US preoccupation with Sri Lanka’s internal affairs is a cause for concern. Every incident has prompted a comment from the US. If the office of a newspaper is attacked, it is an attack on the independence of the media despite the fact that any number of possibilities not connected with media freedom exists for such attacks. While issues such as increase in electricity tariffs, transfers of judges and concerns over religious tensions have elicited comment, the following are repeated on a regular basis: progress on reconciliation; delays in implementing the National Plan of Action; delays in evolving a political solution; need for accountability, and the list goes on and on.

Introduction. The 11th of March 2012 is a red letter day in our Disaster Management calender. We experienced the tremors of an earthquake and were given a tsunami warning, which resulted in chaos in Colombo. Office staff vacated their seats and poured into the streets. Vehicles were at a standstill. The reason for this panic I believe is their recollection of the destruction caused by the 2004 disaster. It will be recollected that on the 26th. January 2004 we were hit by an earthquake and tsunami that caused havoc and the death of thousands. We were totally unprepared for such a disaster. This was mainly due to the fact that at that time we did not know what a tsunami was. In fact there were jokes to the effect that the Foreign Ministry on being notified that a tsunami was arriving, sent a delegation to the airport to welcome the Japanese guests!

Forty years ago, on May 22, 1972, at the Navarangahala in Colombo, the Parliamentarians of Sri Lanka concluded two years of sitting there as the Constituent Assembly, by passing and accepting the new autochthonous Constitution of Sri Lanka. This home grown Constitution was formulated de novo by the elected representatives of the people of Sri Lanka, and was not derived in any way from the Constitution that was imposed on Sri Lanka by the British rulers, the Soulbury Constitution. By declaring Sri Lanka to be a Republic, the umbilical cord that tied us to the British crown was severed once and for all, and Sri Lanka became a fully independent country, free from British rule.

Dharma Dimuthu Attigalle is a politburo member of the JVP. She was one of the three said to be sacked by the Somawansa Faction of the party for supporting the dissident group led by Kumar Gunaratnam alias Kumar Mahattaya, the so called underground leader of the party.  Better known by her alias name Krishanthi, she is one who survived the massive annihilation of JVPers by the UNP between 1987 and 90.