Sri Lanka’s troubles UNHRC: Who digs them up?

Last week, the government rejected the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet’s written report on Sri Lanka to the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, which is currently in progress. Dinesh Gunawardene, the for

Financial racket alleged at St. Joseph’s Balika Nugegoda; Helpless parents breath fire on removed principal

Concerns are raised whether pressure was exerted on Investigation Officers of the Ministry of Education Western Province who were in the process of preparing a report regarding the questionable activities of a principal of a school in Western Province in connection with grade one admissions.

REJECT…? My Foot...! Recommendations- Foundation for Establishing People’s Power

PCoI report have failed to identify a ‘mastermind’ that destroyed 268 lives and wounded more than 600, but have recommended punitive action....

How resource-poor Burkina Faso deals with Covid-19

The anti-Covid-19 vaccines now being rolled out across the globe represent a medical triumph and should reduce the pandemic to a level.....

Sri Lanka - between a rock and a hard place - EDITORIAL

On Friday February 26, the government finally lifted the ban on burial of patients who die of the coronavirus. It gave no reason for the sudden turnaround.

Recurrence and Democracy

Sri Lanka is again being raised at the UN Human Rights Council. The moves at the UNHRC are as much the play of geopolitical interests....

The Govt must get the budget deficit down

In an interview with Daily mirror, a well-known economist, banker, and former State Minister of Finance, Eran Wickramaratne, a National List Parliamentarian....

A voice in the wilderness, the voice of true love - EDITORIAL

American native Chief Seattle, in a famous speech in 1854 to an audience including the first Governor of Washington Territory.....

Extremist Ideologies Spell Disaster to a Nation’s Future

It will be near impossible without some ideology to navigate society in its socio-cultural, economic and political directions as it meanders historically....

Commission report: Back to square one

When the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) was appointed in 2010 by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the New York based Human Rights....

Will SL emulate UK’s Overseas Operations Bill? (Service Personnel and Veterans)

As a democracy built on British parliamentary model, it is nothing new that Sri Lanka emulates legislative work of the House of Commons....

Sajeewa Chamikara; where are you? - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka is a preferred destination for foreign tourists because of the greeneries and the lushes environment visible in most locations.

UNHRC sessions: What Lanka should have done

The United Nations Human Rights Council is in session and Sri Lanka is among the countries that have come before its scanner.

BJP in Sri Lanka: (Re)emergence of transnational parties?

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) recent statement that they wish to form a BJP in Sri Lanka and Nepal has infuriated many politicians and political commentators of the country.

“I am for the 13th Amendment” - CWC Vice Chairman Senthil Thondaman

Vice Chairman of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) Senthil Thondaman in an interview with Daily Mirror shared his thoughts on the plight of estate workers and the leadership vacuum created by the demise of ArumugamThondaman.

Foreign Policy: an examination of alleged ‘incorrigibility’

In 1996 Sri Lanka won the Cricket World Cup. The internet was in its infancy at the time. ‘Social media’ wasn’t a household term. There was no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and such. There was www.cricinfo.com and, just as now, there was commentary. There was no room for outside comment though. ‘Online’ comments were restricted to what now seems a rudimentary facility called soc.culture.cricket which was where the ‘fandits’ pontificated and argued

De-forestation: Fauna and flora soon an extinct species

Our main focus today is not on the three islands off the Northern coast leased out to a Chinese company to set up a power project. The company has hit out against any ‘outrageous interference by any third party sans legal and factual basis’ neither is it on the West Container Terminal (WCT),

Geneva: A destination where the cruel fear to go

For many right thinking people the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva offer hopes. These hopes are to have a government that’s responsible and accountable.

Pakistan Sri Lanka Relations: Diplomacy and Statecraft at its Best

With Prime Minister Imran Khan’s scheduled visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka on February 23, the Pakistani Prime Minister....

Pakistan: Buddhism beyond Perceptions

Pakistan is an Islamic nation, where there is no Buddhist population. Buddhism was discouraged and Buddhists forcibly converted to Islam and....

Face Book news ban and what lies ahead

The Facebook ban on news in Australia on its platform was not totally unexpected. The social media giant has been threatening to do just that for some time.

Sri Lanka and the Culture of Impunity - EDITORIAL

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), investigating alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka under the US-sponsored Resolution on human....

VACCINATION CORRUPTION

The whole world is banking on the few vaccines produced by major countries to protect its population that stands at over 7.8 billion from COVID-19 pandemic. Around another 200 vaccine producing candidates are awaiting laboratory and clinical tests, some of which are at their last phase of clinical tests. However, there has also been discouraging ne

Govt’s incorrigible foreign policy: Tail wagging the dog?

Barely a few months ago, with the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was safely ensconced in power and with the ruling party SLPP having won a two-thirds majority in Parliament, the foreign policy interlocutors of the new government outlined its foreign policy. Sri Lanka would follow an equidistant foreign policy. Neutrality would be the whole mark,

42 trees felled; Ambagamuwa PS Chairman - a law unto himself ! Unjust enrichment via natural resources

Ambagamuwa Pradesha Sabha (PS) Chairman Jayasanka Perera was allegedly accused of haphazardly felling 42 trees prior to widening Diyagala – Nallatanniya road without informing any state institute. We reported on this in the Daily Mirror recently.

It’s freezing in USA - a tale of two countries - EDITORIAL

A series of devastating storms which unleashed frigid Arctic temperatures on Texas has killed around 47 people and left at least 2.7 million households....

Politicos clash over Crudia Zeyla-nica, united by Astra Ze-neca

In reality and quite obviously, our people’s representatives of both sides of the divide are historically famous for rising in unison on a common stand.....

UNHRC is used as an instrument by certain global powers instigated by Tamil diaspora – Dr. Sarath Weerasekara

The United Nation’s Human Rights Council (UNHRC) meets for its regular sessions today (22) in Geneva. At the month long sessions, the UNHRC.....

The Man Behind Moves to Form the “BJP” in Sri Lanka

The flower bud is the accredited electoral symbol of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) which is ruling Sri Lanka. However, the image of that flower bud resembles the lotus flower bud. In fact, a lot of lotus buds are used to decorate platforms of the SLPP known in popular parlance as the “pohottuwa” party.

UNHRC: An acid test for Lankan diplomacy

The government seems to have given up hopes of adopting a consensual resolution with the Core Group which has been preparing a resolution on Sri Lanka at the next session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) which is to begin on Monday.