A response to Dr. Harini Amarasuriya Re-examining the political role of education

I would like to join Dr. Harini Amarasuriya’seffort to broaden the debate on private university education in Sri Lanka......

Controversy over BASL role in Judge’s appointment – what really happened

A crisis of sorts has emerged with the BASL elections, which are now due, having to be postponed ?on account of the JSA refusing to act as presiding officers.......

FCID’s unintended consequences resulting in bureaucratic quagmire!

In a free society, the ‘vision thing’ is left to private individuals; civil servants are kept on a tight leash, because free people understand that a ‘visionary’ bureaucrat is a voracious one and that the grander the government....

Keith Noyahr’s assailants should be brought to book - EDITORIAL

Nine years later, in two separate incidents five army personnel were arrested during the past few days for the inhuman assault on....

Economic lethargy: Rajapaksa will be sorely missed!

A few years back under the former regime, it was not a nice spectacle when slum dwellers in Colombo were evicted by gun-toting...

It’s time to end the crisis in Palestine - EDITORIAL

On November 29, 1947, in its collective wisdom, the UN General Assembly via Resolution 181 planned the carving up.....

Focus the ‘Red Lights’; Nagarasobhanis need recognition for legalised sex trade ?

Gauthama Buddha not only accepted an invitation for alms by  Ambapali, but acknowledged a donation of ashram by the lady sex-worker.....

Many attempts by diaspora Tigers to foment violence in Sri Lanka

The ongoing investigation conducted by the Police Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) into the assassination plot targeting Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district MP Mathiaparanam Abraham Sumanthiran has unearthed more details about the conspiracy hatched by “Tigerish” elements in the Global Tamil Diaspora.   

Let us renew our commitment to Social Justice

Monday, February 20 is World Day of Social Justice on the theme, ‘Preventing Conflict and Sustaining Peace Through Decent Work’. 

Removing US military forces from the Gulf

Reporting on President Donald Trump’s new energy policy which plans for a big increase in domestically produced oil and gas, the Financial Times reported yesterday:

Milk of Human Kindness - EDITORIAL

As part of the all-inclusive and eco-friendly development strategy, the National Government has also launched a mission for .....

Kim and China playing Trump cards

Kim Jong-un has some guts. The North Korean leader’s foolhardiness apparently knows no bounds. Though baby faced, he....

We are ready for common accreditation exam - SAITM Chairman

Amid a simmering crisis over the recognition of medical degrees offered by South Asia Institute of Technology and Medicine.....

Good Governance in free markets means corruption with racism Mega corruption within the economic mod

“Yes, it is true that there is rampant corruption in the Government even now as we inherited a corrupt system from the last administration and practices of that regime were yet there,” Minister for Strategic Development & International Trade, Malik Samarawickrama had accepted in an interview with Ceylon Today on February 12, 2017.

Political parallels between SL-TN A show of opportunism and greed to power as the norm of politics

The astounding rapidity in the turn of events taking place in the southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu after the death of the State’s Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jeyaram does not allow anybody to surmise as to what is going to happen next. 

Sinhalese culture and Theravada Buddhism have inseparable link

Leading medical teacher Dr. Channa Jayasumana, attached to Rajarata University who has done extensive studies about history, says the Sinhalese protected Theravada Buddhism more than anyone. In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Dr. Jayasumana said there were sinister attempts to dilute the Sinhala Buddhist identity. He shared the following:

Multiculturalism will not harm Sinhala-Buddhist identity: Civil Society activist

In the backdrop of the ongoing Constitution-making process, civil society activist Sudarshana Gunawardane, who advocates pluralism and multiculturalism, says such concepts will not harm the entrenched traditions of the country. Mr. Gunawardane, who is also the executive director of Right Now Collective for Democracy, made these remarks in the context of fear over the attempts to dilute the Sinhala-Buddhist identity of the country. Excerpts of&n

A ‘cannot’ and ‘will not’ Government

When the Government’s staunchest apologists voice disappointment it is a sure sign that things are more than ‘pretty bad’. According to one yahapalanist, the public perception is that the Government has not (cannot?) ....

Culture of openness and accountability through RTI - EDITORIAL

Coinciding with Independence Day on February 4, instead of only impressive talks and military parades, Sri Lanka also had the privilege of the historic Right to Information Act coming into operation -- guaranteeing to the people their fundamental right to information about what is done with billions in public money and resources.    

Constitutional bond scam, coup or cyanide capsule?

Mangala Samaraweera announced to the Foreign Correspondents Association last Tuesday evening that the government had decided that it was “worth the risk” to go for a referendum on a new Constitution. Lakshman Kiriella reiterated this in Parliament,

COPE: Another Rs. 110 bn missing

Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has presented its third interim report to Parliament on February 8, which pinpointed Rs. 110 billion losses incurred to the State from 15 State institutions......

“There is absolutely no substitute to a Constitutional Settlement”

Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, the Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is an expert in governance and peace. He has submitted research papers on the subjects in international.......

The danger of policy paralysis

There was this rather intriguing article in Forbes, which read as:  “After claiming South China Sea to be its own sea, telling America to stay off its islands, China is reaching for the Indian Ocean, telling India to stay off its own colony, Sri Lanka.” 

Vision is priceless, don’t make it a business

Donors said yesterday they would be forced to withdraw tens of millions of rupees if the Health Ministry went ahead with the plan to transfer the Vision 2020 Social Justice Unit to the College of Ophthalmologists.

Referendum ill-advised for Govt. at this hour – Susil

Minister of Science, Technology and Research Susil Premajayantha in an interview with the Dailymirror said that it would be ill-advised for the government to go for a referendum at this time. He said his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) was only for Constitutional Reforms that do not warrant approval of people by referendum. He shared the following:-

A note for posterity

The UN report published on Friday January 28 describing a ‘culture of torture’ in this county has been described as a....

STOP THE RUMPUS AT THE CAMPUS - EDITORIAL

The South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine or SAITM –Sri Lanka’s only private university with a licensce....

Sri Lanka’s Beloved Home-Grown Tycoon

Upali Wijewardene known widely as Upali was arguably Sri Lanka’s first home-grown tycoon of the post - Independence era who captured the popular imagination of the people at large.

Sri Lanka Beware: Trump’s agri-marriage made in hell

The United States’ new President Donald Trump a former reality television star, appears to be getting a reality check on constitutional issues.

Is NATO obsolete?

So what does President Donald Trump think about NATO? Twice during his campaign he rubbished it publicly, saying it was “obsolete”. Yet earlier this month when he met Britain’s Prime Minister, Therese May, it was all hunky dory. He told her he supported NATO 100%.