rule of law

Feizal SamathJust as government troops prepared this week to celebrate the second anniversary of the decimation of Tamil separatist rebels, thousands of young, new entrants to national universities across Sri Lanka on Monday began entering military camps for a three-week training course that has triggered an intense debate as to whether the country is heading […]

R. K. Radhakrishnan People in this friendly town woke up on Monday a full page advertisement in its newspapers mocking U.S. President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. The advertisement reproduced in full below, sought to place in perspective the rationale behind Sri Lanka being questioned for eliminating terrorism in its backyard. The […]

23 May 2011, 8:31 pmThe Friday Forum has demanded that the government ensure that city planning and urban development activities are carried out within a transparent process which takes into account the concerns of people in regard to their homes and property.“We are particularly disturbed at the use of uniformed services personnel to deliver communications […]

The Friday Forum, a group of intellectuals had issued a statement expressing concerns at the steps taken for accelerated development of the city of Colombo.They say the group was formed to consider current issues of public interest with a view to making a contribution to peace, democracy, good governance and social justice in Sri Lanka.“We […]

May 23, 2011,  The Bar Association of Sri Lanka yesterday condemned the assault on the District Judge of Matara by army personnel on Sunday (22).The BASL called upon the IGP and the Commander of Army to bring those suspected of having participated in the assault before the Law. It urged the Secretary to the Ministry […]

24 May 2011By Susitha R. FernandoFive separate fundamental rights applications were filed in the Supreme Court yesterday by the Ceylon Teachers Union and four students who secured university entrance this year challenging the leadership training at army camps for students entering the university.The applications were filed by four students – R. M. Subani Pabasala Ratnayake, […]

  Every month before the meeting of the Council Douglas has what he calls a “pre-Council Meeting” in his office where he gives instructions on how to vote on every issue. The university is thus under Douglas’ complete control. “But Douglas through his ambitions to control the university has injected a new brand of communalism […]

But let us not get side-tracked by the apparent stupidity of the Ministry of Higher Education. This is not about leadership training; this is part of the regime’s plan to control dissent.  Rather than producing young people with inquiring, critical minds; young people who are passionate and who are willing to fight for causes they […]

With the “Leadership and Positive Attitude Development” programme scheduled to start tomorrow at various Army camps, Nadia Fazlulhaq speaks to concerned parents of new entrants to universities, students’ unions and officials involved in the programme The disputed leadership programme organized by the Higher Education Ministry in collaboration with the Defence Ministry has officials defending it […]

By ANIQA HAIDER / May 22, 2011 A BAHRAIN-based author who was stranded in Sri Lanka for nearly 14 months after being accused of blasphemy has had the case against her dropped.Sarah Malanie Perera was detained via emergency laws in Colombo in March last year for alleged “anti-state” activities and links to Islamic militants.She was […]

Withdrawing of emergency regulations, revoking ‘Prevention of terrorism Act’, releasing Gen. Sarath Fonseka, releasing Tamil political prisoners and establishing media freedom are the five proposals of the JVP. 22 May 2011The JVP would present five proposals to the government for it to take an optimistic step to establish democracy in the country says the Member […]

Out of the three brothers of Mahinda Rajapaksa, Gotabaya is the most arrogant and brainless one, due to his inability to cope up with and handle the most important Ministry in the country due to his in-experience to administer it and his lack of education and the heavy work load under his authority has created […]

No peace dividend; no political solution: the post-war conduct of the Rajapaksas indicate a mindset unresponsive to voluntary internal reforms, be it on devolution, good governance or human rights. This leaves us with a conundrum – is external pressure the only way Sri Lanka can be prevented from remaking old mistakes and retrogressing into past-nightmares? […]

Urgent AppealThe Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Niroshan Premaratne, a professional journalist attached to the Independent Television Network (ITN) of Wickremasinghe Pura, Battaramulla, Colombo was illegally arrested and severely tortured by police officers attached to the Panadura Police Station on 8 May 2011May 20, 2011ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION-URGENT APPEAL PROGRAMMEUrgent […]

20 May 2011The government has failed to find solutions for the issues of the people in the North and the East despite the war has been over for two years points out ‘We are SriLankans’. Issuing a letter to the media ‘We are SriLankans’ states.“It is two years since the end of the war with […]

20 May 2011 Whenever there is a proper foreign policy coupled with professional diplomats, all these problems can be handled without any harm to the country. Unfortunately, we lack it today. Q : In the event of the release of the UN report and Sri Lanka involved in a diplomatic crisis, how will the JVP […]

20 May 2011By S.S. SelvanayagamThe Supreme Court today directed the Attorney General to consider instructing the relevant authorities to postpone for one week the impugned mandatory training in military camps for the students who are eligible to enter the State Universities.The Court made this direction in the wake of the training for the first batch […]

May 19, 2011/Basil FernandoCJ wearing the same colour of Presidents Satakaya! The appointment of the first lady Chief Justice would normally have been a day for great celebrations. However, in the context of the attack on the Sri Lankan judiciary since the adoption of the 1978 Constitution such a celebration would belie the actual situation […]

In other words, they were discussing the shuffling of Central, provincial and concurrent lists in a way that devolution of powers to the provinces was maximised. This message was conveyed “very categorically” by each of Mr. Peiris’ interlocutors — Dr. Singh, Foreign Minister S. M. Krishna, National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and Foreign Secretary […]

The Rajapaksa troika needs to accept this simple truth. They’ve got to be honest at least to themselves. President Rajapaksa needs to sideline political clowns, to have sensible and practical advice with accurate information.  by Kusal PereraSri Lanka was sent a very confidential message by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton through Assistant Secretary for […]

Why has Sri Lanka descended to this lower depth? The intelligence officer’s revelation is not unique. People are exposed to mega lies all the time. Antennas brings bring such lies to homes day and night, every day. by Basil Fernando According to a media report, a former army intelligence officer told the Mount Lavinia Magistrate […]

Charles Haviland / Colombo  Two years after the end of the war, most Sri Lankans feel a sense of relief that there is no more fighting, and that the Tamil Tiger bomb attacks which used to rock towns and cities including the capital no longer take place. Some families are still waiting for the missing […]

This made me reflect on the accuracy of the oft made statement that Sri Lanka is such a great democracy because large numbers turn out at the polls and elect, in certain instances, perhaps some of the worst criminals in the country who then become ministers, deputies and monitors. 10 May, 2011. by Harsha de […]

by Easwaran Rutnam /17 May 2011 The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP) is to hold an urgent meeting tomorrow after the house of Eastern Province Chief Minister and TMVP leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan was subjected to a sudden police search this evening.A TMVP official said that plain clothed officers entered the residence of the […]

Despite spin doctoring by envoys, EU resolution could have grave implications for Sri Lanka India still undecided as crucial battle looms at UNHRC sessions By Sunday Times Political Editor On Thursday, Sri Lanka completes two years after the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas. In that span, the government has taken several measures to ensure the […]

As one Commissioner mused several months back in a different context; “we were told by weeping mothers of children being literally grabbed from their arms and dashed on the ground with remnants of their heads being scattered around by enraged soldiers who had come upon a suspected subversive or JVP infiltrated village in the deep […]

14 May 2011 12:38 Days after the killing of a member of the Karuna faction, an unidentified gunman shot and killed a supporter of Eastern Province Chief Minister S. Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan in Batticaloa last night, police said. They said that the 34 year-old victim, identified as M. Ilanga Kumar, who is a Bar owner […]

14 May 2011 Families of youth who disappeared from Trincomalee protested at the Trincomalee Junction pleading with the Government to release information about their whereabouts, ‘We are Sri Lankans’ Convener Udul Premaratne said yesterday.“More than 100 youth from Trincomalee disappeared during the last phase of the war and up to now their whereabout are unknown,” […]

13 May 2011, By Shamindra Ferdinando Prabhakaran’s successor, T. S. Pathmanathan or simply ‘KP’ as he is known, says the controversial ‘Darusman Report’ will not help the ongoing national reconciliation process. Instead, it can cause irreparable damage to ambitious reconciliation efforts, he asserts.Pathmanathan asserts the report commissioned by UNSG Ban Ki-moon will only strengthen the […]

13 May 2011By Ananda Weerasuriya In an explosive statement yesterday a former Army Intelligence Unit (AIU) member told Court yesterday that the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) had assured him of being made a state witness, provided security and a foreign job if he agreed to implicate a senior army officer in the brutal killing of […]