Quo Vadis or whither goest thou Sri Lanka - EDITORIAL

On Thursday (May 19) the Governor of the Central Bank stated, our country was in “pre-emptive default” which in ordinary language means our government is unable to repay debts to....

Remarkable co-incidence: 1956-2022: ‘Gal Bokka’-‘Gal Gate’-Galle Face GotaGoGama

The Galle Face was initially laid out by the Dutch who used the place as a strategic line of fire against the Portuguese when they installed their cannons along it. The marshy land in the heart of capital....

“Democratic system for gender equality was trampled and dishonoured” - Rohini Kavirathna

Ajith Rajapaksa, a member of Sri Lanka’s ruling party, was elected Deputy Speaker of the country’s Parliament on Tuesday, which gathered for the first time since former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa....

Ranil Returns: Remarkable resilience of Premier Wickremesinghe

Ranil Sriyan Wickremesinghe known as Ranil is in the seat of power again as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for the sixth time.

People’s concerns vs. politicians’ concerns

There seems to be a far cry between the aspirations of politicians and the people of this country. This has been very much evidenced during the proceedings of the Parliament where the politicians are always playing their power game, despite them arguing that this is not a time for politicking.

Act fast to abolish the executive presidency

The spontaneous public revolt against the Rajapaksa regime began on April 9 at the Galle Face Green opposite the Presidential Secretariat and opposite Temple Trees which the protestors named as MynaGoGama.

If one cannot strike deals, he is unfit to be a politician - Wajira Abeywardena

United National Party (UNP) Chairman Wajira Abeywardena shares his views on the formation of the new government and the way forward. He is a close confidante of Prime Minister.....

Treat the men in khaki uniform with dignity - EDITORIAL

The Police in Sri Lanka are suffering at the hands of political interference. That’s evident from the recent letter the IGP has sent to Secretary to the Minister of Defence. The worst, according.....

Shireen’s death exposes fascist nature of imperialists’ foreign policy

The killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, the widely respected Al Jazeera journalist, by Israeli troops last Friday in occupied Palestine, the brutal attack on mourners at her funeral and the Western world’s blatant....

Personalities and Systems

‘The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte,’ one of the more literary essays written by Karl Marx famously, contains many quotable quotes which are of course frequently used in contexts that have little to do with the thrust of the man’s thinking.

Rulers, who ruined Sri Lanka, must pay the price

United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed as Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister last Thursday.

The long and difficult road ahead - EDITORIAL

Since the appointment of Ranil Wickremasinghe as Prime Minister some of the steam driving the main protest movements.....

FIVE PHONES THAT FOLLOWED LASANTHA BEFORE HIS MURDER

We all know that the Sri Lankan public service is corrupt. How corrupt it is may never surprise us. That is how corrupt it is. Nothing.....

“The interim government should operate for one year”- Champika Ranawaka

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Patali Champika Ranawaka in an interview with the Daily Mirror speaks about the new Government and the challenges....

Strawman Prime Minister Ranil’s appointment is a sell-out by default, but damage can still be undone

Last week, Sri Lanka’s struggle for an accountable government looked as if it had prevailed against all odds. Then someone else sold it out.

Are we doing our prime role in this crisis?

Sri Lanka is suffering from highly unstable socioeconomic, political, and cultural backwardness due to mismanagement of these sectors by the politicia

Constitutional Reform for ‘System Change’

A peaceful democratic ‘revolution’ is sweeping across Sri Lanka. It is a revolution from below, from the people. It has activated large segments of Sri Lankan people to shed the habits of passive.....

Ranil; Politics and Dhamma

On April 4, we published on these columns an article entitled: “…. entire Opposition — unite under RANIL!’ The concluding paragraph stated, “Shortages have triggered the largest demonstrations.....

It’s time to stop politiking and save country - EDITORIAL

Following a month of peaceful protests, on Monday (May 9), attacks by a group of pro-government supporters of premier Mahinda Rajapaksa, (egged on by a few lawless ministers.....

Linus Jayatilake (Sept. 1942 - May 2022): A Comrade of all Working PeopLe

I first met Linus Jayatilake about a decade ago as some of us began engaging trade unions. While I had heard about Linus from my father, meeting Linus at the Commercial and.....

Sri Lanka – In Lee Kuan Yew’s words

Lee Kuan Yew’s views about Sri Lanka have been published in three books, the first is ‘From Third World to First’, the second is ‘Lee Kuan Yew -The man and his ideas’ and the third is ‘Giants of Asia - Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew’.

Be a statesman Ranil, take one step at a time

United National Party leader(UNP) Ranil Wickremesinghe—is the youngest member elected to Parliament in 1977 and has been a member of Parliament for 45 years—was on Thursday recalled to play a historic role at a time when Sri Lanka is facing its worst ever political and economic crisis since independence.

The Three Universal Truths in Buddhism

Buddhism is a moral and philosophical system, which expounds a unique path of enlightenment, and it is mainly aimed at liberating human beings from suffering.

Sixth Century BCE marked the Birth of Buddha and the earliest philosophers of the world

The sublime Teachings of Gautama Buddha which had stirred the interest of intellectuals and philosophers the world over, drove British author and historian H.G. Wells to delve deep into the life and times of the Buddha in his “A Short History of the World.” While exploring the era of spiritual awakening, he made parallels with intellectuals who made their presence felt at the time of the Buddha elsewhere on the globe.

Can the politicians save the country this time?

Prior to the attack on the protestors in Galle Face by the supporters of the then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday, nobody was able to get an idea on the length and width of the countrywide....

The Hague Tribunal; Protests in Sri Lanka and Challenging impunity for crimes against journalists

Yesterday, 12th May, the Permanent People’s Tribunal in The Hague (Netherlands) commenced hearings into the murder of Sri Lankan journalist and editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, based on an indictment....

Talking about leadership when hope is fading - EDITORIAL

We have seen leaders come and go; like Mahinda Rajapaksa. In the political front leaders are made or put forward to suit the occasion. When the war was on Mahinda emerged as a hero....

Don’t mar peaceful nature of silent and people power revolution

Sri Lanka’s silent revolution was dazzling with hope, bringing in its wake the early blooms of a socio-political spring that the country has not seen before. The silent.....

RECOVERY OF STOLEN ASSETS – Part II

Another important legislation is the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Law, No. 1 of 1975, as amended. In terms of this law,

Artistes, lawyers and activists urge public to remain calm

Following Monday’s spate of violent uprisings in several parts of the country the government imposed a curfew amidst an already declared state of emergency.