Monthly Archives: July 2011

SRI LANKA – 2 years on – No war but no peace for women still facing the consequences of war

The unedited Statement below is from women in Sri Lanka, but individual and organization names are not used because of the potential danger for the women who are working on these issues.
* Women not allowed to grieve by LLRC
* 28 reported cases of death in Jaffna in the last six months
* Rape victims forced […]

By | Published on July 15, 2011 at 5:09 pm

Sri Lanka’s killing fields screened on Capitol Hill, US response discussed

The harrowing documentary Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields was screened on Capitol Hill Friday July 15, 2011 in conjunction with the Congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.
The Documentary screening which was shown in New York last month is co hosted by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International-USA, the International Crisis Group, and The Open Society Foundations and […]

By Sonali Samarasinghe Wickrematunge | Published on July 14, 2011 at 10:51 pm

Channel 4 Video, Darusman Report and world opinion

“The West won the world not by superiority of its ideas or values or religion but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence. Westerners often forget this fact, non Westerners never do”
– Samuel.P.Huntington as quoted by J.B.Muller in his dissertation ‘Anglophiles,Eurocentric arrogance and Reality’.(The Island 5thNovember 2010)
J.B.Muller in the above dissertation refers to the […]

By Lakshman Indranath Keerthisinghe | Published on July 14, 2011 at 3:17 am

Hitting boundaries: Sanga’s speech from a governance perspective

The former Cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara in his great Sir Colin Cowdrey speech at Lord’s, spoke of a shared fanatical
fashion and collective joy and ambition of the Sri Lankans, when they found something in common in the form of cricket. He spoke of the diversity of our society and how cricket brought together a divided […]

By JC Weliamuna | Published on July 14, 2011 at 1:08 am

The game’s afoot: Was a powerful hand behind rugby fiasco at Nittawela?

Nearly two weeks ago on Sunday July 3, the Nittawela Rugby Stadium erupted not with cheers but with gunfire and mayhem as rugby supporters clashed in one of the sports worst incidents of violence.
The Kandy Air force game screeched to a halt as several busloads of allegedly air force personnel in blue trousers, shirts and […]

By Nirmala Kannangara | Published on July 13, 2011 at 9:38 pm

Sangakkara stands tall as Rajapakse destroys Sri Lanka cricket

The prestigious Colin Cowdrey lecture delivered by the Sri Lankan star cricketer Kumar Sangakkara has ignited the sports
and political spheres in Sri Lanka. His speech was based on the history of Sri Lanka’s Cricket and its present situation. In this finely compiled courageous speech Kumar Sangakkara made some important revelations before an elite crowd gathered at Lords to […]

By Upali Tennakoon | Published on July 13, 2011 at 2:03 pm

‘Eliyantha White is dangerous as he deals with spirits’ – Mahinda Rajapakse

Despite President Mahinda Rajapakse distributing countless letters of referral to his personal shaman Eliyantha White, he told a friend the controversial healer was a dangerous man as he dabbled in the spirit world.
In a recent conversation with a Colombo businessman and a close friend of slain editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, Rajapakse confided that even he (Rajapakse) […]

By Sonali Samarasinghe Wickrematunge | Published on July 13, 2011 at 3:06 am

Golf Fence

HUMOUR with Lakshman Indranath Keerthisinghe
As laughter is said to be the best medicine, this page is dedicated to the entertainment of our readers.

A little old lady was walking down the street dragging two large plastic garbage bags behind her. One of the bags was ripped and every once in a while a $20 fell out […]

By | Published on July 11, 2011 at 7:35 pm

It’s not a bed of roses being a dictator now, is it?

Darling Ma-hinder
There I was old thing, pacing the meadows with a heavy tread – the night before had been particularly frightful. I had chipped a nail while opening a bottle of rather delightful Chardonnay that then decided to spill itself on my lily-white linen. Ichabod I thought to myself, what is the world coming to […]

By Thelma | Published on July 9, 2011 at 6:48 am

Presidential powers and the fate of Sri Lankan Tamils

Ego trip beyond the pale
President Rajapakse seems hell-bent on conceding nothing beyond second-class “citizenhood” to the Tamils in Sri Lanka. The evidence is overwhelming. From the time the guns fell silent, thanks mainly to the brilliant and persevering tactics of General Fonseka and the three forces, Army, Navy and Air Force, the President is perpetually […]

By Vishnuguptha | Published on July 8, 2011 at 2:46 pm