Day: 23 July 2016

Hindu temple demolished to make way for Buddhist vihara in Jaffna

Karu

A Hindu temple in Jaffna has been demolished by the Sri Lankan military, who have built a statue of the Buddha in its place, said a priest earlier this month. Saivite priest  P S G Sri Ayyappadasa Sampasiva Shivachariyar said that the temple, which was located in the village of Veemankaamam has been completely destroyed by the military, in an interview with LankaSri earlier this month. The Pillaiyar temple provided a place of safety for the local Tamil population during more than 30 years of war, said the priest. Its…

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Everyday Heroes: Untold Stories of Black July

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July 23. The date has an awful significance for some, and has been blotted out by time for others. On that date, in 1983, a group of LTTE militants killed 13 Army soldiers. The attack brought simmering tensions between the Sinhalese and Tamils bubbling to the surface. The result: mobs of Sinhalese set upon and brutally attacked hundreds of Tamil civilians, and set fire to their property. Groundviews has consistently recorded the deep impact that Black July had on Sri Lankans. While the very phrase conjures up images of burning…

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‘Certain politicians resorting to various gimmicks’

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Those who fall sick when in remand become very healthy overnight to join protest walks, once they are granted bail, Law and Order and Southern Development Minister Sagala Ratnayaka said. He was speaking in Parliament yesterday in response to a question raised by JVP MP Nalin Jayathissa during the round of questions for oral answers. MP Jayathissa said the Financial Crime Investigation Division (FCID) was under Minister Sagala Rathnayaka. “When politicians are remanded they are admitted to the Prisons Hospital or to the Colombo National Hospital,” Jayathissa said. “Is the…

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Govt not taking political revenge from Rajapaksas – Samarasinghe

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? Are you satisfied with the government’s attention on corruption allegations and the action being taken against them? A: Firstly, I have to remind that the current government was elected by the people to implement the law and they also wanted to remove the regime that corrupted the country and brought Sri Lanka to its knees. When the people voted in the new government they expected the new government to satisfy them by probing corruption allegations brought against the previous regime. But today, we can see there is a major…

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‘Sparks of communal hatred’ only option for Mahinda and his Group

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Last weekend’s clashes between two student factions of the Jaffna University send a stark reminder to the nation that although the war against terrorism is over, there are many in this country who would wish to reignite the sparks of communal hatred. The clashes erupted between students of the    Science faculty and the Arts Faculty of the Jaffna University during a welcoming ceremony for freshers and had definite communal undertones: it was reported that Sinhalese students were selectively targeted and attacked. The government has acted swiftly to close the university…

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Premechandran on northern problems and Govt. inaction

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EPRLF Leader and TNA member Suresh Premechandran Q: What is the latest with regard to the Jaffna University clash? A: I do not know why this much of exposure is given to this drama. Earlier there were three incidents in the Eastern University. There was some misunderstanding and as a result a brawl took place between Tamil and Sinhalese students; they were both assaulted and Tamil students were hospitalised. These things have happened earlier. This is not the first time. The Education Minister or the Higher Education Minister didn’t take…

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Task Force Calls On Diaspora To Make Submissions On Reconciliation

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The Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms has invited the Sri Lankan diaspora to make submissions in an effort to advance reconciliation in the country. Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu The Task Force has called for submissions from diaspora organizations as well as individuals on the design of structures, processes and measures for truth, accountability, reparations and non-recurrence. The diaspora can make submissions on 1) An Office of Missing Persons 2) An office of Reparations 3) A Judicial Mechanism with a Special Counsel 4) A Truth, Justice, Reconciliation and Non-Recurrence Commission 5)…

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Armed forces were involved in enforced disappearances authorised by Mahinda, so these crimes should not be investigated?

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Establishing the office of the Missing Persons is a betrayal of the armed forces who killed them? By Basil Fernando – Basil Fernando The statement made by Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa the former head of state in Sri Lanka, that ‘establishing the office of the Missing Persons is a betrayal of the armed forces’ is a statement unbecoming of a former head of the state and a prominent political leader in Sri Lanka. What it directly says is that enforced disappearances which is an internationally recognised heinous crime should not be…

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Jaffna University Sinhala-Tamil Student Conflict Was Insane!

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By Laksiri Fernando – Dr. Laksiri Fernando When you come to think of it, the Sinhala-Tamil student conflict at the University of Jaffna last weekend was insane. This was all pretentiously about welcoming new students to a faculty of undergraduate studies. This said faculty is not about ‘performing arts,’ let alone physical prowess, but about Science. But the conflict was ostensibly about ‘drum and music’ (Thavil and Nathasvaram) and ‘cultural dancing’ (the Kandyan type!). As the Vice Chancellor declared last year in the Faculty’s Handbook, “I consider that the new…

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