Demarcation of the lines of authority essential for peace

It appears from the various news reports and electronic media news clips that all is not well in our paradise island. The violence in Aluthgama and Beruwela whether they be referred to as communal, religious or pseudo communal, has raised a hornet’s nests.....

Who is pulling the strings of WHO? - EDITORIAL

The United Nations Organisation was set up after the Second World War with the vision of “turning swords into ploughshares and spheres into pruning hooks.” While the primary aim was to prevent war, the UN goals also included world poverty alleviation, the battle against environmental pollution and.....

Pakistan’s full-scale war on extremism

Nearly half a million civilians have been displaced and more than 360 suspected rebels killed in Pakistan’s two-week-old war in North Waziristan. It is the biggest military operation in Pakistan’s history and the Pakistani military appears to be determined to wipe out extremism once and for all and.......

Worse world or better world?

War is all over the place. It seems. Not just in Syria and Iraq but now inside Pakistan. Not to mention Somalia and Sudan. Yet paradoxically there has never been less war. Sweden’s Uppsala University Conflict Data programme is about to publish its results for 2013.

The Stolen Harvest: Listen to Dr. Vandana at least now - EDITORIAL

With Sri Lanka facing a crisis where some parties with vested interests, including Trans National Companies (TNCs), are trying to turn our traditional agriculture into an agribusiness largely for their benefit, the visit this week of the well-known Indian activist Dr. Vandana Shiva will hopefully open the eyes of the....

Cinnamon diplomacy and WPC revelry amid ethnic strife

Sri   Lanka is known for ‘tea diplomacy’ conducted to boost its volume of tea exports. Its renowned brand ‘Ceylon Tea’ is, in fact, Sri Lanka’s gift to the world. Now, the government, in the revision of its foreign policy, is apparently engaged in cinnamon diplomacy in its novel approach.......

Mathews gives England a run for their money

Sri Lankans, bruised after weeks of battling rampant floods, a raging dengue epidemic and religious tensions will this week unite in celebrating the sport which often brings them together, after the national cricketers won their first ever series victory in England in a nail-biting thriller on Tuesday.

Torture: vilest act of humans - EDITORIAL

The United Nations has declared today as the International Day Against Torture and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a statement has urged States that have not yet done so to ratify the Convention against Torture, which this year marks 30 years since its adoption.

BRUTALITY

Last Sunday night, Arunodhaya Mawatha at Obeysekarapura in Rajagiriya looked like a battle ground as a battalion of police attached to the Welikada Police Station

Rise of BBS and the rise of triumphalism

This has been told, not once, not twice, not thrice but an umpteen number of times. The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) organization is not a fresh or novel manifestation of a particular sectoral thinking or a by-product of yesterday’s emotions.

EDITORIAL-Are The economic benefits reaching the masses ?

Two news items carried in the Daily Mirror on Monday, on inside pages though, warrant serious thinking and a deeper study of the Sri Lankan economy. The stories, both reported from Matara were about two hapless persons, a mother and a father in.............

For Certain Countries Any stick is good enough to hit SL: GL

Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L Peiris in an interview with the  set out the governments’ stance with regard to the recent spate of violence that arose in the South Western region of the country. He further insisted that the government’s refusal to invite the panel constituted to inquire by the Human Rights Council.....

MDGs not achievable by 2015

Discussions have begun about setting up a Post 2015 Development Agenda. Year 2015 is important, since the Millium Development Goals (MDGs) were to be achieved by 2015. We have almost completed this period now. The results of MDGs efforts are visible.

FOOD AND DRINK AND EARLY GRAVES

People are at cross-roads wondering what to eat and what not to eat. And no wonder; although the choice is vast, eating and drinking these days has been recognised as a hazardous human need. Although somewhat late in the day, this situation spurred the media to launch a hefty rocket campaign at many types of.....

The shame of a senseless world - EDITORIAL

Last Friday was World Refugees’ Day and figures given by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) were a damning indictment and a disgrace to a world which boasts of the marvels of modern technology and science. The UNHCR reports said a staggering 51 million people were refugees....

No chance for revival of armed elements

Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lt. General Daya Rathnayake in an interview with the Dailymirror shared his views on the recent violence in the South-western region of the country and asserted that the Sri Lanka Army is a reflection of the vibrant cultures that exist in Sri   Lanka ......

Ethno-religious violence and its consequences

It was only a few weeks ago that I wrote an article in this column pointing out that there was a likelihood of ethno-religious violence breaking out around certain flash points in the country.

EDITORIAL-MDGs failed: New policies needed

For more than 35 years different Governments in Sri   Lanka have been essentially following the globalised capitalist market economic system. Whatever its advocates may claim and whatever the apparently spin-doctored figures about growth rates, per capita income and...........

story-based curriculum for ELT

So far, the theories of the nature of language and language teaching have been developing in parallel to the theories in Psychology. If one looks at the history of the development of language teaching theories, one would see this parallelism very clearly.

Collapse of Schools’ Science Education

The Science Education Committee of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science conducted a survey on science education at the G.C.E. (O/L) in 2013. The survey was done in leading schools in the western province. All the schools surveyed had:

Tweets and ‘mechanisms’ will solve no problem STRONG AND CONCERTED ACTION NEEDED

The Friday Forum is appalled at the violence in Aluthgama, Beruwala and other areas over the period June 14-16. Three deaths, an estimated 80 injured and extensive damage to houses and shops have been reported in the international and private media creating fear and tension in the country.

Is the law applied equally everywhere? - EDITORIAL

The incident in which Deputy Minister of Co-operatives and Internal Trade Hemal Gunasekara’s driver was imposed a spot fine by a policeman for driving the vehicle with the Minister in it at high speed and the follow-up incidents are a good case study to identify the way the law is

Iraq may split into three with sectarian bloodbath

The military success of the hardline Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq was shocking although it was in the making. The signs of a Sunni rebellion were there before Iraq exploded last week with ISIS capturing key Iraqi cities.

The Islamic militants’ advance into Iraq

Is it “you reap what you sow”? The US electorate that voted twice for President George W. Bush should ask itself the question. The growing strength of ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra, represents a grave threat to the future of the Middle East and the US has no one to blame but itself.

Thousands of illegal pharmacies doing big business - EDITORIAL

One of the dangerous scandals or the biggest farce in the health sector – which has boomcd into big business, is the little-known fact about pharmacies. There are about 3,500 registered or legal pharmacies in Sri Lanka, but the poisoned pill is that there are at least 5,000 if not more.........

Slip of the tongue has House in fits

As the government tried to move a Parliamentary motion on non-co-operation on Tuesday  with the investigation team appointed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Opposition was initially thought to be in a spot.

Prince Zeid, the new force to reckon with

Sri Lankans who have for years become familiar with Navaneethem (Navi) Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, would have heaved a sigh of relief as the retirement of the South African diplomat was announced this week. She will step down from her post in August.

People’s welfare going with the wind - EDITORIAL

he supply of electricity is one of the most highly charged fields in Sri Lanka and an area with powerful cross–currents of corruption and malpractices. According to reports, the latest storm is in the relatively new field of wind energy.

Jolie’s commitment

A global summit on sexual violence, co-hosted by Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, focused on sexual violence against women as war strategy...

Police Ordinance: is it adequate?

On Sunday 8 June 2014 it was reported that the Ministry of Law and Order of Sri Lanka had begun the process...