Editorial - Time to book Facebook hate-mongers

Following a groundbreaking decision by an outbound tourist service provider to call for explanation from an employee, who is alleged to have used a Facebook account to post material of a nature that can generate religious hatred......

Editorial - Electricity hikes

In the afterglow of the National New Year or the festival of the sun the country was plunged into darkness with a shocking blackout blow to millions of people who were officially informed that their electricity bills would soar by about 60 per cent.

Development as Freedom: need for a ‘People-Centered’ approach

Internationally, much debate and discussion has taken place on the concept of ‘development as freedom’, as espoused by noble laureate Amartya Sen. But seldom has the Sri Lankan academia applied or adopted it to the local context. Has post-war Sri Lanka got anything to learn from it

Public services demanding more and better for less

For decades, the woeful performance of Sri Lankan public service was subject to fiery debate. Even Senior Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama commented a few months back that the quality of the public service has not increased in line with the increase in the number of public servants.

Game over for Musharraf?

Pakistan has oscillated between military rule and democracy throughout its sixty-six year history. Military strongmen have come amidst public apathy and gone unceremoniously after capitulating to public pressure, or abruptly, if you consider General Zia ul-Haq’s mysterious death. In every case.....

There is no alternative but to negotiate with North Korea

The diplomats and pundits were right; transition after the death of Kim Jong-il in North Korea, they said, might...

Editorial : Govt. hitting world headlines for wrong reasons

During the National New Year when the Sinhala and Tamil communities came together for festivities of deep...

China’s defence white paper : Sleeping giant turns into fiery dragon

Hambantota was not mentioned, neither was Gwadar in Pakistan. There was no mention of the necklace...

MISCUED GENEVA

Naive live in bliss: after acting silly at Geneva 2013. Mileage gained by LLRC report abbreviated into an Action Plan, was placed on a mock timetable and fawningly delivered to Hillary Clinton, needlessly.

Dharmadasa at the helm

One of Sri Lanka’s most sought-after jobs was handed over to Jayantha Dharmadasa on Tuesday when he was appointed as President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) after weeks of wild speculation and intense backroom lobbying in cricketing and political circles.

Post-Durban Perspectives: The geo-politics behind geo-economics

At the recently concluded fifth BRICS summit held on March 26 and 27, 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin, likened the BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa

Boston bombings: A taste of reality - Editorial

It was a comment in our dailymirror.lk website by a reader, in response to the Boston bombing story the web team had posted, which grabbed our attention. The reader had asked the US not to grumble about the bombing because terrorists have their own problems which compel them to commit acts like this.

Geneva : “Responsibility to Protect” Vs sovereignty of the people!

“Only the working class in its mass remained loyal to the profaned homeland!” Francois Mauriac, 1943

May Day with powerful solidarity against all impending ills!

“Let us join hands for an ANTI RACIST NATIONAL UNITY MAY DAY RALLY in the National capital Colombo! Let us save our Motherland from Racism and Religious Fundamentalism!  JOIN as Political parties, minority organisations, trade unions, civil groups and Individuals!”

That Kerry Cut - Editorial

US Secretary of State John Kerry has proposed a 20% cut in aid to Sri Lanka.  Two reasons have been mentioned: Sri Lanka’s recently- acquired Middle Income Country status and ‘unease in ties over issues related to human rights, reconstruction and post-conflict political integration’.

SAMPANTHAN’S AND GTF’S FRAUDULENT LAMENTS

That democracy is being slowly and surely strangled in Sri Lanka and that many a critic of the Government, particularly in the media has met with a tragic fate is indisputable.

TNA PRESIDENT’S AVURUDU GIFT TO THE HAWKS

It was doubtless in the spirit of the Sinhala-Tamil New Year that the Tamil (ultra?) nationalists presented the Sinhala hawks the gift of especially moronic remarks to the visiting Indian parliamentary delegation.

Right of Reply

Your Editorial referred above commenced with a statement that the “Politicization of the Supreme Court and the Judiciary began in 1996 with the appointment of Sarath N. Silva as Chief Justice …”.

Some private hospitals like five star hotels - Editorial

Although the budgetary allocation for health is relatively low in terms of the GDP, it is still quite a large amount with the allocation for this year being Rs. 125 billion. The public health service has about 15,000 doctors, 29,000 nurses, tens of thousand of other Para-medical personnel and minor staff.

DUDLEY  SENANAYAKE : The incomparable statesman

As the country sinks more and more into a labyrinth from which there seems no escape, one is reminded...

Editorial : Towards a meaningful Avurudu!

Soon the entire country will be celebrating Sinhala and Tamil New Year. This is the fourth Avurudu season the...

So let it be with Thatcher!

So Maggie Thatcher the milk snatcher is dead. But her paradoxical legacy lives on. The former British Prime Minister...

The British duplicity in protecting human rights in Sri Lanka

The West won the world not by superiority of its ideas or values or religion but rather by its superiority in applying organised violence. Westerners often forget this fact, non Westerners never do.

Do the police represent the law or are they the law itself?

The son of a friend of mine was arrested during a clash between schoolboys from two Colombo schools. This boy, an A-level student, was caught by the police while the rest ran away.

Fonseka’s political journey: Strewn with thorns than with roses

The indefatigable solider, former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka is in the news once again. His newly formed Democratic Party (DP) was formally recognised by the Commissioner of Elections last week and assigned the symbol of a burning torch.

Pondering over Sison’s speech

US Ambassador Michele J. Sison, addressing the Foreign Correspondents Association is reported to have flagged some important concerns her Government has with respect to Sri Lanka.

RELIGION, RECONCILIATION AND THE FUTURE

A thought provoking panel discussion on the topic ‘Religion, Reconciliation and the Future’, organised by the Young Journalists’ Movement, was held at the  Sri Lanka Press Institute on April 8.

He detested communalism or racism Professor Sucharitha

Marxism tells us that under the power of capital, man can achieve only an ‘estranged’ realisation of species - being. 

Corruption is shrouded in ‘top secrecy’

Board secrets, cabinet secrets, minister’s or chairman’s ‘must’ be private and confidential, of these then one is sure to encounter in the realms of officialdom as one ‘dutifully’ discharges his or her official duties to upkeep an unjust and corrupt system operative worldwide.

Fuel prices: The Ministry must stop lying! - Editorial

Despite the rising cost of living and government claims that the cost of fuel cannot be reduced the reality is that the price of Saudi West Texas Intermediary Crude on Monday had dropped to US$ 93 a barrel.