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Occupation and colonisation in Mullaitivu are more pressing issues than development, a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP told the Sri Lankan prime minister. Speaking at a meeting during prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to the North on Saturday, TNA MP Shanthi Sriskantharajah highlighted that development efforts were secondary to the need to end and reverse the occupation and appropriation of Tamil lands in Mullaitivu. “In Mullaitivu District, colonisation is a bigger issue than development. Firstly, our people’s lands were grabbed and given to the Mahaweli Authority through gazette notifications,” Sriskantharajah said. “Moreover, lands are being given here to people of other districts, for example people of Anuradhapura District in the name of Mahaweli. Tanks are being restored but lands are not given to the people […]

Right wing politicians have taken up cudgels against Navy officials testifying against senior rankers implicated in an abduction for ransom racket in 2008-2009. Investigators worry the campaign of intimidation could hamper the probe and deter key witnesses from coming forward In 2012, Naval Intelligence officer Lieutenant Commander Krishan Welagedara became one of the CID’s key witnesses in an investigation into a gory abduction racket by Sri Lanka Navy personnel in 2008-2009. Welagedara’s statement helped the CID to establish that 11 young men abducted from Colombo were held in subterranean detention cells at the Trincomalee Naval base. Lt. Commander Welagedara’s life has not been the same since. As CID sleuths close in on high ranking naval officials linked to the abduction case, right wing politicians are […]

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the Northern politicians a few home truths. A TNA MP complained, at a recent development review committee meeting, at the Kilinochchi Divisional Secretariat, that Pradeshiya Sabhas had not received funds for housing from either the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) or the government. Responding to him, the PM reportedly said that powers already devolved to the provinces had to be fully utilised before more was asked for. The TNA considers Wickremesinghe a friend and it should, therefore, heed his advice. One cannot but agree with the PM, on this score. The TNA-controlled NPC hardly did anything constructive or useful to the public. Its sole purpose of being was apparently adopting resolutions against the government, one after the other, and there […]

BY HARIM PEIRIS The undeclared front runner for the Rajapaksa clan / SLPP / JO nomination is undoubtedly former Defence Secretary. So his views and vision for Sri Lanka, which he is now periodically presenting as his undeclared presidential candidacy commences, merit serious attention. A democracy requires that there be debate and dialogue on policies and decisions affecting national life and, in that respect, the military is the last institution one wants to learn democratic norms from. The military personnel are trained are over a lifetime to obey lawful orders without question and have orders carried out without question. Accordingly, in recent times, opinion leaders in support of a Gotabaya candidacy and Mr. Rajapaksa himself have been making comments that indicate that within the new […]

By Shiran Ranasinghe and Methmalie Dissanayake State Minister of Highways, Road Development and Petroleum Resources Development Ranjan Ramanayake yesterday (18), said that he had revealed the names of politicians, including Members of Parliament, who allegedly consume cocaine and other illegal narcotics to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on 17 February. Speaking to Ceylon Today, Ramanayake said that he revealed those names to the Speaker via telephone. “I would not reveal these names to the Media and the general public as there should be a thorough investigation first. This list contains names of some current Cabinet Ministers, former Cabinet Ministers and some people who currently engage in politics,” he claimed. Furthermore, he claimed that it is not a secret that some politicians, including current and former Cabinet Ministers, […]

Will the lawyer PC Shantha Abeymanasingham respond to the allegations made in the video below. and refund the fees. Will the lawyer PC Shantha Abeymanasingham respond to the allegations made in the video below and refund the fees. Please listen to the video below which was telecasted in a Prominent Colombo tv station have given a translation below.  How could lawyer AbemanasIngham justify charging this person 1 and a 1/2 Laks and had for him only twice in court without taking any meaning full action to release him? Shantha has not done anything other than cautioning him that the charges made against him are serious and he could end up in a live sentence. Thena young lawyer appeared for him and explain to the judge the nature of the charges and […]

Highlights: Slow industrial growth, low incomes, soaring indebtedness, more suicides, poor child nutrition levels Sri Lanka’s war-torn North has only 23 Board of Investment (BOI) companies, just one of which is funded by the diaspora, the lowest number of industrial enterprises in the country and an industrial sector growing far slower than the national average, a new report reveals. In the ten years since fighting ended, employment creation has also not met demand while the Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts record the nation’s lowest monthly incomes. Indebtedness has soared. There is an increase in suicides and attempted suicides. Child nutrition levels have plunged and women’s participation in the labour force is well below the national average, says the Master Plan for an Economic Development Framework for […]

Political opponents had questioned NFF MP Premaratne’s ability to pay Rs. 725,000 a month to a state bank for Rs 80 mn loan drawn from the parliament branch of the bank. National Freedom Front (NFF) MP Premaratne for paying his last respects to 62-year-old Samarasinghe Arachchige Lakshman, father of Makadure Madush in August 2018. By Shamindra Ferdinando Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader and UPFA member Udaya Gammanpila, yesterday, claimed that so far there was no basis for allegations that UPFA Matara District MP Niroshan Premaratne had laundered underworld kingpin Makadure Madush’s drug money. Those who accused MP Premaratne of money laundering owed an explanation as to how they had arrived at that conclusion, attorney-at-law Gammanpila said. The Colombo District MP said so when the media […]

By Methmalie Dissanayake The Police Media Unit has not been informed so far about legal procedure, which is supposed to have taken place in Dubai, with regard to notorious underworld drug kingpin Makandure Madush and the group arrested along with him, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara  told Ceylon Today. Several reports were circulated that Madush was expected to be produced before Dubai Courts on Sunday (10) along with others who were arrested, by the Dubai Police on 4 February. When queried about this, SP Gunasekara said that the Police Media Unit is not aware about it and they have not been officially informed of anything regarding the said Court case. Madush, one of Sri Lanka’s most wanted criminals and a group of 25 individuals, including […]

Tamil New governor ignored  at Independence Day celebrations. The Home Ministry set out mixed roles for recently appointed Provincial Governors at celebrations connected with last Monday’s Independence Day. In different provinces, the arrangements were varied. In Uva, both Governor Marshal Perera and Chief Minister Chamara Sampath took part in the ceremonies. In the South, Governor Rajith Keerthi Tennekoon and Chief Minister Shan Wijeylal de Silva were present. However, Northern Province Governor Dr Suren Raghavan and Central Province Governor Maithri Gunaratne attended the ceremonies at the Galle Face Green. “It’s not you but your son who got married, isn’t it,” CBK to Mahinda. Ahead of India’s Independence Day last month, the Indian High Commission held a performance at the Cultural Centre at Bauddaloka Mawatha in Colombo. Present […]