Day: 22 March 2016

The mediation of prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ensured true national reconciliation by deed, rather than word, over the matter of Kilinochchi police having tried to stop the launch on the coming 19th of the autobiography of the deceased LTTE women’s political leader Subramaniam Sivagami alias Thamilini, who had been rehabilitated and freed. The organizing of the launch was halted after police told Thamilini’s widower Jeyakumar that permission could be given only if certain pictures in the book are removed and the cover page changed.  After getting to know about…

Following the joint opposition’s rally at Hyde Park in Colombo on the 17th, president Maithripala Sirisena sent a team of his loyalists to meet with Elle Gunawansa Thera, say reliable sources. Speaking to the Thera via a mobile phone of one of them, the president had a lengthy review of the prevailing political situation and said in the end, “had Mahinda Rajapaksa given me the premiership, he would still have been the president.”   Immediately, Gunawansa Thera telephoned Mahinda and related to him everything he was told by the president.…

This is an expanded text version of a talk at a forum organized by the Law & Society Trust (LST) on “Recognizing the Struggle: State’s responsibilities towards families of the disappeared”, on Friday 18 March 2016. It is significant for me to talk about civil society’s role on disappearances at an event organized by Law and Society Trust (LST) because it was at LST that I was thrust into working with families of disappeared persons. Families have always been and will remain central to the struggle against disappearances. They remain my primary…

Almost 15 months under the present Sirisena-Wickremesinghe rule, the economy is in no good state. Defeating Rajapaksa at the 2015 January 08 presidential polls was not meant to merely abolish the Executive Presidency (which wasn’t done) but also to lift the country out of the economic abyss. In the Maithripala Sirisena manifesto for the presidential elections, he therefore promised I will put right development priorities that are now upside down. I will suspend all wasteful expenses and establish a National Economic Planning Council comprising learned personnel, who would act not on…

President Maithripala Sirisena was the chief guest at the Bharat Natyam Arangethram of the daughters of the State Minister of Child Affairs, Vijayakala Maeshwaran, which was held yesterday (March 20) at the Kadiration Hall in Bambalapitiya. Miss Bhawatharani Maheshwaran and Bhavithra Maheshwaran demonstrated their dancing skills at this show. They presented a souvenir to President Sirisena at the end of the show. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition Leader R. Sambandan, Ministers; Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, Ravi Karunanayake, D. M. Swaminadan and former member of Provincial Council Asad Sali were among those participated…

The inquiry against 27 individuals including some UPFA MPs over the Contempt of Court by staging a protest outside the Bribery Commission violating a court order in April last year, was postponed for June 27, seeking Attorney General’s opinion on the matter, by the Colombo Chief Magistrate today. The Cinnamon Garden Police told Court that they seek Attorney General’s opinion regarding this. Earlier, the Magistrate ordered the other suspects to appear before Court only when they were noticed, but the suspect UPFA Western Provincial Councillor Upali Kodikara was ordered to…

Aussie department not working with the NGO in India, says official Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living outside camps in Tamil Nadu were reportedly given gifts and offered assistance in getting medical insurance and Aadhaar card by an NGO before it launched a controversial survey seeking their personal details and future plans. The Hindu has accessed photographs of the gifts and pamphlets given by Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), the NGO, to refugees a few months ago. Interestingly, the gifts had the logo of ADRA and the seal of the…

Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday said he is considering devolving powers to provinces through a new constitution which is now under discussion, President Sirisena said he supports devolving powers to provinces within a united Sri Lanka. He noted that several issues faced by the people can be addressed by strengthening provincial councils. The president said the government is keen to give more powers to the provinces through the new constitution and said it is important that the government and the provincial councils reach an understanding on the issues at hand. The…