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Approx. 1,200 Northern children still with war shrapnel

Posted on September 21, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Former Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) MP Sivasakthy Ananthan yesterday (20) said that around 1,200 war-affected children in the Northern Province are still bearing shrapnel in their bodies and are yet to receive adequate healthcare to cope with their conditions.

Back in 2016, when Ananthan was a MP, during the Budget debates, he pointed out to then-Prime Minister and incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe about the difficulties faced by these children and the lack of healthcare facilities for the children and adults bearing pieces of shrapnel. In response, Wickremesinghe had requested Ananthan to initiate a dialogue with the Minister of Health at the time and to submit a report of the numbers affected. Speaking to The Morning, Ananthan said that he had submitted a report including the details of 750 children out of 1,200 in 2016 as requested by Wickremesinghe, but that there was no action taken.

The affected persons had complained to Ananthan that the hospitals in the North were lacking facilities to treat their conditions.

“This situation remains the same. Some children who can obtain financial support have removed the shrapnel from their bodies with the help of Indian doctors, while most are still bearing the shards,” he added.

Ananthan noted that there are children with shrapnel in their heads and spinal areas. To some of them, the doctors have advised that removing such could be a threat to their lives, and therefore, they continue to live with the condition.

“I appeal to President Wickremesinghe to provide assistance to these children. Not everyone is financially stable enough to get the shrapnel removed; thus the Government should help them to survive,” he added.

He also noted that he would reach out to President Wickremesinghe through former Northern Province Chief Minister and incumbent Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani (TMTK) MP C.V. Wigneswaran to highlight this matter.

Meanwhile, Northern Province Governor Jeevan Thiyagarajah, speaking to The Morning, said that the presence of shrapnel does not always translate to the need for removal.

“It is subject to medical advice on the necessity. However, the principal cost must not be a reason not to attend to any removal, particularly for those less resourced. We will revisit this subject and inquire from every healthcare facility on the needs of those they attended to previously,” he added.

China keeps Pakistan, Sri Lanka waiting on loan deals

Posted on September 21, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

(THE HINDU) – China has offered Pakistan’s visiting Army Chief technical help as the country deals with record floods but did not announce any substantial financial assistance that its “all-weather” ally has been seeking.

Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka, facing financial stress, have been engaged in long-running talks with Beijing for assistance, but with negotiations in both cases having made little headway, both countries have turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Their new IMF commitments are now likely to impact their owed payments to China, which has lent the two countries more than $26 billion in the past five years.

Following talks in Xi’an between Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and China’s Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe, the Chinese side expressed willingness to provide technical assistance for flood relief work, Pakistan’s official Inter-Services Public Relations said.

Chinese State media quoted Gen. Wei as calling on both countries “to tide over difficulties together, fully trust each other, and unswervingly support each other’s core interests on the way forward” but did not detail any offers of assistance. Chinese media noted that Beijing had previously provided relief supplies worth $57 million.

Earlier this month, Pakistan’s government assured the IMF it would reduce capacity payments owed to Chinese projects or seek to restructure loans, with over $1.09 billion still owed to Chinese power producers.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has been pressing Beijing for a $4 billion loan, but talks that have dragged on for several months appear to have not yielded an agreement. Rather than restructure Sri Lanka’s existing debt, Beijing has indicated it would prefer to instead extend new loans to an already heavily indebted economy.

On September 1, Sri Lanka and the IMF reached a staff-level agreement with the Fund set to support Sri Lanka with an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of $2.9 billion, contingent upon Sri Lanka’s successful debt restructuring efforts, which will hinge in part on China’s agreeability. Sri Lanka’s creditors also include International Sovereign Bond (ISB) holders, multilateral lending agencies, and other bilateral partners such as Japan and India.

While Japan and India have been very supportive of the IMF process from the beginning, all eyes were on China to see if it would play ball, although some analysts in Sri Lanka expressed hope citing China’s willingness to work on a debt relief deal in Zambia.

In response to Sri Lanka’s IMF agreement, Beijing said as a “traditional friendly neighbor” of Sri Lanka and a “major shareholder” of the IMF, China has “always been encouraging” the IMF and other international financial institutions “to continue to play a positive role in supporting Sri Lanka’s response to current difficulties, efforts to ease debt burden and realize sustainable development.” Sri Lanka is currently in talks with its creditors, with the hope of qualifying for the Fund’s EFF.

Supreme Lanka Coalition’ to join Dullas Alahapperuma?

Posted on September 21, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Discussions are underway regarding the ‘Supreme Lanka Coalition’ working together with the independent group of MPs that quit the government including Dullas Alahapperuma, during upcoming elections, says MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara.

However, the MP claimed that he has no intention of joining ‘Samagi Jana Balavegaya’, the main opposition.

He stated this speaking to the media following a discussion held between the party leaders of the ‘Supreme Lanka Coalition’ yesterday (Sep 20).

In response to a question raised by a journalist, he said that they are not yet ready to contest an election.

Answering a question about whether Kumara Welgama will become a challenge for their coalition, he said: “Chandrika is also there, and Kumara Welgama too. You will see how it goes after we enter the contest. Have to be prepared for the match”.

Mullaitivu farmers allege private land acquisition by Archaeology Dept.

Posted on September 21, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Farmers in Thannimurippu alleged that the Department of Archaeology has earmarked 56 hectares of private land for acquisition out of 256 hectares identified as archaeological land in Mullaitivu.

Speaking to The Morning, Archaeology Department Director General (DG) Prof. Anura Manatunga said however that the department would never take such a step, but added that he would have to study the case before making any further comment.

Thannimurippu Farmers’ Association President S. Thavaseelan told the media on Monday (19) that this acquisition included his own land. According to him, the land included shared grassland, paddy fields, and a dam built in 1953.

Social media recently reported an attack by Vattuvakal residents in Mullaitivu‍ against an attempt to seize 250 hectares of their land. However, according to reports, the residents were influenced by the politicians in the area. Blocking the officials from surveying the land, the residents of Vattuvakal and Mullivaikkal in Mullaitivu staged a protest demanding that their land be returned to them for resettlement and farming. It was said that the land would be acquired for security purposes following a directive from the Ministry of Defence, and that if there were any claims for the ownership of those lands, the officials needed to be presented with documents such as original deeds or permits from that time.

Located north of the Vattuvakal bridge, the land was abandoned by residents in the final phases of the war, according to media reports. They allege that the Navy took the land and set up a base called the Sri Lanka Naval Ship Gotabaya.

SLFP removes six MPs from party posts for accepting ministerial posts

Posted on September 21, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) today announced that the parliamentarians of the party who have accepted ministerial positions in the current government have been removed from all party positions they held.

General Secretary of SLFP, Member of Parliament Dayasiri Jayasekara told media that the party has decided to remove those MPs who have taken government and state ministerial positions against the opinion of the party from their posts in the party.

The General Secretary also mentioned that party chairman and former president Maithripala Sirisena has informed them through letters that six people who have obtained positions in the government will be removed from all the positions they held in the party.

It is stated that those MPs have acted against the decision taken by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Central Committee not to get any position in the current government.

Accordingly, senior vice presidents of the party, ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva and Mahinda Amaraweera, party treasurer Lasantha Alagiyawanna, deputy secretaries Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, and Jagath Pushpakumara, who were appointed as state ministers have been removed from all posts of the party they held and from the membership of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Central Committee, Jayasekara said.

He mentioned that this decision was taken as the first step against them and no decision has been taken to expel them from the party membership so far.

The General Secretary said the state ministers Shanta Bandara and Suren Raghavan, who got positions in the government, were also removed from the positions they held in the party earlier.

SL receives USD15Mn worth consignment of rice from Australia

Posted on September 21, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The first consignment from an Australian donation totaling AUD22 million (approximately USD15 million) has arrived in Sri Lanka and will soon be distributed to those most affected by the ongoing economic crisis.

The consignment, consisting of 600 metric tonnes of rice, forms part of a larger consignment of rice, pulses and cooking oil, due to arrive in the country soon, the World Food Programme (WFP) said.

“Australia and Sri Lanka share many decades of friendship, and this latest contribution is an extension of our goodwill during this unprecedented crisis,” said Paul Stephens, Australia’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. “We are supporting WFP to provide life-saving food to people who are struggling with price increases, job losses and reduced incomes”.

“Australia was the first to contribute to WFP’s emergency response, enabling us to kick-off much needed assistance to those hard-hit by the ongoing crisis,” said Abdur Rahim Siddiqui, WFP Sri Lanka’s Representative and Country Director. “Through Australia’s generous donation, we are providing cash and in-kind food to the most vulnerable, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and school children,” he added.

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has increased the level of food insecurity and recent WFP surveys show the situation could deteriorate further in the coming months without urgent assistance. Launched in June, WFP’s emergency response aims to help 3.4 million of those most at risk.

“National Council” resolution passed without vote

Posted on September 20, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The resolution to constitute the Parliament Committee designated “National Council” in connection with the concept of an all-party Government, which was a major demand that emerged from the people’s protests; the Aragalaya, was passed within the Parliament without a vote on Tuesday (20)

However, several parties objected to the move, stating that it is not a mechanism that fulfills people’s expectations.

According to the resolution passed today, the members of the National Council will be chaired by the Speaker, while the members constitute of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the House of Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Organizer of the ruling party.

Apart from that, not more than 35 members decided by the Leaders of the political parties should be appointed for the council.

The assembly will be entrusted with setting common priorities to guide the formulation of short, medium and long-term national policies, agreeing on short- and medium-term common minimum programs in relation to economic stabilization and organization of special meetings attended by ministers, chairpersons of special committees and youth observers of youth organizations.

The council will also posses the ability to call reports from current functioning committees.

US seeks Sri Lanka’s support to ensure free and open Indo-Pacific

Posted on September 20, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The United States (US) today noted the importance of Sri Lanka’s support to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

The US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung, tweeted saying Sri Lanka’s leadership is essential to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Chung said that she met with the Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, Rear Admiral Anura Ekanayake today, to review shared priorities and opportunities for collaboration, including maritime security, environmental protection and combating smuggling.

The Ambassador also made her first official visit to the Southern Province today.

People’s Tribunal in The Hague indicts GoSL over Lasantha’s 2009 murder

Posted on September 20, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The People’s Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists at The Hague, the Netherlands, yesterday (19) issued an indictment against the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), which it found guilty over the murder of editor and Attorney-at-Law Lasantha Wickrematunge.

Judge Eduardo Bertoni, who is part of the panel of judges of the Tribunal, noted that the indictment was filed on the basis that the prosecutor holds the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka responsible for the grave violation of the international human rights of the slain journalist.

He further stressed that the indictment was filed specifically on the right to life, the right to freedom of expression, and the right to effective remedy.

While reading the indictment, Judge Bertoni highlighted: “The Government violated Wickrematunge’s right to freedom from discrimination based on political opinion.”

Judge Martina Forti, highlighting Wickrematunge’s case, stressed that the audacious attack on one of Sri Lanka’s best known and most outspoken journalists shows a larger problem that independent-minded journalists in Sri Lanka faced during that time and are still facing today.

She noted that the Tribunal session was held on 12 and 13 May 2022, in The Hague. Over the two days of the hearing, testimony and documentation were presented regarding the extrajudicial killing of 27 journalists and 17 media workers between 2004-2010, out of which at least 35 were Tamils.

“These killings have not been effectively investigated and the perpetrators were not convicted, while most journalists are believed to have been killed because of their criticism of the Government, the decades-long civil war or because they supported the Tamils,” she said.

Further, she said: “We must note that in none of the cases of murder, assault, and disappearance has there been any conviction. On the contrary, in some of them, the military personnel who were named and charged in these crimes, have been pardoned and reinstated.”

Wickrematunge was assassinated on 8 January, 2009, by unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles in Ratmalana.

We extended around USD 4 billion aid this year’: India on financial support to Sri Lanka

Posted on September 20, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

India on Tuesday responded to a media query regarding reports on “no further financial support from New Delhi to Colombo”, stating that it has extended around USD 4 billion in bilateral assistance this year for the people of Sri Lanka.

Responding to a media query, the spokesperson of the High Commission of India in Colombo also advocated other bilateral and multilateral partners supporting Sri Lanka expeditiously in its current economic difficulties.

“We have seen the relevant media reports. We would like to emphasise that India has extended unprecedented bilateral assistance amounting close to USD 4 billion this year for ameliorating the difficulties faced by the people of Sri Lanka. India has also advocated to other bilateral and multilateral partners supporting Sri Lanka expeditiously in its current economic difficulties,” India in Sri Lanka said in a tweet.

In a bid to sustain it from debt, India also extended its continuous support to Sri Lanka in all possible ways, particularly by promoting long-term investments from New Delhi in key economic sectors in Colombo for its early economic recovery and growth.

“We have also noted the conclusion of a Staff Level Agreement between IMF and Government of Sri Lanka. Its further approval within IMF is contingent upon, inter alia, on Sri Lanka’s debt sustainability. We continue to be supportive of Sri Lanka in all possible ways, in particular by promoting long-term investments from India in key economic sectors in Sri Lanka for its early economic recovery and growth,” the spokesperson of the High Commission also said.

On August 22, India handed over 21,000 tonnes of fertilizer to its crisis-ridden neighbour.
Highlighting India-Sri Lanka’s close and longstanding relationship, the High Commission noted that the people of Sri Lanka continue to avail of scholarships for higher education and skills training in premier Indian institutions.

“In addition our bilateral development cooperation projects in Sri Lanka, which cumulatively total about USD 3.5 bn, are ongoing. Sri Lankans also continue to avail of scholarships for higher education and skills training in premier Indian institutions. These aspects of our close and longstanding cooperation with Sri Lanka also contribute to the efforts for addressing Sri Lanka’s current economic difficulties,” it added.

India under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, has always come forward to help the debt-ridden island country. India has extended 8 Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1,850.64 million in the past 10 years.

India has been at forefront of extending economic assistance to Sri Lanka as per their requirements and is one of the countries that have provided the maximum amount of assistance in time of need.

Since the beginning of 2022, Sri Lanka has experienced an escalating economic crisis and the government has defaulted on its foreign loans. Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in free fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries.

(ANI)