I am a strong believer of Corporate Nationalism – Minister of Power and Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka (26.08.2010 - dailymirror.lk)
Daily Mirror spoke to JHU General Secretary and Minister of Power and Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka in order to know the JHU stance on the current issues and his plans for the power sector in Sri Lanka.
Q: There’s a school of thought that believes that the silence of the
coalition allies has given rise to corruption by certain individuals in
the government. What’s your opinion about this criticism?
There’s corruption at all levels and almost all spheres and one cannot single out politicians.
Firstly there are corruptions in small proportions but unrestrained and
found at almost all state institutions such as government offices,
courts, schools and even at hospitals. The public take them in their
stride and do not make much of a fuss about it probably due to the
perception that they cannot get done their job without oiling the palm
of this and that public official. ...............................>>
Bravery of soldiers helped prevent holocaust of 300,000 civilians – Jayantha Dhanapala (25.08.2010 - info.gov.lk)
• Former UN Diplomat calls for new protocol to safeguard armed forces fighting terrorism
Retired UN Diplomat Jayantha Dhanapala said the Sri Lankan armed forces
took major risks to avoid a holocaust of 300,000 Tamil civilian deaths
in the last stages of the fight against terrorism when the LTTE kept the
civilians as a human shield. Making a submission at the Lessons Learnt
and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) at the Lakshman Kadirgamar
Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies, he said the
tragedy would have reached an alarming level if the forces had not
exercised restraint in attacks in order to avoid civilian casualties.
Dhanapala, former Chairman of the United Nations Disarmament Committee
said that the international community should adopt a new protocol to
deal with the armed forces battling terrorism spearheaded by non-state
actors. ................................>>
Gov. committed to provide opportunities for all – Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, MP (23.08.2010 14:50 SLT - info.gov.lk)
‘Evidenced by infrastructural development & targeted investment’
Rapid infrastructural development, accompanied by strategies for
targeted investment, has made clear the commitment of government to
ensuring better opportunities for all, stated Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, MP
at the Public Sitting of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation
Commission held at the Lakshman Kadiragmar institute today (23 August
2010).
We need to ensure that human resource development parallels the
tremendous achievements with regard to physical development. We need
also to ensure greater integration of people in the context of equity.
Finally we need to develop confidence in government through ensuring
constant consultation and respect for different perspectives, he
stressed. ................................>>
Reconciliation Commission launched its public sittings to explore ways to prevent recurrence of ethnic conflicts in Sri Lanka (12.08.2010 - Asiantribune.com)
Colombo :
People of this country have gone through a traumatic nightmare and have
vanquished the most ruthless terrorist organization in the world. Sri
Lankan forces had vanquished the LTTE over a year ago and now their
primary concern was to consolidate the military victory through
reconciliation, stated Chairman of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation
Commission, Mr. C. R. de Silva at the first Public Sitting of the
Commission.
The first Public Sitting of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation
Commission was held on Wednesday morning, 11 August, at the Lakshman
Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies.
This was the first sitting of the commission and it was inaugurated with
the reading the Warrant given by President to the Commission, in all
three languages, lighting of the traditional oil lamp by the
Commissioners and an inaugural speech by the Chairman. ................................>>
“KP”SPEAKS OUT : An Interview With The Former Tiger Chief - Part 1, 2, 3 and 4 - by D B S Jeyaraj (07, 14, 21 and 28.08.2010 - dailymirror.lk/print/)
It
was one year ago on August 5, 2009 that Thambiaiya Selvarasa
Pathmanathan alias “KP” was taken into custody in Kuala Lumpur at
First Tune Hotel on 316 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman road.The former chief
arms procurer of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) was
brought to Colombo the following day.
KP’s capture was hailed as a significant breakthrough because the
senior Tiger operative was at that time the nominal chief of the
re-structured LTTE. In the aftermath of the Mullivaaikkaal debacle
resulting in the demise of LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran and
senior Tiger commanders, KP assumed leadership of the movement abroad.
The LTTE was re-structured with KP being appointed “Thalaimai Seyalar”
or chief secretary.
With KP’s capture punitive action against him by Colombo was
anticipated. However in an unexpected turn of events there evolved a
remarkable relationship between captor and captive where the Sri Lankan
government extended its hand of friendship towards KP in a magnanimous
gesture. KP in turn reciprocated pragmatically by responding in a
conciliatory and co-operative spirit. .................................>>
A post–war challenge for Sri Lanka : Dismantling the LTTE overseas and rebuilding a Sri Lankan identity (05.08.2010 - Asiantribune.com)
Colombo :
“Sri Lanka defeated the world’s first insurgency of the 21st century.1
On May 19, 2009, the country achieved a great strategic and moral
triumph by militarily defeating the LTTE,” said Professor Rohan
Gunaratna.
In a keynote address delivered at the Auditorium of the Sri Lanka
Foundation Institute on the invitation of the Nandadasa Kodagoda
Memorial Trust Professor Gunaratna further said, “The theory that a
political solution is a prelude to defeating an insurgency articulated
by Western theorists and scholars was shattered. After three decades of
fighting a cruel and costly insurgency, peace finally returned to Sri
Lanka."
He observed that whether peace will endure and future prosperity will be
achieved will depend on the ability and willingness of the political
leaders of the country to work together across the party divide to build
a new Sri Lanka. ..................................>>
Minister ties official to a tree : With friends like these, who needs enemies ? - by Raj Gonsalkorale (07.08.2010 - Asian Tribune)
The
contemporary public perception about politicians in Sri Lanka is that
getting into politics is an investment for their future, and not the
future of the country they profess to serve. This cynicism seems well
founded and well established, not for specific reasons of truism, but
because very few politicians have demonstrated otherwise.
The other cynicism that prevails is that only the bad and the ugly get
into politics, and the good either don’t or they have left for greener
pastures. No doubt this is not universally true as we do get politicians
who are honourable, credible and who think about the country before
themselves. In saying this, some might say the writer has to pinch
himself and wake up to reality! Some might say the writer is looking to
add to his list of oxymorons. ..............................>>
Lanka
prepared to face GSP+ withdrawal
challenge – Central Bank of
Sri Lanka (02.07.2010 10:30 SLT - info.gov.lk)
The Government
and the Central Bank (CBSL) as well as many Sri Lankan exporters to the
EU have already taken many measures to deal with challenges posed by
the GSP+ withdrawal, stated the Central Bank.
The Central Bank in a statement issued yesterday (1 July) highlighted
some of the measures already taken to address the issue. They are,
• Improving the Sri Lankan business environment and confidence levels
significantly, by ending the conflict
• Stabilizing and improving almost all macro-economic fundamentals
• Establishing an enabling environment where Sri Lankan businesses could
access international capital and debt markets for funding requirements
at lower costs
• Achieving political stability in the country, thereby further
improving confidence and reducing policy uncertainties;
• Obtaining the removal of Sri Lanka from the list of countries
described a “high war risk” countries by underwriters;
• Improving internal work processes and systems of exporting entities,
thereby leading to substantial productivity enhancements. ..............................>>
Commitment
and dedication of people will resolve conflicts - President Rajapaksa (02.07.2010 10:20
SLT - info.gov.lk)
Internal problems of a country can be
resolved through the commitment and dedication of its people and Sri
Lanka is a good example in this regard, stated President Mahinda
Rajapaksa.
Problems can only be resolved through the will of the people instead of
external interventions, he further stated.
The President made these statements while addressing the Ukrainian
National Defence Academy yesterday (July 1) during his official visit to
Ukraine.
President Rajapaksa further said that the experience of Sri Lanka in
defeating terrorism was an example to other countries faced with
challenges posed by terrorism. He attributed the reasons for the victory
to the great humanism displayed by the country's security forces. .................................>>
Speech delivered by President Rajapaksa to the Sri Lanka-Ukraine Business Forum (01.07.2010 -
news.lk)
Let me at the outset thank your Excellency
President Yanukovich for your words of introduction. I am pleased to
speak a few words on this occasion which convenes the Ukraine –Sri Lanka
Business Forum. In my view this Forum is one of special significance to
the relations between Sri Lanka and Ukraine, as its objective is to
widen the scope of our bilateral relations beyond official contacts
between our two governments, and to stimulate direct interaction between
the private sector and the business communities through the promotion
of economic and trade cooperation. ...................................>>
