Political Watch Sunday Island, October 25, 2015 The Presidential Commission to Inquire into Complaints of Missing Persons was set up by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 15 August 2013 under the chairmanship of retired High Court Judge Maxwell Paranagama. In the one and a half years that it functioned under the Rajapaksas, this was just another […]
As published in The Sunday Island, October 17, 2015 By David Soysa The people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and Yemen continue to pay a heavy price for allowing their countries to be used for proxy wars by a few powerful countries to protect their national interests. Millions of civilians are killed, and billions […]
The Sunday Island Editorial, October 17, 2015 Mr. Ranjit Mulleriyawa’s byline would be familiar to readers of this newspaper and others because of his relentless campaign to persuade decision and policy makers to adopt the strategy of harvesting rainwater in dry zone areas where chronic kidney disease is endemic to ensure that farmers, already diseased […]
Political Watch As published in The Sunday Island, October 17, 2015 article_image The revelation by a Sunday newspaper (not the Sunday Island) last week that the Sri Lankan government had moved courts in ‘a Middle Eastern country’ to freeze the account of the ‘son of a VVIP of the former regime’ set the cat among […]
The Island Editorial, October 18, 2015 About 130 families affected by the 1983 anti-Tamil violence had been given freehold land, Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne informed the media on Thursday. This is a baby step in the right direction belated as it may be. Thousands of Tamil civilians perished or lost their property at the […]
As published in The Island, October 18, 201 By Patrick Burgess, President Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) (The writer is a legal expert on Transitional Justice, and has previously held positions as Director of Human Rights – UNTAET and UNMISET peacekeeping missions to Timor Leste and Principal Legal Counsel – TRC in Timor Leste. He […]
Small or large, chemical farming is irrational As published in The Island, October 18, 2015 By Ranil Senanayaka A recent article in the defense of chemical farming ( Small farmers are rational human beings ) Island,October 16, 2015, is framed by the question: “Why do these farmers use herbicides to control weeds? Because they are […]
As published in The Island, October 18, 2015 Former LTTE women’s political wing leader Subramaniam Sivakamy Jeykumar aka Thamilini died yesterday morning at the Maharagama Cancer Institute, hospital sources said. She was 43 and was undergoing treatment for cancer at the hospital. Thamilini was originally from Paranthan in Kilinochchi and joined the LTTE in 1986 […]
As published in The Island, October 18, 2015 By Shamindra Ferdinando ‘Release of convicted terrorists not possible unless govt takes policy decision’ Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday emphasized that convicted LTTEers couldn’t be released unless the Maithripala Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration took a policy decision to that effect. Minister Rajapakshe said that about 60 convicts were among […] ...
As published in Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka’s FaceBook, October 13, 2015 By Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka Preambular Paragraph 3 of the October 2015 resolution says that the resolutions of 2012, 2013 and 2014 formed the basis of the resolution of 2015. The 2015 Resolution flows directly from the 2014 Resolution which mandated the Office of the High […]
As published in trueactivist.com, October 06, 2015 By Amanda Froelich History was made this Tuesday in California as Governor Jerry Brown signed the Fair Pay Act into law. The new measure will give employees more grounds for challenging perceived discrimination and is meant to ensure that women receive the same pay as men for equal […]
In a splendidly timed gift for Sinhala and Tamil New Year, Ed Miliband pledged to “push’ for an international inquiry into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka
As geo-political tensions intensify, the ousting of Rajapakse makes clear that Washington will not tolerate any opposition and will resort to any means to secure its objectives, as it intensifies its preparations for war against China.
The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government wants the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to back US-led proposal to enable the country to launch a comprehensive domestic inquiry into accountability issues.
As the appointment of state ministers and deputy ministers gave final shape to the government, it became clear that this can no longer be called a ‘UNP led’ government.
‘When my father Sam Thambimuttu and my mother were killed brutally in front of the Canadian High Commission by the Tigers , where were you ?’ . This was the question posed by a new politico Arun Tambimuttu to Callum McRay of channel 4 and Tiger supporter Jaan Jananayagam at a conference held at Printline Hall , London on the 17th. This question dumbfounded all of them .
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has reacted to ex-President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s criticism of him and the SLFP during a visit to India last week yesterday took her to task.
Most of the ministerial crooks blamed for having helped themselves to public funds, abused power and brought about Rajapaksa’s downfall are now in the new government.
The current arrangement where hand-picked individuals from a constituent party of the UPFA - the SLFP - are with the Government and the rest are NOT with the Opposition has made the majority of the UPFA impotent because their only function appears to be silent enablers in the furtherance of the UNFGG agenda.