An Unlawful Occupation Crisis Need for sustainable solution in Mayilathamadu Madhavanai

Livestock farmers and families of the disappeared staged a peaceful protest in Batticaloa last month against land grabbing. The demonstration aimed to address issues related to illegal colonization, government action and inaction and occupation of lands by the Sri Lanka Army. The Mayilathamadu Madhavanai region in Sri Lanka grapples with a pressing and multifaceted issue – the unlawful occupation of vital grazing lands. Situated on the border

RAND Corporation explains why the West is hard on Russia and soft on China

For the G7 countries, the primary security challenge comes from Russia rather than China, the Joint Statement issued after their Foreign Ministers met in Tokyo on November 8 shows. The G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the US, and the European Union. A note published by the US think tank RAND Corporation explains why the West is getting harder on Russia and softer on China. The Joint Statement of the G7 F

Are we serious about commissions and committees?

Now that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership over political interference in its administration, the fate of the Interim Committee on which the Court of Appeal has issued a 14-day Stay Order, the Cabinet Subcommittee appointed to resolve issues about cricket and the report that was submitted by the Justice K.T. Chitrasiri Committee for a new constitution for Sri Lanka Cricket is not clear. Are the

Why does Sri Lanka need private universities?

Last week, police fired tear gas to disperse a group of university students protesting against the government’s effort to ‘destroy’ free education. Apart from the footage of the Police hosing the hapless students with water cannons, which is the money shot for the prime-time news bulletins, public opinion on these protests is increasingly adverse. Social media is livid at the hypocrisy of the protesters. Others lament the future of next-generati

Empty Rhetoric by ‘United’ legislators shook the Cricket fields!

Dr. John Rockwood took the lead in establishing a national board to oversee and promote Ceylon Cricket. This initiative resulted in the formation of the Ceylon Cricket Association (CCA) in 1922....

UJTA condemns Jaffna University’s decision

The University of Jaffna Teachers’ Association (UJTA) condemns the cancellation of a lecture scheduled to be conducted by Ms. Swasthika Arulingam, Attorney-at-Law on October 31. In a statement....

Strikes and protests and re-purposing colonial era buildings - EDITORIAL

Earlier this week on 7 November, the United Postal Trade Unions Front (UPTUF) decided to launch a 48-hour strike from midnight.. According to UPTUF convenor Chinthaka Bandara a 48-hour.....

Sinhala Brigadier Who Won the Hearts and Minds of Tamil People

Today November 11th is observed in many parts of the World including Sri Lanka as Remembrance Day or War Memorial Day.

Rigged elections, cancellation of polls and dangers of a new ‘Araglaya’

The delaying of elections in our country is not new neither is election violence. Sri Lanka’s first parliamentary election was held in 1947. This was followed by ’52, ’56, March ’60, July ’60, ’65, and ’70. In the aftermath of the 1970 election, members of the newly elected governing party –a coalition between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) the Left-leaning Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and the Communist Party unleashed violent attacks on su

Media Portrayals, Hate Crimes and the Genocide in Palestine

Israel, encouraged by most Western powers, is drunk on taking revenge and in its blind rage, is creating the conditions for greater radicalization and more violence

Aerial bombing of Jaffna

Some of those in the church were those who had come to pray and others had come there out of fear of bombings by Sri Lankan Air Force planes hovering in the Jaffna skies that morning, thinking the church will provide them a safe space. But it was not to be.

Clarification

In reference to the article published in Daily Mirror on 1st November 2023, title ‘Sri Lanka’s Democracy under siege – The lurking shadows of business – politics nexus’ lawyers of Mr. Dilith Jayaweera has sent the following clarification.

New Court of Appeal Website  launched

The new Court of Appeal website was ceremonially launched by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya (PC) on the invitation of Justice Bandula Karunarathna, President of the Court of Appeal on November...

Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka vis-à-vis Gaza

Sri Lanka said that the armed forces ended the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) conflict in May 2009 through a “Humanitarian Operation”, but the successive governments still defend...

Cricket’s squabbles that tarnish the game - EDITORIAL

Cricket has the power to unite; but as of today it is valid from the perspective of the country’s citizens and not from the context of the people who walk on the corridors of power. Die hard cricket...

Gaza carnage: R2P or RIP?

It has now been more than a month since Israel unleashed its military juggernaut against Gaza’s civilians in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas fighters on Israeli military and civilian....

Stop violence against women, let them play a powerful role

For thousands of years, women have played or have been forced to play a secondary role in society and often in the family for various reasons including violence. Fortunately, the trend towards gender equality is growing in thought, word and deed and in Sri Lanka there is a legal provision that 25% of Parliamentarians and other Local Councils should be women. But that is only in law for various reasons including the reluctance of women themselv

“Sugar Scam” is not the whole iceberg: “Forestalling” needs a rule-of-law solution

On 14 October 2020, taxes on imported sugar were slashed overnight from LKR 50 to LKR 25 cents per kilogram. That is a reduction of 99.5%. This led to much discussion in media and parliament about the large undue profits that accrued to those who had been primed in advance to keep large stocks ready to clear from customs soon after this reduction. This policy was reversed last week but raised the exact same concerns in the opposite direction.

Western governments are at odds with their citizens on the Gaza war

With the war in Gaza entering the second month, and the killings taking the shape of a genocide, Western governments are coming under mounting pressure from their people to revise their pro-Israel....

Cricket Board suspended, a judicial injunction and player timed out - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka cricket has not reached dizzying heights. Much like our country earlier this year - when declared bankrupt - cricket too has hit its lowest depths. The cricket board has been sacked....

We need strictly fixed time frames for elections

In spite of allegations by the Opposition parties about the government’s repeated efforts to amend the election laws including the appointment of a ten-member commission by President Ranil Wickremesinghe last month, indeed there is a genuine need for electoral reforms. What is lacking in the government’s efforts is consistency which provokes suspicion among the people. The need for electoral reforms arises out of provisions in laws includin

International Implications of Sri Lanka’s IMF Solution

Last year, Sri Lanka exploded into international attention with severe shortages of fuel and food, and tremendous protests. While the uprising....

Hunger, suffering and failed IMF strategies - EDITORIAL

In our editorial on Saturday this paper highlighted the fact that it would cost a family at least Rs. 126,000/- a month to have three meals ....

Approval of government falls to 9% in October: Verité Research survey

The approval rating of the government fell from 21% in June 2023 to 9% in October 2023 according to the latest round of the Gallup....

How I was Released by Police and Cleared of Charges by Courts

As stated last week, one of the CID officers quizzing me on the fourth floor had told me confidentially that I was going to be detained indefinitely to prevent me from reporting on the fighting between the Indian Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Though I had been taken into custody under the emergency regulations, I was going to be charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)soon. While conversing further this Police O

International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is marked on November 2 Challenges in Addressing Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists in Sri Lanka

This is also relevant to serious crimes against journalists and although this report lacks specific focus on media freedom, there is reference to emblematic cases, which in past reports by the High Commissioner for Human Rights included killings and disappearances of journalists and impunity for them. Many journalists have been killed and subjected to enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka, with the Jayewardene-Premadasa-led UNP governments of 1977

SLPP reaping what it sowed

Are we witnessing another Yahapalana Government, not in its literal sense, but in its political sense? One would recollect that the Yahapalana Government was a cart pulled back and forth by two horses. President Maithripala Sirisena ran one government while Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was running another. Ultimately, one sacked the other in 2018, but the Supreme Court saved the latter. However, there is a difference between then and

Let’s dream of a renaissance in Sri Lanka - EDITORIAL

These are times when parents and even politicians are promoting the thought of quality education because when pursuing a goal in life ambition must match skill. Just the other day...

Gaza war and the planned exodus of Palestinians, according to scripture

As Israel kills a child every ten minutes in the Gaza Strip, the world’s biggest open prison, it’s revolting to see that the horror has still not drawn condemnation from the United States....

WHAT ARE WE THINKING? Socio-economic crisis in SL - who’s to blame?

Facts do not change. Feelings do and our feelings about ‘THE MESS’ (as the country’s situation is commonly referred to) vary from anger to despair, depending on income, social status, or career. I do not pretend to know what the citizens of disaster areas think. Can anyone imagine what depths to which they must plummet at these moments of unimaginable disaster? Desperation must be their commonest emotion I would imagine. So let me try and encap