Month: February 2019

https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/colonisation-more-pressing-development-mullaitivu-tna-mp Occupation and colonisation in Mullaitivu are more pressing issues than development, a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP told the Sri Lankan prime minister. Speaking at a meeting during prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to the North on Saturday, TNA MP Shanthi Sriskantharajah highlighted that development efforts were secondary to the need to end and reverse the occupation and appropriation… Continue reading "Colonisation more pressing than development in Mullaitivu – TNA MP"

BY HARIM PEIRIS The undeclared front runner for the Rajapaksa clan / SLPP / JO nomination is undoubtedly former Defence Secretary. So his views and vision for Sri Lanka, which he is now periodically presenting as his undeclared presidential candidacy commences, merit serious attention. A democracy requires that there be debate and dialogue on policies and decisions affecting national life… Continue reading "Mahinda for ‘Economic and Social Rights’ and NOT ‘Civil and Political Rights’"

Highlights: Slow industrial growth, low incomes, soaring indebtedness, more suicides, poor child nutrition levels   Sri Lanka’s war-torn North has only 23 Board of Investment (BOI) companies, just one of which is funded by the diaspora, the lowest number of industrial enterprises in the country and an industrial sector growing far slower than the national average, a new report reveals.… Continue reading "Only one BOI project in the North funded by Diaspora, says report"

“Privacy is dead, and social media hold the smoking gun.” ~Pete Cashmore, Mashable CEO  The social media is quite busy. One of its main political thrusts has been towards promoting one single individual of the United National Party (UNP). And that is Sajith Premadasa, the incumbent Housing and Cultural Affairs Minister, the son of the late Ranasinghe Premadasa. Ranasinghe Premadasa was a… Continue reading "Next Presidential Election: Who will win in a three-cornered fight?"

Political opponents had questioned NFF MP Premaratne’s ability to pay Rs. 725,000 a month to a state bank for Rs 80 mn loan drawn from the parliament branch of the bank. National Freedom Front (NFF) MP Premaratne for paying his last respects to 62-year-old Samarasinghe Arachchige Lakshman, father of Makadure Madush in August 2018. By Shamindra Ferdinando Pivithuru Hela Urumaya… Continue reading "NFF MP Premaratne’s ability to pay Rs. 725,000 a month to a state bank for Rs 80 mn loan? Drug money?"

It is no matter for jest when the President of a country publicly singles out national oversight institutions for ferocious censure. And without a doubt, it is even worse when that institution happens to be a national human rights institution. By the very nature of the work that it does and the statutory mandate on which it is obliged to… Continue reading ""

By Methmalie Dissanayake The Police Media Unit has not been informed so far about legal procedure, which is supposed to have taken place in Dubai, with regard to notorious underworld drug kingpin Makandure Madush and the group arrested along with him, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara  told Ceylon Today.  Several reports were circulated that Madush was expected to be produced… Continue reading "Madush and group of 25 – News freeze"

Tamil New governor ignored  at Independence Day celebrations. The Home Ministry set out mixed roles for recently appointed Provincial Governors at celebrations connected with last Monday’s Independence Day. In different provinces, the arrangements were varied. In Uva, both Governor Marshal Perera and Chief Minister Chamara Sampath took part in the ceremonies. In the South, Governor Rajith Keerthi Tennekoon and Chief Minister Shan Wijeylal… Continue reading "Tamil New governor ignored at Independence Day celebrations."

Lessons to learn from Sri Lanka’s history By Gamini Weerakoon Outstanding English writer Aldous Huxley’s observations on the ‘lessons of history’ will interest many Sri Lankans obsessed with their history—2,500 years or more. Huxley held: ’ That  men do not learn much from history is the most important lesson that history has to teach’. We will attempt to consider this… Continue reading "Mahinda family, controlled more than 2/3rds of the economy of Sri Lanka."

The European Union (EU) has voiced concern over the slowdown in the progress of the government’s far reaching reforms and its commitments made to regain General System of Preferences (GSP +) facility. There was a significant acceleration in fulfilling major obligations under GSP + during the early period of the good governance government which took office in 2015, but it… Continue reading "Sri Lanka undergoes stringent EU GSP + monitoring process"

The UK government has again dismissed Lord Naseby’s call to terminate Geneva Resolution 30/1 in 2015 and Resolution 34/1 in 2017 on the basis that the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government didn’t perpetrate war crimes as alleged by the UN. Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con) on Wednesday (Feb. 05) during a House of… Continue reading "UK demands full implementation of Geneva Resolutions on Lanka Says US pullout from Geneva body irrelevant"

Seventy Years Of Independence and the Tamils of Sri Lanka It was only in 1833 after the Colebrooke reforms of 1832 that pre-dominantly Tamil territories were integrated into a unified Ceylon. Until then they were administered separately. by D.B.S.Jeyaraj (This article published to denote the 70th anniversary of Ceylon/Sri Lanka’s independence from British rule is being re-posted without any changes… Continue reading "It was only in 1833 after the Colebrooke reforms of 1832 that pre-dominantly Tamil territories were integrated into a unified Ceylon. Until then they were administered separately."

Barcelona calls for investigation into genocide of Tamils and recognition of Tamil Eelam  05 February 2019   The Catalan city of Barcelona has called for an investigation into the genocide of Tamils by Sri Lanka, and to recognise the rights of the Tamil people to an independent homeland,  Tamil Eelam. In a resolution voted by the city’s municipal council on… Continue reading "Barcelona calls for investigation into genocide of Tamils and recognition of Tamil Eelam"

Long Read: Why has Sri Lanka’s Transitional Justice process failed to deliver? After persistent allegations of mass atrocities committed during the long running civil war, a new Sri Lankan Government in 2015 pledged to the international community that it would establish an ambitious reform and transitional justice programme. Four years later, many victims in the country have lost hope. South… Continue reading "Long Read: Why has Sri Lanka’s Transitional Justice process failed to deliver?"