Month: February 2016

By Gagani Weerakoon The Head of the State and his Foreign Minister seem to stand poles apart when it comes to getting foreign expertise in the process of investigating war crime allegations. This was evident when Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera clearly stated Sri Lanka is open to international actors in the war crimes probe and zeroed President Maithripala Sirisena’s remarks on the matter as mere personal opinion. Samaraweera made these remarks while participating a Q & A session following his address on “Advancing Reconciliation and Democracy” at a leading think-tank, the…

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Our sister paper “Sunday Times”revealed details last week about an incident of friction between a senior cabinet minister and a senior military official that had occurred in Jaffna a few weeks earlier. The Sunday Times Political column scored a scoop by referring to an exchange of words between Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs minister Mangala Samaraweera and the Sri Lankan Army 51 division commander Major-General Chagi Gallage and the subsequent transfer of the military official from the north. Here are the relevant excerpts – “Two weeks ago, Foreign Minister…

University of Jaffna’s administration and Senate decided to implement a code of ethics for the university students and staff. Accordingly, the following instructions have been given by the university authorities. * Wearing denims and T-shirts are banned during the lectures. * Every Fridays women should wear sari. * Students and Academic staff are not permitted in the class rooms if they have beard. It was not clear if this was applicable to all students, including Muslim males, who usually wear beards, one commentator said on Facebook.  Convener of the Inter…

By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s foreign minister said on Thursday he is willing to consider international participation in investigating possible war crimes during the 26-year Tamil insurgency. “I think it is only fair that the victims of the war would want some form of guarantee that the new courts will deliver justice and accountability in a fair manner, and for that we are willing to consider the participation of international actors,” Mangala Samaraweera, the minister, said at a Washington think tank. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has…

Repeal PTA soon! Last week, the Centre for Human Rights raised concerns about repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), claiming that by dragging their feet on repealing the PTA and taking legal action against those detained under the PTA, the AG’s Department and the Ministry of Justice are harming the credibility of the government. The issue came up again in the backdrop of a hunger strike by 12 PTA detainees demanding release from prison. PTA, in the recent past, was regarded as a controversial law and the existence as…

President Maithripala Sirisena is to appoint a Presidential Commission to investigate the attacks on journalists and media organizations which were carried out during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s rule. The Presidential Commission will be tasked with probing the attacks on several journalists including Poddala Jayantha, as well as the attacks on Sirasa TV and Lankaenews. Meanwhile, speaking at the US Institute of Peace, Washington DC on Friday, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that the investigation into the killing of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunga was moving extremely well. “But for obvious reasons, and…

COLOMBO: Tamils are disputing the Sri Lankan government’s claim that there are 22, 254 Tamil Buddhists in the country. Most Tamils feel that this is a gross exaggeration. The Minister of National Dialogue, Mano Ganeshan, told Express, that the claim might have been made “for propaganda purposes”, to show the dominant Sinhalese-Buddhists that significant inroads have already been made into the largely Hindu Tamil minority. But the government’s claim is based on the 2012 census, says Mass Media Minister Gayantha Karunartilleke. He told parliament earlier this week, that there are…

By Ulapane Sumangala Thero – Is this the result of practicing politics of hate or of politics of revenge? The answer that is required to be sought in this regard in the first place is whether the CSN channel was started in order to fulfill the role of a media organization or for the purposes of money laundering. The shortest answer that can be given in this regard is something that needs to be asked from the heads of the CSN channel, in that for the past year having spent…

A block of land in Medamulana belonging to Major Neville Wanniarachchi, who was former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s chief security officer, was dug up using a backhoe in search of buried cash, jewellery and weapons. About 20 STF personnel had been deployed for the digging amid high security to prevent any trespasses. The Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya recently ordered the CID and the FCID to conduct investigations into frauds and corruptions allegedly committed by Major Wanniarachchi. The CID informed court that the Major Wanniarachchi had forcibly acquired barren lands belonging…

by Saman Indrajith Opposition and TNA Parliamentary Group Leader R. Sampanthan yesterday called upon all MPs to shed their political differences and extend their fullest cooperation to accomplish the task of drafting a new Constitution. The veteran politician made that request in Parliament when an argument broke out between the JVP MPs and Minister W. D. J Seneviratne in the middle of the speech of MP Sunil Handunnetti. The Opposition Leader asked the government members not to disturb and delay the resolution to convert Parliament into a Constitutional Assembly. He…

By Camelia Nathaniel sri Lanka Muslim Congress General Secretary, M.T. Hasen Ali said that when the new government came into power, there was hope of a political settlement  on addressing the problems of power-sharing for the Tamil and Muslim people being reached through a new Constitution. However he said that none of these promises are being fulfilled and petty personal issues and ego issues have shrouded the national issues of the country. In an interview with The Sunday Leader, Ali said that although there are calls for the merger of…

Secret behind Fonseka’s re-entry Whenever Sarath Fonseka emerges in politics, those opposed to him appear excited and confused. Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka is a sensation in every field he treads because those who envy him view this character as a sensational figure, may be with fear. Fonseka is outspoken and that had been to his disadvantage on many occasions. Be that as it may, when Sarath Fonseka was engaged at Temple Trees signing the agreement with Ranil Wickremesinghe, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was busy meeting the Maha Sangha. Gotabaya chose the occasion…