connections between our respective peoples run deep and I am pleased to celebrate our national day among so many who have strong ties to my homeland. Canada has been a steadfast partner to Sri Lanka over many decades.

My drive down the Canada Friendship Road upon first arriving in Colombo is but one example of our long partnership. I have also had the pleasure of visiting Maldives twice in recent months, and it is heartening to observe our growing collaboration firsthand. I was especially proud to see how Canadian seaplanes are contributing to island connectivity in Maldives.

I am keenly aware that I started my tenure in Sri Lanka at a pivotal moment, in the midst of an economic crisis of unprecedented severity. Canada has contributed to the relief of those hardest hit by the effects of the crisis, and we continue to stand with Sri Lankans in their pursuit of economic recovery.

Continue reading ‘“As Canada continues to grapple with the hard truths of its own past and to work with Indigenous peoples to address long-standing injustices, we remain ready to draw upon our own experiences in support of Sri Lanka’s efforts toward meaningful and lasting national reconciliation.” – Canadian Envoy Eric Walsh’ »

Bharathy Singaravel

The heart and soul of Maamannan is Vadivelu. After all, the title takes the name of his character. And it feels as if the actor never forgets that for even a moment when he is in front of the camera. This is a Vadivelu so spectacularly in form that you cry when he cries, and you are enraged for him when his grief gives way to anger. Nearly every minute of the story you are made to travel with him. Mari Selvaraj, after Pariyerum Perumal (2018) and Karnan (2021), delivers yet another film that will redefine how Kollywood talks about caste.

The film is set in the Kongu-belt, in Salem district. Maamannan (Vadivelu) is a Dalit MLA from Kasipuram. His son Adhiveeran, fondly called Veeran, (Udhayanidhi Stalin) and him have not spoken to each other in over ten years, despite living in the same house. The reason?

When Veeran is a child, men from the local dominant caste attack him, leaving him deeply traumatised. Maamannan, only a party cadre at the time, is cornered into giving up his quest for justice. His son is unable to forgive him.

Veeran is a man understandably haunted by the past. He wears the scars from the attack – both physical and mental – like a talisman furiously driving him onwards in his fight against dominant caste men. This is without doubt Udhayanidhi’s best performance to date.

Continue reading ‘It is interesting to see how director Mari Selvaraj in “Maamannan”manages his critique of electoral politics and caste in Tamil Nadu with the DMK’s heir-apparent Udhayanidhi Stalin helming the film.’ »

Gopinath Rajendran

In one of Maamannan’s most important and stunningly captured sequences, a bunch of kids are having the time of their lives, swimming and playing in the temple well. When upper-caste men know about this, they stone almost all the kids to a watery grave. The news of caste-related violence is unfortunately not new. But it’s the way Mari Selvaraj frames this particular sequence that makes it stand apart and feels apt to be part of the Mari Cinematic Universe, if one can call it so.

The kids from the oppressed community are at the bottom of the well while the oppressors are on top, attacking the defenceless. One of the kids manages to escape from the onslaught of stones thrown and runs to the top of a nearby hill; so high that the ones who stood on top look small. The kid cries at the fate he escaped while understanding how high he has to reach to be liberated from the perils of caste. This subplot also happens to be the story of Maamannan, starring Udhayanidhi Stalin, Keerthy Suresh and the fantastic Vadivelu and Fahadh Faasil.

The film starts with a shot of our State Assembly and just like how Asuran asserted the importance of education, Maamannan stresses the significance of position and responsibilities that come with power. Vadivelu plays the titular character, an MLA who rose up the ranks – from being a cadet in a party named Samathuva Samooganeedhi Makkal Kazhagam where Rathnavel (Fahadh Faasil), is the district secretary, a position that was once held by the latter’s father. But what’s a position and its powers when self-respect and social justice go for a toss? An altercation causes Maamannan and his son Athiveeran (Udhayanidhi Stalin) to have a meet with Rathnavel and seeing how his father had been disrespected for years, Veera lashes out at the opposite fraction, starting a chain of events that cannot be undone.
Apart from the politics and ideologies surrounding social justice Mari has become synonymous with his unique metaphors and imagery, and Maamannan is no different. Rathnavel indulges in dog races and has no qualms about killing the poor creatures when they lose. He sees his fellow party members from the oppressed community as akin to the hounds he breeds and expects only loyalty and results in exchange. On the other hand, Veera is fascinated by pigs, saves one from ritualistic sacrifice as a child and even dreams of them having their own pair of wings. Similar to how the titular hero of Pariyerum Perumal considered his pet Karuppi to be an extension of him, Veera finds that parallel with a piglet, the sole survivor of an unwarranted attack, just like him. Right from Mari’s signature wide-angle shots and hat tip to Buddha, Ambedkar and Che Guevara the references continue subtly to a Wakanda T-shirt and Veera being an Adimurai master, a martial art not commonly practised by those from the oppressed community.

Continue reading ‘Actors Vadivelu and Fahadh Faasil’s impeccable performances save Mari Selvaraj’s politically-charged film “Maamannan”’ »

Sri Lanka United National Businesses Alliance (SLUNBA) Chairperson Tania Abeysundara yesterday expressed her disappointment at the Government’s failure to provide debt relief to local businesses struggling due to the ongoing economic crisis.

“We requested our debt to be restructured. We asked to be given a grace period for repayments,” she said.

“We simply requested the Government to consider our challenges with compassion and to establish a supportive environment that allows us to rebuild our businesses,” she further added.

However, Abeysundara said unfortunately only about 10% of the MPs in Parliament heeded their pleas for support.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka United National Businesses Alliance Chairperson Tania Abeysundara expresses disappointment at Govt’s failure to provide debt relief to local businesses struggling due to the ongoing economic crisis.’ »

By

Victor Ivan

In this article I venture to analyse how Sri Lanka has become a failed and bankrupt nation and who should be held responsible for that? So far no one has endeavoured to make a rational political analysis about it.

Sri Lanka remained a stagnant, underdeveloped nation when it became a British colony in 1815. Then, after 133 years of colonial rule and when the British left the country in 1948, Sri Lanka had made amazing progress. In terms of development, Sri Lanka was ranked second only to Japan among Asian countries.

However, the outcome of 73 years of home rule ensued since independence was such that the country which was so advanced at the time of independence had become a failed and bankrupt state. Why did the indigenous leaders who ruled the nation after independence, the bureaucracy that worked with them and the Sri Lankan society in general fail to continue the progress that the British had bequeathed on them?

The lack of vision and operational ability of the rulers, the bureaucracy and the society in general could be attributed to be the main reason for this deplorable situation. However, a brief but an in-depth analysis would offer a picture as described below.

We inherited from the British a proper system of institutions and a modern Constitution which enshrined the principles to be adopted in maintaining a democratic society to a large extent while protecting the framework of freedom, equality, fraternity and the rule of law which necessarily constitute the basis of the modern system of governance.

But our rulers, government officials or the society at large did not have a vision or a sophisticated modern mind to maintain those conditions. Despite the fact that most of them appeared to have become modern to some extent from outside, their inner core remained feudal in character. They did not have a proper understanding of liberal concepts like individual freedom, equality, brotherhood and the rule of law. Their main concern was the ethnicity, caste, religion and culture to which they belonged. They even didn’t recognise the need to respect the Constitution, the supreme law of the country.

The Soulbury Constitution received from the British lasted only until 1972. The Citizenship Act in 1948 and the Official Language Act in 1956 were enacted violating the Soulbury Constitution. Then the First Republican Constitution was enacted in 1972 in a manner that led to the deprivation of the language rights of the Tamil people.

Continue reading ‘After independence, the Sinhalese majority and their rulers wanted most of the benefits gained from independence to be shared among them, the Sinhalese people.’ »

During a special press briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre on Domestic Debt Optimization (DDO), Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, the Governor of the Central Bank, emphasized the importance of relieving the burden on the banking system caused by the already excessive 50% taxes. This measure aims to safeguard the treasury, strengthen the economy, and ensure the protection of the 57 million public and private bank deposits in Sri Lanka.

The Governor highlighted the severe repercussions that would result from a collapse in the country’s banking sector. To prevent such a scenario, Friday, June 30th, was declared a bank holiday until the Parliament approves the restructuring of local debt.
Furthermore, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe assured the public that the existing Employee Provident Fund (EPF) would remain untouched. Additionally, he guaranteed a minimum interest rate of 9% for the EPF.

In attendance at the press conference were Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, the Senior Advisor to the President on Economic Affairs, Mr. Mahinda Siriwardena, the Secretary of the Finance Ministry, Mr. A.K. Seneviratne, the Deputy Treasury Secretary, as well as heads of media organizations and media representatives.

Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, the Governor of the Central Bank, further commented on the DDO;

Continue reading ‘Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe States the existing Employee Provident Fund (EPF) would remain untouched. Guarantees a minimum interest rate of 9% for the EPF and accessibility to funds upon retirement.’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

Five years back in China, I submitted my doctoral dissertation, having chopped off two complete chapters on my supervisor’s advice to be on the safe side for both of us. It was an analysis of competition for power and influence by China and India in South Asia. Given the vast power asymmetries between the two regional powers, I titled it ‘an uneven contest’. India’s economy then (and now) is barely one-fifth of China’s measured in nominal US$.

What a difference five years could make! Power disparities between the two competing regional powers have not changed. The Chinese economy, at US$ 17.7 trillion, is still nearly four and half times India’s. India’s economic growth rate has momentarily overtaken China’s. Still, even if the Indian economy continues to outpace China by a modest margin, the power differences, though lessened, would persist for several decades into the future.

But, the pendulum of economic growth is gradually shifting from China to India. Geopolitics serves New Delhi most profoundly as well. India would probably be the only large country to benefit from the West’s call for global companies to decouple/ de-risk from China, thereby diversifying hitherto China-dependent supply chains. Though countries such as Vietnam and Mexico are reaping the immediate benefits of supply chain disruption and diversification, India has the greatest absorption capacity for sustainable long-term relocation of supply chains when the trend persists. It also has the geopolitical heft to justify its piece of the pie.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a state visit to Washington, where he was flattered with a red-carpet welcome, a state banquette and invited to address a joint session of the Congress, for yet another time, a rare honour accorded to those like Winston Churchill. PM Modi was showered with defence deals, including domestic production of General Electric’s jet engines. He signed a long list of joint initiatives on telecommunications, semi-conductors, artificial intelligence and space exploration. The critics had a field day, too, criticizing India’s human rights record, some of which are rather overblown. However, none of the self-righteous advocacy could mask the ensuing shift in the balance of power in the region and the wider world and India’s pivotal role as a hedge against China.

Continue reading ‘The pendulum of economic growth is gradually shifting from China to India. The Sri Lankan economy if Integrated with India’s, would be better equipped to benefit from India’s rise.’ »

By
Meera Srinivasan

Sri Lanka will shut down its banks and financial sector for five days beginning Thursday, ahead of an extraordinary weekend debate in Parliament on the government’s plan to restructure its domestic debt.

The move comes a year after Sri Lanka decided to suspend servicing its foreign debt, to combat a devastating economic meltdown — the country’s worst since Independence. The government subsequently entered an agreement with the International Monetary Fund and secured a nearly $3 billion-dollar package from it, while agreeing to restructure both its foreign and domestic debt that the Fund estimated at about $41 billion and $42 billon respectively, as of March 2023.

In May, the IMF pointed to “tentative signs of improvement” in Sri Lanka, while underscoring the need for timely restructuring agreements with the island’s creditors ahead of the Fund’s first review scheduled in September.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka to shut down its banks and financial sector for five days from June 29 ahead of an extraordinary weekend debate in Parliament on the government’s plan to restructure its domestic debt.’ »

By
Krishan Francis

Sri Lanka’s former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was accused in a report released Thursday of tampering with police records in order to hamper investigations into mass graves discovered in an area where he was a military officer at the height of a bloody Marxist insurrection in 1989.

The report by activist groups including the International Truth and Justice Project, Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka and Families of the Disappeared said even though hundreds of remains were unearthed in some 20 exhumations of mass graves in the past three decades, no action has been taken to identify the victims and return their remains to their families.

Tens of thousands of remains could still be buried in undiscovered mass graves, it said.

Continue reading ‘New report accuses Ex- President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of tampering with police records in order to hamper investigations into mass graves discovered in Matale where he was a military officer during Marxist insurrection in 1989’ »

By
D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga recently raised a pertinent question on Twitter about Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven.Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera and others of his ilk. She asked in her tweet why no action had ever been taken against Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera and others who had insulted other religions practised in the country. Kumaratunga said their words spreading hate against Muslim and Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka were far more vicious than those uttered by Stand- up Comedienne Nathasha Edirisuriya who was arrested recently for making comments deemed insulting to the Lord Buddha. “What about monk Gnanasara and a host of others who insulted Islam, burnt churches and places of Christian worship and mosques? They spread hate speech against Muslim and Tamil citizens more vicious than Nathasha’s words,” Stated Kumaratunga who is reputed for stating inconvenient truths openly.

It is an incontrovertible truth that the Buddhist monk Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) , rode to fame or notoriety, in a vehicle of venomous and vitriolic anti-Muslim propaganda. At times this hate speech fuelled anti-Muslim violence. Though the Bhikku and the BBS had been active for some years, it was in June 2014 that Gnanasara Thero became known world wide. The controversial monk captured headlines because of the anti-Muslim violence of June 2014 at Aluthgama and Beruwala in the Kalutara District.

The BBS was accused of fomenting violence against Muslims then. Gnanasara Thera allegedly played an active role in instigating violence though he was not involved directly in any violent act. The Aluthgama – Beruwala anti-Muslim violence was reported extensively in the global media then. Gnanasara Thera’s name figured prominently in those reports. He was even equated with Ashin Wirathu, Myanmar’s Buddhist monk known for his Muslim persecution.

I wrote in great detail about the anti-Muslim violence when it occurred nine years ago. The Irish statesman Edmund Burke reportedly said, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” Spanish philosopher George Santayana is credited with the aphorism, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated , “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” It is against this backdrop therefore that this column -with the aid of earlier writings – revisits briefly the tragic events of June 2014 pertaining to the BBS and the Aluthgama-Beruwala anti-Muslim violence.

The Poson “Accident”

A minor “accident” was the original spark that belatedly ignited the subsequent conflagration’; 12 June 2014 was a public holiday being Poson Poya day. A Buddhist monk, Ven. Ayagama Samitha Thero, was travelling in a three-wheeler to a temple through a largely Muslim inhabited area in Aluthgama. Some Muslim youths were engaged in conversation after parking their motorcycles by the roadside. Two motorcycles parked on the road by the Muslim youths had obstructed the Buddhist monk’s vehicle.

Continue reading ‘Gnanasara Thero , Bodu Bala Sena and the June 2014 Anti- Muslim Violence in Aluthgama -Beruwala.’ »

By

Krishantha Prasad Cooray

On Monday , the 26th of June 2023 , my father will turn 86. He’s not in the best of health and is in no condition to celebrate. My mother, brothers and perhaps some close relatives and friends will be there to wish him.

I will be a few hours late. By the time I reach home from the airport he is likely to be asleep. That kills me because my father would always be a few hours early for my birthday and those of my brothers.

Eric Cooray, my father, was always surrounded by lots of people as a young man, but all that changed when he married my mother. From that day onwards he was absolutely devoted to her and later to us as well.

I can’t remember my baby days, but I vividly remember my first days at St Thomas’ College, Mt Lavinia. I insisted that I sit close to a window. He was strictly instructed to locate himself so that I could see him. He didn’t need to be told. I was extremely attached to him and he loved all of us very much, as I realised much later, for it was a pattern — he never let us down. He put up with all our nonsensical demands and quite happily too. Nothing has impressed me more than the fact that he has always been a family man, first to his wife, then to his sons and now to his daughters-in-law and grandchildren.

A few weeks ago, when he was in hospital, there were times I fell asleep out of exhaustion. I always woke up feeling guilty because I remembered how he stayed up by our beds when we fell sick, checking on us throughout the night. Then I understood and appreciated all over again the fact that he has always been my hero. He has set the standards that I aspire to achieve and maintain.

Continue reading ‘My Father Eric Cooray has always been my hero. He has set the standards that I aspire to achieve and maintain.’ »

The Sri Lanka Core Group on Tuesday (June 20) called on the Government to protect freedoms of expression and association whilst several other recommendations.

Delivering its statement at the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UK Human Rights Ambassador Rita French said Sri Lanka’s initial steps towards addressing concerns around land returns, long-term detentions and corruption are welcome.

“These steps can provide a basis to begin a process to protect the rights of all Sri Lankans, from all ethnic and religious communities,” she said on behalf of the Core Group comprising Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the UK and the United States.

Continue reading ‘UK Global Ambassador for Human Rights,Rita French calls on Sri Lankan Govt to Protect Freedoms of Expression and Association while speaking on behalf of the UN Core group on Sri Lanka at the 53rd UNHRC session in Geneva’ »

President Ranil Wickremesinghe participated in the 40th anniversary event of the International Democrat Union (IDU) in London on the 19th and the 20th of June and joining the forum with former Canadian Prime Minister (Conservative Party) Chairman of the IDU, Mr Stephen Harper, he explained the circumstances that paved the way for his presidency and the country’s journey towards economic recovery. Following are excerpts from What President Wickremesinghe stated –

If I look back to May-June last year, Sri Lanka was on the verge of chaos. No one seemed willing to take charge or show leadership. I found myself in a peculiar position. In the 2019 Presidential Election, our party wanted to adopt a populist approach, so they chose our deputy leader as their candidate. Unfortunately, as I had anticipated, he suffered a significant defeat.

Then the COVID pandemic struck, and in August 2020, we went ahead with the election. Personally, I believed that we should stick with the IMF program. This program, which we had initiated in 2016, required Sri Lanka to commit to a primary surplus and reduce subsidies. We diligently worked towards these goals, and by 2018, we managed to achieve a primary surplus of USD 300 million. While it was a modest amount, it gave us a starting point to build upon.
However, the new government that came into power subsequently decided to cancel the IMF agreement. It was at that point that I advocated for revisiting the IMF and requesting them to reinstate the agreement. Furthermore, I suggested that we explore other options to raise USD 5 million.

Continue reading ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe Relates the Tale of how and why he became Prime Minister and President of Sri Lanka to Former Canadian PM Stephen Harper at the International Democratic Union (IDU) Forum in London.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Accountability remains the “fundamental gap” in Sri Lanka’s attempts to deal with the past, a senior U.N. official has said while warning that “as long as impunity prevails, Sri Lanka will achieve neither genuine reconciliation nor sustainable peace.”

Referring to the Sri Lankan government’s plans to set up a Truth Commission, to probe allegations of war crimes and grave human rights violations during the country’s civil war, U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif noted that Sri Lanka has “witnessed too many ad hoc commissions” in the past that failed to ensure accountability.

“What is needed is a coherent plan that connects the different elements of truth, redress, memorialisation, accountability and creates the right enabling environment for a successful and sustainable transitional justice process,” she said, in an oral update to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday.
While it is fundamentally the Sri Lankan authorities’ responsibility to directly acknowledge past violations and undertake credible investigations and prosecutions the international community can – and should – play complementary roles in the process until the “accountability deficit” remains, Ms. Al-Nashif said, amid known resistance within Sri Lanka’s Sinhala-majority to any international participation.

Continue reading ‘U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights states Accountability remains the fundamental gap”in Sri Lanka’s attempts to deal with the past; “as long as impunity prevails, Sri Lanka will achieve neither genuine reconciliation nor sustainable peace.” Says Nada Al-Nashif’ »

(Text of Editorial appearing in the “Daily FT’ 22 June 2023 under the heading “Take gun violence seriously”)

For a country like Sri Lanka where private ownership of guns is highly restricted, the number of shooting incidents, most resulting in fatalities, is a danger sign that can no longer be ignored.

In the first five months of this year, over 43 persons were gunned down, according to the Police and this number is certainly on the increase given almost daily reports of gun-related violence.

Police often explain away these incidents saying they are drug-related or contract killings given by those seeking to settle personal scores but whatever the circumstances, gun violence cannot be taken lightly.

For a country with two failed insurrections in the south and a prolonged separatist war in the North that ended in 2009, the proliferation of weapons is not a surprise. Both in the north and south, a large number of weapons belonging to the Police and armed forces were seized by the JVP as well as the LTTE while the number of military personnel deserting with their weapons has also been high. Added to that, smuggling of weapons into the country was all too common during the war years and since then, the drug trade has increased the demand for illegal weapons.

Continue reading ‘“Firearms and ammunition pose a high level of risk to public safety and security. In several instances, bystanders have become victims of gun violence, and these include women and children.”-Daily FT’ »

(Text of Jaffna District Parliamentarian M.A.Sumanthiran’s Speech in Parliament on 21st June 2023)

Thank you, honourable presidin)g member,

I’m glad to speak just after the acting Minister of Finance who recognized some good that may have come about as a result of the economic crisis, he did say it, it’s not a good thing to have the economic crisis, but there are some lessons that we are learning from that as well. I agree with him, but before I get on to the Anti – corruption bill I want to just deal with the civil procedure code amendment.

Honourable Minister for justice it’s a good amendment particularly running down cases, Motor accident cases, and so on, this will be of immense use. So I congratulate the minister for this amendment and the new bill on assistance to have and protection of victims of crimes and witnesses. This has a history, and I’m glad that this is also now being brought in some new features; particularly video evidence is being enabled. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is here, when he was president and he appointed the commission of inquiry and the Justice Udalagama, there was a video evidence that started to be recorded from Dr. Manoharan whose son was one of the five young persons who were killed by security forces in Trincomalee and halfway through his evidence that was stopped.

And it was not permitted from that time onwards, to enable video evidence through law was mooted, but it wasn’t possible under that regime, and it was only in 2015 when there was a change in government that for the first time witness victim protection act was enacted but that too had serious shortcomings. And I’m glad that some of those are being rectified here. The point that I want to make here is that accountability is an important issue

Continue reading ‘“A year ago, the constant chorus that we heard in this country was Kaputu Kaak ka. Why Kaputu Kaak Ka ? the big crow that steals. This govt is still controlled by that kaputu kaak ka. It is the same people who sit in the govt ranks, no change. “- MA Sumanthiran MP’ »

By
Meera Srinivasan

Imported Indian drugs are at the centre of a medical storm in Sri Lanka, following cases of medical complications and fatalities, reportedly after patients were administered medicines sourced from India.

On June 16, local media reported the death of a patient undergoing treatment at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital, in the Kandy district, after being given the Indian-manufactured anaesthetic Bupivacaine. The news sparked concern among locals, especially since the incident came less than two months after a pregnant woman was reported dead at the hospital, after being given an Indian anaesthetic drug. Following the April incident, the Health Ministry suspended the use of that drug.
Unregistered suppliers

Even prior to these incidents, Transparency International Sri Lanka had filed a fundamental rights petition in the Sri Lankan Supreme Court, challenging the decision of the Cabinet and health authorities to procure drugs from unregistered suppliers. The petition further questioned the national drug regulator’s role in providing a waiver of registration to allow for the swift import of essential drugs. Gujarat-based Savorite Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Limited and Chennai-based Kausikh Therapeutics were named as respondents. Early in April, the Supreme Court granted leave to proceed in the case and suspended imports from these companies.

Continue reading ‘Medical Storm Rages in Sri Lanka around Imported Indian drugs following cases of medical complications and fatalities, reported after patients were administered medicines sourced from India.’ »

By Vijitha Yapa

Can a person who does not know how to write be the copyright-holding author of a book on a subject of which he is an expert? The person concerned is Publis, a culinary expert who works at Mount Lavinia Hotel. His name is recognised as an expert on Sri Lankan food.

When he decided to put his recipes and the story of his life into a book he asked a friendly journalist, Dharma Samaranayake, to take down the details, edit it and give it to him so that it could be published as a book by Sarasavi Publishers. She was paid Rs 25,000 for her services by the publisher on the instructions of Publis and is acknowledged as the editor in the book , published in 2005. In the credits page it was stated clearl y that Publis was the copyright holder with the copyright symbol ©.

Three years later, in 2008, after the publication of six editions of the popular book, Dharma Samaranayake suddenly awoke like Rip Van Winkle and claimed royalty from Sarasavi Publishers saying that she was the actual copyright holder. When the publisher refused and said the royalty had been paid to Publis, the copyright holder, she sought legal help and a case was filed in the Commercial High Court. The publisher Sarasavi was named as the defendant.

The key royalty figure in the case was Publis who was not named and summoned as a witness by either the editor or the publisher. One reason why the publisher was reluctant to put Publis as a witness may have been because the author could not write. They may have felt that putting him in the witness box would give an opportunity for the petitioner to highlight his inability to write and tear him to pieces. Publis was a humble self-made man whose first assignment at Mount Lavinia Hotel was as a helper in the kitchen carrying coal to the hearth. He rose through his determination, to become a director of the Hotel and served even as a cook for the Governor General

Continue reading ‘Culinary Expert Publis Silva’s Book:Can a person who does not know how to write be the copyright-holding author of a book on a subject of which he is an expert?’ »

By

Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Already the snow falls…” Karl Kraus words in verses III

In his fifth labour, Heracles cleans the Augean Stables by rerouting the rivers Alpheus and Peneus through the filthy abode of King Augeas’ divine cattle. Many believed that the aragalaya would have a similarly cleansing effect on Sri Lankan society, washing away the filth of primordial extremisms with the waters of its idealism.

As the Kurundi storm demonstrates, ethno-religious racism didn’t die. The extremity of the crisis and the resultant antipathy towards the Rajapaksas drove it underground. To paraphrase Albert Camus, the plague bacillus lay dormant in the dark corners of religious places and political organisations, of imagined histories and collective memories until the time was right to rouse up its rats again.

That time might be now.

Less than one year after the aragalaya sent Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing, his saffron cohorts are back, ready to set the country on fire again for a slice of power and a chunk of land. They are all there, from Medagoda Abayatiss Thero (laughingly equating Tamils and Muslims of today with the Nigantayas of the Buddha’s lifetime who bribed a king and tried to take over a temple) to Akmeemana Dayarathana Thero of Sinhala Ravaya (hinting at separation and bloodshed).

The political monk began his comeback bid with the successful persecution of Nathasha Edirisooriya and Bruno Divakara. Had the Wickremesinghe government upheld the rule of law instead of succumbing to political expediency, the political monk might have retreated to await a more propitious time. But the administration played dead, allowing not only the distortion of the ICCPR into an anti-blasphemy law but also its selective – thereby discriminatory – application. So Nathasha Edirisooriya and Bruno Divakara are still in custody for defaming Buddhism while Dilith Jayaweera (who wondered whether “Siddhartha was a loser”), Balangoda Kassapa Thero (who tried to incite Sinhala-Buddhist anger towards Christians), and Akmeemana Dayarathana Thero (who threatened a religious conflict that would make it impossible for non-Buddhists to leave their houses) are free to ply their divisive politics.

The cowardice and the opportunism of the political class empowered the political monk. So began the march to Kurundi. If they win in Kurundi, they’ll become unstoppable, again. And this will be their country.

That is precisely the claim of Walawahangunawawe Dhammarathana Thero of Mihintale. This country is the property of the Sangha (sanghika) he says, since it was donated to the monkhood (Sasana) by ancient kings.

Other monks are trying to create a nexus between Northern/Eastern land issues and the restructuring/sale of state-owned enterprises. Their political agenda is thus in direct opposition to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s economic agenda. They have also linked the Kurundi issue with the full implementation of the 13th amendment, another Wickremesinghe promise.

Theirs is a project to turn Lanka into what it never was, a Sinhala-Buddhist theocratic land where monks have the final say on matters large and small, from devolution to which radio plays are permissible. (Playwright Malaka Devapriya was summoned to the Organised Crime Prevention Division in October 2019, subsequent to an ICCPR complaint by Ahungalle Jinananda Thero – the prime mover in the Shakthika Sathkumara case.)

Continue reading ‘“When archaeology is weaponised by monks, politicians and those professionals subservient to vested interests, it can become a seeding ground for brutal conflicts and long wars.”’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Jaffna district Parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Gangaser Ponnambalam (GG Ponnambalam) has lately been very much in the news. The 49 year old lawyer was arrested by the Police at his Colombo residence, produced before the Kilinochchi magistrate and released on Rs 500,000 surety bail. Earlier he had been involved in an altercation with Police officers at Maruthankerny in the Jaffna peninsula. The MP’s controversial arrest was allegedly due to charges filed by the Police following the incident.

Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam known generally as Gajen or Gajen Ponnambalam is the Secretary-General of the Ahila Ilankai Thamil Congress (AITC) and the President of the Tamil National Peoples Front(TNPF). Gajen Ponnambalam subsequently made a statement in Parliament concerning his arrest in which he raised a breach of parliamentary privileges issue. He has also lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission in Jaffna.

Currently underway are a Magisterial inquiry by the Kilinochchi court, a probe by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee and an investigation by the Human Rights Commission (HRC) into the arrest. The Jaffna MP is awaiting the outcome of these three probes before contemplating further legal action over his arrest.“Since the charges levelled against me are criminal in nature by the police who are also the main party in this case, I’m waiting for the final verdict from the Court,” MP Ponnambalam told the “Sunday Times”.

Gajen Ponnambalam’s arrest caused a furore in Parliament with several MPs including the Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa referring to it in the House. Ponnambalam himself engaged in a heated exchange of words with Public Security minister Tiran Alles who seemingly defended the action by the Police. Among those who criticized the manner in which Ponnambalam was treated by the Police was the firebrand Batticaloa MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam.

In doing so Rasamanickam referred to the murder of Gajendrakumar’s father Gaasinather Gangesar Ponnambalam known popularly as Kumar Ponnambalam and alleged that the Police was involved in that murder. Kumar Ponnambalam was shot dead in his vehicle at Wellawatte on 5 January 2000. Though 23 years have passed no one has been arrested or prosecuted.

Continue reading ‘The Controversial Killing of Tamil Congress Leader Kumar Ponnambalam in Colombo on 5 June 2000.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene

Speaking at the Homagama Divisional Secretariat this week, President Ranil Wickremesinghe effortlessly recasted the currently heated debates on Sri Lanka’s proposed Broadcasting Regulatory Commission Bill as a choice between ‘reasoned regulation’ and ‘giving the media the licence to commit arson.’ But in going to the aid of his embattled Media Minister in this manner, he does himself the greatest injury, no more and no less.

Deliberately devious speech by the President

What we have here is a fundamentally bad Bill that gives the Government the freedom to establish a so-called ‘Commission’ which is not a regulatory body per se but a political creature in every way size, shape or form. That simple fact cannot be just glossed over by the President asking as to ‘why everyone is worried about the Bill?’ He has claimed that this is a set of broadcasting standards relevant to the media and in regard to which complainants offended or harmed by malicious reporting may approach the regulator.

But that claim is simplistic at best. In fact, this brings a basic question into play. Has the President actually read the Bill? Or does he go by whatever silly fluff his media team proffers to him? Even if the full purpose of the Government was unambiguously to enact a Bill that would ‘tame’ the broadcast media, this draft is so utterly bad, so full of mistakes (legal and grammatical) and so clumsy as to defeat that very purpose.

Even the Government’s staunchest supporter may grumble as to why its clauses could not have been inserted with a tad more ‘balance’ or finesse so that the document could be taken more seriously. As it stands, the contents look like the mad scribblings of a particularly servile ministerial acolyte who is entirely unfamiliar with the English language and the law alike, (‘committee’ is spelt ‘commettee,’ the year of enactment of the Telecommunications Act is missing as are crucial interpretation sections).

Continue reading ‘Why is the Government so resistant to establishing an independent broadcast regulatory body in compliance with the 1997 guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court?’ »

By
D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) organization ceased to be a functional entity in Sri Lanka after being militarily defeated by the armed forces in May 2009. The LTTE known widely as the tigers was a powerful armed militant group which ruled over swathes of land in the Northern and Eastern provinces of the Island for several years.

At its heyday , the LTTE exercised autocratic control over Tamil public life in Sri Lanka and even amidst the global Tamil Diaspora. The tigers brooked no political dissent or criticism among Tamils. Those who did not toe the LTTE line or dared to defy tiger diktat were ruthlessly dealt with. Many Tamil politicians who “offended” the tigers at different times were assassinated. This resulted in most Tamil political leaders of yore becoming subservient to the LTTE in those days.

Nevertheless there were a few honourable exceptions to this norm too. These courageous politicians of principle not only challenged the LTTE openly but also managed to survive physically . Due to their refusal to kowtow before the tigers, they suffered politically and were reduced to being powerless politicians.. Their only consolation was the courage of their convictions and the satisfaction of retaining their self-respect by not bowing before tyrannical power.

One such democratic Tamil leader who refused to kowtow before the tigers is an octogenarian who will become a nonagenarian very soon. Tamil United Liberation Front(TULF) secretary -general and former Kilinochchi and Jaffna Parliamentarian Veerasingham Anandasangaree will turn 90 on 15 June 2023. A grand 90th Birthday celebration will be held at Kanakapuram in Kilinochchi on the same day.It is being organized by party stalwarts, supporers ,well-wishers and above all members of the Kilinochchi public.

It may be recalled that the present administrative district of Kilinochchi was until 1983 a part of the Jaffna administrative district. The people of Kilinochchi had to travel miles and miles to go to the Jaffna Kachcheri to get things done. Anandasangaree in his caoacity as Kilinochchi MP played a very constructive role in demarcating Kilinochchi as a separate administrative district. The Kilinochchi people remain grateful to him for that.

The TULF formed on 14 May 1976 swept the polls in the Northern and Eastern provinces at the July 1977 Parliamentary elections by winning 18 out of 19 Tamil majority seats. Of these 18 MPs only 3 are among the living now. The first is former Batticaloa MP Chelliah Rajadurai who is retired from Politics now. The second is the present Trincomalee district MP Rajavarothayam sampanthan. The third is Anandasangaree elected from Kilinochchi then. The first two are nonagenarians while the third will join their ranks next Thursday.

This column focuses on Veerasingham Anandasangaree this week to denote the 90th birth anniversary of the TULF leader. I have written extensively about Anandasangaree known as Sangaree in the past. This article will draw from such writings.

Continue reading ‘Sangaree : The Tamil Leader Who Refused to Kowtow Before Tiger Tyranny.’ »

By
Himal Kotelawala

The historicity of Tamil Buddhism in Sri Lanka has not been a subject that has captured the public imagination to the extent that it perhaps deserves, at least in the south, though President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent remarks on the matter may have sparked fresh interest.

According to Prof G P V Somaratne, former Head of the Department of History and Political Science at the University of Colombo, the ancient history of Buddhism among Tamils in Sri Lanka has been entangled with prejudices associated with the more recent ethnic dispute between the Sinhalese and Tamils.

In a paper he published titled ‘Tamil Buddhism in Sri Lanka’, Somaratne notes that a number of Buddhist archaeological sites in Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern provinces have given rise to controversial claims and have been subject to a politicised interpretation with the escalation of the conflict.

“Both groups argue with an agenda to promote the claims of their side, overstepping the boundaries of academic impartiality,” the academic writes.

According to Somaratne, archaeologists including a prominent Buddhist monk who famously dabbles in archaeology have attempted to ascribe a Sinhala Buddhist origin to certain archaeological discoveries made in the Tamil-dominated provinces, while other scholars have interpreted a wholly Tamil heritage or Tamil ownership of Buddhist ruins found in the two provinces.

Continue reading ‘The ancient history of Buddhism among Tamils in Sri Lanka has been entangled with prejudices associated with the more recent ethnic dispute between the Sinhalese and Tamils.’ »

BY Buddhika Samaraweera

The Police will not initiate any action against then-State Minister of Prisons Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and incumbent State Minister of Plantation Industries Lohan Ratwatte until the directions of the Cabinet of Ministers are received, although such has been recommended by the one-member committee that investigated the incidents involving the State Minister who had allegedly forcibly entered the Welikada and Anuradhapura Prisons and intimidated several inmates in 2021, The Daily Morning learns.

Under the directions of the Cabinet, then-Minister of Justice and incumbent Minister of Foreign Affairs, President’s Counsel (PC) M.U.M. Ali Sabry appointed a committee with the sole membership of former High Court Judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena to investigate the said incident.

The Committee has, in its final report, recommended that the Police file a B-report under several charges including those of attempted murder, to the Anuradhapura Magistrate against Ratwatte if they (the Police) have not done so already.

Continue reading ‘Police Cant Initiate Action Against State Minister Lohan Ratwatte on the Basis of High Court Judge Weerawardena’s Report Until it Receives Instructions From Cabinet through Public Security Ministry Says Poice Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa’ »

By
Ruwani Fonseka

Due to the economic crisis in the country and the inability to repay debts, it is highly unlikely an election could be held this year, says cabinet spokesperson MP Bandula Gunawardena.

He made this statement during the cabinet meeting held today (13).

“We are unable to repay our debts. Without managing this situation the country cannot move at least a step forward. Due to this, it is highly unlikely that elections can be held,” he said

Meanwhile, President Ranil Wickremesinghe tabled a proposal to draft a new Bill, titled Elections (Special Provisions) Act, containing amendments made to several elections Acts and Ordinances.

Thereby, the new legislation will comprise the amendments to the Parliamentary Elections Act No. 01 of 1981, the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, the Presidential Elections (Special Provisions) Act and the Provincial Councils Elections Act.

Continue reading ‘President Wickremesinghe wants to draft new Bill titled Elections (Special Provisions) Act that would amend the Parliamentary Elections Act, the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, the Presidential Elections (Special Provisions) Act and the Provincial Councils Elections Act.’ »

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

Days after being severely criticised by the President during a meeting, Director General of the Department of Archaeology, Professor Anura Manatunga, tendered his resignation to the Secretary of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, during the said meeting on 8 June, asked Prof. Manatunga, when an issue pertaining to the allocation of lands to an archaeological site came up, “Are you trying to teach me history? Or do you want me to teach you?”

Several Tamil politicians from the North and the East, including MPs M.A. Sumanthiran, S. Sritharan, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam and ITAK General Secretary Mavai Senathirajah met Wickremesinghe to discuss various issues related to the Tamil people. During the meeting a team from the Department of Archaeology, headed by Prof. Manatunga, also spoke about the acquisition of lands that they claimed were heritage properties in Thannimurippu and Thiriyaya in the Eastern Province

Continue reading ‘Director General of Archaeology Dept , Prof Anura Manatunga tenders resignation after being Reprimanded by President Ranil Wickremesinghe for not following Cabinet policy by refraining from seizing lands belonging to the public.’ »

BY Buddhika Samaraweera

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) will not initiate any form of disciplinary action against State Minister of Plantation Industries and former State Minister of Prison Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte over the incident of the latter having forcibly entered the Welikada and Anuradhapura Prisons and intimidated several inmates in 2021 until the charges against him are proven through the relevant court proceedings, The Daily Morning learns.

A committee with the sole membership of former High Court Judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena that investigated the incident, in its final report, has recommended that charges including those of attempted murder be filed against Ratwatte as per the provisions of several legal provisions, including the Penal Code.

The Daily Morning queried SLPP General Secretary and Government MP Attorney Sagara Kariyawasam as to whether the SLPP would initiate any form of disciplinary action against Ratwatte over the said incident, based on the said committee’s recommendations.

Continue reading ‘Sagara Kariyawasam says SLPP Will not Take Disciplinary Action Against State Minister Lohan Ratwatte now; “SLPP is not in a position to initiate such action as several practical issues may arise if they were to do so.” Says Party Gen Secy’ »

Buddhika Samaraweera

The one-member committee that investigated the incident of then State Minister of Prison Management and Prisoners Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte having forcibly entered the Welikada and Anuradhapura Prisons and allegedly intimidated several inmates in 2021, has recommended that charges including those of attempted murder be filed against Ratwatte, The Daily Morning learns.

The recommendations for charges have been made in accordance with several legal provisions including the Penal Code, it is learnt.

The report has also recommended stern action against prison staff who allowed the Minister to enter both prisons while armed, and has called for CCTV camera systems to be installed in prisons to monitor entries and exits.

On 23 September 2021, a committee comprising former High Court Judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena was appointed to investigate the said incident and submit appropriate recommendations and observations within 60 days.

The report prepared by the committee, which was seen by The Daily Morning, mentions several crimes committed by Ratwatte, for which there is credible evidence.

Continue reading ‘Former High Court Judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena who Conducted Probe into Incident in Anuradhapura Jail where Lohan Ratwatte Threatened Tamil Prisoners at Gun Point Recommends Charges Including Attempted Murder to be Filed Against State Minister’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

(This article is a modified version of an Obituary published in the Indian Newsmagazine “Frontline” in June 2002)

Former Parliamentarian, Deputy Speaker and President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), Murugesu Sivasithamparam passed away in a Colombo hospital 21 years ago on 5 June 2002. Sivasithamparam hailing from Karaveddy in the Vadamaraatchy division of Jaffna peninsula. , was known affectionately as “our Siva” or “Em Siva” in Tamil on account of his initial “M”(em). Born in 1923, Sivasithamparam’s birth centenary will be commemorated on July 20 this year.

Sivasithamparam was a well-built six footer with a stentorian voice. He did not need a microphone to amplify his voice. This earned him the sobriquet “Simmakkuralon (Lion-voiced) Sivasithamparam” . Siva who represented the Udupiddy electorate in Parliament for many years was also dubbed the “Uduppiddy Singham “or Uduppiddy Lion”.

The larger than life M. Siva was for more than four decades an accredited leader of the Tamil people in the island. The brilliant lawyer was a powerful orator and ebullient debater who cut a flamboyant figure at the height of his career.

He was the scion of a maniagar or hereditary chieftain in charge of a revenue division during the British colonial days, but Sivasithamparam was enamoured of Marxism and was a Communist party member during his undergraduate days. He dropped out of University and later joined Law College. He also abandoned communism and took up the cause of Tamil nationalism by joining the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, the oldest Tamil political party in the country. He went on to become its general-secretary and president.

In 1956, Sivasithamparam contested from the Point Pedro electorate in the Jaffna peninsula as an independent candidate and lost. He was returned to Parliament for the first time in March 1960 when he won the Udupiddy seat on the Tamil Congress ticket and repeated his performance in July 1960 too. He was then the sole representative of the party in a Parliament of 157 MPs as almost all Tamil constituencies had been won by the Federal Party.

Continue reading ‘“Uduppiddy Singham” (Uduppiddy Lion) “Em” Sivasithamparam was a Champion of Tamils’ Rights.’ »

By S. Rubatheesan

After raising a breach of Parliamentary privilege in the House this week, Jaffna district Parliamentarian Gejendrakumar Ponnamablam is awaiting three separate bodies to conclude their probes into an incident involving two police officers in civvies, before he considers further legal action against his arrest which he claims is “illegal and arbitrary”.

A Magisterial inquiry, a probe by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee and an investigation by the Human Rights Commission (HRC) are currently underway over the incident last week.
“Since the charges levelled against me are criminal in nature by the police who are also the main party in this case, I’m waiting for the final verdict from the Court,” MP Ponnambalam told the Sunday Times.
When Mr Ponnambalam was produced on Wednesday in the Kilinochchi Magistrate Court the court called for a report from the Senior Superintendent Of Police (SSP) on the conduct of the police after observing contradictions in the B report and the video evidence submitted by the police.

Continue reading ‘A Magisterial inquiry, a probe by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee and an investigation by the Human Rights Commission ) are currently underway into Incidents Concerning Jaffna MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and Police Officials’ »

By
Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene

When a collective of Sri Lanka’s Cabinet Ministers and their servile acolytes in the legal profession or administrative service sat down in sub-committee to prepare the draft Broadcasting Regulatory Commission Bill, was it their intention to deliberately infringe the 1997 Supreme Court ruling on constitutional imperatives in every conceivable shape and form?

A hideously problematic Bill

This question must be asked in deadly seriousness. For I am puzzled otherwise than to attribute a clear and specific intention to violate the well-known precedent (Athukorala and others v the Attorney General, 5th May, 1997) when vainly trying to comprehend as to how such a truly horrendous document could have originated from the bowels of the Government. Or should we discard even the semblance of logic and reason in trying to understand how this administration works? Perhaps that may be best conducive to preserving one’s own sanity, perchance.

Regardless, these proposals have been proudly flourished before the befuddled Sri Lankan public by the Minister of Justice who has explained that this is ‘just a draft.’ That is no reassurance. Was the Minister himself so blissfully unaware of the 1997 legal precedent?

Did he not cursorily run his eyes through the Bill which would easily disclose the flouting of the Court’s specific guidelines within a matter of minutes?

More to the point, is this how President Ranil Wickremesinghe hopes to fashion a brave Sri Lanka, putting to nought his previous commitment to well crafted media law reform?

Continue reading ‘A tsunami of bad laws coming the nation’s way! Sri Lankans need to prepare ourselves for political attempts to turn legal and regulatory systems upside down, wreaking havoc on an already terribly weakened governance environment.’ »

(Text of Editorial Appearing in the “Daily FT”of June 8th 2023 under the heading Archaeology Department must act impartially in N & E)

The past few months have seen several protests held in the North and East over the acquisition of land to construct new Buddhist shrines. It has been alleged that Buddhist monks aided by army personnel have been engaged in these questionable activities with the tacit approval of the Archaeology Department which have led to tensions among the local population and the military.

At a recent meeting with Archaeology Department officials, President Ranil Wickremesinghe weighed in on the issue and chided Department officials for taking money from Buddhist monks to carry out their work and reminded them that they do not work for a private firm but a Government institution that has to act according to the law.

The Archaeology Department on its part says that they are giving priority to the work in the North and East as the area was neglected for 30 years but this over-enthusiasm to concentrate their efforts in one part of the country is leading to unnecessary friction between communities.

Continue reading ‘The New Trend of Buddhist monks bulldozing their way into lands in the North and East claiming they were historically places of Buddhist worship is unacceptable.’ »

By
D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Today June 3rd is the 99th birth anniversary of Muthuvel Karunanidhi, the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, the closes Indian state to Sri Lanka both geographically and historically.Karunanidhi who passed away on 7 August 2018 was the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) for nearly 50 years.His son M.K. Stalin is the present Tamil Nadu Chief minister.

Official Birth centenary celebrations of the versatile Karunanidhi commencing from today June 3 will culminate next year with the construction of a gigantic pen shaped mid-sea monument off the Marina beach in the state capital Chennai.

The birth centenary monument being designed in the shape of a pen is to denote and honour the multi-faceted writing skills of Karunanidhi.

The multi -talented Karunanidhi was widely known as “Kalaignar” or artiste. He was referred to respectfully as Kalaignar more than as Karunanidhi in later years. In his eventful life “Kalaignar” was a journalist, editor, dramatist, stage actor, film script writer, short story writer, novelist, literary commentator, poet, lyricist, film producer and TV channel proprietor.

This column focuses this week – with the aid of earlier writings – on “Kalaignar” Karunanidhi’s immense contribution to Tamil movies in a cinematic career spanning more than six decades of his life. It has been the practice for this column to devote the first Saturday of each month for an article on films, film personalities or film related matters.

It was Karunanidhi’s entry into filmdom which brought him much recognition and more remuneration in early life despite his lack of tertiary education. His rise in cinema helped him greatly to carve out a name for himself as a politician too. Although Karunanidhi was very correctly recognised and respected as a political leader, there is no denying that it was his association with films that gave him the necessary popularity with the masses of Tamil Nadu.

Continue reading ‘“Kalaignar” (Artiste) Karunanidhi; From Tamil Film Script Writer to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara

“He who controls his hand, controls his foot, controls his speech and is well-controlled in all respects, delights in meditation, is composed, solitary, and content – him they call a bhikku.”
The Buddha (Bhikku Vagga, Dhammapada)

In 2005, the Newsweek magazine reported that officials at Guantanamo flushed a Koran down a toilet to hurt the feelings of Muslim detainees. In several Muslim-majority lands, protests erupted. 15 people lost their lives.

An Australian journalist called religious leaders of that country, including Ajahn Brahmawanso, asking a test question. What would you do if your holy book was flushed down the toilet? Answered Ajahn Brahm, “If someone took a Buddhist holy book and flushed it down my toilet, the first thing I would do is call a plumber.”

Once the journalist stopped laughing, the monk explained his answer. “The book is not the religion. Nor is the statue, the building, or the priest. These are only ‘containers’. What does the book teach us? What does the statue represent? What qualities are the priests supposed to embody? These are the ‘contents’. We can print more books, build more temples…but when we lose our love and respect for others and ourselves and replace it with violence, then the whole religion has gone down the toilet.”
(https://wisdomexperience.org/ebook/dont-worry-be-grumpy/1-the-container-and-the-contents/)

If even the rumour (true or false) of a Buddhist text being so treated reaches the waiting ears of Lankan political monks, would their response be any less violent, any less irrational than the reaction in Afghanistan or Pakistan over the Koran issue? Probably not, going by their incendiary reaction to Natasha Edirisooriya’s joke. Trying to unleash another round of religious bloodletting over a few inapt words is not just un-Buddhist; it is the very antithesis of what the Buddha taught.

Having exhausted the potential of the Tamil and the Muslim enemy (for now), political monks are pivoting to the Christian enemy, again. “A Christian fundamentalist program even more dangerous (than Islamic fundamentalism) is happening in this country,” preaches political monk

Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Gnanasara of Bodu Bala Sena. “In a land where more than 70% are Sinhala Buddhists, those who attack the Buddhist culture should be scared. Keep that fear… Born Again clique has been planning this for a long time… Because the Rajapaksas have become weak, we cannot watch while Sinhala-Buddhist ideology is being attacked.” That was political monk Balangoda Kassapa, a newcomer to the scene who turned himself from a nobody into a somebody by playing a visible role in the Aragalaya (the Government helped him inadvertently by arresting him for illegally entering the PM’s office).

Continue reading ‘Trying to unleash another round of religious bloodletting over a few inapt words is not just un-Buddhist; it is the very antithesis of what the Buddha taught.’ »

(Text of statement issued by “Justice for All” on 7th June 2023 about the current political and economic state of our Country)

We are alarmed by the undemocratic measures pursued by President Ranil Wickremasinghe and his government that continue to undermine the rule of law, fundamental rights and democracy in Sri Lanka.

Of particular concern is the alarming trend of enacting and threatening to enact laws and regulations that in effect restrict fundamental rights and freedoms and legitimise the democratic backsliding and shrinking civic space.

These laws and regulations, mooted under the pretexts of economic recovery, stabilizing the country and ensuring national security, have the potential to further suppress debate and dissent with deep consequences for our fragile democracy.

We recognize and condemn this autocratic law reform agenda by an unelected president. ‘Rule by law’ is not Rule of Law, and must be called out for what it is, authoritarianism.

The Sri Lankan people are hard hit by a crisis that has been aggravated by bad governance.

Continue reading ‘“Justice for All” alarmed by the undemocratic measures pursued by President Wickremasinghe and his Govt that continue to undermine the rule of law, fundamental rights and democracy in Sri Lanka.’ »

Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) leader and MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam who was arrested over an incident in Jaffna between him and the police, was gran

ted bail by the Kilinochchi Magistrate’s Court.
He was granted bail with a surety of Rs. 500,000.

Continue reading ‘Jaffna District MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam who was Arrested in Colombo by Maruthankerni and Jeyapuram Police Is Released After being Granted Rs 500,000 Surety Bail by Kilinochchi Magistrates Court’ »

Ruwani Fonseka

MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, who is accused of obstructing the duties of police officers, was arrested this morning (June 07).

The parliamentarian was taken into custody by a team of officers attached to Maruthankerny Police at his residence in Colombo.

The Jaffna District MP, who represents the Ahila Ilankai Thamil Congress (AITC) or the All-Ceylon Tamil Congress in the parliament, is complicit in obstructing the duties of police officers and verbally abusing them during a recent event in Vadamarachchi.

A recent video which went viral on several social media platforms showed a heated exchange of words between the MP and several officers, believed to be attached to the Jaffna Police, while Ponnambalam was engaging with area residents.

The tense situation had ensued when the police officers asked MP Ponnambalam to call off his public meeting at the Thalaiyadi playground, in consideration of the students sitting for the Ordinary Level examination at the nearby Thalaiyadi Roman Catholic Mixed School.

Continue reading ‘Tamil Congress Jaffna District MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam Arrested On June 7th Morning at his Colombo Residence;Will be taken to Maruthankerni Police Station In Jaffna Peninsula for a Statement to be Recorded Regarding Earlier Incident of Friction With Police’ »

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga yesterday took to Twitter to question why no action was ever taken against Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera and others who insulted other religions practised in the country.

Kumaratunga said their words spreading hate against Muslim and Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka were far more vicious than those uttered by Standup Comedian Nathasha Edirisuriya who was arrested recently for making comments deemed insulting to the Lord Buddha.

“What about monk Gnanasara and a host of others who insulted Islam, burnt churches and places of Christian worship and mosques? They spread hate speech against Muslim and Tamil citizens more vicious than Nathasha’s words,” she said.

Continue reading ‘Chandrika Kumaratunga asks why no action has been taken so far against Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero for Insulting other Religions; his words were more vicious than Comedian Natasha Edirisooriya says Former President’ »

By
D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party(FP) is in the grip of two problems. The premier political party of the Northern and Eastern Sri Lankan Tamils is presently facing an inter-party crisis as well as an intra-party crisis. The inter-party crisis relates to the recent split in the Tamil National alliance (TNA) of which the ITAK was the chief constituent. The intra-party crisis is over leadership stakes in the party. This article will primarily focus on the break up of the TNA and its implications for the ITAK.

The ITAK/FP was formed on December 18th 1949.The 75th birth anniversary will be celebrated next year. The ITAK was the leading political party of the Sri Lankan Tamils before the advent of the Tamil armed struggle. Though the ITAK has diminished in size and influence over the years, it is still “Primus Inter Pares”(First among equals) in comparison with other Sri Lankan Tamil nationalist parties.

It is indeed noteworthy that the ITAK/FP is the only Sri Lankan Tamil political party that has parliamentary representatives from all five electoral districts in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Currently the party has six seats in Parliament including one on the national list. Of these two were elected from the Jaffna electoral distruct and one each fron the Wanni, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts. The national list MP is from the Digamadulla /Amparai electoral district. It could be seen therefore that the ITAK represents Tamils from all electoral districts of the North-East in Parliament.

The ITAK has had from its inception in 1949 a colurful history with many ups and downs. In the new millennium the party became the dominant entity in the premier Sri Lankan Tamil political configuration known as the Tamil National Alliance(TNA). The TNA contested Parliamentary, Provincial and local authority elections under the ITAK symbol of House from 2004 onwards. The split in the TNA early this year has resulted in two of the three constituent parties of the TNA ganging up against the chief constituent ITAK.

Continue reading ‘Tamil National Alliance Breaks up with TELO and PLOTE Challenging ITAK.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene

The unsightly and itchy rash of ‘bad laws’ being proposed by the Sri Lankan Government seems to be never-ending.

The Government’s unconvincing explanations

Hot on the heels of the appallingly crafted Anti-Terrorism Bill and the Anti-Corruption Bill comes a proposal to establish a Broadcasting Regulatory Commission replete with major contradictions. A fundamental flaw goes to the root of the independence of the proposed Commission which I shall return to later.

The Minister of Justice has been quick to frame this merely as a ‘proposal’ by a cabinet sub-committee and not a ‘Bill’ as such.

However Sri Lankans are familiar with the manner in which proposals’ suddenly emerge in the form of ‘Bills’ overnight. These Bills are rushed to be placed on the Gazette and thence, through a compliant Parliament.

The 2018 Counter-Terrorism Bill proposed by the ‘yahapalanaya’ Government was one such example. Its adoption into law was prevented only by the draft being ‘leaked’ to the media leading to a defensive roll-back by its originators.

This time around, an unconvincing explanation has been advanced that broadcasting licences have not hitherto been issued with ‘due process.’ Thus, the Government is merely seeking to ‘regulate’ that process and not to ‘control’ the broadcasting media. But that justification is wholly ridiculous, to be blunt, when a specific legal regime already exists. If that regime had to be more tightly governed to bring runaway broadcasters to heel, specific amendments could be made to relevant laws.

Continue reading ‘Is the proposal to establish a Broadcasting Regulatory Commission yet another ploy for the Govt to control the ‘public mind’ in the economically hard times ahead?’ »

Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles yesterday ( June 3) called for a report into the incident where Tamil National People’s Front Parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam’s life had allegedly been threatened by a Police officer at gunpoint.

When contacted, Minister Alles downplayed the allegations that MP Ponnambalam had been assaulted and stated that a report into the incident had been requested.

Alles also pointed out that the Police had not received any complaints regarding such an incident.

“I am not certain that there was an assault; there is a video of the incident,” Alles added.

Meanwhile, Ponnambalam told The Sunday Morning that he had reported the incident to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka’s branch in Jaffna.

“An individual claiming to be a Police officer assaulted me while I was involved in a meeting with a sports club in Jaffna. Then another Police officer in Police sportswear loaded and aimed his pistol at me. I have already lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka,” Ponnambalam told The Sunday Morning.

Continue reading ‘Jaffna District MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam Alleges Police Official in Sports Attire loaded and aimed his pistol at him; TNPF leader says he has registered complaint with the Human Rights Commission in Jaffna;Claims he did not go to Police Station to Complain because his life was at risk there.’ »

(Text of Special statement by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on June 1st 2023 explaining to the nation, the national transformation road map to re- build the country)

Since the day I took charge of our nation’s economy, I wanted to ensure that Sri Lanka’s actual economic situation was made clear and transparent. Over the recent months, I have provided regular updates on Sri Lanka’s economic state, outlined strategies to overcome our challenges, and emphasized the role each of us must play for the betterment of our nation.

We have endured numerous hardships due to a struggling economy, but we are slowly making progress towards achieving stability. Our weakened and crippled economy from the crisis is gradually regaining its footing.

This achievement is a result of the correct policies and practices my government has implemented. It is also a testament to our collective effort as a nation in rising above the many challenges and hardships that came our way.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all Sri Lankans for persevering through these hardships for the sake of our motherland. If we continue on this path for just a little longer, I am confident we will be able to establish a stable economy free from the difficulties we endured together as a nation.

Sri Lanka is now ready to embark upon a journey of collective growth and prosperity.

In what manner should we proceed on this journey? Which practices should we adopt to ensure our progress?

Today, it is my honour to share with you a roadmap detailing the steps we intend to pursue to forge a brighter and prosperous future for all Sri Lankans.

Throughout my tenure as President, I have consistently emphasized the need for comprehensive economic and social reforms in Sri Lanka. In the 2023 Budget, I highlighted several reforms that aim to restructure and modernize the nation. It is crucial that we remain committed to these reforms to build a better future for Sri Lanka.

I want to remind you that some decisions we make may not always be popular. However, it is only by pursuing policies that are right and difficult can we uplift our country once again. I can assure you that if we remain committed to reform, we can create a nation where future generations can live freely and happily.

Unfortunately, some groups involved in traditional politics are actively working to hinder our economic revival. They are spreading false information about our reform agenda and intentionally misleading the public with claims that we are selling off the country.

Throughout history, these groups have continuously resorted to fear-mongering tactics, falsely asserting that our actions are driven by a desire to sell out our nation. They have deceived many Sri Lankans in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and even the 1980s, instilling an irrational fear of the country being sold away. From then until now, these groups have disrupted real progress for economic reform by perpetuating this slogan of “selling the country”.

I am confident that you will no longer be deceived by such slogans. It is imperative for all of us to work diligently and to totally devote ourselves to the upliftment of our country. Our objective is to transform into a fully developed nation on the global stage by 2048. If we fail to align our economy with the modern world and the latest trends in technology, we will regress. The consequence of failure is the country becoming an economic colony. Let us forge ahead and shape our economy in a way that enables us to compete on the global stage. Let us carry out the necessary economic reforms for the greater good of our nation.

Continue reading ‘“We will not allow anyone to drag our motherland back to where we were a year ago. Today,some individuals seem to have forgotten the hardships endured by Sri Lankans during that time.”- President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Special Statement to the Nation’ »

(Text of Statement on Recent Arrests under the ICCPR Act & Shrinking Space for Dissent issued by the Centre for Policy Alternatives)

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is deeply concerned with the recent arrest of comedian Natasha Edirisooriya reportedly under the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act (ICCPR Act), the latest move to stifle freedom of speech in the guise of protecting religious harmony.

CPA notes that this is not the only arrest under the ICCPR Act in recent times where persons have reportedly been arrested for content that pose a threat to religious and national harmony, and national security.

Continue reading ‘Centre for Policy Alternatives Expresses Deep Concern over recent Arrest of Comedian Natasha Edirisooriya under ICCPR act; “the latest move to stifle freedom of speech in the guise of protecting religious harmony’says CPA’ »

By
Ravinatha Aryasinha

( Text of tribute paid by former Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha at the funeral service for Late Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala, at Trinity College Chapel, Kandy, on 29 May 2023)

I am humbled to have been asked by the family of the late Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala to speak a few words on this solemn occasion, as we prepare to lay him to rest.

I wish to express the condolences of my colleagues in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, as well as my own, whose professional lives Ambassador Dhanapala has enriched both directly and indirectly over his long years of public service.

He was undoubtedly Sri Lanka’s most accomplished diplomat, but his life also impacted many other spheres – both domestic and international, where he was respected for his vision, steadfastness, and the high degree of integrity he brought to any task undertaken.

As he fittingly makes his last journey from Trinity College, where his global vision was nurtured and celebrated, I want to focus on Jayantha Dhanapala – the Diplomat, the Advocate of causes, and the Mentor.

Continue reading ‘Jayantha Dhanapala – the Diplomat, the Advocate of causes, and the Mentor.’ »

(Text of Editorial appearing in the “Daily FT” of June 1st 2023 under the heading “Not too late to bring to book those responsible for Jaffna library burning”)

Among the many tragic stories that Sri Lankans are familiar with, the burning of the Jaffna Public Library, 42 years ago, stands out as one of the most heinous of crimes. 1 June 1981, the day the library was set on fire, is not one any rationally thinking Sri Lankan can remember without remorse and anger. The fire burnt to the ground over 95,000 volumes, invaluable manuscripts, rare first edition books, microfilms, etc.

The fire was no accident but a deliberate act by a group of policemen, angry at the killing of two of their colleagues by members of a militant group the previous night and emboldened by the presence of several powerful UNP politicians who were in Jaffna in the run up to the District Development Council (DDC) elections in the district scheduled for 4 June.

The burning took place amidst heightened tensions in Jaffna with the UNP determined to win the DDC polls by hook or by crook, which resulted in the monumental tragedy which till today pulls at the heart strings of Sri Lankan Tamils and all right-thinking people in the country. The UNP’s leading candidate for the election S. Thiagarajah had been shot dead by a gunman on 24 May which prompted the Government to bring in additional police personnel numbering around 1,000 into the Peninsula and a Commission of Inquiry appointed by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga in 2002 concluded that “there is material evidence to conclude some of these police officers were responsible for the destruction of the Jaffna Public Library.”

Continue reading ‘The Burning of the Jaffna Public Library on June 1st 1981 was a Heinous act Committed Deliberately by a Group of Policemen’ »

Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader Mano Ganesan, taking to Twitter yesterday called for the laws relating to hate speech to be applied equally to Buddhist clergy as it is applied to civilians and those of other religious faiths.

Directing his tweet at President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and the National People’s Party (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Ganesan expressed his concerns about the selective application of the law. The MP demanded that Buddhist clergy and certain activists must be stopped from enjoying impunity for their actions.

Continue reading ‘Mano Ganesan Questions Impunity Given to Buddhist Clergy and Activists who Engage in Hate Speech against Other Faiths;“If Pastor Jerome and Nathasha Edirisuriya are breaking the law with their speech then the same law should be applied to monks who have sprouted hate speech against fellow religions. The law can’t be one-sided anymore!” Tweets TPA leader’ »

(Text of Editorial appearing in the “Daily FT”of May 30th 2023 under the heading “No right to laugh”)

In yet another brazen violation of a citizen’s right to free speech a stand-up comedian was arrested by the police for a joke she made on stage. Nathasha Edirisooriya was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the Bandaranaike International Airport just before she was to fly out of the country.

The police claims that it received a complaint that Edirisooriya had allegedly insulted Buddhism during a stand-up comedy show recently held at a leading school in Colombo. The arrest of the comedian comes within days of the police announcing that they will arrest a controversial Christian pastor for his alleged comments against Buddhism.

These recent developments, especially targeting minority ethnic and religious communities follow what is now a common script. The application of hate speech laws has been selective in Sri Lanka showing a clear pattern of the law being used to intimidate minority communities while the majority Sinhala Buddhists, their clergy and political leaders incite violence and spread hate speech with impunity.

Tragically and quite ironically, the legislation of choice for these actions is the ICCPR Act of 2007 meant to uphold civil and political rights of the citizens including the freedom of expression, association, conscience and the freedom of religion and belief.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka is clearly spiralling towards further ethnic and religious divisions further exacerbated by an economic crisis. Sadly Sri Lanka has not learnt a single lesson from its bloody history’ »

By
Ranga Jayasuriya

I have written on these pages that when the fuel queues disappear and a semblance of old times dawns, Sri Lankans themselves will return to their old habits. The usual charlatans would crawl back from their hiding spots, promising to protect the country and Buddha Sasana from an imaginary enemy.

Conspiracy theorists would start afresh. In their default mode, the majority of Sri Lankans tend to be mesmerized by conspiracy theories, racist dog-whistling and miracles of the sort of the cobra that slithered from the depth of the Kelani River carrying ‘Dathu’, one of the precursors to Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidency.

It seems I am right on the money. Two weeks back, the country momentarily forgot the collective misery of the economic crisis to lambast an evangelical priest who had allegedly slighted Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. ‘Self-proclaimed prophet’ Jerome Fernando of the affluent “Miracle dome” church faces arrest over his remarks made in a religious sermon and has filed a Fundamental Rights petition pleading a court injunction against his arrest.

Jerome Fernando is, at best, a money-spinning conman, the type of evangelical clergy pervasive in Africa who offer salvation from miserable everyday existence for a fee. (One of those types in Kenya persuaded his followers to starve to death to go to heaven before the coming apocalypse. Many complied, and the Kenyan authorities are now digging up mass graves in a jungle religious sanctuary).

Continue reading ‘Stand-up comedian Natasha Edirisooriya has been arrested and remanded for her comic performance. The role of stand-up comedy is to amuse and to offend testing the limits even to mild discomfort bordering irrelevance.’ »

By the “ Sunday Times” Political Editor

Honoured as Very Important Persons (VIPs), most users of the hallowed gateway to the world, the VIP Lounge at Bandaranaike International Airport, are Members of Sri Lanka’s Parliament.

Officials dare not ask questions when they arrive or depart. An added perk for these VIPs is the free refreshments they receive at State expense. This is whilst they relax in the well-cushioned sofas for their baggage to be rolled in or out. That is again for cursory approval by Customs.

At least for once, that changed last Tuesday morning. Flydubai, an Emirati government-owned low-cost airline, was to touch down at the Bandaranaike International Airport just past 9 a.m.

Ahead of the arrival of flight FZ 547, a Boeing 737, the Revenue Task Force (RTF), a Customs unit (one of three) that functions from Orugodawatte in Colombo received a tip-off.

These three units are manned by some expert Customs top investigators who have laid bare several rackets. Functioning under the direct command and control of the Director General of Customs, the RTF monitors all imports and exports. That is to ensure goods imported into the country are cleared on payment of all levies.

They are authorised to carry out surprise checks at airports, courier services, warehouses, and other similar places.

Playing a key role in the RTF team was an officer known for his daring actions. In one instance, he sealed the warehouse of a liquor manufacturing company though the owners had very close connections with the minister in charge. In another, he seized a luxury vehicle gifted by a businessman to the son of a powerful politician, who is also in politics. Customs said that the young politician was aware that duty on the vehicle had not been paid and had been using the vehicle freely.

The RTF team was instructed by Director N. Samaratunga and included Nalin Premaratne, Superintendent of Customs, U. Indrajith, Superintendent of Customs, Nalin Premaratne, Senior Deputy Director of Customs and the Operations were handled by Aruna Amerasinghe, Deputy Superintendent of Customs.

Others in the team were two Customs officers, two Customs Guards and two Customs Inspectors. The ten-man team that went to work immediately found that Mohamed Fairoon, described as an “assistant” (or helper) to M.A. Raheem Ali Sabri, Member of Parliament for Puttalam District, had flown to Dubai a day ahead of the MP. He was returning to Colombo last Tuesday with Sabri in the same Flydubai airline flight. Plans were carefully mapped out and put into effect.

Continue reading ‘How the Customs Revenue Task Force Apprehended Puttalam MP Raheem Ali Sabri Attempting to Smuggle Gold,Jewellery and Smart Phones Into Sri Lanka From Dubai.’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

Last time, when the world’s richest industrial nations, G-7, met in Japan, the only Asian country in the group, in 2016, then president Maithripala Sirisena was invited for the outreach meeting, alongside regional heavyweights from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam.

The invitation to Maithripala Sirisena was in recognition of the democratic reforms in the country after two terms of quasi-authoritarian rule of Mahinda Rajapaksa, who lost to Sirisena in his bid for a third term in office. He did not grasp the importance of such global recognition. That may be part of the wider question of whether he ever understood the intricacies of power and responsibilities at the highest political office in the country.

But, for one thing, like most of his counterparts in this part of the world, that vacuum was filled by the short-termism of personnel and political interests.

After low-key and manageable skirmishes with his own Yahapalanaya government, on whose back he came to power, Sirisena pulled off a constitutional coup, sacking the government. The catalyst of the power grab was none of the policy differences but the UNP’s plan to field its presidential candidate, most likely Ranil Wickremesinghe.

By then, Maithripala had nursed ambitions for a second term despite his promise at his inauguration to limit himself to a one-term presidency.

The constitutional coup was foiled by a Supreme Court ruling, but it unleashed three months of chaos, followed by near-complete dysfunction for the remainder of the term of the government. Maithripala lost his gamble.

Today, he is an outlier, a rather unloved one, not to mention court cases he is facing over the Easter Sunday attack, which were probing his role in the multifaceted dysfunction of the state and its security apparatus, leading to the tragedy.

Continue reading ‘Maithripala Sirisena created the opening for Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s political entry.He empowered the usual culprits and conspiracy theorists who have peddled anti-Western conspiracy theories and racist dog-whistling to grab power.’ »

Meera Srinivasan

Marking 200 years since their arrival in Sri Lanka from southern India, to work in the British-run plantations, members of the island nation’s historically marginalised Malaiyaha [hill country] Tamil community have sought greater recognition, political rights, and improved living and working conditions.

“Design, resource, and implement a 10-year development plan that is explicitly based on the principle of affirmative action in response to the decades of structural exclusion that has resulted in poor human development indices of Malaiyaha Tamil community when compared with all other communities,” a key demand read, in a declaration released after a recent three-day public event held in the central Nuwara Eliya city.

The development plan must aim to reduce poverty, provide land and housing, enhance public health and education access, while ensuring labour rights, including a fair living wage and legal protection, the declaration said. Further, it asked the Sri Lankan government to recognise the Malaiyaha Tamils as a community with “a distinct identity and as equal citizens”, and ensure appropriate political power sharing and proportional system of electoral arrangements.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s historically marginalised “Malaiyaha” [hill country] Tamil community Seeks greater recognition, political rights, and improved living and working conditions’ »

(Text of Statement issued by Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on 18 May 2023 for Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day)

May 18, 2023
Ottawa, Ontario

“Today, we reflect on the tragic loss of life during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, which ended 14 years ago. Tens of thousands of Tamils lost their lives, including at the massacre in Mullivaikal, with many more missing, injured, or displaced.

Our thoughts are with the victims, survivors, and their loved ones, who continue to live with the pain caused by this senseless violence.

“The stories of Tamil-Canadians affected by the conflict – including many I have met over the years in communities across the country – serve as an enduring reminder that human rights, peace, and democracy cannot be taken for granted.

That’s why Parliament last year unanimously adopted the motion to make May 18 Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day. Canada will not stop advocating for the rights of the victims and survivors of this conflict, as well as for all in Sri Lanka who continue to face hardship.

Continue reading ‘Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau encourages everyone” to learn more about the impact of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, and express solidarity to all those who suffered or lost loved ones.”’ »

(Text of Editorial appearing in “the Island”of 24 May 2023 under the heading “Badger and mastiffs”)

The Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe regime’s shameful efforts to oust Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Janaka Ratnayake, remind us of some gory western flicks, where swashbuckling, trigger-happy scumbags hang public officials who refuse to carry out their illegal orders.

Ratnayake has become a marked target for retaliation by defying some questionable government orders. One, however, should not be so naïve as to believe that he is driven by pure altruism like a knight errant. His mission is not without a Quixotic element, and his critics allege that some of his decisions on power tariffs are coloured by his commercial interests; he is a real estate magnate.

Opinion may be divided on whether Ratnayake’s opposition to power tariff increases emanates from a genuine concern for the public, or his vested interest or even his animosity towards the current dispensation, but the government is unquestionably at fault, for it is misusing its parliamentary strength to remove a public official who refuses to do its bidding. It has retained its majority in the House with the help of some crossovers notorious for striking Faustian bargains. If it succeeds in seeing the back of Ratnayake today, it will be emboldened to oust all other independent public officials it considers obstacles in its path.

Continue reading ‘Any other public official would have caved in under government pressure, but Janaka Ratnayake has proved that he is made of sterner stuff.’ »

Jamila Husain

Just over a year since former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned from office following nationwide protests demanding him to step down, evidence has come to light that the former president’s staff who are mostly political appointees continue to be retained in the President’s Office under a newly created unit called ‘special projects’.

Even though Rajapaksa did not complete his full term and was forced to resign due to his mismanagement which spiraled the economic crisis, Rajapaksa’s hand-picked staff including his former private secretary Sugeeswara Bandara continue to receive a salary and perks from the state as they head the special projects unit in the President’s Office.

Rajapaksa himself continues to receive the incentives entitled to a former president despite his early resignation following public anger and has also had security appointed at his luxury bungalow provided to him by the state at Malalasekara Mawatha in Colombo and outside his private residence in Mirihana.

Continue reading ‘Though Gotabaya Rajapaksa Resigned last year the Former President’s Staff who are mostly Political Appintees Continue to be retained in the President’s Office under a newly created unit called ‘special projects’.’ »

Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene

When French Prime Minister during World War I, Georges Clemenceau rousingly said that ‘war is too important to be left to the generals,’ Sri Lankans may be justified in muttering to themselves more than a hundred years later that, ‘laws are far too important to be left to the lawyers – or to Ministers of Justice, perchance.’

Putting the President to right

Law reform has had few success stories in this country. Always somewhat of a dance with the devil as it were, that dance has become even more preposterous in recent years. As was editorially (and pungently) observed in this newspaper, the Supreme Court is routinely being called upon to correct legal lacunae which should be the task of the draftsperson to minimise and the responsibility of the Attorney General to vet.

Quite apart from mediocre if not outright bad drafting, political agendas drive law reform efforts. The periodic emergence of an Anti-Terrorism Bill (earlier called the Counter-Terrorism Bill) with ghastly violations of civil liberties at its core, is just one example. There are others. Take the new anti-corruption law that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced with ill placed aplomb, ‘will be the best in South Asia.’

Inferentially, we are asked to believe that existing anti-corruption laws are ‘bad’ and all would be remedied when the ‘good’ laws come in. That is, of course, anything but the truth.

Sri Lanka’s anti-bribery and corruption reforms in 1994, pulled together valiantly at the time, were highly creditable. However, its implementation was miserably politicised. For that, the political establishment must bear the responsibility, inclusive of putting their ‘favourites’ into the Bribery and Corruption Commission and blocking each and every effort to nab the ‘big fish’ as it were.

Continue reading ‘Contrary to President Wickremesinghe’s claim that the new Anti-corruption law ‘will be the best in South Asia’, the anti -corruption law is a ‘riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma’’ »

By

Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Not only our actions, but also our inactions, become our destiny.” Heinrich Zimmer (The King and the Corpse)

This week marked the 14th anniversary of the ending of the long Eelam War.

This week also saw the re-emergence of BBS head-honcho Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara to save the nation from that enterprising entrepreneur of cloth, Pastor Jerome Fernando. Much verbal thundering was heard warning of a new religious war.

Later in the week, a bunch of Sinhala-Buddhist extremists crashed into a ceremony at the Borella Cemetery held in the memory of all the war dead. They condemned the event as a commemoration of the Tigers, probably on the grounds that those Tamils who died in the war (especially in the Rajapaksas’ humanitarian operation with zero-civilian casualties) were Tigers, right down to babies and toddlers.

The week ended with another group of lay-and-monk warriors gathering by the Buddha statue outside the Fort Railway Station, pledging to protect rata, jathiya, and agama.

Fortunately ordinary Lankans, immersed in the real struggle for economic survival, ignored these theatrics, turning what could have been explosions into damp squibs.

The ending of the long Eelam War brought neither peace nor prosperity even for the triumphant Sinhalese. The much awaited peace dividend was swallowed by a defence establishment that continued expanding.

The Rajapaksas treated the entire Tamil population of the North and parts of the East like enemy aliens, locking up every man, woman, and child in open air prison camps called Welfare Villages (Indian and international pressure eventually compelled them to abandon this policy of mass incarceration).

When the cry of the Undead Tiger failed to impress the South, the regime sought other enemies, flirting with “alien Christians” before settling on “Encroaching Muslims”. The harvest of that toxic seeding was reaped in April 2019, three weeks short of the 10th anniversary of Eelam War’s ending.

The war was unnecessary, preventable. Every step towards it was motivated not by national necessity or even popular demand. The motive force was the hellish union between political opportunism and religio-racial extremism. As the events of the last week indicate, that union is far from dead and its current partners are waiting impatiently to return to political mainstream. Unchastened by our blood-soaked history, they want to repeat it.

Continue reading ‘The motive force for the War was the hellish union between political opportunism and religio-racial extremism That union is far from dead and its current partners are waiting impatiently to return to political mainstream. Unchastened by our blood-soaked history, they want to repeat it.’ »

Jamila Husain

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is alleged to have links with controversial Pastor Jerome Fernando and Zimbabwean Pastor Uebert Angel yesterday said he had no connections with either and had met them only on one instance when Pastor Jerome’s office had sought a meeting when Rajapaksa was the Prime Minister.

Rajapaksa further condemned the recent derogatory remarks made by Pastor Jerome against religions and said there was no room for communal disharmony or hatred in this country.

“I strongly condemn remarks made by any individuals who attempt to cause communal disharmony in Sri Lanka especially when we fought hard as a nation to bring in unity and end all divisions,” Rajapaksa said when contacted by Daily Mirror.

“I have no links to the Zimbabwean Pastor Uebert Angel or Pastor Jerome Fernando but I recall that there was a request from Pastor Jerome’s office to meet me when I was the Prime Minister,” he added.
Rajapaksa further said that as he was also the Minister of Religious Affairs during that time, Pastor Jerome’s office had coordinated with the Prime Minister’s office seeking a meeting to which he had agreed.

Continue reading ‘Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa Denies Having Links with Pastor Jerome Fernando Or Zimbabwe’s Uebert Angel: says he met both only for a Prayer Meeting at their Request when serving as PM and Religious Affairs Minister’ »

Susitha Fernando

Prophet’ Jerome Fernando, the man in the middle of controversy over his statement on other religions including Buddhism, is reported to have left the country. It is learnt that Fernando has gone to Singapore and he is planning to travel to Malaysia.

However a spokesman for Glorious Church led by Jerome Fernando denied that the ‘prophet’ left Sri Lanka. “He never fled the country but went to attend an event. We have various events in other countries. This is a journey that was planned earlier,” Ryan Perera, a leader of Glorious Church said.

However on Tuesday evening Colombo Fort Magistrate issued a travel ban on Jerome Fernando following a complaint by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The self-proclaimed prophet became notoriously popular with his connection with the powerful politicians, extravagant spending and more questionable doings; bestowing himself as the spiritual son of Uebert Angel, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador At Large who was exposed for using his diplomatic status to launder millions of US dollars through a gold smuggling scheme according to an Al Jazeera undercover investigation recently.

Continue reading ‘Colombo Fort Magistrate Issues Travel Ban on “Prophet” Jerome Fernando Who is Reportedly in Singapore and Will Travel to Malaysia;”He has not Fled the Country but only gone for an Event Planned Earlier”Says Glorious Church Spokesperson’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

Security has been beefed up in Colombo after ‘unspecified intelligence’ that the Inter-University (IUSF) Students Federation was massing students to the Capital to launch a fresh ‘Aragalaya’. Additional security forces were mobilised, and check-points were put up on the roads leading to the Capital. Army and Police were deployed around the universities, Temple Trees, the President’s House and Parliament and key government institutions.

What this’unspecific’ intelligence was not clear. But some reports say it was actually a social media post by Wasantha Mudalige, the IUSF coordinator. It says in Sinhala: “Anthare is positioned everywhere. Why only Colombo? The entire Country should be surrounded.” On the back of that, there was an order made at a Colombo University Student’s canteen for 1,500 lunch packets, which the Police interpreted as an IUSF plan to bring in students from other universities to Colombo. However, it was later revealed that the food order had been made by organisers of an event in the Arts Department, where some 500 new students were expected to attend, some with parents.

After the president was alerted of the intelligence, the president’s chief of Staff, Sagala Ratnayake, held an emergency meeting with public security minister Tiran Alles. Later, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Vikum Liyanage, Major General Suresh Sallay, and Western Province SDIG Deshabandu Tennakoon were summoned to the President’s Office, where the decision was made to deploy additional security forces to aid the Police. Security was to be tightened in key protest sites and government establishments.

Continue reading ‘If the IUSF and other fellow travellers plot a state capture, the govt has every right to curtail it. But, overreaction and high-handedness by the govt would only provide validation to groups who are on the fringes.’ »

By
Meera Srinivasan

The talks on power devolution between Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Tamil legislators yielded no positive outcome, according to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the largest grouping of MPs from the island’s north and east.

Following his renewed pledge on May Day to address Sri Lanka’s long-pending national question, President Wickremesinghe met almost all MPs from the Tamil-majority areas, including from the TNA, on Monday (May 15) as part of his latest round of discussions.

The Tamil National People’s Front, which has two MPs, stayed out of the talks that it said were “simply aimed at appeasing the international community”.

After his ascent to Presidency last year amid a debilitating crisis, Mr. Wickremesinghe vowed to resolve Sri Lanka’s national question before February 4, 2023, when the island nation marked 75 years of Independence. After having failed to meet his deadline, the 74-year-old leader has renewed his promise to solve the ethnic problem by the end of the year, even as the Tamil leadership remains sceptical of his outreach.

Continue reading ‘Talks Between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Tamil Parliamentarians Representing the Northern and Eastern Provinces End in a Stalemate without any Positive Outcome’ »

Minister of Tourism and Lands Harin Fernando yesterday said the Government aims to recruit the entire parliamentary group of the main opposition party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) soon.

“We do not want to take in one MP at a time. Instead, we want to rake in the SJB in its entirety,” he said.

Continue reading ‘Govt wants to take in all the Samagi Jana Balawegaya MPs soon says Harin Ferando.“We do not want to take in one MP at a time. Instead, we want to rake in the SJB in its entirety”States Tourism Minister’ »

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Vice President and former MP P. Harrison yesterday announced his decision to resign from all posts in the party to rejoin his former political party, the United National Party (UNP) and extend his unconditional support to President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The former MP held a press conference in Anuradhapura over the weekend where he blamed the weak leadership of the SJB for his decision to leave the party and rejoin his former political party instead.

“We are not satisfied with the decisions being taken within the party,” Harrison noted.

Continue reading ‘Samagi Jana Balawegaya Vice President and former Anuradhapura MP P. Harrison announces his decision to resign from all posts in the SJB and rejoin the United National Party ; extensd his unconditional support to President Ranil Wickremesinghe.’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, once reportedly quipped the Sinhalese have short memories. Prabakaran’s nihilistic terrorist struggle for a separate state that lasted for twenty-five years cost the country as much as the current Gross Domestic Product if a conservative estimate of 2 per cent of annual loss growth is counted. That the Tiger supremo could wage war for so long and unleash so much destruction partly because the entire strategic, tactical and operational manoeuvring of the LTTE was designed to exploit this particular weakness of the Sinhalese majority and the opportunism of their political leadership.

Now, another man is testing Praba’s premise. Basil Rajapaksa, the founder and self-anointed strategist of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), made a glorious entry at the SLPP’s May Day event. That grandeur welcome placed him on par with Mahinda Rajapaksa, the disgraced former president and prime minister.

In contrast, the incumbent Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena received a rather lukewarm reception. SLPP’s plan for a grand May Day rally was a flop. Instead, the empty rows of chairs and poor attendance blighted the occasion meant to showcase the party’s resurgence. That itself elevated Basil Rajapaksa in the news cycle.

Basil himself seems to think this is his moment. The patriarch of the family, Mahinda, has exhausted the constitutional limit of the two terms of presidency. One of the Rajapaksas should rise to the occasion to keep the party within the family.

Continue reading ‘If Dual Citizen Basil Rajapaksa wants to Contest in the Sri Lankan Presidential Elections, he has to Renounce his US citizenship first; But a potential legal investigation by the US Justice Dept may complicate his plans.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene

There is a stark difference between Sri Lanka’s multifaceted ‘aragalaya’ (the peoples’ struggle) of 2022 and the current unrest in Pakistan, with the deploying of the army throughout the land.

A different trajectory of similar struggles

To be blunt, that difference is the role of the Opposition in both countries. Common to Pakistan and Sri Lanka is the collapse of the respective national economies and disastrous political leadership. Eruptions of public fury on Pakistan’s streets have been somewhat tempered this week by the declaration of the Supreme Court that the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan was ‘illegal,’ an interesting legal point that we will return to later.

But the larger issue is the abrupt contrast that is presented between Pakistan’s burgeoning protests and Sri Lanka’s similar tumult one year ago. The protest movement started in this country as spontaneous citizen-anger against a shamelessly corrupt, stupendously foolish and supremely arrogant dynastic Rajapaksa leadership.

This had precipitated a dangerously growing economic crisis born out of decades of financial, monetary and economic misrule (for which all Governments were responsible) into outright bankruptcy.

That peoples’ struggle soon metamorphosed into a creature of a different and far more complex kind when its unique vigour was rudely co-opted by opposition parties, some more successfully than others. At the time, red comrades of the National Peoples Power party (NPP) led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) declared that the protests needed ‘political leadership’ and infiltrated the ranks, finally becoming so bold as to drop its calm and reasonable facade with top rung leaders calling for the surrounding of Parliament.

Continue reading ‘Apart from the ‘same old, same old’ rhetoric by the Sri Lankan opposition, where is the fiery energising of the Sri Lankan citizenry? Is that not precisely what an Opposition is supposed to do?’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had been hoping to recapture Karnataka State to help it over-run South India and complete its conquest of India in the coming years, received a crushing blow in the Karnataka elections.
‘India Today’ reported Saturday evening that the Congress had secured 137 seats, the BJP 63, the Janata Dal (Secular) 20. and others four, in the State Assembly of 224 members.

The BJP fought on communal grounds, fostering and sharpening the contradictions between the majority Hindus and the minority Muslims and Christians. It manufactured divisive issues like Halal food, hijab and Love Jihad to isolate and create hatred against the Muslims. In some places, Hindu extremist outfits barred Muslim traders from setting up shops in markets around Hindu temples during Hindu festivals.

The BJP government enacted a law to criminalize religious conversions. Goons of the BJP’s sister organizations like the Sri Rama Sene attacked Valentine’s Day celebrations in Christian areas to cow down the Christians.

As a final stroke it hyped the Congress party’s declaration that it would ban the Hindu communal outfit ‘Bajrang Dal’ to paint the Congress as a party wanting to ban the Hindu God Hanuman. The BJP unethically conflated an extremist and violent Hindu outfit like the Bajrang Dal with the God Hanuman. Bajrangbali is another name for Hanuman.

Continue reading ‘India’s Congress Party wins 137 out of 224 seats in South Indian State of Karnataka Elections while Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party Gets only 63 seats. Janata Dal(S)-20 and Rest -04.’ »

By Kalinga Tudor Silva

Sociological explanations frequently serve as a counter point to popular conspiracy theories. Historically, sociology evolved as a subject that tried to prove that social reality cannot be reduced to the separate actions of the individuals who make up that society, such individual motivations or what was understood as the standard way persons think and behave in given situations being the dominant analytical frameworks in other social sciences, like economics, psychology, and political science.

A key founder of sociology, Frenchman Emile Durkheim, tried to identify the social as external to and in some ways imposed from outside upon the individuals who are included in the social reality. In his unique way, he demonstrated the validity of the social by explaining how even a deeply personal and emotional matter, such as suicide, must be seen as a socially determined phenomenon.

Of course, these views have been interrogated by many critics over the years for his single-minded preoccupation with the social by deemphasizing its natural linkages with the psychological and for his denial of the agency of human beings.

Sri Lanka has always been a hotbed of conspiracy theories. Matters of national importance whether we are talking about collective uprisings against the state such as the JVP uprisings in 1971 and 1987-1989 and the LTTE uprising from 1980s until 2009, and public decisions such as signing of a peace accord between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, in 2002, were explained by certain observers in terms of conspiracy theories of one kind or another. A secretive nature and lack of transparency often added to public confusion about these events.

More recently, the Aragalaya uprising has also triggered a variety of conspiracy theories, despite its openness to the public and explicit accommodation of diverse viewpoints. Nearly always conspiracy theories are ways of explaining away the compounded social and political reality using flimsy evidence by parties with vested interests in keeping with their own political and ideological moorings without making a genuine effort at reaching an objective explanation of the complex reality we are dealing with.

Continue reading ‘Conspiracy theories of various kinds merely serve to accuse an identified public enemy without providing any reliable evidence. Just like gossip and rumour, conspiracy theories serve to spread fake news and false alarms in ways that divert public anger towards identified targets’ »

By

Suhasini Haidar

“Who do you work for? Which Indian agency has sent you here?” I could tell from the tone and rising voices of the mob around me that things could get very sticky very quickly if I didn’t move. I was at Lahore airport in 2011, attempting to take a flight back to Delhi, when a group of people who seemed to be journalists surrounded me and asked for an interview on the impressions of my visit to Pakistan. But the exchange turned unfriendly as what they really wanted to ask about was an interview I had done with a senior Army official.

He had said that it was “possible” that those who had trained and guided the terrorists during the Mumbai 26/11 attacks may have been formerly in the military, but that the Pakistani Army had no knowledge of them. The interview had made headlines in both Pakistan and India. The Army had issued a clarification on the comments, distancing itself from the interview.

Clearly, the establishment had no intention of allowing me to leave the country without feeling some heat for the story. Back home, I faced more questions — this time on why I had even interviewed someone in the Pakistani military.

Facing the heat for an interview is a part of every journalist’s life, and comes in many forms — from governments who find it inconvenient for a counter-view to be “platformed” to commentators who believe that it is an “anti-national” act to interview officials of an unfriendly country.

Continue reading ‘Journalists have duties that are separate from those of govts, politicians and powerful establishments. A journalist’s job of presenting the first draft of history is incomplete if it only presents one state-approved View.’ »

By Lakshmi Subramanian

In a major reshuffle of portfolios of his cabinet, Tamil Nadu Chief minister MK Stalin on Thursday moved Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR) out of the Finance portfolio and allocated it to senior leader Thangam Thennarasu. The industries portfolio held by Thennarasu has been allocated to Mannargudi MLA TRB Raaja, who has been newly inducted into the cabinet.

An official press release from the Raj Bhavan said that, on the recommendation of the chief minister, Governor RN Ravi has additionally allocated Tamil Development portfolio, held by Thennarasu to Information and Publicity minister MP Swaminathan.

Mano Thangaraj who was the Information Technology minister has been allocated Milk and Dairy Development which was held by SM Nasar who has been dropped from the cabinet. PTR will now be the new minister for Information and Technology.

This is the third time Stalin’s cabinet has been reshuffled. The first time was when portfolios held by ministers Raja Kannappan and SS Shivashankar were swapped. The second time was when DMK youth wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin was inducted into the cabinet as the sports minister. But this is the first time a minister is being dropped and a new person inducted.

Continue reading ‘Tamil Nadu Chief minister MK Stalin Moves Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR) from Finance to Information and Technology Portfolio after release of two of PTR’s purported audio clips alleging that Stalin’s family has earned Rs 30,000 crores.’ »

By

Krishantha Prasad Cooray

There are three things that matter when it comes to air travel. Punctuality, baggage not being lost and inflight comfort.

There’s been a lot of chatter recently on the national carrier SriLankan and I want to add my own experience in the interest of the silent majority. Too often the opinion of a single traveller, when voiced aloud on the internet, is taken to be the general perception of all. This is far from the truth.

There’s something I learnt when I spoke about my personal experience with SriLankan Airlines pilot Capt. Rajind Ranatunga, one of the proudest employees of the national carrier. Typically, he said, much noise is made when there’s a bad experience but those who have nothing to complain about or felt that the entire experience was as good as in any other airline would at best say ‘thank you.’ They don’t whip out their smartphones and hammer out a story as though they’ve been appointed to represent all the passengers. I belong to this category of passengers.

Therefore, I caution the reader not to extrapolate. This is my story and I speak for myself.

Continue reading ‘One Sri Lankan Family’s Experience Aboard the Sri Lankan Airlines UL318 Flight to Malaysua from Colombo’ »

By
Meera Srinivasan

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ruled that a Bill seeking to decriminalise homosexuality is “not inconsistent with the Constitution”, clearing the way for a Parliamentary debate and vote on the subject.

“The Supreme Court is of the opinion that the Bill as a whole or as any provision thereof is not inconsistent with the Constitution,” Parliamentary Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced on Tuesday morning.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Supreme Court rules that a Private Members Bill seeking to Amend Penal Code and decriminalise homosexuality is “not inconsistent with the Constitution” thereby clearing the way for a Parliamentary debate and vote .’ »

By

Kishali Pinto -Jayawardene

Exactly twelve months ago to the coming Tuesday, state goons led by key Rajapaksa Ministers attacked peaceful protestors at Galle Face Green leading to the incendiary flaming up of what was perhaps, the single most potent peoples’ uprising in Sri Lanka since independence.

May Day musings on Rajapaksa wrongs

As Rajapaksa mansions and museums were set alight by once adoring followers in the deep South, the cry of ‘system change’ was in the air. Former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and members of his family sought refuge in an Eastern naval base long rumored to be where bitter critics of the regime had ‘disappeared’ when ‘Rajapaksa magic’ held the Sinhala heartland in thrall.

May 9th 2022, one year ago set the trend for the coming events of the succeeding months when former President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa would hurriedly leave his presidential house. This was later to be invaded by the madding crowds who would dance on his bed and riffle through his belongings, making global headlines. Mounds of cash were found by the delighted invaders to be handed over to the police and still held in the grip of a court case on its orgins.

This Monday, stirring songs were sung at the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP)’s May Day rally where Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa said that, ‘we know where we went wrong.’ But did he?

Will he, his family or the Rajapaksa ‘patronage networks’ that have entrenched themselves deep into the bowels of Sri Lanka’s legal and political systems much like a poisonous growth, ever ‘learn’?

Will its Ministers ‘learn’, now sitting under the protective umbrella of the Ranil Wickremesinghe Presidency?

Continue reading ‘Will Mahinda Rajapaksa, his family or the Rajapaksa ‘patronage networks’ ever Learn?Will they ever acknowledge that Sri Lanka toppled into the abyss as a result of their cumulative greed, ignorance and racism?’ »

The President’s Office has directed four provincial governors to step down following complaints received by parliamentarians representing the provinces.

Accordingly, the decision has been conveyed to Eastern Province Governor Anuradha Yahampath, North Western Province Governor Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, Uva Province Governor A.J.M. Muzammil and Sabaragamuwa Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa.

Continue reading ‘President’s Office Directs Four Provincial Governors Including Eastern Province Governor Anuradha Yahampath and Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda the North -Western Province Governor to Step Down Due to Complaints Received from MPs’ »

Charles III was crowned monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth realms yesterday at Britain’s first coronation for 70 years, during a ceremony steeped in a millennium of ritual and spectacle.

The day before yesterday’s coronation, King Charles III met Commonwealth leaders at the Commonwealth Secretariat at Marlborough House.

During the event, President Ranil Wickremesinghe extended his congratulations to King Charles III and emphasised the importance of the Commonwealth playing a more significant role in supporting education reforms that encourage youth involvement.

First Lady Prof. Maithree Wickramasinghe was also in attendance.

Continue reading ‘President Ranil Wickremesinghe has Cordial Conversation with King Charles III at Marlborough House on the Eve of his Coronation with First Lady Prof.Maithree Wickremesinghe also in Attendance’ »

He came to praise his mother—and to bury suspicions. On September 9th King Charles III gave his first public speech as monarch. Explicitly, it honoured the queen—“my darling mama”—for her dedication, service and duty. Implicitly, it answered questions about what kind of king he is going to be and spoke, quietly, to some of the many criticisms levelled at him while he was heir apparent.

The man who is now called king has long seemed uneasy about, perhaps even unsuited to, the job that 73 years ago he was born to do. Charles once described the realisation that he was going to become king as dawning with “the most ghastly, inexorable sense”. Others echoed his doubts: Princess Diana, his first wife, said the role of king would be “suffocating”. The British people seemed to share this cool appraisal of him. A poll carried out in May 2022 put his popularity rating at 54%, far below the late queen’s at 81%.

Little of this is unusual. Transitions from one monarch to the next are, as Tracy Borman, a royal historian, has pointed out, notoriously uneasy moments. Henry VII’s courtiers so feared his death would lead to the downfall of the Tudors that they hid his body in his rooms and brought his corpse meals for two days.

When Elizabeth II came to the throne she was derided as a “priggish schoolgirl”, while her coronation was dismissed by John Osborne, an angry young playwright, as a “gold filling in a mouthful of decay”. Will her reign, asked the Daily Mail—not known for doubts about the monarchy—“be a flop?” Both the Tudors and Elizabeth II survived.

Continue reading ‘What kind of a Monarch will King Charles III turn out to be? Would he Replicate his Mother Queen Elizabeth’s style rather than deviate from it? – “The Economist”’ »

By

Jamila Husain

A tussle has erupted in the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) camp after BasilRajapaksa was given a notable welcome at the May Day rally and his picture was shown on the main SLPP banner on stage alongside party leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Daily Mirror learns.

Senior SLPP sources said that strong objections were raised with General Secretary of the party Sagara Kariyawasam as to why Basil was promoted alongside Mahinda Rajapaksa, as many SLPPERS saw this as a move to dampen the party image.

Continue reading ‘Prominence Given to Basil Rajapaksa at SLPP May Day Rally Irks Party Seniors while Some Pohottuwa MPs Launch Campaign to Promote Basil as Party Leader’ »

By
Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Too many things have happened that weren’t supposed to happen and what was supposed to come about has not.”
– Wyslawa Szymborska – The Century’s Decline

For a few hours in early April, 2022, Wikipedia page of Ajith Nivard Cabraal described the then Governor of Central Bank as: “A chartered accountant and the principal scum bag responsible for the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka.” Wikipedia also named the Finance Minister of Sri Lanka as Basil Kaputa Rajapaksa and listed money laundering as a family tradition of Minister Namal Rajapaksa.

According to internet reports, this creative editing was the work of unnamed Lankan teenagers prevented by their parents from taking part in the burgeoning protests.

Those were desperate times, and unprecedented ones. According to surveys, more than 90% of Lankans experienced some form of economic distress, from familiar poverty to unthinkable shortages. Primordial and socio-economic cleavages that kept people divided collapsed into the general ferment of want and despair. And from that national condition, the Aragalaya was born.

On 9 April, Occupy Galleface began. On 9 May, in response to a Rajapaksa-sanctioned attack on Gota-go-gama, people across the country unleashed mayhem on ruling party politicians. On 9 July, around a million Lankans converged on Colombo and forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee.

9 June was relatively quiet. Basil Rajapaksa resigned, promising to return. But people didn’t occupy the streets as they had done on 9 April and 9 May. Gota-go-gama activists were as militant as ever. But Lankans were in a wait-and-see mood. Their fury had been appeased by the mob violence of 9 May. The departure of Mahinda Rajapaksa and new prime-minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s frank acknowledgement of the crisis had generated a modicum of hope.

Between 9 June and 9 July, hope died, reviving anger. The crisis was worsening. Instead of dealing with queues, President Gotabaya busied himself undermining PM Wickremesinghe and sabotaging the proposed 21st Amendment aimed at reducing excessive presidential powers.

In a clear sign of the coming avalanche, irate consumers, many of whom waiting in queues up to 20 days, ringed the Galle Stadium with empty gas cylinders ahead of the Sri Lanka-Australia test match. But all omens were lost on the Rajapaksas, until the human deluge reached their doorstep.

On 19 April, when people were protesting against the unavailability of fuel in Rambukkana, the police shot to kill and killed Chaminda Lakshan, father of two and the sole breadwinner of this family (Last month, the Human Rights Commission handed over its report on the incident.

Its recommendations include identifying the exact officer who fired the killer-shot and taking legal action against him and paying compensation to the family of Lakshan and those who suffered injuries from the attack. Whether the ministers in charge of Police and Justice heed these recommendations, and whether the Opposition takes up this cause remain to be seen).

The Bastille which stood for 400 years as a symbol of absolute power and unleavened tyranny fell in less than a day, between morning and evening of 14 July 1789. It was conquered by 900 citizens, many of them tradesmen. A few months later, the great Versailles Palace fell to an army of mostly Parisian women armed with anger and desperation.

Tear gas and live bullets are effective when protestors are limited to thousands, not when they number in hundreds of thousands, and not when they could include your family and your superior officer’s family, marching side by side.

The key is the public mood. When the general public is largely indifferent, repression is possible. When the public is a seething volcano, the police and the army will not obey orders to shoot even if orders are given.

Continue reading ‘Freedom,Safety,Order and Democracy are the basic pillars of a liveable life. So far, all attempts to reignite the Aragalaya have failed, because Wickremesinghe has got enough of the combination right. A kind of normalcy has replaced generalised chaos.So it is too early for Aragalaya Season 2.’ »

Avantika Shankar

The opening line of V.V. Ganeshananthan’s sophomore novel, Brotherless Night, will give you pause. Maybe you’ve settled down in an armchair with a cup of tea, or maybe you’re leaning against a shelf in a bookstore, on the prowl for your next big read. Either way, the opening line will disarm you.

“I recently sent a letter to a terrorist I used to know.” In a way, the line speaks to the specific challenges of documenting the Sri Lankan civil war. Thousands of narratives clamour for precedence, and no single strand of politics, empathy or logic can do justice to them all.

What Ganeshananthan, 43, American writer and journalist of Ilankai Tamil descent, seeks to do is bring obscured voices back into the conversation. And for that, she first dismantles the very language of terrorism.

“One of the things that the rhetoric of terrorism seeks to do is to make the terrorist unintelligible,” says the author over a Zoom call from Minneapolis, where she teaches creative writing at the University of Minnesota. “The majority of people who have been referred to in that way are not unintelligible. Discussing their motivation doesn’t justify it, it just tries to understand it and to think about how someone might have arrived at that point.”

Continue reading ‘V.V.Ganeshananthan the American writer of Ilankai Tamil descent, Seeks to dismantle the very language of terrorism in her Sophomore Novel “Brotherless Night”.’ »

(Text of Editorial appearing in the “Daily FT”of 2 May 2023 under the heading “Undiplomatic Tragicomedy”)

Sri Lanka’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry made news last week for his most undiplomatic conduct in Parliament. In an exchange with Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, the Foreign Minister resorted to unparliamentary language which had to be expunged from the Hansard. Sabry accused Shanakiyan of playing communal politics when the Tamil National Alliance MP raised an issue concerning the people of Batticaloa which according to Sabry is not a “Sri Lankan issue.”

Sabry, unlike Rasamanickam, is an unelected member of parliament who was appointed through the National List for the sole reason of being the personal lawyer of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He has no electorate to serve nor a mandate after the ouster of his political master. Even after his patron was chased from office through an island-wide mass uprising in July 2022, Sabry has managed to survive in ministerial office.

Having granted a degree of credibility to the otherwise purely ethno nationalist regime of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as its only Muslim member of the Cabinet, Sabry soldiered through some of the most vile and racist decisions made by that administration.

Continue reading ‘Shanakiyan Rasamanickam Raised His Voice in Solidarity with Muslims in Parliament when Ali Sabry Served as Justice Minister in the Gotabaya Regime which Targeted the Muslim Community with Atrocious Policies like Forced Cremation.’ »

(Full Text of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Address Via Electronic Technology to the May Day Rally held by the United National Party(UNP) at Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on may 1st 2023)

“After assuming the presidency, I have had the opportunity to address the United National Party and all of you who support the party.

When I took office as president, the country was experiencing its worst economic crisis in 30 years. The economy had completely collapsed, and people were suffering from shortages of food and fuel, leading to protests on the streets. Additionally, some individuals attempted to exploit this crisis to undermine the democratic system and the parliament.

Today, the country’s economy has achieved stability, with no shortage of food, and a functional democratic system where the parliament operates without any threats. Furthermore, everyone has the opportunity to carry out their work without hindrance.

Prior to assuming the presidency, I reflected on one thing: the United National Party prioritizes the welfare of the country. The United National Party is a political party that is close to my heart. In fact, in the United National Party’s 2020 election manifesto, we explicitly stated our intention to seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, with a goal of securing $7 billion. As a party, we were the only ones who mentioned these critical points. On the other hand, other parties made empty promises they could not fulfil despite knowing the existence of the country’s economic problem.

After honestly sharing our party’s policies, the United National Party ended up in the national list. Our policy is to be transparent with the people, even if it means conveying unpleasant truths. We announced our goals for 2020 and 2021 without hesitation. As the economic crisis deepened in 2022, I met with the former President, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and recommended that he seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund.

During the discussions on this matter, the former President summoned a meeting of the party leaders in parliament. While other opposition groups refused to attend, I, along with the Tamil National Alliance, actively participated in the discussions.

My motivation was not rooted in politics, but in properly managing the country’s economy and alleviating the burdens on its citizens. For this reason, I took on the role of the presidency, as I had faith in my ability to revive the economy and work alongside supportive ministers to achieve these outcomes.

Continue reading ‘“If we are to address the issues faced by the Tamil community in this country, let us collaborate within this system, particularly in the Parliament as part of the government. To the Tamil parties, I say that it is futile to distance oneself from this endeavor.”- President Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

By

Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene

Protests issued by the Government of Sri Lanka over the United States Government decision to ‘blacklist’ former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and his wife from entering the US are farcical, to say the least.

The Foreign Ministry must up its game

First, there is little that Sri Lanka can do, despite this bellowing and distinctly ridiculous rhetoric. ‘Denouncing’ the ‘blacklisting’ comes to nothing in the final result. These are matters entirely within the discretion of States. The Foreign Ministry’s agitated response is that this has been done without following ‘due process.’

Is the Ministry under a confused perception that the US ‘designating’ of individuals under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programmes Appropriations Act, 2023 is akin to a domestic legal process?

It has further claimed (preposterously) that the designation of the former Navy Commander ignores ‘tangible progress made by the Government in strengthening the country’s democratic governance and reconciliation structures’ (see press release of April 27th, 2023).

This is even more bewildering. What ‘tangible progress’, we may well ask?

Continue reading ‘Why do Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thero want ‘international justice’ Selectively for some and not for others?’ »

By
Srinivasa Ramanujam

The events of Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan: 1, which released late last year, left audiences not just on a high, but also with many questions: What really happened to Arunmozhi Varman? Who is the mysterious lady who makes fleeting but impactful appearances? And most importantly, what happened to the succession battle for the Chola kingdom?

Ponniyin Selvan: 2 answers these queries — as it should. Mani Ratnam’s sequel takes liberal creative liberties by leaving out some parts from the Tamil classic in order to present it cinematically — and the climax might be the subject of some discussion in this context, especially among fans of the book — but it largely encapsulates the myriad twists and turns as the story unravels.

We were given a sneak peek into the romance of Aditha Karikalan (Vikram) and Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) in the first part. Ponniyin Selvan: 2 opens with this angle; the first shot is that of a young Nandini taking a dip in a river. Remember this shot, because it makes a sort of a comeback later in the film. In the span of a few minutes, Ratnam packs in almost three short AR Rahman songs to narrate this story of young love, before he plunges into the actual story.

We get why, though. The Karikalan-Nandini angle is the root of most of the confusion in the Chola kingdom, a place that continues to see much turmoil. Arunmozhi Varman aka Ponniyin Selvan is well and alive — but he suffers from an illness. Can he return and reclaim his position as the successor to the throne? Will Aditha Karikalan meet Nandini and what will transpire of that? And what about Vandhiyathevan (Karthi), through whom we were introduced to the main characters?

Continue reading ‘“Ponniyin Selvan 2” : Ace Filmmaker Maniratnam’s cinematic adaptation of Kalki’s Epic Novel with the interpersonal dynamics and drama between its main characters make a Satisfactory Watch’ »

(Full Text of Press Release Issued by the US State Department on 26 April 2023 Under the Heading “Designation of Sri Lankan Governor Due to Involvement in a Gross Violation of Human Rights”)

The United States is designating Wasantha Karannagoda, Governor of North Western Province in Sri Lanka, pursuant to Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023, due to his involvement in a gross violation of human rights during his tenure as a Naval Commander.

As a result of today’s action, Karannagoda and his wife, Srimathi Ashoka Karannagoda, are ineligible for entry into the United States.

The allegation that Wasantha Karannagoda committed a gross human rights violation, documented by NGOs and independent investigations, is serious and credible.

Continue reading ‘US State Department Designates North Western Province Governor Wasantha Karannagoda due to his Alleged involvement in a gross violation of human rights during his tenure as a Naval Commander.’ »

By

Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

In response to a request made by the Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa to walk the talk and thereby put into practice what he had talked of, President Ranil Wickremeinge today told Parliament those in Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will walk towards a common journey with him soo

“I must tell the President that he should walk the talk,” Premadasa said.

“ I assure that no one in SJB will walk with you,” Opposition Leader said.

Continue reading ‘“I must tell the President that he should walk the talk,” Opposition Leader Premadasa.“I will walk the talk but I would like to tell you that those in SJB will start walking with me,” Responds President Wickremesinghe.“ I assure that no one in SJB will walk with you,” Sajith Tells Ranil.’ »

(Full Text of Special Statement made in Parliament on 26 April 2023 by Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe)

I would like to address the concerns that have been raised in the media and elsewhere about the economic and financial issues that our country has faced. In July 2022, Sri Lanka was hit with riots, arson, and state bankruptcy, causing a complete loss of trust in our country.

However, after eight months, we have managed to turn things around and it’s now being called the Sri Lanka comeback story. We have entered the path of renaissance and are reborn, and I am counting on the support of the whole country to take it forward.

Let me give you a brief overview of the situation we faced. Our tax cuts in late 2019 cost us 4% of gross domestic product, and things only got worse with the Covid epidemic. In February 2022, the Sri Lankan Rupee depreciated by 40% against the US Dollar within three months, and it continued to depreciate. Economic growth contracted by 7.8% throughout 2022, and inflation in September 2022 exceeded 70%, with food inflation rising as high as 95%.

In this challenging backdrop, I decided to assume the presidency in July 2022 because I believed that our country could recover. If I had not taken responsibility during a time of agitations and protests, our country would have been completely destroyed. I didn’t hesitate even when the paintings in my home library were burnt down and destroyed.

At that time, Sri Lanka’s total debt was 83.6 billion US dollars, with foreign debt at 41.5 billion US dollars and domestic debt at 42 billion US dollars. By now, our overall debt ratio as a percentage of GDP has become 128%. Due to non-repayment of bilateral and private loans, the amount of outstanding debt from April to December 2022 was estimated at 2.7 billion US dollars.

By the middle of 2022, Sri Lanka was unable to import goods and services from abroad due to the worsening foreign exchange deficit. In May 2022, interest related to foreign loans failed to be paid. This was the first time in the history of Sri Lanka that we had to face such a situation.

As soon as I took over the government, I began negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank. As a result, in September, we reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund regarding extended credit facilities.

Continue reading ‘“We have no other option but the IMF agreement. If there are no other alternative suggestions, let’s approve this. I also urge the opposition to work together.Let’s get both parties together and pass this.”- President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Special Statement to Parliament’ »

(Excerpts from Speech made in Parliament on 25 April 2023 by Jaffna District TNA Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran PC)

I am mentioning this Kurunthoor malai issue and according to the code of conduct I am making a disclosure that I have an interest in that matter, in that I appear for two members of parliament and another former provincial council member in the Supreme court in a fundamental rights application SCFR 186/202, that is still pending in court.

Several organisations have made applications for intervention and as result that had got delayed. Now it is fixed for support on the 05th of June in the Supreme Court on top of the list. While that matter is coming for support on top of the list in Supreme court, I have got an invitation from the Archaeology department to say that there is an event that is to take place in that place on the 19th of May 2023 at 2.30 P.M. on the conclusion of excavation and conservation work this area is to be bestowed to the department of Archaeology.

Now this is an ancient Hindu shrine, that was destroyed by thousands of soldiers, we have pictures, led by Hon. Vidura Wickramanayaka who went in there, broke the trident that the Hindus worship
threw it into the shrubs.

Continue reading ‘Ancient Hindu Shrine on Kurunthoormalai Hill was Destroyed by Soldiers led by Minister Vidura Wickramanayake states Jaffna District MP Sumanthiran in Parliament;Urges Govt not to Continue in Racist Direction’ »

BY Sahan Tennekoon

The Chairman of the Independent Television Network (ITN), Attorney Sudarshana Gunawardana has appointed a committee to investigate into reports on social media about the alleged sexual harassment faced by a former ITN news anchor Ishara Dewendra.

This was revealed by the Minister of Mass Media Dr. Bandula Gunawardana in Parliament yesterday (25) while responding to a question raised by Samagi Jana Balawegaya Opposition Parliamentarian Rohini Kumari Wijerathna Kavirathna about the measures taken by the Government regarding sexual harassment against women in Government institutions. “Until now, I have not received any complaint regarding that incident. Without a complaint, we are not able to start an investigation. Therefore, I informed the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media Anusha Palpita to call the relevant parties and receive complaints, but no such complaint has been received yet. Therefore, it is not possible for us to conduct an investigation at the Ministry level,” he said.

Speaking further, Dr. Gunawardana said that a special investigation has been initiated regarding this incident as per the instructions of the ITN Chairman.

Continue reading ‘Independent Television Network Chairman Sudarshana Gunawardana appoints External committee Headed by Woman Lawyer to investigate reports on social media about alleged sexual harassment faced by a former ITN news anchor Ishara Dewendra.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Tamils in Sri Lanka have witnessed an escalation in the attack on Hindu temples in recent weeks, a trend that they note is part of the State’s “ongoing Sinhalisation project” in the island’s north.

In recent weeks, Tamil media reported multiple incidents of vandalism at temples, where Hindu deities were found missing or damaged. In Jaffna, some Tamils have sought to counter the trend by placing a Hindu deity in a public space, prompting police to petition the court seeking its removal.

Several Tamil political parties have called for a protest on April 25 against the recent temple attacks, among other issues.
Simultaneously, Tamils also point to an increase in the number of new Buddhist structures and shrines coming up in the Northern Province, where Hindus form the largest religious group, followed by Christians and Muslims, with Buddhists in the fourth place.
The developments come amid heightening activity of Sri Lanka’s Department of Archaeology in the Tamil-majority north and east. Authorities have restricted public access to some temples, citing ongoing “archaeological research” in the historic sites. In one instance, media reported the arrest of a youth who attempted to worship at a temple in Vedukkunarimalai, Vavuniya.

A large protest was held in the area last month protesting the vandalism of idols at this temple.

Jaffna legislator and Tamil National People’s Front Leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam sees the incidents as part of a larger, persistent assault on Tamils’ rights, including to worship.

Ever since the end of the war, consecutive governments have “accelerated the Sinhalization” of the north and east, he said, “as if to catch up with the gap of the 30 years during the war that they missed out on.”

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Tamil Parties Perturbed over escalating attacks on Hindu temples in recent weeks ; this is a trend that is part of the State’s “ongoing Sinhalisation project” in the island’s north, they note’ »

By

Tisaranee Gunasekara

“On land a tiger, in the water a crocodile.” A Bengali proverb

In Sri Lanka terror means Tamil or Muslim. When the J.R. Jayewardene government responded to the ethnic problem not with the promised political reforms but with repression and the PTA was born, the concept of terror (and its prevention) invoked an image. Not of the Tiger chief, for his face was yet to be seared into the collective memory of the Sinhala South, but of the Tamil.

Every Tamil symbolised terror, from the politician defending the Eelam demand in parliament to the old woman sweeping the street who knew nothing of a separate state. They were the descendents of South Indian invaders of yore, political heirs of the timeless project of occupying and unmaking this land of Sinhala-Buddhism.

The PTA was thus born and lived most of its 44 year existence as an anti-Tamil law. It was first enacted as a temporary measure when the armed Eelam movement was in its infancy, hardly a movement, just a ragtag band of dreamers and malcontents. Within four years of the PTA’s birth, the fledgling insurgency had turned into a raging war, fed by innumerable political crimes and mistakes, ranging from the burning of the Jaffna library to Black July. Had those atrocities not happened, had a political solution to the ethnic problem been enacted, the Eelam War could have been prevented, with or without the PTA.

So the PTA was a colossal failure. It failed not only to nip the Tamil insurgency in the bud, or to do the same with the JVP insurgency of 1987-89. It also failed to stop the Easter Sunday massacre. The anatomy of that final failure is extensively documented through a number of investigations and inquiries. Revisiting their findings is timely since that tragedy is being used by the administration to push through the potentially more draconian ATA.

The Easter Sunday massacre was preventable. It wasn’t prevented not because the PTA had loopholes but because of “the deplorable want of oversight and inaction…in the conduct of affairs pertaining to security, law and order and intelligence.” That was the Supreme Court in its January 2023 judgement. Information about an impending attack first became available on April 4, 2019, yet the men in charge of ensuring national security and public safety did nothing.
That failure happened not because the PTA didn’t confer enough powers on the security establishment but because of their “lack of strategic co-ordination, expertise and preparedness,” as the Supreme Court put it succinctly.

If any one man symbolises this failure, it is Nilantha Jayawardana, the then head of the SIS. He was the first top official to receive concrete information about an impending attack. By April 21, he had in his possession the names of several potential attackers: Mohamed Zaharan, Mohamed Milhan, and Mohamedu Rilwan.

Continue reading ‘The govt’s determination to push the ATA is creating new political fault lines the economy could ill afford. Sri Lanka has avoided Lebanon’s fate and achieved a modicum of stability thanks to President Wickremesinghe’s economic policies. ATA is a diversion from that sensible path’ »

By

Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene

Two years after Sri Lanka’s former Attorney General (AG) claimed on the eve of his retirement, that the savage attacks on churches and hotels by homegrown ‘jihadists’ in April 2019 discloses ‘a grand conspiracy,’ the country’s Minister of Justice has issued a flurry of directions to state agencies to ‘summon’ the former chief state law officer for questioning.

Action needed, not media dramas

If we are to be polite in our profound puzzlement, the why and the wherefore of this sudden Ministerial activation is a mystery of and by itself. He has (reportedly) remarked that, ‘a certain degree of scepticism’ surrounds the former AG’s claim But a fairer assessment would perhaps incline towards the view that, more than a degree of public scepticism attaches to the Minister’s own actions.

Why this ‘ministerial’ awakening to the former AG’s statement after many moons have passed?

If the Justice Minister was this concerned, surely that concern may have been evidenced far sooner and in better ways conducive to the Rule of Law rather than indulging in a media drama, replete with a depressing entourage of clowns and fakirs competing for ‘soundbites’?

The Government may feel pressurised to do ‘something’ when this doleful month of April comes around each year. Victims and the Catholic clergy walked on Colombo’s streets this week demanding justice. Are their demands best served by farcical exercises? Moreover, the impact of these ministerial spats reverberate beyond the media circus.

Continue reading ‘Could the 2 019 Easter attacks have been prevented if the 2023 Anti-Terrorism Bill been law at the time? The answer to that question is a resounding ‘NO.’’ »

By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

The long delayed elections to Sri Lanka’s nine provincial elections could be held very soon if a private members bill submitted by Jaffna district parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran is passed by the House next week.

Sumanthiran is due to table the bill in Parliament on April 25th 2023 for its first reading

After the first reading is done the house must agree to proceed to the next level, which is referring it to the Govt. Since it is a private member’s bill, it remains to be seen as to whether the Govt will accept or call for a vote to reject it at that stage.

Continue reading ‘Jaffna District TNA Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran Due to Table his Private Members bill in Parliament for first reading on 25 April 2023; if bill is adopted, long awaited elections to Lanka’s nine provincial councils could be held very soon’ »

With reference to the comments by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on the legitimacy of the mandate of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to hold that office and the demand for a Presidential election to seek a fresh mandate, Former Parliament Secretary General Priyanee Wijesekera has responded with the following facts.

“Our Constitution, by article 40 provides for a process of succession in the event of a vacancy occurring in the post of Executive President. This provision was used previously when the late D. B. Wijetunga was elected by the Parliament following the assassination of President R. Premadasa. On that occasion there was not a hum of protest and in fact the then Leader of the Opposition Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike fully supported the move.

“Even under the previous Constitution of 1947 it was legitimate for Mrs. Bandaranaike to be appointed as Prime Minister from the Senate. Thus she too was not elected by popular election.

Continue reading ‘Former Parliament Secretary General Priyanee Wijesekera Responds with Facts to Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s Demand for a new Presidential Election to seek a Fresh Mandate’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Sri Lanka on April 21 marked the 4 th anniversary of the Easter Sunday terror bombings that shook the island nation on April 21, 2019, even as families of victims marched, and many gathered outside churches, demanding truth and justice.

Nearly 300 persons died and hundreds were injured in the coordinated serial blasts, across churches in Colombo, suburban Negombo, and the eastern city of Batticaloa; and luxury hotels in Colombo. The gruesome incident, that a network of Islamist radical suicide bombers claimed, rocked the relative peace that Sri Lanka experienced for a decade after its bloody civil war — in which tens of thousands of Tamils were killed — ended in 2009.

Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church, especially the Archbishop of Colombo Archdiocese Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, has been raising concern over authorities’ “slow-paced” investigations into the incident domestically and internationally, including at the Vatican and the UN Human Rights Council. Formerly a supporter of the Rajapaksas, the prominent Catholic priest has maintained that the Easter bombings were not merely the work of religious extremists but a “grand political conspiracy”. He has called for a comprehensive international probe to help trace the “real masterminds” behind the incident.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka marks 4th anniversary of Easter Sunday terror attacks with Families of Victims Marching for Justice and Christians Standing Outside Churches Protesting Delay in Probe’ »