I am on unequal ground : LAKSHAN DIAS

Following a statement made during a TV talk show highlighting attacks on a religious minority group, human rights lawyer Lakshan Dias faced allegations raised by the Justice Minister on the grounds of creating religious disharmony. Commenting on the situation Attorney-at-Law Dias said that his opinion was based on the facts of a recently published report as well as facts derived from similar court cases that he was appearing for. 

Are Ministers deities devoid of tax burden?

At a time when the country is facing a debt burden, Ministers should play a key role in securing the people’s money. But they seem to care less. While they get to enjoy most perks and benefits, many of them seem to be surviving the tax game as well.

Protests and strikes: What would MR have done if he was in power?

The yahapalana government won the elections on a promise of democracy and prosperity. Now it seems to assume that its....

Drug menace; parents, listen to your children - EDITORIAL

Yesterday was the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, with the United Nations in a statement saying.....

Public servants are not fully aligned with our efforts - Navin Dissanayake

Plantations Minister Navin Dissanayake, in an interview with Daily Mirror, speaks about the current political status of the.....

Govt divided virtually into three factions - Gamini Lokuge

Joint Opposition MP Gamini Lokuge, in an interview with Daily Mirror, speaks about the current political situation of the country....

Does signing an ACSA with USA pose danger to Sri Lanka?

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has stated in parliament that the government would renew the Acquisition and Cross Service Agreement....

Islamic State (IS) at the edge of tomorrow?

Global media started broadcasting footage of the destruction of  the Grand al-Nuri Mosque and its leaning al-Hadba minaret, a holy....

Limits of Exclusivism

The recent crisis in Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial Council (NPC) has more to it than a fight against corruption.  The recent no-confidence....

Embroiled in investigations and court cases, events are by-passing the US - EDITORIAL

In a major electoral upset seven months ago, the Republican Party nominee Donald Trump - a billionaire businessman with no....

70th Anniversary remembering the first general strike

The study of the first general strike in Sri Lanka agitating for recognition of Trade Union rights seventy years ago is an opportunity for present governments, politicians, trade unionists and state officials to learn.

Prophecies of Bandaranaike

S.W.R.D Bandaranaike as Prime Minister enacted the Sinhala Only Policy and declared in Parliament “We will finally emerge stronger, more mindful and truly progressive people than we have been hitherto”.

Abolishing war

Frederick the Great of Prussia was a friend of Voltaire and enjoyed ribald evenings with the philosopher discussing....

Role of Widows; their mite is right

For thousands of years, widows have been among the most oppressed in society. But many religious leaders have made....

On political lone wolves

In politics there are degrees of expedience, of imperative, of loyalty, of friendships that sour and enmities that are.....

A brilliant future for China-Sri Lanka Cooperation under the “Belt and Road” Initiative

On May14 and 15, The Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation was successfully held in Beijing. This....

London attacks: O judgment! Art thou fled to brutish beasts?

The London Finsbury Park mosque attack was not unexpected. If it did not happen last Sunday, it was only an incident waiting to happen. That the attacker retaliated in kind is significant.

I could have survived unharmed if I toed the Govt. line: Poddala Jayantha

Former General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association (SLWJA) Poddala Jayantha recently lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), requesting an investigation into his abduction and torture in June, 2009.  Journalist Poddala Jayantha began his journalism career in 1989 as a freelance journalist at Ravaya. Later, he joined Lake House and was working as an investigative journalist at the tim

Precious lives should not end on roads

In Colombo and other cities, peak-time traffic snarls have led to the calamity of eight road deaths a day in addition to costing hundreds of millions of dollars on wasted fuel, more air pollution and a waste of precious time for hundreds of thousands of people including schoolchildren. Super highways and other road projects have to some extent eased the congestion. But in recent months especially peak time demonstrations by university students an

TO HOODWINK THE PUBLIC

National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection was established in 2007 with the purposes of making sure that the fundamental rights of all consumers are upheld and protected by the government and corporations and fighting against violations of consumer rights.   

The small problem of the big parties

How many times have we heard that there’s no room for any third party in Sri Lankan politics? ‘Third party’ as in an entity other than the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the United National Party or else coalitions led by one of both. True, parties with extremely modest strength have on many an occasion effected change, played king-maker and even been part of governments; but always, always, it has been either the UNP or the SLFP

APRC Constitution proposal of 2010: A via media for Govt. and Opposition

The new Constitution proposals of the Steering Committee of the Constitutional Assembly are already facing criticism by the Joint opposition in Parliament and there are protests and agitation outside parliament by nationalist elements. 

NPC Crisis: Fire extinguished, but ember is aglow

The fire is extinguished, but the ember is still aglow as goes the saying. This is how political tension in the Northern Provincial Council persists after the move to unseat Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran through a no confidence motion, is described in political circles.  

Poorest countries doing the most for refugees

On World Refugee Day, June 20, we commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees. The United Nations says that this year, World Refugee Day also marks a key moment for the people to show support for families forced to flee. To do this, the UN Refugee Agency launched the ‘With Refugees’ petition in June last year to send a message to governments that they must work together and do their fair share for refu

These must stop now

Back in 2007 I was on an agricultural training program and giving a talk to farmers in the Aluvihare area of Matale about the various crises in transport, food, energy, climate, finance and garbage. 

Ali Baba at Cricket and Politics

Cricket did not bring fame and shame, as ousting terrorism did, by the euphoria and despair that followed. Cricket is a ‘small–time’ game played earnestly by eight nations, while most people on planet earth face lethal terrorism - overcame it by getting the act right, ignoring advice from roaming busybodies presently recipients of smaller doses and reacting worse than the long suffered locals. 

Corruption of power and power of corruption

Political power is not just a tool in the hands of those who hold it. It is not a license that guarantees immunity for all crimes that are committed under the cover of that license. It is not a power vested in the holder to run amok with all what is inside the national coffers. It does not give any power whatsoever to those who wield it with unlimited and unchecked supremacy to decree what is right and what is wrong.

Tamil People Seek New Political Leadership - Suresh Premachandran

Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) leader Suresh Premachandran, in an interview with Daily Mirror, speaks about the future of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the aftermath of the no confidence motion against Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran. The excerpts:

Why do we root for the underdog? - EDITORIAL

Who says the Sinhalese are anti-Muslim? The way in which the Sinhalese craved for and cheered the victory of the Pakistan team at the ICC finals against India on Sunday leaves very little doubt that the community is inherently prejudicial against Muslims as a group, local or otherwise. If not for the politicians from both sides who instigate people with their inflammatory speeches and misinformation, the two communities would have been left wit

Dilemmas and Dialectics of Culture

The recent death of Prof. Siri Gunasinghe led to a rich discussion of the question of Sinhala -- and Ceylonese/Sri Lankan -- culture. Sri Lanka (and earlier Ceylon) has witnessed not only a clash of cultures but clashes within cultures. While there has been a clash between the Westernized and the anti-western elites, within Sinhala culture itself there has been a clash between the moderns and the traditionalists, and within the westernized elit