RTI reveals… Budget allocated to conduct one election in 2024

The Presidential and General elections are two much anticipated events in Sri Lanka’s political calendar this year (2024). The lack of funds to conduct an election has been one of the key factors that supposedly delayed the local government elections for four consecutive years. While it seems like President Ranil Wickremesinghe had already begun his campaign, defections among key figures in major political parties indicate that an election is lik

The Kaithady Explosion that Rocked the LTTE on Valentine’s Day

“The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry,” penned the Scottish bard, Robert Burns in his poem, “To A Mouse”. This truth was brought home in an explosive manner to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), 37 years ago, when a massive explosion rocked the Kaithady area in the Thenmaratchi division of the Jaffna peninsula.

Sri Lanka’s War with Elephants

The discovery of an elephant carcass in Giribawa on February 6 raised the total count of elephant deaths to 21 for this year. In 2023, Sri Lanka made history as the country with the highest number of elephant deaths, hitting a record high of 400 or more. Elephants are frequently at the receiving end of the ever-aggravating human-elephant conflict (HEC) that was created more than 50-60 years ago, when people moved into elephant territory sans any

“Govt. tax policies are based on deals” -Dr. HariniAmarasuriya

National People’s Power or NPP, the major alliance of JanathaVimukthi Peramuna (JVP), is in a historical juncture of its political journey as its leaders have visited India on an invitation by the Indian Government. In the 1980s the JVP took a strong stance on India, especially against the Indo-Lanka pact signed under the J. R. Jayewardene government. Taking a more flexible line on geopolitics compared to several decades ago the NPP is ready to d

The Attack on ITAK Jaffna MP, Shritharan in Anuradhapura

The media spotlight is focused to a great extent on Jaffna District Parliamentarian, Sivagnanam Shritharan these days. The 55 year old former school principal has been elected as the President of Sri Lanka’s premier Tamil political party, the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party (FP). Shritharan has been elected an MP continuously since 2010. Shritharan contested the ITAK Presidential election on a pro-LTTE pl

Human lives at stake… When protectors of the law become predators

On Thursday (January 18), a sub-inspector attached to the Narammala Police Station opened fire at a civilian. The civilian, identified as K. A Roshan Kumarasiri succumbed to injuries instantly. The reason....

Duminda’s Conviction, Gotabaya’s Pardon and the Supreme Court Ruling

Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa was portrayed as a monument of efficiency who could uplift Sri Lanka by his ‘Viyathmaga’ cronies and his family party the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) at the Presidential elections of 2019. More than 6.9 million people voted him to stupendous success, Barely three years later Gotabaya fled Sri Lanka and resigned as President due to a mass uprising against him that was described as the “Aragalaya”. A large numbe

Research on sex work during Lankan civil war: Sex workers and their faint cries to access basic rights

A broken pair of rubber slippers kept on a display caught this writer’s eye as she walked into the ICES auditorium to witness....

Newlywed Sri Lankans forced to remain childless

The ongoing economic crisis in the country is not only impacting the availability of food, but has also had a significant effect on population growth. This is evident in the fact that the majority of individuals who married in the years 2021-2022-2023 are choosing not to have children, according to data provided by the Department of Census and Statistics. Consequently, compared to previous years, the number of new births has decreased by about 10

ITAK President Election on Jan 21 will be a Sumanthiran-Shritharan Duel.

“Suma, Shri and Yohes in Triangular Contest for ITAK/FP Leadership” was the heading of my article published in the “Daily Mirror” of 16 December 2024. The article was about the forthcoming election for the party Presidency of the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK). The ITAK known as the Federal Party (FP) in English is the premier political party of the Northern and Eastern Tamils of Sri Lanka. Currently, the ITAK/FP has six MPs in Parliament re

Paramedics and docs in tug of war over raise in DAT allowance

On Tuesday (January 9), staffers in the paramedic services launched an unannounced token strike that crippled the country’s already ailing healthcare sector. The strike was launched in wake of the government approving to double the Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance for doctors by Rs. 70,000, but refused the same for technicians, laboratory workers and other staffers employed in the paramedic services sector. As a result publ

Stifling factors that frustrate females in Sri Lankan politics

Sri Lanka has its very own illustrious history in politics where the country recorded the swearing in of its first female prime minister; which also...

Drug busting operation and rehabilitation process questioned

Law enforcement authorities have been able to net over 29,000 suspects during the past 22 days under its recently launched ‘Yukthiya’ anti-drug operation. The main objective of this operation is to wipe drugs off the street and to establish a safer society for future generations. Even though the public has extended their support to the police and security forces, incidents of public strip searches and warrantless arrests too had been reported. Am

Harassment of Civilians in the guise of ‘Yukthiya’?

On January 3, a WhatsApp message written by one Gerald De Saram revealed another incident of alleged police brutality on two teens. The incident had occurred when two youths, a boy and a girl were.....

Whither the “Ilankaith Thamizhar” of Sri Lanka?

Had the LTTE transformed its military strength into political bargaining power at the appropriate time, the Tamil people would certainly be in a better position. But this did not happen, and today the Tamils as a people are in a difficult situation

Right to Information reveals: Nearly 1.4 million in govt. jobs and over 300,000 vacancies more to be filled

In November last year, at least a 100,000 public sector employees launched an island wide strike demanding a Rs. 20,000 ...

Rohingya refugees agitate as UNHCR office in Colombo plans closure

“UNHCR is closing its office and thereby squashing the hopes of refugees in Sri Lanka,” a protester representing Rohingya refugees....

Crisis Hit Sri Lankans End Up In Foreign Cyber Slavery

In the early 2022, when the entire country was going through a ‘hell’ without essential goods, days long queues to buy fuel and gas....

The Tragic Plight of Lionair 602 Flight - 25 Years Ago

The focus of this two-part article is the tragic plight of Lionair 602 flight twenty-five years ago. The first part of this article published last week related how the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) shot down an Antonov 24 carrying 48 passengers and 7 crew on 29 September 1998.

Can a male cop search my handbag? Apparently the answer is yes!

The ‘Yukthiya’ anti-drug operation was launched on December 17 with the objective of cracking down on drug peddling and organised crimes that have plagued the country. So far, over 13,000 suspects have been arrested by the Police under this operation launched by Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon. Public Security Minister Tiran Alles recently announced that the security forces have been given an ultimatum to complete the operation- in other words ap

When the Tigers Shot Down the Lionair Flight 602 in the Mannar Sea

Twenty-five years ago an Antonov 24 aircraft carrying fifty-five civilians from Jaffna to Colombo was shot down over the Gulf of Mannar by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 29 September 1998.

Can Kandakadu serve justice to drug offenders anymore?

Back in 2019, during one of his visits to the Philippines, the then President Maithripala Sirisena praised Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s approach to control the drug menace; an approach that had allegedly led to thousands of extrajudicial killings at the time. Sirisena not only said that it had set an example to the world, but said that he should consider adopting similar approaches to eradicate the drug menace in Sri Lanka. Since then t

Suma, Shri And Yohes In Triangular Contest For ITAK/FP Leadership

The Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party (FP) is the premier political party of the Northern and Eastern Sri Lankan Tamils. The ITAK/FP was formed on 18 December 1949.

Will more Dharshinis be tortured in the Middle East ?

Migrant worker remittances constitute a major component of Sri Lanka’s Gross Domestic Product. Central Bank statistics indicate that Sri Lankan migrant workers remitted close to USD 3.8 billion in 2022. But despite pre-departure trainings and skill improvement programmes for migrant workers, some of them continue to be brutally harassed by their landlords while working overseas. Two months after Ramachandran Dharshini (32), from Neboda, Mathugama

Sri Lanka’s 2024 Budget amidst economic challenges and elections

Sri Lanka’s 2024 budget, presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in November 2023, comes at a crucial juncture in the country’s history. The island nation grapples with the aftermath of the 2022 economic crisis, a result of a decade of unsustainable fiscal policies, balance of payments challenges, and external shocks.

Gamini ‘Gamma’ Weerakoon: From Reporter to Editor

Veteran scribes who have been enriching journalism for decades are like great oaks that leave lasting voids when they fall. Gamma was unarguably one of them.”

Migrants, communal tensions leave Batti’s original cattle farmers ruffled

In Sittandy, a small township in the Batticaloa district, cattle farmers of Mylathamadu and Mathavanai have been protesting for over 55 days to save grazing lands on which their cattle have been....

A life without taxes, that’s what the people want

Mohideen Ifthikar from Maligawatta makes a living as a kitchenware vendor. His daily income ranges between Rs. 1500-2000. Having left his previous job as a site supervisor, Ifthikar worries about not being able to save enough money for his future. This is a common story shared by a majority of Sri Lankans who are facing hardships to survive the prevailing economic crisis. The government imposed multiple taxes on people to meet the conditions l

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.

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