Month: January 2020

By Meera Srinivasan National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Saturday met Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo and discussed key bilateral issues including economic development and strategic cooperation. “A very cordial discussion was held with National Security Advisor of #India, Ajit Doval today. Strengthening of bilateral cooperation on national security, intelligence sharing, maritime security & fostering of regional collaboration, were some of the key points of discussion,” President Rajapaksa said in tweet soon after the meeting. A statement from his office said the two countries discussed strengthening military ties.…

Sri Lanka to probe ragging suicides as thousands drop out of university

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka as appointed a committee to probe over 2,000 victims of ragging, a type of extreme physical, mental and sexual harassment meted out to freshers by seniors, some of whom committed and others were maimed for life. “This should be viewed as a national crime as a considerable number has committed suicides, been maimed or hospitalized,” Higher Education Minister Bandula Gunewardene said. “We should be ashamed as a nation for what has happened to these students” The ragging deaths are one of the crises in the tax-payer…

Army Troops Detect Explosives & Ganja from Two Buses

Army troops manning a roadblock at Neriyakulam along Vavuniya – Mannar road last evening (17) during a search, conducted on a Mannar bound private bus detected 51 gelignite sticks, weighing about 6.8 kg. 5 (Volunteer) Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) troops of the Security Force HQ-Wanni at the roadblock took both the driver and the conductor of the bus into custody on suspicion and handed them over to Cheddikulam Police station for further investigations. Meanwhile, troops at a roadblock near Kebithigollewa along Kebithigollewa –Horowpothana road arrested two suspects, carrying 2…

EU to continue GSP Plus until 2023

The European Union (EU) has stated that it decided to continue its Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP Plus) tax concessions to Sri Lanka until 2023. Minister of Industrial Export and Investment Promotion and Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Prasanna Ranatunga stated this today (19).

India assures USD 50 Mn for Sri Lanka’s defence equipment purchases

India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval has told Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that it is important that India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives review the Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) regime and include other regional countries as observers. The MDA regimen keeps track of vessels in the area. Doval said this, among other things, when he met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (18). There were two meetings, the first one was one to one, and the other was in the presence of officials from both sides. The meetings were followed…

India’s agenda is to secure the full implementation of the 13th Amendment (13A) to the Constitution

Push for 13A not dropped Devolution not discussed during FM’s Delhi visit By Easwaran Rutnam India is engaged in backdoor diplomacy to ensure the rights of Tamils are secured and its friendly relations with Sri Lanka are also maintained. On top of India’s agenda is to secure the full implementation of the 13th Amendment (13A) to the Constitution, despite the new Government saying that will not be possible. Asked by The Sunday Morning if the 13A is no more a topic of discussion between Sri Lanka and India, the Indian External Affairs…

Extend dual citizenship to Tamil refugees: Sri Lankan leader urges India

Senior Sri Lankan leader and former chief minister of the island nation’s Tamil-majority North Eastern province, CV Wigneswaran, on Friday urged India to grant dual citizenship to the Lankan Tamil refugees living here since the late 1980s. The demand for dual citizenship for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in several camps across Tamil Nadu and outside has gained momentum in the wake of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. And, there is unanimity on this across the political spectrum, barring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). There are more than 62,000 Lankan Tamil…

Wigneswaran meets Rajinikanth to discuss issues in North

Former Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran, who is currently on a tour in Chennai, India, has held a discussion with the famed South Indian actor Rajinikanth. Wigneswaran attended the sixth commemorative event organized by the Global Tamil Organization in Chennai to deliver a lecture. Upon meeting at the event, they had engaged in a cordial discussion at the actor’s residence. Reportedly, they had discussed the political situation in Sri Lanka and the Northern Province, the current situation in the North following the war and the lives of the…

Revert to the pre-2015 era.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has put to rest at least for the duration of this Parliament a freelance move to remove the 19th Amendment (19A) to the Constitution. He has said there will be no constitutional reforms during this Parliament. That is obvious because this Government is a minority Government in Parliament. But then the MP who introduced the proposed 21A and 22A to the Constitution to overhaul 19A (which ironically he introduced in 2015 as Justice Minister) would have had the imprimatur of higher-ups in this Government. Otherwise, he…

New Govt Wants to Retain Its Sinhala Constituency by Continuing With Hardline Majoritarian Stance.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa Regime Unlikely to Reach Out To Tamils and Muslims Before Parliamentary Elections as New Govt Wants to Retain Its Sinhala Constituency by Continuing With Hardline Majoritarian Stance. By P.K.Balachandran The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), whose Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the November 16 election without the support of the minority Tamils and Muslims, and is still to reach out to them in any overt way, is likely to build bridges with them after the April 2020 parliamentary elections, sources close to the SLPP leadership said. According…

Return of Rajapaksa rule given rise to drastic changes, both positive and negative

Very little praise given for positive measures enacted by ‘Yahapalanaya’ Tamils who want to sing national anthem in their mother tongue are neither separatists nor extremists Valalaai event initiated by Maithri-Ranil-Chandrika triumvirate a harbinger of hope Return of Rajapaksa rule given rise to drastic changes, both positive and negative By D.B.S. Jeyaraj This is my third and final column in the trilogy of articles about the singing of Sri Lanka’s national anthem in Sinhala and Tamil languages. I would have very much liked to write about hot topics like Ranjan Ramanayake’s…

United Nations Human Rights Council would withdraw its proposals against the Sri Lankan government this year – Lord Naseby

President Gotabaya commended in British House of Commons With the appointment of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the President, the United Kingdom (UK) has a great opportunity to establish trade links with Sri Lanka, says Lord Naseby of the British House of Lords. Lord Naseby, who represents the British Parliament, expressed his views on Sri Lanka in the British House of Commons on the 7th of January. He stated that the UK should place their trust in the newly elected President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Lord Naseby affirmed that he believes…

No point talking about shortcomings of our govt. – Mano

Former United National Party (UNP) Minister Mano Ganesan says that it is the responsibility of the incumbent government to correct any shortcomings of the previous government. He expressed these views speaking to media following a program held yesterday (10) in Thotalanga. When inquired of the Commission set up by the previous government, Ganesan said, “It is not our government anymore. There is a new government now. Ask them of these, not me. A new government was established saying our government did wrong, right? There is no point talking about the…

Northern governor hears call to serve on home turf

P.S.M. Charles, the newly appointed, first woman Governor of the Northern Province, who also happens to be a native of the region and a senior public servant, is looking forward to fulfilling people’s aspirations. P.S. M. Charles receiving a guard of honour She was born and bred in Ilavalai, Jaffna. Ms Charles was sworn in by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on December 30. She assumed duties on Thursday at the Governor’s Secretariat, where she was welcomed with a guard of honour by the provincial police. Her family was also present. “I…

Gota’s Buddy Malraj, Mahinda’s Buddy Ex-SC Judge Eva Nominated As Ambassadors

The Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration has gone back to the 2005-2014 practice of appointing a host of near and dear ones to top government posts, the latest in a series being the appointment of his schoolmate and Los Angeles neighbour Malraj De Silva. Malraj De Silva According to an advertisement calling for representations on ambassadors nominated to serve in Sri Lankan missions overseas, published in the newspapers by the Secretary General of Parliament, De Silva has been nominated by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to serve as Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The…

Gota’s Travel Agent Appointed Chairman Civil Aviation Authority

Whilst making a mockery of the government appointed four member board to screen persons to head state enterprises, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s personal travel agent Upul Dharmadasa from Los Angeles USA was appointed as the new Chairman of the Sri Lanka Civil Aviation Authority. The said mockery based on President Gotabaya’s promise to appoint those on meritocracy was further confirmed when Amith Wijesinghe a former SriLankan Airlines’ Cashier turned Manager and a close associate of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, was also appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Sri Lanka Civil…

Namal’s Father-In-Law And Chichi’s Mother-In-Law Appointed Directors At Airport & Aviation (Services) Ltd