By Nisthar Cassim

*Rajapaksa regime borrowed $ 183 billion to build Magampura Port but debt servicing hit crisis level with Rs. 9 billion loss per annum since 2014; Revenue only Rs. 2 billion per year

* New ministerial committee comprising Dr. Amunugama, Arjuna, Nimal, Malik, Ravi and Sagala to oversee final negotiations

The Government yesterday fired back at the Joint Opposition for what Ministers described as damn lies and crocodile tears over the new and crucial $ 1.4 billion revival deal for the Hambantota Port with China Merchant Port (CMPort).

Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama and Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake literally shot down each of the criticisms and allegations against the Government’s initiative and emphasised that the Joint Opposition, influenced by MP and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was misleading the people for petty political gain.

Continue reading ‘Cabinet Ministers Ravi Karunanayake and Malik Samarawickrama Refute Criticism of Joint Opposition Against Hambantota Port Agreement with China’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

The state must release private land occupied by its armed forces, address lingering concerns of militarisation, enforced disappearances and livelihood opportunities in order to move ahead on its promise of reconciliation, a Sri Lankan task force has observed.

The government-appointed Consultation Task Force (CTF), comprising civil society members such as activists and academicians, held island-wide consultations on the Sri Lankan government’s proposed reconciliation mechanisms following the UNHRC resolution in 2015.

Sri Lanka, which co-sponsored the resolution, proposed four mechanisms for reconciliation — Truth, Justice, Reconciliation and Non-Recurrence, Office of Missing Persons, Office of Reparations and a Judicial Mechanism with Special Counsel.

Continue reading ‘Consultation Task Force Wants Hybrid Court With Foreign and Local Judges Though Maithri and Ranil Not in Favour of International Role’ »

By

Namini Wojedasa

There is no involvement of German carmaker Volkswagen AG in the project to set up an assembly plant at Kuliyapitiya in the Kurunegala district, a spokesman for the German Embassy said today.

“SENOK Trade Combine (Pvt) Ltd. and BOI are the parties of the contract signed on 13th August 2015,” said Dr. Michael Dohmen, Deputy Head of Mission, in response to a question from the Sunday Times. “According to our state of knowledge currently there isn’t any involvement of Volkswagen in the project. If you have further questions, I’d recommend you to contact SENOK.”

Dr Dohmen said the Embassy has no knowledge about any other German involvement either. Volkswagen has separately confirmed to a media station that there are ‘‘currently no plans for a Volkswagen brand investment in Sri Lanka“.

Times Online contacted Senok for a comment. A spokesperson said they would get back with the information required-namely, the brands of vehicles to be assemble at Kulipitiya. A response is still awaited.

Continue reading ‘No Volkswagen AG Involvement in Kuliyapitiya assembly Plant Clarifies German Embassy’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms (CTFRM), headed by attorney-at-law Manouri Muttetuwegama, has called for full participation of foreign judges and other personnel including defence lawyers, prosecutors and investigators in transitional justice mechanism to address accountability issues.

The eleven-member committee stressed that foreign participation was required as those who had suffered during the conflict had no faith in local judiciary, which lacked expertise to undertake such a task.

The UNP-SLFP administration appointed the group early last year in keeping with the understanding reached with the international community.

Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein declared in Colombo in February 2016 that the judiciary here was incapable of undertaking the process. He questioned the integrity of the local judiciary.

Continue reading ‘11 Member Reconciliation Task Force (CTFRM) Wants Foreign Personnel Participation in Transitional Justice Mechanism’ »

Namini Wijedasa

The original framework agreement for the Hambantota port privatisation had envisaged Sri Lanka leasing out the facility to a single Chinese company for nearly 200 years, Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga has revealed.

In a letter to a committee of secretaries negotiating the Hambantota deal with China Merchant Port Holding Company Ltd (CMPort), Mr Ranatunga claims his ministry and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) were largely sidelined in the process. But they had received a copy of the proposed framework agreement from the Finance Ministry’s External Resources Department of the Ministry of Finance and had been alarmed by several of its clauses.

Based on the SLPA’s recommendations, some of the terms of the agreement were subsequently amended. One of these was to reduce the lease from a total of 198 years (two leases of 99 years each) to one lease of 99 years. Pressure was also borne upon to increase the outright payment pledged by CMPort from US$ 1.08 billion to US$ 1.2 billion (the framework agreement places it at US$ 1.4 billion); to ensure that the land lease agreement is reviewed after 15 years and thereafter every five years; and to drop a CMPort condition that no other facility will be developed within a 200km radius of Hambantota port.

Continue reading ‘Govt Wanted to lease out Hambantota port to Chinese company for nearly 200 years Reveals Ports Minister Arjuna Ranatunga’ »

By Kalana Senaratne

(Eminent Legal luminary Christopher Gregory Weeramantry has passed away at the age of 90. This article written in “The Island” of November 23rd 2008 in honour of Judge weeramantri’s 82nd Birthday is being re-published here as tribute to an illustrious son of Mother Lanka. The writer who was once a researcher at the Weeramantry International Centre for Peace Education and Research was attached to the UNDP in Timor-Leste at the time this article was written)

I had picked up a small book on ‘The World Court’ from a dusty shelf of a bookshop close to my home, in Nugegoda. I had flipped through it, realized the importance of its content, and decided to purchase it. I had heard much about the author and even read some of his previous publications. But I didn’t know where he was or what he was doing, then. The small print in the book referred to a ‘Weeramantry International Centre for Peace Education and Research (WICPER)’ established in Colombo – the existence about which I had not known until then. The author must have returned home from The Hague, I thought.

Sri Lankabhimanya Christopher Gregory Weeramantry, AM (November 17, 1926 – January 5, 2017)

The author was none other than Judge Christopher Gregory Weeramantry, who celebrated his 82nd birthday on 17th November. Born in 1926, he has had a most dazzling legal career spanning 60 years; firstly, as a lawyer and law lecturer in Sri Lanka and then as the youngest Supreme Court judge in the country; thereafter, as Sir Hayden Starke Professor of Law at Monash University, before becoming a judge and Vice President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague. He has then traversed the great mountain ranges and peaks of a vast legal landscape. He currently trots the globe delivering speeches and lectures to eminent international audiences. WICPER, which was founded by Judge Weeramantry in 2001, is a small but ambitious research centre, dedicated to the promotion of peace education, cross-cultural understanding and international law. I too, was once, a very small part of it.

C. G. Weeramantry is a name that belongs to many generations. Past generations would know him well. The same cannot be said about the present one, unfortunately. This, I fear, is mostly due to his own humility; which has been the defining trait of this larger-than-life legal luminary. Some would know of his enormous contribution to legal literature, domestic as well as international, having read, studied and analysed his innumerable scholarly work. Some others have been more privileged to work with him, to have had the opportunity of interacting with him. Since I fall into this privileged second category, I will conveniently avoid trespassing on specialist territory belonging to the former. For me, Judge Weeramantry is more than what he is to legal scholarship and jurisprudence.

Continue reading ‘Lanka’s Eminent Legal Luminary C.G.Weeramantry Traversed the Peaks of Legal Landscapes Nationally and Internationally’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

Minister Rajitha Senaratne yesterday pooh-poohed an allegation that he was involved in creating the Bodu Bala Sena made by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa last week, counter-alleging that it was his brother former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was the true patron of the extremist Sinhalese movement accused of targeting religious and ethnic minorities in the country.

Senaratne told reporters at the Cabinet press briefing yesterday that the former President’s claim was the “joke of the 21st Century.”

Asked who was truly behind the creation of the BBS, Senaratne replied: “Gotabaya. I have never minced my words about this.”

Minister Senaratne, who also served as Fisheries Minister in the Rajapaksa Cabinet, revealed that he had warned President Rajapaksa several times that his brother’s actions were destroying his Government.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Scared of His Brother Could not Stop Gotabhaya Create Extremist Bodu Bala Sena Reveals Rajitha’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said here on Wednesday, that the Palaly airport in the northern district of Jaffna, will be developed as a “regional airport,” to serve not only Sri Lanka, but also South India.

India has been pressing for the development of Palaly as an international airport to improve communication links between Tamil-speaking North Sri Lanka with India, especially Tamil Nadu.

There had been an air service between Palaly and Madras and Tiruchi, before the ethnic conflict turned the airport into a military base.

Continue reading ‘Palaly Airport in Jaffna Will be Developed as a “Regional Airport” to Serve Sri Lanka and South India Announces PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

BY SAPUMAL JAYASENA

A new breed of scorpion identified in Sri Lanka has been named after popular historical bandit of Sri Lanka Saradiel.

Many do not know that the research which led to the discovery was due to study of species of scorpions. That creature did not have such an attractive name. The two inch little scorpion found camouflaged in the sandy soil in Jaffna was identified as fatally poisonous, shattering the belief we had so far that the scorpion was only mildly poisonous. This scorpion is so very small, that it is not easily identified. The victim can be dead within 10 hours.yellowish scorpion. The vaccination for the snakebites did not answer and the man died. Sri Lanka did not have anti-venom drugs for that scorpion.

This specimen creature was sent to the Veterinary Hospital of Peradeniya and from there to Peradeniya University. Prof. Kithsiri Ranawaka led a team to identify this creature.

Continue reading ‘Newly Discovered Non – venomous Scorpion in Sri Lanka Named “Charmus Saradieli” After Legendary Bandit Saradiel’ »

By

Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka

“Yes, finally the tables are starting to turn Talkin’ bout a revolution…” – Tracy Chapman

2016 was the year, in which we lost Fidel and Muhammad Ali. Fidel was the Muhammad Ali of politics; Muhammad Ali was the Fidel Castro of sports. We also lost David Bowie, Prince and above all, Leonard Cohen,the poet of our interpersonal lives.

I always thought that when Fidel went, we’d be lucky if we still had Bob Dylan but if we lost both, we’d have lost the two pillars of the collective consciousness of people like myself, of an age and a generation. We are lucky to still have Dylan —the TS Eliot of our time–who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature this year.

Continue reading ‘Neither President Sirisena nor His Representative Could Attend Fidel Castro’s Funeral Due to “Failure” of Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry’ »

By

Lahiru Pothmulla

Former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa MP, said yesterday that he was not a backstabber and would only topple the government when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was in the country and not when he was abroad.

In response to the prime minister’s remark that Mr. Rajapaksa could do whatever he wanted to after he left for Switzerland on January 17, the former president said Mr. Wickremesinghe had nothing to fear from him.

“I assure the prime minister that I won’t topple the government while he is away. Backstabbing is not in my nature. Everything will be done in a democratic manner when he is in the country. There is nothing for him to be afraid of. He can leave for Switzerland and come back safely,” Mr. Rajapaksa told the journalists at his political office in Battaramulla.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Says He is not a “Backstabber” to Topple Govt While Premier Ranil is Away in Switzerland’ »

By W. A. Sunil

Political tensions between the Sri Lankan government and the country’s provincial councils over its new foreign investment measures have deepened in recent weeks. Known as the “Development (Special Provisions) Act,” Colombo’s planned legislation aims to institute a range of measures that will encourage more foreign investment.

If adopted, the legislation will centralise all “economic development” activities in the hands of the Minister of National Policy and Economic Affairs, a new position. The minister will have the authority to declare any part of the island “an economic development area” and determine what activity can be conducted in that zone.

While it has already been approved by the cabinet and will be submitted to parliament in February, eight out of the nine provincial councils have rejected the legislation. The Eastern Provincial Council, which is due to vote on the bill on January 24, is also likely to oppose it. Under the Sri Lankan constitution, the act must be approved by the provincial councils before it can be adopted by the parliament.

Political conflict over Colombo’s foreign investment measures is another indication of the increasingly unstable character of the Colombo government, now approaching its second year in office.

Continue reading ‘Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka Oppose Govt Move to Centralise Economic Development Through Ministry of National Policy and Economic Affairs’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

Facing a barrage of criticism over its decision to lease the Port and 15,000 acres for proposed industrial zone in Hambantota to a Chinese company, the Government yesterday defended the deal saying it would help to turn around white elephant projects in the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s hometown.

Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters yesterday that the joint venture between China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd. and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority would be signed as scheduled on 7 January, in spite of ongoing opposition to the proposal from the Joint Opposition and the JVP.

“No development ever takes place in this country without massive protests against it,” he charged.

He claimed that while the pro-Rajapaksa Joint Opposition had been sharply critical of the proposed joint venture with the Chinese firm that also manages the Colombo South Harbour container terminal – CICT – the proposal to designate a 15,000-acre industrial park in the southern district had first been made during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s term in office.

Continue reading ‘Govt Will Sign Agreement with Chinese Company Over 15,000 Acres in Hambantota on Jan 7th Despite Political Protests’ »

By Chathuri Dissanayake

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday unveiled a new plan for the country entitled ‘Balagathu Lanka’ aimed at enduring national progress and individual prosperity by expanding export markets and attracting massive foreign investment.

The broad framework, dubbed by the Premier as “the forerunner of development”, outlines a sustainable development economic program harnessing local strengths and potential as well as Sri Lanka›s strategic geographic location with enhanced cooperation among countries in Asia and the world. The plan also focuses on two primary economic corridors, the North Eastern and South Western corridors, and a secondary one, the Central Highlands Corridor, focusing on accelerating industrial and tourism sector growth in the next 10 years.dft-1-20

“Our investments will build up in 2018 and 2019. We still have to make some of the laws and changes,” he said.

The Government has set its sight on attracting $ 50 billion worth of investment through the 10-year plan. The framework will serve as the broad basis for all development, focusing on attracting investment in stages.

Continue reading ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe Reveals “Balagathu Lanka”(Powerful Lanka)Plan to Make Country Progress Economically Through Expanding Exports and Investment’ »

By PK Balachandran

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has cancelled Wednesday’s visit to Jaffna. A spokesman of the President told Express that “unscheduled meetings” in Colombo led to the cancellation.

“But he will be visiting Jaffna on January 25 or any other suitable date before that,” the spokesman added.

In Jaffna he was to have inaugurated an island-wide mobile app facility to get in touch with the President and track the progress of requests through ministries and departments in the Center. He was also to release about 600 acres of private land presently held by the military.

The President may have been held back by the developing political situation in South Sri Lanka with a resurgent former President Mahinda Rajapaksa vowing to overthrow the Sirisena-Wickemesinghe coalition government in 2017.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Facing Political Crisis Cancels visit to Jaffna due to “unscheduled meetings” in Colombo’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

Eight Members of the Sri Lankan parliament belonging to the Pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa Joint Opposition have written to President Maithripala Sirisena appealing to him to scuttle the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Framework Agreement signed between the government and the China Merchant Ports Holding Company on the management of the Hambantota port.

The MPs, led by Dinesh Gunawardena, pointed out loopholes, infirmities and mysteries in the agreement, which had replaced a more favourable one signed in September 2014 under the Rajapaksa Presidency.

Tracing the history of the agreements on the construction of the port, the MPs said that in September 2014, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), had entered into an agreement with the China Merchant Holdings (International) Company Ltd and the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd, to lease the Hambantota Port (Phase II) on a Supply, Operate and Transfer (SOT) basis for 35 years. But this agreement was subsequently nullified and the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd and China Merchant Ports Holding Company Ltd, tendered separate proposals.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan opposition asks President Sirisena to scuttle Hambantota port deal with Chinese company’ »

BY

DR. DAYAN JAYATILLEKA

“It wasn’t a happy time, believe me!…their humanitarian paratroopers, human rights combined with the right of intervention as the sole means of assistance, the full-bellied Western fortress giving moral lessons to those starving the world over…the cult of national, racial, sexual, religious and cultural identities seeking to undo the rights of the universal …”
– Alain Badiou, ‘Second Manifesto for Philosophy’

In one sense we didn’t lose Fidel in 2016 because his example and words are indelible, just as those of Che Guevara. As the Sandinista Commandante and poet Tomas Borge (later, a diplomat) said when his jailor brought news that his leader Carlos Fonseca had been killed: “No, he is one of the dead who never die”. This is true several times over of Fidel. He has been immortalized like some Old Testament Jewish prophet or Catholic saint. As Raul Castro said “Fidel, undefeated, has left us, but his spirit of struggle will permanently remain in the conscience…” (Dec 27, 2016)

Fidel was a major influence in forming our values, our political consciousness and our way of being in the world. He was the archetypal Rebel, the archetypal Revolutionary and the paradigmatic leader-statesman. Nothing sums up Fidel’s greatness as much as the fact that he was Che Guevara’s beloved leader. Jean-Paul Sartre described Che as “the most complete human being of his time” and Raul Castro called him “the paradigm of that highest level of the human species” (1991). It is that human being who in his utterly poignant farewell letter, described Fidel in the following words:

“…I am also proud of having followed you without hesitation, of having identified with your way of thinking and of seeing and appraising dangers and principles…I carry to new battlefronts the faith that you taught me, the revolutionary spirit of my people, the feeling of fulfilling the most sacred of duties: to fight against imperialism wherever it may be…If my final hour finds me under other skies, my last thought will be of this people and especially of you. I am grateful for your teaching and your example, to which I shall try to be faithful up to the final consequences of my acts.” (Ernesto Che Guevara, Farewell Letter to Fidel, 1965)

Continue reading ‘Unlike Their International Counterparts Sri Lankan Civil Society Has Failed to Publicly Commemorate Fidel Castro.’ »

Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera was yesterday advised by the Additional Magistrate of Colombo Dulani Amarasinghe, to reduce the volumes of the loudspeakers when chanting religious stanzas, early morning between 5.00 a.m. and 6 a.m. at his temple at Polhengoda.

One should engage in religious practice without disturbing the neighbours, she said.

The complainant is Milinda Moragoda.

The temple is Alanmathiniaramaya at Narahenpita.

Courtesy:The Island

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Last week a group calling themselves ‘alt-right Sri Lanka’ started following me on Twitter. Apparently they want to make Gotabaya Rajapaksa President and as Donald Trump would say they made me feel ‘sad’.

It’s especially ‘sad’ because the last few years have been good for ethnic nationalism. In the United States Richard Spencer and the alt-right memed a President into power, Narendra Modi and his BJP won big in 2014 and the Identitarian movement in Europe has propelled a number of ‘fringe’ parties into positions of power.

And of course, startled by these developments,we have started hearing a lot about Sinhala nationalism again, from the liberal left and what passes on as the ‘right’ here. But the point everyone seems to be missing is that elements that try to pass as the political right in Sri Lanka, from Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) to Joint Opposition (JO), have learned nothing from what has been happening around the world in the last five years.

Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Symbolizes all the Wrong Moves Made by the Sinhala Nationalist Movement in the Past years’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

In a strange falling out, the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) has threatened to take legal action against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his statements to the Colombo-based foreign media last week alleging that the untitled-1hardline group was created by the Opposition and Western Governments to ensure his defeat.

The hardline group has demanded that the former President or his proxies back up the statements with facts and said the group was willing to take action against any individual or organisation, including the media, which attempted to bring the BBS into disrepute.

Addressing a press briefing at the Bodu Bala Sena headquarters in Kirulapone yesterday, the organisation’s CEO Dilantha Withanage said members of the former ruling administration, led by Rajapaksa had been behind anti-Muslim violence in Aluthgama and the controversial Buddhist monk-led mob attack on the Fashion Bug warehouse in Pepiliyana.

Continue reading ‘Bodu Bala Sena Alleges Mahinda Led Govt was Behind Anti -Muslim Violence in Aluthgama and Pepiliyana’ »

By PK Balachandran

The much-hyped Sri Lankan constitution making process has hit a serious snag.

President Maithripala Sirisena has told the Buddhist high priests in Kandy that he would once again consult the masses on the nature of the constitution, setting aside the report of the Public Representations Committee done after an exhaustive island-wide survey.

The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government’s promise that a draft new constitution will be ready by 2016 has not been met and chances of it being fulfilled in the foreseeable future appear to be dim.

On Sunday, President Sirisena met the Chief Prelates (Mahanayake Theras) of the Malwatte and Asgiriya chapters of the Buddhist Sangha (Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera and Ven.Warakagoda Gnanaratna Thera respectively) and told them that he does not intend to include any divisive elements in the new constitution.

Continue reading ‘Constitution Making Process Seriously Undermined as President Sirisena “Surrenders” to Pressure From Buddhist Clergy Hierarchy’ »

By

Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana

The sudden and unexpected transfer, based on promotion, of the director of the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), with immediate effect, to Monaragala District last week had raised eyebrows in many political circles, Daily Mirror learns.

The FCID director, SSP Anura Premashantha who was promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in mid December 2016 had been transferred to Monaragala District with immediate effect on Friday, December 23, 2016, Police Headquarters sources revealed yesterday.

Premashantha who received his promotion to the rank of DIG after winning a Fundamental Rights petition after stagnating as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) for a long time had reported for duty as DIG (Monaragala) on Monday, December 26.

Continue reading ‘Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division Crippled as FCID Director Premashantha is Transferred “Suddenly” as Monaragala DIG by IGP Jayasundara’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

We are entering the New Year with many self-contradictions. In politics, at least one stands out. Consider this for instance: The government has mooted a plan for a super-minister who would lord over all others and provincial councils in affairs related to economic planning and foreign investment. The relevant bill which needed the approval of the nine provincial councils was voted down by nearly all of them during the past two weeks. In the meantime, the government is promising a new constitution this year, which would presumably offer the maximum possible devolution of powers to the provincial councils to address the minority demands for self-determination.

This is not to say either premise is bad, but they are self-contradictory. They are driven by two wholly different thinking; the former is intended to address real practical economic concerns and prop up economic development; the latter is to assuage emotive, mainly Tamil concerns on an equally emotive concept of Tamil nationhood. As history has shown with devastating consequences, when these primordial demands are not fulfilled, it makes neither economic development, nor peaceful cohabitation feasible — even when those demands are granted, there is no guarantee they would serve either objective.

However, the problem is not confined to the North alone. Take for instance the provincial councils in the rest of the country, of which the only practical purpose is to be a nursery for future national-level politicians, and even that is achieved by infusing the worst form of sycophancy into their grooming process. Even in the South, provincial councils can function even nominally only when the ruling party in the Central Government is also the ruling party of the provincial council. That is not to say there is a major consensus between the two on how the lives of the local electorate be bettered.

Continue reading ‘Metamorphosis of Wigneswaran From Respected Supreme Court Judge to Darling of Eelam Lobby’ »

By Aparna M Sridhar

Dr.Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna

‘I don’t know music, I am a mere instrument’:

Dr Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna’s death on November 22 took away a much loved light-heartedness and effortlessness of both being and musicality that one does not always associate with classical music. One of South India’s most enduring modern day music legends, the man who never had to try too hard to be easy on the ear is gone.
Continue reading ‘Remembering Music Maestro Dr.Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna’ »

By

Pheba Mathew

At a time when the AIADMK’s propaganda secretary M Thambidurai has requested VK Sasikala to become the chief minister of the state, a new group has been formed in support of Jayalalithaa’s niece, Deepa Jayakumar.

The group, started by an AIADMK cadre Rangaraj (37), was formed on Sunday in Trichy and has been named “Puratchi Malar Deepa Peravai”.

Asked why he’d started the group, Rangaraj said, “We do not like Sasikala amma, we are believers of Jayalalithaa amma. When Amma was admitted in the hospital, they did not even allow Deepa inside the hospital and threatened her. We feel that Sasikala will forget MGR and Jayalalalithaa amma soon.”

Continue reading ‘AIADMK Cadres Opposing Sasikala Form “Puratchi Malar Deepa Peravai” with 10 Lakhs Members to Promote Jayalalithaa’s Niece Deepa as her Successor’ »

By

Rakesh Mehar|

With late TN Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s friend-turned-political-heir VK Sasikala being appointed the General Secretary of the AIADMK, senior party leaders have begun appealing for her to take the post of CM as well. While Revenue Minister RP Udayakumar issued the call first, senior leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambidurai released a statement on Monday appealing that she take over as CM immediately.

How Sasikala can become CM

Though Sasikala has never held a post in the government, and is not currently an elected MLA, it is possible for her to immediately ascend to the post of Chief Minister. The AIADMK Legislature Party can elect her their leader, following which she will be sworn as CM by the Governor. From the date she becomes the CM, she has a six-month period in which she must get elected as an MLA.

If this procedure is carried out, current Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will have to step down from the post. This will not be the first time OPS has done so, having served twice before as interim CM in 2001 and 2014, relinquishing the post when Jayalalithaa had crossed legal obstacles in her path.

Continue reading ‘Hasty Moves to “Crown” Sasikala Immediately as Chief Minister Due to Legal Advice That She May be Acquitted of Corruption Charges’ »

by Zacki Jabbar

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that he was still in the saddle, but former President Mahinda Rajapaksa could please himself by doing what he wanted in his (Wickremesinghe’s) absence.

Speaking in lighter vein during a function at Temple Trees yesterday morning, to ring in the New Year, the Premier, who was in high spirits said ” I am going to Switzerland later this month. Mahinda can do what he wants then, while keeping in mind that I am still the Prime Minister.”

Continue reading ‘“Mahinda Rajapaksa Can Play While I am Away in Swtizerland” Says Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

By PK Balachandran

India and Sri Lanka registered “significant” progress in resolving the vexed fishing issue at the Fisheries Ministers-level talks here on Monday, the Sri Lankan Minister for Fisheries, Mahinda Amaraweera, told newspersons after the talks.

An Agreement was reached on a wide range of issues when the Indian Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Radha Mohan Singh met with Amaraweera for over two hours at the Taj Samudra Hotel. The talks “carried forward” the decisions taken at the first meeting of the Joint Working Group on Fisheries (JWGF) held in New Delhi on December 31.

Continue reading ‘European Union’s Tough Stance on Illegal Fishing Strengthens Colombo in Talks with New Delhi About Indian Poaching in Sri Lankan Waters.’ »

By

Lasanda Kurukulasuriya

With the Maithri-Ranil ‘unity government’ approaching the end of its second year in office in an increasingly acrimonious co-habitation, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is gearing up for a come-back.

He’s in combative mode, claiming that the ‘real SLFP’ is with him, that he opposes the government’s ongoing privatization and hopes to restore to the party the values of its founders.

Engaging Colombo-based foreign correspondents in a wide-ranging discussion at his official residence on Thursday he seemed to relish the encounter, starting off by urging reporters to fire away.

MR, the Kurunegala District MP set the tone of the discussion with his smiling response to the very first question, remarking that he would ‘topple the government’ in the New Year. When it was pointed out that he could not be the leader of the country (owing to term limits on the presidency introduced with the 19th amendment) he indicated that he didn’t need to, when he could wield influence by other means (presumably referring to the prime ministerial post).

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Gears up for Comeback as Co-habitation Acrimony Increases Within Maithri-Ranil Govt’ »

By

C.A.Chandraprema

It was perhaps supremely fitting that we ended 2016 with a scandal involving a key cabinet minister and the Angoda mental hospital. This scandal became public for the first time due to a video posted on SlVlog.com by journalist Darshana Handungoda who explained the whole sordid episode in great detail with a powerful cabinet minister, his valet who got involved with a beautiful Korean woman, ending up with six electric shocks administered to the unfortunate valet’s head in the Angoda mental hospital. This video can be viewed on the following link – https://youtu.be/RLC7YGJb1Oo. We watched it and then forgot about it because the story was too Hollywood-like to believe. Such things can’t happen in real life was what we thought. Then last Thursday, the aggrieved valet appeared in person at a press conference with an affidavit attested by Commissioner of Oaths Mahanama Dissanayake dated 15 December 2016.

What the valet said at that press conference can be viewed on the following link https://youtu.be/Bzzjyw9KHrM. According to the contents of his affidavit, the name of this aggrieved valet is Harshsa Bandara Thilakasiri. He claimed to be an executive chef by profession who had got involved with the Anti-terrorism movement in the 1990s, and worked with Minister Champika Ranawaka for the past 16 years. He had been on Ranawaka’s ministerial personal staff for the past ten years in all the ministries that he had held from 2007 up to now. He had also been the executive chef of Water’s Edge hotel (no less) and the menial work he did for Ranawaka was obviously due to his allegiance to the cause. His task had been that of a personal valet, cooking for Ranawaka, washing and iroing his clothes and even massaging the Hon. Minister!

The long and short of the story is that this executive chef turned valet who also apparently speaks Korean got involved with an attractive Korean lady and a certain ministerial one had wanted to have fun with this lady which request the valet had refused and this led to a whole chain of events resulting in the valet falling out with the minister, leaving his service and then being literally abducted by the minister’s security guards and henchmen and taken to the Angoda mental hospital where he had been given electric shock treatment.

Continue reading ‘Was Champika Ranawaka’s Ex-Valet Given Electric Shocks in Angoda Mental Hospital Because Minister “Wanted” his Attractive Korean Wife?’ »

By

Ajantha Kumara Agalakada

President Maithripala Sirisena said the decision taken to spend large sums to provide vehicles on rent basis to 58 Parliamentarians who were holding the Chairmanship posts of Regional Development Committees would not be implemented.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror he further said a decision would be taken to implement a new system at the cabinet meeting held next week.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Stops Scheme to Provide Vehicles on Rental Basis to 58 MP’s Serving as Regional Development Committee Chairpersons’ »

By P K Balachandran

Given the billowing controversy over the Sino-Sri Lankan Framework Agreement (FA) on Hambantota port in south Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is all set to seek some significant amendments in it. He proposes to do so by appointing his own representative in the negotiating team.

The Sunday Times reported that Sirisena met the Chinese Ambassador to sound him about this plan to appoint his own representative, Dr.Sarath Rajapatirana of the Institute of Policy Studies, to the negotiating team.

In view of this development, political circles wonder if an amended agreement will be ready for signing on January 7, a day ahead of the second anniversary of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe coalition government.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Appoints Sarath Rajapathirana to Negotiation Team to Amend Agreement Giving Hambantota Port to China.’ »

Dhanya Rajendran & Ramanathan S.

The road to the AIADMK headquarters was dotted with khaki uniforms, of both policemen (at least 2000 of them) and some government workers, ostensibly members of unions with strong ties to the party. There were also the blue-uniformed workers of the state transport department, amidst a sea of white – the thousands of party members from across the state.

As Sasikala rolled into the HQ in a Land Cruiser, along with her convoy of three other SUVs, the reception was dull and seemingly engineered, as very few loud voices raised slogans from the crowd. The AIADMK’s leadership might have given in to Sasikala, but the grassroots-level worker is harder to win over, and there was an undeniable sense of distrust over what she would have to say. In such a context, one could assume, the goal of the speech was to sway the minds of several tens of lakhs of party workers in Tamil Nadu.

It was Sasikala’s maiden public speech. Never once in her 33-year-long association with Jayalalithaa, and presence at the heart of Tamil Nadu politics, has the AIADMK’s new General Secretary delivered a political address. Evidently, based on immediate cadre reactions to her speech, the absence of any expectation from her oratorical skills may well have worked in her favour.

So, what was Sasikala’s speech all about?

Continue reading ‘Sasikala Conveys Subtle Message Through Successful Maiden Public Speech to Party that she is There to Stay’ »

Two days after VK Sasikala took charge as AIADMK’s General Secretary, calls have once again renewed for her to take over immediately as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. In a letter issued to the media by the AIADMK party office, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and AIADMK Propaganda Secretary M Thambidurai wrote, “When the country is going to face Parliamentary election in two years, our Party AIADMK has to function very effectively to get the wholehearted support of the people, and to continue to win the election, as was done by Puratchi Thalaivar and Puratchi Thalaivi, I emphatically request that Respected Chinnamma has to immediately take over the leadership of the Government, as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.”

His appeal for her to take charge as CM follows her emotional speech to the AIADMK members on Saturday. Thambidurai states, “Respected Chinnamma has the intelligence, capacity and love for the people, love for the Party workers and care for the Party cadres, as Puratchi Thalaivi Hon’ble Amma had; and it is my strong belief that it is very important that Respected Chinnamma has to shoulder the responsibility of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, to take forward the Party and to carry on the governance of Tamil Nadu, for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu.”

Continue reading ‘“Pressure” Mounts on “Respected Chinnamma” Sasikala From AIADMK Ministers to Take Over as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’ »

Having lived under Late Chief Minister Jayalalaithaa’s shadow for over 30 years, all eyes were on Sasikala, the newly appointed AIADMK General Secretary, as she stepped into the party headquarters in Chennai on Saturday.

But as Sasikala formally took over Jayalalithaa’s mantle, there appeared to be a distinct change in her appearance, transforming from one who worked behind the scenes to a stateswoman herself.

As Jayalalithaa’s political heir, she not only had to invoke her best friend’s name in her maiden public speech, but it was important that Sasikala looked the part of a worthy successor as well.

Continue reading ‘Sasikala Tries to Re-invent Her Appearance Like that of Jayalalithaa by Changing Attire and Hair style’ »

Two days after the AIADMK General Council passed a resolution in favour of VK Sasikala taking the reins of the party as its General Secretary, the friend and closest aide of former CM Jayalalithaa arrived at the party HQ to give her first ever public speech.

As Sasikala made her way to the party HQ in a convoy of SUVs, cadres and government workers gathered along the route in support, and cheered her on. At least 2,000 policemen and officers were deputed to beef up security at the venue. There was heavy security all along Avvai Shanmugam Road, where the party HQ is housed.

Sasikala arrived at the party headquarters at 12.10pm. The AIADMK’s ministers and party leaders, including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam were already gathered there to welcome her. Thousands of party workers, government union workers and staff had also assembled at the venue.

Arriving at the party HQ, Sasikala first garlanded the statue of MGR, as the compound resonated with slogans of, “Ammavin vaarisu Chinnamma” (Amma’s Heir Chinnamma) and “Engalin vazhigatti Chinamma” (Our guide Chinnamma).

Continue reading ‘“Sinnamma” Sasikala Makes First Public Speech as she Formally Takes Charge of AIADMK Party’ »

By P K Balachandran

The resignation of the popular Sri Lankan politician and State Minister for Local government, Priyankara Jayaratne, from the Council of Ministers on Friday, complaining of harassment by Ministers of the coalition partner United National Party (UNP), has touched off rumors of ten other ministers from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) quitting the government.

According to Ceylon Today these resignations will be timed to coincide with the second anniversary of the Maithripala Sirisena-Ranil Wickremesinghe coalition government on January 8, 2017.

The multi-party “rainbow coalition” led by the UNP and SLFP, has been rocked by internal disagreements over practically every domestic and foreign policy issue.

The UNP, being in larger numbers than the SLFP, tends to be domineering and taking decisions unilaterally – decisions which the SLFP considers detrimental to its electoral prospects.

Continue reading ‘Will More SLFP Ministers Exit from Maithri-Ranil Govt Like State Minister Priyankara Jayaratne?’ »

By

C.A.Chandraprema

The exchanges between the the UNP and the SLFP (Sirisena faction) became shriller as the year came to a close. Usually, the run up to Christmas and the following days up to the dawn of the New Year and about two weeks into the New Year is a lean period for the media with most politicians out of the country and everybody taking a long break from work and infighting. But this year, we have reached the end of the year with no diminution in the sound and fury of the political give and take. Even the ministers who have gone abroad continued to make noises even in their absence. The almost daily exchange of recriminations and insults between the UNP and the SLFP continued last week as well with the UNP going on the offensive and responding more forcefully to the jibes and brickbats of their SLFP colleagues.

Last week Ministers Mano Ganesan and P.Digambaram holding a joint press conference told the SLFP group to leave the government if they are not happy. Then three UNP backbenchers including parliamentarian Nalin Bandara held a press conference at Sirikotha and said much the same thing. UNP parliamentarian Mujibur Rahaman wrote a letter to the President saying that the Presidential Media Unit has been carrying out chauvinistic propaganda. What he meant by this was that the statements that had been made about the Muslim people and Islam by Galagodaatte Gananasara during a meeting with President Sirisena had been circulated to the media by the Presidential media division. Rahaman had taken exception to the allegation made by Gnanasara to the effect that Islam teaches Muslims to destroy places of historical value. Last week, Dilan Perera, the official spokesman of the SLFP once again lashed out at the UNP on the Sirasa Newsline programme.

All this took place in the backdrop of resounding and embarrassing defeats for the UNP’s Development Special Provisions Bill in all the SLFP controlled provincial councils with the Joint Opposition and the SLFP government group as well as the JVP joining hands to defeat it. Unless the president had specifically instructed the chief ministers to oppose the Bill they would not have thrown their weight behind the Joint Opposition and the JVP. Yet this Bill had been approved by cabinet which is headed by the President. In fact after helping to defeat this Bill in the Western Provincial Council, Chief Minister Isura Devapriya told the media that it was the SLFP that was the decisive group in the government and not the UNP.

Continue reading ‘Will Maithripala Give Ranil the Same “Hoppers Treat”he gave Mahinda in 2014?’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardena

Consternation accompanied by fervent chest beating on the part of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in regard to the acquittal of suspects (including three Navy intelligence officers) charged with the murder of TNA parliamentarian and lawyer N. Raviraj in Colombo in 2006, is an instructive lesson in regard to the evils of political game-playing.

Notably this vehemence had been absent regarding the unconscionably delayed legal inquiries into the killings of five Tamil students in Trincomalee and seventeen aid workers in Mutur during that same year. Neither was a whimper raised when the Unity Government deafeningly trumpeted that the independence of the judiciary in Sri Lanka had been restored subsequent to the defeat of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2015. On the contrary, this outrageous claim was fully supported by the TNA at the time.

Greater prudence not seen

Thus the single act of sending a sitting Chief Justice home by executive fiat (notwithstanding the many evils perpetrated by that worthy) and sitting in his place, a Chief Justice of Tamil ethnicity was paraded as having addressed minority concerns. While the (unfortunately) un-blinkered among us took this assertion with a grain of salt, it resonated with an international community which was too relieved to have seen the last of the Rajapaksas to seriously question this preposterous assertion. Suffice to say that this mischievous propaganda spin was backed enthusiastically by the Government’s political partners and cheered on by its civil society supporters, including most reprehensibly by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka which should have exercised greater prudence.

Continue reading ‘Dispassionate Trials at Bar Without Juries Needed to Prevent Verdicts in Cases with an “Ethnic Dimension” Where “Sinhala”Juries Acquit “Sinhalese”Accused’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

Secretaries to the Ministries of Fisheries of Sri Lanka and India met in New Delhi on Saturday to discuss the fishing issue bedeviling relations between the two countries.

On January 2, the Agriculture cum Fisheries Minister of India, Radha Mohan Singh, and the Fisheries Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Amaraweera, will meet in Colombo to carry forward the decisions taken at the Secretary-level talks.

Officials described the New Delhi talks as the first meeting of the Joint Working Group on Fisheries (JWGF) which was set up when the Foreign Ministers of the two countries met in New Delhi in October.

The JWGF consists only of civil and military officials of Sri Lanka and India. It does not have representatives of the Tamil Nadu government or the fishermen of the two countries.

Among the main issues to be discussed in these two meetings are: measures to prevent Indian fishermen from crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) to poach in Sri Lankan waters; the release of fishermen and boats detained in Sri Lanka; and the joint preservation and development of resources in the sea between the two countries.

Continue reading ‘Fisheries Ministry Secretaries of India and Sri Lanka Meet For Talks Ahead of Ministers Meeting on Jan 2nd 2017’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday vowed to make it his mission to topple the National Unity Government and regain power in 2017, nearly two years after he was ousted in a shocking election upset.

During a meeting with Colombo-based foreign correspondents, the former President said that even though the National Unity Government currently held a two thirds majority, that balance of power could shift given the current political climate.

“They are fighting with each other. It can’t go on like this. It is bad for the country,” Rajapaksa told reporters at his official residence at Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo yesterday.

Ironically, the old colonial residence was President Maithripala Sirisena’s ministerial residence when he served as Rajapaksa’s Health Minister. For several months following his election, President Sirisena continued to operate out of his old residence. When Sirisena was the occupant of the Wijerama Mawatha residence, portraits of communist icons Karl Marx and Lenin hung on the walls.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Vows to Topple Maithri-Ranil Govt and Regain Power in 2017’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said here on Thursday that he has no plans to visit India although Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had extended an open invitation to him when he was here in March 2015.

Resident foreign correspondents who met Rajapaksa asked him if he would visit India also since he had gone to China, Japan and Malaysia after being defeated in the January 8, 2015 Presidential election.

“I have no plans to visit India. But when Prime Minister Modi visited Sri Lanka he told me that I can come at any time. There is a standing invitation,” Rajapaksa said.

From 2010 to 2014, India was very displeased with Rajapaksa for getting too close to the Chinese, giving to a Chinese state-owned company, the construction of a second terminal at Colombo harbor, and then, at the end of 2014, allowing a Chinese nuclear submarine to dock at Colombo harbor without informing India of the visit. Rajapaksa’s plea that the Chinese had informed India about the visit was not accepted by India.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa has no Plan to Visit India Despite Narendra Modi Inviting him to Visit Any time.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Two years after he was unseated, former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the first time explicitly stated his intent to make a political comeback, saying he wants to “topple” the current government in 2017.

While the National Unity government, led by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, has a majority in Parliament, it may not last as “they are fighting each other”, he told Colombo-based foreign correspondents on Thursday.

Sri Lanka’s Constitution disallows dissolution of the Parliament before four and a half years. The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe combine currently has about 155 seats in the 225-member Parliament.

The pro- Rajapaksa faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party — which President Sirisena leads — sits in Opposition, with nearly 50 members.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Mocks New Delhi Silence Over China’s Role in Sri Lanka Saying “India is Like a Mouse now”.’ »

By Vijith Samarasinghe

November 21 marked the second anniversary of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s defection from former President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government to contest the January 2015 presidential election as the opposition’s “common candidate.” Sirisena, who was Rajapakse’s health minister and secretary of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), defeated the incumbent and formed a coalition government with the United National Party (UNP), appointing its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister.

The mainstream media and pseudo-left groups hailed Sirisena’s election victory as a “democratic revolution.” Only the World Socialist Web Site and Socialist Equality Party explained that Sirisena’s cross-over was part of a reactionary regime-change operation orchestrated by Washington against Rajapakse’s pro-China tilt.

A recent book by a SLFP parliamentarian, Malith Jayathilake, titled The January 8th Revolution: As I Have Seen It, contains some inside information on how leading figures in Sri Lanka’s ruling elite conspired to oust Rajapakse. Jayathilake was a former advisor for Rajapakse’s ruling cabal, but later became Sirisena’s election propagandist.

While the book was written to glorify Sirisena and others who backed him, it confirms aspects of the WSWS’s detailed analysis of the regime-change operation. Jayathilake deliberately avoids mentioning Washington’s intervention. Sirisena, Wickremesinghe and their cohorts fear that revealing US imperialism’s connection to their installation would be politically suicidal.

Continue reading ‘Inside Story About Maithripala Sirisena Defeating Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2015 Revealed in Book by Malith Jayathilake’ »

By

P K Balachandran

Two leading Tamil politicians of North Sri Lanka, both belonging to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), are squabbling over a controversial statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Mullaitivu town which was found destroyed on Monday.

TNA Member of Parliament Dr.Sivamohan had installed the statue recently, with the money given to him by the government for carrying out social and development works in Wanni electoral district, his constituency.

He told Express on Tuesday that the installation of the statue was part of his project to honour heroes, and that he had put up statues of Mother Teresa, poet Subramania Bharathi, and the local hero, Pandara Vanniyan, in several places with explicit consent from the authorities.

He was however shocked to find that Gandhi’s statue in Mullaitivu town, which he had put up recently, had been pulled down.

Continue reading ‘TNA Provincial Councillor Suspected of Destroying Mahatma Gandhi Statue Erected by TNA Parliamentarian in Mullaitheevu Town’ »

By

L. Pieris

With last week’s release of a taped conversation between Editor of The Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, there has been a buzz of speculation as to who released the tape and why the tape was released at this particular time.

The contents of the tape, the tone and manner of the conversation and the relationship between the two has been dissected and analysed by media pundits and the public alike but all questions are yet unanswered and the emergence of the tape remains a mystery.

Then, as if that wasn’t mystery enough, this week a second tape emerged of a conversation between the two and it mainly centred around a ‘journo hit list’ sent to foreign embassies in Colombo.

As someone who closely associated with the assassinated journalist and thus privy to many things that went on at the time surrounding his life and work, I can say that the conversation which has been dated at 8 May 2008, was in fact the ‘mending fences’ or burying-the-hatchet conversation.

To explain what this means, I need to go back a little in time and put things in perspective as well as reveal what Lasantha himself felt about his friendship with Mahinda.

Continue reading ‘Did Mahinda Rajapaksa “Leak” Taped Conversation with Lasantha Wickrematunge to Show the World They had been “Good Friends”?’ »

By
Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka

It was perhaps the biggest Sri Lanka related news story of the year that is about to end. It should have been picked up by the international media but unsurprisingly it wasn’t – though it would have been, once. More shocking however is that it made the local media but the biggest news was not focused on. There has not been, for instance, a single editorial on it or feature spun off from it.

Let me back up a bit. It was the doyen of foreign correspondents in Sri Lankan, a true Sri Lankan hand of the old school, PK Balachandran of the New Indian Express, who surfaced it, it was the Daily Mirror that ran it first in Sri Lanka and it was the best reporter-cum-journalistic commentator on Sri Lankan affairs, DBS Jeyaraj, who gave the story the treatment it deserved.

What was the story? It was the confirmation that the USA (and Norway) had attempted to evacuate Velupillai Prabhakaran, at the time one of the deadliest terrorists the world knew and had ever known. The confirmation came from Shivshanker Menon, former National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, in his newly released memoirs.

“Leaders of Tamil Nadu, across the political divide, privately but effectively supported the Indian government’s policy of opposing efforts by the US and Norway to rescue Velupillai Prabhakaran so that his Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) lived to fight another day, says Shivshankar Menon, India’s former National Security Adviser (NSA) in his book; “Choices: Inside the Making of India’s Foreign Policy”. (PK Balachandran, https://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/50313#more-50313, my emphasis -DJ)

Jeyaraj smartly ran the story under the caption “Tamil Nadu Politicians Supported New Delhi’s Policy of Opposing Attempts by USA and Norway to Rescue Prabhakaran and LTTE says Indian Ex-Foreign Secretary”.

Continue reading ‘LTTE,Indian Govt and the Important Revelation About Tamil Nadu Political Leaders Missed by the Media’ »

By P K Balachandran

Female staff of the Sri Lankan parliament are barred from entering the Public Officers’ Box if they are wearing a sleeveless blouse, according to a report in The Sunday Times of December 25.

“A trilingual notice freshly placed on the door to the Public Officer’s Box in Parliament stipulated the dress code for female public officers as being saree and a blouse with long-sleeves. And so, a number of female public officers who came to discharge their duties during the budget debate were barred from entering the Box and thus prevented from performing their official functions on the grounds that they were not properly dressed,” the paper said.

Continue reading ‘“Cultural Puritanism”in Sri Lanka Results in Females Wearing Sleeveless Blouses Being Forbidden to Enter Parliament Public Officers Box’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

Dock workers at the Hambantota Port ended a nine-day strike yesterday, shortly before a deadline issued by the Government for employees of the port management company to return to work elapsed but Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe assured that steps would be taken to increase security at the facility ahead of its lease to a Chinese company.

Some 400 workers attached to the Magampura Port Management Company which manages operations at the southern deep sea port would return to work by 2.00 p.m., President of the workers’ committee, I.K. Omesh, said following deliberations with his members last morning.

Ports Minister Arjuna Ranatunga issued an ultimatum to protesting workers on Wednesday (14), saying the employees would be considered to have vacated their posts if they did not report for duty by 2.00 p.m. yesterday.

Omesh said the decision to end the strike was made following discussions with the Minister who provided assurances that the jobs would be safe, despite Government plans to sign a joint venture with a Chinese firm to hand over management of the loss-making Hambantota Port.

Continue reading ‘Govt Instructs Navy to Open New Camp Near Hambantota Harbour as Requested by Chinese Firm’ »

By Maheesha Mudugamuwa

The International Labour Organization (ILO) would be informed about the Hambantota Port issue, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday.

Addressing the media at the public awareness campaign launched by “Viyath Maga” Organisation in Battaramulla, the former President said it was the first time that the Navy had been used to disperse a protest.

Former President Rajapaksa asked who had sent Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne to the Hambantota Port.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa to Inform International Labour Organization About Navy Being Used to Disperse Hambantota Port Workers Protest’ »

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday thanked Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne and the navy for swiftly regaining control of the Hambantota port last Saturday in the wake of striking workers preventing a Japanese car carrier leaving the port.

The premier said that he had instructed VA Wijegunaratne to protect two foreign ships at the port following consultations with President Maithripala Sirisena and Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi.

UNP leader Wickremesinghe was addressing the media after receiving a comprehensive report on the naval intervention from VA Wijegunaratne at the Temple Trees on Thursday afternoon.

Premier Wickremesinghe said the China Merchants Port Holdings (CMPH) and Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) would take over the port soon. The media was told the new company would take over operations on January 7.

Continue reading ‘Prime Minister Thanks Navy Commander and Navy for Regaining Control of Hambantota Harbour Swiftly.’ »

Following talks among the Ports and Shipping Ministry, Magampura Port Management Company (MPMC) and striking workers, the nine-day work stoppage was called off yesterday.

The ministry said the protesters had resumed work in the wake of Minister Arjuna Ranatunga’s ultimatum to discontinue them unless they reported to work by 2.00 pm.

Continue reading ‘Nine Day Strike at Hambantota Harbour Called Off in the Wake of Ports Minister Arjuna Ranatunga’s Ultimatum’ »

N.Ram

Ranil Wickremesinghe, 67, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for a fourth term and leader of the United National Party (UNP), is the spearhead of a complex game-changing project where the stakes are extremely high. The project is to see through Parliament, and then through a referendum, a major constitutional change that will put an end to the system of an overbearing executive presidency and usher in a prime ministerial system — and, crucially, put in place an enduringdevolution of power solution to the Tamil question. Mr. Wickremesinghe leads a national government made possible by a highly unusual compact between the two main rival parties in the political system — the UNP, the party with by far the largest numbers in Parliament, and a minority of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MPs who are with the Prime Minister’s political opponent-and-ally, President Maithripala Sirisena. While the leaders of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have taken a positive view of the constitutional change under way, the political forces of Sinhala ultra-nationalism are trying to rally round the former President, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

In a recent interview given N. Ram of “The Hindu” at Temple Trees in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s assured and confident-sounding Prime Minister answered questions relating to these key issues

Q;Prime Minister, the overall political situation in Sri Lanka seems to have stabilised after the big change in 2015, the election of Maithripala Sirisena as President followed by your victory in the parliamentary elections. How do you see this process, which has seen improvement as well as complications?

A;With the parliamentary elections in August 2015, we created the National Government. And we gave it a period for it to stabilise. I think that has taken place now. We also prepared a new policy framework. We had incurred a heavy national debt, there was adverse publicity for Sri Lanka, and human rights was a big issue — all those have been resolved.

I would say we have sort of created the stability and cleared the way. Now, next year is when we have to deliver on our promises, which will also help us to consolidate this arrangement. We have started the journey, it has been slow going. It would be, if the two major parties have to get together. It’s a tremendous task. Still haven’t got the two major parties to get together in India or anywhere else. But it has worked out well here. Now it is a question of delivery and consolidation. We are moving on different fronts. We are looking at reconciliation, looking at the crisis in the North — both the human problems and the economic problems, the development. The President is now focussing on the rural poor. We are discussing a new Constitution. I would say that the next two years are important for us to consolidate the gains we have made.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Speaks Out On Progress of New Constitution Project’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

The Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port in Sri Lanka’s deep south has never been a stranger to controversy.

It was the epicentre of a new headache for the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Government last week, after some 400 striking dock workers attached to a private company set up to manage the port in 2012 seized a Japanese owned vessel calling at the port to dispatch a cargo of vehicles and pick up another transhipment of vehicles bound for its next port of call – Sohar, Oman. The crisis raged for four days, and resulted in damages of up to $ 400,000 for the shipping company, after workers lowered gantry cranes and forklifts to prevent the ship from being unmoored for departure.

Hyperion Highway, the vessel owned by Japan’s K Line Shipping finally departed Hambantota at 5.45 PM on Sunday (11) – four days behind schedule, after the Sri Lanka Navy controversially intervened to ‘rescue’ the ship from the protestors and escorted it out to sea using inshore patrol craft. Navy personnel arrived at the besieged port in boats on Sunday after the local shipping agents for Hyperion Highway personally reached out to the President, Prime Minister and Ports Minister to secure the release of the vessel.

Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijeguneratne who led the Navy operation to release the Japanese vessel is under investigation by the Defence Ministry after he was caught on camera assaulting a television reporter and abusing him in foul language during the Navy’s ‘rescue operation’ that involved moving protestors away from the seized vessel.

Continue reading ‘Most Workers on Strike at Hambantota Port Belong to Namal Rajapaksa’s “Nil Balakaya”Movement’ »

By Norman Palihawadana, Pradeep Samarakoon and Roshan Gunasekera

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said that he had requested President Maithripala Sirisena not to terminate the protesting workers of the Magampura Port in Hambantota and the latter had assured that the matter would be discussed with the Prime Minister.

The former President said among the protesting workers were both UPFA and UNP supporters.

Rajapaksa said he would have talks on the issue with the Prime Minister as well.

Continue reading ‘Ex-President Rajapaksa Asks President Sirisena not to Terminate Employment of Protesting Workers of Hambantota Harbour’ »

By Chathuri Dissanayake

Switching to damage control mode after Hambantota Port was classified “Risk Plus” by insurers, Ports Minister Arjuna Ranatunga yesterday sought to reassure international shipping lines of the Government’s fullest support, while giving striking employees an ultimatum to report to work today or risk losing their jobs with a new ship expected to dock tonight.

The classification was slapped on the port after workers took two docked ships hostage as part of their trade union action, demanding permanent employment at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), which resulted in the Sri Lanka Navy intervening on Sunday to release the vessels. The Government earlier this year decided to hand over the Chinese port to Chinese State-run China Merchants Holdings (International) Company Ltd. for an estimated $ 1.1 billion.

Continue reading ‘Ports Minister Ranatunga Ready to Sack Strikers as Insurers Classify Hambantota as “Risk Plus” Due to Harbour workers Strike’ »

By Norman Palihawadane

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith had given permission for the erection of the world’s tallest Christmas tree at Galle Face, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake told The Island yesterday.

“Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and I explained to the Cardinal that not a single cent of government funds would be spent on the construction of the Christmas tree on Galle Face Green. Thereafter, the Cardinal gave his consent for the erection of the Christmas tree,” the Minister said.

Minister Karunanayake said that all Sri Lankans were happy to see the erection of the giant Christmas tree being built with iron, used timber, chicken wire mesh and vinyl flowers. Its construction commenced on August 18.

Continue reading ‘Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith Has Given Permission to Erect World’s Tallest Christmas Tree at Galle Face -Ravi Karunanayake’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

Foreign merchant vessels will rethink docking at the Hambantota Port after protesting dock workers seized a Japanese ship and sprevented it leaving the harbour for four days, local shipping agents said yesterday.

Tressel Silva, Operations Manager for ABC Shipping, the local agent for the Japanese owned vessel seized by workers, said another ship owned by the same company was scheduled to dock in Hambantota on 17 December.

“We are now discussing with our principals about the possibility of diverting this vessel to Colombo to unload its cargo, especially since the strike is still on in Hambantota,” Silva told Daily FT in an interview yesterday.

“Foreign companies will think twice about sending ships to Hambantota under these circumstances,” Silva noted.

Continue reading ‘Foreign Vessels may Hesitate to Dock at Hambantota Port After Seizure of Ships by Workers’ »

by Raja Waidyasekera

The Hambantota Port employees are continuing their sathyagraha, which enters the eighth day today, at the main entrance of the harbour. They say that they will not end their protest in spite of threats to thier lieves. They demand the cancellation of the sale of the port to a Chinese company and their absorption into the permanent cadre of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

Meanwhile, the prelates of the temples in close proximity to the port chanted seth pirith to invoke blessings on the protesters on Monday morning.

Addressing those who participated in the sathyagraha the Hambantota District MP D. V. Chanaka said the protesters had been attacked with clubs at the behest of the government. Those employees had served the institution for a period of four years and as such they felt for their institution.

Continue reading ‘Hambantota Port Workers Employee Continue Satyagraha campaign for Eighth Day’ »

by Sirimantha Ratnasekera

The Navy Commander assaulted a journalist at an agitation in Hambantota Magampura harbour since the latter had broken through a perimeter defence line set up by the Naval ratings, Director General of Department of Government Information Ranga Kalansuriya said yesterday.

Dr Kalansuriya said the journalist had breached basic ethical conduct. “A journalist who is covering a conflict situation involving security forces should keep in mind the location. It is not only for the maintenance of ethics but also for the security of the journalist.

A person cannot report matters connected to the security forces just because he possesses a media accreditation card and a camera. The journalists should take necessary precautions and measures needed for his security otherwise he would face repercussions ranging from being assaulted or getting killed.”

Continue reading ‘Information Dept Chief Kalansuriya Says he Condemns “High-handed Action” of Navy Chief Wijegunaratne Assaulting Journalist’ »

By

Shamindra Ferdinando

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa says the ruling UNP-SLFP coalition has not yet unveiled its constitutional reform proposals though it is asking other political parties to express their views.

Former President Rajapaksa has said the government should make public its position without further delay.

Addressing a gathering at Palatuwa, Matara, former President Rajapaksa said that 2017 would be a crucial year.

Declaring that the political movement led by him could win any election, former President emphasised the importance of opposing efforts to divide the country on ethnic lines through a referendum.

A large number of former local government members and Joint Opposition supporters attended the meeting.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Emphasises Importance of Opposing Efforts to Divide Country on Ethnic Lines Through Referendum’ »

The Defence Ministry has launched an investigation into the alleged attack on a journalist by Navy Chief Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijeguneratne, the Sri Lanka Navy confirmed yesterday, even as local media watchdogs and activists called for legal action against the Commander.

Navy Spokesman Captain Akram Alawi told Daily FT that the Defence Ministry had initiated an inquiry into the alleged assault on the journalist, and confirmed that the reporter had breached the security cordon which had resulted in the tension on Sunday (11). The Navy would make no further comment on the incident until the inquiry was complete, the Spokesman noted.

Vice Admiral Wijeguneratne refused to comment on the incident when contacted by Daily FT yesterday, but said he would be making his statement on what transpired at the Hambantota Port on Sunday during the inquiry.

The Navy Chief was caught on camera assaulting a television reporter Roshan Gunesekera and abusing him in foul language even after he identified himself as a journalist.

Continue reading ‘Defence Ministry Launches Probe into Navy Chief Ravindra Wijeguneratne’s Alleged assault on Journalist’ »

By Laksiri Fernando

Mahinda Rajapaksa issued a statement on “Constitutional Reform Programme” recently (4 December 2016) referring to the six Sub-Committee reports submitted to the Constitutional Assembly (Parliament), without enlightening the public of ‘what was exactly wrong’ or ‘what should be revised’ in respect of the recommendations that they have submitted. This was not worthy of a person who was the President of the country twice, elected in 2005 and 2010.

It is true that in 2010 he backtracked his initial promise of 2005 to abolish the presidential system and bring a new constitution, but nevertheless promised to expand on devolution (13+) including the establishment of a Senate (Mahinda Chintana 2010, p. 54-55).

For those who have a bad memory this is what he exactly said in Mahinda Chintana 2005.

“With the consensus of all, I expect to present a Constitution that will propose the abolition of the Executive Presidency and to provide solutions to other issues confronting the country.” (p. 97. My emphasis).

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Statement on Constitutional Reforms is an Exposure of his Political Duplicity’ »

By

P.K. Balachandran

Leaders of Tamil Nadu, across the political divide, privately but effectively supported the Indian government’s policy of opposing efforts by the US and Norway to rescue Velupillai Prabhakaran so that his Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) lived to fight another day, says Shivshankar Menon, India’s former National Security Adviser (NSA) in his book; “Choices: Inside the Making of India’s Foreign Policy”.

“Political leaders across the political divide in Tamil Nadu knew that the only way Prabhakaran could lead Tamil Eelam would be to physically eliminate the real leaders of the Tamils who were in India, just as he had already done to other Tamil leaders in Sri Lanka,” Menon says in the chapter entitled ‘Force Works.’

“Despite differences in public posture on the issue in Tamil Nadu and Delhi, there was cross party private understanding on the basics of the policy toward Sri Lanka with both the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party and the All India Anna Dravida Kazhagam Party (AIADMK) party, as a result of considerable hard work by Pranab Mukherjee (the then Foreign Minister) and Narayanan (the then NSA), as I found when I met alone with very senior Tamil Nadu politicians in Chennai, away from the glare of publicity,” Menon recalls.

“Ironically, by murdering Rajiv Gandhi, the LTTE had caused a shift in broader Indian attitudes, which came to be more in line with those of the Sri Lankan government,” he says.

Continue reading ‘Tamil Nadu Politicians Supported New Delhi’s Policy of Opposing Attempts by USA and Norway to Rescue Prabhakaran and LTTE says Indian Ex-Foreign Secretary’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

Sri Lanka’s internal war which ended in May 2009, had cost the country around US$ 200 billion according to India’s former National Security Adviser and Foreign Secretary, Shivshankar Menon.

In his book Choices: Inside the Making of India’s Foreign Policy, Menon says that this estimate does not include the “opportunity cost” to Sri Lanka which was once the fastest growing and the most open economy in South Asia.

About deaths, the veteran Indian diplomat turned security expert says that between 1983 and 2009, 80,000 to 100,000 people, including combatants from both sides, lost their lives. Among them were 30,000 to 50,000 civilians, 27,693 LTTE cadres, 23,790 Sri Lankan army personnel, and 1,155 men of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF).

The final stages of the war had created a little over 300,000 refugees or Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The war had also left 1.6 million land mines in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Relied on Turncoats Like Douglas Devananda and his EPDP Instead of Promoting a Moderate Tamil Leadership’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

The Sri Lankan government on Monday decided to erect the world’s tallest Christmas tree here, defying the Catholic Church which had stalled the project earlier on the grounds that it was wasteful and that the money would be better spent on poverty alleviating programs.

The project to erect a 100 meter or 325 ft tall Christmas tree in the Galle Face Marina in Central Colombo at a cost of US$ 200,000 is the brainchild of the cricketing legend and Minister of Ports, Arjuna Ranatunga. As workers were erecting the steel frame for the world’s tallest Christmas tree, the Catholic Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, condemned the expenditure as “wasteful” and appealed to the government to spend the money on poverty alleviation programs instead.

In 2015 the Sri Lankan Catholic Church had told its followers not to put up Christmas trees and fall prey to the commercialization of Christmas celebrations. It urged the faithful to remember Christ on that day and do charitable work.

But the government, keen on pleasing the Christian community which enjoys putting up Christmas trees, also to attract tourists in the on-going tourist season, was keen on erecting the tree. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe himself took up the matter with Cardinal Ranjith which apparently silenced the clergyman.

Continue reading ‘Lankan Govt to Erect Worlds Tallest Christmas Tree at Galle Face Marina Contrary to Wishes of Catholic Church Hierarchy’ »

By

Lahiru Pothmulla

The construction of the world’s tallest Christmas tree at the Galle Face Green, which was halted, had been resumed today, the Ports and Shipping Ministry said.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had informed Minister Arjuna Ranatunga to resume the construction of the Christmas tree.

The Prime Minister and the Finance Minister had met the Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday and the Premier had informed the Cardinal that it was private donations which would be used to construct the tree.

Courtesy:Daily Mirror

As a Sathyagraha launched by the Hambantota port workers entered the fourth consecutive day yesterday without any sign of an early solution, media and civil organisations, labour unions and political parties condemned Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravi Wijayagunaratne for manhandling The Island/Divaina Suriyawewa correspondent Roshan Gunasekera.

Gunasekera said: “I shouted that I was from the media when they held me. Then the person who attacked me said: ‘That is why we hit you.’ I identified the attacker as the incumbent Navy Commander.”

Gunasekera said: “I work as the Suriyawewa correspondent of The Island and Divaina and the TV correspondent of the Hiru. I went to the Magampura Port to report the Satyagraha by the port employees. While I was reporting the event, a naval officer in civvies came to me and asked what I was doing there. I told him I was from media and showed him my media accreditation card. Then he grabbed me by my neck and dragged me to a place where there was another group.

The Navy Commander in a T-shirt and shorts came there and I told him, too, that I was from media. He abused me in filthy language and assaulted me. Port workers shouted that I was a journalist and not to attack me. The navy men tried to grab my camera and I ran away.

Continue reading ‘Navy Commander Ravi Wijegunaratne Goes Berserk and Manhandles Journalist Covering Protest at Hambantota Harbour.’ »

By

World Socialist Web Site

Hundreds of navy soldiers deployed by the Sri Lankan government violently broke up a protest by striking Hambantota Magampura Port workers inside the port on Saturday.

Since Wednesday some 480 workers at the port in southern Sri Lanka have been on strike, opposing its privatisation and demanding they become permanent employees of the state-owned Ports Authority. The Magampura Port Workers Union was compelled to call the industrial action because of the deep opposition of workers to the government’s sale of the port.

While the strike was taking place, the cash-strapped government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday sealed a deal to sell an 80 percent stake in the port to the Chinese state-owned Merchants Port Holdings Company.

The Ports Authority will keep a 20 percent share. Workers fear they will lose their jobs as a result.

Continue reading ‘Maithri-Ranil Govt Sends Message to Working Class By Deploying Navy in Hambantota that their Struggles will be Suppressed Through Military Force’ »

(Text of Media Statement issyed by the Free Media Movement on the Attack on Journalists by the Navy Commander at Hambantota Harbour)

The Free Media Movement, condemning the attack on journalists by the Navy,including the Navy Commander on the International Human Rights Day (10th December), urges the President to commence a special investigation and take legal action.

The Navy had launched a mission to rescue two foreign ships that were held by the protesting employees of Hambantota, Magampura port and the Navy Commander has attacked the journalists who were reporting the incident, rebuking them using obscene language.

This cannot be considered as a mere incident. The attack was led by the Navy Commander, who is one of the three Commanders of the country.

Continue reading ‘Legal Action Should be Taken After a Special Investigation Against the Navy Commander who Attacked Journalists – Free Media Movement’ »

By Sandun Jayawardena and Chandani Kirinde

Workers on strike at the Hambantota Port for a fourth day and continued to occupy two foreign container vessels forcing a Navy operation to evict them yesterday.

Later yesterday, the Navy helped one of these ships “Hyperon Highway” to leave the Port. Gantry cranes positioned on the path of the two vessels still impeded their exit. However, one of the vessels was safely escorted out of the port by the Navy last evening.

Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, who was in civilian attire, led the operation to clear the strikers from the jetty. The Navy established a cordon in the jetty protecting the vessels and deployed boats to ensure there were no further obstructions.

Continue reading ‘Navy Commander Wijegunaratne Sans Uniform Leads “Assault Operation” to Rescue Two Foreign Container Ships Occupied by Protesting Hambantota Port Workers’ »

By

Dhanya Rajendran

Deepa Jayakumar

Even as late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa received treatment at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai for 75 days before she passed away on December 5, television cameras stationed outside the hospital gates focussed on one person, who was barred from meeting the 68-year-old leader.

Deepa Jayakumar, Jayalalithaa’s brother’s daughter never shied away from telling the media that she was prevented from meeting her aunt both at the hospital and later at Poes Garden residence, when her body had been taken home before the funeral.

Forty-two year old Deepa has an MA in International Journalism from Cardiff University in UK and lives in T-Nagar, Chennai.

In the last few weeks, Deepa has raised many uncomfortable questions about Sasikala, even as her brother Deepak was seen performing the last rites alongside Sasikala at Jayalalithaa’s burial.

So, has there been a division in the family?

Why has Deepa turned up suddenly staking claim to Jayalalithaa’s legacy?

Deepa’s resemblance to her late aunt has not been missed by many, who have turned to her to lead the AIADMK.

Continue reading ‘Jayalalithaa’s Niece Deepa Jayakumar Ready if Necessary to Go to Courts Over Her Aunt’s Properties and Claim Her Rightful Legacy.’ »

By

Anna Isaac

Sasikala

Less than five days after Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa passed away, the ruling party appears to be laying the groundwork for her close aide Sasikala Natarajan to take over as general secretary.

This comes after senior AIADMK leaders urged Sasikala at Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence to take over as supremo on Saturday. Visuals of party functionaries appealing to “Chinna Amma” with folded hands at the portico of Veda Nilayam was beamed on party mouthpiece Jaya TV. The channel even went so far as to call Sasikala, “Ammaiyar” repeatedly during the course of the broadcast.

Speaking to Jaya TV, former Chennai mayor and senior party leader Saidai Duraisamy said, “Our only aim is to defeat dmk. anyone who supports MGR and Amma, will support Sasikalama.” Lending support to Jayalalithaa’s aide, Duraisamy went on to say, “Sasikalama has spent years with former CM. She knows everything about our Amma and understand her and the party. So at a time of crisis like this, who else can lead the party?

Continue reading ‘“Chinna Amma” Sasikala Gets Set to Succeed “Amma” Jayalalithaa as AIADMK Party General-Secretary “Ammaiyaar”.’ »

by Dr.K. Vijaya Kumar

(Vijaya Kumar is the President of the Lanka Estate Workers’ Union, a member of the Politbureau of the LSSP (Majority Group) and Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, University of Peradeniya)

The Lanka Sama Samaja Party holds its 81st Anniversary Celebrations this month. The celebrations in Colombo are to be held by the LSSP (Majority Group) at the New Town Hall at 4 pm on Thursday, 15th December.

The LSSP played a heroic role in Sri Lankan politics and continued to have the respect and admiration of the Sri Lankan public until it got stuck in the quagmire of coalition politics. Its total immersion in such politics led to a split in the Party. The strategy of the minority group led by Tissa Vitarana still appears to be bent on hitching its wagon to Mahinda Rajapakse or rather his proxy, Basil, being the first left party to align itself with the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). The Communist Party, on the other hand, has distanced itself from the SLPP and has successfully created an environment to unify the party.

Continue reading ‘Lanka Sama Samaja Party “Majority Group”Will Hold 81st Anniversary Celebrations of LSSP on Dec 16th at New Town Hall.’ »

The Constitutional Council (CC) will ask President Maithripala Sirisena to initiate action against Police Chief Pujith Jayasundera over allegations that he attempted to save a suspect from arrest over a corruption investigation. The decision came after a lengthy discussion on Friday at the CC meeting chaired by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya.

An official source said yesterday that the CC would “brief President Sirisena” on the recent developments and also convey its “serious concern over the matter.”

Continue reading ‘Constitutional Council Chaired by Speaker Jayasuriya Decides to Ask President Sirisena to take action against IGP Jayasundera Over“ Nilame Call”Incident’ »

By Namini Wijedasa

A Chinese-dominated joint venture (JV) will be granted comprehensive control of Hambantota port — including its internal security — under a framework agreement signed this week between the Sri Lanka Government and China Merchants Port Holdings Company (CMPort). The agreement, which was seen by the Sunday Times, was entered into between CMPort and the Secretaries of the Ministries of Finance, Port and Shipping, and Development Strategies and International Trade.

The final deal is to be signed in January. The Framework Agreeement provides for the setting up of a JV company between CMPort and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority in which the Chinese company will hold 80% of shares and SLPA 20%. This will entitle the SLPA to a single seat on its board. The term of the lease and concession period is 99 years.

The SLPA had proposed a share split of 65% for CMPort and 35% for SLPA. But the Chinese had insisted that, since the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) and Cabinet had already approved the 80-20% split, the formula could not be changed, documents seen by the Sunday Times show. CMPort has not consented to immediate royalty payments to the SLPA. “It was explained that the Chinese side is in agreement to consider the request of the SLPA on royalty payment, on a revenue sharing basis, once the port utilisation reaches a mutually-agreed level of performance,” a joint Cabinet memorandum signed by Development Strategies Minister Malik Samarawickrama and Special Assignments Minister Sarath Amunugama states.

Continue reading ‘Chinese Dominated Joint Venture to be Given Comprehensive Control of Hambantota Port Including Internal Security.’ »

By Saman Indrajith

Joint Opposition MPs yesterday staged a protest in Parliament against the government using the Navy personnel to assault Hambantota port workers who are on strike.

The MPs protest came after NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa, raising a point of order, informed the House that workers of the Hambantota port were being attacked by naval personnel. “Navy men have set upon the strikers at Hambantota port. Armed with clubs and poles, they are thrashing the strikers. This should be stopped immediately,” Weerawansa said.

State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena: The Speaker has no powers to stop such actions. There is no point raising the matter here.

Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe: This is a plot. MP Weerawansa arrived here about 20 minutes back. Since then, he was canvassing others to create a disturbance in the Chamber. Now he is staging the drama.

All Joint Opposition MPs stood up and shouted slogans urging the government to stop the brutal assault on workers. Some shouted that it was a right of workers to resort to trade union action. They asked whether there is no right for workers to strike under the Yahapalana regime.

MP Chamal Rajapaksa: Whether the government is privatizing the Hambantota port or not is a different issue. But attacking the strikers is something else. If the strikers are under attack, it should be stopped immediately.

Continue reading ‘“Hambantota Port May Be Handed Over to the Navy to Run if Disruptive Agitation Continues”Warns Dep Def Minister Ruwan Wijewardene’ »

By

B Kolappan

Providing clear signals that V.K. Sasikala will not face too many hurdles in gaining and probably even holding on to the reins of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu, a section of leaders in the party on Friday openly hailed her as the natural political heir of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, whose confidante she was.

Even some of those who were earlier seen as possible stumbling blocks to her perceived political aspirations have declared that they would be loyal to the party.

On Friday, for the second consecutive day, Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and his senior Cabinet colleagues met ‘Chinna Amma’ (younger mother) at ‘Veda Nilayam’ here and held discussions with her for nearly three hours.

Continue reading ‘Support Growing Within Ruling AIADMK for “Chinna Amma” Sashikala Succeeding “Amma” Jayalalithaa as Party Leader.’ »

By
Peter Bradshaw


“I’m Spartacus!” – “I’m Spartacus!” – “I’M SPARTACUS!” Every film buff knows that moment, every panel-show comedian riffs on it. A mob of defeated slave rebels in the pre-Christian Roman empire is told their wretched lives will be spared, but only if their ringleader, Spartacus (Kirk Douglas), comes out and gives himself up to be executed. Just as he is about to sacrifice himself, one slave, Antoninus (Tony Curtis) jumps up and claims to be Spartacus, then another, and another, then all of them, a magnificent display of solidarity, while the man himself allows a tear to fall in closeup.

Kirk Douglas (B: Dec 9, 1916)

This variant on the Christian myth – in the face of crucifixion, Spartacus’s disciples do not deny him – is a pointed political fiction. In real life, Spartacus was killed on the battlefield. The screenplay was written by Dalton Trumbo, the blacklisted author who had to work under aliases and found no solidarity in Hollywood. Yet Douglas himself, as the film’s producer, stood up for Trumbo. He put Trumbo’s real name in the credits, and ended the McCarthy-ite hysteria.

Continue reading ‘“Hyperreal Masculine” Hollywood Actor Kirk Douglas of “Spartacus” Fame Celebrates 100th Birthday on Dec 9th’ »

By

A Guest Contributor

“They destroyed our nation. They are rapists. They are murderers. They stole our land. They killed our people.”

My mom would always repeat this to me. She would tell me stories about the war and how brutally everyone had suffered. I, too, believed all her stories. She had brainwashed me into believing that all Sinhalese people were monsters.

My mom was a strong LTTE supporter just like many diaspora Tamils. I, too, supported the Tamil Tigers and attended all the rallies and protests they organized.

As I grew older, I was exposed to more issues. I harboured a deadly hatred as each part of my body and soul hated the Sinhalese.

I went to a mostly South Asian high school. I had a classmate who was a Muslim who spoke Sinhala. No one spoke to him or included him in any cultural events because he was seen as Sinhalese. I never felt that we were doing something wrong because I was always told that Sinhalese were bad. All of them.

Continue reading ‘I am a Tamil Woman in Love With a Sinhalese Man’ »

By

Sandasen Marasinghe, Disna Mudalige and Ishara Mudugamuwa

Buddha Sasana and Justice Minister Dr. Wijayadasa Rajapaksa said he would visit Batticaloa to discuss and settle the religious dispute that has been cropped up in the area.

He made this comment in response to a question raised by TNA MP S. Viyalendran during the committee stage of the debate of ‘Budget 2017’ in Parliament today.

The TNA MP asked the Justice Minister why the government was not taking action against Ampitiye Sumanarathana Thera of Sri Mangalarama Viharaya in Batticaloa, for his recent abusive remarks against the Tamils and Muslims.

The Minister had replied that he was aware of the incident and that he regretted its occurrence: “It is not that we cannot implement the law strictly against such acts.

But knowing the sensitivity of these issues, we are trying our best to iron out any mistrust between the communities through negotiation,” the Justice Minister said.

Continue reading ‘Law will not be Implemented Against Ampitiye Sumanarathana Thera Says Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe who will go to Batticaloa to “Shape” Matters.’ »

By Greg Bearup

Mahinda Rajapaksa sits at a desk in his party office beneath a photo of himself. He’s not especially tall but solid in the chest and arms; like an old rugby prop, his head seems to rest on his shoulders without much need for a neck. He’s never seen in public without his brown scarf, supposedly signifying the sweaty rags of Sri Lanka’s hard-toiling farmers. On his fingers this man of the people wears three chunky gold rings and on his wrist a bracelet of jade balls. Everyone here still calls him Mr President.

The photo hanging over him was shot a few years ago, back when he was Mr President, and back when things were very different for the Rajapaksa clan. His rule was absolute. The Rajapaksas controlled the treasury and Sri Lanka became one of the most expensive places on the planet to “build” a road. He and his family ran the country as if they owned it. They acted with impunity. His sons, ordinary footballers by all accounts, were selected to play rugby for Sri Lanka. Foreign coaches who dropped them were deported. They were lucky; others who displeased the clan disappeared.

The Rajapaksas — President Mahinda, Defence Secretary Gotabaya, Economic Development Minister Basil and a couple of bus-loads of sons, cousins and aunts who held various Government posts — felt the nation owed them for having crushed the Tamil Tigers, ending the ugly 26-year civil war. Then, in 2014, the voters of Sri Lanka turfed Mahinda out.

Continue reading ‘Phantoms of Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sri Lanka’s Reign of Terror’ »

By PK Balachandran

In a politically significant act which could help him garner the support of Sinhalese nationalists, Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena, on Thursday cleared the names of 19 Sinhalese chiefs who were officially branded as ‘traitors’ by the British rulers of the island 198 years ago.

The President’s media division said that Sirisena cancelled a gazette issued by the then British Governor, Lt.Gen.Robert Brownrigg on January 10, 1818, listing the 19 leaders, including Keppetipola Disawe as traitors.

“After 198 years, I cleared the names of Wellassa heroes including Monarawila Keppetipola,” President Sirisena said in a tweet.

Continue reading ‘Gazette Issued in 1818 by British Governor Brownrigg Branding 19 “Wellassa” Patriots Including Keppetipola as “Traitors” Cancelled by President Sirisena’ »

By
Ramanathan S.

As the dust around the death of Jayalalithaa settles, the focus is now slowly shifting to the political events of December 5 and 6, and how her closest aide, Sasikala, acted during Jayalalithaa’s illness and in the immediate aftermath of her death.

Some questions in the air: What was the need to hold a swearing-in ceremony in the middle of the night?

And why is Sasikala back with her family, in the open?

The death of the Chief Minister was a shocking development, even though she was admitted to the hospital for nearly 75 days. The wave of sadness and disbelief that it triggered, among her followers and detractors, is testimony to that. But has the secrecy which shrouded Jayalalithaa’s illness acted as a cloak for people with vested interests?

Has it enabled the Sasikala family to bulldoze their way through the party and the Tamil Nadu government?

Continue reading ‘Sasikala’s final deceit? A midnight swearing-in, and the return of the Mannargudi family’ »

By

Anna Isaac

Hours after Apollo Hospital in Chennai announced that late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday, the political wheels were already turning in the AIADMK. The smooth transition of power to loyalist O Panneerselvam late on Monday night, even as news of CM and party supremo Jayalalithaa’s demise was broken to the rest of the world, was proof that the post-Amma AIADMK was being tightly managed and controlled. The party had also learnt its lessons after MGR’s death when the AIADMK was split between the two factions – Janaki and Jayalalithaa.

The News Minute had learnt that when party MLAs had been called to the hospital on Monday afternoon, three names had emerged from their discussions – O Panneerselvam, Edapadi Palanisamy and Sasikala. While OPS, who has served as CM on two occasions in Jayalalithaa’s absence emerged the front runner and successor, PWD Minister Edapadi Palanisamy, was Sasikala’s choice. However it was unclear if Edapadi’s name was being proposed for Deputy Chief Minister.

On her part, Jayalalithaa’s trusted aide is expected to take over the post of general secretary.

Continue reading ‘Will Sasikala Natarajan take over as AIADMK Party General Secretary?’ »

By

Gomin Dayasri

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna [SLPP] has displayed its public face in presenting Basil Rajapaksa and Chairman G.L.Peiris [budding buddies of the‘bud’ party]– after hectoring by MR, hibernating in the background as its ultimate leader. Make no mistake it is his party. It will be conceived and buried by him if he succeeds to the SLFP. All roads lead to leaders residence.

Founders claim to fame is the proximity to the chieftain; find them both ideal foils while in political wilderness. Presented public faces are not ‘fair and lovely’ to the expanding middle classes and the floating voters, much needed,to place the joint opposition in the driving seat.

People detest ‘yahapalanaya’ governance: their hip pockets are rapidly vacuum. Personal needs of the voters, anxious to maintain a style of living, enhanced after the elimination of terrorism, are not to be. National Issues are secondary. Yahapalanaya is treated in the jocular.

Continue reading ‘Why is Mahinda Projecting Butter-Fingered Basil Through Podujana Peramuna Instead of Match-Winning Gotabhaya?’ »

By

Shehan Chamika Silva

The Attorney General, in the Colombo High Court, today re-indicted former minister Basil Rajapaksa and Divineguma Department’s former director general Kithsiri Ranawaka on charges of misappropriating Rs.29 million belonging to the Divineguma.

The indictments originally filed in Court on Mr. Rajapaksa and Mr. Ranawaka were yesterday withdrawn by the AG on the basis that it had contained some technical errors which needed to be rectified.

Continue reading ‘Indictment Filed Again by Attorney-General in Colombo High Court Against Basil Rajapaksa and Kithsiri Ranawaka For Allegedly De-frauding Rs 29 Million “Divineguma” Funds.’ »

By

B.Kolappan

After lying low for many years, the family members of V.N. Sasikala, the close confidant of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, particularly her husband M. Natarajan, were seen prominently at the funeral on Tuesday.

Almost all the family members — Ms. Sasikala’s sister-in-law J. Ilavarasi; the latter’s son and the AIADMK’s new power centre, Vivek; his sister Priya; son of Ms. Sasikala’s brother Sundaravadanan, Dr. Venkatesh, who once headed the party’s youth forum; son of another of Ms. Sasikala’s brothers Vinodhagan, V. Mahadevan; the husband of Sundaravadanan’s daughter Prabha, Dr. Sivakumar; besides Ms. Sasikala’s sister’s son, V. Baskaran — were seen standing around the late CM’s body at Rajaji Hall.

Continue reading ‘VN Sasikala’s Husband Natarajan and Other Relatives Monopolising Jayalaithaa Funeral Troubles AIADMK Rank and File.’ »

By

B Kolappan

‘Kavignar’ Inquilab

Noted Tamil poet and dramatist Inquilab, whose angry lines Manusangada Naanga Manusangada (Humans, we are humans… ) that powerfully portrayed the massacre of 44 Dalits in Keezh Venmani, died here on Thursday.

He was 72 and is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

A Marxist-Leninist wedded to the idea of Tamil nationalism, he had asked his family members to donate his body to the Chengalpattu Government Medical College to avoid all religious rituals.

The body will be handed over to the college on Saturday.

Born Sahul Hameed at Keezhakarai in Ramanathapuram district, he was closely associated with the Vaanampadi poetry movement, a trail blazer, in modern Tamil poetry. He worked as a Tamil Professor at New College in Chennai.

Continue reading ‘Revolutionary Tamil Poet and Rationalist ‘Kavignar’ Inquilab Passes Away in Tamil Nadu at the age of 72.’ »

By Norman Palihawadana

Chairman of the committee which was entrusted the work on the giant Christmas tree which was being constructed at the Galle Face Green, Mangala P.Gunasekera yesterday said the project was called off and its objective was religious harmony.

Addressing a news conference at the Ports and Shipping Ministry auditorium Gunasekera said the giant Christmas project had been a major attraction to many people including foreigners, who were planning to visit Sri Lanka and the occupancy rates of star class hotels had further increased.

But, in the end the hopes of all those had been dashed, he said.

Gunasekera said due to objections from the Catholic Church, the committee decided to call off the project.

Continue reading ‘Galle Face Green Worlds Tallest Christmas Tree Project Stopped Suddenly Due to Protests by the Catholic Church.’ »

By Saman Indrajith

UNP National List MP and co-chairman of the Operational Committee of the Constitutional Assembly Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne informed Parliament yesterday that he had received death threats over the phone and the caller had told him to stay out of the constitution making process.

Raising a privilege issue, MP Wickramaratne said an unidentified person had given him a call on Dec 06 , threatening him to resign from constitution making activities or face death. The caller had also threatened to kill the MP and all his family members, Parliament was told.

Wickramaratne said he had lodged a complaint with the Welikada police. He requested that Parliament order a separate investigation.

Continue reading ‘UNP National List MP Jayampathy Wickramaratne Receives Death Threats From Telephone Caller Telling him to Quit Constitution Making.’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

The main opposition Tamil National Alliance pitched into Resettlement Minister D.M. Swaminathan in Parliament yesterday, demanding his resignation over the controversial Government proposal to build 65,000 prefabricated steel houses for war affected families of the North and East.

TNA Jaffna District Parliamentarian and party Spokesman M.A. Sumanthiran used his time during the committee stage debate of the vote on the Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation to issue a scathing criticism of the Minister, who he said was adamant to go ahead with the controversial housing project, even after Tamil representatives from the region had informed him that it was riddled with fraud.

Sumanthiran said the Minister was still defiant and still making statements to the press about the project. “We cannot allow you to continuously damage our people’s future like this. We have to publicly say that we have no more confidence in the conduct of this minister,” he charged.

“It is our request in this House today, that you relinquish your portfolio or we will be forced to call for a division and reveal all the facts to the country,” the TNA MP warned.

Continue reading ‘MA Sumanthiran MP Pitches Into DM Swaminathan in Parliament and Demands UNP Resettlement Minister’s Resignation.’ »

Just minutes after Jayalalithaa was laid to rest next to her mentor MGR at his memorial in Chennai’s Marina beach, her close aide Sasikala’s husband, M Natarajan, who was once a key member of Jayalalithaa’s political team, said that the AIADMK will continue under the legacy of Jayalalithaa and MGR, and that no one person can steal it away.

Speaking to News18 Tamil, he said, “When we laid MGR to rest several years ago, at the same spot, we had decided that Jayalalithaa would be our leader for the next 25 years. She carried forward MGR’s legacy for more than 28 years. Nobody can steal away what our Amma has seeded. Even a normal member of the party can take the party forward.”

He refused to answer who will lead the party after Jayalalithaa.

Continue reading ‘Jayalalithaa’s “Life Friend”Sasikala’s Husband M. Natarajan Makes Re-entry into Upper Echelons of Ruling AIADMK Party After Amma’s Demise’ »

By Norman Palihawadana

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday frowned on a colossal sum of money being spent on the erection of a Christmas tree at the Galle Face Green.

He said it was a vain attempt and the money spent thereon could have been utilised to help the poverty stricken people.

Addressing a press conference at the Bishops House, the Bishop said the Catholic Church was against spending large amounts of money on a Christmas tree.

The Cardinal said that he was not sure of the Ministry engaged in the project but the project should be abandoned forthwith,

Continue reading ‘Catholic Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith Wants Project to Build World’s tallest Christmas Tree at Galle Face to be Stopped.’ »

By

B Kolappan

Cho Ramaswamy, political commentator, theatre personality and editor of Thuglak, a Tamil magazine known for its withering satire and fearless criticism of political figures, died here early on Wednesday.

Cho Ramaswamy

He was 82 and is survived by his wife, son and daughter.

He has been ailing for some time, and was hospitalised for respiratory problems on a couple of occasions in recent times.

Last week, he was admitted to the Apollo Hospitals here for breathing problems and poor intake of food.

Born into a family of lawyers — his grandfather Arunachala Iyer, his father Srinivasa Iyer and uncle Matrhubootham were well-known lawyers — Cho also took up the legal profession with some success. For some time, he was also a legal advisor to the TTK group, before plunging fully into theatre. Later, he ventured into films and finally made his mark as a journalist by launching his own magazine.

Cho in Tamil movie “Arilirunthu Arupathu Varai”

By

Sandasen Marasinghe, Disna Mudalige and Ishara Mudugamuwa

TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran railing against Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Minister D.M. Swaminathan demanded his resignation in Parliament yesterday.

The MP was making an angry speech during the Committee Stage debate of the Budget 2017 when the Finance Head of ‘Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Ministry’ was taken up.

He said the TNA would call for a division at the end of debate to register their opposition to the Minister. MP Sumanthiran in his speech strongly objected to the 65,000 pre-fabricated steel houses project in the North and a recent statement by Swaminathan over Constitutional reforms.

Continue reading ‘TNA’s MA Sumanthiran MP Demands Resignation of UNP Minister of Prison Reforms,Rehabilitation,Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs DM Swaminathan’ »

The illnesses mentioned in the prison hospital diagnosis card of former Parliamentarian Duminda Silva are all false, said UNP MP Hirunika Premachandra.

She made this observation participating in the Committee Stage debate of the Budget 2017 when the Finance Head of ‘Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Ministry’ was taken up in Parliament yesterday.

Premachandra said Silva who is in the death row has been diagnosed with chronic headache, giddiness, loss of consciousness and loss of memory.

“All these are lies,” she said.

“Duminda Silva’s birthday fell on December 3 and his family members went to the prison and celebrated it. District court judge Ayesha Abdeen visited the former Parliamentarian in prison. This is not in accordance with the Prison Ordinance. The Prison Ordinance allows any Member of Parliament, District Judge or Magistrate to visit any prison, but for the purpose of inspecting the general condition of the prison and of the prisoners, and not to meet them in private for long hours,” she said.

Premachandra bringing out a series of malpractices in the Prison Hospital, requested the minister to conduct a proper inquiry and temporarily suspend the service of Medical Officer in Charge of the Welikada Prison Hospital Dr. Lakshman Jayamanne and Dr. Malinda Wanigaratne.

She said 10 out of the 17 doctors attached to the Welikada Prison Hospital are part and parcel of these malpractices taking place in it. “They have been charging money from the prisoners to issue false medical reports,” she charged.

She said some political figures jailed recently had been receiving special treatment with the knowledge of the Prison Commissioner General.

“In the new magazine prison, there is a jail which has a bed, attached toilet, mosquito net, chairs, TV and fan. This is the jail given to the politicians,” she said.

“Usually the prisoners are not allowed to taken in mattresses and pillows. However one MP who was in jail recently took them in saying he is suffering from a serious illness. This demand is baseless as this MP is only suffering from an aliment on his private parts. I wonder whether the aliment is cured when the MP keeps his private parts on a pillow,” she said.

“I brought all these issues to the notice of the President, Prime Minister, Health Minister and Prison Reforms Minister. The President asked me to speak about them in the debate,” she added.

Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Minister D.M. Swaminathan speaking after Premachandra’s speech said: “I am very thankful to you for bringing out all these points. This is exactly what is happening in the prisons and this is exactly what I am holding an inquiry for. These doctors who have been giving these documentations are not within my purview.

They are under the Health Ministry. I am sorry I cannot take any action on them, but the Health Ministry can do so”.

Courtesy:Daily News

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday apologised for the destruction of the Jaffna library when the UNP was in power in 1981.

Participating in the third reading stage debate on budget 2017 under the expenditure heads of the ministry of prisons, rehabilitation and resettlement, Prime Minister extended the apology.

Continue reading ‘Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Apologises in Parliament for Destruction of theJaffna Public Library in 1981 when the UNP was in Power.’ »

by Chitra Weerarathne

The Attorney General yesterday withdrew the indictment against Basil Rajapaksa, the former Minister of Divineguma, Economic Development and the Director General of Divineguma, Kirthi Ranawaka.

The state informed the High Court of Colombo that there was a technical defect in the charge sheet and it hoped to file a fresh indictment shortly.

Permission was sought to withdraw the indictment.

Continue reading ‘Attorney-General Citing “Technical Defect”Withdraws High Court Indictment Against Basil Rajapaksa and Ex-Divineguma D-G Kirthi Ranawaka’ »

By
Mirudhula Thambiah

Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian Sathasivam Viyalendran said that the hate speech occurring in the Eastern Province against the minority communities is a pre-planned agenda by the representatives of the former regime.

“We respect Buddhism and we respect Buddhist monks but a small number of them are trying to tarnish the reputation of the whole. We know that the majority are quite clear and aware of the planned agenda. Also the minority communities must be quite aware of such agendas, which will ruin the good cause in this country,” he said.

Following are excerpts of the interview:

Q; Given the current context where various attempts have been made to bring about reconciliation in Sri Lanka, but a series of hate speech incidents have taken place in the Eastern Province in the recent past. As a parliamentarian representing the Batticaloa District, how do you view the situation?

A: We all should take into consideration that the former government got the assistance of Bodu Bala Sena and Ravana Balaya to spread hate speech against the minority communities of this country. The minority communities along with some parts of the majority community (who oppose racism) rejected the former government and elected the current government – the government of good governance.

In the current context we feel this is a planned agenda by the previous government to derail and destabilize all attempts at reconciliation in order for them to regain power.

Continue reading ‘“Ampitiya Sumanarathana Thera of Sri Mangalarama Vihara Started his Anti-minority campaign After Mahinda Rajapaksa Visited Batticaloa”’ »

By

Lasanda Kurukulasuriya

Tamara Kunanayakam is best known in Sri Lanka as former Ambassador to the UN in Geneva from 2011 to 2012. It is less well known that she chaired the UN Working Group on the Right to Development from 2011 to 2015 and was Ambassador to Cuba from 2008 to 2011. Following the outpouring of condolences from around the world on the death of Fidel Castro, she responded to some questions for the Daily Mirror.

Q The death of Cuban leader Fidel Castro has triggered expressions of sympathy from around the world, including from those who did not agree with his political ideology. What does this say about the values he stood for?

A;The tribute paid to Fidel Castro by his people and millions around the world, including Heads of States and Governments, is unprecedented. It is testimony to the extreme popularity of Fidel resulting from his force of conviction, his impressive culture and his revolutionary action. It is also testimony to the credibility acquired by Cuba internationally.

Fidel stood for universal values and principles – social justice, human dignity, selflessness, solidarity. He demonstrated that it was possible to transform ideas into material reality. It was the task he set for himself and fulfilled.

The Cuban people, worthy and united, deserve respect. Many politicians, to begin with here in Sri Lanka, would benefit from finding in this page of history plenty to meditate upon. Those who consider this a non-event are but dwarfs before a giant of the 20th Century.
Continue reading ‘“Fidel Castro’s Cuba Showed It Is Possible for Even a Small Country to Defeat a Powerful Enemy”-Tamara Kunanayakam’ »

By Saman Indrajith

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that Joint Opposition statements on last Saturday’s incident near Parliament were not acceptable. Former local government members who raped 100s of girls and killed the husbands of wives they raped were no ordinary demonstrations; they were a security threat.

PM Wickremesinghe, soon after Joint Opposition Leader MP Dinesh Gunawardena raised a privilege issue on MPs coming under a police attack while dispersing a protest, said:

“I was told first that only a lane of parliament road had been closed. The protesters who came here threatened to surround Parliament. These are not ordinary protesters we see every day. They are not the undergraduates of the Inter University Students Federation. Among them were those who swindled public funds from local government bodies. When they threaten to surround Parliament it is not a demonstration it is a security threat. If there were MPs among them they too are accomplices. We did not see in media what the MPs say today. They talked with the media as if some upasakas had been attacked. What we actually saw were upasaka balallu.

Continue reading ‘Protesters Threatening to Surround Parliament were “Upasaka Balallu” and not “Upasakas” States Premier Wickremesinghe’ »

Amidst a pall of gloom following Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s death, senior AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam was elected the leader of the Legislature Party shortly after Monday midnight and sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

At a solemn ceremony in the Raj Bhavan, Mr. Panneerselvam was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao. This was his third swearing-in as Chief Minister.

All 31 members of the outgoing Ministry were sworn in along with him.

As Jayalalithaa’s trusted man, Mr. Panneerselvam had stepped into her shoes for two brief periods — during 2001-02 and 2014-15 — after she was unseated by the courts.

Continue reading ‘O.Panneerselvam Sworn in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister with 31 Ministers After Demise of Jayalalithaa Jayaram’ »

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday expressed his concerns over what he described as criminals of the Rajapaksa regime threatening to surround Parliament.

“Those who took part in the recent protest are not the ordinary citizens of this country or boys from university student unions. These were the local government members of the Rajapaksa regime who held a party to celebrate raping 100 women, raping a foreigner, killing her husband and the others were engaged in stealing public money at large,” said Wickremesinghe, who considered the recent protest as a threat to democracy.

“We saw their behaviour in media reports but now they are behaving like kittens. Even we were shaken after having had a look at those criminals – rapists, killers and thieves. Many were those who were engaged in setting tyres on fire and attacking vehicles,” he added.

Continue reading ‘Criminals of the Rajapaksa Regine Threatened to Surround Parliament Charges Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

A person who attacked Nava Sama Samaja Party leader Vickramabahu Karunarathne calling him “a traitor and should be killed” has been released on bail by the Kaduwela Magistrate.

The attack took place at a restaurant, Sonora Thalawatugoda where Dr Karunarathne was having dinner with two of his friends after his book on philosophical notes ‘Yathawadi Vimasuma’ was launched on November 24.

The man who attacked him, Mirihanage Manoj Buddhika Hemachandra was released on a cash bail of Rs 200,000 on Tuesday (Nov 30 Case No B4824/ 16). Commenting on the incident, Dr Karunarathne said that the attacker has furiously shouted at him, accusing him of “selling the county to Tamils and Muslims”.

Continue reading ‘Orient Finance Corp Ltd Executive who Attacked Dr. Vickramabahu Karunarathne in Thalawatugoda Restaurant Freed on Cash Bail by Kaduwela magistrate’ »

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has died at the age of 68.

After battling for her life at Apollo Hospital in Chennai for 75 days, the iconic Dravidian leader and six-time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu succumbed to her illness on Monday, December 5 at 11 30pm.

Kudiyiruntha Koyil

As the news spreads, a wave of sadness and disbelief is engulfing the state of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has not witnessed such a crisis since the death of MGR, or perhaps ever.

Accompanied by her aide Sasikala, the Chief Minister was taken by a special convoy to the hospital on Greams Road in Chennai on September 22.

Though initially the hospital had said that she was suffering from fever and dehydration, soon experts were flown in from London, Singapore and AIIMS, Delhi. A team of doctors from Apollo including cardiologists, nephrologists, gastroenterologists, pulmonologists and dieticians were helping Jayalalithaa recover.

A file photo of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa

In one of the last updates on Jayalalithaa’s health, Apollo Hospitals Chairman Prathap Reddy on November 25 said she was well and recovering. She was shifted from the Critical Care Unit to a private room few weeks ago, in a sign that her health had been improving. As late as Sunday evening, there were reports that she had ‘recovered completely’ and was ready to be discharged. But on December 4 evening, she suffered a cardiac arrest from which she could not recover.

Continue reading ‘Tamil Nadu Chief Minister “Amma” Jayalalithaa Jayaram Passes Away at the age of 68 in Chennai Apollo Hospital’ »