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Home » ColumnsCleanest city: what a load of rubbish
The other day I came across an assessment of the top ten cleanest capital cities in South Asia made by a group (if that is what it is) that parades under the name of Top Ten. This assessment, apparently made late last year or this year states “In 2014 Colombo looked outstanding. By 2016 there will [...]
Sri Lanka, a land like no other… for broken promises
The lofty ideals on which the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) was put together with the great promise to fight bribery and corruption and deal with the problems faced by the people with compassion, was shattered to a large extent by the actions of a few of its members in Parliament this week. [...]
Extradition of teenager: Maldivian mission violates diplomatic ethics
With much fanfare and glare of publicity the 18-year-old youth was arrested by the Police, and handed over to officials of the Department of Immigration last week. They bundled him into a Male-bound flight. On arrival, Police there arrested the youth and sent him straight to a prison island in the archipelago. His offence, it was [...]
Yahapalanaya: Who’s babbling what
My dear Green Man, I am writing to you because I am a bit confused these days about where the ‘yahapaalanaya’ government led by Maithri and you is heading. After seeing and hearing what is being said in the house near the Diyawanna Oya and outside it, I am none the wiser, so I thought [...]
Govt. under heavy fire on corruption probes, crucial introspect tomorrow
A fresh team now assigned by the Government to take over the task to freeze and later recover the assets of the son of a former VVIP in a Dubai bank has just returned to Colombo after extensive talks in that emirate. The team comprised senior DIG Ravi Waidyalankara, head of the Financial Crimes Investigation [...]
PM’s economic vision to resuscitate the economy with a new wave of reforms
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe’s vision and economic strategy for development disclosed in parliament on November 5th is significant as it promises a new wave of reforms that are imperative at this critical juncture. To what extent the good intentions of these policies could be implemented is the decisive issue. Statement opportune The policy statement was [...]
The curse of Sri Lanka’s political leadership
At one time, we had women survivors of rape and abuse in Sri Lanka praying that the Goddess Kali may visit their attackers when they failed to get justice in courts. Probably they still do. But in that most singular of ironies, we now have Ministers joining those ranks of the vengeful as they prayed to [...]
Police brutality in the dock
Today the Lankan Police is placed in the nation’s dock, publicly indicted with the charge of resorting to inhumane and primitive methods to wring confessions out of suspects in police custody. The time has arrived for the Chief of Police to publicly take cognizance of the allegations made by the victims, to take note of [...]