By Krishantha Prasad Cooray The loss of Mangala Samaraweera is a devastating blow to statesmanship in Sri Lanka. In the words of theologian James Freeman Clarke, “the difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician thinks about the next election while the statesman thinks about the next generation.” In that way, Mangala …
By Prof. Rohan Samarajiva A big tree has fallen. What are the consequences? Mangala went out on a high. A month ago, on 25 July, he had that news conference at Freedom Hub, surrounded by young people. On that day and in the subsequent media interviews, he said what he believed and felt, without compromise. …
By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka’s former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera passed away on Tuesday at a private hospital here due to COVID-19 related complications. File | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy The former Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka was under treatment for COVID-19. Mangala Samaraweera, a former Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka and a notable advocate …
(TEXT Of MESSAGE FROM FORMER PRESIDEN CHANDRIKA BANDARAAIKE KUMARATUNGAON THE PASSING AWAY OF FORMER MINISTER MR. MANGALA SAMARAWEERA) Mangala, my dearest friend, brother, comrade-in-arms. On this dark day, you have lost your battle for life. Your family and friends fought with you, cried and prayed to keep you alive. We too lost this battle. But …
(Text of a Media Release Issued by the Tamil National Alliance) Tamil National Alliance express our deep sorrow at the untimely passing away of Mr. Magala Samaraweera, former minister and truthful friend of the Tamil People. Mr. Samaraweera entered politics in 1989, and became a minister in 1994 in the government of President Chandrika Bandaranayeka …
Sri Lanka’s former finance minister Mangala Samaraweera passed away Tuesday ( Aug 24) in hospital where he was being treated for Coronavirus, a coordinator for the former minister said. The 65-year-old Samaraweera contracted the virus earlier this month and was receiving intensive care unit (ICU) treatment at the Lanka Hospital, despite being fully vaccinated. When …
By Victor Ivan The decision reached by Mangala Samaraweera who is considered a colourful, controversial, daring and creative political figure in the old or the traditional political landscape of Sri Lanka, which is currently on the verge of decay and death, to abandon the course of traditional politics and choose to tread on an alternative …
By Sharmini Nagahawatte Serasinghe It took Mangala Samaraweera to stare death in the face, for many to realise what the nation was about to lose. Mangala has quit parliamentary politics for good, and nothing and no one can make him change his mind. Hence there is no necessity for any politician, be they in Government, …
Continue reading ‘Mangala Samaraweera – What Our Nation Almost Lost!’ »
By Dr.Gehan Gunatilleke Vaccines play a vital role in the battle against COVID-19. Countries that have vaccinated a majority of their population are doing better compared to their situation prior to vaccination. The rationale for swiftly and efficiently vaccinating a population seems self-evident. Sri Lanka’s recent rise in COVID-related deaths would hopefully fall as the …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene The black flags that the head of Sri Lanka’s Roman Catholic Church has requested his flock to hoist this Saturday in silent protest against the Government’s inaction to secure justice for hundreds of innocents killed in jihadist attacks on Sri Lankans (2019), should be fluttering aloft the houses of all people, …
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Members of the Catholic faith in Jaffna were greatly agitated last week when it became known that the Diocesan hierarchy was actively considering the recalling of priests from parishes in problematic, insecure areas. If the decision was implemented Catholic priests from the Northern Islands, Vadamaratchy East and some parts of Thenmaratchy would have left their churches and taken up residence temporarily at Colombothurai in Jaffna. The “shepherds” would have been absent when their respective “flocks” were undergoing great harship and fear.
Fr. Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (At least 60 were killed and 155 seriously injured on August 14th 2006 when the Sri Lankan airforce launched an aeial attack on Tamil civilians in the Vallipunam area of Mullaitheevu district. This article was written by me about the incident then for “The Sunday Leader” newspaper edited by the late Lasantha Wickrematunge. …
Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the head of Sri Lanka’s Catholic church, has demanded an explanation on an alleged attempt to pin the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Speaking to reporters in Colombo on Friday (13), the cardinal claimed that a military intelligence officer referred to as …
By Yohan Perera Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today urged the government not to recognise the Taliban administration and to shut down the Sri Lankan mission in Kabul, Afghanistan.
It was only a question of time before Kabul fell, says A.S. Dulat, a former head of India’s top spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, speaking from Delhi. The only surprise was the speed of the Taliban’s advance, concurs the ex-boss of Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence, or isi, Asad Durrani, speaking from Islamabad. The two …
By Charumini de Silva In a critical evaluation of Sri Lanka›s trade to the European Union (EU), a top diplomat last week said exports to the region were in an unfavourable position and warned that Sri Lanka would not only lose its GSP+ facility, but also the market, as a result of their non-compliance of …
(Text of Letter Sent to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa by the Tamil National Alliance Leader Rajavarothyam Sampanthan on August 14th 2021) R Sampanthan Member of Parliament B12, Mahagamasegara Mawatha, Colombo 7 14th August 2021 His Excellency President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, The Presidential Secretariat, Colombo 1. Your Excellency,< /em> …
By P.K.Balachandran Through sheer grit and a fierce commitment to their tribal and Islamic values, the Afghans have frustrated a series of imperialistic attempts to dominate them. Between 1842 and 2021, the British, Tsarist Russia, Soviet Russia and the US had tried occupying Afghanistan to derive benefits from its strategic location in South and Central …
By Rajpal Abeynayake The vaccine has been mandated in this country for all intents and purposes, with the Army Commander stating that a vaccine certificate would be required for any person to visit a public place from 15 September. The futility of vaccine mandates and their odious nature was written about in this space last …
By Azzam Ameen The broad Trade Union (TU) alliance covering public, private and estate sectors have warned authorities that if the Government does not lockdown the country by Friday (20), the TU alliance will declare a unilateral lockdown from Monday (23). At a press conference held this evening, the TU alliance stated that all unions …
By Jamila Husain Seven Ministers were handed new portfolios today in a cabinet reshuffle which got underway at the Presidential Secretariat a short while ago. One of the notable changes was that of the Health Minister. Pavithra Wanniarachchi was sworn in as the Transport Minister while Keheliya Rambukwella was sworn in as the new Health …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Confounding its claim to an ancient and painfully established legal heritage of some note in South Asia, Sri Lanka is degenerating to a primordial nation-state, where the very meaning of ‘law’ is reduced to a farce. Letters cannot restrict constitutional rights Ad hoc statements of officials, from the Army Commander to …
Scottish Police are reported to have put on hold an ongoing scheme to train Sri Lankan Police officers but is yet to officially inform the authorities in Colombo. Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara said yesterday that he was unaware of reports that Police Scotland had put the long-running programme to train Sri Lankan police officers …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Last week saw this column focusing on former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 12 August 2005. This week will see this column focusing on well-known political activist Ketheeswaran Loganathan who was killed exactly one year after Kadirgamar’s death. Ketheeswaran Loganathan known as …
Continue reading ‘Remembering Ketheeswaran “Ketheesh” Loganathan on His 15th Death Anniversary’ »
By Krishan FrancisThe Associated Press Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church said Friday that 25 people charged this week in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed 269 people could be “smaller fish,” and accused the government of still not taking steps to identify the true conspirators. The head of the archdiocese of Colombo, …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Shelton Ranaraja known to many as “Shelly Aiya” passed away on August 11, 2011. Shelton or Shelly Aiya was a politician for whom I have the greatest respect. The lawyer who represented the Senkadagala constituency in the Sri Lankan Parliament for more than fifteen years was arguably the conscience – keeper of the …
Continue reading ‘Shelton Ranaraja Was Loved and Respected by the Tamil People’ »
By P.K.Balachandran Unsustainable claims put forward by the Sinhalese and the Tamils on language, religion and ethnicity, have muddied Sri Lankan politics in the post-independence era. The Sinhalese loudly proclaim that Buddhism is quintessentially and exclusively, a “Sinhala” religion. The Tamils, on the other hand, claim with equal vehemence, that they have always been unalloyed …
Former President Chandrika Kumaratunge’s son Vimukthi Kumaratunge said he had no intention whatsoever of engaging in Sri Lankan Politics and refuted recent media reports of him entering the local political arena. He said in a statement that he appealed to everyone to disregard any statement alleging his aspirations to become a Sri Lankan politician.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is to reshuffle the Cabinet with changes likely to key Ministries, including Foreign Affairs and Health. The others set to undergo portfolio changes include Education, Tourism, Power, and Media, the Daily FT learns. Education Minister G.L. Peiris is slated to be the new Foreign Minister while Dinesh Gunawardena, who currently holds the …
By Azzam Ameen Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam has sent indictments to Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya this afternoon (10) seeking the appointment of a Trial-at-Bar against 25 suspects indicted for conspiracy over the Easter Sunday terror attacks. According to reliable sources, The Morning learns that the suspects are to be tried before Court for 23,270 charges …
By Shavini Madhara Former Minister Rishard Bathiudeen who was arrested and detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act was remanded till August 17 by Fort Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage yesterday. The investigators had conducted a comprehensive probe into funding of the Easter Sunday suicide bombers and a range of financial transactions that had taken place in …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated in Colombo by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 12 August 2005. This column intends focusing on the man regarded as Sri Lanka’s finest foreign minister this week even as his 16th death anniversary draws near. I have written extensively about Lakshman …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Very little is known or remembered by the younger generation of Sri Lankans about the nature of the non – violent Tamil political struggle for equal rights that preceded the violent armed struggle. Indeed for many the history of Tamil political resistance to what was perceived as majoritarian hegemony commences only from “Black …
Continue reading ‘Memories of Leonine Tamil Leader Murugesu Sivasithamaparam’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj (Dr.Neelan Tiruchelvam was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of tamil eelam(LTTE)22 years ago on July 29th 1999. This article was originally written to commemorate the 70th birth anniversary of Dr. Tiruchelvam on January 31st 2014. It is being re-posted here without any changes to denote Neelan’s 22nd death anniversary) January 31st is the …
Continue reading ‘Neelan Tiruchelvam the Foremost Intellectual of Contemporary Tamil Politics’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj July 24th 1983 was the day on which a destructive spree of anti-Tamil violence commenced in Jaffna in the early hours of the morning and began spreading to Colombo in the later hours of the evening on the same day. It continued to other parts of the Island in the following days. The …
Continue reading ‘JR Jayewardene, the Kanatte Mass Funeral and the July 1983 Anti-Tamil Pogrom’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Basil Rohana Rajapaksa was sworn in as Finance minister in the Government of Sri Lanka by his brother President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on July 8th 2021. The appointment was hailed by Basil’s supporers who project the new Finance minister as the “saviour” who would liberate Sri Lanka from the economic morass into which …
The President’s Office yesterday insisted that there was no U-turn in the Government’s policy on promoting organic fertiliser and that the latest gazette only aims to facilitate the importation of “specialised fertilisers”. “The Government has not granted permission to import chemical fertilisers for local agricultural purposes, neither has it made any changes to the decision …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “If mankind commits suicide, it will be because people will obey…the archaic passions of fear, hate, and greed…” – Erich Fromm (On Disobedience: Why Freedom Means Saying “No” to Power) Sri Lanka is in transition into becoming the Pearl of the Silk Route politically. But America still haunts the imitation dreams of …
By Jamila Husain Sri Lanka is heading for its worst medical tsunami in the coming weeks as there is a risk that the Delta variant is spreading beyond control, leading medical experts told Daily Mirror yesterday. Senior physicians at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic said that hospitals across the Western Province were filled to …
By Aazam Ameen The gazette published on 06 May which detailed the ban of imports of chemical fertiliser was fundamentally flawed, The Morning learnt. Speaking exclusively to The Morning on the matter, Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Dr. Harsha De Silva explained that the gazette contained a mistake where both chemical fertliser and mineral fertiliser were …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The Finance Ministry, through the gazette notification number 2238/45 of 31 July 2021, has relaxed regulations on the import of chelated (a type of bonding of ions and molecules to metal ions) minerals and micronutrients for the purpose of producing fertiliser. Accordingly, nitrogen (N) fertiliser, phosphate (PO₄³⁻) fertiliser, potassium (K) fertiliser, fertilisers …
New Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has lifted the ban imposed on chemical fertilisers import. The relaxation has been published via Gazette No. 2238/45 of 31 July. The move is following recommendations of the Agriculture Department and the Fertiliser Secretariat and will be a big boon for farmers during the upcoming Maha paddy cultivation season, officials …
By Ranjith Padmasiri The tape recording of a telephone conversation between former Solicitor General Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe and Avant Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadipathi which resulted in the interdiction of the senior state prosecutor had been edited and doctored, an Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) has established. Ms. Wickramasinghe was interdicted and sent on compulsory leave by …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Amendments certified on the 15th of July 2021 to Sri Lanka’s Code of Criminal Procedure Act (1979) and to the Convention against Torture (CAT) Act (1994) are, to put it baldly, an insult to the hundreds if not thousands of victims bloodied and battered by torture at the hands of law …
By Gamini Weerakoon A raging debate on ‘militarisation of academia’ has been sweeping through the ‘Paradise Island’ for weeks. Paradoxically, indications of ‘militarisation’ of government for over a year and half, since former Lt. Col. Gotabaya Rajapaksa (Retd.) was elected the president, appear not to have been taken as seriously as the move — as …
(Excerpts from the “Sunday Times”Political Column of August 1st 2021) The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is set to crack the whip on Sri Lanka at its 48th sessions just six weeks ahead. It is not only on issues arising from the March sessions of the damning Resolution on Sri Lanka caused by dismal …
By Suhasini Haidar and Meera Srinivasan After months of strain over a number of issues including the cancelled port project in Colombo , Sri Lanka is preparing to send its High Commissioner designate to Delhi, along with a ‘roadmap’ to restore ties that includes resolving fishermen’s issues, building connectivity, trade and investment, as well as …
(Text of the final Pastoral letter written by the Anglican Bishop of Kurunegala , Rt. Rev. L Wickremasinghe, in September 1983 after the July 1983 Violence.Bishop Lakshmn passed away some weeks after this on October 23rd 1983.) Dear Church Members and Citizens assembled in Council We are in the midst of our worst national crisis …
By K.Thirukumaran Rajendran Rajamahendran passed away in Colombo, Sri Lanka on July 25. He was born on May 19, 1943. Who is he? Some outside of Sri Lanka may ponder, especially in all the outpouring tributes he comes across as a remarkable icon, perhaps as a global one for that matter of these times. Why?
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray It was early 2005, a few months after I had been made the CEO of Rivira Media Corporation. I had been warned that the media industry was a cutthroat one, and to expect little help for a fledgling newspaper like Rivira. Still I decided to reach out to the heads of …
By Chandani Kirinde All stories have their heroes and villains. During the Welikada Prison massacre of July 1983 in which 53 Tamil prisoners lost their lives, there were few prison officials who put their lives on the line to protect the Tamil inmates while there were the others, who by their complicity, encouraged the attackers …
Former Minister and Parliamentarian Mangala Samara-weera yesterday spearheaded the launch of an apolitical movement called ‘Radical Centre’ by a group of multifaceted multi-ethnic youth calling themselves as true patriots. The middle path or ‘Radical Centre’ is based on the principles of democracy, freedom, equality and justice as the four pillared-foundation for a just, caring and …
By Nisthar Cassim Against widespread fears and claims of default sans multilateral donor help, Sri Lanka yesterday completed the groundwork towards the settlement of $ 1 billion worth of International Sovereign Bonds (ISBs) maturing today. The move, according to Money, Capital Market and Public Enterprises Reform State Minister Nivard Cabraal, has proved all the doomsayers …
The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and its Executive Director Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu yesterday filed a Petition in the Supreme Court (SC SD 28/2021) challenging the proposed Finance Bill, which was placed on the order paper of Parliament on 20 July. The bill seeks to provide an amnesty from tax, penalty or interest, or from …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene To a protesting (Sinhalese) Stalin, (or for that matter, a Marx or Lenin), who is released along with comrades following public outrage and street anger after unjustifiable detention by the police using Sri Lanka’s covid-19 health protocols, there are a hundred others who languish in squalid detention under the country’s savagely …
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi A sharp rise has been seen in the number of COVID-19 patients seeking treatment at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) this week and many warned that it may be an “early signal” of what to expect from other parts of the country. This week, the NHSL saw more than 200 …
By Namini Wijedasa Sri Lanka has no immediate plan to seek financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Presidential Secretary P.B. Jayasundera has said. “Right now, it is not a question of whether we want the IMF or not,” the former Finance Ministry Secretary explained in an interview. “The IMF coming won’t bring tourism here. …
By Lt Gen A.S. Kalkat (Retd) I was on a sabbatical in London, United Kingdom for a fellowship with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) when I received a message from Brigadier (now Lt Gen) Satish Nambiar, the Military Attaché in London to call the Army Headquarters. I did so from his office and …
By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya Three persons including the wife and father-in-law of former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen have been arrested in connection with the death of a 16-year old domestic aide at the former minister’s house, police said. Police Spokesman SDIG Ajith Rohana said that 46-year old Sheyabdeen Ayesha, her father 70-year-old Mohammed Sheyabdeen and the …
The death occurred yesterday of senior Attorney-at-Law and Human Rights activist Manouri Muttetuwegama (85), wife of the late MP and Attorney-at-Law Sarath Muttetuwegama. A former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka,she was also the Chairperson of the All Island Commission on Disappearances and Chairperson of the Consultation Taskforce on Reconciliation Mechanisms.She was …
(This article appeared in the Asia section of “The Economist “ under the headline “Rajapaksa Raj”) Since winning the presidency in a landslide nearly two years ago, Gotabaya Rajapaksa has worried not that he has too many relatives in government, but that he has too few. One of the 72-year-old’s elder brothers, Mahinda, himself president …
(Text of Press Release Issued by the High Commission of India in Colombo on July 21st 2021) Acting High Commissioner of India, Mr. Vinod K Jacob had a productive meeting with Hon’ble S. Viyalanderan, State Minister of Backward Rural Areas Development and Promotion of Domestic Animal Husbandry & Minor Economic Crop Cultivation and Batticaloa District …
The no-confidence motion against Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila was defeated by a majority of 91 votes, with 152 voting against the motion and 61 in favour. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), which moved the motion, along with other Opposition party members, including UNP MP Ranil Wickremesinghe, voted in favour of the motion. All SLPP MPs, …
There are no plans to arrest SJB MP Harin Fernando, but he is duty bound to provide information he has regarding the Easter Sunday attacks to the CID, Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekera said yesterday. Responding to a privilege issue raised in the House by UNP MP Ranil Wickremasinghe, the Minister said Fernando had …
(Eid- ul-Alha Message from Rauff Hakeem Leader, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress) On this holy day of Eid-ul-Alha, let us celebrate with patience and perseverance for peace and justice to prevail for all in Sri Lanka. We join the Muslims all over the world marking this year’s festival under challenging circumstances and trying conditions in their …
By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday said he would seek a second term in office, shifting from his earlier position to serve only one term. Mr. Gotabaya, in a meeting with owners of local media institutions, spoke of having not just three years of his remaining term, but an additional five …
By Azzam Ameen President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has today (19) declared that he would contest for a second term in office.
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj In keeping with the practice of devoting at least one article each month to a cinema related topic, this column focuses on the popular Sinhala film actor Tony Ranasinghe this week. As an ardent aficionado of Sinhala films I have seen and savoured many of the dashing and debonair Tony Ranasinghe’s films with …
Continue reading ‘Tony Ranasinghe: Sinhala Cinema’s Most Romantic Lover 💕’ »
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj ( On July 13th 1989 The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam assassinated Mr. Appapillai Amirthalingam the former Opposition Leader and Secretary -General of the Tamil United Liberation Front in Colombo. This article written in July 2019 is re-posted without any changes to commemorate the 32nd death anniversary) The cruelly tragic killing of five …
By Gamini Weerakoon Sri Lankan rulers think that they have found a permanent cure for headaches, having rejected the ancient wisdom: You can’t cure headaches by changing pillows. Paradise Island is not only beset with the global pandemic crisis that all countries are attempting to ward off but has many more crises — a billion-dollar …
By Nimal Sanderatne The country is in a multiplicity of inter-related and intertwined crises and widespread social upheavals. Apart from solutions to the specific grievances, drastic changes in economic policies are required to ensure financial and economic stability. Social unrest Protests and social upheavals due to severe economic difficulties, unavailability of fertiliser, protests against the …
By Chris Kamalendran All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) Leader Rishad Bathiudeen, who is in Criminal Investigation Department (CID) custody, was admitted to the National Hospital in Colombo yesterday due to a suspected heart attack. Mr Bathiudeen had complained to CID officers last morning that he was feeling ill. They had, thereafter, taken him to the …
Former MP Duminda Silva, who was serving a death sentence over the killing of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra but was released from jail on a special presidential pardon last month has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Housing Development Authority.
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Friday (July 16th) was an eventful day for Sri Lanka. Just as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was holding forth to obediently head-nodding members of the Maha Sangha comprising the Government’s Buddhist Advisory Council gathered at the Presidential Secretariat, on his firm intent to proceed with enactment of the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) …
By Imesh Ranasinghe Just over a week after they were sent to quarantine camps under legally questionable circumstances, 22 trade union members in Sri Lanka including Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) general secretary Joseph Stalin were released Friday (16) afternoon. The union members had been arrested for engaged in protests that police said were in violation …
By Rajpal Abeynayake The forced quarantining of those protesting the contemplated passage of the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) Bill was rather dramatic, and has created a ruckus about the propriety or otherwise of disallowing dissent on the basis of health considerations. As interesting as this debate may seem, it’s a temporary problem. The protestors may …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera While claiming that the current Government is continuously delaying the investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks on 21 April 2019, the Catholic Church alleged that this continuous delay would create some suspicion among the public that the incumbent Government may also have had some involvement in the said bombings. The National …
By Krishan Francis/The Associated Press Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has ordered an investigation of allegations that some members of state intelligence agencies knew and met with people who carried out Easter Sunday bombings in 2019 that killed more than 260 people, a government official said. The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka wrote to the …
By William J Grimm (William Grimm is a missioner and priest in Tokyo and is the publisher of the Union of Catholic Asian News). One of the fastest-growing religious affiliations, or more accurately disaffiliations, is the large number of people who declare themselves to be former Catholics. Departures from the Church are especially pronounced among …
By Asiri Fernando Former Prime Minister and United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday called for a parliamentary debate on the financial crisis the country is facing, urging the Government to seek IMF assistance to better navigate the difficult times ahead. MP Wickremesinghe stated that Sri Lanka is facing a major foreign exchange crisis, …
Ambassadors of the US, Germany, China, Russia, the European Union and the High Commissioners of the UK and India called on Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa at the Ministry yesterday (July 14). This was the first time the foreign envoys had met Rajapaksa since taking office as the Minister of Finance. US Ambassador Alaina Teplitz, German …
By P.K.Balachandran There is widespread condemnation in Sri Lanka of the government’s brazen, unconscionable and partisan use of the pandemic containment regulations to quell public display of dissent. The immediate issue is the forced 14-day quarantining of a small group of demonstrators after they were bailed out by a court. The Minister of Public Security …
A press conference organised by a group of university academics yesterday called for the release of Hejaaz Hizbullah and Ahnaf Jazeem. At the press conference a statement signed by over 90 academics affiliated to the State university system was released. The statement highlights a number of concerns we have with regard to the arrest and …
By Shyam Nuawan Ganewatte Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa yesterday said that there were false reports circulating in social media that he would allow chemical fertiliser imports in an attempt to scuttle the government’s organic fertilizer campaign. Minister Rajapaksa said that there was no truth in the claims being made on social media that the government …
By Mujib Mashal The first attempt by a Rajapaksa to return to power in Sri Lanka was brief. In 2018, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as prime minister, even though the man he was supposedly replacing said he still held the job. Mr. Rajapaksa eventually backed down, though not before chairs were smashed …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella says he has recently sought legal advice pertaining to what he calls the conduct of Sirasa TV. Denying Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s accusations that the government was conspiring to suppress Sirasa, Rambukwella, who is also the co-cabinet spokesperson, told The Island, the Samagi Jana Balavegaya couldn’t challenge his …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Sri Lankan politics has been a good deal of family business. It was not even the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the progenitor of the SLPP that started it; D.S. Senanayake, the first prime minister flouted an implicit understanding of the succession and undercut two party seniors, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and Sir John Kotelawala …
by Meera Srinivasan To track the Rajapaksa family tree is to track the most important positions in the Sri Lankan government. With the recent appointment of Basil Rajapaksa, the youngest of the Rajapaksa brothers, as the country’s new Minister of Finance, Sri Lanka’s first family has further fastened its clasp on power. The Cabinet has …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake The Basilaagamanaya or the New Rise of Basil Politics is having its immediate impact on the Rajapaksa Power Display. Here is a clear warning to protest politics. Covid-19 is the new tool of Rajapaksa Power, with quarantine being the system of dominance. Leading trade unionists and student protesters are the showpieces of …
By Damith Wickramasekara Sri Lanka will apply to obtain up to USD 800 million worth of reserves from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) facility during August-September. A senior Treasury official said that under the current allocation, Sri Lanka should obtain reserves amounting to about USD 800 million. The SDR …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawaardene Waves of brutal police violence directed towards trade union leaders, students, fishermen and farmers in Sri Lanka this week underscored a deadly purpose on the part of the State. It was no accident that the clothes of female protestors were torn, that the media was shoved while covering these ugly scenes …
By Susitha Fernando On July 8 (Thursday) we saw diametrically opposite results because the security forces are apparently being used for the government’s objectives. In a number of security forces camps around the country vaccination programmes were conducted with the participation of security personnel. With the true to life security forces discipline we saw how …
Amidst internal and external challenges, seasoned political campaigner and results-oriented Basil Rajapaksa yesterday assumed the key portfolio of Finance Minister, promising to deliver economic growth and prosperity to people. After much speculation and reservations among some, the all-important Ministry of Finance was handed over to Basil by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a subject most of the …
(Text of Speech made by TNA Jaffna District MP Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran in Parliament on the 06th of July 2021 on amendments made to the Convention Against Torture Act) Thank you Hon. Deputy chairman of committees for the opportunity to speak a few words at the very important debate when the Hon. Minister of Justice …
By Meera Srinivasan Basil Rajapaksa, brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, was on Thursday sworn in as Sri Lanka’s Minister of Finance, becoming the fourth Rajapaksa brother and fifth member of the first family to enter the Cabinet. The eldest of the brothers, Chamal Rajapaksa, is a Cabinet Minister, as is …
(Text of Centre for Policy lternaatives Statement on Constitutionality of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna National List Appointment , 7th July 2021). The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is concerned by several media reports that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has appointed Mr. Basil Rajapaksa to fill the National List seat which fell vacant …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “It is like a tricycle. Mahinda Rajapaksa is the front wheel, and Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa are like rear wheels. If only one of the wheels is missing the tricycle will not run. That is the reality” – Namal Rajapaksa (Newswire – 5 July 2021) – Basil Rajapaksa, the economic superman, …
By Meera Srinivasan Basil Rajapaksa, brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, was on Thursday sworn in as Sri Lanka’s Minister of Finance, becoming the fourth Rajapaksa brother and fifth member of the first family to enter the Cabinet. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son Namal Rajapaksa is also a Cabinet Minister. His appointment, …
By Aazam Ameen Responding to the amendments proposed to the Convention Against Torture And Other Cruel, Inhuman Or Degrading Treatment Or Punishment Act and the Code of Criminal procedure act by Minister of Justice Ali Sabry in Parliament today (06), MP M. A. Sumanthiran of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) stated that while on …
By Sandasen Marasinghe and Amali Mallawarachchi The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna has nominated Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation Presidential Task Force Head and former Minister Basil Rajapaksa to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of MP Jayantha Ketagoda, the National Election Commission (NEC) said. He said the relevant Gazette would be sent for publication …
(Text of a Press Release Issued by the High Commission of India in Colombo) A five member Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) delegation led by Hon. Mano Ganeshan Member of Parliament called on the High Commissioner H.E. Mr. Gopal Baglay today (6 July 2021) at India House. T PA Members of Parliament Hon. Radha Krishnan, Hon. …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Arumadura Lawrence Romelo Duminda Silva known as Duminda Silva was the fortunate recipient of a munificent Presidential pardon on Poson Poya day. The convict on death row was released as a result of the Poson Poya pardon. Duminda Silva, a former Parliamentarian and ex-Provincial Councillor, was involved in a shooting incident in October …
. By S. Rubatheesan Northern fishing communities are up in arms against a Chinese joint venture company because it has taken over acres of sea-land to harvest sea cucumber, severely limiting the space for local fishermen to engage in the same business. As part of an extension to its sea cucumber hatchery, the Chinese joint …
By Gajaba During a meeting with some of his close associates this week, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa claimed there was an organised attempt via social media and some mainstream media organisations to foster a view that there was a split within the ranks of the Rajapaksa family. The main thrust of this operation was being conducted …
Interest among students and the general public in Sri Lanka towards learning the Chinese language has grown over the past few years, China’s Ambassador Qi Zhenhong says. There are now 57 schools and seven universities in Sri Lanka offering Chinese language courses, Zhenhong said on Friday as he addressed the awards ceremony of the Sri …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene As the seething fury of Sri Lanka’s farmers spills over onto village roads and sets the country ablaze with war cries of ‘give us fertilizer to farm our crops, our paddy lands and our vegetable fields,’ the best role that an utterly inept and incompetent Opposition can play is to refrain …
By Gajaba Government backbenchers, meanwhile, are intensifying their efforts to ensure that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) architect, Basil Rajapaksa, enters Parliament. Spearheading the campaign are mainly first-time MPs. They met last Sunday evening at MP Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon’s residence at Anderson Road in Dehiwala for what was termed as a decisive discussion on …
Thirty-four-year-old Kanya D’Almeida has been announced as the overall winner of the world’s most global literature prize. The Commonwealth Foundation announced D’Almeida’s win in an online award ceremony which featured readings from Zambianauthor Mubanga Kalimamukwento, Sri Lankan actress Ranmali Mirchandani, British actress Lyndsey Marshal, Jamaican author Kei Miller and Australian actress Francesca Savige. D’Almeida, from …
For all who believe that people are endowed with inalienable rights including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and that just governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed, it was alarming to hear the loud applause and cheers that greeted Xi Jinping on July 1st, the 100th anniversary of the Communist …
By Mangala Samaraweera “Reflect continually on the fact that all things as happen now, also happened before, and on the fact that they will happen again. The whole dramas and the comparable scenes… from history of the past… All these were similar only the actors were different” – Marcus Aurelius The Sunday Times of 27 …
By Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab “Let China Sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world” so states a quote often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte. Whether or not these words were spoken by Napoleon Bonaparte, in recent years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has created a very concerning reality to this statement. In recent …