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Asian Tribune is published by World Institute For Asian Studies|Powered by WIAS Vol. 12 No. 423

Monthly archive

Bangladeshi Hindus - Coveted Enemies Under the Vested Property Act - Part II

Sun, 2008-08-24 00:32 — admin

By Rabindranath Trivedi for Asian Tribune

The US State Department in its Human Rights Report in 2007 says: "During the year the government did not take any measures to implement the 2001 Vested Property Return Act providing for property restitution to persons, mostly Hindus, who had their property seized by the government after the 1965 India-Pakistan war".

Tirade against the army

Sun, 2008-08-24 00:48 — admin

By Asif Haroon Raja

One may recall that till 18 February the army was blamed for all the ills of the society. Each time an army chief usurped power through a coup, the army as a whole was unfairly held responsible. The army’s high image that had been built over a period of time was first soiled in 1971, due to wrong policies of Gen Yahya Khan. Indo-western media played a lead role in tarnishing the army’s image. After him, retired Gen Musharraf lowered the esteem of the army in the eyes of the public by engaging it in a futile war on terror against its own people and clinging to power. He is solely responsible for bringing the proud and honourable institution to such a sorry pass. Foreign media is again playing its negative role.

Prabhakaran Confined to a Bunker Waits in vain for US or India to Intervene

Sun, 2008-08-24 01:05 — admin

Sunday discourse by Philip Fernando for Asian Tribune

Garrison town of Thunukkai has fallen to the armed forces, so the Asian Tribune reported. Prabhakaran now seems to linger inside a bunker waiting in vain for USA, India and someone else to intervene. There will be none. The political vacuum he succeeded in creating doomed him. He bumped off Alfred Duraiappah, A, Amirthalingham, Neelan Thiruchelvam, Lakshman Kadiragama, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and all the Tamil moderate leadership ruthlessly. His evil wizardry in marketing terrorism was his own booby trap that swallowed him as his options for negotiations dwindled. Now he is battered, cornered and seemed as if he is at the end of a shortened tether.

Eastern Province in Sri Lanka: Is this a good Model for Conflict Resolution?

Sun, 2008-08-24 01:18 — admin

The Government of Sri Lanka has been consistent in its commitment to maintaining democracy across the country and thus undertook all necessary measure to bring about the most significant development in the Eastern Province by the establishment of Democracy via a pluralistic political process and restoring Civil Administration. On 10th March 2008 elections were held in nine (9) local Government electorates in the Batticaloa District, resulting in the establishment of the Batticaloa Municpal Council. Batticaloa’s first Mayoress Ms. Sivageetha Prabagaran was thus elected.

Provincial Councils election ended peacefully without major incidents

Sun, 2008-08-24 02:41 — admin

Polls for the North Central and Sabaragamuwa provincial councils ended this evening at 4:00 pm without any major incidents being reported. Election officials say nearly 70% of voters in the two provinces have voted in today's election. The Department of Elections said the casting of the votes proceeded peacefully apart from a few isolated and minor incidents. A total of 21,000 Police Officers have been deployed while another 1,000 soldiers were on standby to provide security.

The Charisma Factor in Politics

Sun, 2008-08-24 02:43 — admin

Hemantha Abeywardena writes from London……………

It is cliché, but true; leaders are born, not trained. So, there is little room for emulation or in the worst case scenario, mimicking, in order to be a great leader. The process does not work that way. For instance, no Englishman has ever attempted to be a ‘Churchill’, the war-time leader of Great Britain, by smoking a pipe while wearing an unfashionable hat and shifting a mountain of flesh against a walking stick. However, there are plenty of Englishmen who smoke pipe, walk with the aid of a stick and wear hats. The issue is the absence of the combination to produce a unique character of Churchill’s calibre; political vision is the missing factor.

UPFA in the lead in the Polonnaruwa district

Sun, 2008-08-24 06:22 — admin

Early counting results indicates that United Peoples Freedom Alliance is leading in the Polonnaruwa district of North Central Province. Results of counting in the Minneriya, Medirigriya and Polonnaruwa polling Divisions in the Polonnaruwa administrative districts has been eleased. Also the Postal votes counting of the Ratnapura and Polonnaruwa districts have been released. Accordingly the United Peoples Freedom Aliance has polled more than 50 % of the total votes polled in the Minneriya, Medirigriya and in Polonnaruwa polling divisions in the Pollonnruwa district.

Ruling UPFA wins convincingly in the Provincial Council elections

Sun, 2008-08-24 09:39 — admin

The election results so far released shows that the United Peoples Freedom Alliance led by President Mahinda Rajapakse has won convincingly. The ruling party is pretty well in the drivers seat and has already bagged the North Central Province and the Ratnpura district counting indicates that their chances of having also Subragama Province is almost a foregone conclusion. If someone takes these Provincial Council elections as an indicator, then it is pretty clear that the UNP has failed to emerge victorious and Ranil Wickremasinghe has one more time failed to lead his party victorious. After his failure in the Provincial Council elections, his political future is coming to an end, say political analysts. His future as the Leader of the United National Party is undoubtedly at stake.

United Peoples Freedom Alliance bags North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils comfortably

Sun, 2008-08-24 14:00 — admin

Asian Tribune - Sri Lanka Bureau

The UPFA comfortablly won the Sabaragamuwa and North Central Provincial council election. It has gained victory in the 27 polling divisions. The Election Commissioner said the UPFA has gained 25 seats in the Sabaragamuwa provincial council. These comprise 13 seats in the Ratnapura district, 10 in the Kegalle district and 2 bonus seats. The United National Party gained 17 seats in the Sabaragamuwa provincial council. The JVP has gained 2 seats. Thus the UPFA has a clear majority within the Sabaragamuwa provincial council.


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