‘SL has nothing to sweep under carpet’

Hon. Presiding Member, the Hon. R. Sampanthan spoke very emotionally. I would like to make two general observations on the tone and the content of his speech. The first is that it is a mistake to dwell exclusively on the past. Of course, the past is important. The present emerges from the past.

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Global Scan

Afghanistan’s agony, all but forgotten

While the big powers’ primary focus currently seems to be the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Vladivostok, Afghanistan and its silent suffering seems to be all but forgotten by those sections of the international community who are usually seen as carrying any weight in international politics. So inconsequential seems to be the agony of Afghanistan that the scores of mainly civilian lives which are regularly snuffed-out in that tumultuous theatre of war are not considered ‘headline material’ any more by those sections of world media which are seen to matter.

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Effective management of public superannuation funds

Public superannuation funds have the potential to benefit from low operating costs because they enjoy economies of scale and avoid large marketing costs. But the important advantages are dissipated by a poor record on investment performance, caused by a weak governance structure, lack of independence from government interference, and a low level of transparency and public accountability.

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Sri Lanka rights Watch

Overcrowding in Prisons: causes, remedies

The ICRC study on overcrowding in prisons is deeply depressing, not only because of the sordid picture it reveals, but also because reform would be so easy, if only there were better coordination. Unfortunately we have now in Sri Lanka built up a system in which coordination is almost impossible, and the information that should stir authorities to change things is rarely systematically collated and effectively presented.

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