Author: TELO Admin

The Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on National Security has urged the Foreign Ministry to intervene to dispute the international travel bans imposed on military personnel.

At a recent meeting chaired by Dr. Sarath Weerasekera, the parliamentary committee noted that these travel bans affects the moral of the respective military personnel.

In response to the concern, Foreign Secretary explained that through the ambassadors and at high-level discussions, the Foreign Ministry has consistently conveyed the position of Sri Lanka on this matter to the respective governments of those countries.

The Foreign Secretary also pointed out that they have also requested the respective governments to reconsider their decisions on this regard.

The SOC on National Security directed the Foreign Secretary to put together all relevant facts and convey to the respective ambassadors to challenge the travel bans imposed on the island nation’s military personnel.

They also directed the Foreign Ministry to give publicity that Sri Lanka is strongly contesting the travel ban as it is in violation of the Geneva Convention as the island nation has had a non-international armed conflict as proved by both Darusman and OICL reports.

The SOC chairman mentioned that Canada Parliament had presented a motion and approved unanimously that Sri Lanka had committed genocide against Tamil people. Hence, the committee requested the Foreign Secretary to take necessary actions to strongly communicate to other countries that Sri Lanka is not accountable for such claim made.

The committee also questioned regarding the current attempts of right-sizing of Sri Lanka Army and withdrawing army camps in certain rural sacred areas and its impact on National Security.

The Defence Secretary assured that withdrawing the army does not affect for national security, regional security, and sacred places security. Ministry of Defense practices “right-sizing” not the “down-sizing” and no impact of Right sizing of Sri Lanka Army he said.

Furthermore, the committee also took into account of creating harmony among ethnic groups and directed the respective officials to take actions accordingly.

Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya parliamentarian Eran Wickramaratne has accused the government of creating racial and religious issues and bringing various anti-people laws.

At this moment, many problems have arisen in the country, in the backdrop of bringing several Bills including Broadcasting Authority Bill and the Anti-Corruption Bill by the government said the MP addressing the media at the Office of the Opposition Leader in Colombo Wednesday.

“The Broadcasting Authority Act is also problematic. The Supreme Court has determined that several clauses of the anti-corruption bill are inconsistence with the constitution. Doubts arise whether this bill was prepared by a few private lawyers to meet the expectations of the government. Generally, if a bill is drafted by the Legal Draftsmen officers, there is no possibility to include so many clauses that are inconsistence with the Constitution.”

Also, on the privatization of Sri Lanka Telecom, there is a debate within the government that there is a threat to national security, the SJB parliamentarian said. A bill to establish a budget office in parliament, is also being brought. While the government is introducing various anti- democratic anti -people bills, it is also creating problems of race and religion, he said.

“Since Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa became the President in 2019, he went on reversing the Gazette and as a result the state revenue was reduced by one third. His successor President comes and reverses other laws and Legislations.”

He said that if gazettes and laws are reversed based on necessity, there should be a dialogue in the country before that. The MP emphasized that the people are waiting for the best laws to eliminate corruption and fraud because the people are tired of corruption, theft and fraud in this country. This country went bankrupt for the first time under the leaders of the present regime. The parties responsible for it, are trying to bring these laws. People have to wonder why this group that destroyed the country is manipulating the things again.

Those who say people will forget everything in two weeks, created queues for oil, cut off electricity for 12 hours, raised inflation to sky-high say that Pohottuwa will return to power and a Rajapaksa will become President. Are they thinking that the people could be deceived again? But Mr. Wickramaratne said that the people will never forget the destruction caused by the Rajapaksa government.

After the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a loan of 2.9 billion dollars, and the government drafts anti-corruption laws only according to the IMF’s agenda regarding corruption and fraud in the country, the country does not benefit from those legislations. He said that with the IMF, there is a deal, and there are two sides to it. Accordingly, if we adopt methods that suit the country, we can convince them about our methods of adopting laws.

When going to the discussion on an amendment of the agreement with the IMF next September, the tax free limit imposed on the working people should be raised to two hundred thousand from the current one hundred thousand rupees.

Meanwhile, in the local debt restructuring, Mr. Eran Wickramaratne stressed that in the background of economic contraction, it is the responsibility of the government to be on a firm decision not to include a Hair Cut on the deposit money when domestic debt restructuring is proposed, which creates a risk of bankrupting the banking system in Sri Lanka.