The battle will have to be fought to the very last minute - Ambassador Tamara Kunanayakam

It is true that thus far we have been able to gather around us a number of developing countries, thanks to the principled stand of President and his government, the support of our people who have rallied around us, the tireless efforts of our Foreign Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris, whose new Africa policy and his direct contact with his counterparts and Heads of State in Africa has brought us a number of allies in that continent, and, of course, thanks also to the work of the staff of our Mission, who have been working round the clock to keep the Missions in Geneva informed about developments in our country.

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Children and development

Socio - economic scene

Children are the future of any society. Even more than the bodies of the young of our species, their minds are fragile and it is in these fragile minds that the fate of our posterity will be decided. The manner in which they are shaped will determine the future contours of society.

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Today is International Women’s Day:

A frank look at Lankan girls’ issues

Early marriage is a universal issue but it is widely practised in countries in the South Asian region. Every year, millions of girls, even before their teenage years, are given in marriage to older men. Young girls, most of whom are still children, are forced to take on the role of wives and mothers and are denied their fundamental rights. Early marriage often results in early pregnancy and social isolation. There is very little or no room for personal development drives, such as, education and vocational training. Thus, the girls are naturally driven to poverty and at times are driven to sell their bodies to feed their families. They are expected to perform heavy domestic work, demonstrate their fertility and often face issues which demand serious decision-making.

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IN FOCUS

Facts are sacred - comment free!

The UNHRC with the backing of USA and its stooges’ persistence to probe Sri Lankan affairs is a clear cut indication to destabilise one of the fast developing countries in South East Asia. It is apparent that supporters of this dubious claim is due to nothing but bruising of their ego from the time Sri Lanka created history in decimating the LTTE, a ruthless terrorist organization that displayed high level of barbarism. It butchered all its rivals, gunning down moderate Tamil intellectuals, suppressing democracy, killing innocent Tamil, Sinhala and Muslim civilians, decapitating mothers and infants simultaneously, executing Buddhist clergy in Saffron robes, blasting Sinhala leaders and politicians with suicide bombing, devastating soft economic targets and sought refuge of ceasefire agreements only to re-group, re-arm and strengthen their brutal activities.

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