Author: TELO Admin

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remembered the Tamil victims of the war in Sri Lanka.

Issuing a statement to mark Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, Trudeau said that Canada will not stop advocating for the rights of the victims and survivors of the conflict.

“Today, we reflect on the tragic loss of life during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, which ended 14 years ago. Tens of thousands of Tamils lost their lives, including at the massacre in Mullivaikal, with many more missing, injured, or displaced. Our thoughts are with the victims, survivors, and their loved ones, who continue to live with the pain caused by this senseless violence,” Trudeau said in a statement.

He said that the stories of Tamil-Canadians affected by the conflict – including many he has met over the years in communities across the country, serve as an enduring reminder that human rights, peace, and democracy cannot be taken for granted.

“That’s why Parliament last year unanimously adopted the motion to make May 18 Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day. Canada will not stop advocating for the rights of the victims and survivors of this conflict, as well as for all in Sri Lanka who continue to face hardship,” he said.

Trudeau recalled that in October 2022, Canada joined its international partners in adopting a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution that called on the Sri Lankan Government to address the human rights, economic, and political crises in the country.

“Canada has been a global leader in the adoption of other UNHRC resolutions calling for freedom of religion, belief, and pluralism in Sri Lanka – essential elements to secure peace and reconciliation in the years to come – and we will continue our work to safeguard human rights across the world. And in January 2023, our government imposed sanctions against four Sri Lankan government officials in response to human rights violations on the island,” he said.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, Trudeau invited all Canadians to recognize the many contributions that Tamil-Canadians have made – and continue to make – to Canada.

He also encouraged everyone to learn more about the impact of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, and express solidarity to all those who suffered or lost loved ones.

Sri Lanka has promised the European Union (EU), the country’s second largest trading partner, to present a plan by June to lift the import restrictions that came into place in 2020 as a measure to hold on to the fast-depleting foreign exchange reserves.

This was conveyed during the 25th session of Sri Lanka – EU Joint Commission that was held virtually on April 25.

Sri Lanka expressed its intention towards a gradual phasing out of the restrictions, factoring in the current economic conditions.

When the government took the unpopular decision to restrict certain imports towards the latter part of 2020, the EU did not hide its displeasure with the move and asserted time and again that “trade is not a one-way street”.

Since the restrictions came into place, the EU had been repeatedly urging Sri Lanka to steer away from the protectionist trade policies as they were unfair to its trading partners.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in March said Sri Lanka was expected to phase out the import and exchange restrictions currently in place.

“Authorities will develop a plan for phased removal of import restrictions and exchange restrictions related to BOP. That plan is due by June 2023,” said IMF Mission Chief Masahiro Nozaki.

Governor of Yunnan Province Wang Yubo called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to explore ways and means of establishing close cooperation between Yunnan and Sri Lanka.

The Office of the Prime Minister said during a luncheon meeting at the Temple Trees, two parties discussed potential of collaboration in trade, tourism, agriculture, technology and investments.

Governor Wang Yubo, who was accompanied by a top level delegation of Yunnan Provincial Government expressed interest in assisting Sri Lanka in education and technical skill development.

He said Yunnan Province with a population of 50 million and a GDP of 417 billion USD in 2022 is in a position to help friendly nations like Sri Lanka.

The Governor held a field study at Port City Colombo, and plans to visit Kandy, Polonnaruwa and the Eastern Province, where Rs. 25 million worth school kits, equipment and food parcels will be distributed to several schools in the city.

During the discussions they identified that agriculture and tourism can be promoted as the pilot projects in Sri Lanka.

President and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued an order to release the lands in the Northern and Eastern Provinces that have been acquired by the Department of Forest Conservation beyond the relevant limits demarcated as demarcated in maps prepared in 1985.

In Addition, the Department of Archaeology has expressed their consent to review certain mistakes that they have committed with regard to land acquisitions and correct them.

A series of meetings were held between Wickremesinghe and Tamil Parliamentarians representing the two Provinces to discuss matters related to communities living in the North and the East as well as in the Plantation sector.

When contacted by The Daily Morning to inquire about the progress of these discussions, the Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani Leader and Jaffna District MP C.V. Wigneswaran said: “The President’s order benefits people of the North and East, considering the land grabbing in those Provinces happening now at the hands of Forest Conservation and Archeology Departments. He instructed the Forest Conservation Department officials to consider the maps of 1985 as the basis when deciding on releasing the land from their purview. Accordingly, any land that was grabbed by the Department beyond what was demarcated in those maps will have to be returned to the people. I don’t know to what extent the Department would implement it, but that was the President’s order,” he said.

When queried by The Daily Morning how the order would be applicable to lands under the purview of the Archeology Department, Wigneswaran said that it would not be in a similar manner. “The Director General of the Archeology Department, Prof. Anura Manatunga attended these discussions and admitted that they were aware that certain mistakes had been committed earlier by the department with regard to land acquisition. Further he assured to bring a solution following a review of past actions. I hope to discuss with him and sort out a few pertaining matters with regard to land acquisition,” he added.

President Wickremesinghe has been pledging to resolve issues faced by people living in the North and the East, in particular the frequently raised issues of private land occupation by the military forces and State Departments.

The President held several rounds of discussions with Tamil MPs regarding the issues faced by people of the North and the East, workers of the plantation sector and the non-implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

President Ranil Wickramasinghe has signed an Extraordinary Gazette notification declaring services related to supply of electricity, distribution of petroleum products and health care as essential services with immediate effect, President’s Media Division said.

Extraordinary Gazette notification has been issued by the Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, by order of the President Wednesday.

President Wickremesinghe, considering it necessary that the services provided by any state institution which is engaged in provision of the specified services, is essential to the life of the community and is likely to be impeded or interrupted, declared the services specified below to be an essential public service.

1. All services connected to the supply of electricity,
2. The supply or distribution of petroleum products and fuel,
3. All service, work or labor, of any description whatsoever, necessary or required to be done in connection with the maintenance, and the reception, care feeding, and treatment, of patients in hospitals, nursing homes, dispensaries, and other similar institutions.