Columns

Political Column

Wimal-Pillayan alliance: A crown for the boat

Breakaway JVP group makes move to government through the backdoor
Ranil in France, persuades IDU countries to take up threats to media freedom in Lanka

If the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is flexing its muscles to become an even more vibrant if not virulent opposition, its breakaway faction, now the National Freedom Front (NFF) took the first step yesterday for a new alliance. It wants to team up with the nation's only paramilitary-cum-political party, the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP or Tamil People's Liberation Front).

5th Column

Oh, it’s revolting! They aim at destruction in their own way!

My Dear Somawansa, Tilvin and Wimal sahodarayas,I thought I must write to you because all of you have been in the news recently although for the wrong reasons.

Situation Report

will not appear this week.

Thoughts from London

India’s hand in Sri Lankan conflict

The sudden visit recently of a high-powered Indian delegation to Colombo headed by New Delhi’s national security adviser, has naturally raised much public and media speculation. The official explanation, at least from Colombo,

The Economic Analysis

Who is afraid of foreign borrowing?

Who is afraid of foreign borrowing? Certainly, not this government. In fact continuous borrowing appears to be the strategy to cope with the economic difficulties facing the government. At the end of March 2008 foreign borrowing amounted to Rs. 1443 billion. This is 20 percent higher than it was a year before. There have been further borrowings since March and the country’s foreign debt is likely to be much higher by end June this year.

Lobby

will not appear this week.

Focus on Rights

Victims and witness protection - part Two

The conversation would have been irrepressibly funny if the issue was not so deadly serious. Conferring recently with a victim of sadistically brutal torture inflicted by police officers purely as a result of the victim asking for proper identification when stopped on his way to work in Kurunegala, I casually mentioned about a forthcoming law which provides assistance for victims of this kind. His reaction was immediate; 'apita oya neethi monawatada? Ova honda aanduwata witharai ne?' (what is the point of such laws to us? They are good for the government only, no?)

Inside the glass house

Towards a nuke-free world: After North Korea, who?

Albert Einstein, one of the great physicists and political activists of his generation, once famously remarked: "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."