Discover unforgettable moments at Courtyard

Courtyard by Marriott Colombo hosted “The Third Shift,” an exclusive networking event designed to honor and connect with our esteemed customers. Held on the rooftop terrace of our renowned Beira Kitchen, the event offered breathtaking panoramic views of Colombo city and the serene ocean beyond a release said

The release said guests enjoyed a delightful evening of networking, socializing, and indulging in a carefully curated selection of drinks and delectable canapés. The modern retro entertainment added a touch of charm and excitement to the night, creating an unforgettable experience.

Beira Kitchen: A Culinary Haven

Beira Kitchen’s rooftop terrace offers a picturesque panorama that transforms any event into a memorable experience. Whether you’re planning a high-profile gathering or an intimate celebration, our venue’s unique ambiance and exceptional views make it the perfect choice for your next event release said

Daily Buffet Delights

Indulge in our daily buffet offerings, featuring a wide range of local and international cuisine. Enjoy a hearty breakfast, a sophisticated high tea, or a sumptuous dinner buffet release said the release

Experience Beira Kitchen Today

To experience the culinary delights and vibrant ambience of Beira Kitchen, visit Courtyard by Marriott Colombo today or call 011 773 4401 for more information and reservations.

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HNB’s rating unaffected by proposed acquisition of Alfalah’s Bangladesh Business -Fitch Ratings

Hatton National Bank PLC’s (HNB; A(lka)/Stable) potential acquisition of Bank Alfalah Limited’s (BAFL) Bangladesh operations is unlikely to affect the Sri Lankan bank’s ratings, says Fitch Ratings. We believe the acquisition, if it proceeds, would have only a modest impact on HNB’s capital.

HNB announced on 26 August 2024 that it has made a non-binding offer on the acquisition. This is after Bank Asia Limited (Bangladesh) made a similar non-binding offer in April 2024. Both offers have been accepted in principle, subject to compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. The next step is central bank approval for commencement of the due diligence process.

We see limited downside pressure on HNB’s capitalisation metrics should the acquisition proceed. At end-2023, BAFL had assets totalling nearly LKR80 billion and equity amounting to LKR15.5 billion. This is about 5% of HNB’s assets and 8% of its equity at the bank level, indicating that the possible acquisition is small relative to HNB’s overall size. We estimate the acquisition would lead to less than a 1pp drop in HNB’s capital ratios due to an increase in risk-weighted assets.

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Charter & MoU for establishing the Colombo Security Conclave Secretariat signed

The Member States of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) – Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, and Mauritius signed the Charter and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the CSC Secretariat this afternoon (30) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Indian National Security Advisor Mr Ajit Doval K C; National Security Advisor of Maldives Mr. Ibrahim Latheef, DC (Retd.), Lt Col (Retd.); High Commissioner of the Republic of Mauritius to Sri Lanka H.E. Haymandoyal Dillum, and Senior Advisor to the President on National Security of Sri Lanka Mr. Sagala Ratnayaka, signed the documents on behalf of the respective Member States.

Addressing the ceremony, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security of Sri Lanka Mr. Sagala Ratnayaka emphasized that the scope of national security now extends beyond external threats to include the management of internal challenges arising from technological advancements. He highlighted the need for governments to take more practical approaches in addressing the negative effects of freedom of expression in the current digital age, while recognizing it as a fundamental right.

The CSC s core objective is to promote regional security by addressing transnational threats and challenges of common concern to the Member States. There are five pillars of cooperation under the CSC namely Maritime Safety and Security; Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation; Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organised Crime; Cyber Security and Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology; and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.

Addressing the gathering Mr. Sagala Ratnayaka further elaborated:
It is with great pleasure that I welcome our esteemed colleagues and delegations to Sri Lanka for the momentous occasion of signing the founding documents of the Colombo Security Conclave. Today, we gather in Colombo, united by our shared commitment to regional security and cooperation. This historic event offers us yet another opportunity to deepen our formal commitment to the principles of this esteemed Conclave upholding a common strategic vision, emphasizing the importance of resisting escalating external influences in the region, and fostering collaboration while averting conflicts with neighbouring countries.

Since its inception in 2011, the Colombo Security Conclave, originally established as trilateral maritime security cooperation between India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka, has successfully navigated through numerous challenges and achieved significant progress. We are now fortunate to have Mauritius and Bangladesh as active members, with the Seychelles invited to join as well. The unwavering cooperation among our member states is a testament to our resilience in adversity and our dedication to maintaining peace in the region.

Sri Lanka is honoured to host this event, particularly as the home to the permanent Secretariat of the Colombo Security Conclave. This demonstrates our commitment to addressing the complex security challenges that impact us all. Our collective dedication to the five fundamental pillars and objectives of the Conclave will be instrumental in shaping a future where peace, stability, and prosperity are not just aspirations, but realities.

In a rapidly changing world with evolving threats, our efforts must focus on strengthening regional partnerships, sharing intelligence, and developing collaborative strategies. It is imperative that we address traditional security concerns while confronting emerging threats that transcend borders, such as cyber security, transnational crime, and maritime security.

Moreover, I want to touch upon the recent experiences of Sri Lanka, a country that has just emerged from an economic crisis. During this period, we witnessed weeks of violence in the streets of Colombo, and Bangladesh has also faced its own challenges. Sri Lanka has a deeply ingrained social welfare system, with successive governments committed to serving the people. However, over time, financing these welfare programs became increasingly difficult, leading to unsustainable borrowing. This culminated in a government that made election promises to reduce taxes and implement a 100% chemical-free agriculture policy. These promises were delivered, but the consequences were dire, leading to a financial crisis where the government struggled to service loans and fund day-to-day activities. The situation escalated to the point of printing money, ultimately resulting in unrest and uprisings, fuelled by the rapid dissemination of information through technology.
National security now extends beyond external threats to include the internal challenges posed by technological advancements and the management of such advancements. While freedom of expression is a fundamental right, managing its impact in the digital age is a delicate balance that governments must navigate.

As we move forward, it is crucial that we share our experiences and insights to develop solutions that are both innovative and practical. By leveraging our collective expertise, we can build a sustainable framework that supports security and fosters deeper regional integration.

I urge you to seize this opportunity to strengthen our commitment to securing a prosperous future, forging stronger bonds that will lead us into a future defined by mutual respect and collaboration for the benefit of our peoples.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone involved in organizing this event in such a short time. The efforts of the foreign ministers, the Foreign Secretary, the Office of the National Security Advisor, the Colombo Security Conclave Secretariat, the various missions, and the respective governments have been remarkable. The swift approvals and coordination are unheard of in this part of the world, and I am deeply grateful to all.

Following the ceremony, Indian National Security Advisor Mr Ajit Doval K C; National Security Advisor of Maldives Mr. Ibrahim Latheef, DC (Retd.), Lt Col (Retd.); High Commissioner of the Republic of Mauritius to Sri Lanka H.E. Haymandoyal Dillum, and Senior Advisor to the President on National Security of Sri Lanka Mr. Sagala Ratnayaka engaged in a special discussion.

The Ceremony was graced by the presence of Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka H.E. Santosh Jha, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aruni Wijewardene, Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne (retired), Chief of the Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, and other dignitaries. Heads of diplomatic missions, senior officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officers of the tri-forces, and officials from the Colombo Security Conclave Secretariat were also present at the occasion.

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It’s very difficult to replace a human journalist with software – LSE’s Prof. Charlie Beckett

By Ifham Nizam

Professor Charlie Beckett, who currently leads the School of Journalism’s AI project at the London School of Economics (LSE), delivered an insightful address recently on the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and journalism. Among other things, he revealed that, ‘It’s very difficult to replace a human journalist with software.’

Speaking at a global gathering of media professionals at the Orchard Hotel in Singapore, Beckett stressed the profound impact AI is having on the industry, both in terms of opportunities and challenges facing journalism today.

Despite concerns about AI replacing human journalists, Beckett reassured the audience that this was unlikely. ‘It’s very difficult to replace a human journalist with software. AI is more about supporting and supplementing the work of journalists, creating efficiency and creativity gains.’

The LSE’s Journalism and AI project, which Beckett leads, is a global initiative, working with news organizations worldwide to promote the responsible use of AI in journalism. ‘We’ve researched globally into the opportunities and risks of AI for journalism, Beckett noted, pointing to the extensive resources and training programs the project offers; ‘all available online for free, thanks to the support of the Google News Initiative.’

Beckett added: ‘With a network of over 12,000 journalists spanning from Argentina to Australia, the project has witnessed firsthand how AI technologies are transforming every aspect of journalism. AI can support journalism by handling relatively simple tasks at great speed and scale, impacting news gathering, content creation, distribution, and even revenue raising.

‘However, we’ve seen the risks, such as tech dependency and flaws in algorithms or databases. The infamous fake AI-generated interview with Michael Schumacher is an example of how human errors can lead to significant ethical breaches.’

‘Ultimately, this isn’t about tech. It’s about human choices. Journalists should embrace AI while maintaining their commitment to ethical and independent journalism.’

Temasek Foundation’s head of Corporate Development, Amrin Amin, reflected on the dynamic and often tumultuous media landscape, likening it to a “rollercoaster” that has tested the resilience and adaptability of journalists worldwide. “It’s not easy to be a journalist today,” the speaker remarked, underscoring the rapid shifts in news consumption, declining revenues and the increasing pressures on newsrooms to deliver more with fewer resources.

Amin said that despite these challenges, the AJF was celebrated as a “silver lining” in the field of journalism, providing a platform for journalists from diverse backgrounds to collaborate, learn, and support one another. The fellowship program, established 15 years ago in the wake of the global financial crisis, was lauded for its commitment to evolving journalism with an Asian perspective.

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Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy warships depart island

The trio of Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy warships; “HE FEI”, “WUZHISHAN” and  “QILIANSHAN” which arrived in Sri Lanka on 26th August 2024, departed the island today (29th August), on successful completion of their formal visit.

The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ships at the Colombo port, following naval traditions. As they departed, the warships successfully conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with
SLNS Vijayabahu. This exercise included training in communication and tactical manoeuvers, and culminated with the traditional cheer ship salute.

While the ships were in Colombo, the crew took the opportunity to visit some of the country’s tourist attractions. They also participated in various programmes designed to foster camaraderie between the two navies. Moreover, Sri Lanka Navy personnel attended briefings on the operational functions of the visiting ships.

Port calls by foreign naval ships play a crucial role in fostering collaboration among naval forces and strengthening diplomatic ties. These visits facilitate joint naval exercises and training while also allowing for the exchange of knowledge and information on unique maritime environments. This exchange is particularly beneficial in addressing shared maritime challenges.

 

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Chaos continues at main passport office

By Chaminda Silva

A large number of people who arrived at the Department of Immigration and Emigration Head Office, at Battaramulla, yesterday (28) to obtain passports, protested against inconveniences they had to face.

The Department officials said that passports would be issued on a first-come-first-served basis from Wednesday (28).

The Department said it had imposed restrictions on the issuance of passports, due to a limited supply of blank passports.

The Police intervened and commenced registering people to obtain passports.

Long queues have been seen in front of the Department of Immigration and Emigration in the past few days with people eager to obtain passports.

People complained that they had been waiting in queues for days, with some staying in front of the passport office overnight.

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Renegotiating with the IMF is a highly complex and potentially unsuccessful process -Minister of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Prison Affairs & Constitutional Reform

Minister of Foreign Affairs ,  Justice, Prison Affairs & Constitutional Reform, President’s Counsel Ali Sabry emphasized that renegotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a very serious and unsuccessful endeavour.

The Minister highlighted that resuming negotiations with the IMF could jeopardize the next tranche due in December, as well as subsequent disbursements from the World Bank (WB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

As a result, between December 2024 and January 2025, the country could lose between USD 1.2 billion to 1.3 billion, which could lead to further instability, Minister Ali Sabry warned.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Prison Affairs & Constitutional Reform, President’s Counsel Ali Sabry, made these remarks during the news conference titled ‘Two Years of Progress and Advancement’, held at the Presidential Media Centre today (28).

The Minister further stated,

In 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was assigned a crucial role due to the country’s challenging circumstances. We faced the task of rebuilding strained foreign relations, regaining the trust of the international community, and leveraging international relations to boost the country’s economy.

After almost two and a half years of dedicated effort, we have successfully stabilized the country. Our international reputation now reflects the positive results achieved domestically. It is important to acknowledge that President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership was instrumental in reaching these outcomes.

Securing agreements with 17 countries for debt restructuring through international relations is a significant achievement for us. We have completed the debt restructuring process while upholding our foreign policy, local identity, and sovereignty. Our swift recovery from the economic crisis has set a global example. Currently, countries such as Pakistan, the Maldives, and Bangladesh are seeking our advice on economic revitalization. The leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe in stabilizing the country has been recognized internationally.

Among the five countries—Lebanon, Venezuela, Argentina, Zimbabwe and Greece—that faced similar economic crises, only Greece has managed to recover so far and it took 12 years for Greece to do so. Sri Lanka stands out as the only country to have overcome an economic crisis in such a short period.

However, some individuals are misleading the public by advocating for renegotiations with the International Monetary Fund for narrow political objectives. For those considering pursuing this challenging and often unsuccessful process of renegotiation, I wish them “good luck.”

In March 2022, we officially communicated the desire to apply for an extended-fund facility. By the time we get the first tranche was March 2023. It took one year for us to agree on the Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA).

The DSA is conducted based on five key parameters. First, the current national debt, which is 133% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), must be reduced to 95%. Additionally, 9.3% of the current payment of the GDP which is going for foreign loan settlement has to be brought down to 4.5%.

Moreover, the primary budget balance should achieve a surplus of 2.1%. Furthermore, tax revenue should account for 15% of GDP. These goals are now legally established and cannot be easily altered. Any attempt to change them would require renegotiation, which would take at least another year.

If this happens, the IMF is likely to withhold the next instalment of USD 400 million due in December. If the IMF does not release the funds, the WB will also withhold its USD 400 million tranche. Consequently, the ADB will not release their USD 500 million allocation. This would result in a loss of USD 1.2 billion to USD 1.3 billion between December and January. The loss of these funds would make it impossible to prevent the country from destabilizing again, leading to a potential devaluation of the rupee and a rise in inflation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has undertaken numerous initiatives to support and coordinate the country’s economic recovery. Additionally, it has played a significant role at the Ministerial level in advancing priorities for the Global South in multilateral forums and effectively addressing challenges related to multilateral human rights issues. It is also noteworthy that Sri Lanka has been elected to four mechanisms of the United Nations: the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women for the period 2022-2024, the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the UNESCO Executive Board for the period 2023-2027, and the Economic and Social Council for the period 2025-2027.

Our foreign policy was recently evaluated in an article published by ForeignPolicy.com. The article noted that, despite the global power struggle, small sovereign states like Sri Lanka have been significantly impacted, yet Sri Lanka has navigated this situation remarkably well, maintaining strong relations with all major powers.

This success did not occur by chance. It is largely attributed to the knowledge, understanding, experience and personal connections of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. He is the only leader in this country capable of directly engaging with the head of state of any country.

It is also important to acknowledge the President’s directive to maintain the independence of the Foreign Service. As a result, the Foreign Service now operates with even greater independence and without political influence, surpassing the level of independence achieved during the tenure of former Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

(PMD)

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Indian fisher saved from watery grave

Having been alerted by an Indian fisherman who had managed to swim to Kachchatheevu Island after his trawler capsized in Indian waters, the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) saved another Indian fighting for his life near the island.

The Indian vessel had capsized about eight nautical miles off Kachchatheevu Island.

SLN said: “While conducting a foot patrol on Kachchativu Island, naval personnel, from the Naval Detachment, encountered a man who had swum to the shore. After inquiring about his whereabouts, he was identified as an Indian national. He disclosed that his fishing vessel, carrying four fishermen, had capsized due to rough seas, and he was washed ashore on Kachchativu Island.

Responding swiftly, the Navy deployed its small craft, in Sri Lankan waters near Kachchativu Island, to conduct a search and rescue mission for the Indian fishermen. During the operation, the Navy successfully rescued another Indian fisherman from a potential watery grave.

The two fishermen, rescued by the Navy, are in good health, and arrangements are being made to transfer them to Indian authorities. Meanwhile, the Navy is continuing its search and rescue efforts for the remaining two Indian fishermen, despite challenging sea conditions off the coast of Kachchativu Island.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo informed MRCC Chennai regarding the incident for onward proceedings.”

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Olly Stone confirmed as Mark Wood’s pace replacement for Lord’s Test

Olly Stone has pledged that he will “try to touch” Mark Wood’s  speeds when he replaces him as England’s out-and-out fast bowler at Lord’s this week. Wood hit 97mph/156kph against West Indies last month but injured his thigh in the first Test against Sri Lanka and has been  ruled out for the rest of the series,   with Stone replacing him as England’s only change to their XI for the Lord’s Test.

Stone, 30, has only played three Tests in his injury-blighted career but has been a regular in England squads when fit. After missing most of last season with a hamstring injury, Stone has played 28 times across format this summer for Nottinghamshire and London Spirit, the second-most appearances he has made in a single season.

He will have a similar role in the side to Wood, being asked to bowl as fast as he can in short spells. “It’s been pretty frightening… the way he’s come in and bowled this summer is very exciting,” Stone said.

“Hopefully, I can go out there and try to touch his speeds. He’s obviously up there with the fastest in the world so I’m not sure if I’ll match it – but I’ll give it a good shot.”

Stone made his Test debut at Lord’s in 2019 but then had back surgery in the adjacent Wellington Hospital in 2021, having two screws inserted. “It’s the best thing I ever went in for,” he said. “Thankfully – touch wood – so far, I’ve had no recurrences with that… I’ll keep coming back for Test cricket until my body tells me otherwise.

“I just love the feeling of coming off after a long four or five days, on the back of a hard-fought win. It’s more than just skill at times: it’s your character, and the way you are out there as a team for those four or five days. It’s something that white-ball cricket can’t give you. I just love the slog of that hard graft, going out there and providing your team with something different to help you try to win the game.

“I’ve always said that one of the reasons I went down certain surgical routes to have my back sorted was so that I could go out and play Test cricket again. It’s never been in my mind to give that up. If my body then gave up on me, maybe I’d have to step away. But thankfully, so far, I’ve found a way and I can be back out there in an England shirt.”

Stone has taken 11 Championship wickets at 52.63 for Nottinghamshire this season but has benefitted from England’s decision to prioritise attributes over averages in selection. The same logic informed Josh Hull’s  call-up as cover for Wood – with Luke Wright,   the national selector, hinting that Sam Cook would have come into the squad if Chris Woakes had been injured, rather than Wood.

“Sam has been very aware of how we’re looking to balance our pace attack, and he’s close,” Wright said. “I feel for Sam. He’s an incredible bowler, and you’re never that far away. If it had maybe been Woakesy, or a different [injured bowler], then it might bring him into it more.

“But once we lost Woody, we wanted to try to keep that pace into it and have that variety in attack, and obviously that’s where having a big 6ft 7in left-armer that we could bring in, that’s why he got the nod ahead of him. But look, for Sam, he’s certainly on the radar. He’s missed out this time, but it doesn’t mean he does down the line.”

England XI for second Test vs Sri Lanka:

Ben Duckett,  Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (capt),  Joe Root, Harry Brook,  Jamie Smith (wk),  Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir

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Issues of academic freedom and forced ‘voluntary’ retirement of Prof. Sasanka Perera: A call for reflection and dialogue

Prof. K.K. Aggarwal President

South Asian University New Delhi

Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe President of Sri Lanka President’s Office Colombo

Mr. Sagala Ratnayaka

Chief of Staff to the President of Sri Lanka President’s Office

Colombo

Mr. Saman Ekanayake

Secretary/President of Sri Lanka President’s Office

Colombo

Mr. Ali Sabry

Minister of Foreign Affairs Government of Sri LankaMr. Tharaka Balasuriya

State Minister of Foreign Affairs Government of Sri Lanka Ms. Kshenuka Senewiratne

High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India

Ms. Aruni Wijewardane,

Secretary/Foreign Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs Government of Sri Lanka

Mr Niluka Kandurugamuwa

Director General SAARC Ministry of Foreign Affairs Government of Sri Lanka

Dr. S. Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister Government of India

Mr. Vikram Misri

Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs Government of India

Mr. Jaideep Mazumdar

Secretary [East] Ministry of External Affairs Government of India

Mr. CSR Ram

Joint Secretary [BIMSTEC & SAARC] Ministry of External Affairs Government of India

Mr. Puneet Agrawal

Additional Secretary/ Indian Ocean Region Ministry of External Affairs

Government of India Mr. Santosh Jha High Commissioner

High Commission of India Colombo

Mr Md. Golam Sarwar

Secretary General/SAARC SAARC Secretariat Kathmandu

Ms Irosha Cooray

Director/ Education, Security and Culture SAARC Secretariat

Kathmandu

We, the alumni of the South Asian University (SAU), are extremely appalled by the recent treatment meted out to Prof. Sasanka Perera by the University. Prof. Perera is one of the founding faculty members of this institution and has been crucial to not just the evolution of the Department of Sociology but also to the blossoming of the university in varied roles as professor, Head of the Department of Sociology, Dean of Social Sciences and Vice President of this ‘international’ University over thirteen years of dedicated efforts.

The systemic institutional harassment that Professor Perera was made to undergo since April this year initially launched by the Dean of Social Sciences Sanjay Chaturvedi and the Head of Sociology Dev Nath Pathak, is however not surprising given the recent ongoing chain of events regarding the suspension of four core faculty members and the witch-hunt of students who dared to speak out for their basic rights as an intrinsic part of life and learning in what is supposed to be an international university. In these last few years, it is, perhaps, a matter of routine to institutionally hound and effectively extinguish any notion of free speech and liberty in this institution of higher learning. The notoriety that SAU has brought upon itself globally in the last few years is hard to retreat from.

For alumni of SAU working in leading universities in and outside South Asia and the larger international academic world, the punitive and arbitrary measures by the administration against its faculty and students for merely speaking out for their minimum rights — and in this case for solely supervising the writing of a PhD research proposal — is indeed shocking and unfathomable! No matter what the University may claim to wash its hands off the egregious situation it has created, it is evident that Prof. Perera was left with no option but to voluntarily retire in the horrific circumstances to preserve his dignity and integrity, characteristics appallingly lacking at the university and in its leadership. But with the wrongful ouster of a founding faculty and, not to mention, an internationally acclaimed scholar in the field of Social Sciences, the University has effectively plunged to new depths of academic degeneration and international embarrassment.

This recent issue of sending a show-cause notice to a PhD candidate and setting up an inquiry committee to investigate his supervisor merely for citing a world-renowned intellectual on a research topic that is solely within the bounds of academic history and present practices of research across the world are tragically farcical operations. The dissertation proposal, which cites linguist Noam Chomsky’s view, argues that Narendra Modi represents

a ‘radical Hindutva tradition’—a perspective that aligns with the views of many progressive thinkers. Chomsky himself has critiqued the Modi administration of undermining Indian secular democracy and promoting a discriminatory ideology. Adding to the complexity, the student in question is a Muslim from Kashmir. The situation, where a student is being questioned for citing a scholar and a professor is forced into retirement for supervising the student, ironically seems to validate Chomsky’s critique by indeed demonstrating a grave threat to Indian secular democracy and a violation of academic freedom.

Adding to the irony, Professor Sasanka Perera is one of the few international faculty members at South Asian University that touts itself as an ‘international’ university, and the treatment meted out to him underscores the rapid erosion of the institution’s global and cosmopolitan character and its reinvention as a North Indian institution of ill-repute. While universities have historically emerged within the dominant socio-political and economic frameworks of their times, the more established and reputed ones have progressively transformed into bastions of democratic values and critical inquiry. Today, they are expected to champion the principles of academic freedom and foster environments where diverse perspectives are engaged with and respected. Sadly, rather than serving as a beacon of critical thinking in the current socio-political climate, South Asian University has become a mere apparatus of the Indian State. Its South Asian sensibility and ownership by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which established it, is irrevocably lost. This is a new low in the history of this University’s enterprise of harassment of its faculty. The future of authentic, serious and unbiased research in SAU is at stake if the minimum good practices of research and academic writing cannot be upheld within a university that claims global repute.

What is worse is that the institutional harassment of Prof Perera did not come from external sources. As clearly authenticated by documents of the inquiry process, it came from the Head of Sociology and the Dean of Social Sciences augmented by the deafening silence of the faculty members of the Department of Sociology, other Social Science fields in the university and more generally, across the university. It must also be asked why the two other faculty members who were part of the PhD candidate’s Research Committee and the Academic Committee of the Department of Sociology, which cleared the proposal, were not subject to the inquiry and only Prof. Perera was singled out. Is it because he is non-Indian? All this begs the question: what has happened to the social sciences at SAU and what has become of their practitioners’ sense of ‘doing social science’ and the ethics this involves? With this kind of silence and choreographed timidity in the face of injustice displayed by the great majority of faculty members in the university, one cannot envisage SAU ascending to the heights its pioneers, including Prof Perera, initially envisaged and worked towards.

The exit of Professor Perera is not just a colossal loss for the present students of Sociology at SAU, but also marks the end of honing young and budding minds in the future. Apart from his extensive scholarship, he was a cherished teacher in the classroom who encouraged

critical, reflective and analytical thinking — a highly valuable skill set for knowledge production in social sciences. Professor Perera has been a North Star for many students who have gone on to pursue PhD and research in some of the top international universities. Many of us could pursue a doctoral programme in the top 100 Universities of the world due to his motivation and guidance. His timely and always unstinted and unwavering support for students in their time of need (many times even financial needs) attests to his magnanimity and altruism, a rare quality at SAU.

This entire episode also opens up a series of other crucial questions. That is, what have the SAARC Secretariat, the Secretary-General of SAARC, the SAU Governing Board and the Government of Sri Lanka done to ensure academic freedom and impartiality at the university while safeguarding the interests of a Lankan citizen who does not have access to courts of law in India? Moreover, what has the Indian Government done in this situation which championed the appointment of the present President under whose watch the current episode unfurled, hiding behind the protection the Indian government has gifted to SAU in the form of rights of immunity which has so far allowed SAU to engage in these kinds of unprofessional and unethical activities relentlessly.

All this is to say that the prolonged institutional harassment faced by Professor Perera that led to his early and unplanned retirement is a deep blemish on the academic integrity, ethics and authenticity of knowledge production in a university that claims to be of international standing. Hegemonic geopolitics and extreme pettiness in positions of leadership and power in the university must stop negatively influencing academic practices if SAU genuinely aspires to reach the potential that was envisioned in its creation. As of now, SAU is nose diving into the void of intellectual censorship and academic captivity, effectively taking a toll on its fee-paying students and their futures.

Concerned Alumni of South Asian University

Anushka Kahandagamage

2017-2020 Sri Lankan Sociology (Mphil/PhD) Doctoral Candidate, School of Social Sciences, University of Otago.

Magna Mohapatra

2020, 2022 India Sociology (MA), Sociology (MPhil) Doctoral student, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Sakuna M Gamage

2019 Sri Lankan International Relations (MA) Independent Reseacher & Journalist

Zunayed Ahmed Ehsan 2020 Bangladesh Sociology (MA) Doctoral Student, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Sukanya Maity

2023 India Sociology (MA)

Vishal Singh Raghuvanshi

2017 India Sociology (MA) Working at TR Abir Mazumder 2015 India Sociology, PhD Visiting Faculty, NLSIU, Bangalore

Kaushalya Kumarasinghe

2016 Sri Lanka Sociology, PhD Visiting Academic, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo

Buddha Prakash Dhamma Piya Asoka

2021 India Sociology, MA Doctoral Student, Department of Anthropology, CUNY Graduate Center

Kathirtharsini Parameswaran

2023 Sri Lanka LLM

Mst Sabina Tabasum

2023 Bangladesh Sociology, MA Research Associate, Dnet- Development Research Network

Keshav Sawarn

2023 India Sociology, MA Junior Research Fellow, Indian Statistical Institute

Prabudh Singh

2017 India Sociology, MA

Yasangi Handunge

2024 Sri Lanka LLM

Aishwarya Ahmed

2022 Bangladesh Sociology, MA Doctoral Student, Oklahoma State University

Sivaselwam Arulnesan

2022 Sri Lanka MA in International relations Doctoral Student, Christ University, India

Keerthika Suntharalingam

2023 Sri Lanka MA in Sociology Visiting Lecturer, The Open University of Sri Lanka.

Aditya Kumar Pandey

2024 India MA in Sociology Doctoral Student, Shiv Nadar University

Rajashree Chowdhury

2018 India MA in Sociology Doctoral Student, Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics

Sridhar Krishnan

2018, 2024 India MA & PhD. International Relations Writing Tutor, Centre for Writing and Communication, Ashoka University.

Pranav Menon

2019 India LLM Doctoral Student, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Amrita Sachdev

2016 India Sociology, MA Screenwriter, Mumbai

Kalyan Kumar K

2016 India Sociology, MA Research Fellow, Westminster Business School, London

Jyothika Rimal

2016 India Sociology, MA Ngo, Nepal

Bhimraj M

2019 India LLM MPhil (Law) Student, University of Oxford

Rachna

2022 India LLM Litigation

Swapnil Tiwari

2019 India LLM Assistant Registrar, Customs Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal

Vijayan M

2018 India LLM Asst.Professor Govt.Law College Calicut, Kerala

Nishit Sharma

2022 India Sociology, MA Doctoral Student at University of Nevada Las Vegas

Nazi Karim

2018 Afghanistan MA(Sociology) Phd student at Victoria University of Wellington

Shyamjith

2022 India MA in Sociology Project Fellow, National Institute of Rural Development

Violina Barman

2020 India Sociology, MA Research Associate, CSDD India

Namrata Sedhain

2018 Nepal LLM Officer, Supreme Court of Nepal

Md. Sharifur Rahman

2020 Bangladesh LLM Senior Officer, Zubion Development Solutions Limited

Shashi Kumar

2020 India IR

Haaris Moosa

2020 India LLM Advocate, Kochi

Anukuvi Thavarasa

2020 Sri Lanka Sociology, MA Researcher at the Central European University, Vienna

Tuisha Sircar

2019 India MA Sociology Doctoral Student, IIT Bombay, ADCPS

Chamika Wijesuriya

2020 Sri Lanka MA International Relations Independent Researcher

Bonna chakraborti

2024 Bangladesh Sociology Ma

Ahana Chakrabarti

2018 India MA Sociology Doctoral Student, CSSSC

Sheikh Raisul Islam

2018 Bangladesh LLM Lead Specialist, Trade, BIMSTEC Secretariat

Md. Raihan

2020 Bangladesh LLM Project Officer-Legal, INGO

Mohammad Dawood

2019 Afghanistan MA International Relations Director Research Alternative Spectrum, USA

Anusha Bhansali

2020 India MA International Relations

Deyasinee Bhattacharyya

2020 India MA Sociology

Syed Eesar Mahedi

2022 India PhD IR

Irshad Arshad

2021 Pakistan MSc Biorechnology

Amol Shaila Suresh

2023 India MA Economics Research Associate, University of Maryland

A.S.M Riad Arif

2018 Bangladesh MA Sociology icddr,b

Pooja Kumari

2022 India LL. M. Research Fellow, IIT Kharagpur

Abu Raihan Sarkar

2022 India MA Sociology

Kanika Rai Dhanda

2015 India MA Sociology Doctoral student, Northwestern University

Neranjan Maddumage

2019 Sri Lanka MA Sociology Consultant Researcher, INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre

Rohan Basu

2020 India MA Sociology Doctoral Scholar, Dept of Historical Studies, Central European University, Vienna

Manvika Shivhare

2022 India LL.M. Project Lead, ActionAid

Lopamudra Gogoi

2022 India MA Sociology Assistant Accounts Officer, Assam Finance Service.

S. Vasudev

2024 India M.A. Sociology Doctoral Student, Department of Sociology Shiv Nadar University

Fawaz Basheer

2021 India M.A. Sociology

Mortaza Mandegar

Hassani 2019 Afghanistan M. A. Sociology Doctoral Student, History, UCLA

Venkata Narayana

2016, 2021 India MA Sociology, MPhil Sociology Coordinator, Department of Sociology, Loyola College, Chennai.

Abdullah Al Mozahid

2023 Bangladesh MA Sociology Lecturer, Premier University, Chittagong

Riya Choudhary

2024 India M.A Sociology

Madhubanti Talukdar

2019

India M.A. Sociology Consultant Researcher, Climate Loss and Damage project funded by IWMI

Shray Mehta

2018 India MPhil Sociology PhD, NUS Sociology

Mostafa Shabuj

2016 Bangladesh M.A Sociology Journalist, The Daily Star

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Rapid Adventures recognised as ‘Sri Lanka’s Most Popular Travel and Tourism Website’

At the prestigious Grand Award Ceremony of BestWeb.lk 2024, held on August 14th at Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Rapid Adventures Private Limited once again made headlines, solidifying its standing in Sri Lanka’s travel and tourism sector. This year, the company added two more accolades to its impressive portfolio, winning the Most Popular Travel and Tourism Website for the third consecutive year and taking home the Bronze Award for Best Travel and Tourism Website.

BestWeb.lk, organized by the LK Domain Registry since 2009, is Sri Lanka’s only platform dedicated to recognizing excellence in web development. This year’s competition was fierce, with over 200 competitors and around ninety nominees vying for titles across twenty-seven categories, but Rapid Adventures rose above the competition, reaffirming its place as a leader not only in travel but also in the digital space.

These achievements are a direct reflection of Rapid Adventures’ relentless dedication to delivering top-notch adventure travel experiences for locals and tourists alike. By prioritizing user-friendly digital solutions, the company offers a seamless booking experience that meets the needs of modern travellers with just one click. Whether by air, land, or water, their expertly curated expeditions cater to all experience levels, ensuring that each journey is unforgettable.

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Electing a President: Dazzling Convention in Chicago. No Drama yet in Sri Lanka

by Rajan Philips

“Marrying spectacle with seriousness” is the essence of the American genius. Both were in full display at the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago last week. For four days, the Democrats gathered at the United Centre (home to Chicago Bulls where Michael Jordan once dribbled and dazzled with the basketball) in a carnival atmosphere mixing serious politics with artsy entertainment, culminating on Thursday with Kamala Harris accepting the Party’s nomination as its presidential candidate and delivering the biggest speech so far of her suddenly soaring political life. The speech on Thursday was fittingly soaring, well scripted, and was delivered with aplomb, authority and eloquence.

On Wednesday, Kamala Harris’s Vice Presidential pick and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz made his acceptance speech and delighted the crowd. Although Mr. Walz has been a highly successful state governor, he is not cut from the elite cloth of American politics. From small town origins, he had been a high school teacher and football coach with stints in China, and served in the Army National Guard, before retiring and entering politics. Humorous and jovial, with folksy wit like former President Truman, Mr. Walz has proven himself to be a fitting partner to Kamala Harris with her own signature laugh. They have brought laughter into American politics against an opponent who neither smiles nor laughs.

Six months ago, the Democrats were fearing the worst – that the 2024 Convention could turn out to be a disaster like the 1968 one, also in Chicago, when anti-Vietnam protesters rocked the Convention and the City. The Party was bitterly divided and its eventual nominee, then Vice President Hubert Humphrey, went on to be defeated by Richard Nixon. A 27 year young Bernie Sanders was a protest leader on the street in 1968. Now 83 and Senator, Sanders was fully inside the tent this week as he had been since 2016.

Sanders is the progressive flag bearer in American politics and was given a prime time speaking slot along with the Party grandees – the Bidens, the Clintons, the Obamas, and its younger upstarts including the grandsons of John Kennedy and Jimmy Carter. Unlike the Republicans where future potentials have been crowded out by Trump and his godling worshippers, the Democrats boasted an impressive array of young political stars with potential for a higher calling in the future.

Presidential Line

One of them is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), the 35 year young Congresswoman from New York and the youthful face of progressive politics. AOC was given speaking time on Monday, immediately before Hillary Clinton, signifying the Party’s long generational span and its vulnerability to ideological shears and stresses throughout its length. As omens go, giving a speech at the convention has been a recent pathway to candidacy and even victory at a future presidential election.

Bill Clinton was the chosen speaker at the 1988 convention and went on to be elected president in 1992; Barak Obama made his splash in 2004 and was president in 2008; Kamala Harris had her opening in 2012 and now has her chance to be president in 2024. Time will tell if AOC would join the select line and she has time on her side in a country that for all its warts is also the world’s biggest fountain of opportunities.

The theme of this years convention was freedom and its message unity, both a foil and a response to Trump. Trump has become the glue that holds the multihued Democrats united with a single minded purpose: defeat Trump. They survived the deep divisions and protests over the crisis in Gaza and put on a united show because nothing else would be a greater suffering to them than a second Trump presidency.

A ceasefire announcement at the Convention would have the been the ideal swan song for President Joe Biden, but that was not to be. Both Israel and Hamas stuck to their guns refusing to cross the ‘bridging proposal’ that the US had come up with to break the current deadlock. A direct call on Wednesday between Biden and Netanyahu was not enough to nudge the latter to the final step. Significantly, Vice President Harris joined the call showing her involvement in official business while campaigning for her election as president in November.

A Close Election

Looking presidential while campaigning for the future has enhanced her mojo as a candidate. Even as it has driven Trumps nuts. From the time Donald Trump started his presidential campaign in 2015 preparing the primaries and presidential election in 2016, Trump’s method of choice has been to insult and injure his opponents through name calling and slandering. He called Hillary Clinton “crooked Hillary,” and it stuck among Trump supporters and voters even though there was no substance to it. Strangely, or not, Trump has not been able to come up with anything stickable against Kamala Harris.

For one, Ms. Harris has no baggage like Clinton; more importantly, people have got tired of Trump’s name calling and invective. Equally, the Democrats are turning the tables on Trump and returning the favour by mocking everything about him. Speakers at the convention took turns mocking Trump, his lies, his inconsistencies and his plain narcissism. Unlike in 2016, Trump is now very much a known quantity with an indefensible record, and a majority of Americans do not want another four years of or with Trump. In her convention speech, Kamala Harris asserted that as a public prosecutor and political leader she has had only one client: The People. She contrasted her with Trump, who has had only one client all his life: Himself.

Regardless, the November election will be a close race, and because of the Electoral College system and the party affiliations of the States the election will be decided by the results in the seven swing states by margins that could as low as a few thousand votes. Three of them, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin are in the rustbelt, the old industrial areas in the Midwest with disaffected white working class communities; and four of them, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada are in the southern sunbelt where increasing numbers of African and Latino Americans are changing electoral dynamic of what have been traditionally rural white American majority states.

Voter mobilization and turnout will decide the results in these states and ultimately the winner in the November election. To mobilize their supporters and persuade the independent voters, the Democrats are asserting to be free from government’s control over women’s rights and gender rights, on the one hand, and asking for government intervention, on the other, to help the middle classes and the marginalized to have adequate housing, secure jobs and affordable prices for essential goods and services. They are openly and joyfully contrasting the reality of American diversity and immigrant attraction with the racial bigotry of Donald Trump and the Republican Party that he has hijacked. It is a cultural campaign for America’s “better angels” to triumph over its ugly demons.

A Different Election

The presidential election in Sri Lanka is a different animal but no less critical for the country’s immediate and long term future. The Americans have been curating the presidential system for over two centuries. Sri Lankans have significant doubts about it even after living with it for over four decades. At least two candidates, Sajith Premadasa, and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, are on record that if elected they will proceed to have the elected executive presidential system abolished. But they cannot do it by executive order, and will require an act of parliament and a constitutional amendment.

There has been no indication by any candidate except AKD who promised instant dissolution of what they will do with the current parliament, or for how long they will keep it. Rather how soon they will dissolve it. No candidate has issued a manifesto yet. And there is no 100-day programme like what was presented in advance of the January 2015 presidential election, when Maithripala Sirisena was the common candidate for all three of the main candidates in the current election. They were on the same team then and are offering contrasting perspectives now.

Speaking after nominations, Sajith Premadasa waxed eloquent and promised “to create an era of the common masses.” Whatever that might mean except for pluralizing the old SWRD cliché of the era of the common man. And the terminology is more condescending than reformative in the 21^st century. Anura Kumara Dissanayake opined that only the NPP is capable of bringing about the change while claiming that “the people are badly in need of a change.” That has been his theme for over two years and the day of reckoning is finally near for the change maker. Ranil Wickremesinghe may have wanted to keep it simple and called “for a fresh mandate to create a bright future for the nation.” That is quite a long shot given his declared delivery date is not until 2048.

The voters do not seem to be overwhelmingly persuaded by anyone of them. The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has released the results of a survey called the “Confidence in Democratic Governance Index,” that asked respondents that who among the three presidential candidates is best suited to address their current needs. In addition to the three candidates, the survey also included the none of the above or “No One” option. Not surprisingly, at the national level, nearly 30% (28.8%) of the respondents picked the No One option, followed by 24.3% for Ranil Wickremesinghe, 19.3% for Sajith Premadasa, and 15.5% for Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The breakdowns along ethnic lines are instructive. Among the Sinhalese, the No One option ranks the highest with 33%, but individual candidates fare better among the Tamils, Muslims and the Malaiyaha Tamils. As well, Ranil Wickremesinghe (24.1%) and Anura Kumara Dissanayaka (18.4%) score better than Premadasa (15.8%) among the Sinhalese, while Mr. Premadasa tops the list among all three minority communities who also show little support for Mr. Dissanayake.

The above results are an interesting snapshot and nothing more, but they do say something about the uncertain state of mind among the voters, both nationally and ethnically. The candidates do not seem to be helping anyone with certainty on anything. Mr. Dissanayake seems to be the most confident among the three candidates, but there is no way of knowing how his confidence resonates with the public. Going by the CPA survey, he still has work to do among the minority communities.

Sajith Premadasa, although he has been striking alliances with other political parties (some of them multiple times), he does not seem to be able to hold his own house (SJB) in order. The very timing and the very public resignation of Parliamentarian Thalatha Athukorala is quite a blow to SP’s campaign, and it has been the only drama in a rather lacklustre election campaign so far.

Ranil Wickremesinghe continues to be inexplicable. Why would he let the government decide every MP to have additional guns which they can keep forever by renewing licenses? Is he selectively applying to Sri Lanka’s parliamentarians the Second Amendment from the US – the right to keep and bear Arms? And the Supreme Court is not letting the President easily off the hook with its new ruling on the Local Government elections. For someone who wants the people to vote for him on his economic record, Mr. Wickremesinghe keeps inviting new strictures over his hopelessly woeful political record. Stranger days are still ahead.

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UNP stalwart Rukman Senanayake passes away

United National Party (UNP) stalwart, Rukman Senanayake, has passed away at the age of 76 today (24), family sources confirmed.

He is the  grandson of Sri Lanka’s first Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake.

 

 

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Matthew Perry's ex reveals chilling death scene secrets and haunting five-word message

Matthew Perry's ex-girlfriend and former assistant Kayti Edwards is calling for a probe into his death as she lifts the lid on their relationship and the Friend's star's battles

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Matthew Perry's ex shares chilling three-word text and real reason she had to leave

EXCLUSIVE: Kayti Edwards, the ex-girlfriend and former assistant of the late Friends star, said she had to walk away from the actor after watching his addiction spiral out of control

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Desalination plants needed to meet country’s future water needs, Parameshwaran, Technical Specialist

Desalination plants could play an important role in improving Sri Lanka’s water supply in the coming decades, Kathiravelu Parameshwaran, Technical Specialist at Sydney Water told a recent symposium organised by the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL).

The global desalination market is expected to grow to 28.1 billion dollars by 2026, up from 16.5 billion dollars in 2020.Prameshwaran said climate change would impact many water sources used by Sri Lankans for drinking and other daily water needs.

“We have seen this happen in Australia. We completed a desalination plant in Sydney in 2019. This was established because there were worries that increasing droughts would affect Sydney water supply. However, within months we had a flood and the water sources we used to supply potable water were contaminated. The desalination plant really helped during this situation,” he said.

Parameshwaran said Sri Lanka hadone functioning desalination plant, the Thalaiyady Seawater Desalination Plant.

“If desalinated water will be Jaffna’s main source of water, we have to ensure that the system is foolproof. We can’t have technical issues that drag on for days,” he said.

Parameshwaran said desalination plants were complex and needed high levels of preparedness for any contingency. Desalination is an expensive process, he said. “Also, a very reliable power supply is very important. We need to have properly trained staff to ensure that the machinery is well maintained. Companies usually only give a seven year warranty, and these machines are expensive. If we think about power usage, equipment and staff costs, desalination is an expensive process,” he said.

Parameshwaran said rather than a single large plant, it would have been better to build several smaller ones in several locations. “This would have helped reduce contingency requirements and impacts caused by desalination plant intake, concentrate disposal and transmission costs,” he said.

(RK)

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Donald Trump blames UK riots on 'self-destructive' net-zero policies in stunning outburst

Trump said the UK's pursuit of net zero is "causing economic chaos, destruction, riots and death in the streets of British cities."

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More guns for MPs

Thursday 22nd August, 2024

All 225 MPs have been authorised to acquire two 12-bore repeater guns each in addition to the firearms already in their possession. It is being bruited about that some Opposition MPs have rejected the government’s offer of more guns. The issuance of weapons to politicians in the run-up to a crucial election is a matter of serious concern.

Whom is the government trying to protect the MPs against? LTTE terror is a thing of the past, and so is that of the National Thowheeth Jama’ath. If it is the public that the government fears, shouldn’t it, instead of providing more weapons to the elected, address the electors’ grievances which have the potential to give rise to another uprising?

Perhaps, their troubling memories of the tragic death of government MP Amarakeerthi Athukorale at the hands of a savage mob that unleashed retaliatory violence in the aftermath of the SLPP-led goon attacks on the Galle Face protesters in 2022, may have prompted the SLPP crossovers to ask for more weapons. But weapons are of little use in situations where waves of public anger barrel across the country.

The issuance of guns to the MPs to ensure their protection, in a volatile situation where public anger is bubbling, is like trying to control dysentery with a loincloth, as a local saying goes. Ruling party politicians are without any defence when the masses take to the streets in their thousands to oust failed or repressive regimes whose leaders cling on to power like limpets. Needless to say, the self-important MPs would be as vulnerable as a person who brings a knife to a gunfight in such an eventuality—absit omen!

The best way to assuage public anger and prevent it from spilling over onto the streets is to defuse tensions in the polity by addressing the people’s burning problems and restoring the rule of law. The axiom, “in times of war the law falls silent” holds true for civil unrest, too, as seen in Sri Lanka in 2022 and in Bangladesh recently. The Constitution of Sri Lanka specifies how an elected President can be removed. This process is so complex that Dr. N. M. Perera once had this to say: “Can the President be removed from office before the expiration of his allotted time-span? Yes, certainly, but the process is so complicated and will entail such delay that one can safely predict that such an eventuality will never arise.” Dr. Colvin R. de Silva, another staunch opponent of the Executive Presidency argued: “An incumbent President will in practice be irremovable. The procedure provided for removal of a President by Parliament is so cumbrous and prolix that one cannot see it ever being resorted to in respect of intentional violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, misconduct or corruption involving the abuse of the powers of his office or any offence under any written law, involving moral turpitude.” But in 2022, the people just took to the streets and ousted the Executive President! The well-fortified defences of the President’s House fell like the Walls of Jericho amidst roars of angry protesters and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a former frontline combat officer, who used to boast of having made the Tigers bolt, raced like a hare, as the marchers closed in on his official residence in Colombo. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, described as the Iron Lady, resorted to a brutal military crackdown, which snuffed out hundreds of lives, in a desperate bid to hold anti-government protesters at bay, but she had to flee the country. It has thus become clear that all power does not necessarily flow from the barrel of a gun contrary to what Mao Zedong believed.

Moreover, before politicians are given any more weapons, those who received firearms and ammunition from the governments of President J. R. Jayewardene and R. Premadasa during the second JVP uprising (1987-89) must be asked to return those lethal items, most of which have gone unaccounted for. The Ministry of Defence has placed the figure of missing weapons at 700. This is only a ballpark figure, and the actual number is believed to be much higher, given the intensity of counterterror operations we witnessed and the sheer number of paramilitary operatives involved therein. Similarly, not all arms caches of the JVP have been traced. These missing weapons pose a serious threat to national security.

Those who have undertaken to provide more weapons to the MPs, especially the ones who are accused of corruption, extortion, drug dealing, chain snatching, etc., in a bid to ensure their safety ought to realise that theirs is an exercise in futility. It is popularly said in this country that no clay pot is too big for a wooden pole. They had better realise that they are looking down the wrong end of a gun barrel, mend their ways and rule the country democratically, abiding by judicial decisions, addressing the grievances of the irate public, ending the culture of impunity and corruption, and respecting fundamental rights of the people in whom sovereignty resides.

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Passenger refuses to leave plane despite blood pouring down his face

A man and woman have been arrested after refusing to deplane an American Airlines flight from Miami to Las Vegas, despite the man bleeding from his head

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Sri Lanka dig deep through de Silva, Rathnayake after top-order collapse hands England control

Dhananjaya de Silva justified his own decision to bat first with a gutsy 74 from 84 balls, while Milan Rathnayake  followed his captain’s lead with a startlingly composed knock of 72 from 135 balls, the highest by a debutant at No.9 in Test history. Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, however, even those exceptional efforts couldn’t quite atone for a dreadful top-order collapse that had handed England control of the first Test by stumps on day one at Emirates Old Trafford.

By the time Vishwa Fernando was last man out, run out for 13 from 61 balls in an innings that echoed his famous tail-end defiance in partnership with Kusal Perera at Durham in 2019, Sri Lanka had been bowled out for 236 in gloomy half-light that had caused England to rely exclusively on spin bowling for the final hour of their bowling stint – an early challenge for Ollie Pope’s tactical acumen on his first day as Ben Stokes’ captaincy stand-in.

And, even though that total was seemingly below-par on a hard and dry surface that Pope anticipated would stay true for the first half of the match at least, it was riches compared to what had been anticipated after the first half-hour of the contest. At that point, Sri Lanka’s innings had been in tatters at 6 for 3 after seven overs, with all three wickets falling in the space of ten deliveries to Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes.

The first blow was landed by Atkinson, who had limited Dimuth Karunaratne to a solitary scoring stroke in his first 17 deliveries, only for the batter to fluff his first shot in anger, a swish across the line to a well-directed lifter. Four balls later, Nishan Madushka’s early discipline also deserted him as Woakes served up a juicy outswinger that he could only scuff straight to Joe Root at first slip, who clung on in the heel of his palms.

And with the final ball of the same over, Woakes had his second courtesy of a ghastly misjudgement from Angelo Mathews. The hero of the 2014 series win was gone for a five-ball duck, burning a review in the process as he offered no stroke to an inducker that was shown to be hitting the top of middle.

Kusal and Chandimal showed some gumption in a limited counterattack, with the first five boundaries of the innings all coming in the space of 12 balls, four of them to Kusal off Matthew Potts, whose wide angle into the stumps offered the chance to free the hands through the off-side, and who would finish as the attack’s weakest link with 48 runs from his nine overs.

But, after limping to drinks on 37 for 3, there was another challenge waiting for the second hour. Wood tore into his opening spell with typical gusto, and struck with his seventh ball – a gruesomely quick lifter to Kusal that crashed into his left thumb and looped to Harry Brook at second slip. Much like the snorter that broke Kevin Sinclair’s wrist in the West Indies series, Kusal left the crease wringing his hand, and looking in urgent need of an ice-pack at the very least.

Out came de Silva to shore up the listing innings, but with lunch approaching, his measured stand of 32 in seven overs with Chandimal was undone in cruel and unusual fashion. Shoaib Bashir entered the attack for an exploratory pre-lunch spell, and struck in his second over with an unplayable daisycutter, reminiscent of Nasser Hussain’s viral moment against Carl Hooper in Trinidad in 1998. Though Chandimal gambled on the review, hoping against hope that he’d been struck outside the line, Bashir’s sheepish appeal and celebration could have told him everything he needed to know.

That would, however, be the nadir of Sri Lanka’s innings. De Silva himself grew into his role either side of the lunch break, farming the strike well in between a diet of eight well-struck boundaries, each of them showcasing his sharp footwork and delicate balance, not to mention his pre-toss faith in the surface’s true nature.

Though there would be some more guileless dismissals to come – with both Kamindu Mendis and Prabath Jayasuriya snicking off with uncertain footwork after Woakes and Atkinson had varied their lines and lengths – Rathnayake would not prove quite so gullible in his shot selection.

Despite channelling a bashful schoolboy while being presented with his Test cap by Kumar Sangakkara before the start of play, Sri Lanka’s debutant was more than man enough to withstand England’s eager attempts to dislodge him. His first role was to act as de Silva’s doughty sidekick, which he did to superb effect, picking off the first of his four fours in an eighth-wicket stand of 63.

And then, when disaster had seemingly struck just before tea, with de Silva fencing a Bashir offbreak to Lawrence at leg slip to leave his team on 176 for 8, Rathnayake took up the cudgels for his team with impressive results. Despite boasting a previous best of 59 in 52 previous first-class innings, he picked the perfect moments to cut loose, first with a lusty swing over long-on to reach his half-century, and then a sweet drill over long-off to move along to a new career-high.

England did at one stage attempt to bring Wood back into the attack to break up his burgeoning 50-run stand with Vishwa, but with his jumper halfway over his shoulders, the umpires stepped in to insist that the light was too poor for the pace bowlers. And though it took a while, Bashir eventually did the needful, tempting Rathnayake into one lofted launch too many, as Woakes back-pedalled at mid-off to end his fun.

With half-an-hour to the close, Sri Lanka also turned instantly to slow bowling as the reply got underway, with two spinners sharing the new ball in a men’s Test in England for only the second time since 1970. With Lawrence opening the batting in place of Zak Crawley, he and Ben Duckett showed the probable riches still on offer in the surface, in clattering along to 22 for 0 in four overs.

Prior to the start of play, both sides lined up on the outfield for a tribute to the late Graham Thorpe, who died on August 4, aged 55. England will be wearing black armbands throughout the match in memory of an England great who averaged 44.66 in a 100-Test career, and went on to play a key role as a batting mentor to many of the current team, including Pope, Root and Stokes.

Brief scores:

England 22 for 0 in 4 overs (Ben Duckett 13*, Dan Lawrence 9*)  trail Sri Lanka 236 in 74 overs (Kusal Mendis 24, Dhananjaya de Silva 74, Milan  Rathnayake 72;  Chris Woakes 3-32, Gus Atkinson 2-48, Shoaib Bashir 3-55) by 214 runs

(Cricinfo)

 

 

 

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100th birth anniversary of Justice E.A.D. Atukorale

Religious observances will be held on 25th August 2024 to mark the 100th Birth Anniversary of the late legal luminary Ebetota Atukoralage Dharmasena Atukorale, well known as E.A.D. Atukorale, who hailed from Batugedera, Ratnapura, .

A product of Ananda College, the late Justice Atukorale excelled in his studies and sports. He entered the Ceylon Law College and was called to the Bar in 1949. He served in the chambers of Queen’s Counsel and practiced in the civil courts in many parts of the country, as an advocate, for over two decades.

Justice Atukorale was appointed to the Court of Appeal on 7th September 1978 and was elevated to the position of President of the Court of Appeal on 3rd December 1982.

He was later appointed to the Supreme Court on 27th November 1984 where he functioned with great distinction. Justice Atukorale has been included into the list of Judges in the article “Judges who left indelible marks” and in the article therein it is written; “the many judgments where judge Atukorale was a member bear ample testimony to his contribution towards the legal literature of this country”.

Justice Atukorale was called upon to serve as Acting Chief Justice on several occasions.

Although he retired in 1989 on August 25th, three months later on 29th November, he got a Presidential appointment as Chairman of the Mediation Board Commission on which he served until November 15th 1992.

Thereafter Justice Atukorale was appointed as Legal Advisor to Sri Lanka’s President and functioned in that capacity at the Presidential Secretariat until 12th July 1993.

Eighteen years have passed since Justice Atukorale’s demise. However his contribution to the country through his much valued legal knowledge lives on and is well remembered on this day of his 100th Birth Anniversary and blessings invoked on him at the religious observances organized to mark this day.

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Indiana Jones’s ‘Temple of Doom’ hat sells for $630K; film shot in Lanka

The hat worn by actor Harrison Ford in the ‘Temple of Doom filmed in Sri Lanka, has sold for nearly half a million pounds at auction, said a news report published by the BBC.

It said that the brown felt fedora – specifically made for the ‘Temple of Doom,’ the second instalment of the Indiana Jones film franchise – fetched $630,000 (£487,000) in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Other items of movie memorabilia were sold at the same time, including props from Star Wars, Harry Potter and James Bond productions.

Jones, an adventuring archaeologist, is seen with the hat early on in the movie where he and his companions jump from a crashing plane in an inflatable raft.

During the scene, he is on board a plane with nightclub singer Wilhelmina “Willie” Scott, played by Kate Capshaw, and his 12-year-old friend Short Round, played by Ke Huy Quan, while escaping the clutches of a Chinese crime gang.

After the flight is sabotaged by the pilot, the trio use the raft to fall from the plane, before sliding down a mountainside.

The auction house said the hat was also used during additional photography at producer George Lucas’s visual effects facilities.

The fedora was also worn by Ford’s stunt-double in the 1984 film, Dean Ferrandini, and was sold with previously unpublished photos of the stuntman wearing the now-iconic costume on location.

Ferrandini died last year. The hat came from his personal collection.

The sable-coloured fedora was an update to the original featured in the first Indiana Jones film – ‘Raiders Of The Lost Ark’ – with a “more tapered” crown then the first, Propstore, the auction house, said.

Created by the Herbert Johnson Hat Company in London, the inside lining features gold monogrammed initials “IJ”.

Also sold at the auction was an imperial scout trooper helmet used in the 1983 Star Wars film ‘Return Of The Jedi’ – which was bought for $315,000 (£243,000) – as well as a light-up wand used by Daniel Radcliffe in ‘Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban,’ which attracted a winning bid of $53,550 (£41,400).

Meanwhile, a suit worn by Daniel Craig in the 2012 James Bond film ‘Skyfall’ sold for $35,000 (£27,000).

Brandon Alinger, Propstore chief operating officer, said the auction house was “proud to have connected such a wide expanse of fans with the historic pieces they cherish”.

The Indiana Jones hat fetched more than double that of another ‘Temple of Doom’ fedora auctioned in 2021, which sold for $300,000 (£232,000), according to Hollywood Reporter.

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‘Chanda Salli Meetare’: First-ever campaign Finance Observation Tool unveiled

For the first time in Sri Lanka, six prominent Election Observation Organizations, namely, Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL), People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), Hashtag Generation, and the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) have established a Campaign Finance Observation Online Tool to observe the campaign expenditures of election candidates at the Presidential Election 2024, TISL said in a release.

It said: The tool named “Chanda Salli Meetare” aims to advocate for the effective implementation of the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act of 2023, empower citizens with vital information to make informed voting decisions, ensure a level-playing field among presidential candidates, and foster a free, fair and inclusive electoral environment that upholds democratic values.

The collaborative tool was launched on Friday (August 16) at BMICH in Colombo with the presence of the Commission members and the Commissioner General of the Election Commission of Sri Lanka, presidential candidates and their representatives, political party representatives, diplomatic missions and civil society organizations.

Nadishani Perera, Executive Director of TISL, Manjula Gajanayake, Executive Director of IRES, Saman Sri Ratnayake, Commissioner General of ECSL, Rohana Hettiarachchie, Executive Director of PAFFREL, Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Executive Director of Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), Manas Makeen, Executive Director of CaFFE, and Darshatha Gamage, Specialist – Elections and Information Integrity at Hashtag Generation, addressed the gathering.

The tool is designed to contribute to the long-term goals of promoting transparency and accountability in Sri Lanka’s electoral processes. By increasing public awareness of the role of money in election campaigns and its influence on voter decisions, it encourages citizen engagement in campaign finance through the dedicated website ‘www.chandasallimeetare.lk’.

The website displays presidential candidates’ profiles with valuable insights on their campaign expenditure broken down into selected cost categories namely; mainstream media, social media, billboards and cutouts, public events, press conferences, launch ceremonies, and campaign offices. The profiles may include the candidates’ asset declarations, election manifesto, and links to external resources to view their parliament performance etc., if available publicly.

The campaign expenditure is calculated based on predetermined minimum average costs and formulas for each category. In addition to dedicated monitoring of social media and mainstream media-based campaigning, election observers will be deployed across the country by the election watchdogs to gather information on ground-level election expenditures in their respective electorates. The website provides the facility for citizens to also provide information about campaign activities of candidates.

A Secretariat, which consists of a dedicated team of campaign finance experts and an IT specialist, has been set up to handle the back-end system of the tool. All data submitted by election observers and citizens will be verified before they are made publicly available through the “Chanda Salli Meetare”.

The law requires all election candidates and parties to submit their returns (financial reports) after the election to the Election Commission. By implementing this tool, the financial data contained in the returns could be compared with the findings of the campaign finance observations collectively done by the Election Monitoring Organizations and reported through the website.

The scope of observations of expenditure will be limited to a selected number of key cost categories that are feasible to be monitored within the capacity of these organizations and therefore, will not reflect the entirety of each candidate’s expenditure. The tool, which will be first executed at the Presidential election, is expected to be adapted and extended to the upcoming other elections as well.

The election observation organizations appeal to the citizens to get involved and support this process to track the election expenditures of candidates, by submitting information on campaign activities in their respective areas, through the user-friendly website which can be accessed through mobile phones or computers. At the same time, we call upon all presidential candidates to adhere to campaign expenditure laws and show that you are prepared to lead by example.

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Ireland go 2-0 up despite Harshitha Samarawickrama century

Half-centuries from Amy Hunter,  Leah Paul and Rebecca Stokel  laid the foundations and Arlene Kelly  applied the finishing touches with a three-wicket haul as Ireland took an unassailable 2-0 lead over Sri Lanka with a 15-run win in the second ODI in Belfast.

As in Friday’s first ODI, however, Sri Lanka made the hosts earn their  win. An impressive all-round display from Kavisha Dilhari and a maiden ODI century from the in-form Harshitha Samarawickrama put Sri Lanka in a position of some control in their chase of 256. A 126-run stand between these two left them needing 84 in 98 balls, with eight wickets in hand, but Ireland hit back thereafter, with Kelly, Jane Maguire and run-outs combining to derail the visitors’ chase.

Leah Paul innovates on her way to 81 (Cricket Ireland)

With her 124-ball 105, Samarawickrama became the third member of Sri Lanka’s ODI centurions club,   one match after Vishmi Gunaratne had ended  Chamari Athapaththu’s long spell as its sole representative.

Having pulled off their record ODI chase to win the first ODI, Ireland put up another impressive batting display after being sent in. Achini Kulasuriya removed both their openers in her new-ball spell, and when Dilhari took out Orla Prendergast, their centurion from Friday, they were 77 for 3. Hunter and Paul got them moving with a 57-run fourth-wicket stand, before Athapaththu struck to send Hunter back for a 71-ball 66.

Then came the partnership that set Ireland up for their victory push, with Paul and Stokell adding 114 off 112 balls for the fifth wicket. Paul was out in the final over for 81 off 101 balls, while Stokell finished unbeaten on 53 off 61.

Brief scores:

Ireland Women 255 for 5 in 50 overs  (Leah Paul 81, Amy Hunter 66, Rebecca Stokell 53*, Christine Coulter-Reilly 24; Kavisha Dilhari 2-35, Achini Kulasuriya 2-48) beat  Sri Lanka Women 240 in 48 overs (Harshitha Samarawickrama 105, Kavisha Dilhari 53, Chamari Athapaththu 22, Nilakshi Silva 24*; Arlene Kelly 3-41, Jane Maguire 2-33) by 15 runs

(Cricinfo)

 

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Star Garments wins Gold at SLITAD People Development Awards

Star Garments Group achieved a major accolade at the SLITAD People Development Awards 2023/24, winning the Gold award for its exemplary human capital practices. The award ceremony, held on August 4th at Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo, recognized organizations that excel in HR development, contributing significantly to both individual and national growth.

Managing Director A. Sukumaran praised the award as a testament to Star’s innovative and inclusive culture that fosters creativity and collaboration. Notably, this was Star’s first participation in the awards. The company has consistently been featured in Great Place to Work’s list of Best Workplaces in Manufacturing and Production.

Employing over 10,000 associates, Star Garments is a leading force in the apparel industry, known for its commitment to innovation and sustainability. The company is deeply invested in social and community development, ensuring equity and inclusivity are central to its mission. Star Garments, with over four decades in the industry, also leads in sustainability with eight LEED-certified factories and plans to expand operations to Togo, supported by a $15 million IFC financing package, creating approximately 4,520 jobs.

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Inauguration of the newly expanded American Corner Matara

U. S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung inaugurated, on 14 August, the newly renovated American Corner in Matara. Open since 2018, the American Corner in Matara serves as a bridge between the people of the United States and Sri Lanka through programmes, events, and learning opportunities.

Following the renovation, the expanded American Corner in Matara has doubled its original capacity to host innovative, free programmes for local Sri Lankan youth to learn entrepreneurship, leadership, English language, STEM, and other key areas. The American Corner in Matara is part of the United States’ global American Spaces network that comprises more than 600 cultural and information centres in more than 140 countries in every geographic region worldwide.

Ambassador Chung remarked at the event: “The American Corner Matara has long been a hub for learning, innovation, and cultural exchange in this vibrant southern Sri Lankan community. With this newly expanded space, we are pleased to meet the growing demand, enabling us to provide even more resources that support economic opportunities, education, and social inclusion for the people of Matara and the broader southern region.”

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Curiouser and curiouser

Saturday 17th August, 2024

Justice Sobhitha Rajakaruna was sworn in before President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal (CA), yesterday. He will function in that position until the return of the CA President Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, who is currently overseas, according to media reports. Curiously, President Wickremesinghe has refused to appoint an Acting IGP in defiance of a Supreme Court (SC) order.

Following the aforesaid SC order, last month, President Wickremesinghe claimed that since he was contesting the upcoming presidential election, he did not want to appoint an Acting IGP lest that appointment should be held against him. If he thinks he cannot make acting appointments in the state sector owing to his presidential candidacy, how come he has sworn in the Acting CA President ?

One may argue that the two situations in question are vastly different, but what is at issue is the President’s refusal to make acting appointments while being in the presidential fray. It can also be argued that the CA President is overseas and therefore the President has been left with no alternative but to appoint an Acting CA President. If so, a wag says, the solution to the IGP issue may be to send IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon overseas so that an Acting IGP can be appointed.

One of the key issues that have strengthened the hands of the Opposition politicians, especially the contenders for the executive presidency, is President Wickremesinghe’s defiance of the aforesaid SC order. Claiming that the IGP’s post had not fallen vacant, he asked Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to discuss the issue with the Chief Justice and sort it out; he thereby incurred much public opprobrium. Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament that the SC order at issue was not valid because the IGP’s appointment had been made by the Constitutional Council (CC), which, he said, was part of the legislature.

It has been proved beyond any doubt that the CC is a part of the Executive and not the Legislature, as President Wickremesinghe himself once declared in Parliament, and therefore the CC decisions can be legally challenged. Therefore, the PM’s argument does not hold water. One may recall that after the Easter Sunday terror attacks, the then IGP Pujith Jayasundera was sent on compulsory leave, and C. D. Wickramaratne was appointed the Acting IGP. That precedent must be followed.

President Wickremesinghe’s critics maintain that his refusal to comply with the SC order in question is a foretaste of what is to come if he secures the presidency and forms the next government. Their contention has resonated with all those who cherish democracy, and want no one to be above the law.

There seems to be something bizarre about the executive presidency; the wielder thereof, after being ensconced in power, tends to take leave of his or her senses, and score own goals.

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