Month: June 2018

From stretches of pristine coastline, to an archaeological museum and several churches built by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British, Jaffna has much to offer curious visitors.  Below we have made note of the lesser known places of interest, which are located a short distance away from the main town and they can all be visited within a day’s travel. 1. St. James Church 2. Kadurugoda Archaeological Site 3. Nilavarai Well 4. Kankesanthurai Beach 5. Keerimalai Pond 6. Casuarina Beach https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g2467801-Activities-Northern_Province.html

FUNDS ALLEGEDLY USED FOR MAHINDA’S ELECTION CAMPAIGN Following the recommendations made by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption (PRECIFAC), the Attorney General last week filed indictments against those who have misappropriated public funds to conduct an election rally in Negombo in the run up to the 2015 Presidential Elections. The indictments were filed against former Acting Fisheries Minister Sarath Kumara Gunaratne, his Private Secretary/ son-in-law Upul Chaminda Perera Kumarasinghe, former Chairman CFHC Upali Liyanage, former General Manager Galapitagedara Piyal Abeysekara, former Deputy General Manager…

Leader of the House and Minister Lakshman Kiriella yesterday told The Island yesterday that Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana, PC, had officially sought inquired from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) whether funds received by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa from China in the run-up to the last presidential polls in January 2015 had been deposited there. Minister Kiriella said that Sri Lanka had raised the issue after receiving reliable information. Minister Kiriella said that the government had received information as regards funds in UAE following the revelation made by The New York…

SITUATION HAS TAKEN A TURN FOR THE WORSE FOR THE UNP GOVT IS COMPELLED TO CONDUCT POLLS IN THE NORTH BY DECEMBER NO CHANGES IN US POLICIES IN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THEY TALK ABOUT GAMPeRALIYA WHEN ELECTIONS ARE NEAR I HAD ONLY A ROUTINE MEETING WITH US ENVOY ATUL KESHAP AGRICULTURE SECTOR IS IN TATTERS WITH NO FERTILIZER FOR FARMERS WILL DECIDE ON PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AT RIGHT TIME I WILL NOT DECIDE IT ON MY OWN; I GAUGE PUBLIC OPINION FALSE PROPAGANDA CARRIED OUT AGAINST US LAST TIME SOME SAY GOTABHAYA IS THE SUITABLE CANDIDATE TO CONTEST POLLS INDIA IS THE COUNTRY THAT CAN MAKE THE BIGGEST POLITICAL INFLUENCE ON SRI LANKA WE HAVE TO WELCOME THOSE DEFECTING FROM GOVT IN PARLIAMENT       Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in an interview with Daily Mirror, speaks about the presidential candidate, the political rifts within the Joint Opposition (JO), the development in world politics and India’s political influence on Sri Lanka. Besides, he responds to questions about his…

Sri Lanka is sleepwalking into a Rajapaksa dynasty characterized by illiberal democracy, state-dominated inefficient capitalism and ethnic chauvinism, after a failed test of good governance by an unholy coalition of left and right wing parties for three years, according to Prof. Razeen Sally, Chairman of Colombo-based think tank, the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). Delivering a public lecture last week on the topic ‘Capitalism in Asia and what it means for Sri Lanka’, organised by Advocata Institute – an open market advocacy – Prof. Sally said the present government is…

ECONOMYNEXT –A Chinese company paid $7.6 million for Mahinda Rajapaksa’s relection bid in 2015, the New York Times reported this week raising the possibe payments to more than six times what was originally thought. The NYT said it found evidence showing that the $7.6 million had been paid from the China Harbour’s account at Standard Chartered Bank to affiliates of Rajapaksa’s campaign, much more than the $1.14 million reported by the state-run Daily News in July 2015. The Daily News had reported that 149 million rupees was given by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC)…

By Shamindra Ferdinando Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Chairman and top Joint Opposition spokesman Prof. G.L. Peiris on Monday (June 25) strongly opposed any special arrangement between the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government and the Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran to put off elections to the NPC. Prof. Peiris emphasized there couldn’t be such an exclusive agreement between the government and a particular provincial administration especially against the backdrop of postponement of elections scheduled for Sabaragamuwa, Eastern and North Central Provincial Councils polls last year. SLPP Chairman said so at a…

By Ranga Jayasuriya Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa has skeletons though, may not be in his closet, but wherever white vans had dumped victims during his abduction prone tenure as the Defence Secretary. But, not even by a long shot did he go any close to Hitler. Last week, when a high priest publicly urged him to become a Hitler, it was not clear whether the aspiring presidential candidate took it as a compliment or as a personal affront. The Anunayake of the Asgiriya Chapter, Ven Vedaruvey Upali Thera has reportedly told Mr.…

US ambassador Atul Keshap has told ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa to look for another option as Gotabhaya Rajapaksa cannot contest the 2020 presidential election. Meeting him a few days ago at his Wijerama Mawatha home, Keshap briefed Mahinda about the US government stand with regard to Gotabhaya and the presidential polls. The ambassador was making a farewell call, as he is to end his term in a few days’ time. The US Interior Ministry has initiated an investigation against its citizen Gotabhaya over a financial crime. Therefore, he cannot abandon his…

(Lanka e News -24.June.2018, 11.25PM)  A ‘yellow murder mania’ which is a challenge to laws , justice and pristine Buddhism  is most  dangerously rearing its monstrous head across the entire country. This  group of blood lusty yellow monsters  under the pretext of helping  the hooligan monk  Gnanassara who was in jail  wearing the ’jumper’ met at the residence of Gotabaya the devil incarnate most stealthily and conspiratorially. This most dangerous  mad contagion  is being spread by Asgiriya chapter Anunayake (deputy prelate ) , a robed monk by the name of…

Gotler Or Hitler, Two Sides Of The Same Coin By Vishwamithra – “Democracy; the fools have a right to vote. Dictatorship; the fools have a right to rule” ~Bertrand Russell  The whole of Sri Lankan society, at least the rumor-prone Colombo pukka sahibs, went berserk when they heard a ‘sermon’ of some sort from a so-called highly-placed Buddhist Monk of the Asgiriya Chapter asking a notorious sibling of Mahinda Rajapaksa to take control of the country and rule like Hitler, who is really the personification of ‘man’s inhumanity to man’.  A widely read online news…

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa would not have any difficulty to get former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga, who was alleged to have involved in MiG deal, to return to Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said today. “Hitler’s brother would not have any difficulty in bringing back Weeratunga to Sri Lanka as he is still associated with the latter,” PM Wickremesinghe told UNP Ministers at Temple Trees today. He had referred to former President as Hitler’s brother. “The Sri Lankan Government had made arrangements to bring Mr Weeratunga back to the country…

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), of which the Ilankai Tamil ArasuKatchi (ITAK) is the single largest constituent, appears to be heading for a split, with the Sampanthan and Wigneswaran factions failing to find a common ground to work together.    A likely outcome is the emergence of two new groupings, with the ITAK and its adjuncts being on one side and a conglomerate or congeries of groups headed by the Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran being on the other side.    The two factions have been on the verge of a…

The work of Father Nandana Manatunga and his team has helped secure convictions against perpetrators of rape and torture Father Nandana Manatunga was awarded the 2018 Gwangiu Prize for Human Rights by South Korea’s May 18 Memorial Foundation. (Photo supplied) Quintus Colombage, Colombo  Sri Lanka Father Nandana Manatunga champions families of political prisoners as well as victims of torture, rape and other abuses. He visits police stations and army camps seeking justice, including for the loved ones of ethnic Tamils who disappeared after being taken into military custody during the nation’s…

Let us not continue to be pawns in the hands of scheming individuals or institutions. Let us agitate in a systematic, organized way for Justice for our affected people. Let us move forward together to reach our political objectives. I make this request of you on this emotive day.  Let us identify ourselves as a determinable group of people, the Tamil People, who were subjected to genocide in this 21st century where human civilization has reached great heights. By C.V. Wigneswaran – Mullivaikal Commemorative Programme 18.05.2009 – 18.05.2018 – Remembering the dead during the conclusion of…

H.E. Ambassador Miroslav Lajčák, Permanent Representative of Slovakia President of UN General Assembly(2017/2018) Your Excellency Sri Lanka is misleading the UN General Assembly Please share the following with all UN members: Sri Lanka Representative: ”Sri Lanka had emerged from a long conflict and embarked on a process of peacebuilding. …. By addressing the hearts and minds of the Sri Lankan people, the Government had endeavoured towards a peaceful and prosperous country. ….……”, 25 April 2018, https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/ga12013.doc.htm The war was brought to an end in May 2009, but the root causes of the conflict remain…