By Janaka Alahapperuma When the entire country is gripped in a happy and festive mood, Sri Lankans celebrated the traditional “Aluth Avurudda”ƒ”š‚- Sinhala and Hindu New Year in usual grand style. According to the reports, Sinhala and Tamil people throughout the country enthusiastically got ready to celebrate it. This is the fourth National New Year […]

by Sujeeva Nivunhella in London Courtesy: Sunday Island ƒ”š‚ The Sri Lankan Muslim community in the United Kingdom did not participate in a demonstration staged by a group of Muslims opposite the Sri Lankan High Commission in London last week. The protesters warned of Jihad (holy war) if Buddhists and the Sri Lankan governmentƒ”š‚ continued “to oppress […]

Dr Hector Pereraƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚  London Now it the time of the most traditional times of the year, Sinhala Awrudu season then the people would like to resort to traditional ways doing all things including cooking. Its nothing like preparing “ƒ”¹…”Kiribath’ on firewood stoves because it’s the traditional way Sri Lankans have been preparing this festive seasonal […]

H. L. D. Mahindapala The saga of the anti-Sri Lankan Resolution, whichƒ”š‚ snaked its way through the hands of the power-brokers in the corridors of the UNHRC in Geneva, has a rather intriguing history: it reveals more about the machinations of big power politics and the moral and institutional failure of the UN to uphold the […]

Shenali Waduge Should the 3 powers of Asia combine to make a formidable global force? Its not a bad idea “ƒ¢¢”š¬…” in fact it’s an excellent idea and would provide Asia and inadvertently the world the balance of power and stability that is lacking. Against a declining West, Asia’s 3 formidable power houses are best […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada Reading the various news reports in the Sri Lankan and Indian media recently, could and would the GOSL confirm that it is still responsible for governance or has it been delegated to the U.S. and India? Has Sri Lanka become a “colony” again? After the infamous Indo-Lanka Agreement of 1987 […]

Shenali Waduge Given that separation of Sri Lanka is out of the question the Tamils had 2 choices before them. To be ruled under a defacto armed LTTE or to remain under sovereign Sri Lanka ruled by a democratically elected Government that comprised representatives of all ethnic groups. The Tamils did live under the LTTE […]

by Dr. Sarath Buddhadasa ƒ”š‚ We entered Peradeniya university way back in the late 1970s with the hope of creating a future for our families and also to enjoy life while contributing to the progress of society, since it was the people of this country who sustained us in the universities by way of direct and […]

C. Wijeyawickrema, LL.B., Ph.D. Wijedasa Rajapakse (WR) wanted to bring a law to remove monks from politics.ƒ”š‚  What did this Sinhala Buddhist (he says he talks as a Sinhala Buddhist) do to Sinhala Buddhists? Does he not consider that putting a halal label even to a tooth brush or a spoon made out of a […]

Asada M Erpini A homosexual blogger from Maldives, who now lives in exile in Sri Lanka, is implied to have said that ……… Dear Editor, My name is Hilath Rasheed and I am the subject of an article on your website written about me by Asada M Erpini titled “Illegal to be non-Muslim in Sri […]

Courtesy Theƒ”š‚ Hindu Renewing his demand for abolishing death penalty, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi on Saturday made a fresh pitch for a state cabinet meeting to adopt a resolution recommending commutation of the death sentence awarded to three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. “Our stand is that capital punishment should be abolished and should […]

By Express News Service – KARAIKAL/RAMANATHAPURAM .(The New Indian Express) A day after eight fishermen of Nagapattinam district were assaulted by the Lankan navy off the coast of Kodiyakarai, another mid-sea confrontation unfolded on Friday where as many as 46 fishermen detained by the Sri Lankan navy were brought back toƒ”š‚  the Karaikal Marg port […]

Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1. Canada 11 April 2013 (Editor of The Hindu.ƒ”š‚  Sir,ƒ”š‚ kindly forward this letter to Mr. Hardeep S. Puri.ƒ”š‚  AW) OPEN LETTER Mr. Hardeep S. Puriƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚  Recently Retired Senior Indian Diplomat, Class ofƒ”š‚  1974ƒ”š‚  Senior Diplomat at Indianƒ”š‚ High Commission in Sri Lanka, December 1984 “ƒ¢¢”š¬…” […]

Jayantha Liyanage, General Secretary, Sinhala Jathika Peramuna (SJP), Minister Wimal Weerawansa (WW) early this year on one Friday said that he is going to move an SC application against the 13A. But two days later on Monday he said that he is not going to move it because he belongs to one PSC committee therefore […]

Asada M Erpini ƒ”š‚ The response of Suresh Premachandran, an MP of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to the report of the army inquiry, as mentioned in the media on 11 April, is hardly surprising. Leaving the genuineness, objectivity and the veracity of the inquiry by the armed forces aside, the TNA stance has always been […]

Asada M Erpiniƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  For a change, the statement by the US Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry, on the occasion of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, as reported on 12 April, does not seem to have the usual innuendos and the threats that emanated from the likes of Hilary Rodham Clinton and her […]

MEDIA RELEASE Information Technology Division – Ministry of External Affairs Sri Lanka Inaugurating an exhibition of photographs titled “ƒ”¹…”Buddhist Heritage of Sri Lanka: a shared culture with India’ at the India International Centre in New Delhi on 9 April, Foreign Secretary of India Ranjan Mathai, quoting from a speech made by India’s first Prime Minister […]

Courtesy: The Independent (UK) Public lashings. Religious extremists seizing power. A gay blogger with his throat slashed. Few of the million annual visitors to the Maldives will recognise the hellish side of these heavenly islands Hilath Rasheed, the first openly gay and secular blogger in the Maldives, was about to walk through his front door […]

Avuruddha Celebrations in Malaysia   Sunday, 7 April 2013; 11.30amƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚  Sanghika Dana in Memory of Departed Loved Ones Buddhist Maha Vihara, Brickfields Sunday, 7 April 2013, 5.00pmƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚  Transference of Merits to Departed Loved Ones Sinhala Buddhist Cemetery, Loke Yew Sunday, 14 April 2013; 7.30am ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚  Avuruddha Blessing Service and Exchange of Gifts Buddhist Maha Vihara, […]

Media Release The High Commission of Sri Lanka London Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK, Dr Chris Nonis said that the fact that British Airways, the UK’s National carrier and third largest airline in Europe, has taken the decision to resume flights to Sri Lanka is an excellent index of their substantial confidence in […]

Karthick S (Courtesy Times of India) CHENNAI: About 19 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who feared deportation after they being stranded in Dubai can breathe easy with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Thursday refuting reports that they would be sent back home. “UNHCR is looking for a solution to resettle the 19 […]

Shivprasad Swaminathan Courtesy the Hindu Designating the letter written by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to the Prime Minister as communicating a “decision”ƒ”š‚ to “ban”ƒ”š‚ Sri Lankan players, officials and support staff from participating in any Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket game in Chennai would be imprecise. Rather, it is a putative ban; a […]

Courtesy: Buddhist Channel CHENNAI , India — A day-long national seminar titled “ƒ”¹…”Philosophical Revisit to Buddhism in Tamil Nadu’ was organised by the Department of Philosophy, University of Madras, here on Wednesday. The seminar focused on how Buddhism forayed into Tamil Nadu. ƒ”š‚ Inaugurating the seminar D Raja, MP and National Secretary of the Communist Party […]

by Garvin Karunaratne Former SLAS- Government Agent, Matara Our Defence Secretary has said well of Trojan Horses type of activity by foreign sources. He has referred to Non Governmentalƒ”š‚  Organizations(NGO).ƒ”š‚  To my thinking these nefarious activities have been done by Governments as well. Sri Lanka is an unfortunate countryƒ”š‚  in terms of foreign interference. In […]

Shenali Waduge The plot thickens. The “friends”ƒ”š‚ of Rajapakse’s are increasing and their baits are not hard to read into. The choices before Rajapakse seem few and their lobbies appear in the form of India and Japan on the instructions of the US. Essentially the President must be mindful of the traps being laid before […]

Kanthar P Balanathan 29th March 2013 ƒ”š‚ Dear Mr”ƒ”š‚¦R.N, ƒ”š‚ It was an astonishment that a gentleman from TGTE has replied. My document was directed to Rudrakumaran of TGTE, however, may be he hasn’t got the courtesy or mannerism to reply, but asked you to reply. Thank you for your reply, which has given an opportunity to […]

By Gamini Gunawardane It is unfortunate that the editor of “ƒ”¹…”Sunday Island’ on 3rd March, had decided to close further discussion on this matter in his Paper. Yet, since Edward has raised some new issues, there is a need for a clarification. Hence this piece. But now since the urgency of the matter is lost, […]

Nandana Wijeratne This note is written to shower appreciation at the new editor of the Daily News who has done the impossible “ƒ¢¢”š¬…” bring balance to Sri Lanka’s media. We all know that the Daily News is the state newspaper and space for Ministers and their virtuous ways always get prominence. But the entry of […]

C. Wijeyawickrema, LL.B., Ph.D. I saw an Ada Derana video clip of April 10, where Dr. J was talking in Sinhala at the meeting of Sri Lanka Young Journalists Movement. First he asked whose country is Sri Lanka.ƒ”š‚  And he said all kinds of Bala Senas and Ravayas are telling it is the country of […]

R Bandarage, Cottesloe WA ƒ”š‚ How naƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚¯ve can Australia be? Its four years since the Sri Lankan military crushed the Tamil Tigers. Since then there has not been a single terrorist event. The county is flourishing with new ports, road infrastructure and development projects. The recent Australian parliamentary delegation led by Julie Bishop confirmed how stable […]