The real threat of 'law of the jungle'

One could surmise that the masses are pushed towards unlawful action in the belief that the law does not take its due course. This has spread from setting fire to a bus after a fatal accident to attacking and setting fire to police stations.

Your Voice - Private medical colleges – A growing concern....

What about the students paying  nearly 1000000  to 150000 Rs to Bangladesh, Indian Chinese and Russian universities...a staggering 500 to 600 students a year...do you mind losing foreign investment  outside Sri Lanka where it could be used for own growth,,......

Internationalising the ethnic issue – or, else?

N Sathiya Moorthy If anything is to flow out of the US-Canada visit of the TNA leadership, it could only be more confusion and greater complexity to the back-home exchanges with the Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. If the idea was to use the ‘good offices’ of the international community (read: West) to pressure the Colombo dispensation to move faster and further on the post-war issues of rehabilitation, reconstruction and r

Adoption; an alternative to abandonment

There are nearly 500,000 new babies born in the world each day whose lives are influenced and determined by their mothers and fathers who are responsible for their children. While many have the good fortune of receiving love and security from their families, thousands of children are abandoned, displaced or murdered and ultimately become nobody’s children.

Writing on Wall St. for capitalism

When communism collapsed across Eastern Europe in 1989-91, captains of capitalism in their euphoria bragged that they would rule the world till kingdom come. But it now appears that unbridled capitalism is facing an existential threat. The seeds of...

Michael, row the boat ashore

The Labour candidate Michael D. Higgins has comprehensively won the Presidency of the Republic of Ireland. His rivals conceded defeat when it became clear that he had gained 40 per cent of the vote in the first round of the alternative-vote electoral...

Getting the fundamentals right

Long dubbed the best performing in the world, the post war predictions for the Colombo Stock Exchange had been its best in decades. Continuing on an impressive record high over months, the market stability helped rope in investor confidence, for the...

The clock is ticking

As the world population clock ticks past seven billion, alarm bells are ringing. The gathering force of public protests is the popular expression of an obvious fact: that growing economic uncertainty, market volatility and mounting inequality have reached a point of crisis.

HOT SEAT - TNA talks in Washington will harden public opinion in SL—G.L

Q: Sri Lanka achieved what has been called a “significant victory” at the recently held Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGAM). What are the specific reasons for such a positive outlook on the meeting?

Game, set and match

 The Palestinians have won a full membership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO. No small feat considering the US opposition to Palestinians membership in any UN body.

Human rights and the Commonwealth

The fracas at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth over a proposal to appoint a human rights monitor has reopened an old debate that pits national sovereignty against an international human rights regime. India and Sri Lanka were among the countries that opposed the idea of a Human Rights Commissioner for the Commonwealth nations.

Quotes of the Week

“Commonwealth Heads of  Government  Meeting 2013  will be held in  Sri Lanka”

The wonders of Asia and its economic discontents

While the budget is due to be presented only on the 21st, the price of a litre of petrol was increased by Rs.12/-, diesel by Rs.8/-, and kerosene by Rs.10/- with effect from Sunday midnight.

Free education at the price of independent thought

A number of nations worldwide offer free education but only a few of them offer this free service up until higher education. Much to the merit of our education system, Sri Lanka is one such nation.

Private medical colleges – A growing concern

Human civilization from the dawn of history was nurtured by education. We in Sri Lanka are proud of our high literacy rate and knowledge emancipation resulting in the legacy of our free education system.

A CASE AGAINST ‘UNDERPERFORMING ENTERPRISES AND UNDERUTILIZED ASSETS’?

Sri Lankan Government is set to acquire businesses and property deemed underperforming and underutilized by a sweeping emergency act.This draft bill is set to be called the ‘underperforming enterprises and underutilized assets’was forwarded to the Supreme Court before tabling it at the Parliament. The draft bill was sent to the Supreme Court for a ruling as an urgent bill in the national interest or security.

TRANSPARENCY DECREE LAUDED

Accountability has always been the opposite side of the coin from power and responsibility and perhaps this is one of the reasons why the UAE in general has been able to take such giant strides in all its ventures. From the early days it has given power but demanded results. The decree by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, reiterates the same sentiment and ups the d

PROPAGANDA WARS,PUBLIC DIPLOMACY, AND THE PRESSING NEED FOR A POLITICAL SOLUTION

By Ayesha Zuhair Diplomacy, it is said, is a continuation of war by other means, and Sri Lankan diplomats are currently engrossed in an intense war of words in the face of mounting pressure to allow an international warcrimes probe. The latest point of contention is the bid to suspend the country’s membership in the Commonwealth, and the proposal by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group to establish a Commissioner on Democracy, Human R

Your Voice- I’m not a threat to anybody; Gota.........

He's an MP elected and loved by the people. The truth must definitely come out, and will. but now all what the people hope for is his speedy recovery..

Now, federalism debate in India

Addressing the National Development Council (NDC) meeting in absentia in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa came down heavily on the Centre, saying that it was treating the States as ‘glorified municipal corporations’. At the same meeting, Gujarat’s BJP Chief Minister Narendra Modi had similar things to say about the Centre.

Heroin and its victims

The use of heroin is the primary source of destruction of the youth within the country. The drug is such that once a user is addicted there is little or no way that a user can be rehabilitated. This is due to the fact that the drug causes an insatiable craving and more of it is needed to satisfy this craving, as the body builds up a greater tolerance to it. Furthermore most underworld violence can be directly linked to heroin.

After Gaddafi: A spring of confusion in Libya

The death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has some historic parallels to what happened 14 centuries ago. Caliph Uthman, an honest and generous ruler of Islamic Arabia, was killed by rebels who fell into the schemes of foreign powers. As the rebellion spread, one by one the power-centres of the caliphate fell — first Egypt, then Kufa and Basra.

The financial upheaval

The ensuing financial crisis worldwide is now testing leadership values. As the Eurozone is bogged down in anxiousness to strike a deal to tackle the debt crisis, clashes have been reported from across the Atlantic. The Occupy Wall Street Movement, the leaderless initiative that started in New York last month, has come full circle by making...

Mathata Thitha is it feasible?

Someone once said the biggest problem in the world is that there aren’t enough intoxicants to solve the problems in the world. Regardless of who that was, it has become a common feature in Sri Lankan society that individuals use alcohol and tobacco as a means of escape from the stresses of life. While the consumption of these...

BLOATED ON A TWO THIRD MAJORITY

Picked a cute mongrel, cross between a cocker spaniel with an impressive pedigree sheet and a street dog born unknown in the year of the Referendum, with a saintly face and satanic ways. Named my pet dog J.R. sufficient to make the poor pet growl at his master on mention of the name, which in its mind may have been unflattering.

The diplomatic walk-off

Syria and the United States are now in a diplomatic row. The pulling out of US envoy to Damascus Robert Ford, however, is mired in confusion as to whether that reflects the scaling down of relations or a mere consultative retreat.

What is the Cost of Gaddafi’s death?

The public were allowed to view the body of their deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi lying in a cold storage while the death itself has raised many concerns relating to the consequences that led to his capture. Meanwhile US Secretary of State vowed to back a proposal to investigate the death of Muammar Gaddafi emphasizing that the National Transitional Council that led the revolt against Gaddafi needs to start with the rule of law and accountability.

“Country’s sovereignty cannot be challenged by any other entity”

AttorneyGeneral Shanthi Eva Wanasundera spoke to the Daily Mirror about the lawlessness in the country, bringing back the death penalty and the various allegations brought against  Sri Lanka by the international community.

Quotes of the Week

”I dislike Chandrika, yet I respect her for the reason that she transformed the SLFP’s mindset”

A lot to learn from Gaddafi’s doom!

Becoming a ruler of a country at the age of 27 is not an easy task. However, 42 years ago Muammar Gaddafi, who was then a captain, achieved this task. Gaddafi came to power in a bloodless coup in a land of oil and a world of conspiracies He was able to fortify his power during the 70s. He collided with the west using the oil wealth and disclosed his ‘vision’ through his well-known ‘Green Book.’ He also played a leading rol