By Dharisha Bastians – To mark four years since the end of the military conflict and the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the ‘victorious’ Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa held its annual Victory Day parade last Saturday (18). This year, the Government moved to remove the concrete island dividing the lanes on …
By Elilini Hoole – It really bothers me that the protest depicted by photograph titles like ‘Tamils… gathered around photographs of those killed during the Sri Lankan civil war’ is being orchestrated by people carrying the LTTE flag. Anyone who protests against massacres of Tamils in 2009 should by no means do so under the …
By Dayan Jayatilleka - Prof G.H. Peiris in his latest response (‘The Case against the Thirteenth Amendment’, The Island Midweek Review, May 22-23, 2013) to my article in The Island of 15th May 2013, argues that the distribution of ethnicity renders the district rather than the province the more suitable unit of devolution if empowering the minorities …
(This is the full text of the Private Members Motion Presented by the Jathika Hela Urumaya(JHU) in Parliament to Repeal 13th Constitutional Amendment that was Enacted Due to India-Sri Lanka Accord. The JHU describes its motion as the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and wants the Govt whip to allow MP’s a free vote on …
Sri Lanka’s rugby authorities are investigating President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s rugby-playing son after claims that he assaulted a referee. One report says Rohitha Rajapaksa has been suspended from the game but the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) denies this. Witnesses said they saw Mr Rajapaksa, 22, physically attack the referee after his side …
General Meeting of Sri Lankan Sangha Sabha in the United Kingdom (SLSS-UK) was held on Friday 25th January 2013 at Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya Buddhist Cultural Centre. This was the seventh consecutive meeting and the second general meeting held after its revival since 2009. The General Meeting was well attended with over seventeen respective members of …
The latest development following the illegal ousting by the Rajapaksa regime of Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake and installation of Mohan Pieris as de facto Chief Justice despite an Appeal Court ruling declaring the purported impeachment process invalid, is irregular steps being taken by the Attorney General to appeal the ruling, with certain judges of …
Seven factories around Labour Minister Gamini Lokuge’s house were shut down during the nation wide strike action that was held yesterday demanding the withdrawal of the electricity tariff hike. Since the strike was called by the Coordinating Committee of a Joint Trade Union Alliance, Lokuge had summoned six press briefings to call on workers …
The government is to sign the agreement with India to set up a 500MW coal power plant in Sampur sooner than initially expected. The initial agreement entered between the CEB and India’s NTPC was cited as having many irregularities and the finalizing of the agreement was delayed as a result. The shortcomings in the …
Despite government plans to call for a Presidential election next March after amending the Constitution to reduce the President’s term of office from five to four years and the time to call for elections from four to three years, the problem of finding the two thirds majority to get the legislation passed in parliament …
“We have to point out that your Government has manifestly failed to make good the promise of a better life for the people of this country, that you made at the Presidential election held on January 26, 2010, following the complete military defeat of the LTTE in the previous year. On the contrary, you have …
UNP communications division head MP Mangala Samaraweera, in a speech delivered at the Parliament today (21), said that the current Govt is gradually walking towards its doom and the oncoming Commonwealth heads of state meeting will prove that the tyrants always has to face the truth ultimately. The complete speech is as follows …
Bora Bora Resources (ASX: BBR) has strengthened its graphite portfolio in Sri Lanka adding two exploration licences granted covering 11 square kilometres in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is known to host some of the world’s highest grade graphite, averaging 90% total graphite content (TGC), where the global average grade is 15% TGC. …
A new database launched Wednesday lets Britons curious about their family history uncover some potentially uncomfortable information – whether their ancestors owned slaves. Researchers at University College London spent three years compiling a searchable listing of thousands of people who received compensation for loss of their “possessions” when slave ownership was outlawed …
De facto Chief Justice Mohan Peiris denies petitioner’s lawyers right to see replies filed by Attorney General The Fundamental Rights case of Ganeshan Nimalaruban was taken before the Supreme Court yesterday. The Bench consisted of: Mohan Pieris CJ, P. A Ratnayake PC J and S Hettige J. In the course of submissions by the petitioner’s lawyers, Chief …
“An IMF team conducting its first quarterly assessment has determined that Sri Lanka is meeting the targets of the July IMF standby agreement, and it appears that the IMF staff will recommend release of the second tranche of IMF funds in October. The IMF agreement, combined with optimism from the end of Sri Lanka,s conflict …
“Serious doubts have emerged regarding the future investigations into the mass grave at Matale where the remains of 156 persons have been found. In today’s press it was reported that the Judicial Medical Officer in charge of the investigation has been transferred (JMO in charge of Matale mass grave also to be transferred — Sri …
By Kamaya Jayatissa – “A man’s true wealth hereafter is the good that he does in this world to his fellows.” – Molière Some may call it charity; I would rather call it solidarity or even responsibility towards the ones in need. This week was for me a reminder of what generosity towards one another truly means …
