The real risk of loosing the US gsp trade concession

With approximately 5 percent of Sri Lanka’s exports to the Unites States benefitting from its Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) many senior figures in the Office of the United States Trade Representative are baffled by its dogged defence of this concession. One senior trade representative expected an outright rebuff by the Sri Lankan government when it initiated a review of this concession.

The ' Atonomist - secessionist continuation' in Tamil politics

Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka
Professor Urmila Phadnis the late doyenne of Lankanology in Indian academia was utterly discerning when she concluded over two decades ago in her last book (‘Ethnicity and nation-building in South Asia’) that Lankan Tamil ‘sub-nationalism’ was unique in the region in that it alone displayed an ‘autonomist-secessionist continuum’.

Sampanthan’s deft throwing down of a gauntlet

We carry elsewhere in this newspaper excerpts from the text of the speech made by ITAK leader R. Sampanthan at the ITAK annual sessions in Batticoloa. Now, this was one speech that upped the ante, as the reader is bound to agree after perusing the facts.

The Controversial speech by the TNA leader Sampanthan?

''All Gotabhaya needs right now is time. The longer the TNA delays its actions the greater the chance of Tamils being outnumbered in their homeland. So time is not on our side. Please read the attached full version of Sampanthan’s speech.''

Understanding Sampanthan’s speech at the ITAK convention

Mr. R. Sampanthan, the leader of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK, aka the Federal Party), gave a fine speech at the party’s national convention held in Batticaloa recently. His speech has raised the hackles of the opinion-makers in the Sinhalese community.

Reconciliation process faces serious challenges partly due to contradictory statements by government

After the 1st meeting with GoSL

There is little doubt that besides Sampanthan's controversial remarks last week, there are some serious credibility issues between the TNA and the Government. A letter obtained by the Sunday Times confirms that the delegation that talked with the TNA was indeed from the Government of Sri Lanka.

Sampanthan's speech and the reconciliation roadblock

''Elsewhere he says, "Our acceptance of this position does not mean that in the event our right to internal self determination is continuously denied, we will not claim our right under international law to external self determination." 
By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya 

Sampanthan on road to secession , Editorial, Sunday Times

There were rumblings within the Federal Party, a constituent partner of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) with 'hawks' driven by sections of the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora, and the more sober 'doves'. The FP and TNA leader R. Sampanthan could fall into the latter category. Only a month ago, on May Day, he won plaudits from a vast majority of people for waving the Sri Lankan national flag with the Opposition Leader.

War anniversary: Healing needed

Some years back, a Colombo-based journalist was seated outside a tea boutique near the Naga Vihara in Jaffna waiting to board a bus to the Jaffna airport and take a return flight to Colombo. All the roads were closed as the President was visiting that morning on an election tour which included a visit to the premier Buddhist temple in the region.

EPF has 8.43 % stake in loss-making TFC

Questions continue to be raised by the public on the soundness of The Finance Company (TFC) and why the state-owned National Savings Bank (NSB) decided to buy shares in the loss-making company after TFC's results released this week showed a Rs 196.7 million loss in the last financial year ending March 31, 2012, analysts said.

Govt. violating the rights of the people

''Is this a clear message by the government to the judiciary to say the least – “we appointed you and you better look after our interests at all instances and if you step out of line this is the fate that you or your members of the family would be faced with”?''

TU leader of CEB threatened with death

Ranjan Jayalal

The Committee Member of the CEB Joint Trade Union Alliance Ranjan Jayalal has been threatened that he and all his family members would be killed if he didn’t stop all his trade union activities immediately.  The threat has been carried out at 8.39 p.m. on the 29th using a mobile phone having the number 0784945856. The half a day’s strike carried out by the CEB employees throughout the island was on this day.

CID requests list of Mosques and Madrasas

anti Muslim protest in SL

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) requested a list of all the mosques and madrasas in the country from the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, sources from the Department told Ceylon Today. An ethnic-Muslim officer has visited the Department yesterday and verbally requested the documentation, and the department has asked for a written request letter, after which the list could be provided.

Sampanthan’s Batticaloa speech, an utter confusion

This perplexity in this speech seems to be a result of an attempt to pacify both the extremism still prevails among Tamil people, as among other communities, and the present day reality.
 By M.S.M.Ayub

Pahalagama Somaratana Thera is one of the few Sri Lankan Buddhist monks to have been found guilty of child abuse inside or outside the country. But if Children's Affairs Minister Tissa Karaliyadda is to be believed, child abuse in religious establishments by both Buddhist and Christian clergy in Sri Lanka is rampant.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa on disappearances in Sri Lanka

Charles Haviland 

 In March after making a feature on enforced disappearances for the BBC, I made a further radio broadcast for our From Our Own Correspondent programme, later expanded for Groundviews, saying that I hoped Sri Lanka’s top leaders would be able to give answers about the fate of recent victims of enforced disappearance in Colombo and other cities.

On the (Non)sense of Being ‘United’ and/nor/or ‘Unitary’ - A response to Dayan Jayatilleke

P. Vijaya
I must admit that reading Dr. Dayan Jayatilleke’s (DJ) recent piece, on Groundviews and elsewhere, on Mr. R. Sampathan’s (RS) speech at the ITAK convention, left me very disturbed.  In his piece, DJ draws attention to one statement in the speech in particular, which he notes is central to revealing that the RS/ITAK are separatists in disguise. The statement in question reads thus:

Democracy Deficit and Citizens’ Initiatives

The rule of law is the cornerstone of a democratic state. The basic rights of the people will suffer when the people lose confidence in the mechanisms of law enforcement and justice. We have seen several instances in our country of the law being applied differently to different people.

Editorial - Let the facts be facts ( re sampanthan's speech)

There are things that cannot be labelled, or if dissected-fall into pieces. A country’s sovereignty certainly falls into the latter. However, this is the very fact Mr. Sampanthan has forgotten in his speech at the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi convention where he referred to the ‘sovereignty’ of his ‘community.’

Last-minute reprieve for Sri Lankan deportees

Scores of Sri Lankans, due to have been deported from the UK on a government charter flight on Thursday afternoon, have had their removal orders overturned by high court judges. About 40 failed asylum-seekers - most of whom are thought to be Tamils - were granted dramatic last-minute stays.

A response to "Don’t relax laws preventing abortion in Sri Lanka" and "The case against abortion"

It is with surprise and disappointment that we read two articles published recently on the The Island that opposed the proposed amendments to abortion law. These much needed amendments, if passed in parliament, will permit abortion in instances of "underage" rape and incest. The existing law on abortion, a legacy from colonial times, permits abortion only to save a woman’s life.

JVP to move SC against investing EPF money in CSE

workers protest in SL

The JVP yesterday said that it would move the Supreme Court against the government using EPF funds to acquire shares of loss making private institutions, listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE).  Commenting on the recently reversed NSB – TFC deal at a media conference held at the party head office, JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti said the resignation of those responsible for the deal was not enough.

FTZ unions demand appointment of special commission to monitor transfer of EPF money

Anton Marcus

The Free Trade Zone and General Services Employees Union (FTZ & SEU) has demanded that the government appoint an independent investigative commission responsible to Parliament comprising trade union representatives to conduct a through investigation into all transactions, transfers of EPF funds and submit a report within three months.

Appeal Court rejects AG’s application - Ekneliyagoda disappearance case

Mohan Peiris - no immunity!

The Court of Appeal yesterday refused an application by the Attorney General seeking to set aside an order of the Homagama Magistrate dated May 17, 2012, whereby President’s Counsel Mohan Pieris, Senior Legal Adviser to the Cabinet of Ministers, was summoned to testify at the inquiry into the alleged disappearance of Prageeth Ekneligoda.

Mohan Priris ordered to testify in Pregeeth case

Prageeth

The Appeals Court today (May 31) heard the case of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda’s disappearance.  The court gathered to receive an update of the current proceedings at the Magistrate Court in Homagama.  The Magistrate had made an order May 17 to summon former Attorney General Mohan Peiris for testimony.