The Supreme Court’s Determination on amendments to Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA, 1979) announced by the Speaker in the House on Tuesday 8th March 2022 is largely predictable, some would mutter sotto voce, pedestrian even. Not timorous amendments but solid revisions needed Undoubtedly the Court itself was limited by the patent lack of imagination if not foresight by the Government in presenting amendments of such a tepid nature in the first place. If the intention was to placate critical comments in Geneva and Brussels, than that exercise badly…
Read MoreDay: 13 March 2022
India’s ‘strategic calculations’ as Lankans suffer
With its “friend and neighbour”, as India’s ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) last week referred to Sri Lanka, gasping for economic oxygen, a one billion dollar emergency aid lifeline sought from his country has been kept dangling as a carrot at the end of a list of conditions by the lender to the borrower. The conditions are two-fold. One is economic, the other is geo-politics. The nomenclature for the first is a “road map”, while for the second it is “strategic calculations”, not originally coined but nevertheless…
Read MoreUK MP of Indian origin wants Gen. Shavendra brought under int’l sanction regime
By Shamindra Ferdinando The British government says sanctions in respect of Sri Lanka Army Commander General Shavendra Silva, who is also the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), are among a variety of tools available to them. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister Vicky Ford said on March 09: “We are grateful for the submission by the International Truth and Justice Project on General Shavendra Silva. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. However, it is not appropriate to speculate on future designations under the Global Human Rights…
Read MoreTwo Jackals And A Joker
y Kumar David – Prof. Kumar David Weerawansa and Gammanpila did not misjudge and overplay their hand; they did not assume that Gota was dependent on them and would and could not fire them. That is not what happened; they have played a different game for several weeks. It has become clear that the Gota-regime is breathing its last, so smart rats jumped ship first. Vasu has made more of an Andere of himself than avid fairy-tale fans expected. He declared with great pomp: “I will not attend Cabinet meetings; I will refrain from…
Read MoreNo more Chinese loans?
The Government of China is seriously considering refraining from granting any more loans to Sri Lanka, informed sources revealed. A high level group of Chinese Government officials, who are currently in Colombo, had reportedly conveyed this decision to a few top officials in the Government. It is stated that Beijing had decided to abstain from granting loans or aid to Colombo due to two reasons. One of the main issues is said to be the problems that had cropped up in connection with the construction of the third phase of…
Read MoreBasil to visit India in second half of this month
An anticipated visit by finance minister Basil Rajapaksa is now likely to take place in the second half of this month, according to the Indian high commission in Colombo. Its announcement in a tweet comes after a telephone conversation between Rajapaksa and external affairs minister of India S. Jaishankar. Jaishankar assured that India will continue to support Sri Lanka in all possible ways.They agreed to finalize a mutually convenient date in the second half of this month for Rajapaksa’s visit to India, the high commission tweeted.
Read MoreLankan student jailed for 13-plus yrs. in Australia for sextortion
A Sri Lankan student in Australia has been sentenced to 13 years and six months in jail for threatening young girls. Identified as Ranpati Amarasinghe, he is in the country on a bridging visa while he studies at Deakin University, reports Australian Associated Press. A Victoria county court was told yesterday (02) how he coerced young girls into sending explicit images and videos. If they failed to comply with his demands for more, Amarasinghe sent the initial material to their families and friends. The court was told that he would…
Read MoreThose who voted for President must question him
By Eunice Ruth The Sinhalese community, who had voted for the incumbent President, giving him a two-thirds majority in Parliament, should now question the President about the current situation in the country, said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP S. Sritharan. While commenting on the recent price hike of essential commodities, he said that cost of living had not been increased to such an extent by any of the previous governments. However, at present, even without considering the day-to-day lives of the people, the Government has turned a blind eye to…
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