Geneva 2020: New strategies, tactics, and intentions

“If you find yourself standing on a landmine, you don’t just jump off – experienced experts have to painstakingly de-activate the pressure-sensitive mine.”

Agitations by teachers and plight of children - EDITORIAL

Teachers and principals in Sri Lanka continue to agitate for being underpaid and such actions are just what the media spot and highlight. So now we know, through newspapers, that the teachers...

Defence and health: Turning guns into ploughshares

A country spends billions of dollars on defence to avert an imminent enemy invasion or keep the enemy at bay. Then suddenly, the country is threatened with the novel coronavirus outbreak. Should it drastically....

Coalitions not coalesced with principles

Major political parties in the South, as well as North, are hell-bent these days on forming electoral alliances, some for mere survival and some others to fulfil special needs. Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) headed by former President Maithripala Sirisena...

Prioritising marine conservation

Like other ecosystems found on land, marine ecosystems are also equally important as they comprise a large portion of sea animals, plants and corals. Being an island, Sri Lanka boasts of its rich biodiversity in marine ecosystems....

Minority parties prepare to canvass votes in North and East

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) teamed up with Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and formed Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Sandhanaya in view of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Its electoral strategy is clear in the districts outside the North and the East. They will stick together along with the other small allies in these areas.

‘Yuthukama’ challenges the government on certain fundamental issues

The proposals submitted by ‘Yuthukama’ to the public in the presence of the President of the Republic last week are well crafted, reflect the views of a majority of those who voted for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and should be subject to serious discussion.

SLMC : Having the Cake, Eating it and More

The 29th Delegates’ Conference of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress is reported to have adopted a resolution to renounce the proposal to completely repeal the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA). The Conference has instead ‘resolved to reform it in keeping with Islamic teachings and on what had been agreed upon by Muslim parliamentarians.’

Bond Scam: Debate is Over; Now Nab the Culprits - EDITORIAL

Two important events took place last week, one in Parliament and one within the Halls of Justice, which underscored the fact that all are equal before the law. One was the debate on the reports of the forensic audit on the Central Bank bond scams while the other was the unprecedented court ruling in which Colombo High Court Judge Adithya Patabendige sentenced former Homagama district judge Sunil Abeysinghe and his personal security officer, polic

Sri Lanka’s Dicey dealings with China and India

A tourist with East Asian features was moving about freely at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and even mingled with local tourists. He introduced himself as a Chinese national and requested for some flowers, soon finding many who

THE REALITY OF GETTING OLD !

Today, I would like to share with you an article, not just for senior citizens but for everyone, that getting old is a reality that we need to embrace and prepare for.

Why we need to ask tough questions from Facebook

Sometime last September,Facebook was upping its engagements in Sri Lanka by holding media awareness sessions. Off the record media briefing sessions, where the contents were not reported.

Dark clouds hanging over Sri Lanka at UNHRC ? - EDITORIAL

With the March regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) approaching, some news detrimental to the Sri Lankan government were heard from abroad. It was mostly so when the Rajapaksas in power in

In this Digital Age: Man Smart, Women Smarter - EDITORIAL

On Sunday March 1, the United Nations marks “Zero Discrimination Day” and the 2020 theme is ‘zero discrimination against women and girls’. The UN says the day is universal in nature and does not confine itself t

Withdrawing co-sponsorship isn’t necessarily bad, but politicking on it, is

The government has announced that it would withdraw the co-sponsorship of a UN Human Rights Council Resolution that it co-sponsored with the US in 2015 and two subsequent rollover resolutions. Foreign Minister Di

Black Bank Day of Sri Lanka

A series of daylight robberies – technically-termed ‘Issue of Treasury Bonds’ – was committed from the beginning of the millennium at the government banker’s coffers under the watchful eyes of its heads, both local and foreign. Ironically, in some cases, they were aided and abetted by the political authority at highest levels in successive governments (albeit 2001-2004 records gon

Making language a unifier rather than a divider

Historically, languages have been a unifier as well as a divider of communities and counties, though their divisive role has gained more attention, as indeed, all conflicts do. In India, in 1950, its top leaders wanted to make Hindi the sole official language with English to be used only till 1965. When the time for the changeover came in 1965, there was a massive agitation in Tamil-speaking Tamil Nadu. The “language war” was so important poli

A two-State solution or a Greater Israel - EDITORIAL

On January 28, 2020, standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, at a White House press conference, US President Trump unveiled his peace plan to settle the Israeli-Palestine conflict.

Coronavirus epidemic reveals China’s dark side

The Coronavirus (CoV) outbreak will eventually be brought under control, and hopefully sooner than expected, but it has brought attention to a darker side of China’s carefully manipulated State-sponsored image of the world’s fastest-growing mega State....

SL’s Chinese connection and Pompeo’s designation of Shavendra Silva

“May you live in interesting times” is a saying that is believed to be an ancient Chinese curse. Many writers and speakers often use this expression or phrase and attribute Chinese origins to it. In spite of the widely-held belief about Chinese links, recent studies by etymologist scholars and linguistic researchers have revealed that there is no evidence of this saying having a Chinese origin.

All is not Wells Part II – MCC and US military objectives in SL

On January 14 this year, the same day that US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Alice Wells met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo,

Languages and linguistic diversity vital for the world

Yesterday was the United Nation’s International Mother Language Day and the world body in a statement stresses the importance of safeguarding linguistic diversity. It says languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and the planet.

Maha Sivarathri: The longest night in the Year when devotees pray to attain Moksha

For Hindus world over Maha Sivarathri is purely a religious ceremony of day time fast and vigilance throughout the night. They observe these special rites on the fourteenth night of Phalgma (February/March) which is the longest night in the year, according to the Hindu calendar.

All is not Wells

In November last year shortly after Sri Lanka’s presidential election US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Alice Wells in a speech at a Washington think tank mentioned that the US would be soon launching the controversial Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) in Sri Lanka.

Modern-day Slavery ! - EDITORIAL

The plight of domestic workers employed in the Middle East is worse than the frustrated farmers who curse their crop being devastated by fungi. Both the domestic worker and the farmer...

Sainthamaruthu: Agitations, hopes and change of fortunes

What would have been the response of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) had a new local council been established for the Muslim dominated Sainthamaruthu area during the last regime?

SL heading for diplomatic face-off in Geneva

Foreign Relations Minister Dinesh Gunawardane will fly to Geneva next week to indicate the Government’s interest in doing away with the resolution 30/1 adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). This is a resolution adopted on October 1, 2015 with co-sponsorship of Sri Lanka under the then regime headed by former President Maithripala Sirisena and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe; committing to probe allegations of

Did we forget the habit of saving rice?

Sri Lankans have a fondness for rice and any politician failing to understand this would be in for a rude shock. At present the regime is involved in sorting out a scarcity for rice. We’ve read enough about the government purchasing paddy from farmers and for that purpose it has roped in the Sri Lanka Army (Army service Corp). There was a period some months ago when our favourite variety of rice was noticeably missing in supermarket shelves. Spe

A ‘two-thirds’ we can all agree upon!

Mangala Samaraweera is reported to have opined that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) will secure a two-thirds majority at the parliamentary elections which are expected to be held in a few months’ time. Interesting.

Udayanga remanded; No U.S. visa for Shavendra

Three months into the tenure of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government, Sri Lanka’s former ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, who was in the wanted list of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Financial Crimes Investigation Department (FCID) and having evaded arrest for more than a couple of years, returned to the country on February 14 on board a SriLankan airlines flight from Dubai escorted by two CID officers.