Looking beyond the realms of law

In a country like Sri Lanka the only hope citizens have against surviving the brunt of political power is to have an independent judiciary. Layman might not be highly educated on legal matters, but when a case sees an end the verdict given must look fair in the eyes of the pubic.

Covid-19 vaccine, a light at the end of the tunnel? - EDITORIAL

The Covid-19 pandemic is still very much with us and numbers of people continue falling victim to it worldwide. The disease itself - an infectious virus....

Aftermath of the US Elections: What the Mainstream Media do not say

According to main stream media networks such as CNN, MSNBC, ABC and newspapers such as Washington Post and New York Times....

Are adequate precautions taken by authorities

COVID-19 pandemic has created a hellish situation for the students across the world. In a country like Sri Lanka where poverty and poor access to technology prevail among a sizeable segment of the population, attendance to schools or pursuin

Hard lessons for Sri Lanka from Ethiopia Why ethnic federalism is never a solution?

In December last year, Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia’s new Prime Minister and Africa’s youngest won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in courting peace with former foe, Eritrea and thus ending the Horn of Africa’s longest-running war.

Budget 2021: Economic depression and Govt’s empty response

Budget 2021 does not meet the scale of the challenges Sri Lanka is going to face in the coming years. Instead of offering a realistic, concrete alternative to the current....

Is section of Sangha trying to subjugate President?

An article published in a popular Sinhala daily by a prominent political monk prompted me to respond. Verse 9 in the Yamakavagga of Dhammapada....

1987-90 Violence: Call for State-backed Commemoration Package

As the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (and empathy groups) organizes memorial events every November for thousands killed during the political emergency of 1987-1990....

Covid, budget and the common man - EDITORIAL

By 19 November 2020, a total of 19,280 of our citizens had contracted the coronavirus, 74 unfortunates succumbed to the disease and 13,271....

Sri Lanka, the US and what the future holds

The US has been grappling with the problem of how to advance its interests in the world, and throughout much of the 20th century the question boiled down to the debate between the realists and the idealists.

Defeated Trump: the selfish emperor without clothes

With the Covid-19 pandemic still raging and the second wave being worse than the first,the United States President Donald Trump is still refusing to concede defeat and is continuing to underplay or undermine the pandemic as he did when it first erupted in January this year.

Muslims’ dilemma on ethnic politics

Many Muslims in Sri Lanka might have agreed at least for a moment with the Sinhalese who are against ethnicity based politics when six Muslim Parliamentarians voted in favour of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution Bill on October 22, breaking rank with Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) under which they returned to the Parliament.

Muslims gutted by banning of burials

There is something positively vile about a government that goes out of its way, in the midst of a global pandemic to hurt the most core sentiments of a religious community. During the pandemic Sri Lanka is the one among abysmally few countries in the world that has explicitly disallowed burials.

Taking responsibility during an hour of need - EDITORIAL

We’re in the thick of a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the call is for all citizens to act responsibly. This is a bit hard to demand....

COVID colonialism: Vaccines are coming, but first to the rich

In what could be the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been given the glad tiding that vaccines for the most dangerous....

Gota’s no-frills first year, whines and whiners

It was obviously not a year that made for pomp and pageantry, even if that was the desire. All issues have been either framed or impacted by Covid19. In any case, he’s not, for example, a Mahinda Rajapaksa. Covid-19 of course was so sobering that the contrast was lost.

Trump’s mixed signals; Supporters resort to violence

Pope Francis, the Head of the Catholic Church, was among the several world leaders—who included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron,

Caught between the devil and the deep murky sea

During the past 8 months, fishing has been hit appallingly by the coronavirus. During the first wave of the epidemic, the issues were low prices, low production and incomes due to curfews, lockdowns, etc.,

Sight of drones and failed communication

The month of November in 1989 was colder than in past years. It was in fact chilling from a metaphorical sense.

“DEVA KOPAYA” (THE ANGER OF GOD!)

Could anyone be surprised at the ANGER OF GOD? Some heartless, unscrupulous people seize any opportunity they can to STEAL from the unsuspecting.

In the US, the chickens are coming home to roost - EDITORIAL

The US elections are over, but not quite done and dusted as many would like to think. On 14 November the media announced former US Vice President....

Drone vs privacy concerns

Drones became the latest high-tech gizmo added to Sri Lanka’s fight to collar COVID-19. Last week it was announced that drones were being used to monitor....

Colombo Chief medical Officer reveals Colombo Chief medical Officer reveals

Colombo’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ruwan Wijemuni, after conducting a series of random PCR tests in the Colombo City, had said days ago that there may be more than 30,000 people infected with COVID-19 in the City of Colombo. Dr. Wijemuni told media that around 300 people in the city had been randomly selected for a PCR test and that fi

Compulsory cremation of Covid-19 dead bodies of Muslims: Science, human decency and racism

Biden bursts the bubble of populism

When Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban said in September that rooting for the re-election of Donald Trump was his ‘Plan A’, he was probably echoing the sentiments of most of the world’s populist, autocratic leaders. They hoped for four mor

COVID-19: Govt. at a crossroads on the issue of burial

The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) appears to be on the horns of a dilemma over whether it should allow Muslims to bury (as per their religious beliefs) those who had died of COVID-19, or if they should be required to submit to cremation, eve

City of COVID-19: Colombo’s isolated areas need special attention

The COVID-19 pandemic has a devastating effect on Colombo life, with the continuing second wave and the Peliyagoda wholesale fish market......

The first Ceylonese Migrant family Down Under

Last Wednesday Daily Mirror reported about a Sri Lanka-born Doctor being named Queensland’s ‘Australian of the Year’.

Growing fatalities and misleading claims - EDITORIAL

A little over a month ago —4 October 2020— a new outbreak of the Coronavirus was detected at a Brandix factory in Minuwangoda.

Health workforce: The greatest asset amidst pandemic

A lot has been written on the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these portray the dangers of acquiring the infection.