By Camelia Nathaniel
He cuts a gigantic figure, as he steps out of the tin-roofed dwellings of the Kandakadu Rehabilitation Village.
Gunasingham Kasendran, considered the tallest man in the country, who stands at a staggering height of 7.3’, is currently being rehabilitated at the government-run rehabilitation centre in Kandakadu in the Polonnaruwa District.
Continue reading ‘Travails of being the tallest man in Sri Lanka: A talk with ex-LTTE cadre Kasendran’ »
by Camelia Nathaniel
The government has directed the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to halt the issuance of accreditation cards to ex-LTTE cadres, who have completed the government rehabilitation programme. Accordingly, the IOM has decided to suspend the ID issuing process.
Under the instructions of the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff (OCDS), the military is in the process of collecting the already issued IDs from the rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadres.
However, the decision has caused doubts among rehabilitants, and they question the rationale behind the government’s move.
Continue reading ‘Govt stops issuance of Identity Cards to ex-LTTE cadres by International Organiazation of Migration’ »
by Rasika Somarathna
Over 1,800 rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadres turned up at Kilinochchi on Saturday to join the Civil Security Department (CSD) following the CSD’s call for ex-combatants to join its ranks. The government is planning to recruit a large number of rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadres to the CSD. They are slated to take part in development activities in the North. CSD Chief Rear Admiral Ananda Peiris said over1,800 ex-LTTE combatants from the Northern Province turned up to collect applications to join his department.
“We distributed over 2,000 applications.
‘They were very enthusiastic about joining the Civil Security Department,” he said.
Continue reading ‘Over 1,800 ex-LTTE cadres turned up in Kilinochchi to join the Civil Security Department’ »
by Dr. Nirmala Chandrahasan
The anguish and opposition of the people to this piece of legislation was given expression by the ITAK (Federal Party of Ceylon) both in parliament and through a peaceful Satyagraha on Galle Face Green opposite the old Parliament.
The Federal Party MPs led by their leader S. J. V Chelvanayakam QC, and the co-founders of the Federal party Dr. E. M. V. Naganathan and C. Vanniasingham while performing satyagraha were set upon by thugs and rowdies and mercilessly beaten, some even had their clothes torn off, others were kicked and stamped upon and many were thrown into the Beira Lake, while the police looked on from the precincts of the old Parliament.
Continue reading ‘Misconceptions and misinterpretations of Sampanthan’s presidential address at ITAK convention – 2’ »
by T. Ramakrishnan
Papathi, who is in her 50s and living in a ‘labour line’ constructed by authorities in Guernsey here, does not have many demands to make.
Her constant refrain: “Can you tell someone to get our houses repaired?”
Continue reading ‘Woes of Sri Lankan repatriates in Tamil Nadu Continue even after 40 years’ »
By Chackravarthy
“One Mullivaikkal is enough. Don’t try to get 100 more.”
Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka~pic courtesy of: ETV-Dibrief News
Oh God the British never told the French ‘one Waterloo is enough. Don’t try to get 100 more’. What kind of a speech is this? Is this the tolerance Lord Buddha taught or his disciples learnt?
A Tamilnadu newspaper in her editorial said, ‘Emperor Asoka, seeing the killing, blood shed and the destruction in the battle field, vowed not to wage war again and accepted the peaceful path of Lord Buddha. Here a minister who calls himself as an ardent follower of Gautama glories war. How come’?
Continue reading ‘Provocative Speech about Mullivaaikkaal by Minister Ranawaka will Bring Disrepute to Country’ »
Dr Lester James Peiris-pic: daily news.lk
by Dr. Sarath Amunugama
“Our ideals – moral, social and poetic – must be defended with intelligence as well as emotion: and also with intransigence” – Lindsay Anderson.
I am grateful to the organizers of this event for inviting me to deliver the Lester James Pieris oration for 2012. I am particularly grateful because it enables me to pay a well deserved tribute to a close and affectionate friend of over half a century. Indeed, Lester has dominated Sinhala cinema for the selfsame fifty years and perhaps a little more. He is one of the few remaining cultural icons in our country and is a giant of Asian cinema. Thank you Lester and our best wishes go to you.
Continue reading ‘What stands out in the work of Lester James Peiris is his humanism’ »
R. Premadasa (June 23, 1924 – May 1, 1993)
by B Sirisena Cooray
(88th Birth Anniversary of Ranasinghe Premadasa was on June 23rd)
The ethnic problem did not end with the war. The ethnic problem has to be resolved to make peace work and prevent the next war.
B Sirisena Cooray
Development, democracy and devolution: that was the Premadasa plan to resolve the ethnic problem. President Premadasa believed that to make Tamil people feel like Sri Lankan citizens, a power-sharing arrangement, restoration of democracy and rapid economic development were equally necessary.
Continue reading ‘Democracy, Development and Devolution was the Premadasa Plan to solve the Ethnic Problem’ »
by S. Skandakumar
Your Excellency, John Rankin, High Commissioner for Britain in Sri Lanka, Eminent Excellencies of the International Diplomatic Corps, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
When Carlo your President invited me on behalf of his committee to this evening’s function, I said to him, “Carlo I am four years into retirement, I have spent it all in relative hibernation in Haputale and many feel that soon I will be ready for the Archives “…to which his response was ‘Ah that’s just the profile we are looking for !!”
Continue reading ‘‘We Failed to find Solutions to Problems because we addressed issues by Ethnicity and not Nationality’’ »
by Rajani Iqbal
A group of war widows in the Nedunkerny region of the Wanni District celebrated the International Widows’ Day on 22nd June, 2012 at the conference hall of the Nedunkerny Pradesa Sabai.
This meeting was organized by an NGO in collaboration with the relevant officers of the Divisional Secretary of Nedunkerny who had arranged for the distribution some material for income generation activities provided by NGOs.
Continue reading ‘International Widows’ Day on June 22nd Commemorated at Nedunkerni for the First time in Sri Lanka’ »
R. Sampanthan at ITAK event in Batticaloa-pic: Virakesari.lk
By Dr. Nirmala Chandrahasan
Reading through some of the articles that have appeared recently, following upon Mr Sampanthan’s Presidential address at the ITAK Convention, it appears to me that there is a big trust deficit. Interpretations are being put on words, and inferences drawn which are not justified by the plain meaning of, or the relevant context in which they have been used.
For instance asking for devolution of powers within a ‘united’ country, is taken to indicate a desire to set up a separate state. The term self- determination is construed as secession. Let us look at other countries for example the United Kingdom (UK).
Continue reading ‘Misconceptions and misinterpretations of Sampanthan’s presidential address at ITAK convention – I’ »
Gunasingham Kasendran-Pic by Nuwan Amarawansha
By Camelia Nathaniel
Gunasingham Kasendran is considered the tallest man in the country. Standing at a staggering 7 ft 3 inch, he is currently part of the government rehabilitation programme for ex-LTTE combatants at the Rehabilitation Centre in Kandakadu, in the Polonnaruwa District.
A rather shy and soft spoken man, Kasendran shuns public functions, which draw attention to him and instead prefers to lead a rather solitary life, even at the camp.
Continue reading ‘The tallest man in Sri Lanka is an Ex-LTTE Combatant’ »
(Text of statement issued by Reporters without Borders/Reporters sans Frontieres)
Reporters Without Borders is concerned about the reasons that led the management of the newspaper Ceylon Today to force its editor in chief Lalith Allahakkoon to resign on 13 June. The journalist, who received no letter of dismissal, arrived at his office on 16 June to find that access to his computer had been blocked.
“The dismissal of Lalith Allahakkoon by Ceylon Today is worrying,” the press freedom organization said.
Continue reading ‘Dismissal of Lalith Allahakkoon by ‘Ceylon Today’ is worrying-RSF’ »
By Cillian McGrattan
The idea that divided or post-conflict societies can achieve stability through reconciliation represents something of a paradigm shift in peace-building theory and practice.
Arguably, thanks to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, ideas that the past should be represented as something remote (as in post-war, post-Nuremburg Germany) or unarticulated (as in the Spanish pacto de olvido) no longer hold traction within national or supra-national discourses.
Continue reading ‘Achieving stability through reconciliation in divided or post-conflict societies’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
“And as I read more and more, and it was not all verse, by any means, my love for the real life of words increased until I knew that I must live with them and in them, always. I knew, in fact, that I must be a writer of words, and nothing else. The first thing was to feel and know their sound and substance; what I was going to do with those words, what use I was going to make of them, what I was going to say through them, would come later.” – Dylan Thomas, “Notes on the Art of Poetry.”
Recent events in the sphere of English journalism have caused shock waves among members of the fourth estate. Things seem to have taken a turn for the worse in a land where giants in journalism flourished once. It is against this bleak backdrop that I write about one such colossus-Mervyn de Silva – who passed away on June 22nd 1999.
Mervyn and Lakshmi
Even as I write, I am mindful that many have written much about Ahangama Vithanage Mervyn Douglas de Silva known generally as Mervyn de Silva. Apart from the “up,close and personal” perspectives of his son Dayan, many eminent persons ranging from Neville Jayaweera to Bradman Weerakoon and Desmond Fernando to Asanga Welikala, have stated all that has to be said about the Mervyn phenomenon.
Continue reading ‘Mervyn De Silva: Reminiscences about a Journalist Colossus’ »
By Thulasi Muttulingam
The Irulas are a South Indian tribe who have traditionally based their livelihood on being snake catchers. Up until 1972, they were able to make an adequate living selling snake leather, but with the Wildlife Protection Act India passed that year, their livelihood became illegal.
Irulas from the village of Thottithopu, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu-pic courtesy of: Bala photo- Pondicherry
Apparently the Irulas, a minor population of about only 20,000 people, had been so successful in tracking and catching snakes, the government had to step in to prevent extinction of the snakes.
Continue reading ‘How the Irula Tribals of Tamil Nadu extract venom from live snakes’ »
by N Sathiya Moorthy
Two interim reports from the two sides, so to say, and the focus is slowly slipping away from the work on hand for the National Commission of Inquiry (CNI) probing then Maldivian President Mohammed Nasheed’s resignation of February 7. It is back more ore less in the realm of politics and public-spat.
Of the two reports, if they could be called so, one has the relative legitimacy of being produced by the outgoing CNI before it was expanded, and the other from President Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), at whose instance the NCI is being expanded in the first place. Who jumped the gun and why are questions for which neither side may have convincing answers.
Continue reading ‘Maldives: Competing ‘probe reports’ take the focus away’ »
by Selcuk Colakoglu
As the Cold War ended, the international system entered a process in which it was afflicted by secessions, sometimes bloody and sometimes peaceful. After 1990 there was a general trend for countries to break up and while countries entering a union was the exception.
In 1990, the year the Cold War ended, West Germany peacefully annexed East Germany and North Yemen and South Yemen reached an a peaceful unification on the base of equality. However apart from these two cases, we can find no other examples of countries uniting.
Continue reading ‘The break-up of states: Political and economic logic of disintegration’ »
By Salma Yusuf
A widely held belief among the populace is that the discourse on foreign policy remains the sole prerogative of those in the highest echelons of political power; that is, until presented with a statement by the likes of well-known American political activist, Ron Silver, who declared: “I can’t talk about foreign policy like anyone who’s spent their life reading and learning foreign policy. But as a citizen in a democracy, it’s very important that I participate in that.”
Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka, speaks during a meetingthe Millennium Development Goals Summit at United Nations Headquarters on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)- courtesy: MPR
Such sentiments serve as both a reality-check and a wake-up call to every Sri Lankan citizen, as the country moves on from a phase of post-war to post-conflict.
Continue reading ‘Six Key Challenges Faced by Sri Lanka in Foreign Relations Sphere’ »
by Dakshana Bascaramurty
They all made boastful, superlative-ridden claims: The Largest South Asian Indoor Shopping Centre in the GTA! The Biggest Chinese Mall in North America! North America’s First Tamil Plaza!
But years after these ambitious projects under the names The Sitara, The Landmark, and T.Junction were announced – all with target opening dates that have since passed – none are open. The projects never got off the ground. Several other new mall developments or expansions of existing ones that would have amounted to millions of square feet of retail space have stalled in construction or been rebranded as mainstream shopping centres.
Continue reading ‘The rise and fall of the ethnic mall experience in Canada’ »
Dr. Harsha De Silva
By Marianne David
MP and consultant economist Dr. Harsha De Silva yesterday alleged that THE UNP’s criticism over the mismanagement of the economy and the Central Bank as well as the EPF’s investments in banking stocks have been emphatically validated by global rating agency Standard and Poor’s.
“Standard and Poor’s reiterated what we have been saying for the last three years with the announcement it issued on Tuesday,” asserted Dr. De Silva, showing off S&P’s report via his tab at a press conference.
Continue reading ‘Govt has conformed to all three conditions of the IMF- Harsha de Silva’ »
Preamble:
All the nations once again will meet in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012 to discuss the future of the world and the very survival of the humankind. However, in general no nation has a success story to share other than so called growth and increase of per capita income which is based on the over exploitation of the natural resources.
Most of the agreements made during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in 1992 in the city of Rio were not successfully implemented during the past two decades.
Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Civil Society Statement on Rio +20’ »
A number of residents of Sampur, in the Trincomalee District filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition in the Supreme Court on Friday 15 June 2012, challenging the demarcation of a Special Zone for Heavy Industries (SZHI) through Gazette Extraordinary No. 1758/26 issued on 17 May 2012.
The Gazette attempts to demarcate a SZHI within the provisions of Section 22A of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka Law, No.4 of 1978. Seven Petitioners who filed the FR application have stated that the area demarcated by the Board of Investment comprises private property belonging to the Petitioners and others that have been owned by their families for decades.
Continue reading ‘Displaced Sampur residents file fundamental rights petition against demarcation of heavy industries zone in their lands’ »
The Sri Lanka Working Journalist Association is extremely disturbed by the recent turn of events at Ceylon Today newspaper, where the editor in chief and respected journalist Lalith Allahakkoon was unceremoniously removed from all his duties by the management due to what we understand as Mr Allahakkoon’s refusal to publish politically motivated and potentially libelous news stories sanctioned by the top management.
The SLWJA views the recent incident as a disturbing development in the context of media freedom in Sri Lanka, where the demarcation of the editorial independence and the ownership control has been increasingly blurred.
Continue reading ‘SLWJA wants ‘Ceylon Today’ Management to respect editorial independence of Editorial Staff’ »
by Panchali Saikia
A major highlight of Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s trip to Thailand was her visit to the Mae Sot refugee camp in June 2012. The Mae Sot camp is the largest among the nine refugee camps in Thailand, with nearly 50,000 refugees of which most are Karen ethnic nationals of Myanmar.
This controversial visit to the refugee camp has raised significant questions in the international community and within Myanmar. Why did she visit the refugee camp, especially when it was not a part her original agenda? What are the likely implications?
Continue reading ‘Burmese Refugees In Thailand: Implications Of Suu Kyi’s Visit’ »
By Hasan Afif El Hasan
From day one after the 1967 war, Israel’s actions in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem suggest the occupation was not temporary and underscore Israel’s desire to erase the concept of the Palestinian nation by undermining the connection between the people and their land or history. In an effort to incorporate as much as possible of the occupied lands, Israel governed the occupied lands by making distinction between the land and its Palestinian inhabitants and referred to the Palestinians only as ‘Arabs’.
The Israelis wanted to weaken the Palestinians’ claim to their country and suggest they belong to other Arab countries. A politically powerful segment of Israelis, perhaps a majority, perceive the occupied lands as biblical territory and the indigenous Palestinians as ‘hostile aliens’ or as “part of nature’s hardship to be conquered and removed.”
Continue reading ‘Palestinian Nationalism, Alive Despite Israeli Instruments Of Control’ »
by M.G.Devasahayam
It is famously said: “In public domain, truth is not the truth, perception is the truth”. This adage could be related to the discourse on the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP). While the arguments in favour of the plant is that it will generate electric power essential for ‘development’, People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) say that the plant will be ‘destructive’ to the life and livelihood of the Project Affected People (PAP).
While the touted ‘truth’-that the plant is the safest in the world- is couched in utmost secrecy, public ‘perception’-serious misgivings on the safety of the Plant is out in the open. As the nuclear establishment is racing towards the commissioning of the plant this perception among the PAP is increasing and not diminishing. And there are several reasons for this.
Continue reading ‘Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Commissioning Should Be Deferred’ »
By Martin Khor
The Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 (known officially as the UN Conference on Environment and Development) was a landmark event which launched “Sustainable Development” as an internationally accepted concept.
Environmental problems would be seen in relation to and in the context of the development needs of developing countries. Sustainable development would have three pillars or dimensions – economic, social and environmental.
The Rio Principles, adopted after marathon negotiating sessions, achieved the integration of environment, development and equity elements. There were environmental principles such as precautionary and polluter pays, development principles like the right to development, and equity principles like the common but differentiated responsibilities.
Continue reading ‘UN Summit on Sustainable Development in Brazil-Will There be a Successful Outcome?’ »
By S.S.Selvanayagam
The Court of Appeal yesterday (19) allowed the move by the Petitioner to amend the prayers in the Writ application challenging the imminent premature dissolution of the Eastern Provincial Council.
The Bench comprising Justices S.Sriskandarajah (President C/A) and Deepali Wijesundera fixed the matter to be supported on July 11 with the amended prayers.
Continue reading ‘Imminent dissolution of Eastern PC: CA allows move to amend prayers in petition’ »
by Srilal Miththapala
All newspapers carried headlines a few days ago stating that May 2012 tourist arrivals have increased by 17.5% from last year. It is reported that the May arrivals of 57,506, were higher than even that of April, which showed only a 9% increase YOY. So far, the total arrivals for 2012 up to end May is 327,627, which is almost an 18.2% increase over last year.
A tourist feeds an elephant at the Pinnawela orphanage near Colombo, June 11, 2012-pic courtesy of: AFP
However, most hotel industry professionals are of the opinion that May 2012 occupancies have been very poor. In fact, some of the larger hotel companies have stated that the May 2012 occupancies have been in fact worse than even during the war years.
Continue reading ‘The Mystery of the ‘Missing’ Tourists’ »
Sri Lanka Army in vegetable retailing-pic: ft.lk
By Kath Noble
What should the Security Forces do when there’s no war to be fought? Now that three years have passed since the defeat of the LTTE and pretty much everybody is convinced that there will be no resurgence, this would seem to be a pertinent question to ask. Of course vigilance is needed.
The Security Forces have to ensure that they are ready to deal with any new militancy. However, that’s a limited task in comparison with the all-out war they were caught up in until 2009. So what now?
Continue reading ‘What should the security forces do when there’s no war to be fought?’ »
Vasudeva Nanayakkara
by Ayesha Zuhair
Social exclusion has been long identified as a key trigger of internal conflict. It represents an impediment to the achievement of national objectives such as peace, stability and economic prosperity.
The higher the levels of exclusion in society, the more fertile the grounds for conflict – and a return to violence cannot be ruled out so long as inequalities continue to persist.
Continue reading ‘‘We cannot create equality; we have to strive towards equality’ – Vasudeva’ »
By Sajjad Ashraf
Synopsis
Pakistan has embarked on a slippery course by proposing the division of southern Punjab into two provinces, on linguistic grounds. Similar separatist tendencies in other provinces could split the federation.
Continue reading ‘The Dangers of Creating a ‘Separate Identity’: Pakistan on a Slippery Course’ »
By Amnesty International
A statement issued on June 13th 2012 by Amnesty International for the UNHRC sessions in Geneva from June 18th-July 8th 2012
Sri Lanka is not fulfilling many of its international human rights obligations. Impunity remains the norm for gross violations of human rights, including alleged war crimes. Gross and systematic human rights violations continue to take place.
Continue reading ‘The Human Rights situation in Sri Lanka’ »
By Ben Doherty and Som Patidars
A PEOPLE-SMUGGLING network is targeting Tamil refugees in southern India, promising them safe passage across the Indian Ocean and Australian citizenship when they arrive.
But boats have already been lost. Refugee advocates say at least two boats, carrying up to 50 people, disappeared off India’s south coast late last year.
Continue reading ‘People Smugglers Target Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in South India With Passage to Australia Promises’ »
pic courtesy of: UKinSriLanka
By Salma Yusuf
Whoever said that demand must drive supply was certainly not talking about reconciliation. However, the relevance and applicability of the philosophy and its wisdom in a post-war reconciliation setting cannot be overstated.
After all, reconciliation is as important a goal as it is a process. While Government efforts in post-war rehabilitation, reintegration, and reconstruction have been commendable for the most part, there remains a need for ensuring that the dividends of such efforts are sustained and lead to a meaningful transformation in the lives of those affected by conflict.
Continue reading ‘Measures necessary to enable Sri Lankans to identify causes of disunity among themselves and generate solutions’ »
by Chamikara Weerasinghe
The government will open the re-developed Palmyrah Research Institute in Kaithady, Jaffna, soon. The institute became defunct from 1995 due to the war in the North.
Palmyrah trees in Jaffna-courtesy ~ pic by: Udeshi Gurusinghe
Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Ministry Secretary V Sivagnanasothi yesterday told the Daily News that they are ready to open a state-of-the-art palmyrah research facility in Jaffna, being redeveloped under the the government’s livelihood development programme for the Northern Province.
Continue reading ‘Modernised State of the Art Palmyrah Research Institute to be opened in Jaffna’ »
Karu Jayasuriya MP
by Karu Jayasuriya
A situation is emerging in the country where, permission is needed from goons to engage in politics. It is well known that these gangs who suppress opposing political views using iron bars during the past era had the blessings of some politicians or politically powerful persons.
Now these goons are so powerful that they are bold enough to use automatic weapons to suppress those who profess a different political view from their political masters
Continue reading ‘Katuwana incident is aimed at all political parties fighting for the people’ »
By Lalith Allahakkoon
(This is the full text of a public statement issued to the media by Lalith Allahakkoon the Editor in Chief and Editorial Director of “Ceylon Today”about recent events that have caused an Editorial crisis in the English newspaper published in Colombo)
1. At around 7 p.m. on the night of Wednesday June 13, Executive Director of Ceylon Newspapers Mr. Dushyantha Basnayake summoned me to his office and said there were several issues to be discussed. Firstly, he informed me that the management had decided to terminate the employment of Senior Cartoonist at Ceylon Today Wasantha Siriwardane.
Continue reading ‘Sequence of events relating to editorial crisis at ‘Ceylon Today’ newspaper’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Former British Prime Minister and statesman Winston Churchill is credited with the phrase “special relationship” in emphasising the time-tested bonds and enduring affinity between Great Britain and the United States of America.
Pic by Arthur Wamanan
I can think of no better phrase other than those famously Churchillian words to describe my longstanding links with The Sunday Leader as the newspaper celebrates its 18th anniversary.
My special relationship with the Leader began with the birth of the newspaper itself in 1994 and has continued ever since. It consists of four different phases.
Continue reading ‘My special relationship with The Sunday Leader’ »
by Aung San Suu Kyi
Your Majesties, Your Royal Highness, Excellencies, Distinguished members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Dear Friends,
Long years ago, sometimes it seems many lives ago, I was at Oxford listening to the radio programme Desert Island Discs with my young son Alexander. It was a well-known programme (for all I know it still continues) on which famous people from all walks of life were invited to talk about the eight discs, the one book beside the bible and the complete works of Shakespeare, and the one luxury item they would wish to have with them were they to be marooned on a desert island.
Continue reading ‘‘The Road I had Chosen of my own Free Will Became a Less Lonely path to Follow’’ »
by Gunvanthi Balaram
From the magnificent stupas at Anuradhapura to the street food of Colombo, from the Cave of Celestial Maidens to the beach at Galle, Sri Lanka offers many changes of scene.
Shore at Manatkadu, Jaffna- pic courtesy of: twitter.com/shanmugan10
Stories apart, what did I remember best about Sri Lanka, my mother asked me when I got home. “The lotus ponds of Anuradhapura and the lagoons of Jaffna,” I replied. “And, mmm, the egg-hoppers in Colombo’s cubby-hole eateries.”
Continue reading ‘Jaffna Like The Rest of The Island Held a Warm Vibe’ »
'Black July '83': pic Courtesy of the Sahajeevana Centre - via pact.lk
by Hemantha Warnakulasuriya
I have often wondered why we, as a nation, cannot progress as rapidly as our neighbour – India. Any political analyst would of course heap the blame on the politicians and the political authority. I have pondered whether in fact this was true.
All politicians are voted to power by us and we sometimes condone their activity. When Monnekulama was convicted for bribery by the Talgodapitiya Commission and disfranchised for seven years, he re-contested the Kurunegala seat and won again.
Continue reading ‘‘Work is worship’: The work ethic success of the Sri Lankan Tamils’ »
by Charles Santiapillai
Although the Jaffna man’s mind is preoccupied with money and matrimony, yet the thing that he treasures most above everything else is education and scholarship. For a Jaffna man, it’s the books, and not dogs, that are his best friends. He would pay more attention to a good book than to his dissatisfied wife.
Books keep him company both in times of happiness and distress. They are one of the main sources of his knowledge. The best and inexpensive place for easy access to books has always been the library.
Continue reading ‘Jaffna Public Library: Painstaking construction and painful destruction’ »
Sri Lanka has signed its largest foreign direct investment (FDI) deal valued at $4 billion with an Indian company.
Gateway Industries, an Indian venture, will oversee operation and management of a special industrial zone for heavy industries in Trincomalee district.
Board of Investment (BOI) chairman M.M.C. Ferdinando Friday hailed the signing of this landmark project by BOI as an indication of the growing investor confidence in Sri Lanka.
Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Investment Board Signs $4Billion Industrial Zone Deal with Indian Industrial Firm’ »
By Camena Guneratne and Harini Amarasuriya | Open University of Sri Lanka
Almost one year ago, we wrote an article suggesting that there were signals from the academic community that it was waking up from a long slumber.
We wrote about the fact that the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) was moving away from, primarily a battle for salaries, to addressing a range of issues affecting not just higher education, but education in general.
Continue reading ‘University academics are now campaigning with the slogan “6% of GDP for Education”’ »
pic: facebook.com/pages/Lasith-Malinga
by Edward Gunawardene
The story of Lasith Malinga is the story of a poor rustic, who because of his rare talents in cricket, has shot to stardom. Another log cabin to White House or a Dick Whittinghton story. He is today one of the most sought after and one of the highest earners in international cricket.
In fact, today he enjoys celebrity status in the world cricket arena. It is, indeed, an achievement to be admired.
Continue reading ‘Why malign Lasith Malinga alone for allegedly putting self above country?’ »
Mangala Samaraweera MP
by Mangala Samaraweera
Police spokesperson SP Ajith Rohana accepted that two persons including a woman died due to an unarmed gang shooting at a Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) local meeting held in Katuwana in the Hambantota district on 15 June (2012).
He said, a group of unidentified men on motorcycles had opened fire at the meeting killing and injuring people. Police sources said, around 100 JVP supporters had attended the meeting and the gunmen had arrived on 03 motorcycles.
Continue reading ‘Katuwana Killings: Remove Gotabhaya and appoint career Administrator as Defence Secretary’ »
President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga last week summoned a press conference at the old parliament now serving as the presidential secretariat to tell “our side of the story’’ of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent London visit.
As is well known, LTTE supporters succeeded in getting a session of an event organized by the Commonwealth Business Council cancelled as the president was due to make the keynote address there. External Affairs Ministry Monitor Sajin Vas Gunawardene, External Affairs Secretary Karunatillake Amunugama and High Commissioner Chris Nonis were associated with Weeratunga at this briefing called to place what happened in London in the proper perspective in the context of the propaganda mileage the LTTE was able to derive from the cancellation.
Continue reading ‘President’s London Visit: ‘Our Side of the Story’’ »
by Selvam Canagaratna
“On Wall Street, he and a few others – how many? – three hundred, four hundred, five hundred? – had become precisely that . . . Masters of the Universe. There was . . . no limit whatsoever!” – Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities (1987)
In the midst of an unprecedentedly precipitous share-price plunge wiping out social networking giant Facebook’s value by over $42 billion in just ten days, the Wall Street Journal, which inevitably mirrors its owner Rupert Murdoch’s unbridled corporate greed, caught the crummy essence of the street it’s named after when, on the third day of the IPO (May 21) it observed matter-of-factly:
“Investors that shoot for IPO allocations needn’t worry that a high stock price overvalues the company if they are confident they can find a ‘greater fool’ willing to pay more.”
Continue reading ‘Facebook loses face as share prices plunge $42 Billion in 10 days’ »
Senior UNP parliamentarian, Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena has appealed to His Holiness Pope Benedict the XVI to use his good offices to dialogue with the Sri Lankan Government to ensure that the Bishop of Mannar continues his mission without threats, intimidations and false allegations.
In a letter to the Pope, the MP says: “Since the beginning of 2012, adverse comments about the Bishop by some chauvinistic and communal minded Government Ministers, and media owned, controlled and sympathetic to the Government have intensified. Meaningless accusations were made that the Bishop aspires to be the Cardinal of “Tamil Eelam”, that he is involved in a conspiracy against the government supported by the INGOs and that he is disturbing Muslim – Tamil harmony.
Continue reading ‘Jayalath Jayawardena writes to Pope Benedict about Mannar Bishop’ »
By Ilica Malkanthi Karunaratne
Dudley Senanayakes’ 101st birth anniversary is on June 19th
The birth anniversary of the late Dudley Senanayake, is always tinged with nostalgia. It is inevitable, that the thoughts of those of us who knew him, should linger on all that he was and what he did during his lifetime. He was far above the usual norm of politician and was a statesman extraordinaire, even known as such, far beyond our shores.
As media headlines today reek of violence of one sort or another, of rape, of murder, of abductions; which all speak of a total breakdown of law and order, one is reminded time and time again, of the late Dudley and all he stood for.
Continue reading ‘Dudley Senanayake: Unchallenged integrity and loyalty’ »
by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha MP
To cite the preamble to this dialogue between Asian and European Liberals, we agree that, ‘from a liberal standpoint, it is mutually beneficial for countries to engage in trade, and free trade is one of the means to lift countries out of poverty.’
Unfortunately this ideal is under attack for a variety of reasons, and most of the attacks come, it should be noted, from powerful countries. Thus we need to worry – and I hope Liberals in the West will help us to overcome this worry, given their own ideals – as to whether, again to cite the preamble, ‘trade, instead of forging a mutually beneficial partnership between developed and developing countries, has been a mechanism to subject the latter into a dependent relationship.’
Continue reading ‘‘I have no illusions about the basic selfish thrust of all foreign policy’’ »
By Shanika SRIYANANDA in Mullaitheevu
It was 11 am, the OPD of the District General Hospital Mullaitheevu was crowded. People from all walks of life and all corners of the district get treatment from the hospital. Located close to the A-34 Highway, the hospital, damaged by the LTTE, has now turned into a fully-fledged hospital with the latest medical equipment and more treatment facilities.
Wasantharaja Kiruthika, an employee of the Bank of Ceylon was in the OPD to get a urine test done. The 22-year-old who is an asthmatic is one among those who are happy as the hospital is being developed with the latest medical facilities. She had gone to Mancholai base hospital when the district was under the LTTE control as this hospital was mainly used by the LTTE to treat their cadres and their families.
Majority of poor people didn’t have access to the hospital as the LTTE wanted it to be used for LTTE cadres. “ During those days there were no improved medical facilities”, she said.
Continue reading ‘Full-fledged Hospital at Mullaitheevu Functions at Full Capacity’ »
By Marwan Macan-Marcar
BANGKOK, Jun 15 2012 (IPS) –
Reports of sectarian violence in western Myanmar have exposed the plight of 800,000 Muslim Rohingya, a persecuted minority that a regional human rights body described in 2006 as facing a “slow-burning genocide”.
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM) holds awareness campaign in Kuala Lampur, June 15, 2012-pic courtesy: SunDaily.my
By Thursday, clashes between the Buddhist Rakhine and the Rohingya in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar (formerly Burma) had resulted in 29 deaths, of which 16 were Rohingya and 13 were Rakhine, and 30,000 displaced, according to official accounts of the worst communal violence in the Southeast Asian country in years.
Continue reading ‘Ethnic Cleansing of Muslim Minority in Myanmar ?’ »
The inauguration ceremony of the promotional campaign of the Carlton Super Sevens- pic: Sunday Observer.lk
Dr.Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu
Two contrasting insights into reconciliation were on display in the last ten days – one in the field of sports and the other in the field of politics.
The former relates to the Carlton Super Seven Rugby Tournament and the latter to the ITAK or Federal Party convention in Batticaloa. The significance of the latter is of course beyond dispute given that it was the party convention of the major party in the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the speech made by its leader R.Sampanthan has been the subject of columns, editorials and dire conclusions on what it portends for the fate of the nation-state ofSri Lanka.
Continue reading ‘Carlton Tournament and ITAK Convention: Two contrasting insights’ »
cartoon by W.B. Wijesoma (passed away ~ Jan 18, 2006)
By Salma Yusuf
A widely held belief among the populace is that the discourse on foreign policyremains the sole prerogative of those in the highest echelons of political power – that is, until presented with a statement by the likes of well-known American political activist, Ron Silver, who declared: ‘I can’t talk about foreign policy like anyone who’s spent their life reading and learning foreign policy. But as a citizen in a democracy, it’s very important that I participate in that.’
Continue reading ‘Foreign policy challenges: Diplomatic honeymoons or unbridled engagements?’ »
by Charles Santiapilai and S. Wijeyamohan
One of the surest signs of ecological richness and diversity of a country is the number of predator species it supports.
Egret and Crocodile in Yala, Sri Lanka-courtesy ~ Picture by Ranuka Marshall ~ more pics
Larger the number of predator species, the greater is the biodiversity. The existence of predators carries the implication of the presence of a much larger and more complex ecological community and millions of years of evolutionary struggle.
Continue reading ‘Co-existence with Crocodiles: Learning to Live Together’ »
President Mahinda Rajapaksa
An Interview With President Mahinda Rajapaksa
The Report Company: What is your assessment of the country’s current stage of development?
Mahinda Rajapaksa: I am convinced that Sri Lanka can attain a much higher stage of development than we are currently at.
Unfortunately, we lagged behind for over 30 years as a result of a debilitating war that sapped the energies of our nation and the will of our people. However, we, as a people, have the ability and courage to overcome any challenge and to create a new future for ourselves.
Continue reading ‘‘Sri Lanka is now emerging as a middle income nation’’ »
Basil Rajapaksa MP
An Interview with Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa
(Basil Rajapaksa, younger brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is the current Cabinet Minister of Economic Development. He has been part of the political landscape of Sri Lanka since the 1970s, and is a meticulous planner, brilliant strategist and strong negotiator, having played a leading role in achieving political stability in the country following the end of the conflict)
The Report Company:
What is your assessment of what Sri Lanka has to offer as an investment and tourism destination?
Basil Rajapaksa:
We want to build the image of the whole of Sri Lanka, not just the tourism, the investments or the exports.
Continue reading ‘‘We want to build the image of the whole of Sri Lanka’’ »
By J.C.Weliyamuna
A Governance Analysis of Frequency Allocation & TV Rights in Present Sri Lanka
Frequency Allocation- A Grand Corruption?
Understanding the State capture by Kleptocrats does not require a dedicated study; it is easily recognizable. For the benefit of keen students of governance, let me begin this article with the definition of Kleptocracy:
“A form of political and government corruption where the government exists to increase the personal wealth and political power of its ruling class at the expense of the wider population”.
Continue reading ‘Corruption, Nepotism and the Carlton Sports Network’ »
by K.S. Sivakumaran
Here are some idealistic suggestions for better harmonious living in this blessed country:
TNA Parliamentarians at the ITAK conference in Batticaloa - pic courtesy of: Virakesari.lk
1. Discourage the activities of those ruthless people masquerading as genuine Sinhala Buddhist clergymen involving themselves in political, anti-social activities.
Continue reading ‘ITAK and TNA leaders exploit the people while living in comfort’ »
By Kath Noble
Sri Lankan refugees have been making the news again in recent days. A group of 40 whose claims of persecution have been rejected by the UK was sent back to Colombo at the beginning of the month.
Sri Lankan refugees prepare to disembark from the ferry that brought them from India to Colombo-Oct 12, 2011-pic: UNHCR/Amarasinghe
Only hours earlier, more than 100 others had been arrested before they could even leave the island – the boat that was supposed to carry them to Australia was spotted by the Police.
Continue reading ‘Appalling treatment for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees by their ‘brethren’ on Tamil Nadu’ »
by Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha M.P.
C A Chandraprema’s book on the war against the LTTE is an immensely interesting read.
I had wondered how effective he would be as a writer of a sustained narrative, for his columns, though informative, can sometimes be turgid and repetitive. But his book combines a racy narrative with convincing detail, and I think makes clear the immense achievement of the government in dealing with the LTTE.
Continue reading ‘‘Gota’s War’ by Chandraprema: Glaring omissions but quite thorough’ »
by Ayesha Zuhair
Tamara Kunanayakam, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative (PR) to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, has accused Navanethem Pillay, the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, of playing the political agenda of the US and Western powers.
In an e-mail interview with the Daily Mirror, Ambassador Kunanayakam elaborates on the accusations contained in her letter to the UN human rights chief, and reflects on her tenure as PR to Geneva which comes to an end on 30 June.
Continue reading ‘‘I acted in conformity with the mandate given to me by His Excellency The President’ –Tamara Kunanayakam’ »
Romesh Jayasinghe-pic courtesy of The Hindu
By Dr.Amrith Rohan Perera
(Text of the Romesh Jayasinghe -Memorial Oration delivered by Dr Amrith Rohan Perera PC at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo on May 30, 2012)
I first heard of Romesh Jayasinghe from his father, the late W T Jayasinghe, the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Affairs, as it then existed, under whom I had the privilege of first serving in that establishment.
Continue reading ‘The Role of international law in contemporary diplomacy’ »
Abdelbasset Sieda
A sleeping dragon awakes: Kurds Take Centre Stage in West Asia
by James.M.Dorsey
Synopsis
As popular uprisings and post-revolt transitions change the political, economic and social structures of the Middle East, Kurds, the world’s largest nation without a state of their own, are emerging as the force that could spark a redrawing of borders and rewriting of minority rights in West Asia.
Continue reading ‘Rise of Kurdish diaspora leader could awaken sleeping dragon of Kurdish Nationalism’ »
by Faiza Thassim
Tucked away in the southwest corner of Sri Lanka’s coastline, away from the hustle and bustle of the busy town of Galle lies the quaint old peninsula that is the Galle Fort. Originally built by the Portuguese and then modified by the Dutch in the 17th century, this little enclave shot to fame after it was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1988.
Although the maintenance of this little city is funded by the government of Netherlands, the Galle Heritage Foundation that claims it to be insufficient says parts of the Fort will now be leased out to commercial establishments to bridge the deficit.
Continue reading ‘Good old days of the Galle Fort: Golden memories’ »
pic courtesy of: Indian Muslim Observer
Public Hearing Committee:
Justice A.P. Shah,
Former Chief Justice of Madras and Delhi High Court
Geeta Ramaseshan,
Advocate, Madras High Court
Prof. Prabha Kalvimani
Irular Tribes Protection Association
Date of Public Hearing: 14 May, 2012
Published: June 2012
Organized by:
Chennai Solidarity Group for Koodankulam Struggle.
Continue reading ‘Report of the jury on the public hearing on Koodankulam and state suppression of democratic rights’ »
Koodankulam anti-nuclear campaign
by S. P. Udayakumar
Actors on Stage:
-The Cheranmahadevi Sub-Collector, Mrs. Rohini Ramdas
-The Radhapuram Tahsildar, Mr. Subramanian
-150 policemen
-An assortment of revenue and health department officials
-A bigger group of NPCIL officials
-Another group of paid laymen
-Behind the Screen (in the NPCIL Township)
-The District Collector, Dr. R. Selvaraj
-The Superintendent of Police, Mr. Vijayendra Bidari
-NPCIL officials
Continue reading ‘Disaster management drama at Nakkaneri village in Tamil Nadu’ »
By Chackravarthy
Well every thing started with the 11th International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) held in Colombo from June 3 to 5th 2010. In a way it was an Ill conceived – white elephant project that failed drastically to give the desired result as the sponsors had no deep knowledge about Bollywood or Indian politics.
It was said Sri Lanka was supposed to spend a staggering US$9 million anticipating a return of bumper US$ 126 million. I am not sure of this figure. May be they could have aimed for some thing like New York Lottery Jackpot.
Continue reading ‘Insulting Lankan VIPs in Tamilnadu amounts to insulting Tamil culture!’ »
S. Shritharan MP
By Paul Newman
Sivagnanam Shritharan, 43, is the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Sri Lankan Parliament from Kilinochchi. Elected in 2010, he was earlier the head master of the Kilinochchi Mahavidyalayam in Kilinochchi, where LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran’s children had studied.
An ardent advocate of peace who loses no opportunity to criticise the flawed Sinhala polity, unidentified gunmen made an attempt on his life in March last year near Anuradhapura.
Shritharan survived an attempt on his life, but still fights for his people
Continue reading ‘‘Statements may be made by leaders but Eeelam is our ultimate goal’- Sivagnanam Shritharan MP’ »
By Nimmi Gunasekera
Armed with images from the news media of a partially restored Galle Fort in the context of the, literary festival, and with the excuse of driving down the new southern highway, we, a group of four, set forth to spend a weekend in the Fort. Starting with a very tasty Sri Lankan lunch at.
Gate at the Dutch Warehouse-Pic by Brian/Feet Wet
Mama’s restaurant on the roof-top of a Guest House down Leyn Wan Street with a view of splashing waves behind the light house, we spent the afternoon walking the paved streets which criss-cross the Fort from east to West and north to south.
Continue reading ‘Will the Galle Fort become a haven for the rich devoid of vibrant people?’ »
by R.M.B.Senanayake
At a recent seminar on the peace dividend, the speaker Dr Muttukrishna Sarvanandan drew attention to the fact that the share of government services which includes defense services is a high of 53% in the Northern Province.
R.M.B.Senanayake, Senior Economist-pic courtesy of: YATV
He was quoting from the Provincial GDP data prepared by the Department of Census & Statistics and published by the Central Bank given below.
He said more than half of the northern provincial economy was accounted for by “Government Services” in 2009 which was referred to as “Public Administration, Other Government Services, and Defense” until 2007. The latest composition of the provincial GDP data is available for 2010.
Continue reading ‘How has Northern Province economy fared since the end of the war in 2009?’ »
by Kalana Senaratne
From its inception in late 1949 as the Tamil Federal Party, the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) – a party which, as the late Lakshman Kadirgamar once claimed in Parliament, was founded by a “dedicated group of principled men” – has been in the forefront of Sri Lankan (and Tamil) politics. It has come to play a dominant role in the writing of different chapters of Sri Lanka’s post-independence political story.
Welcoming event at the conference, May 27, 2012-pic courtesy of: Virakesari.lk
The recent speech delivered by Mr. R. Sampanthan at the 14th Annual ITAK Convention (May, 2012) marks the opening of a new chapter, or the beginning of an important and critical phase of post-war Sri Lankan politics. What could be the impact of this speech? In a polarized and fragmented political context, how do we first make sense of what was said, without rushing to oppose it? How might it influence Sri Lankan politics in the future, and in particular, the course and relevance of Tamil and Sinhala nationalist politics ?
Continue reading ‘The spectre of separatism and the language of self-determination’ »
BY Rajan Philips
Whether he intended it or not, TNA leader R. Sampanthan’s speech in Batticaloa two weeks ago has stirred up a hornet’s nest. The occasion was the 14th National Convention of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), once known in English as the (Tamil) Federal Party. The speech became the subject, and the object, of interpretation in the editorials and commentaries from last Sunday onward. Their burden is Sampanthan’s mysterious allusion to the right of “external self-determination” of the Tamils and non-violent pursuit of their “soaring aspirations.” Without these isolated sparks, the speech may have been a damp squib and Kumar David’s thesis (Sunday Island, 28 May 2012) that “the dominant factor in Lankan politics is no longer the Tamil question” would have been validated within a week of its externalization.
Hoisting of flag at the ITAK conference in Batticaloa, May 27, 2012-pic courtesy of: Virakesari.lk
Even a cursory reading of the speech will indicate that there is much more to it than the two distractions. In fact, there was a heck of lot more in the speech.
Continue reading ‘Sampanthan’s speech at ITAK Convention: Intentions, interpretations and implications’ »
by S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole
The University Grants Commission (UGC) never ceases to amaze me by its ability to posture through high principles which it never practices. Indika Sri Aravinda reports (Leader, 3 June) that the UGC will henceforth fine illegal doctorates and that according to the UGC Chairman, issuing doctorates for a payment is illegal.
In Sri Lanka the Universities Act purports to regulate the issuance of degrees but it really cannot regulate foreign degrees. Besides, even legitimate universities, including UGC universities, always require some payment by way of fees for any doctorate.
Reputable magazines like The Economist advertise degrees for ‘life experience.’ The organization’s ‘Affordable Career Degrees,’ for a payment, will issue doctorates with ‘no classes, no studies and no exams’ based on your knowledge and experience.
Continue reading ‘Present University Grants Commission Chairman got appointed due to serving President in election campaign and drafting his manifesto’ »
Pathmanathan alias KP
by Arthur Wamanan
LTTE’s one time global arms procurer and financial controller Pathmanathan alias KP, accusing the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) of misleading Tamil youth in this country by spreading false propaganda, expressed regret at Tamil politicians’ failure to live up to the expectations after government had restored peace in the once war-torn areas.
In an exclusive interview with The Nation, Pathmanathan declined to describe his current position though he is being held by security authorities.
Continue reading ‘‘I run orphanages and vocational training centres in the North’ says ex LTTE Chief ‘KP’’ »
By Latheef Farook
Is Sri Lanka heading towards another July 1983 type pogrom?
Assault on Hairiya Jummah Masjid, Dambulla - Apr 20, 2012
This is the growing fear in view of the repeated threats on mosques and madrasas provoking Muslims. In the midst of this turbulence, the Criminal Investigation Department’s call for a list of mosques and madrasas – no information on worshipping centers of other religions was sought — has sent shockwaves among beleaguered Muslims.
Desecration of mosques is an act of provocation. Yet, Muslims have maintained remarkable restraint in the face of vandalism in Anuradhapura, Dambulla, Kurunegala and now in Colombo and Dehiwala.
Continue reading ‘Is Sri Lanka heading towards another July ’83 with Muslims as the Target?’ »
by A. Srivathsan
In most ways, Thiyaganur is a typical village in Tamil Nadu. Matchbox houses with gleaming white walls and red earth tiles, fields with irregular patterns, a provisional store that sells garishly coloured beverages, and the occasional bus chugging through. The lime-washed temple, in this village 80 km north-west of Tiruchi, has a familiar air about it too. Until one gets closer.
Their own Sami: Buddha with an angavastram. Photo: A. Srivathsan
Inside this modest structure, framed by four granite columns, is a six-foot Buddha — cross-legged, contemplative and smiling. The hitherto unnoticed peepal tree on the roadside, shading the temple, suddenly draws venerable attention.
Continue reading ‘Buddhism in Tamil Nadu: The ‘Buddha Samy’ of Thiyaganur’ »
Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka, a former advertising copywriter, has won the Commonwealth book prize for his highly praised debut novel Chinaman: the Legend of Pradeep Mathew.
Narrated by the alcoholic former sports journalist WG Karunasena, the novel is the story of his quest for Pradeep Mathew, a devastatingly talented Sri Lankan spin bowler who appears to have been expunged from historical record. Despite its cricket focus, Karunatilaka promises in the book: “If you’ve never seen a cricket match; if you have and it has made you snore; if you can’t understand why anyone would watch, let alone obsess over this dull game, then this is the book for you.”
Continue reading ‘Shehan Karunatilaka wins 2012 Commonwealth book prize’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Mahinda Rajapaksa was let down badly by the London based Commonwealth Business Council that had invited the Sri Lankan President to deliver the keynote address in a symposium organized by it for the Diamond jubilee of accession to the throne by Queen Elizabeth II of Britain.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrives at the Commonwealth Heads of Government lunch with HM Queen Elizabeth II, hosted by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, London, UK. 6 June 2012-Photo by Adam Gasson / Commonwealth Secretariat
Intense political pressure mounted by Tiger and pro-tiger elements in Britain and Europe resulted in the C’wealth Business council abruptly cancelling the event in which Mahinda Rajapaksa was to participate on June 6th 2012.
Although Mahinda Rajapaksa was ready,able and willing to deliver his address as planned the organizers wilting under pressure exerted by expatriate elements of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) unilaterally called off the morning sessions of the event in which the President was scheduled to speak without consulting him.
Continue reading ‘‘Pulathup Puligal’ (LTTE) protest against Mahinda in London’ »
M. A. Sumanthiran MP
By M. A. Sumanthiran
Thank you sir for providing me some time to speak on this motion moved by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake.
This is a timely motion that’s being brought to the Parliament, reminding us all that private members’ motions that are debated and approved must be taken seriously, since they are approved by Parliament. They cease to be labelled a private member’s motion once it is approved by Parliament because it is something the Parliament agrees with, and therefore from that point onwards there must be a seriousness attached to it.
Continue reading ‘Parliament is becoming increasingly irrelevant’ »
by Dushy Ranetunge in London
On the eve of the Presidents visit to the UK to attend the Queens Diamond Jubilee, Gotabaya in his usual finger wagging style told the BBC that the north cannot be recognised as a “Tamil” region.
Front page of ‘The Independent’, Thursday, June 7, 2012
In the run up to the first Presidential election, Mahinda Rajapakse told his Sinhala Buddhist electorate that he is from the “south”. Was he not indicating that he was from the Deep South, which is hard line Sinhalese?
Continue reading ‘Rajapakse besieged in London, after Gota denies Tamil region’ »
Photo by Jean-Marc Ferré - UN
Ambassador Kunanayakam Seeks Clarification
Given below is the complete text of a letter sent by the Permanent Representative of the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Tamara Kunanayakam, to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Navanethem Pillay, regarding an email communication circulated by the Chief of the Asia Pacific Dvision of her Office, Mr. Rory Mungoven, soon after the adoption of the US-led resolution against Sri Lanka at the recent Human Rights Council session. Mr. Mungoven was previously posted in Colombo as Human Rights Advisor.
Mr. Mungoven’s communication reveals the significant role played by the High Commissioner and her staff in triggering the adoption of the resolution on Sri Lanka, in violation of the mandate granted to her by the General Assembly in its resolution 48/141.
Continue reading ‘Did Navi Pillai’s Office work for UN Resolution against Sri Lanka in Geneva?’ »
by Niromi de Soyza
As soon as I step into the reception room which reminded me of a sterile hospital cafeteria, a woman with long dark hair in a black blazer catches my eyes. The epaulettes on her jacket give her small skinny frame an air of authority.
I recognise the young woman easily as Ranjini, she looks exactly like in the pictures splashed across newspapers and news media over the past few weeks – sparkling eyes, a big bright smile and the unmistakable side-parting of hair.
Continue reading ‘Meeting Ranjini: A Day at the Villawood Detention Centre’ »
Rajavarothayam Sampanthan Interviewed by Ayesha Zuhair
Sri Lankan cabinet Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, TNA Leader R. Sampanthan and Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha during an event hosted with visiting Indian Parliamentary delegation, in Colombo – Apr 23, 2012-pic: Indian High Commission
It has been described as disturbing, conufusing, and even provocative, TNA leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan’s speech at the 14th annual convention of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) has generated tremendous public interest, and raised many questions about the veteran Tamil politician’s commitment to evolving a political solution to the ethnic issue within the framework of an undivided Sri Lanka. In an in-depth interview at his Colombo residence with Ayesha Zuhair of the “Daily Mirror”, Mr. Sampanthan rubbishes claims of having a hidden agenda to create a separate state for Tamils in the North and East.
Excerpts of the interview:
Continue reading ‘‘My Appeal is That the Sinhala and Tamil People Must Live Together’’ »
By Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah
From Gary Barlow’s backing musicians to flags fluttering on the flotilla, the Commonwealth featured prominently in the diamond jubilee celebrations.
Commonwealth Heads of Government lunch with HM Queen Elizabeth II
H E Mr Mahinda Rajapaska, President of Sri Lanka, arrives with his wife Mrs Shiranthi Rajapaska at the Commonwealth Heads of Government lunch with HM Queen Elizabeth II, hosted by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, London, UK. 6 June 2012-Photo by Adam Gasson / Commonwealth Secretariat
And when Commonwealth leaders sit down to a special lunch with the Queen later today, there will undoubtedly be much toasting. Yet, behind the pomp and pageantry of the weekend, lies an international association that has had few public political successes in recent years and shows signs of genteel decline. And there’s likely to be little discussion today of how the Commonwealth will add value in the modern diplomatic world.
Continue reading ‘Commonwealth Institutions seem unable to lend a helping hand with Sri Lanka’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
In an unexpected,sudden development the Commonwealth Economic Forum the event in which Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was scheduled to deliver the keynote address has been called off.
The Commonwealth Business Council that had organized the event made a special announcement announcing the decision. In a tersely worded statement the Commonwealth Business Council stated-
“After careful consideration the morning sessions of the Forum on Wednesday 6th of June have been cancelled and will not take place. The event will therefore commence with lunch at 1300hrs followed by the originally planned afternoon sessions beginning at 1400hrs.”
Continue reading ‘President Rajapaksa’s London address to Commonwealth Economic Forum cancelled’ »
By N. Sathiya Moorthy
At the annual conference of the ‘Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK)’, which he heads as the elected president, the nominated chief of the larger Tamil National Alliance (TNA), R. Sampanthan, made a few points.
One, the ITAK was the leader/ guiding spirit of the TNA and that the Sri Lankan Tamils (SLT) have for long accepted the ITAK as reflecting their aspirations.
Jaffna May Day Event 2012-puc: TamilWIn
Two, the contributions of the Diaspora SLT should be acknowledged but they should allow the leadership on the ground to negotiate the best deal possible for the Tamil civilians living in Sri Lanka in the post-war circumstances.
Continue reading ‘An effort is on to drive a wedge between traditional moderates and one-time militants’ »
Madhubashini: Taking a break from her busy schedule. Pic by Susantha Liyanawatte
by Smriti Daniel
The recently crowned Gratiaen Prize winner Madhubashini Dissanayake-Ratnayaka describes her winning work and her journey towards calling herself ‘a writer’
Madhubashini Dissanayake-Ratnayaka is on the run. Her colleague is on the phone with a question related to work, her younger daughter is waiting for a ride (they’re late for chess class), her elder daughter will need to be picked up soon and her usual parking spot was taken.
The mother of two wouldn’t usually expect to find a journalist keeping her company on her many errands, but the news that Madhu’s first novel ‘I Have Something to Tell You’ was the winner of the 2011 Gratiaen Prize is still fresh. Now Madhu must squeeze a session of ‘basking in the spotlight’ somewhere into her overflowing calendar.
Continue reading ‘Madhubashini Winner of Gratiaen Prize For Her First Novel ‘There’s Something I Have to Tell You’’ »
by T.M.K. Samat
PERHAPS, the next thing they might resort to is to put national cricketers in hijabs so as to conceal them from the media – or, on returning from the playing field, bundle the lot into a room and place a sentry at the door. And if need be, extend that surveillance to cover players’ off-duty hours.
Hilarious as these methods might sound, they seem to be the next set of choices before Sri Lanka Cricket in its attempt to distance players from the press – that is, if its’ latest move to enforce the separation fails.
Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan national team cricketers gagged from speaking to media’ »
Handy Perinbanayagam
By Tissa Jayatilaka
A revised edition of Handy Perinbanayagam A Memorial Volume & The Jaffna Youth Congress edited by Santasilan Kadirgamar, published by Kumaran Publishers, Colombo, was released under the auspices of the Indo-Lanka Foundation on March the 4, 2012 at the Saraswathy Hall in Colombo.
The first edition of the above publication, also edited by Santasilan Kadirgamar, was produced and distributed by the Handy Perinbanayagam Commemoration Society in Jaffna on 28 June, 1980.
Continue reading ‘How the Jaffna Youth Congress Pioneered the Struggle for Total Independence from the UK’ »
Rev Rayappu Joseph
by D.B. S. Jeyaraj
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI is expected to express concerns over the personal safety of most reverend Rayappu Joseph the Catholic Bishop of Mannar-Vavuniya diocese in Sri Lanka when Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa calls on him at the Vatican later this week.
President Rajapaksa scheduled to visit Britain on June 3rd for a four day trip connected to the Diamond jubilee celebrations of her majesty Queen Elizabeth the second is expected to arrive on June 7th at the Vatican where he has been granted an audience with Pope Benedict.
President Rajapaksa is an ardent Buddhist but the Sri Lankan first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa is a devout Catholic.
Continue reading ‘Pope Benedict to express concern over Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph’s safety to President Rajapaksa at Vatican’ »
By Vikhar Ahmed Sayed | in Kadiri
Thimmamma Marrimanu, the great banyan at Gootybailu near Kadiri in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.
THE dusty town of Kadiri in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh is just a few hours’ drive from Bangalore. The hub of the local economy, it is also famous for being the town closest to Thimmamma Marrimanu, which is often described as the world’s biggest banyan tree. The fame of the tree, however, has not travelled far. Compared with better-known banyans across India, this grand example of nature’s majesty is relatively obscure.
Continue reading ‘The World’s Biggest Banyan Tree’ »
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
United National Party(UNP) Parliamentarian& & Bar Association (BASL) president Wijedasa Rajapakshe wants priests debarred from becoming MP’s.
He has with the consent of Opposition & UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe submitted a private members bill seeking a Constitutional amendment.
The proposed amendment will debar any political party or group from nominating a priest of any religion to contest Parliamentary elections.
Continue reading ‘Priests from any religion to be debarred from contesting parliament Elections?’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The recent interview given by Defence and Urban development secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to Charles Haviland of the BBC in Colombo has resulted in the “Archaeological expert” of the Jathika Hela Urumaya(JHU) showering praises on the presidential sibling.
image courtesy of BBC ~ Gotabhaya Rajapaksa: Sri Lanka north 'not just for Tamils'
JHU parliamentarian Ven.Ellawela Medhananda Thero in a statement to the “Dasa Desin”programme has described the utterances of the Defence secretary as “the most honest truth expressed in this century”.
Continue reading ‘Gota’s BBC Interview: ‘Absolute Truth’ about Tamils and the Northern Province’ »
By Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri
The recent attack led by Buddhist monks on the Khairya Jumma mosque located in the so-called “sacred zone” of the Dambulla rock temple in the central province is important even though it did not develop into a larger scale clash between the Buddhist and Muslim communities of Sri Lanka.
The Dambulla Khairya Jummah mosque had been in existence for over 60 years and the mosque trustees have legal documents regarding its construction.
Continue reading ‘Sinhala Buddhist Nationalism Generally Perceives Muslims to be a Grave Threat’ »
(London, May 29, 2012) –The United Kingdom should immediately suspend deportations of ethnic Tamil asylum seekers to Sri Lanka and review its policies in assessing these claims, Human Rights Watch said today. The next scheduled deportation of Tamils from the United Kingdom to Sri Lanka is due to take place on May 31, 2012.
Investigations by Human Rights Watch have found that some failed Tamil asylum seekers from the United Kingdom and other countries have been subjected to arbitrary arrest and torture upon their return to Sri Lanka.
Continue reading ‘HRW Urges UK to Suspend Deportations of Tamils to Sri Lanka due to Reports of Returnees being Tortured’ »
By Moara Crivelente
The ethnic aspect which is usually defined as a cause of conflict between Hutus and Tutsis – either historically fundamented or discursively constructed, and instrumentalized by political leaders – has deep roots with which society has to deal.
A photograph of the three-day exhibition titled Lessons from Rwanda: An Account of the Genocide That Occurred in 1994 (Photo Credit: UNIC New Delhi, 12-14 August 2010)
To initiate this process, Gacaca Courts – local courts based on communitarian values – were recovered from previous traditions by the post-genocide government; focusing not necessarily on punishment, but first and foremost on forgiveness and reconciliation.
Continue reading ‘Revival of community courts in Rwanda to strengthen reconciliation’ »
By S.P. Udayakumar
We have been fighting against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project
The Indian government and Russians have constructed two huge reactors of 1000 MW each without the consent of or consultation with the local people.
Continue reading ‘Why and How People in Tamil Nadu are Protesting Nuclear Energy’ »
My greetings to all respected delegates of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi
I sincerely welcome you all – the life and vitality of our party – to our National Convention here in Batticaloa.
As those in service to the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi, which has become the political symbol of the Tamil Nation, with its own political culture and ideals, we are proud to gather here for its 14th National Convention in the year 2012.
pic courtesy: Virakesari.lk
We are gathered here in hope and expectation, in circumstances never before experienced since Sri Lanka is said to have gained independence, 60 years ago.
We are gathered here as the single most recognized political organization both here and abroad, which embodies the political aspirations of the Tamil people.
Continue reading ‘Text of Presidential Address by Rajavarothayam Sampanthan at 14th National Convention of ITAK in Batticaloa’ »
Prof Rajiva Wijesinha MP
by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha MP | Leader – Liberal Party of Sri Lanka
Let me first express my thanks to our hosts, the Civic Will Green Party of Mongolia, for having invited the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats to their country, and arranging this very timely seminar.
The Friedrich Naumann Stiftung, which has supported CALD so graciously over the years, was established to promote freedom, and it is this core value of Liberalism that we must see as the bedrock, not only of our own philosophy, but also of equitable and sustainable development all over the world.
Continue reading ‘How do the Liberals respond to the global war on ‘terror’?’ »
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi(ITAK)formed in 1949 is currently holding its 3-day long 14th national convention in Batticaloa town.
In Batticaloa, May 26, 2012-pic: Tamilwin
The ITAK is presently the chief constituent party of the Tamil National Alliance(TNA) which contests polls under the ITAK symbol of House.
Other constituents of the TNA like EPRLF&TELO have been clamouring for registration of the loose alliance as a separate political party.
Continue reading ‘Sampanthan and Senathirajah re-elected in B’Caloa as President and Gen Secy of ITAK’ »
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The “release” of General Sarath Fonseka Former Army commander and erstwhile contender for the 2010 Presidential stakes from jail due to remission of his prison sentences by President Mahinda Rajapaksa has infused fresh excitement into the Sri Lankan Political scenario.
Photojournalists in anticipation to cature release of release of General Sarath Fonseka-pic courtesy of: VikalpaSL
Vociferous discussions are on about the pros and cons of this event and various theories are afloat as to why the President chose to act in this manner at this juncture.Speculation is also rife about the political course likely to be followed by General Fonseka.
Continue reading ‘Sarath Fonseka: Historic confluence of twin processes’ »
Head of state and government: Mahinda Rajapaksa
Death penalty: abolitionist in practice
Population: 21 million
Life expectancy: 74.9 years
Under-5 mortality: 14.7 per 1,000
Adult literacy: 90.6 per cent
The government continued to arbitrarily detain, torture or ill-treat people and subject people to enforced disappearance. It failed to address most instances of impunity for violations of human rights and humanitarian law.
Continue reading ‘The State of Human Rights in Sri Lanka – 2012: Amnesty International Annual Report’ »
pic courtesy of: dianuke.org
Dear Fellow Citizens of India ,
This appeal is a reflection of our collective frustration and instead of being sent to the Govt, it will be presented before people of India.
It is already endorsed by eminent Indians like Prashant Bhushan, Aruna Roy, Binayak Sen, Vandana Shiva, Lalita Ramdas, Partha Chatterjee, Praful Bidwai, Achin Vanaik, Gnani Sankaran, John Dayal, Meher Engineer, Sandeep Pandey etc.
Continue reading ‘An Appeal to the people of India regarding the PMANE protest over Koodankulam’ »
By Dr.Sudharshan Seneviratne
“A stage of resignation envelopes the community. The long shadow of the gun has not only been the source of power and glory, but also of fear and terror as well. In the menacing shadow play, forces complementing each other, dance in each other’s momentum. The paralyzing depression is not due to violence and authority imposed from outside, but rather to the destructive violence emanating from within the womb of our society” Rajani Thiranagama ~ The Broken Palmyra
“We lost our history once, and we are killing each other off trying to find it…..When memory dies, a people die….” A Sivanandan. When Memory Dies
The crippling impact of war and conflict, unleashed on most societies, has come to stay as a permanent feature and self perpetuating dynamic. Even after thousands of years of destruction to life, mind and matter, we have failed to learn from history
Continue reading ‘Shared cultures and heritage for conflict resolution: A South Asia perspective’ »
Hello Friends,
Today May 21st is my Birthday. I have turned 58 on this day.
After deep thought and reflection both alone and with my loved ones ,I have decided to stop the website www.transcurrents.com from tomorrow.
Running this website for several years has been a pleasant and productive experience. It has become quite popular with readers from different backgrounds and ethnicities. Some quote from it or cite it as a source.
Continue reading ‘An Announcement from D.B.S. Jeyaraj’ »
By N. Sathiya Moorthy
It could not have come at a better time, or worse. President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga’s speaking/reading about ‘home truths’ in Sri Lanka’s relations with neighbouring India coincided to the week with the conclusion of ‘Eelam War IV’ and the end of the LTTE.
His references to India’s role in the Sri Lanka of the Eighties are not always supported by facts – as the sweeping charge of Indian security forces causing bomb-blasts in the national capital of Colombo would indicate. In this, Weeratunga has relied on a book and the author. It is often the other way around, of authors quoting men in authority.
Continue reading ‘Colombo needs to internalize the investigation into the cause(s) for failures, and not externalise the excuses’ »
pic: museum.gov.lk
by Namini Wijedasa
I have missed my vocation in life. I should have been a treasure hunter.
I fault my parents for this. They never told me it would be so easy, or so painlessly lucrative. All you need is a good archaeological site (and we’ve plenty of those), some basic implements—and a backhoe. These are large, heavy and conspicuous but easily available. As an added advantage, the police don’t see them. Everyone else does, just not the police.
Continue reading ‘Being a Treasure Hunter would have been a lot more fun than this Writing Job’ »