Monthly Archives: July 2011

Denial is not just a river in Egypt: Beleaguered by accusations of war crimes Gota to release his own report on the ‘humanitarian’ operation at a five star hotel in Colombo

July 31: On the heels of a damning UN report that says there is credible evidence of war crimes in the last stages of Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war, Secretary Ministry of Defence and Presidential sibling Gotabaya Rajapakse has sent out invitations to media and other organisations to attend the launch of his own report.
The […]

By Sonali Samarasinghe Wickrematunge | Published on July 31, 2011 at 5:17 am

Endless elections, a false sense of democracy and a vicious political system

In Sri Lanka there is no dearth of elections.There are elections through out the year and the whole country is wrapped in
election heat. The government is ready to go for elections, any day any time. No one knows about the cleanliness and transparency of these elections but everyone accepts the results without any kind of hesitation […]

By Upali Tennakoon | Published on July 31, 2011 at 4:20 am

Lanka’s ethnic divide persists despite peace

Sri Lanka’s old war zone has been at peace for two years but the minority Tamils who populate it say they are hungry for
jobs, despite the economic revival the government has offered instead of the political powers for which Tamils first took up arms.
In Sri Lanka’s north and east, people last week voted for the […]

By | Published on July 30, 2011 at 4:11 pm

Targeting media: A serious threat to already declining democracy in Jaffna

The latest attack on the news editor of the Jaffna-based Uthayan newspaper, Gnanasundaram Kuhanathan should not be understood merely as an isolated attack on media freedom and freedom of speech in Sri Lanka. It undoubtedly bears far reaching implications and reveals the vicious nature of the renewed and accelerated violent attacks on democratic rights of […]

By | Published on July 30, 2011 at 3:41 pm

Sri Lankan journalist attacked ‘with iron bars’

AFP: An ethnic Tamil journalist in Sri Lanka’s formerly embattled north was brutally attacked with iron bars, police said on Saturday, the latest in a string of assaults on the nation’s media.
Gnanasundaram Kuhanathan, news editor of the Tamil-language daily Uthayan, was attacked by a gang of men wielding iron bars on Friday near his home in the area […]

By | Published on July 30, 2011 at 11:20 am

New Evidence of war crimes – Channel 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZC1uclgbc0&feature=player_embedded

By Staff Correspondent | Published on July 28, 2011 at 4:07 am

Sri Lanka has not had the good fortune of being led by great leaders long enough – CBK

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge delivered the Justice Palakidnar Memorial Oration in Colombo on July 24, 2011. We reproduce the full speech below titled ‘Economic Development, Inclusive Societies And Peace’.
We are all aware of what is meant by Development and Peace, and somewhat familiar with the term inclusive societies.
While Development implies many aspects, it involves […]

By | Published on July 27, 2011 at 7:11 pm

Tamil migrant deported for connection to war crimes

CANADIAN PRESS: A Tamil refugee claimant who arrived off Canada’s West Coast aboard the MV Sun Sea last year has been ordered deported over allegations he committed a war crime in his home country of Sri Lanka.
The migrant, who can’t be identified, appeared before the Immigration and Refugee Board in April, and a written decision […]

By | Published on July 27, 2011 at 11:46 am

Is Minister Duminda Dissanayake sweeping a dirty little secret under a leopard skin rug?

The Lanka Independent learns dirty tricks may have been afoot as a young and highly connected government minister allegedly used his influence to avoid criminal charges after being found with a leopard skin in his residence.
Duminda Dissanayake, Minister of Youth Affairs and Skills Development is the son of the Chief Minister of the North Central […]

By Nirmala Kannangara | Published on July 26, 2011 at 11:23 pm

Local election results prove Sri Lanka now deeply divided along ethnic lines

If you prick us do we not bleed?
If you tickle us do we not laugh?
If you poison us do we not die?
And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?
– Shylock, Merchant of Venice
Will the Rajapakses learn a lesson? Will the Sinhalese majority learn a lesson? The local government elections concluded on July 23,
2011, exactly […]

By Vishnuguptha | Published on July 26, 2011 at 8:34 pm