Farmers - the forgotten lot

Remember the countrywide protests by the farmers after their crops were destroyed due to lack of chemical fertilizer and the other agrochemicals? As if the allegation by the then Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage that the farm

Why Rajapaksas are refusing to resign

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has dismissed calls for his resignation, as has his brother, Gotabaya, the president. In an interview with a private radio station, he pooh-poohed calls for an interim government, and insisted that “If there is

Our Struggle is real! Why the ‘Aragalaya’ is only just a beginning?

In the aftermath of violence: A chance for political change - EDITORIAL

Over the past six months Lanka has been buffeted by the winds of political-economic turmoil and a breakdown in governance.In the capital city crowds of protesters have occupied the Galle Face.....

Confessed and Apologized: now Resign!

Integrity, intelligence, capability, conscientiousness, and experience should take precedence over party loyalty in appointing an interim administration. The President has confessed/apologized....

Professionals urge forces to handle protesters with care

In a letter to Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces on April 21, Direction Sri Lanka, a group of independent professions requested the Armed Forces to act with care, understanding and exercise....

Is the “House of Rajapaksa” Falling Down?

When Basil Rohana Rajapaksa was sworn in as Finance Minister by his brother President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July 2021, the appointment captured the attention of the world’s influential media.

Desperation of an Executive President

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) government is no longer a strong government, despite it commanding a simple majority in Parliament. One cannot give an assurance of even its simple majority which is 113 seats in the House being intact if a secret ballot was taken over any issue.

Sinharaja sans a buffer zone even 18 years after Cabinet decision

Nearly eighteen years have passed since the cabinet took a decision to annexe half a kilometre buffer zone to Sri Lanka’s last primary tropical forest, Sinharaja. On July 22, 2004, the then cabinet approved to obtain a recommendation to connect a buffer zone for Sinharaja. Still consecutive governments have opted to turn a blind eye to this long-overdue project despite demands by environmentalists.

Cleaning the system and thoughts of Zedong - EDITORIAL

A protest in Rambukkana on April 19 brought death to a 41 year-old father sending a strong message to protesters, the police and the government to maintain nonviolence throughout this difficult time....

People demand a genuine system change

It is seven days into the culturally and astrologically significant National New Year, celebrated mainly by Sinhala Buddhists and Tamil Hindus and four days after Easter Sunday celebrated by Christians in Sri Lanka on the eve of the third anniversary of the April 21, 2019 massacre, which killed 269 devotees and hotel guests and injured nearly 500.

The brink and beyond….

A line has been crossed. That’s the title of a note doing the rounds referring to the ongoing protests and specifically to the fatal shooting of a protester in Rambukkana. Yes, a line has been crossed.

The sham new Cabinet is illegitimate, provocative and insulting!

The new Cabinet is yet another sign that the Rajapaksas are not letting the country go out of their grip. It is meant to be a rubber stamp of this familial hold of unhinged power in the absence of public approval

Removing The President; Is The Opposition Unaware Of Article 42?

With every passing day, the demand for the resignation of the President is gathering momentum, becoming more strident, and more widespread, and echoing even beyond the borders of this country. The President’s response has been to secure the resignatio

Shortages, debt restructuring and rationalization of attitudes - EDITORIAL

At the President’s House, a beleagured President Rajapaksa has dug in his heels and is preparing for a long-drawn battle.....

Unmasking our false idols

A public image years in the making has crumbled in a matter of months. Gotabaya Rajapaksa was not known....

The political impasse

Lanka IOC, the Indian Oil Company in Sri Lanka has increased the fuel prices once again last night. The price of petrol has been raised by Rs. 35 a litre, while diesel has gone up by Rs. 75. The company similarly increased its prices by a huge amount

The debt repayment crisis - EDITORIAL

Lanka has had an unblemished record of external debt repayment since independence in 1948. That’s a thing of the past now. Four days....

Plight of older adults during economic recession

Sri Lanka lacks an established government-sponsored mechanism to address the needs of senior citizens. Earlier we had an impressive....

Absence of a Political Nucleus is a Leaderless Struggle’s Strength

While the moribund patient called Sri Lanka, narrowly escaped a mass slaughtering by government executioners and is presently....

Sri Lanka stares at bankruptcy or redemption

All eyes are on Sri Lanka as it endures its worst economic crisis since Independence. Millions of families are struggling....

If Gota doesn’t go home, the Executive Presidency may go out

“Go Home Gota” and/or “Gota Go Home” is the resounding clarion call that is currently motivating and mobilizing a number of protest demonstrations throughout Sri Lanka.

President should decide whether to step back or allow unrest to grow - Dayasiri Jayasekara

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MP Dayasiri Jayasekara responds to questions by the Daily Mirror about the ongoing political unrest and economic crisis. He also responds to queries about his party’s...

A descent into violence - hunger is also violence - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka is facing its worst crisis since independence. Our people’s lives are fast becoming unprotected, with hospitals running out of medicines for heart disease, rabies, diabetes and anti-venom....

Without political party nucleus, civilian struggle fails

For the first time, the populace of Sri Lanka are not ready to wait till the next election to make the representatives they elect, go home. To a citizenry never been able to hold to account their leaders...

“Don’t play around with this generation”

Born within the first decade of Sri Lanka’s Independence from the British, I believe I had the good fortune of seeing a more disciplined Sri Lanka during my formative years. A Sri Lanka.....

Can the Govt. convince IMF of stability?

Finally, the government has decided to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) seeking assistance to bail out itself from the current economic imbroglio that has led to a massive political crisis. Also President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Rajapaksas divided the nation to rule; it came together to demand their removal

If you are depressed, like many millions of Sri Lankans are, by the perilous state of the country, everyday shortage of essentials and the nepotistic regime that hangs on to power, you might need something to feel positive. Look no further than protests in the Galle Face Green, and indeed, across the country. They offer a ray of hope for a future that is progressive, inclusive and tolerant. They are a re

Sri Lanka’s Arab Spring: Don’t waste this precious moment

It was incredible but true. The government imposed an island-wide curfew from Saturday evening to Monday morning to stop protests planned for Monday, April third.

The Revolutionary Right to Overthrow!

“This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending....