March 4, 2020 · 2:14 pm

The Sins of the Swiss Embassy: An Expose

Tamara Kunanayakam, in The Island, 3 March 2020, with this title “

“If you know the enemy and know yourself,you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” Sun Tzu, The Art War, 5th Century BC

The recent dramatic events involving the Swiss Embassy came as a surprise to most Sri Lankans. Just as the large majority was looking ahead to a new era with a President they had just elected, a non politician with a simple lifestyle, yet determined, who they believed would be capable of returning to their lives, a sense of security, peace, economic development, the shot came from a quarter they least expected. From a small country in the Alps known for its neutrality, chocolate, cheese and snow capped mountains.

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March 4, 2020 · 1:21 pm

Full Frontal: President Macron challenges French Islamists

Christine Douglass-Williams, in Jihadwatch, 3  March 2020, with this title “Macron condemns “Islamist separatism,” “political Islam” and Sharia inferiority of women”

In a landmark speech in the eastern city of Mulhouse, France, President Macron said: “We must never accept that the laws of religion can be superior to those of the Republic…..Islamist separatism is incompatible with freedom and equality….We are talking about people who, in the name of a religion, are pursuing a political project, that of a political Islam that wants to secede from our Republic…..In the Republic..we cannot accept that we refuse to shake hands with a woman because she is a woman. In the Republic, we cannot accept that someone refuses to be treated or educated by someone because she is a woman. In the Republic, one cannot accept school dropouts for religious or belief reasons. In the Republic, one cannot require certificates of virginity to marry.”

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March 4, 2020 · 12:54 pm

MCC Compact under Question

Press Release Issued by the Public Opinion Committee on March 3rd 2020 under the Heading “Is the Government all set to sign the MCCC?” ….. http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/67895

A high-profile member of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact (MCCC) review committee has revealed that the report submitted by them to the President was not prepared according to established process. A Presidential Committee was appointed to conduct a ‘Comprehensive study on the Millennium Challenge Corporation Project’ and submit recommendations to the Government in mid-February this year. Neither the review Committee’s mandate nor its terms of reference were made public.

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March 3, 2020 · 2:33 pm

Victoria faces Coronavirus Pandemic War

ABC News Item 3 March 2020.…. with this title “Victorian plane passenger tested for coronavirus as hospitals brace for ‘tens of thousands’ of COVID-19 cases”

A man who flew into Avalon Airport this morning is one of hundreds of people who have been tested for coronavirus in Victoria, as the state’s hospitals prepare for the pandemic phase of the outbreak.

Daniel Andrews and Health Minister Jenny Mikakos toured the Doherty Institute this morning. (AAP: David Crosling)

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March 3, 2020 · 10:36 am

Penny Wong and Medcalf: Critical Comments on Australia’s Asia Policy

Andrew Tillett, in Financial Review, 3 March 2020, where the title runs “ Climate, coronavirus raises risk of ‘armed mistrust’ between China, US”

The risk of “armed mistrust” between China and the US is rising, with climate change and coronavirus two key areas where co-operation is sorely lacking, according to Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong. Senator Wong also criticised the government’s cuts to foreign aid in south-east Asia at a time when she said Australia needed to be strengthening its regional influence.

Penny Wong will say that for Australia to realise the region it wants demands multipolarity, not binary competition between the US and China. Alex Ellinghausen

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February 28, 2020 · 1:47 pm

The Cricketing World in 1975: Glaring Anomalies

Michael Roberts

Sri Lanka entered the high-profile scenario of world cricket via its entry into the first and second rounds of the World Cup in 1975 and 1979 held in England, the bastion of cricket. As a pertinent aside let me note that at that point in 1975 the cricketing world at the top had not witnessed the transformations in financial returns for its personnel or the revolutionary technological media coverage that commenced with Kerry Packer’s intervention via World Series Cricket.

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February 28, 2020 · 1:25 pm

Kumar David assesses Gota’s Three-Months from His High Ground

Kumar David, in Colombo Telegraph, 18 February 2020, where the title runs thus: “Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Three-Month Report Card: What Is The President’s Game-Plan?”

It’s official! President Gotabaya Rajapaksa informed a visiting UN dignitary that the 20,000 so-called missing persons “are all dead”. Reports in the BBC, New York Times and Telegraph (UK) have not been contradicted by him or GoSL. The missing are nearly all Tamils and the President’s half-hearted attempt to pin the blame on the LTTE flopped. The LTTE killed 20,000 Tamils!! That’s as hilarious as Aesop’s Fables about talking rabbits. Sure, LTTE killers eliminated dozens of fellow Tamils, slew some three thousand service personnel in action, killed 600 policemen in cold blood and many civilians perished in its bomb blasts, but to destroy Tamils on a massive scale contradicts the LTTE’s raison d’être. Gota wants to conceal the involvement of the state in the evaporation of missing persons. Thousands were surrendered by their families to the military for ‘safe keeping’. Now this; it’s an awful betrayal!

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February 28, 2020 · 1:23 pm

The Tamil Buddhists of the Anuradhapura Civilization

J.L. Devananda on  Sunil Ariyaratne and His Thesis on the Tamil Buddhists of Ancient Sri Lanka …. with this title “The Tamil Buddhists of the Past and the Future”.….. in Sri Lanka Guardian, 10 October  2010  at ……………… …… https://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=43,9583,0,0,1,0#.XO2iAhbASUk

In his keynote address at the 2554th Vesak (Vaishakha Purnima) celebrations at the Mahabodhi Society in Chennai, Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne, University of Sri Jayawardenapura said, “As we are nearing 2600 Buddha Jayanthi, as a Sinhala Buddhist, this is my humble dream for the future: Tamil Buddhist temples should come up in Sri Lanka; Tamil children should embrace Buddhist monkhood; Buddhism must be taught in Tamil; preaching and worshipping Buddhism in Tamil; Tamil Bikkus should have Sinhala followers and Tamil Bhikkus must visit Sinhala homes. That togetherness should be there.”

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February 28, 2020 · 6:50 am

Skandakumar introduces Anura Tennekoon’s Cricketing Autobiography to the World

Island News Item,  27 February 2020, entitled “A Tribute to Anura Tennekoon”

Former  Sri Lanka  captain Anura Tennekoon’s autobiography – Passionately Cricket – was launched at Sinhalese Sports Club Wednesday evening. Tennekoon,  who captained S. Thomas’ and SSC was Sri Lanka’s captain in 1975 and 1979 Cricket World Cups. Tennekoon’s former  school mates, his SSC and Sri Lanka team mates, some of the leading players produced by the country and leading figures of the business world were present at the occasion. The key note address was given by his contemporary cricketer S. Skandakumar.

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February 26, 2020 · 6:25 am

Tamil Tiger Power-mongering and Accumulation in the Avenues of Britain

ITEM ONE = Glen Jenvey of London – An exclusive to Asian Tribune, entitled “LTTE to take British Government to Courts”

The LTTE – acronym stands for the Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam, is set to challenge the British Government in the appeal courts, over their banning as the terrorist organization, who were credited with the claim of inventing the modern suicide bombers, and also that they are not a terrorist organization (?) but only ‘Freedom Fighters’ and they have given notice of appeal to the Proscribed Organization’s Appeal Commission, under the Terrorism Act of 2000.

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