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Following Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Convenor Wasantha Mudalige being further remanded until 17 January 2023, after being produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday (13), several parties including the IUSF and “aragalaya” (people’s struggle) activists have raised concerns regarding the actions of the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID), and the Attorney General’s (AG’s) Department. Mudalige, who was in remand custody under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA), was produced before Colombo Additional Magistrate T.N.L. Mahawatte last morning. President’s Counsel Saliya Pieris who appeared for Mudalige informed the court that…

All-party conference: Mano Ganesan says 13A must be starting point in reconciliation

Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition MP Mano Ganesan, speaking during the all-party conference on reconciliation held yesterday (13) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, expressed that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and the devolution of power through the system of Provincial Councils (PCs) should be both the starting point and the way forward with regard to resolving the national ethnic issue, which, he noted, is not solely relegated to the North and the East of the country. “The…

He’s Now Called Sir, Cular

By M. A. Sumanthiran – M.A Sumanthiran PC Thank you Honourable presiding member. I am glad to speak on the 3rd Reading, particularly on the votes of the Ministry of Justice today when my good friend at the Bar Hon. Ali Sabry is the minister of Justice. We’ve had a long association. He occupies a very prestigious post that of a Minister of Justice, In the olden days it was occupied by somebody who was from the Senate – from the upper house – because it was a prestigious office to hold. However I think…

Political Solution Before Next Independence Day? another Ranils game to fool the UN.

By Jehan Perera – Jehan Perera The passage of the budget by a comfortable majority confirms that the government’s parliamentary majority is holding in the face of adverse circumstances. The ruling party has lost over twenty of its members who no longer follow the party line. But the rest of them appear to be staying together despite the lack of a clear and public leadership. Prof. G L Peiris who gives leadership to one of the breakaway groups has assailed the ruling party members for having betrayed the mandate on which they…

Sooka Paid A Significant Sum In Legal Costs & Compensation By Pro-GOSL Sinhalese UK Activist

Jayaraj Palihawadana, until recently the UK representative of the political party of the former Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has apologised unreservedly in court to South African human rights lawyer and activist, Yasmin Sooka, for making false statements against her. Sooka initiated a data protection claim in the UK under the Data Protection Act 2018, challenging the publication of inaccurate personal information detrimental to her reputation. Jayaraj Palihawadana published a report which he sent it to 47 diplomatic missions in Geneva in 2021 falsely claiming that Sooka was biased in favour…

The President’s strategically aimed barbs against institutions statutorily tasked with protecting citizens’ rights such as the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, portend, the Govt girding its military and law enforcement loins, against public uprisings next year.

By Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene The New Year that beckons in less than a month will not be happy for Sri Lankans. Leaving the land As the unprecedented migration of skilled professionals from medical, legal, information technology and accounting fields gathers strength with financial privations becoming steadily worse for the middle class, a perfect storm of repression also quickens apace. The more naive among us may be inclined to dismiss President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent gun-happy quips on the floor of the House regarding his ‘Hitler image,’ entirely inappropriate verbal onslaughts…

“If a deal is being made, a contract is given, and percentages are already allocated. 5 % for the minister, so much for the ministry secretary, so much for somebody else, all of that is established, systemised That is why the youth of the country are saying, “System Change”. -MA Sumanthiran MP

(Text of Speech made in Parliament by Jaffna District TNA Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran on 05th December 2022 ) Thank you Hon. Chairman of Committees. Out of those 26 minutes that I have, I will speak for 20 minutes, the balance 6 minutes will be taken by Hon. Govinthan Karunakaram. I am glad that both Ministers whose ministries are being discussed at the committee today are present in the chambers, Ports, Shipping and Aviation; and Justice, Constitutional Affairs and Prison Reforms. I have seen a report that Sri Lankan Airlines in…

Federalism is Not Separatism: Landmark Ruling by Sri lanka Supreme Court

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Last week’s article in these columns about Sri Lankan Tamil nationalist parties seeking a power sharing arrangement based on federal principles or the federal idea resulted in my getting quite a lot of responses from readers. Most of the messages as usual were from Sinhala readers while a few were from Tamil readers also. Despite differences in writing styles and usages of words and phrases among the readers who responded,there were two underlying themes in the two different categories of responses. The Sinhala readers expressed doubts and concerns…

Dullas compares Ranil’s rise to Hitler’s

Cites exploitation of prevailing political instability, economic depression BY Buwanajee Coralage President Ranil Wickremesinghe used the political instability and economic depression in the country to become President similar to how Adolf Hitler came into power with the aid of the Nazi Party in Germany back in the 1930s, claimed Nidahas Janatha Sabha Leader and “independent” MP Dullas Alahapperuma, while addressing a political gathering in Badulla on Sunday (4). “Wickremesinghe is a President born out of political anarchy and economic depression at the time. Back in the 1930s in Germany, Hitler…

President is good but on the wrong side – Radhakrishan

Leader of the Up-Country People’s Front, member of the Tamil Progressive Alliance, and MP for Nuwara Eliya District, V. Radhakrishan, compared Karnan to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, saying Karnan was a good man and a great giver, but because he was with Duriyodhanan, he was harassed by Lord Krishna. Similarly, President Wickramasinghe is a fine scholar. But he is on the wrong side, which is why many people, have rejected him for following the Dharma path. He said so while addressing the public meeting on Monday (5) at Watawala Plantation. He…

India’s Subramanian Swamy meets Rajapaksa’s

29/09/202229/09/2022 Karu

Senior Indian politician Subramanian Swamy has met former Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo. Subramanian Swamy was accompanied by a group of Indian lawyers and businessmen during his meeting with the former President. The Bharathiya Janatha Party politician is expected to call on Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena tomorrow. Subramanian Swamy had called on former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the sidelines of his visit to attend the 15th International Research Conference organized by the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU). Known to be a close ally of…

While President Wickremesinghe blunders and the opposition exists in a parallel universe where their electoral victory is written in the stars, the Rajapaksas are back to weaving their web of lies and deception.

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “Was there then no essential difference between the ruler and the ruled?” Salman Rushdie (The Enchantress of Florence)> Sri Lanka, unravelled and unravelling, is mesmerised by a new wonder: the Lotus Tower. When that monumental symbol of Rajapaksa folly was opened to the public last week, people thronged to pay the entrance fee, ride to the top and gaze down. A monk enthused that he felt close to the highest of Buddhist heavens. Women thanked Mahinda Rajapaksa for enabling them to have this wondrous experience.It was as if…

How and Why Buddhist Monk Talduwe Somarama Thero Shot and Killed Prime Minister S.W.R.D.Bandarananaike Sixty-three Years ago

ByD.B.S.Jeyaraj Sixty-three years ago on September 25th 1959 the Prime Minister Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (SWRDB) of Sri Lanka known as Ceylon then was shot and seriously wounded by a Buddhist monk. Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike succumbed to his injuries and passed away the following day. Thereafter September 26th 1959 got etched as an important date in the post-independence history annals of Sri Lanka. In later years , political assassinations became a regular feature in Sri Lanka.These killings proliferated when the armed secessionist conflict in the North –East and…

The return of the prodigal and the flight of the other

The Rajapaksa saga continues: As Gota flies in, Basil flies out with SC ok Like a thief in the night, he flees the island state, furtively sneaking out past midnight’s godless hour aboard a military jet, deserting his presidential office and leaving his country in the ruins he wreaked. In dereliction of duty as Commander-in Chief of the Armed Forces and Executive President, he leaves his burning country at the mercy of unknown fates. He transgresses his vow, repeated oft, that, come what may, he will not run away, and…

Gnanasara Thera unfazed by Saudi event criticism

By Buddhika Samaraweera Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera said that he would not take any notice of the criticism and sarcasm on social media platforms, particularly on Facebook, regarding his participation in an event to mark the Saudi National Day on Friday (23). Commenting on the social media posts in question to The Morning, he said: “Anyone can criticise or use sarcasm, but who cares about them? When they think they have had enough, they will stop. People in this country only know to sarcastically…

Freedom of expression must be within the constitutional order -SL tells UNGA

While claiming that Sri Lanka unconditionally recognize the fact that one has a fundamental right to freedom of expression, foreign minister Ali Sabry however told UN General Assembly’s 77th session that this freedom must be within the constitutional order “Freedom of expression is sacrosanct and must be exercised within the confines of the law., he said. The minister also said that confronted with overlapping challenges, developing countries and their economies are at extreme risk with Governments facing debt-default and financial collapse due to a lack of access to adequate capital,…

32 Lankans migrate every hour