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Home » ColumnsA prisoner of the budding types
My dear Uncle Ranil, I thought of writing to you because, in a few days’ time, it will be three months since you took on the top job of the land. It hasn’t been an easy three months, but no one, least of all you, thought that it will be. However, it is a good [...]
Sri Lanka among 42 countries blacklisted by UN for human rights violations
Sri Lanka is one of 42 countries, out of 193 member states, blacklisted by the United Nations for retaliating against human rights activists and journalists who are either behind bars, persecuted or under government surveillance. These activists also faced reprisals and intimidation for cooperating with the UN on human rights, according to a recent report. [...]
Frustrated Justice Minister reminds MPs of ‘dark age’ as debate on 22A is put off
By Sandun Jayawardana The passage of the 22nd Amendment (22A) to the Constitution, widely considered as a key component in the political reform process, was delayed in Parliament this week amid sharp divisions between the government and opposition over the draft amendment. Differences of opinion regarding the content of the draft amendment were far more [...]
Civil society can play a bridging role to help resolve the economic crisis
One of the great hopes nurtured by concerned citizens was that the current economic crisis will push the diverse political parties to make a united effort to rescue the country from what President Ranil Wickremesinghe described as “the worst economic crisis in its history.” That was why the mantra of an ‘all party’ or ‘multi [...]
Sri Lanka’s ‘bungee jumping’ to bankruptcy and beyond
There is a deep tragedy at the heart of Sri Lanka’s constitutional, financial and legal paralysis that we must understand. ‘Eating’ political propaganda Some years ago, infuriated supporters of a drug baron turned vassal of the Rajapaksas lashed out at a courageous forest officer who protested against the destruction of the environment by politicians, asking [...]
Reviving the economy despite severe shortages of external finances
The paramount need of the hour is to revive the economy that has been per-forming far below its capacity and potential. The economic recovery has to be achieved by getting the priority sectors of the economy functioning. This is a challenging task owing to the inability to import adequate raw materials and energy that are [...]
UNHRC’s vote against past leaders, not against Lanka
Resolution also calls to prosecute those guilty of corruption Playing sinner at home could not have been the best possible way to woo UNHRC’s floating member states to cast their vote against the British led resolution on Sri Lanka at the month long 51st session in Geneva which ended on Thursday. During this biannual pilgrimage [...]
Government bites the dust, blames others as usual
Listening to that man for all seasons and minister for all portfolios, Mohamed Ali Sabry struggling to present a defence at a news conference in Geneva, zoomed to prepare a home audience for what was an obvious outcome at the UNHRC voting, one should not have been surprised at its sheer lack of acuity. Sabry [...]
International probe on economic crimes and corruption
Lanka suffers worst-ever defeat at UNHRC sessions, traditional friends, including Muslim countries, withhold support on Covid cremation issue More funds sought from UN for collection of alleged war crimes evidence; Investigators to visit Sri Lanka and several countries 22nd Amendment debate delayed; Wimal alleges Mola Hathano manipulating members on dual citizenship issue AG says two-thirds [...]
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