Opinion

Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam was born in Malaysia on 31ST March 1898, one century and fifteen years ago. He received his secondary education at the Union College, Tellippalai and later became a student at St. Thomas’ College, which was at that time situated at Modera. He was a contemporary of S.W.R.D.

If anyone asked Kumbhakarna to name one contemporary Sri Lankan woman who qualifies to be called ‘great,’ he would unhesitatingly name the mother of Rizana Nafeek who was recently executed in Saudi Arabia for a crime she did not commit.

The appointment of celebrity cricketer turned politician Sanath Jayasuriya as chairman of the Cricket Selection Committee this week raised expectations in many quarters but there are several reservations about this ‘selection’ as well, given Jayasuriya’s political affiliations.

Last March when the US sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka was passed in Geneva it was more of a story of betrayal than learning lessons. In the aftermath of the tragedy,

This is an extract from the first Chapter of the Report of the Army Board on ‘Implementation of the Recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’ (LLRC) delivered by Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary Defence and Urban Development.

The article of the leader of opposition, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has become an item of discussion among those who are interested in Sri Lankan politics. Many have praised it as an essay that explains many things from a liberal point of view.

The President, the Health Minister and other Government leaders have been stressing that top priority will be given to health because the budgetary allocation for health needs to be seen as a productive investment. We need healthy people, and we need to educate people on how to lead a healthy life if we wish to make rapid progress towards sustainable development to become a wealthy nation.

These are all internal party matters and I don’t see it as a crisis at all. The UNP after a long time is moving, even at the grassroots level. We have commenced programmes for grassroots level organization and on the 2nd of February there will be a mass recruitment programme, which will start in Galle.

The recent impeachment of Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice, Shirani Bandaranayake, has re-focused international attention on the country. Catherine Ashton, head of the EU’s External Action Service, has expressed “considerable concern”.

Sri Lanka customs confiscated blood ivory from Kenya last year. The tusks were being smuggled to Dubai from Kenya. The tusks weighting over 1,500 kilos have been valued over Rs 400 million. More than 200 African elephants had been massacred to obtain these tusks.