Rural Development Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka yesterday caused furore in by using unparliamentary language when he spoke of former President and MP Mahinda Rajapaksa, MP Namal Rajapaksa, MP Wimal Weerawansa, MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe.

Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala directed that certain statements made by Minister Fonseka be expunged.

The former Army Commander lashed out at Minister over the Avant Garde affair.

Wimal Weerawansa refutes Sarath Fonseka’s allegations of transfer of land gift to wife

A heated argument broke out in Parliament between Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and MP Wimal Weerawasa over an allegation made by Field Marshal Fonseka, claiming that MP Weerawansa had transferred a land valued at Rs. 300 million on a deed of gift to his wife.

Continue reading ‘Comments by Sarath Fonseka About Wijedasa Rajapakshe, Mahinda &Namal Rajapaksa, Weerawansa and Aluthgamage Expunged from Hansard Record’ »

By Chitra Weerarathne

The Colombo High Court Judge, Padmini N. Ranawaka Gunetillake, yesterday served indictment on UNP member of Parliament for Colombo District, Hirunika Premachandra and eight others.

The Attorney General had filed indictment in the High Court accusing Premachandra and others of abduction and assault of a youth, on December 21, 2015, at Dematagoda.

The Court granted bail in Rs. 50,000 cash and two sureties of Rs. 500,000 for each accused.

Continue reading ‘Colombo District MP Hirunika Premachandra and Eight Others Indicted and Granted Bail in Colombo High Court’ »

By

Shamindra Ferdinando

A member of the anti-corruption parliamentary watchdog committee, UPFA MP Weerakumara Dissanayake yesterday alleged that there was an ongoing move to categorize a large stock of rice declared unfit for human consumption under questionable circumstances as animal feed.

MP Dissanayake claimed that it was being done so as to sell the stock as animal feed.

The revelation was made at the weekly Joint Opposition media briefing held at the Dr N.M. Perera Centre, Borella.

Speaking on behalf of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Anuradhapura District MP Dissanayake alleged that a national crime was being committed by the government.

Former JVPer and National Freedom Front member Dissanayake contested the last parliamentary polls on the UPFA ticket.

Dissanayake said that a stock of approximately 97,000 MT had been sealed in the wake of an inquiry initiated by the ruling coalition following the January 2015 presidential polls.

Continue reading ‘Insidious Move to Falsely Condemn 97.000 Metric tons of Rice as Unfit for Consumption and Sell off as Animal feed Exposed by Opposition MP’ »

By

Bandula Jayasekara

Though I had heard of Ajith Boyagoda as the Navy officer who was held in captivity by the LTTE terrorists for eight years, I only met him recently. First, when he walked into the News 1st office to hand over his book ‘A Long Watch – War, Captivity and Return in Sri Lanka’, beautifully written by Sunila Galappatti. I got a feeling of sadness as I spoke to the bearded former Navy officer. For a moment I thought he was in his own lost world, pushed away by several people he once worked with. I thought there was a certain loneliness about him and asked myself how if I were held a prisoner like Ajith, in the jungles of Wanni by a brutal terrorist group for eight long years. I wanted to put myself in his shoes or his shackles and to go back to those dark days. I couldn’t. It scared me. We spoke for a few minutes and then realised we had a mutual friend in the evergreen, laughing machine, Commander HU Silva. I called HU and told him that his batch mate Ajith was with me and that he would come on Sirasa News 1st Pathikada the following day. HU said “Adey u LTTE Karaya” (He is an LTTE cadre) and teased Ajith.

We both laughed. Ajith said, “That is HU. He isn’t like others.” Later HU called and told me, “He is a good, honest fellow. I got angry when I read the first few chapters of his book but, felt sorry for him later.” I had heard over and over, the accusation made by several people in the establishment, and people who knew nothing about Boyagoda, that he worked for the LTTE after he was taken prisoner. The ship ‘Sagarawardane’ was destroyed and sunk by the terrorists in September 1994. Later, I asked that question from Ajith. He has even countered the accusation in his book in detail; how the LTTE approached him to work for them and how he refused them politely and they said nothing to him thereafter. I also heard from another former very senior officer of the Navy that they heard reports that Ajith was seen with the LTTE Sea Tiger leader Soosai at three different places and he was not in chains as claimed by him in the book.

Continue reading ‘Let Commodore Ajith Boyagoda who was Imprisoned by LTTE for 8 Years Live in Peace with his Family now.’ »

By Madushka Balasuriya

The Indian Government yesterday sought to reassure Sri Lanka that India’s burgeoning investment on developing its ports will pose no threat to the Port of Colombo, noting they have urged Indian companies to invest in the expansion of the Colombo Harbour.

“There is a fear that once India develops its infrastructures and, particularly, ports in the eastern and western coasts, they will prove to have a detrimental impact on the Colombo Port. I do not believe that will happen,” said outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Y.K. Sinha, speaking on the opening day of the Colombo International Maritime Conference last evening.untitled-1

“At the rate that India is going it will need all the ports that it can use for transporting or receiving its cargo as part of its imports. I think the Colombo Port will play an extremely important role in India’s global trade in the foreseeable future.

Continue reading ‘Development of Harbours in India will not Affect Colombo Port’s Role in India’s Global Trade reassures Indian Envoy’ »

By

Ahilan Kadirgamar

On September 21, 2013, tens of thousands of Tamils living in Sri Lanka’s heavily-militarised North decisively voted in the long-delayed provincial elections. They had waited for two and a half decades to make their voices heard and elect their own government.

Despite the promise of development and election handouts from then President Mahinda Rajapaksa, they gave the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) a massive mandate, with C.V. Wigneswaran becoming the Chief Minister.

Continue reading ‘Three Years After Being Elected Northern Provincial Council has Lost its Credibility with the Local Population.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

India and Sri Lanka will jointly operate 30 oil tanks in Trincomalee, kick-starting a plan to develop the coastal town into a regional petroleum hub, Sri Lanka’s Petroleum Minister Chandima Weerakkody said.

He was referring to a proposal that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced during his March 2015 visit to the island-nation, according to which Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Lanka IOC would operate the farms together.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka and India will Jointly Operate 30 Oil Tanks to Kick-start Plan to Develop Trincomalee into Regional Petroleum Hub.’ »

By

P.K.Balachandran

Doctors at the government hospitals in the five districts of the Northern Province have, in the past three weeks, examined 96 former cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) following allegations by Tamil politicians that Tiger combatants who had surrendered to the Sri Lanka army at the end of Eelam War IV, were injected with some poisonous drug.

Following a complaint by one of the cadres that he was feeling highly debilitated after being injected with some drug at an army-run rehabilitation centre, some Tamil politicians in the Northern Province said that 107 rehabilitated cadres had died mysteriously after the end of the war. The Northern Provincial Council passed a resolution calling for an investigation. Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran even requested visiting US Air Force doctors to examine some of the cadres.

The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government denied that poisoning had taken place and rejected the proposal to involve foreign doctors, but agreed to get the cadres examined by Tamil doctors from the Northern Province.

Continue reading ‘Govt Hospital Doctors in North Have Examined 96 Ex-LTTE Cadres in 3 weeks to see if they have been Injected with Poisonous drug by Army’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

As parents associations continued to push for the reinstatement of retired principal Shiranee Mills at Uduvil Girls’ College (UGC), TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran broke his silence on the controversy surrounding the elite Christian girls’ school in Jaffna last weekend, denying allegations of interference the thorny issue and claiming that the crisis was being exploited by political opponents seeking to discredit him.

“There has been a lot of political interference in this matter, but not from me. That is the truth. I did not get into matters related to the new principal appointment or the retirement of the old principal,” Sumanthiran asserted during a press conference in Jaffna over the weekend.

The Jaffna District MP has come in for severe criticism over the UGC crisis, with parent associations, past pupils, academics supportive of Mills and members of his own party accusing him of political interference and abuse of power. Sumanthiran represented the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India (JDCSI) which manages UGC in legal action during a major church split in 2005, and subsequently in a case involving Principal Mills in 2008-2009. The Diocese is now being accused of unfairly retiring Principal Mills at 60 years, when UGC principals have often served well over the age of 65.

“Not a day went by without my name being mentioned in connection with the controversy,” the TNA Lawmaker told reporters.

Continue reading ‘Jaffna District TNA Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran Breaks his “Silence” Over Controversy About Uduvil Girls College Principal Issue.’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Former General Officer Commanding (GoC) of 53 Division Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne has urged the government to stop rapid deterioration of the country’s premier intelligence service, the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI).

Gajaba Regiment veteran Maj. Gen. Gunaratne said the country would have to pay a very heavy price unless the ongoing harassment stopped.

Appearing on ‘360’ on Derana, anchored by Sanka Amarjith, the Maj. Gen. expressed serious concern over unprecedented developments pertaining to some DMI personnel, including two officers holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel who had to sleep on mats at the CID after being arrested in connection with a high profile case.

Having served the Army for 35 years, Maj. Gen. Gunaratne retired early this month.

Continue reading ‘Maj – Gen Kamal Gunaratne Asks Govt to stop Harassing Directorate of Military Intelligence Officials’ »

By Dr Tilak Siyambalapitiya

Nobody wanted the power plant in Norochcholai except the power system planners who were determined to ensure the country got its electricity at the lowest possible cost. With their knowledge of what exactly was happening with power generation in other countries, they knew the only way to rescue the power sector from the financial mess and recurring power cuts, was to build strong, large capacity, cheaper power plants. Norochcholai was the first such power plant.

Decision makers who have no idea of power system engineering, economics or operational aspects, played ball games with power plants. President 1 said, “Go to Trincomalee”, and studies and designs were done. Conflict pushed the project site to Mawella in the South. President 2 said, “Leave Mawella, go to Norochcholai”, and drawings for Mawella were thrown into the Mawella Bay, and designs were done again for Norochcholai. Prime Minister then said in 2002, “Oh no not Norochcholai, go back to Trincomalee”. However, by then, engineers who had realised the bitter truth and calculating daily, what the country was paying for oil to produce electricity, stood ground. “Norochcholai or nothing else”, said the engineers. Professional institutions joined with unions pledging solidarity and kept the pressure on the government to do it.

And it was done and completed in 2015, full 30 years from the first day electricity planners said, “Build coal-fired power plants; they will stabilise the supply and reduce costs”. So Norochcholai fulfilled a historic need, caused many diesel power plants to be retired, and enabled the Minister to boast that he had closed the diesel power plants. No harm; in a national project that brought electricity costs down from Rs 23 to Rs 15 per unit, and that too when exchange rates went up from Rs 100 to 145, the credit goes to all. Declining coal prices too helped.

Continue reading ‘Abandoning Cheaper Coal Fired Power Plants will Increase Electricity Costs for Consumers in Sri Lanka’ »

by Somapala Gunadheera

I read The Island editorial of September 16, 2016, on the above caption, with avid interest. It was characteristically forthright and impartial. The discerning would find it as a whistleblower to those in power.

The editorial made the undeniable assumptions that the public perception was that bribery and corruption were rampant under the previous government and that some holding ministerial posts in the current Government had apparently been able to cleanse themselves of their sins to all intents and purposes. In the background of the SC order to take action against Namal Rajapaksha for defying the summons of the CIABOC, the editorial raises the question whether any member of the present Government defying the summons of the same Commission had been similarly dealt with. To clinch its point, the editorial suggestively asks whether any JO worthies would ask in Parliament how many MPs have been asked to appear before the CIABOC and how many have ignored the summons? In this scenario, ‘the coming colour is not good’ for those in power.

To sum up the present deadlock, people are getting tired of seeing VIPs of the last regime being arrested and re-arrested in a row and being remanded. These personages capitalize on their arrests by triumphantly exhibiting their handcuffs on their way to the remand jail and boldly claiming that they are being unfairly victimized as a shield to cover up the failures of the Government in power. Then follows a procession of politicians, displaced by the present regime, visiting the remanded.The privileged visitors make similar claims and carry parcels, immune to regular inspection. The main purpose of remand, which it to keep the prisoner incommunicado, is defeated by this traffic.

Strangely, the remand order works far more effectively than the most advanced techniques to discover hitherto for undetected ailments of the remand prisoner and he is placed in a special ward soon after arrival in prison. Some VIPs go through this procedure repeatedly but the Public are yet to see the proof on any guilt attributed to those remanded.

Continue reading ‘People are Tired of Seeing VIP’s of last Regime Being Arrested, Released on Bail,Re-arrested, remanded and Hospitalised’ »

By

Uditha Devapriya

He was a vocalist and a composer. He sang and he scored. He also wrote. His melodies survive reassessments when it comes to applauding him. The man, not surprisingly therefore, wielded different sensibilities and abilities. And in the end, music lovers in this country understood, despite the few who called him out for all the wrong, slanderous reasons, that what he gave went beyond just being revolutionary. His songs became landmarks, true. But none of them were ever uprooted from the land of his birth.

How can one assess him, though? Epitaphs for the dead are written by those who knew them intimately, after all. Consequently, the best answer to that I can give is that his contribution to our music industry made him known to both the young and the old, both those who were born during his time and those who came to be after he’d long gone by. His work, in other words, were beloved by all and detested by a few, and consequently, he is as alive to us as he was in his day.

I remember Annesley Malawana, in a television interview, referring to himself as a “jack of all trades and master of none.” He was being modest there. The truth is, those who entered the music industry in his day were, in more ways than one, masters in nearly every discipline. They knew how to write, how to score, and how to voice both. Annesley was a master in that sense. The same can be said of this week’s star, who worked with him: Clarence Wijewardena.

Clarence didn’t stop at the conventional three-minute song. He went for melodies and compositions that didn’t only draw attention to their words, but made us aware of the rich, vibrant work and research that had gone into them. They were simple (and thankfully so), but that didn’t stop us from noticing how effortlessly they’d been conceived.

Continue reading ‘Clarence Wijewardena is Alive to us now as he was in his day;the Audience for his Music has not died’ »

By

Channa Bandara WIJEKOON

When cinema was flourishing in this country in the pre-separatist war era films starred by Gamini Fonseka and Vijeya Kumaratunga were shown in packed houses in the North. Even a Sri Lankan Tamil film genre was active in the peninsula at the time.

This golden era saw cultural events of the South being taken to Jaffna and vice versa. Dr Victor Ratnayake still recalls how his one-man concert SA was staged in the Veerasingham hall in Jaffna amidst heavy cheering and greetings by the compassionate Tamil populous. That was the good old days. The rest is history.

Revival process of the Northern peninsula after a 30 year conflict has encompassed diverse areas of vast importance and cinema is no exception.

Continue reading ‘Jaffna International Film Festival to be held for 2nd Successive Year in North from Sep 23rd to Sep 26th 2016’ »

By

Vishwamithra

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”
~Henry Ford

One does not have to look anywhere else. Daily headlines in the mainstream newspapers have been telling a most riveting story. Political winds have been blowing in opposite directions as far as the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) are concerned. Ever since the presidential and later the parliamentary elections, the UNP has been the recipient of a minuscule but a benevolent tailwind while the SLFP has been buffeted or pounded by an unenviable headwind.

From the response of the SLFP proper and its breakaway group’s mutterings and actions, one could ascertain that, in the coming months, the advantage is going to remain with the UNP. The badgering and criticism the Rajapaksas were confronted with and the trickling effect such badgering had on the Rajapaksa-entourage has looked crushing. The ‘purity-of-purpose’ image that the old regime attempted to advance throughout the past decade has been tarnished. The credit that was granted, mainly due to the war-victory, is waning and the players in the game have been exposed as players of the country’s coffers and people’s susceptibilities.

The Rajapaksas have not only misspent their political capital they rightfully earned, they squandered the people’s trust to such an unbelievable level and are trekking a tortuous journey on the borders of defeatism. The political calculus that they inaccurately formulated is now haunting them and the bizarre pageant of corrupt practices and dishonest conduct while in power are making a replay in slow motion before a public that is more aware and cognizant of nuanced undertones of this cynical enterprise called politics.

Protection of alleged ill-gotten wealth and material richness cannot be a reward for winning the war against the LTTE. Having deserted the supreme characteristic of leadership which consists of honesty and honour, these politicians are still trying to convince the masses that they be given, not a second chance, but third, fourth or fifth one.

Continue reading ‘How are the UNP and SLFP Faring Separately and Collectively in the Coalition Govt?’ »

Former President and Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday urged the government to amend the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill as those struggling to make ends meet had been deprived of promised relief.

The follwing is the text of the statement issued by former President’s Office:

“A Bill to increase the currently applicable VAT rate by thirty six per cent has been gazetted. Accordingly, the VAT on goods and services will increase from 11% to 15% and cause hardship to the consumer. This increased VAT is to be imposed even on private medical care which had always been exempt from VAT. This imposition will cause an immediate 15% increase in private medical costs. For example, a by-pass heart operation that presently costs about Rs.700,000 would in future cost Rs.805,000. Many ordinary people make use of private medical services today. This tax attempts to raise revenue through sickness and suffering. The more serious the illness, the more money the government would be squeezing from the hapless patient.

The increased VAT is to be imposed on the small and medium wholesale and retail trade as well.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa wants Govt to Amend its Value Added Tax Bill Proposals in the Interests of the People.’ »

By Aparna M Sridhar

(This is the birth centenary year of India’s renowned classical music singer M. S. Subbulakshmi who was born on September 16th 1916. Much activity is on in various parts of India and the world to celebrate the centenary of “MS” who was praised as the Queen of Song by India’s first prime minister Jawarhalal Nehru. The Bengaluru-based classical music monthly magazine”Saamagaana-The First Melody brought out its September Issue as a MS special focusing entirely on the much –loved singer’s life,personality and accomplishments. This article from the magazine written by its editor Aparna Sridhar is re-produced here with permission to denote the MS Subbulakshmi birth centenary)

M.S. Subbulakshmi

M.S. Subbulakshmi, India’s much loved musician, embodied all that is great about India, and she showed us that one does not have to be apologetic about anything Indian.

As we reflect on her stature and achievement, it is also perhaps needed in many ways to make sure we testify to and reclaim the sheer magnificence, significance and glory of both, rescuing her legacy from a diminishment to which a certain discourse would like to politely or not so politely consign her, using disingenuously everything from feminism and modernism, to even, rather ironically, classicism.
Continue reading ‘M.S.Subbulakshmi: A Voice for all Seasons’ »

By Risidra Mendis

For most of us, the Dehiwala Zoo is a place of interest as there are so many animals to be viewed; but for some others, it is a place where large animals that cannot speak are forced to entertain and are confined to small areas and remain chained for most of their lives.

Elephants at the Dehiwala Zoo cannot remember a day when they were free of chains. The Dehiwala Zoo commenced operations in 1939 and is one of the oldest zoos in Asia; however, since its inception no director general saw it fit to rid these poor animals of their chains.

When Ceylon Today visited the Dehiwala Zoo, the most heartbreaking sight was that of a baby elephant lifting its front leg and trying to remove the chain with the trunk and another in another similar scene, another elephant calf was trying to remove its chain from the leg by its trunk. This is the stress and trauma these majestic animals are put through just so that visitors can come and stare at them. These elephants in captivity are highly stressed and this is visible by the way they sway backwards and forwards while confined to their small enclosures and kept for viewing.

Continue reading ‘Elephants in Dehiwela Zoo Have Been Kept in Chains from its Inception in 1939.’ »

By Lankesh Gooneratne

Sri Lanka’s tea industry is almost synonymous with the Tamils of Indian origin, living and working in the sprawling tea plantations in the picturesque up-country region. Descending from the workers brought here by the British colonizers as indentured labourers from South India, the life of these people is one of abject poverty and utter misery.

Also known as Indian Tamils, they were first brought here in 1823 and ever since, they have been toiling in tea, rubber and coconut plantations, with minimum facilities under near inhuman conditions.

The Indian Tamils were, from the inception, a disenfranchised lot. They were brought here as labourers but were not granted basic human rights. By the time Ceylon was granted Independence from the British on 1948, in the Upcountry region, around 1 million out of the 8 million total Tamil population were living in poverty.

Continue reading ‘“Arumugam Thondaman has not been Showing Even an Inch of Concern Towards Plantation Workers” says Cabinet Minister Mano Ganesan’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

Sri Lanka is exploring possibilities of private investment in oil refining and has invited several foreign companies, including Indian companies like Reliance, to come up with proposals, the Minister for Petroleum, Chandima Weerakkody, told the Foreign Correspondents’ Association here on Monday.

He said that he will be visiting India soon to meet his Indian counterpart. Officials told Express that the visit could take place either in October of November.

Weerakkody said that Sri Lanka is looking to get investments to the tune of US 4 billion in the petroleum sector to meet domestic demand and also exploit export potential, keeping in view the strategic location of the island nation.

Continue reading ‘Study by Cairns(India) has Identified Natural Gas Reserves Estimated at US 12 Billion Dollars in a Section of Gulf of Mannar Basin’ »

By

Sanja De Silva Jayatilleka

It must surely be thought odd that I am even undertaking an effort to intervene here on a subject that requires comment by lawyers or political scientists. But as a concerned citizen-observer I have some worries and since I have not seen any debate whatsoever in the media, I want to raise some questions and hopefully contribute to an informed public discussion.

When and who decided that what Sri Lanka needed in the post-war period was ‘Transitional Justice’? Where and on what basis did they decide that?

My curiosity about this was aroused after a conversation with an overseas visitor to our home, representing a major UN related agency, who admitted that the concept of Transitional Justice (TJ) derived from a Latin American context, the criteria for its applicability had not been fully developed, and that even at the UN it had been used inappropriately and indiscriminately, and in quite a few cases to little benefit.

My other conversations with staff working for INGOs revealed that the overseas funding was earmarked and plentiful for projects that involved Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka, which does not make for the most conducive atmosphere for awkward questions of local applicability.

Continue reading ‘Is Transitional Justice a Trick, Treat or Trap for Sri Lanka?’ »

The new constitution is being formulated by parliament sitting as a constitutional council. Once the new constitution is passed in parliament it has to be adopted by the people at a referendum, said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe when he opened the new administrative complex of the Jaffna Kachcheri on September 17.

The Prime Minister said initial discussions have also been started regarding the executive presidential system but no finality has still been reached. A final decision would be taken after discussing devolution of power. A decision had been taken to take the system of devolution of power to the grass roots level by extending it not only to the Provincial Councils but also to Pradeshiya Sabhas and Town Councils.

A firm decision has also been taken to protect and safeguard the country’s territorial integrity at all costs.

Continue reading ‘Agreement Reached to set up a Senate Comprising Representatives of all nine Provinces Discloses Prime Minister Wickremesinghe in Jaffna.’ »

By Namini Wijedasa

Sri Lanka’s Mobile Service Providers (MSP) have fleeced millions of customers through third-party billing, a practice by which they are charged for value-added services they did not knowingly enlist for.

Third-party billing arises from “mobile customers mistakenly joining subscription services by simply clicking on an advertisement or web page”. Registration takes place without the knowledge of the subscriber. Charges are automatically slapped on the bill, whether post or prepaid. And if customers do not inquire about the added fees, the companies continue levying them by default.

Also called “cramming,” the practice is so serious that T-Mobile US was, in 2014, forced to pay out US$ 90 million to settle a Federal Communications Commission suit that alleged the company had turned a blind eye to third parties charging their customers for services they did not want. Phone companies in Sri Lanka have also looked the other way, without suffering the consequences.

The largest settlement in a cramming case was the US$ 105 million coughed up in 2014 by AT&T, which agreed to the fine “to resolve allegations that it billed for monthly subscriptions that consumers never authorised and didn’t want”. Around US$ 80 million of the fine was to refund customers.

It is not clear just how much Sri Lanka’s MSPs and their partners have earned from this unscrupulous business tool. There have been no questions asked by the Regulator so far. Considering the subscriber bases of respective companies–the largest company has more than 11 million customers, with 9.5 million of these being the prepaid category–and how widespread the problem is, the amount is likely to be high.

Continue reading ‘How Mobile Service Providers are Fleecing Mobile User Customers Through Third Party Billing for “Unwanted” Services’ »

By Namini Wijedasa

As film destinations go, Sri Lanka nearly has it all. From rolling hills to verdant rainforests, and sandy beaches to historical ruins, a range of locations accessible within hours of each other. The workforce is educated and genial, the costs are low. And Sri Lanka is today the most peaceful nation in the region.

But, despite several famous films having been shot here over the past few decades, the country has failed to garner the attention it merits from international moviemakers. Now, film production and distribution companies are calling for a coordinated effort to reverse this trend. That would require more than advertising. It would need a well thought out strategy supported by tax incentives for filmmakers.

The companies–there are several–promise it would be worthy investment. “Everybody knows about how beautiful Sri Lanka is,” said Chandran Rutnam, internationally renowned filmmaker and Chief Executive Officer of Film Location Services. “Now, we have to make Sri Lanka film-friendly.”

Continue reading ‘Marketing Sri Lanka To Foreign Film-makers as a ” Cinema Friendly Paradise” to Shoot Movies.’ »

By

Rasika Jayakody

UPFA Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa ran into a trouble when he met the chief prelate of the Malwatte chapter, Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddartha Sumangala Thera, last week to discuss about the government’s plans for a new constitution.

Weerawansa, speaking to the Mahanayake Thera, said the new constitution was being drafted to fulfill the needs of separatist elements, including the Tamil National Alliance.

He also said, through the new constitution, the government was trying to allow foreign judges and prosecutors to examine into war crimes during the final phase of war.

He urged the Mahanayake Thera to intervene the government’s efforts to formulate a new constitution, dubbing it as a great threat to the country’s sovereignty.

Continue reading ‘Wimal Weeawansa Tells Malwatte Mahanayake Thera About Mass Graves with Thousands of Bodies in Kilinochchi Army camp’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera has called for a ban on bottom trawling, a destructive fishing practice that harms marine ecosystems.

Mr. Samaraweera made the appeal at the recent ‘Our Ocean 2016 conference’ in Washington DC, ahead of high-level talks between India and Sri Lanka on the Palk Bay conflict.

Sri Lankan Tamil fisher-folk have for long expressed concern over bottom-trawling by Tamil Nadu fishermen in Sri Lankan waters. The Indian fishermen are reluctant to give up trawling which, they argue, employs hundreds of people.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera Calls for Ban on Destructive Fishing Practice of Bottom Trawling.’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

Extremist Diaspora Tamil groups, which are politically marginalized since the minorities-friendly President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe came to power in Sri Lanka in 2015, are now resorting to well publicized violence to stay in the public eye.

This is the explanation given by moderate Tamil leaders for the recent violent incidents overseas.

Continue reading ‘Politically Marginalized Tamil Diaspora Extremists Resorting to Violence Abroad to get Public Attention’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

Seven Sri Lankan Tamil parties have written a joint letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing “deep concern” about the attacks on Tamils in Karnataka over the Cauvery waters issue.

The letter dated September 14, was handed over to the Indian Consul General in Jaffna, A.Natarajan, by top leaders of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK); Eelam Peoples’ Revolutionay Liberation Front (EPRLF); Peoples’ Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE); Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO); Eelam Peoples’ Democratic Party (EPDP); Tamil National Peoples’ Front (TNPF); and Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF).

Continue reading ‘Seven Sri Lankan Tamil parties Write Joint Letter to Indian Prime Minister Modi Expressing Concern Over Attacks Against Tamils in Karnataka State’ »

by Tisaranee Gunasekara

Time past and time future
What might have been and what has been
Point to one end, which is always present.
Eliot (Four Quartets)

It should have been a time of confidence. The long Eelam War had been won, the opposition was floundering and the Rajapaksas were at the acme of their prestige and popularity. Sumanadasa Abeygunawardane, the astrologer (whose pleasing predictions were rewarded with directorships at the National Savings Bank and the Employees Trust Fund and an advisor-post at the ITN) proclaimed the verdict of the stars: “President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Rajapaksas will rule this country for a long time…. The Rajapaksas will become beloved leaders of this country…. The next chapter in Sri Lanka is reserved for the Rajapaksas.”i

Unfortunately success led not to relaxation but to paranoia. The Rajapaksas saw treachery behind every bush, conspiracy under every stone. So when Chandrasiri Bandara, an astrologer known for his pro-opposition views, made an unfavourable prediction, the regime reacted with ferocity. Mr. Bandara was arrested, taken to the CID and grilled.

This unprecedented act of repression had its desired effect, in the short term. Mr. Bandara came out of custody in the safe guise of a born-again Rajapaksa man. During the run up to 2015 Presidential election, when astrological predictions played the role allocated to opinion polls and statistical forecasts in less superstitious lands, Mr. Bandara predicted a resounding Rajapaksa victory and pledged to shoot himself if proven wrong – on live TV.

The Buddha in Samaññaphala Sutta categorised astrology, demonology et al as ‘animal arts’ii (The extensive list mentioned in the Sutta includes palmistry, reading omens and signs, interpreting celestial events and dreams, making predictions for state officials, chasing demons, casting auspicious times, predicting life spans, forecasting political or natural events and casting horoscopes). But in Sri Lanka, said to be repository of the Buddha’s teachings in their purest form, his followers regard astrological predictions with the reverence that adherents of theistic faiths accord to the words of their particular god or prophet.

Continue reading ‘Sirisena- Wickremesinghe Govt Takes Two Steps Forward and One Step Back’ »

By Manekshaw

A week after Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia Ibrahim Sahib Ansar was attacked at the Kuala Lumpur Airport by a group of five persons believed to be the sympathizers of the now defunct LTTE, a meeting attended by the Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian and the Leader of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) Mavai S. Senathiraja came under toxic gas attack in Paris last Monday (12).

Despite France proscribing the LTTE, the political activities of the outfit were carried out extensively in Paris until its collapse in 2009.

Rivalry among the pro-LTTE factions even led to gun fights and killings in the French capital a few years ago.

However, the manhandling of the Sri Lankan envoy at the Kuala Lumpur Airport last week and the toxic gas attack at the meeting attended by Senathiraja in Paris last Monday have highlighted the elements which were still active in creating obstacles to the efforts aimed at strengthening peace and reconciliation in the island.

Continue reading ‘Gang of Five Sprays Toxic Gas at Audience in Paris to Disrupt Meeting Addressed by ITAK Leader and TNA senior MP “Maavai” S. Senathirajah’ »

by Adrija Roy Chowdhury

When three years back, a Sri Lankan envoy sought Indian support on the basis of the claim that the Sinhalese people are descendents of Bengalis and Odias, there was an upsurge of perplexity and outrage among large sections of the Indian population. However, subsequent research has shown that the Sinhalese, who make up about 75 per cent of the Sri Lankan population might very well have descended from inhabitants of ancient East India.

The “Mahavamsa”, arguably the greatest chronicle of Sri Lanka, narrates an interesting episode that marks the origin of the Sinhalese people. As per the mythological record, the foundation stone of the Sinhalese community was laid by King Vijaya who had travelled there from North-West India in 543 BC and founded the first Sinhalese town by the name of Tambapani. One of the murals at the Ajanta caves carry an elaborate depiction of King Vijaya’s travel to the Sinhalese town.

King Vijaya was the son of Sihabahu the ruler of Sihapura in Gujarat. Sihabahu’s mother in turn was the daughter of the king of Kalinga in Eastern India. Legend goes that she conceived Sihabahu (etymologically meaning lion’s arm) with a lion who had kidnapped her.

The nature of origin myths is such that it can never prove or disprove a certain theory. However, by becoming part of local folklore, they do give some indication to the way in which the Sinhalese people remember their past. In the case of the hereditary lineage of King Vijaya, while the exact details of the story may or may not be true, what can be said with certainty is that the Sinhalese community does trace some connection to present day Bengal and Odisha. The legend gains particular currency when one realises the importance of the lion’s symbol in Sinhalese tradition.

Continue reading ‘Genetic Studies Show that Tamils from South India have Contributed to the Genetic Composition of Present day Sinhalese.’ »

By

DR. Dayan Jayatilleka

One must thank Chandrika for letting the cat out of the bag. In her recent address to “the national secretariat for national reconciliation” she has called for a federal, semi-secular constitution. (http://www.dailymirror.lk/115874/CBK-calls-for-a-federal-semi-secular-constitution). I shall bypass the issue of semi-secularism and the role of Buddhism in the Constitution because it has been quite adequately dealt with, not by a Sinhala Buddhist extremist, but precisely by the senior-most member of the Catholic clergy on the island, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith. Instead, let’s talk about federalism.

Chandrika’s call for federalism was entirely consistent with her SJV Chelvanayakam memorial lecture in which she identified the political “monopoly” allegedly enjoyed by Sinhalese as the main source of all our conflicts and advocated its dismantling. Obviously federalism is her chosen instrument for such dismantling.

This is also consistent with Chandrika’s political packages of 1995 and 1997 which called for the redefinition of Sri Lanka as a “union of regions”, as well her PTOMS which would have conceded a greater share of power in the North – to the ratio of 3:2–to the Tigers than it would have to the elected Sri Lankan Government (or the Muslims).

Continue reading ‘Does Chandrika Knows More Than SWRD, Sirimavo, JR Jayewardene, Premadasa, and Lord Soulbury About Federalism?’ »

Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga called for a joint effort of all parties to compile a federal semi-secular constitution in order to bring about a proper reconciliation in the country.

Ms Kumaratunga, who was speaking at a seminar organized by the national secretariat for national reconciliation in Colombo, said Sri Lanka should learn a lesson from number of countries which have resolved their issues by formulating federal and secular constitutions.

“South Africa resolved its conflict through a federal constitution. Nigeria resolved its conflict by the same means. In India there are 36 languages and dialects, and number of religions such as Jain Buddhism, Sheikism. It was a country which never had unitary status as there were several kingdoms within that country in the past. However the British brought them all together. Leaders like Nehru and Gandhi drew up a federal constitution for India as a means of gaining independence. The Indian Constitution treats that country as a Secular State. India has become a stable nation as a result of its federal and secular constitution,” Ms Kumaratunga said.

Continue reading ‘Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga Wants A Federal, Semi-secular Constitution to Bring about Proper Reconciliation.’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

In the wake of outgoing UNSG Ban Ki-moon calling for a further reduction of Jaffna peninsula based Army deployments, the military told The Island that the fighting strength there had been substantially reduced along with gradual releasing of land held for security purposes.

The process commenced in Oct 2010 about 18 months after the successful conclusion of the Vanni offensive. The military brought the war to an end in May 2009.

Health Minister and Co-Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said on Wednesday that a media delegation from Colombo had been given information regarding the vacation of land during a recent visit to Jaffna. Dr. Senaratne responded when The Island sought an account from Military Spokesman Brigadier Roshan Seneviratne regarding the Army giving up land since Oct 2010.

Brigadier Seneviratne said that Jaffna Security Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Mahesh Senanayake had briefed the visiting journalists on the issue.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Army Strength Under 4 Commands in North Gradually Reduced From 152 Battalions Stationed in North When War Ended in May 2009 to 104 Now’ »

By Niyanthini Kadirgamar and Esther Surenthiraraj

Images of the week-long protest held by the Students of Uduvil Girls College (UGC), filling the news last week, have spread beyond the community of Uduvil. The issue is now of wider social concern and has led to a debate about the role of private schools and the future of education in Sri Lanka.

The students’ protest and demands received support from parents, and UGC alumni, although they were disregarded by the school’s management board. As tension mounted, other groups including the Ceylon Teachers Union expressed concern and condemned violent actions to suppress student dissent. Subsequently, the students appealed to various actors including President Sirisena himself, while he was on a visit to Jaffna.

In the highly politicised and sensationalised reporting of the events, the concerns of the parents and students who are most impacted by the school were drowned out. Parents and students are concerned about the quality of education, of accountability for abuses against students, curtailing the interference of church politics, and democratising the management of the school.

Continue reading ‘Uduvil Girls College Student Protesters Have Demonstrated the Value of Non-violent Collective Action’ »

By

Lakmal Sooriyagoda

Former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage arrested over a complaint that he had allegedly purchased properties through illegally acquired money was yesterday ordered to be remanded till September 22 by Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris.

The former minister was arrested by the CID for alleged money laundering.

The CID alleged that Aluthgamage has purchased a house at Kynsey Road, Colombo 7 from an individual named Christopher Roshan for Rs 27 million. The CID alleged that the suspect has failed to disclose how he was able to raise the money for the purchase of the house and further alleged that he had committed an offence that comes under section 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Continue reading ‘Ex-Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage Arrested for Alleged Illegal Property Acquisition and Remanded till September 22nd’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid, did not mention Sri Lanka in his opening address at the 33 rd. session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on Tuesday.
This was because the theme of his speech was the problem of countries not giving access to UN rights investigative teams and the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government in Sri Lanka, which came to power in January 2015, has been giving access to UN rights teams.

The new government has also been making some progress in implementing the October 2015 UNHRC resolution on war time rights violations.

Among the countries which have not given the UN rights investigators are: the US, Indian, Pakistan, Nepal, China, Israel Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Turkey, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Gambia, and Crimea.

India denied access to a UN team meant to investigate the violence in Kashmir saying that it has mechanisms to deal with the crisis democratically and that much of the trouble in Kashmir is due to terrorism exported by Pakistan to India. Pakistan said that it can allow a UN team to visit its portion of Kashmir if India also gives similar access.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Not Mentioned by UN Human Rights Chief Prince Zeid in his Opening Address at UNHRC 33rd Session in Geneva’ »

By

Bandula Jayasekara

Major General , Kamal Gunaratne who commanded the elite 53 division of the Sri Lankan Army retired from on the 5th of September and launched his book ‘Road to Nandikadal – True story of defeating the Tamil Tigers’ both in Sinhala and English, on his birthday, 6th September.

I have met Kamal twice or thrice before he came on the programme, News 1st ‘Pathikada’ the day after his retirement. It was the longest chat I had with him. Sri Lankans know him and how his elite division ended the life of terrorist leader Velupillai Prabahkaran in Nandikadal.

This column isn’t about the book; it’s about my observations and of my thoughts. I asked him direct questions and he answered most directly. May be he couldn’t answer some directly. May be he didn’t know some answers. It is true, in life we don’t have answers to all our questions. If we had answers to all our questions life would be more beautiful, and may be even more confusing. Who knows.

I am of the view that ‘Road to Nandikadal‘ is one of the best books written on the ending of terrorism in Sri Lanka, that too by a soldier who spent thirty five years of his life battling them. I will never call it a war because late Lakshman Kadirgamar always said a war is fought between two countries.

Continue reading ‘It was not Right to Hurt Major-General Kamal Gunaratne One day After his Retirement’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it is opting out of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Venture to set up a coal-fired 500 MW power at Sampur in the Eastern Province.

The ill-fated JV between the Ceylon Electricity Board and the National Thermal Power Corporation of India (NTPC) has been on the drawing board since 2006 and has faced many challenges in the past ten years.

The Sri Lankan government’s decision to abandon coal as the fuel is in line with the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government’s policy of protecting the country’s environment. The government wants investors to generate power using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or diesel.

However, the final decision on the Sampur power plant will have to be taken by the India-Sri Lanka governmental Joint Working Group (JWG). No unilateral decision can be taken by either country.

Continue reading ‘Neither Sri Lanka Nor India Can Unilaterally Opt Out of Sampur Power Plant Joint Venture but Colombo Yet to Inform New Delhi Officially of Pull-Out.’ »

By

Upul Joseph Fernando

Last week a function was held at Ananda College, Colombo, to launch the book Road to Nandikadal by Major General Kamal Gunaratne. Neither the President, nor the Prime Minister or any Member of Parliament or Minister of this government had been invited for this function. Only former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa had received invitations.

The Major General presented the book to Mahinda Rajapaksa. During Mahinda’s Government, if a Major General invited only the Opposition and presented a book he had written, only to the Leader of the Opposition, the Major General would have been branded a Tiger and the stars of the Major General would have been removed and there was a chance he would even have been deprived of his pension.

What, Mahinda Rajapaksa did to Sarath Fonseka and the Majors General, who supported Fonseka, was the same. A certain group was sent to prison, while another group was sent home on compulsory leave. The main accusation Mahinda and others made against Fonseka was having relations with politicians of the Opposition, while still in the Army official uniform. They said it was a disloyal act and took Fonseka to the Military Court and punished him. The offence that Fonseka had committed was speaking to politicians of the Opposition on the telephone.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda and Gota Trying to use Gen. Gunaratne’s “Road to Nandikadal” Book to Travel on the “Road to Power” Again.’ »

By
Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka

Would India have allowed Ban Ki moon to travel to Kashmir and have a political dialogue with strident Kashmiri nationalists?

The Sri Lankan Government permitted and facilitated a meeting between the UNSG with the Northern Provincial Council and its Chief Minister. Every parent knows that you do not reward bad behaviour with a gift.

Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran presented the infamous Genocide Resolution to the Northern Provincial Council and then handed it over to a visiting senior UN political official.

He was rewarded for that move with the kind of meeting that no Sovereign State arranges between the UN Secretary General and the Chief Minister of a restive border province, in which a truculent separatist psyche is far from dead.

Continue reading ‘C.V.Wigneswaran who Presented Infamous “Genocide” Resolution Rewarded For his “Bad Behaviour” With Meeting with UN Secy-Gen Ban Ki Moon’ »

By

Rasika Jayakody

“Deceit for personal gain is one of history’s most recurring crimes. Man’s first step towards change would be thinking, counter-arguing, re-thinking, twisting, straightening, perfecting, then believing every original idea he intends to make public before making it public. There is always an angle from which an absolute truth may appear askew just as there is always a personal emotion, or a personal agenda, which alienates the ultimate good of mankind.”

– Criss Jami, Killosophy

In a major development, the Police will exhume the remains of former Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, on September 27, following an order by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court.

The order was issued after the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) informed the Mount Lavinia Magistrate that the postmortem inquiry into the former Editor’s death was suspicious.

After the exhumation, the CID will conduct tests to ascertain whether the findings of the JMO report tally with Wickrematunge’s remains. It was widely known that the authorities under the previous regime attributed Wickrematunge’s death to gunshot wounds. On the contrary, there was no exit wound on the journalist’s head nor was there any spent cartridges at the place where he was killed. This raised serious doubts about the cause of his death.

According to highly placed Police sources, the experts will conduct a further autopsy to ascertain the cause of death, following the exhumation. It was rumoured that the journalist had been killed by piercing to his head with a sharp weapon and that no firearm had been used in the process.

The same suspicions were raised when the Police re-commenced inquiries into the killing of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen, February, last year, after a new government came to power. There were problems relating to the initial post mortem inquiry carried out by former Colombo Chief JMO Ananda Samarasekera. After the CID made submissions to the Colombo Additional Magistrate, permission was granted to exhume the rugby player’s body. The investigations carried out after the exhumation of Thajudeen’s body pointed out discrepancies in the previous post-mortem inquiry. Some assume that the exhumation of Wickrematunge’s body will produce the same divergent result, drawing parallels between the cases of Thajudeen and Wickrematunge.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the journalist’s death has plunged a few top-brass Police officers into hot water. They are currently under investigation for attempting to cover up evidence with regard to Wickrematunge’s murder. It all began when information about his notebook surfaced, last year, during the initial phase of the inquiry.

Continue reading ‘Suspicion Directed at Influential Figure in Defence Apparatus Under Previous Govt for Lasantha Wickrematunge’s Murder’ »

By Rohan Wijesinha

The recent resistance of many conservationists and conservation agencies to the expansion, in the last few years, of the Pallenkandal Shrine, within the boundaries of the Wilpattu National Park, is based on Law and Principle, and is not a matter of religion, ethnicity or politics. It is also a matter of conservation – the preservation of the remaining wild places and wild creatures for the future health and prosperity of Sri Lanka. Any attempt to make it otherwise, by any of the parties involved on either side of the breach, should be strongly resisted.

History records that, the Roman Catholic missionary, Saint Joseph Vaz, came to Sri Lanka in 1687 and was in the Puttalam region in 1690. Local tradition says that in his movement down South from Jaffna to Puttalam, he built a series of small chapels for use by the beleaguered Catholics undergoing Dutch persecution, mainly fishing communities. One of these small churches, though inland from the coast, it is alleged is Pallenkandal, though there does not seem to be any contemporary written record that confirms this.

There is no doubt, however, that this little chapel was in existence prior to the establishment of the Wilpattu National Park in 1938, and hosted an annual feast for the fishing communities of Puttalam, a couple of hundred, who would erect temporary shelters for the three days of the feast, which were taken down when they returned home. There was little damage done to the environment surrounding this charming little chapel, an area of approximately a quarter of an acre, if that. The chapel then returned to the quiet of its surrounds for another year, steeped in the sanctity of the natural creation that surrounded it.

Continue reading ‘Resistance to Expansion of Pallenkandal St.Anthony Shrine Within Wilpatu National Park is a Matter of Law and Principle not Religion or Politics’ »

By
Gomin Dayasri

In the South, children of good governance overwhelmed the descendants of nationalism. Presidential elections were a contest between the Kids of 2015 and Veterans of ’56. Heirs of ‘56 stood steadfastly behind their leadership on conviction in defeat. Impatient kids of 2015 left ‘Yahapalana’ regime in disgust after victory. Sincerity of both sides is beyond doubt.

Nationalists won the war over terrorism while good governance is irritably searching for a single conviction on corruption. Reason – Nationalism arises from mind and heart; good governance comes via textbooks and seminars. Descendants of 2015 are more fertile in the prevailing conditions while the offspring of ’56 are a dying breed unless Wigneswaran and Sampanthan revitalises the embryo with their ongoing stupid acts.

North desired to downsize the rejoicing South and avenge the defeat of its home-sprung bad boy, their lad. Feeling of misplaced pride is common in defeat, where terrorism was configured as nationalism. TNA feeds their voters on this diet, to keep the main communities apart and pocket the Northern vote.

Gruesome deeds of the LTTE were discounted by the Northerners; provided it did not hurt their homeland people if the incidents occurred in the despised alien South.To the Northerners, Southerners are as aliens as Afghans, Kurds or Syrians, during the war.

Not so to the dismayed Colombo Tamils that voted for UNP, but supported the LTTE clandestinely whenever they overran the defence forces; unavoidable, on a study of primitive tribal values.

Continue reading ‘Only Colombo Tamils can Tame Tamil National Alliance and Navigate Them to Reality’ »

The Government has assured the country’s apex court that it will not pursue a coal-fired power project in Sampur due to opposition by environmental groups, a decade after Sri Lanka signed a joint venture with India to construct the plant.

When the case against the Sampur coal-fired power plant filed by the Environmental Foundation Ltd. (EFL) was taken up in the Supreme Court yesterday, Additional Solicitor General Sanjaya Rajaratnam told the court that the Ministry of Power and Energy had decided a coal power plant would not be constructed in Sampur in the Trincomalee District.

As a result of the assurances by the Government, EFL has informed the Supreme Court that it was withdrawing its fundamental rights petition. “EFL then told the court it would not proceed with the petition and the proceedings were terminated,” EFL Head of Legal Gayani Hewawasam told Daily FT. However, EFL reserves the option to return to court if the Government changes its policy.

Continue reading ‘Govt Informs Supreme Court that Joint Venture Project Signed With India to Construct Coal -Fired Power Plant at Sampur in Trinco District Is Stopped’ »

By
Ranga Jayasuriya

It is rather strange that nobody has yet cried ‘conspiracy’ over the High Court sentencing Duminda Silva and four others to death last week on charges of murdering Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and three others. Perhaps that indifference, even of his fellow travellers in the former regime, is understandable. Judging by the public reactions to the court verdict, Silva is deeply unloved. But, that is a bit confusing though; here was a man who polled the highest number of preferential votes at two consecutive provincial elections — in the second, he obtained a whopping on 165,000 votes, and then went to win a seat in parliament obtaining 146,000 votes at the 2010 general elections.

He could well have won this time had not President Maithripala Sirisena refused him nomination even after his name appeared in the nomination list. Going by the calibre of most individuals who made it to Parliament from the UPFA in last year’s election, Mr Silva’s chances were a near certainty. Had that happened, he could well have another rather insalubrious accolade to his name: The first sitting parliamentarian to be sentenced to death. His counsel say he and others would appeal.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Did Not Expect Even in his Wildest Dreams for Duminda Silva to Murder his One Time Buddy Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

After a week of protests and turmoil, the crisis at the Uduvil Girls’ College appeared to be drawing to a close, with retiring principal Shiranee Mills formally handing over duties to her successor last evening.

The breakthrough was a result of waning support for the protests over the appointment of a new principal and what past pupils and demonstrating students called the forcible retirement of Principal Mills, after the problems at the elite Jaffna girls’ school took a major political turn at the end of last week.

Bishop Daniel Thiagarajah who heads the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India which manages Uduvil Girls’ College held a three-hour meeting with parents of students attending the school, at which he assured the safety of the protesting students and promised to set up a committee to look into complaints that the schoolgirl demonstrators had been assaulted the previous week.

He requested the parents at the meeting to ensure their children attended classes and continue with their school activities as usual, in order to restore normalcy.

Continue reading ‘Uduvil Girls College Student Protest Ends After Meeting Between Parents and CSI Bishop Daniel Thiyagarajah: Retiring Principal Shiranee Mills Hands Over Duties to Successor Suneetha Jebaratnam.’ »

By Ananth Palakidnar

Veteran Tamil journalist K.G. Mahadeva, who served as the Senior News Editor of the Eelanadu, in Jaffna, passed away, at the age of 76, in Chennai on Sunday (11).

Mahadeva, who hailed from Batticaloa, served in the Seithi (News) publication from the upcountry in the sixties before joining Eelanadu, Jaffna, which was one of the leading regional news dailies founded by late Valachchenai Paper Mills Chairman K.C. Thangaraja in 1958.

Mahadeva played a key role as a News Editor at Eelanadu, Jaffna which was set on fire by hooligans, on the same night the Jaffna Public Library was set ablaze, for its unbiased contribution in 1981.

Continue reading ‘Former “Eelanadu” News Editor and Veteran Journalist “Mahan” K.G.Mahadeva (76) Passed away in Tamil nadu’ »

by Sirimewan Kasturiarachchi

The army would not return even an inch of the 4,419 acre land belonging to the Jaffna camp and Palaly Military cantonment, Jaffna Security Forces Commander Maj Gen Mahesh Senanayake said.

He said that the Palaly High Security Zone had encompassed around 11,269 acres until 2010 and 7,210 acres had been given back to their original owners on government instructions and now the army was not in a position to return any more lands owing to security requirements in the former war-zone area.

Continue reading ‘Army that has Handed Back 7210 out of 11,269 Acres in Palaly Cantonment and High Security Zone to Civilian Owners will not Return even an inch of 4.419 Acres Being Retained now’ »

By

P.K.Balachandran

An appalling lack of security at the airport and a corrupt Malaysian administration are blamed for the brutal assault on the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Malaysia, Ibrahim Sahib Ansar, by local Indian Tamil radicals at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on September 4.

Informed sources told Express that security at the KLIA is no lax that anyone can enter it and go up to the immigration area without any security check of their person and bags. There is no concept of VVIP security to ensure that high risk individuals are protected against demonstrators, thugs or terrorists.

In fact the Sri Lankan envoy was beaten up by intruding thugs in the “No Entry” (High Security) area.

Envoy Ansar had alerted the police well in advance about a potential threat to Sri Lankan dignitaries in view of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to Kuala Lumpur to attend an international political parties’ conference. But no special security systems were put in place.

Continue reading ‘Promised Security in Malaysia for Sri Lankan Envoy Ibrahim Sahib Ansar and Sri Lankan High Commission in Kuala Lumpur has not Materialised so far.’ »

by Norman Palihawadane

The Colombo Municipal Council gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court last week to utilise a 35-acre land at Ja-Ela for dumping of city’s garbage hereafter, but Head of Catholic Church Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday expressed opposition to polluting the northern suburb of Colombo.

The authorities, responsible for garbage disposal, should take action to dump garbage at a location uninhabited by people, Cardinal Ranjith said. He said he would make a request from the CMC on behalf of the people of Ja-Ela, which is a very populous area, to change the plan to dump garbage there.

Dumping garbage in Ja-Ela would contaminate water bodies and pollute the entire area, the prelate said.

Continue reading ‘Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith Opposes Colombo Municipal Council Plan to Dump city Garbage in 35 Acre Land at Ja-Ela.’ »

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has been honoured with ‘Tamil Ratna’ award by a body of Tamil diaspora here for fighting corruption and working for more transparency in the functioning of the government.

The America Tamil Sangam awarded the ‘Tamil Ratna’ to the senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP, who is currently on a visit to the US.

Continue reading ‘“Maverick” Indian Politician Dr.Subramanian Swamy of BJP Honoured with “Tamil Ratna” Award by American Tamil Sangam’ »

By

Gamini Seneviratne

People would have known him for his advocacy of simple farming and his work on Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD, thanks mostly to his work no longer regarded as of ‘Unknown’ origin). He passed away without ceremony in his home town, Kandy, and his remains cremated yesterday.

Royal in our time had a farm at Narahenpita to which we were taken once a week for hands on experience of farming. There was no paddy there but bananas and vegetables. Ranjith wasthe only boy who actually did what we were expected to do – work on the land.

Continue reading ‘Ranjith Mulleriyawa was Known for His “Simple”Farming Advocacy and work on Chronic Kidney Disease’ »

By Dr.Pradeep Peiris

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s 65th anniversary hit news headlines this time mainly due to the party’s current internal power struggle. Since January 2015, the SLFP has been embroiled in a bitter internal power struggle between its current leader Maithripala Sirisena and his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The SLFP founded by S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike (centre) evolved under the leadership of his widow Sirima Bandaranaike, daughter Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Mahinda Rajapaksa and now President Sirisena

After losing the Presidential election and having handed over the SLFP leadership, Rajapaksa started a new battle to regain power. His first priority seems to be to capture power within the party, despite the hullaballoo about a new party under his leadership. To counter the Rajapaksa-threat, Sirisena has not only had to secure his leadership within the party but also work to prevent the party’s ground level leadership joining Rajapaksa in his endeavor to form a new party. So, undoubtedly, the SLFP is experiencing an unprecedented internal crisis at the time it celebrates its 65th anniversary.

Continue reading ‘SLFP Internal Battle Reflects Crisis of Present Political Party System in Sri Lanka’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

Both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday clearly indicated that the on-going fruitful alliance between their respective parties – the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (SLFP) – will continue in order to develop Sri Lanka and maintain its sovereignty.

That the alliance between the two major Sri Lankan parties, which jointly head a “unity government” will continue for the foreseeable future, came out clearly from the speeches of the President and Prime Minister at a rally held here to mark the 70 th. anniversary of the UNP.

While Sirisena said that the alliance will help “develop Sri Lanka and enable it to move forward as a sovereign nation for many year to come,” Wickremesinghe said that those who had sought the help of the terrorist and separatist LTTE to win an election have no right to criticize the alliance between the SLFP and the UNP.

Continue reading ‘Maithripala and Ranil will Continue with SLFP-UNP Alliance to re-build Sri Lanka and Push Mahinda Into Corner’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

Students of the Uduvil Girls College (UGC) in Jaffna handed over a petition to President Maithripala Sirisena opposite the Jaffna Library yesterday, as crisis deepens in the church administered school over a popular headmistress who was retired this week.

Falling at the President’s feet last afternoon, the schoolgirls wept and appealed to him to intervene to reinstate Shiranee Mills as Principal of UGC.

dailyFT.lk

In their petition, the students asked President Sirisena to ensure their safety and wellbeing and ‘release the school from the grip of the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India (JDCSI) by making changes in the governing body’.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, I will take action,” President Sirisena soothed the crying school children and their parents at the Subaramaniam Park where he was attending an anti-narcotics programme the Government had organized during his Northern tour.
Continue reading ‘Uduvil Girls College Students Wanting Re-instatement of Sherine Mills as Principal Fall at President Sirisena’s Feet Seeking his Intervention.’ »

By

Vanesha Shurentheran

Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P.Ramasamy had raised five issues regarding the protest against allowing former Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapakse into the country and the arrest on five Malaysians for assaulting Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ibrahim Sahib Ansar.

“First, despite more than 500 police reports made by various Tamils groups in the country for the organizers not to invite Rajapakse, the Malaysian government rode a roughshod over the feelings and sentiments of Tamils.

“Rajapakse is considered a war criminal and who was responsible for the genocide against Tamils in the north and east of the country during the civil war that ended in 2009,” said DAP deputy secretary-general at a press meet in Komtar earlier today.

Ramasamy said that while he does not condone acts of violence against anybody, but the assault against Ansar, had a background.

Continue reading ‘Penang Dep Chief Minister II Ramasamy wants Malaysian Govt to Expel Assaulted Sri Lankan High Commissioner Ibrahim Sahib Ansar’ »

SANJA DE SILVA JAYATILLEKA

The September session of the United Nations Human Rights Council will start on the 13th of this month. There is a report on Sri Lanka due to be presented there. It is the Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances on its mission to Sri Lanka.

I am no lawyer or any kind of expert but as I have closely observed the Council from a ringside seat (in the years 2007-2009) and am familiar with it, I checked it out. Even someone like me can see when a report is making a wildly expansive claim. At first glance it seemed to me that the members of the Working Group were making lurid allegations against the Sri Lankan state. Then I wondered if they were making them against the LTTE, which would certainly fit. It quickly dawned on me that they meant the State after all, since they refer to “counter-terrorists activities” – and that could only be the State.

Here’s what they say:

“Para 6:Enforced disappearances have been used in a massive and systematic way in Sri Lanka for many decades to suppress political dissent, counter-terrorist activities or in the internal armed conflict. Given the context in which they occurred, many enforced disappearances could be considered as war crimes or crimes against humanity if addressed in a court of law.”

That’s heavy. Using the phrase “massive and systematic” here makes it tantamount to a war crime, as they rightly point out. But why is it even there?

Continue reading ‘Tepid Response From Sri Lankan Govt to Damning Report by UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

The high profile Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra murder trial came to a dramatic end yesterday, with ex-Parliamentarian Duminda Silva, a close ally of former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa being sentenced to death for the murder of the SLFP politico by the Colombo High Court yesterday.

A three judge bench of the High Court issued death sentences on Silva and four others when the verdict was delivered on the assassination of Premachandra, a former SLFP parliamentarian who was gunned down in Kolonnawa five years ago.

The bench announced a divided verdict in the high profile case with the majority decision in favour of sentencing Silva and four others to death.

High Court Judge Pathmini N. Ranawaka delivering the majority verdict before a packed court house yesterday noted that the prosecution had proved during the trial that Silva had led the others in the attack that resulted in Premachandra’s murder.

Continue reading ‘“Justice has been Served for my Fathers Murder”says Hirunika Premachandra While Duminda Silva States “I am Innocent”’ »

By Ishara Ratnakara

The Colombo High Court (CHC) yesterday sentenced to death former Parliamentarian Duminda Silva and four others in one of Sri Lanka’s most high profile murder cases. They were all found guilty of murdering former MP and Presidential Adviser Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and three others.
The three-member Trial-at-Bar Bench was divided in its verdict with two members finding the defendants guilty and the Chairman saying they should be acquitted.

Those convicted and sentenced to death were, former Police constable Anura Thushara de Mel, Chaminda Jayanath alias Dematagoda Chaminda, Sarath Bandara, Priyantha Janaka Bandara Galagoda (who is absconding) and former MP
R. Duminda Silva.

Continue reading ‘Death Sentence for Duminda Silva,”Dematagoda Chaminda”, Thushara De Mel, Sarath Bandara and Absconding Janaka Galagoda.’ »

Former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra’s daughter Hirunika Premachandra, addressing the media after the verdict of the Colombo Chief Magistrate said justice was achieved because the supremacy of law is protected under the new President.

“If the Government had not changed, maybe the verdict would have been different,” the weeping UNP MP said.

“Justice was achieved because the supremacy of law is protected under new President,” she stressed.

Continue reading ‘” If not for Change in Government the Verdict May have been Different” says a Tearful Hirunika Premachandra.’ »

By
Lakmal Sooriyagoda

Five accused including former Defence Ministry Monitoring MP Duminda Silva were yesterday sentenced to death by Colombo High Court for committing the murder of four persons including former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra on October 8, 2011.

However, the verdict was divided two to one with Judges Pathmini N.Ranawaka and M.C.B.S. Moraes finding five accused guilty on 10 charges including committing and conspiring to commit the murder of four people while Justice Shiran Gunaratne the President of Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar found the thirteen accused not guilty of all seventeen charges.

While handing out the judgment two Judges Pathmini N. Ranawaka Gunatilleke and M.C.B.S. Moraes unanimously decided that the prosecutors have proved the five accused guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Continue reading ‘“Duminda Silva Should be Held Responsible for the Whole Incident” Observes High Court Judge Padmini N. Ranawaka in Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra Murder Trial’ »

By Chitra Weeraratne

Two Judges out of the three High Court Judges, who comprised the trial-at-bar yesterday convicted former Parliamentarian Duminda Silva and four others of the conspiracy to murder and commit the murder of former Parliamentarian and presidential adviser, Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

Death penalty was imposed on the convicts for that crime.

Continue reading ‘Trial at Bar Chairman Shiran Guneratne Acquits all 13 Accused but High Court Judges Padmini Ranawaka and MCBS Morais Convict Five and Discharge Eight’ »

Former Parliamentarian Duminda Silva and four others were sentenced to death today by the Colombo High Court after being found guilty in the murder of former MP and Presidential Advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and three others in 2011.

Former MP Premachandra, was killed on October 8, 2011 in a clash between two groups at Walpola, Mulleriyawa.Former MP Duminda Silva too was critically injured in the incident. Aside from Mr. Premachandra, the others who were killed were identified as his body guards.

In a divided judgement delivered by a special three-judge bench, the accused were found guilty of shooting dead four individuals, including Mr. Premachandra on the evening of October 8, 2011 in Kolonnawa.

Continue reading ‘Five Including Duminda Silva Sentenced to Death in Divided Court Decision Over Killing of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and Three Body Guards on Oct 8th 2011’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

On 23 May 2009, four days after Sri Lanka’s civil war had come to its brutal and bloody end, Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon arrived in the island.

On a quick trip to the embattled Northern Province the UN Chief flew over the final theatre of battle in Mullaitivu, an area still smouldering from deadly fighting, where a panel of UN experts would later estimate that tens of thousands of people had been killed. From his helicopter, Ban gazed down upon a scorched landscape that was heavily cratered and scattered with debris. To meet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa whose Government had just defeated the LTTE and claimed victory in a 26 year armed conflict, the Secretary General had to make a flying visit to Kandy. With all the travel packed in to the UN Chief’s visit in 2009, he had fit in one last important meeting at the Bandaranaike International Airport shortly before his departure.

Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, the leader of the largest Tamil party represented in Parliament was to meet the Secretary General at BIA. Sampanthan arrived at Katunayake at the appointed time, but was barred from proceeding towards the meeting area by security personnel. Security officials informed the TNA Leader that he could not proceed because Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, defence secretary at the time was of the view that “the airport was not a meeting place”. Sampanthan reached out to UN officials stationed in Sri Lanka, including Resident Coordinator Neil Buhne to gain access, but the effort proved futile and the veteran Tamil politician was compelled to forgo the meeting.

Seven years later, on his second visit to Sri Lanka, Ban Ki Moon landed in a very different country.

This time he would fly to the northern capital of Jaffna to meet with Sampanthan and a delegation of TNA legislators at the historic Jaffna Library on a sweltering afternoon. Having once lost an opportunity to brief the UN Chief, the 83 year old leader of the TNA seemed determined to make their meeting count last Friday (2). Sampanthan who generally reserves his more fiery remarks on the ethnic question for political speeches delivered in the North and East, surprised observers at the meeting with his assertiveness.

Continue reading ‘Tamil National Alliance After Sampanthan Likely to Fragment and Disintegrate.’ »

By

Upul Joseph Fernando

The appearance of the Tiger woman soldier in Malaysia who was in charge of the security of Dwaraka, Velupillai Prabhakaran’s daughter during the end of the war in Vellamulliwaikkal was a surprise to the Tamil community living in Malaysia as well. It was a mystery at that time how, after Dwaraka died, she went to Malaysia. There are a large number of Tamil Tiger leaders who surrendered to the Army and later went abroad, subsequent to Prabhakaran being destroyed on information received from Karuna Amman.

The media, then, had reported that these persons had paid large sums of money and fled to foreign countries. Many of them fled to Malaysia. There are also a large number of Tiger leaders who went to Europe from Malaysia later. KP came to Malaysia to meet the Tamil Tiger leaders who fled to Malaysia from the North. There, KP was taken into custody. However, the leaders who fled to Malaysia are still among the living. When you consider the protests that targeted Mahinda Rajapaksa recently during his visit to Malaysia, the power of the Tiger leaders who live in Malaysia is quite apparent.

Continue reading ‘LTTE Woman Bodyguard of Tiger Chief Prabhakaran’s Daughter Dwaraka Surfaced in Malaysia After War Ended.’ »

(Text of Editorial Appearing under the heading “Thus spake Ban ” in “The Island” of September 8th 2016)

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has come and gone, but brouhaha one of his controversial remarks triggered has not yet died down. The government was over the moon about Ban’s visit, but now it has been left with egg on its face. How sad!

The UNSG, delivering a lecture, Sustainable Peace and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals, at Colombo Hilton last week, went out of his way to bracket Sri Lanka with Rwanda and Bosnia while speaking of the Vanni war. His comparison was not unintentional, at all. It was calculated to have the impact he had in mind. It looks as if he had come all the way here to say just that!

The government seems to think the UNSG came here in appreciation of its style of governance. He only wanted to dictate the tempo of the process of initiating the proposed war crimes probe, justify the UNHRC action and remind the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration of its commitment to the Geneva resolution.

He apparently wanted to come out with something to shock the conscience of the global community while international media attention was on this country so as to give the UNHRC war crimes probe project a turbo boost. He succeeded in his endeavour.

Continue reading ‘Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe Cuts a Pathetic Figure Trying to Defend the Indefensible Remarks of Ban Ki Moon.’ »

By Maheesha Mudugamuwa

The government would not seek any clarification from the United Nations (UN) regarding the UN Secretary General (UNSG) Ban Ki-moon’s comparison of civilians deaths during the Vanni war with acts of genocide in Rwanda and Serbia in 1994 and 1995, respectively, Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Karunarathna Paranawithana said yesterday.

Responding to a query by The Island during the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Government Information Department, the Deputy Minister said the GoSL would not seek clarification as UNSG’s remarks were not mentioned in his prepared speech made at the Colombo Hilton during Moon’s recent visit to Sri Lanka and therefore UNSG’s personal comments would not be accounted as that from the UN.

Continue reading ‘Govt will not Seek Clarification from Ban Ki Moon about References to Rwanda, Srebrenica and Sri Lanka in his Colombo Speech.’ »

The Government is exploring the possibility of encouraging more Tamil-speaking members of the public to join the Police, Armed Forces and Prisons Department in order to cater to the needs of those in the country’s north and east.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday attributed this dearth to the LTTE’s frequent killings of Tamil-speaking members of the Police and Armed Forces, which in turn dissuaded potential new recruits.

“It is an issue to have few Tamil speakers in the Police, Armed Forces and Prisons Department. In fact, the first Army Commander, Major General Anton Muttukumaru, was a Tamil. But a major issue came up after 1978. The Tamils in the police force were the first to investigate LTTE incidents. Unfortunately, they were killed to stop the flow of information through Tamil areas. The LTTE also prevented Tamils from joining the Police and Armed Forces. The 1983 riots added to the problem,” he said.

Continue reading ‘Govt Wants to Recruit More Tamil Speakers to the Armed Forces, Police and Prisons Dept’ »

By Saman Indrajith

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday that the government had called for a detailed report from the Malaysian government on the attack on Sri Lankan envoy at the Kuala Lumpur Airport.

He said the Sri Lankan government had made a formal request from the Malaysian government to implement law against those responsible for the assault.

The Premier said so joining government and opposition MPs who made speeches condemning the LTTE activists assaulting Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia Ibrahim Sahib Ansar on Sunday.

MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena: Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, UNPs Daya Gamage, Anoma Gamage and I were invited to attend the ICAPP conference in Kuala Lumpur. It was so unfortunate that the LTTE activists assaulted our High Commissioner Sahib Ansar at the Kuala Lumpur Airport. He received injuries. This is an insult against the Lankan government. The government should take into account seriously how the LTTE activists staged protests displaying LTTE flags to prevent former President Rajapaksa attending and addressing the conference and issuing threats against him. Why the government is silent on LTTE activists assaulting a Lankan bhikkhu inside a temple there. We demand to know the action taken by the government in the face of these brutal acts which strain the good relations we have with Malaysia. It is a serious situation. Why doesn’t the government take the security of former President seriously? We do not blame the Malaysian government. What would be the response of Sri Lankan government?

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe: I condemn the attack on Lankan High Commissioner on Sept. 04. I have instructed the Foreign Ministry to summon Malaysian High Commissioner in Colombo and inform our displeasure immediately. It is the duty of the Foreign Ministry to provide for facilities for the MPs, former Prime Ministers and former Presidents when they go abroad.

Continue reading ‘Prime Minister Ready to send a Delegation to Malaysia to “Discuss”with “Naam Thamilar” Indian Tamil Group that Attacked Envoy.’ »

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Former General Officer Commanding elite 53 Division Maj. General (retd) Kamal Gunaratne, whose troops killed LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and some of the latter’s top lieutenants during the final confrontation on the morning of May 19, 2009 has strongly disputed UNSG Ban Ki-moon’s comparison of Vanni offensive with cases of genocide in Ruwanda and Serbia in the 1990s.

Gunaratne said that he deeply regretted the UNSG’s unsubstantiated statement.

Appearing on Sirasa Pathikada, the Gajaba Regiment veteran emphasized that had Sri Lanka adopted such a policy none of those who surrendered to the Army as well as those arrested by the Intelligence Services on the Vanni east front would have been alive today. The veteran estimated the number of those who had surrendered and arrested at over 12,000 personnel. The war veteran was responding to programme host Bandula Jayasekera.

Responding to another query, Gunaratne said that as an officer who had served the Army for 35 years he was ready to face proposed judicial inquiry into accountability issues.

Continue reading ‘LTTE Leader Prabhakaran was Killed on May 19th 2009 and Tiger Intelligence Chief Pottu Ammaan on May 18 th – Maj Gen Kamal Gunaratne’ »

The assault on the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia by LTTE supporters at the Kuala Lampur International Airport came was condemned in Parliament yesterday.

Both Opposition and Government MPs voiced their concern and criticised Malaysian authorities for failing to provide adequate security for diplomats as is agreed to in international conventions.

According to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Malaysians responsible for the attack were followers of a minority extremist political movement based in South India.

Continue reading ‘Malaysian Branch Members of South Indian “We Tamils Party”were Involved in Attack on High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur – Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

The assault on Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ibrahim Sahib Ansar, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Sunday, was a “political act” and not a “terrorist act”, the Malaysian Deputy Home Minister, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohomed, said here on Tuesday.

“It was an isolated incident triggered by political conflicts,” Nur Jazlan said. “The incident had nothing to do with terrorism. However, necessary action has been taken against five people, currently in police custody,” the New Straits Times, quotes him as saying.

Nur Jazlan assured that Malaysia will not meddle in Sri Lanka’s affairs, and that the incident will not have any impact on Malaysia.

Continue reading ‘Attack on Sri Lankan envoy was ‘political’ not ‘terrorist’ says Malaysian Deputy Home Minister’ »

by Shanika Sriyananda

Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne

Battle-hardened soldier Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne, who has shed his Army uniform which he wore for 35 years, yesterday urged political leaders of the country to maintain the hard-earned peace. Maj. Gen. Gunaratne, who is credited for commanding his troops of the 53 Division to fight the 45-minute final battle of the Eelam IV war, which killed LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and put the curtains down on the 30-year-long war against LTTE terrorism, will be launching his memoir ‘Road to Nandikadal’ today (6) at his alma mater, Ananda College.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily FT, he explained the historical failures that led the LTTE to become a stronger fighting force, the motive of writing of his memoir, the downfall of the LTTE, transforming the SLA to a victorious Army, allegations on human rights abuses and the last days of the final battle.

“I wrote this book for the poor parents who sent their sons to fight with the ruthless LTTE, the elite people in Colombo and abroad and the human rights activists, who were misled by a wrong picture about the our soldiers and the war,” he said, adding that he doesn’t want his memories to be buried with him after his retirement.

Maj. Gen. Gunaratne said that for the LTTE to make a comeback with the same vigour it needed a leader like Prabhakaran, who was an equally committed, dedicated, disciplined and ruthless terrorist leader.

Following are excerpts of the interview:

Q: Why did you think of writing your memoirs ‘Road to Nandikadal’ seven years after defeating LTTE terrorism?

A: Defeating the LTTE was a very difficult task for the armed forces, which had made a lot of sacrifices in the last Eelam war. The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) lost over 5,600 officers and soldiers and had over 25,000 battle field casualties during the final battle of two years and 10 months that ended on 19 May 2009. Thousands of soldiers are still lying on beds like vegetables. All Sri Lankans are happily and peacefully living today because of the sacrifices that they made to bring about a future with no bombs and blood.

With busy lives, people tend to forget the blood-stained past as well as the deadly war with the ruthless LTTE and Velupillai Prabhakaran. Unfortunately, they have also forgotten how they suffered due to terrorism and also how the valiant soldiers of the armed forces fought and made sacrifices to end the 30-year war.

Continue reading ‘“We could not find a Single Picture of Tiger Chief Prabhakaran with a Glass of Alcohol Among 10,000 LTTE Photographs”– Maj. Gen Kamal Gunaratne’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

In 2009, then President Mahinda Rajapaksa had to let in thoughts begrudgingly, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on an impromptu visit here for that would serve both men- For Mr. Ban who was facing criticism from the Human Rights lobby for the UN’s perceived failure to intervene in Sri Lanka, it was a last ditch effort to show some influence over an increasingly maverick State. For Mr. Rajapaksa who had done his job by defeating an egregious terrorist insurgency at home, it was getting the UN Chief to endorse his feat.

In hindsight, things did not turn out either way. Messrs. Ban and Rajapaksa were haunted by their perceived blotch, the latter for the remainder of his term, and the former still feeling the sting. This time around, the new government, overly accommodating in the eyes of its critics, though that may not be a fair assessment, sang a song and rolled out the red carpet for the UN Secretary General, who was also extended the liberty to travel around without hindrances.

The UN Chief, in fact reciprocated, when he hailed the steps taken towards ‘reconciliation’ by the new government. But, he threw back in our faces a good deal of goodwill extended to him, when he lumped the final phase of the Sri Lankan conflict together with Rwanda and Srebrenica.

Continue reading ‘Is Ban Ki Moon Regurgitating LTTE Propaganda by Lumping Sri Lanka along with Rwanda and Srebrenica?’ »

By Aruni Mallawaarchchi and Premalal Wijeratne

The mystery of textile trader Mohammed Sulaiman’s death is now resolved. The killers had no more chance to hide the truth. They have confessed to the crime and are now repenting.

Mohammed Sulaiman was abducted in the night of 21 August as he was returning home from a party. On his way, he called his wife and asked if she would come to have dinner outside. He asked her to bring food and wait until he came. He arrived home around 11 p.m.

“I am near the gate. Open it,” he said. He was unaware that a master plan was underway without his knowledge to harm him.

When his wife opened the gate, Mohammed was not to be seen. A car sped away leaving a parcel of food and blood stains on the ground.

Continue reading ‘Murdered Bambalapitiya Billionaire’s Trusted Finance Manager Shakeel Aslam was the Mastermind Behind Sulaiman’s Abduction’ »

By PK Balachandran

On September 3, the chief monk of the Sri Lankan Buddhist temple in Sentul was assaulted by a small group of demonstrators who were against Rajapaksa visiting the temple, Free Malaysia Today reported.

Members of the Malaysian Indian Progressive Association, Malaysian Tamilan, and the Malaysian Indian Education Transformation Association began their protest by burning an effigy of Rajapaksa . When the Chief Monk, Bante B.Sri Saranankara Maha Nayake Thera (a Sinhalese), came out of the temple, some persons went to question him about Rajapaksa’s visit, and abused him using vulgarities and obscenities.

Continue reading ‘Chief Monk Sri Saranankara Maha Nayake Thera Attacked By Malaysian Tamil Pro-LTTE Mob Demonstrating Outside Sentul Buddhist Temple’ »

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian police said Monday they have arrested five people over the Sunday’s attack on Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ibrahim Sahib Ansar.

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner was assaulted by a group of persons at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday leaving him with minor injuries.

Continue reading ‘5 Persons Aged Between 27 to 56 Arrested by Malaysian Police in Perak, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur for Attack on Sri Lankan High Commissioner: Hunt on for Four More Assailants’ »

The Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the High Commissioner of Malaysia to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this morning, 5 September to express the condemnation of the Government of Sri Lanka, on the assault carried out by a group of persons on 4 September, on Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, in a restricted area of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, while he was in the process of carrying out his official duties.

Expressing disappointment that the Malaysian authorities had failed to provide necessary protection to Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner despite the High Commission bringing to the notice of relevant Malaysian authorities, the need for such protection, in the face of mounting protests especially in the last few days, the Secretary conveyed to the High Commissioner that the Government of Sri Lanka insists that immediate and swift action is taken to identify the perpetrators and take legal action to the fullest extent of the law; while also taking immediate measures to provide adequate security for the Sri Lanka High Commissioner, including assigning a Personal Security Officer; providing adequate security to the staff of the High Commission, the official residence and the Chancery premises; as well as the Buddhist temple in Sentul, where an incident took place.

Continue reading ‘Foreign Affairs Ministry Secretary Summons Malaysian High Commissioner and Lodges Strong Protest About Attack on Sri Lankan Envoy in Kuala Lumpur’ »

By Chamodi Gunawardana

Upon returning to Sri Lanka from Malaysia, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday charged that President Maithripala Sirisena had “betrayed” the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s (SLFP) strategies by co-governing with the United National Party (UNP) and extending the agreement.

Responding to Sirisena’s request to gather around the SLFP to strengthen the party’s roots, Rajapaksa said that as long as the SLFP 02followed the instructions of the UNP, the party could not be strengthened.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Accuses Maithripala of Betraying SWRD Bandaranaike Philosophy by Making SLFP Co-govern with UNP’ »

This is a story that will shock Sri Lankans who believe in good governance or yaha palanaya with the advent of the present Government.

Sri Lanka joined China as a “Country Partner” in its Silk Road International Tourism Expo 2016 from August 26 to 28. The event was part of “One belt, One Road” project initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

It was being held in Xian, an ancient capital to 14 dynasties. The “One Belt, One Road” 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative encompasses more than 50 countries including Sri Lanka.

Last week we published a photograph in our front page under the headline “The Art of Diplomacy,” an exhibition held at the BMICH as part of this Chinese initiative.

Since Sri Lanka is a “country partner” one would have thought that tourism industry and government experts would attend. Alas, it was not so. Other than Tourism Authority Chairman, Paddy Withana, there was a Ms Anu Rasiah, daughter of Tourism Minister, John Amaratunga participating. She has no title or designation, official or unofficial except being the daughter of the Minister.

Continue reading ‘How Tourism Minister John Amaratunga’s Daughter Anu Went “Unofficially” to China with Official Sri Lanka Delegation’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

The Rajapaksa faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) boycotted the convention held to mark the 65 th. anniversary of the party at Kurunegala on Sunday, thereby keeping up the inner party struggle for power between former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the incumbent President and party Chairman, Maithripala Sirisena.

While Rajapaksa was away in Malaysia to attend a conference, the other members of the group who call themselves the “Joint Opposition” stayed away from the meeting, barring one or two notable exceptions.

The convention presided over by Sirisena attracted a large crowd, larger than expected, because in the popular mind, he is not considered a mass leader and does not have full control over the party machine. But all his ministers ,who were till the other day with Rajapaksa, were present.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Loyalists Boycott 65th Sri Lanka Freedom Party Convention held at Kurunegala on Sep 4’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

In the strongest hint yet that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is poised to break with the UPFA, President Maithripala Sirisena told his party’s 65th Convention that they would contest the upcoming local government polls under the SLFP’s traditional ‘hand’ symbol.

“We are firing the first salvo towards forming a SLFP Government at this convention,” President Sirisena said in Kurunegala Untitled-7yesterday.

Hinting strongly at party rebels led by his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa, President Sirisena said all members of the party must unite to strengthen the SLFP instead of threatening to create new political parties.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Strongly Hints at 65th Party Convention that SLFP Will Break with UPFA Soon and Contest on its Own Hand Symbol’ »

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday confirmed reports that Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ibrahim Ansar had been assaulted by a group of persons at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

“The Government of Sri Lanka condemns this act of violence on Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Malaysia, in the strongest terms. The High Commissioner is receiving medical attention,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.

“The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Kuala Lumpur is coordinating with local law enforcement authorities in Malaysia and other relevant local authorities to identify perpetrators and assist with investigations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka is seized with the seriousness of this incident and is taking all necessary action in this regard through diplomatic channels,” the statement added.

Continue reading ‘LTTE Sympathisers Protesting Against Mahinda Rajapaksa at Kula Lumpur Airport Assault Lanka’s Envoy to Malaysia Ibrahim Ansar.’ »

By Charminda Rodrigo

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ibrahim Anzar and the High Commission’s Second Secretary were subject to an assault near the Kuala Lampur Airport. Parliamentarian Johnston Fernando told Ceylon Today, “A group of LTTE sympathizers, who were protesting against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, had surrounded the Sri Lankan Envoy and rigorously attacked him.

The High Commissioner sustained head injuries and the Second Secretary, who was also injured, are currently being treated at a hospital in Kuala Lampur.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia Ibrahim Anzar and 2nd Secretary Hospitalized After Assault by Gang of LTTE sympathisers in Kuala Lumpur’ »

Milinda Moragoda , a one-time UNP minister and later UPFA mayoral candidate for the city of Colombo, facilitated a meeting for the President with former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. A well informed source said their conversation covered a broad spectrum of views.

The source was emphatic that Sirisena did not commit himself to any position or agree to any suggestion. He listened. Gotabaya Rajapaksa was of the view that an SLFP with a broader representation should have within its fold a member or more from the Rajapaksa family.

There was a suggestion that either he or former Speaker Chamal Rajapakasa would be receptive to be within that fold if other members of the family were not harassed through ongoing investigations, the source pointed out. Sirisena remained non-committal to the proposal, the source added.

Continue reading ‘Milinda Moragoda Facilitates Secret Meeting Between President Sirisena and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa but Ex -Def Secy is Indicted Days Later by CIABOC’ »

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who deemed it fit to sermonize to Sri Lanka during his visit this week, is under fire for appointing his son-in-law, Siddharth Chatterjee, as UN Coordinator for East Africa last week.

Mr. Ban is reported to have signed his appointment letter, according to media reports from the UN headquarters in New York. They had called it a “textbook case of nepotism”.

Continue reading ‘Ban Ki Moon Appoints his Indian Son in Law Siddharth Chatterjee as UN Coordinator for East africa in a “Textbook Case of Nepotism”.’ »

by DR. DAYAN JAYATILLEKA

“In the way of resistance, there were few lonely voices…In the main, though, the foreigner took the Ceylonese upper class by the scruff of its neck…It was a class therefore destined for a rude shock…Meanwhile the masses lay dormant; watching, waiting, resentful.”

(Mervyn de Silva, “1956: The Cultural Revolution That Shook the Left”, Ceylon Observer Magazine Edition, May 16th 1967)

Mervyn de Silva

Radhika Coomaraswamy tellingly observes that Mervyn de Silva was “the greatest journalist that Sri Lanka ever produced.” (Introduction: A Tribute to Mervyn de Silva, Crisis Commentaries: Selected Political Writings of Mervyn de Silva, ICES, Colombo, 2001). In a serendipitous synchronicity, Mervyn de Silva’s birthday, Sept 5th, was separated by only a few days from that of the political party he supported and was identified with but never joined—the SLFP, which was born on September 2nd, though in a different year and decade.

Mervyn and his close friend Haris Hulugalle, son of the distinguished editor and ambassador HAJ Hulugalle, always lamented a peculiar absence in the SLFP: that of a modern, internationalist, supportive intelligentsia. Mervyn observed that the educated elite was divided between the rightwing UNP and the Marxist Left, and that those first rate intellectuals who supported or were actively involved with SLFP-led coalitions came from the Left, beginning with those who supported Philip Gunawardena’s MEP. He was troubled by the absence, unique in Sri Lanka and in sharp contrast to the Congress Party of India and the People’s Party of Pakistan, of a modern intelligentsia to support the moderate nationalist SLFP.

He saw this in deeper systemic terms: the Center did not have its own intellectual and policy elite equal to that of the Right and Left. He was doubly concerned that this would diminish the capacity of the moderate center to generate its own ideology as well as state cadre (most especially in the Foreign Service, which he saw as pro-UNP/pro-West dominated), and undermine the ability of the long term, for the center to sustain itself; for the center “to hold” (in the Yeatsian sense).

Mervyn’s political discourse can be triangulated within three points of preoccupation: the UNP, the SLFP and the struggle of the Nonaligned/the global South. In his discourse, the first two i.e. the national factors, were situated against the backdrop of the third, i.e. the international.

The point of departure was Mervyn’s definition of and attitude to the Establishment, the Right, represented by the UNP.
Continue reading ‘Mervyn de Silva’s Political Discourse can be Triangulated Within the UNP,SLFP and the Struggle of the Nonaligned/Global South.’ »

By the “Sunday Times” Diplomatic Editor

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon caused controversy this week by categorising Sri Lanka alongside Rwanda and Srebenica to make a case for increased intervention by the United Nations in internal conflicts.

Mr Ban’s comments were a departure from the prepared text of his speech ‘Sustainable Peace and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals’ delivered in Colombo at the invitation of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute.

It is widely accepted that the massacres that took place in Rwanda in 1994 and in Srebrenica the following year were genocides: the first targeted against the Tutsis by Hutus and the other against Muslim Bosnians by the Bosnian Serb Army.

The conflict in Sri Lanka has never been categorised as genocide (for obvious reason), despite a vehement campaign by fringe, pro-LTTE diaspora and Tamil extremist groups to have it defined as such. Some are now using the Secretary-General’s remarks to validate their claims of ethnic cleansing in Sri Lanka.

Looking up from his speech, Mr Ban told the audience that, “Something more terrible, serious happened in the past. In 1994, in Rwanda, there was a massacre. More than one million people were massacred. United Nations felt responsible for that.”

“Of course,” he continued, “it was their war and massacres. But the United Nations was not able to act on it. We said repeatedly, ‘Never again, never again’.

It happened just one year after in Srebrenica. Again, many people were massacred when they were not fully protected by the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. So we repeated again, ‘Never again’.”

“How many times should we repeat never, never again? We did again in Sri Lanka. We have to do much more not to repeat such things in Sri Lanka, Yemen and elsewhere.”

Continue reading ‘UN Secy – Gen Ban Ki Moon Categorizes Sri Lanka along with Rwanda and Srebenica in the Context of Massacres in Colombo Lecture at Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute’ »

A battalion of officers and men from the Sri Lanka Army have been invited to join the United Nations Peacekeeping Force for operations in the northern areas of the West African nation of Mali. A batch of 500 troops will leave first and the rest will fly thereafter, according to Defence and Foreign Ministry sources.Mali with a land area of more than 1.2 million square kilometres is the eighth largest country in the African continent.

A senior Foreign Ministry source told the Sunday Times the Government of Mali has sought a Sri Lankan peacekeeping contingent as against troops from Pakistan or Bangladesh. This, he has said, was because of the Sri Lanka Army’s successful military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), one of the world’s deadliest terrorist organisations at the time. The request has been made specifically to the UN Department of Peacekeeping and was conveyed to the Sri Lanka Government.

There are five main Islamist groups in Mali – Ansar Dine, Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Signed-in-Blood Battalion and the Islamic Movement for Azawad (IMA). They have different objectives. Ansar Dine wants to impose Islamic law across Mali and its full name in Arabic is Harakat Ansar al-Dine. In contrast The North African wing of Al QSaeda is rooted in the Algerian civil war of early 1990s but now wants to assume a more international Islamist agenda.

Continue reading ‘Battalion of Soldiers from Sri Lanka will be part of United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Mali’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

The Tamil Peoples’ Council (TPC) ,a non-partisan body floated by the Northern Province Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran, is inviting people to join a mass protest in Jaffna on September 24, to demand a stop to the construction of Buddha statues and Buddhist temples in areas in the Northern Province where there are no Buddhists, and the systematic settlement of Sinhalese in Tamil areas.

A TPC press release said on Thursday, that the demonstration will also seek the withdrawal of the “Sinhalese-Buddhist” Sri Lankan armed forces from the Tamil areas and the promulgation of a new Sri Lankan federal constitution based on the principle for Self Determination and the unification Northern and Eastern Provinces to form a single Tamil Homeland in Sri Lanka.

The demonstrations will ask foreign powers, particularly India and the US, to mount pressure on the Sri Lankan government to meet the longstanding demands of the Tamils.

Continue reading ‘Tamil Peoples’ Council Floated by CV Wigneswaran Plans Mass Protest Against Installation of Buddha Statues in Tamil Areas’ »

By P.K.Balachandran.

The visiting UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has not committed himself explicitly to the UN Human Rights Council’s demand that Sri Lanka should incorporate foreign judges in the Judicial Mechanism to be set up to try war crimes cases.

Asked pointedly on his stand on the issue at a press conference here on Friday, Ban said that the nature of the Judicial Mechanism will be decided jointly by the UN and the Sri Lankan government.

He added that the gap between the two, which was large during the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa, has narrowed since Maithripala Sirisena came to power, and that he is confident that it will be narrowed further.

Continue reading ‘Foreign Judges in Sri Lankan War Crimes Judicial Mechanism? Ban Ki Moon Does not Commit Himself.’ »

by C.A.Chandraprema

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon last night deliberately avoided answering a question put to him by a journalist whether the UN was operating on the presumption that war crimes had, in fact, been committed in this country during the last stages of the war.

The UNSG was addressing the media at the end of his three-day visit to Sri Lanka.

Continue reading ‘Ban Ki Moon Avoids Answering Media Question Whether UN Presumes War Crimes Had Been Committed in Sri Lanka During Last days of War.’ »

by Shamindra Ferdinando

President Maithripala Sirisena has told UNSG Ban Ki-moon that a section of influential Tamil politicians severely have undermined the post-war national reconciliation process by demanding immediate solutions to long-standing problems.

President Sirisena stressed that his administration expected to be allowed to address issues without encountering undue pressure.

The President who is also the leader of the SLFP was addressing the media at the President’s House yesterday to explain his stand on post-war reconciliation process, a countrywide poverty alleviation project and the ongoing efforts to stabilize the SLFP in the wake of the SLFP-led Joint Opposition challenging his authority.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Informs Ban Ki Moon About a Section of Tamil Politicians Undermining Post-war Reconciliation Efforts’ »

By Charnika Imbulana

Pallewatte Gamaralalage Maithripala Yapa Sirisena, who is known as Maithripala Sirisena, a Sri Lankan politician with 25 years in mainstream politics and one who does not belong to the Sri Lankan political elite, shot to fame to hold the highest mantle in the country on that famous date, 8 January 2015.

Referred to up unto the date by those only the closest to him as “Maithri,” it became a household name and the name even spread worldwide when he emerged as the Common Candidate of a coalition of Opposition parties and the eventual winner in the intensely-fought presidential race against the sitting President Mahinda Rajapaksa. From the name ‘Maithri’ emerged the ‘Maithri Palanaya’ slogan to that of ‘Yahapalanaya,’ ‘Good Governance’ that swept the tide into ushering in a new era.

Maithripala Sirisena was sworn in as the sixth Executive President before Supreme Court Judge K. Sripavan at the Independence Square, Colombo at 6:20 p.m. on 9 January 2015. After being sworn in he stated that he would only serve one term. On 28 April 2015, he voluntarily transferred significant presidential powers to Parliament.

Maithripala Sirisena did not become president by design, rather it was by circumstances and the surprise turn of political events took place so fast that he himself, a relatively quiet politician, known to be a man of a few words than most politicians, was suddenly thrown into the limelight.

Continue reading ‘Both Sri Lanka Freedom Party and President Maithripala Sirisena Celebrate Their 65th Birthdays’ »

By
Dharisha Bastians

Northern Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran told visiting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Jaffna yesterday that there could be no reconciliation without addressing accountability issues relating to the final stages of the war.

Chief Minister Wigneswaran who secured a one-on-one meeting with the UN Chief separate from the Tamil National Alliance delegation, said he told Ban that there had been no perceivable, ostensible steps taken to put an accountability mechanism in place.

“We told him that reconciliation is being given more prominence than the accountability part,” Wigneswaran told Daily FT a few hours after his meeting with the Secretary General. “It’s like putting the cart before the horse,” he said, “reconciliation is a far off dream if accountability is not addressed.”

Continue reading ‘“No reconciliation without accountability for war crimes”: Wigneswaran tells Ban Ki Moon in Jaffna’ »

By Dharisha Bastians Reporting from Jaffna

Disappearances, resettlement and detentions under the country’s draconian anti-terror legislation – all lingering issues from a 26 year civil war – took centre stage yesterday as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited the formerly embattled Northern Province for the first time since 2009.

During his four hour tour of the North, Ban met with Northern Province Governor Reginald Cooray, a delegation of Tamil National Alliance Legislators and, separately, Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran. He also visited people who had recently been resettled in their own lands after 25 years of displacement due to land seizures by the military in war time.

Familiar scenes greeted the UN Chief’s convoy at the Jaffna Library where he was scheduled to meet with Tamil elected representatives, as large crowds comprising families of the missing and the war displaced demonstrated against inaction by the UN and continuing discrimination at the hands of the Sri Lankan Government.

Continue reading ‘UN Secretary –General Confronts Sri Lankas Lingering War Legacy in Jaffna’ »

Progressive Conservative candidate Raymond Cho has won the Scarborough-Rouge River provincial by election, held to replace former Liberal MPP Bas Balkissoon.With all 234 polls reporting, Cho won the seat by 2,429 votes.

Eleven candidates ran in the Toronto riding, which has been a Liberal stronghold since its creation in 1999. They included Piragal Thiru for the Liberal Party and Neethan Shan for the NDP.

Following the win, PC party senior advisor Babu Nagalingam joked, “We will now be called Scarborough-Blue River,” pointing to the signature blue colour of the party.

Continue reading ‘Progressive Conservative candidate Raymond Cho Wins Scarborough-Rouge River Provincial By – election with 2429 Majority’ »

Adrian Morrow

Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives have triumphed in a key by-election after igniting a political firestorm over the province’s sexual-education curriculum.

The victory in Scarborough-Rouge River on Thursday, which had been held by the Liberals since 1999, is a coup for PC Leader Patrick Brown, who is seeking to prove he can make inroads in the vote-rich Toronto suburbs by appealing to immigrant communities.

But his double-U-turn on sex-ed during the final days of the race – and questions about the role the controversial subject played in the victory – could haunt his leadership.

Mr. Cho took 39 per cent of the vote to Liberal Piragal Thiru’s 29 per cent and 27 per cent for the NDP’s Neethan Shan. Voter turnout was 28 per cent.

Continue reading ‘Ontario PC candidate Raymond Cho wins Scarborough by-election with 39% of Votes.Liberal Piragal Thiru-29&;NDP Neethan Shan – 25%’ »

By

M. S. M.Ayub

The defeat in 2009 of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which had overrun many huge military bases in the north and the east for over two decades would definitely have puzzled many in Sri Lanka as well as in other countries.

It was an organisation that had overrun the Elephant Pass Army camp complex killing the majority of its 1,100 soldiers in April 2001.

Only around 250 out of around 1,500 soldiers were able to escape when the LTTE launched a surprise attack on the isolated but heavily fortified Mullaithivu Army Camp in June 1996.

It rolled back the 18 month long military operation, the Operation Jayasikuru involving more than 30,000 soldiers in 1998.

What then really happened to the world’s only guerilla movement that had all three military branches, the Army, the Navy and an ‘Air Force?

Continue reading ‘Ex-tiger Women’s wing Leader Sivakamy alias Thamilini States Reasons for Failure of LTTE’ »

by Shamindra Ferdinando

The police yesterday dispersed a group of persons protesting outside the UN compound demanding an end to UN intervention in Sri Lanka.

The protest got underway in the wake of outgoing UNSG Ban Ki-moon arriving in Colombo on Wednesday night for a two-day visit.

The police prevented demonstrators led by Buddhist monks identified as members of Ravana Balaya from marching on the compound just before the UN chief arrived on the first full day of his two-day visit to Sri Lanka. The UN chief’s convoy arrived at the compound soon after the police forced protesters to leave the scene.

Continue reading ‘Police Obtain Court Order and Disperse Mob Led by “Ravana Balaya” Bhikkus Protesting Outside UN Compound in Colombo Against Ban Ki Moon’s Lanka Visit’ »

By Norman Palihawadana

The Colombo Crime Division yesterday arrested two suspects wanted in connection with the kidnapping and killing of multi-millionaire textile businessman Mohamed Sakeeb Sulaiman.

The police said that the two suspects aged 22 and 23 had demanded a ransom of Rs. 20 million from the father of the victim, two days after the kidnapping, even though the victim had died soon after the abduction in a scuffle with his kidnappers who struck him with a blunt weapon.

The suspects are a porter working in Pettah and a worker at the fish market at Peliyagoda.

According to CCD officers the arrest of three more suspects was imminent.

Continue reading ‘Porter in Pettah and Worker in Peliyagoda Fish Market Arrested over Murder of Businessman Sulaiman:Three more Arrests Imminent’ »

by Sirinama Rajapakse

Subsequent to the order issued by the Prime Minister to relevant authorities to provide a report after inquiring into the activities of the National Olympic Committee, various opinions were expressed regarding the list of names of people who participated at the Rio Olympics and the fact that the Secretary of the National Olympic Committee has not revealed the complete list of names he has in his possession that has become a serious problem and a topic of conversation.

After we revealed how the trip to the Rio Olympics became another Olympic Pilgrimage, the Prime Minister of this country has focused his attention on this and ordered the officials of the Sports Ministry to hold an immediate investigation, the Minister in Charge of the subject of Sports remained silent because he was of the opinion that he could not carry out an investigation against the National Olympic Committee (NOC). Anyhow, in relation to the trip to the Rio Olympics, a group consisting of thirty had been approved by the Ministry of Sports and in addition to that list of names it is clear that there is another list in the possession of the NOC with names of individuals which are difficult to reveal.

Continue reading ‘Is Sports Ministry Secretary Ratnayake Trying to Bamboozle Prime Minister Wickremesinghe on Brazil Olympics Issue?’ »

By Ishara Rathnakara

The Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the Computer Crimes Investigation Division, of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Chief Inspector of Police S. K. Senaratne, informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya, last Tuesday (30) that investigations are being carried out to track down a suspect who is abroad and is alleged to have assisted in the crime of accessing, without permission, the official website of President Maithripala Sirisena.

The CID also informed the Court that they have identified that the suspect, who is abroad, had assisted the suspect student and young man who were arrested by the CID on 29 August, in connection with this incident, to engage in this cyber crime.

The CID told Court on 30 August that a complaint had been made to the Officer-In-Charge of the Computer Crimes Investigation Division of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Chief Inspector of Police S. K. Senaratne, by the Head of the new Presidential Media Unit, Y. Sameera de Silva on 26, that the official website of the President, president.gov.lk had been accessed without permission and information had been published.

Continue reading ‘Overseas Suspect Allegedly Involved in Hacking President Sirisena’s Official Website Being Tracked Abroad by Police’ »

By Skandha Gunasekara

Sarath Weerawansa, elder brother of former Minister of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Wimal Weerawansa, was arrested by the Financial Crimes Division yesterday on charges of misuse of State resources.

Continue reading ‘Wimal Weerawansa Avoids FCID Inquiry Due to “Spine Ailment” but Elder Brother Sarath is Arrested and Remanded on Charges of State Resources Misuse’ »

BY Cassendra Doole and Kavindya Chris Thomas

Police yesterday arrested two men, aged 22 and 23, on suspicion of being involved in the abduction and killing of 29-year-old Bambalapitya businessman Mohamed Shakib Sulaiman, whose decomposing body was discovered near a landfill at Rukulagama in Mawanella-Hemmathagama on 24 August.

Continue reading ‘Two Men Aged 22 and 23 Arrested on Suspicion of Involvement in Abduction and Murder of Bambalapitiya Billionaire Mohamed Shakeeb Sulaiman.’ »

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

Several Tamil politicians and local welfare organizations, that support the war victims, are set to take to the streets of Jaffna today (2) to draw the attention of visiting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, while he is there.

The awareness protest, organized by Tamil National People’s Front General Secretary Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, will be held opposite the Jaffna Library starting from 8 a.m. today and they would want Ban to note that after the war ended seven years ago, the internally displaced persons numbering, in the thousands, are still unable to return to their own land in Myliddy, Palaly, Valikamam North, Keppapilavu and many other areas in the North and in the East.

Continue reading ‘Tamil National Peoples Front to Launch “Awareness Protest” in Jaffna to Draw Ban Ki Moon’s Attention.’ »

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

Chief Minister of the Northern Province C. V. Wigneswaran said he will explain to the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon the need for an international probe into alleged war crimes because, he said, “the locals cannot do it as they lack the will and impartiality”.

The CM is expected to meet Ban around 2 p.m. privately after the Tamil National Alliance politicos meet the visiting VIP in Jaffna today (2).

Asked , “Do you still press for an International probe on war crimes and want Ban to encourage the Sri Lanka government for it,” the CM said, “Yes. Locals cannot do it. They lack the will and impartiality.

He quoted the Kumarapuram Case where six former Army Corporals who were accused of the massacre of 24 civilians in Kumarapuram, Trincomalee in 1996 were acquitted after being found not guilty by the Anuradhapura High Court in July. “Of course I did not see the judgment, but the case seemed quite strong,” the former Supreme Court Judge said.

Continue reading ‘Wigneswaran Will Reiterate Need for International Probe into War Crimes Allegations at Separate meeting with Ban Ki Moon.’ »