Devolution

One broad question that arises is whether this – this issue about training the youth – was actually an ulterior motive of the Government’s plan to give ‘leadership training’ to those selected to University. The Government argued that it has no such intentions. But then, if the above author is to claim that the ‘recent […]

By Kelum Bandara The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has with the help of some Lok Sabha members had submitted a memorandum to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to remove the military camps in the North, TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran said today. He said the TNA delegation, […]

India’s Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy has said that he was willing to visit Sri Lanka to ensure a solution for the Tamils if MDMK general secretary Vaiko and Naam Thamizhar Iyakkam leader Seeman admitted that their efforts had failed.“I would have met the Sri Lankan President and demanded a few changes to the Constitution,” […]

Leader of the Tamil National Alliance and veteran MP R. Sampanthan expresses his concerns on devolution, emergency laws and the Indian role, maintaining that no ultimatum was issued to the government on the ongoing talks or a decision to terminate talks taken. ‘All we ask is that before the next round of talks, there be […]

The combined Socialist Alliance (SA) yesterday strongly supported the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) as a means of finding a lasting solution to the North-East conflict and said the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) report could be used as a launching pad to start talks.Lanka Sama Samasamaja Party leader and Senior Minister Tissa […]

“For six months we continued with talks, engaging the Government of Sri Lanka. But, there was no constructive outcome. The Tamil National Alliance cannot just keep continuing without any results, just for the sake of ‘engaging’ and ‘continuing’ the talks giving room for Sri Lanka to project an impression to the outside world that it […]

Instead of Tamil grievances alone, committee will have broader mandate Sunday Times Political Editor Contrary to earlier expectations of a Parliamentary Select Committee to address Tamil grievances, the Government will now appoint one “to recommend and report political and constitutional measures to empower the people of Sri Lanka as one nation.”Thirteen Cabinet Ministers are among […]

”Significantly, the statistics show a remarkable degree of congruence between Sinhalese and Tamils on key issues, and a surprisingly positive opinion being held by a fairly large percentage of Tamils on the most contentious and polarising issues. ” Dayan Jayatilleka“Seek truth from facts” (Deng Xiaoping) There is an extensive survey of public opinion, the results […]

D.B.S. Jeyaraj Ten Sri Lankan Tamil political parties may seek solace from agony for two days on August 23rd & 24th in the Indian capital of New Delhi.10 Tamil parties are invited to attend a conference named “Agony & Solace” to be held at New Delhi’s prestigious Constitutional club of India Although titled”Agony and Solace” in […]

Dr. Paikiasothy SaravanamuttuThe existing constitution is more than enough for us to live together. I don’t think there is any issue on this more than that. “I mean this was given as a solution for the whole thing with the discussion of these people. I mean now the LTTE is gone, I don’t think there […]

17 August 2011, Colombo, Sri Lanka: According to a new survey conducted by Social Indicator, the survey research unit of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, Sri Lankans are divided in opinion on the topic of reconciliation – about whether the government has done enough with regard to addressing the root causes of the conflict. The […]

 T.VivekarasaSeven Tamil political parties based in the north and east were invited to New Delhi to participate at a conference by an Indian Parliamentarian Forum called the Parliamentarian Forum on Human Rights for Global Development, sources of the Tamil political parties said.The conference will be held on August 23 and 24 in New Delhi. Tamil […]

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s remarks that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s call for economic sanctions against Sri Lanka were politically motivated, has once again brought the question of sanctions back into public consciousness — unfortunately. Tamil Nadu’s politicians, — the likes of Vaiko, who, though shrewd, are not famous for their economic reasoning […]

The leader of the Catholic church in Sri Lanka has warned that the country risks being isolated in the face of international criticism. In his sermon to hundreds of thousands of Catholics on their annual pilgrimage to Madhu church, Mannar, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith called upon the authorities to come up with a “learned response” to […]

 Nimal SanderatneThe Sri Lankan economy has functioned with only part of its potential capacity for the good part of its last three decades. Although some economic activities prevailed despite the war, most of the region was a battle zone rather than a thriving economy. This applied to all three sectors of the northern and eastern […]

Tisaranee Gunasekara“The talk of political solution is irrelevant” Gotabhaya Rajapaksa (Interview with India Today) Watching or reading an interview with Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is a rewarding experience. The Defence Secretary often says outright, usually in very blunt language, what his brothers try to conceal.While Mahinda and Basil Rajapaksa may prevaricate, wrapping unpalatable truths in misleadingly attractive linen, […]

The Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, brother of His Excellency the President and an important policy-maker in the Government, has been quoted in the “Headlines Today” (Daily Mirror, Wednesday, August 10th, 2011, Page 4), that there was little scope of going beyond the current levels of devolution.He has further stated that the existing constitution is more […]

Negotiating a political arrangement for post-conflict Sri Lanka can be considered daunting for Sri Lanka as it is for the US to resolve its debt crisis. The hard stand taken by the TNA even after three decades of death, destruction and untold suffering by the Tamil people is comparable to the unyielding stand taken by […]

Kalana SenaratneThe recently concluded Local Government (LG) elections provided evidence, if evidence was needed, of a divided polity. Amidst accusations of violence, intimidation, and killings, the Tamil people voted, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) emerged triumphant, resilient, re-asserting its dominance in the North.The UPFA-led Government swept away the rest of the polls, as expected. Expected: […]

Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu The collapse of the Government –TNA talks has an air of inevitability about it for no other reason than the central one of the seriousness and commitment of the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime towards a political settlement, its rhetoric notwithstanding.We are back to the APRC, albeit by another name and back perhaps, to another protracted […]

 D.B.S. JeyarajSri Lanka Tamil issue likely to be raised in India’s Upper&Lower houses of Parliament&Tamil Nadu legislative assembly today August 11th 2011.Tamil Nadu politicians in well-coordinated moves plan to raise the Sri LankanTamil issue in the central&state legislatures simultaneously. D.Raja of Communist Party of India (CPI) has given notice to raise this issue in the […]

An interview with M.A. Sumanthiran MP The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) last week gave an ultimatum to the government to respond to its set of proposals on finding a solution to the ethnic question.TNA MP, M. A. Sumanthiran speaks to The Nation on the reasons for giving an ultimatum at this juncture and on the […]

 Sumanasiri LiyanageAt the time of writing, it appears that the talks between the UPFA government and the Tamil National Alliance are on the verge of collapse. It has been reported that the TNA wants the government to address some issues if the latter is willing to continue talks. The government’s argument varies.Some Ministers have said […]

An ally of the governing UPFA, the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), has called for the devolution of land and police powers to the provinces.The ACMC is led by Industries Minister Rishard Bathiudeen. ACMC General Secretary Y.L.S. Hameed has told the media that the Muslim community was concerned over the central government handling all these […]

Mr  Rajapaksa also told Headlines Today that Sri Lankan would not devolve any more powers to the minorities in spite of the promises it made in the past.  “If they are interested in the welfare of (Tamil) people, it is useless calling for international investigation,” Rajapaksa said in an interview in Colombo. “What does that […]

Rohan AbeywardenaTamil National Alliance Leader R. Sampanthan in the aftermath of last Thursday’s somewhat tough stand taken with the government in giving it ten days to respond to the devolution proposals the TNA had put to the government about five months ago sat with The Island for a long interview and insisted that they had […]

Christy Mahesh SilvaIndia will appoint a special representative who would work with the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration directly regarding a political solution to the North and East. This representative who is expected to be appointed soon is to visit Sri Lanka and may be based here on a long term basis. “The Indian government is not […]

The CPI(M) today demanded that the Sri Lankan government take specific measures for granting autonomy to Tamil-speaking areas in the northern and eastern regions of the island country.“The measures are essential for enabling the Tamil people to live a life of dignity and as equal citizens within a united Sri Lanka,” the CPI(M) said in […]

 Dayan JayatillekaThe threatened suspension of talks by the Tamil National alliance benefits no one, the Tamils or the Sinhalese, the TNA or the government, the North or the South. Or if I may amend my statement immediately, it would benefit only the extremists on both sides of the ethnic fault lines, within and outside the […]

Sri Lanka’s major Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says that it has reached to a situation where they are unable to continue further talks with the government on political reforms.TNA parliamentarian M.A.Sumanthiran told BBC Sandeshaya that they are awaiting a response to three issues; the structure of governance, the subjects and functions allocated […]