The Sunday Times Sri Lanka

Columns

Political Column

The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has embarked on an elaborate programme to erase the remaining scars of the separatist war that ended last year and give Sri Lanka a 'new face'. Gone are most of the Military and Police checkpoints in the City of Colombo, an eyesore that belied normalcy. Those in the outer city and principal towns face closure in the coming days. Most troops who held assault rifles to ward off threats to national security will now engage in development projects.

5th Column

Amazing – a hoot goes a long way!

My dear Seeni Bola,

I thought I must write to you because the universities and their students which you are supposed to supervise are very much in the news these days, although for all the wrong reasons, what with vice-chancellors being assaulted and student leaders being arested in broad daylight.

The Economic Analysis

Borrowed reserves do not shine: They swell debt burden

The gross official reserves of the country surpassed the US$ 7 billion levels on October 4 2010 This level of reserves is equivalent to over 6.8 months of imports. In announcing this the Central Bank also said that it was the highest ever reserves level of Sri Lanka. In other words the country’s external reserves are strong.

Lobby

Not issued with this week

Focus on Rights

A girl dies while we stay silent

As people in Sri Lanka and beyond pray for the stay of execution of Rizana Nafeek convicted of killing an infant in Saudi Arabia while working as a housemaid in 2005, we can only be appalled at the cruelty of a world that permits such outrages. Rizana’s execution has been ordered even though the circumstances are unequivocally to the effect that this was an unintentional mistake by an untrained teenager who should never have been given the task of baby sitting in the first instance.

Talk at the Cafe Spectator

Ban speaks out but bans all

The Interpress Service (IPS), United Nations Bureau Chief Thalif Deen was among a select group of UN correspondents invited for a luncheon meeting with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The invitation to IPS came despite a critical story on how the embattled Secretary-General had launched a charm offensive to win over a mostly negative UN press corps.

From the Sidelines

‘Graama charika’ or ‘pita rata charika’ – what’s Ranil’s priority?

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s trip to London where he met British Foreign Secretary William Hague came hard on the heels of External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris’ official visit there earlier this month at the invitation of Hague. Peiris was invited to deliver the keynote address at the first of a series of talks organized by the International Institute of Strategic Studies, London, in collaboration with the SL Ministry of External Affairs.