A private member’s motion has been submitted to Parliament calling for the appointment of a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the 1983 ‘Black July’ ethnic violence and the killings at Welikada Prison, with the aim of establishing the truth, assessing damages caused, and putting forward recommendations to prevent such incidents from recurring.

The motion, presented by TELO Leader and Member of Parliament Selvam Adaikkalanathan, has been listed under P. 132/2026 on the Order Paper of Parliament dated Friday, 11 September 2026.

The motion states that national integration, social structure and the economy suffered serious setbacks as a result of the Black July violence and the Welikada Prison killings. It notes that thousands of people lost their lives, tens of thousands were displaced, and considerable property, including homes and businesses, was destroyed.

The motion further points out that more than forty years on, those responsible for the violence have still not been identified, and that no comprehensive and independent investigation has been carried out into the human rights violations and property damage that occurred at the time.

The motion emphasises the timely need to build lasting harmony among all communities in Sri Lanka and to ensure that ethnic conflict of this nature never recurs in the country.

It calls on Parliament to appoint a fully empowered Presidential Commission of Inquiry tasked with uncovering the complete truth surrounding the events of 1983, accurately assessing the damage caused, and presenting policy recommendations to the government aimed at preventing a repeat of such violence in future.

Sri Lanka has dealt a heavy blow to press freedom in a former war zone by refusing to release a press club seized by the military more than 17 years ago.

Following the practice of earlier administrations, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government had cited unspecified ‘security reasons’ to continue with the occupation.

Unsuccessfully appealing to successive governments since 2009 for the release of the quarter of an acre land and building, the Kilinochchi Media Forum (KMF) has approached president Dissanayake with the request in May 2026.

“Although surrounding properties, such as the Yogar Swamigal Nilayam and the primary section of Kilinochchi Maha Vidyalayam, have been released back to their respective owners, the land belonging to the Kilinochchi Press Club [is] yet to be released,” said a letter signed by the president and secretary of KMF.

A month later, the presidential secretariat had rejected the request based on ‘an information report obtained from the Ministry of Defence regarding the points mentioned’ in the KMF letter to the President.

“Accordingly, I kindly inform you that the Ministry of Defence has reported that due to the security reasons it is not possible to release the said land and building,” said W.M.S.P. Weerasinghe, Senior Assistant Secretary to the President.

The two paragraph letter does not clarify the justification provided by the ministry of defence.

Kilinochchi based journalists who are mostly Tamil speakers have carried out their media activities using the premises until 2008 when the area was under Tamil Tiger control.

Displaced during the height of the war, they managed to resettle in 2009.

Upon return, they found their workspace at ‘Kakka Kadai’ Junction along the Kilinochchi A9 highway under military occupation.

“We have submitted written requests to successive governments in the past pleading for the release of our property, but no positive outcome has been achieved so far. We would also like to bring to the kind notice of your excellency that media associations in all other districts of the Northern Province are currently functioning from their own lands and office premises. We are the only journalists’ association left without a proper workspace,” KMF said in their appeal to the president.

However, the Kilinochchi journalists, performing duties in one of the areas of Sri Lanka’s highest military concentration, are yet to see a change in their situation.

Source:The Leader.lk

Copies of two additional petitions filed in the Supreme Court against the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill have been received by the Speaker.

Speaking in Parliament today (21), Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne stated that the two petitions were received in addition to the seven petitions received over the past two days, on August 19 and 20.

Copies of three petitions against the Constitutional Amendment Bill were received by the Speaker on August 19, while copies of four additional petitions were received yesterday (20).

Accordingly, copies of a total of nine petitions challenging the 22nd Constitutional Amendment Bill have been received by the Speaker to date.

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala says investigations have conclusively established that claims circulated on social media alleging the existence of an LTTE training camp and bomb-manufacturing facility within the Palai Reserve were completely false and intended to mislead the public.

Addressing the issue, the Minister said the allegations relate to a property located in the Kanagarayankulam area, where approximately 10 acres of land had been cleared and developed by an individual identified as Thiyagarasa. According to the findings, the site contains fencing, a multi-storey building measuring roughly 32 feet by 32 feet and a garment manufacturing operation equipped with 20 industrial sewing machines operating on the first and second floors.

The Minister said aloe vera and vegetable cultivation are being carried out on the land, while local residents are employed at the facility. The enterprise, known as “Nature Farming,” has been registered as a business operation.

Investigations revealed that the land under cultivation had subsequently expanded from 10 acres to approximately 21 acres. It was this farm that later became the subject of widespread allegations on social media claiming that an LTTE training camp and bomb factory were functioning at the location while the Government remained silent.

According to Wijepala, those allegations were used to portray the individual who publicised the claims as someone who had uncovered a major national security threat, while simultaneously attempting to mislead society and sow divisions among communities.

However, the investigation also uncovered separate legal issues relating to the property itself. The Minister said authorities found that the farm had been established on forest reserve land and that the Department of Forest Conservation had already initiated legal proceedings against Thiyagarasa and four others connected to the operation.

He stated that the suspects had initially been released on bail of Rs. 500,000 and that a court had subsequently issued an order preventing them from entering the disputed land. According to the Minister, the suspects later filed a motion before court and succeeded in having the restriction lifted. The next hearing in that case is scheduled for August 25.

Wijepala noted that the Government and forest authorities maintain that the land is State property situated within a protected forest area, while the owner claims that it belongs to a relative.

The Minister also outlined a series of additional legal actions relating to the site. On March 13, 2026, forest officers reportedly discovered stocks of timber, including kaluwara, palu, weera, milla and burutha wood, allegedly being stored without permits or official markings. Legal action was subsequently initiated.

A further case was filed after officers allegedly found additional adjoining forest areas being cleared, while another legal action was instituted after authorities reported that an additional 11 acres beyond the original 10-acre site had also been cleared.

According to Wijepala, one court ordered the cancellation of bail previously granted to the suspect and remanded him for 14 days. The suspect has since filed an appeal, claiming the land is private property.

The Minister further stated that Special Task Force officers who visited the site following intelligence reports were allegedly obstructed by the landowners, resulting in another case being filed for obstructing public officials in the discharge of their duties.

Wijepala said that despite the existence of seven separate legal actions relating to the property, an individual later circulated a video suggesting that the site contained an LTTE training camp and bomb-manufacturing facility.

According to the Minister, the claims were made during a media briefing held in Colombo by Sangeeth Jayasekara, who identified himself as the Executive Director of the Intercontinental Human Rights Commission.

Following the allegations, the Terrorism Investigation Division launched an investigation and conducted extensive field inquiries in the area. Those investigations, Wijepala said, found no evidence whatsoever of an LTTE training camp or bomb factory.

“The investigation clearly established that this is not an LTTE training base or a bomb manufacturing facility. What exists there is a farm operation,” the Minister said.

He added that authorities believe the false claims were deliberately spread through social media in an attempt to mislead the public and create unnecessary social tension.