Author: TELO Admin

The Defense Ministry has allowed the police to detain and interrogate two people, including the convener of Inter-University Student Federation (IUSF), Wasantha Mudalige, who were arrested by the police following a protest held by a group of the IUSF members.

Detention orders have been issued in accordance with the powers assigned to the Minister of Defense under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

It is reported that the Ministry of Defense has authorized the police to detain and interrogate Hashan Gunathilake in addition to Wasantha Mudalige, the convener of the IUSF.

The police arrested 16 people during a protest held by the Inter-University Student Federation against the government at Union Place in Colombo on Thursday (Aug 18).

They were arrested after police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesting university students who were marching through Town Hall and towards Union Place despite police blockades.

Earlier today, the 16 individuals were produced before the Colombo Additional Magistrate and the Police had sought detention orders on three of the arrested, namely the IUSF convener Wasantha Mudalige, Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thera and Hashantha Jawantha Gunathilake.

Police had stated that IUSF convener was arrested as there is a pending arrest warrant against him.

The Colombo Additional Magistrate granted bail to all the suspects except to Wasantha Mudalige and Hashan Gunathilake.

The Ministry of Defense has authorized the police to detain and interrogate Hashan Gunathilake of Wasantha Mudalige for 90 days.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023-2027 was launched today by the Government of Sri Lanka and the United Nations in Sri Lanka.

The Cooperation Framework will guide the work of UN Agencies, Funds and Programs for the next five years (2023 – 2027).

The UNSDCF is the Framework that guides the work of all the UN Agencies in Sri Lanka and articulates the collective vision and contribution of the United Nations to support Sri Lanka to accelerate actions towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Cooperation Framework gives primacy to accelerating actions to ensure a rapid recovery from the economic crisis along with the impact of COVID-19, prioritizing support to revitalize the economy and economic activities, social services, decent employment, social cohesion, and health and well-being for all people in Sri Lanka.

The UNSDCF was co-signed by the Secretary to the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardana on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka and UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer-Hamdy on behalf of the United Nations. Heads of UN Agencies, Funds and Programs in Sri Lanka also signed the Cooperation Framework. The signing ceremony hosted at the Ministry of Finance was also attended by Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ms. Aruni Wijewardane and the Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Development Coordination Office, David McLachlan-Karr.

Speaking at the event, Secretary to the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardana noted that “the current global challenges demonstrate the continued importance for multilateral solutions that bring together the international community around shared priorities. This Cooperation Framework with the United Nations in Sri Lanka will be key as we pursue sustainable and inclusive development for the people of Sri Lanka.”
Elaborating further the UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer-Hamdy said, this Cooperation Framework is mutually owned and anchored in national development priorities, the 2030 Agenda and the principles of the UN Charter.

The UNSDCF is structured around four interrelated and mutually reinforcing Strategic Priorities where the UN system will concentrate its expertise to support Sri Lanka to make transformational and accelerated progress. These Strategic Priorities cover Inclusive and Equitable Human Development and Well-being; Resilient and Green Recovery and Growth for Shared Prosperity and Environmental Sustainability; Social Cohesion and Inclusive Governance & Justice; and Gender Equality.

“Of course, our work will be underpinned by a crosscutting commitment to support rapid recovery from the economic crisis and the impact of COVID-19,” she said.

She further noted that programs by the UN System will be anchored in the principles of human rights and non-discrimination and ensuring that “no one is left behind”.

“The 2023 – 2027 Development Cooperation Framework reflects Sri Lanka’s national development priorities while working in partnership with the UN Country Team towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is being concluded at a very significant moment in Sri Lanka when transformational changes are being operationalized in the economic and social fronts. The Framework is also an important shift for the UN system in enhanced national level coordination in the delivery of its development activities,” Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mrs. Aruni Wijewardane said.

The UNSDCF will be funded through core budget allocations of an estimated USD 60 Million, in addition to approx. USD 325 Million through other resources – spread across the five-year period of implementation.

The emergency regulations which is currently in force in the country, will not be revoked and will be extended after August 18, President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced today.

Speaking during the 35th annual conference of Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA), President Wickremesinghe said emergency will be allowed to lapse. “I will not extend emergency and will let it lapse on August 18,” the President said.

Mr. Wickremesinghe who promised a system change, said both the economy and the political system will be restricted. We intend to turn Parliament into a government and will have oversight committee. There will be a committee on state enterprise reforms, ways and means committee. Youth members from outside Parliament will be appointed to each Committee. We will also have a national council comprising of all parties,” he said.

Coming up with another move by the government, the President also announced that a diaspora office will be opened to get the diaspora community to involve in the development of the nation.

“We will have to change the current electoral system as well,” he said.

“This change will have to come from the present Parliament.”

Although this land belongs to Sri Lanka, the sky and the ocean unites us all, said the Leader of the National Freedom Front, Wimal Weerawansa at the welcome ceremony was organized at the Hambantota Port on Tuesday (16) morning, under the auspices of the Chinse Ambassador to Sri Lanka.

MP Weerawansa, speaking further, said that there is an area of ocean and the skies which belongs to Sri Lanka, and as a state, bears responsibility for that area.

“The Indian Ocean Region must remain as Region of Peace. There can be NO conflict. It cannot be home to enemy camps. Even if we are strong or weak economically, we need to maintain the stance,” he said.

The MP further stated that although some call the vessel a Spy-Ship, it should be called a communication vessel.

“China has never told us what the structure of our Government should be. China has never established NGOs in Sri Lanka, and funded them to destabilize the Government. Therefore, China is one of the few countries that extended assistance to Sri Lanka during these tough times. We hope China would help us more,” he said.

Speaking at the event, the Democratic Left Front Leader, Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that the presense of Yuan Wang 5 vessel itself is a symbol of the independence and sovereign power of Sri Lanka.

An unnecessary controversy was raised about the arrival of the vessel, the MP said, adding that it was a machination of the western powers headed by the U.S.

“However the rightious decision prevailed, as Sri Lanka is glad we are to be able to have Yuan Wang 5 here in this port which contributes to the significance of this port and to the future importance of this port. We hope the long lasting friendship cannot be torpedoed by any kind of machinations of imperialism. We trust we will be able to keep our bonds firm and unbreakable and ensure the peace in the Indian Ocean and the freedom in the Indian Ocean” MP Nanayakkara mentioned.

Rear Admiral (Retd) Dr. Sarath Weerasekara, also speaking at the welcome ceremony said that the resolution of the issue with regard to the vessel further strengthens the relations between China and Sri Lanka, and visits such as these also strengthens the friendship between the countries.

The tiny Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka has an outsize geostrategic importance, and its military seeks deeper ties with Pacific Air Forces for maritime security and disaster relief while not roiling China, a senior Sri Lankan Air Force official told Air Force Magazine.

Just 34 miles off the coast of India at its closest point, Sri Lanka aims to further professionalize its Armed Forces and capabilities at a moment when PACAF is seeking to strengthen regional partnerships.

The Sri Lanka Air Force, 30,000 strong, has sought to work more closely with PACAF and is willing to participate in some exercises of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, commonly known as “the Quad” grouping, which includes Australia, the United States, Japan, and India.

“We are very concerned about the status quo of the region,” Sri Lankan defense attache Air Vice Marshal Sampath Wickremeratne told Air Force Magazine in a recent meeting at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, D.C.

“We are very careful, and we do not agitate [any] of the power players in our region,” he said, stressing Sri Lanka’s unaligned status. However, Sri Lanka is worried about shifting security trends in the Indo-Pacific. “There was a status quo, then China coming up with their programs. They are building influence in the region.”

Wickremeratne acknowledged that the United States’ presence in the Indian Ocean traces to the 19th century, and he described China as a “close distant friend,” reflecting its close ties to Sri Lanka while geographically separate.

Sri Lanka’s territorial defense force consists of fewer than 10 fighter jets divided into two small squadrons of Israeli Kfir and Chinese Chengdu F-7G fighters, a licensed version of the Soviet MiG-21 that had been used to contain terrorist groups in the north and east of the island during the insurgency.

The Sri Lanka Air Force’s transport fleet includes two grounded C-130s that lack spare parts due to past U.S. sanctions, the attache said. It relies instead on the Soviet-era Antonov AN-32 and the Chinese-made Xian MA-60. Its helicopter fleet is a mix of Eastern and Western origin, including the Soviet-era Mi-17, Mi-24, and Mi-35 and the American Bell 212, Bell 412, and Bell 206.

For intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, Sri Lanka uses American-supplied Beechcraft turboprop planes.

During the years of internal fighting, many Western countries distanced themselves from defense ties with Sri Lanka, but the country now aspires to reengage globally and strengthen its ability to patrol its territorial waters, which are often used for drug and human trafficking, and illegal fishing.

“We use the satellites and the cloud, and we monitor the dark ships,” Wickremeratne said of illegal vessels.

“For drugs, people recently have used Sri Lanka as a hub for transiting from east to west, from the Afghanistan side to [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] side,” he said. “The Air Force plays a very big role in that because of the speed, reach, and the height. We are able to react sooner than the other forces.”

Now, Sri Lanka aims to develop its transport and ISR capabilities to better respond to humanitarian and disaster relief and to enhance maritime surveillance, an area where PACAF has shown interest in strengthening collaboration.

One way the attache said Sri Lanka can more closely support PACAF’s goals is by allowing the placement of ISR assets such as the U.S. Department of Transportation application SeaVision or Hawkeye 360, a commercial company that gathers radio frequency data from satellite constellations.

Sri Lanka already partners with India, Australia, and Japan regionally.

“We are getting a lot of support on maritime security,” Wickremeratne said of ties with the United States.

Sri Lanka’s position on participating in Quad activities, and to a lesser extent, those of the newly formed AUKUS group of Australia, the United Kingdom, and United States, is delicate. Sri Lanka agrees with the group’s objectives to maintain the international order, including maritime boundaries, in contrast to China’s numerous, ongoing maritime disputes and aggressive action in the air and the sea.

“Whatever the security structures that are going to be placed in the Indian Ocean region, we would like to play a part of it, but not in a very military angle,” he said, proposing subject matter exchanges, technology, and intelligence sharing. “Anything that we can take and make our territorial security more powerful.”

Inquiries to the PACAF Sri Lanka desk officer were referred to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which did not respond to requests for comment by Air Force Magazine.

Command Chief Master Sgt. for Pacific Air Forces David R. Wolfe said PACAF is working on ways to meet Sri Lanka’s defense needs and to respect its neutral status.

“All we’re trying to do is help every country take whatever the next step is for them,” Wolfe told Air Force Magazine at the recent Senior Enlisted Leader International Summit outside Washington, D.C., which did not include the participation of Sri Lankan enlisted officials.

“There’s a very loosely tied, like-minded group of countries that each country for a different reason engages at a different level,” he said. “If they have fears about the geopolitical environment, [we need to] try to allay those fears the best we can, and then find what is the next step for them.”

On the enlisted development side, PACAF aspires to help Sri Lanka grow the education and retention of its enlisted corps with opportunities to reach leadership positions. Wickremeratne admitted that after the country’s conflict period, many former soldiers were released into society without job opportunities.

Sri Lanka’s geographic position is also valuable to PACAF.

“Maritime surveillance is a need,” Wolfe said.

“Interoperability is the main thing that we want with all of the countries, and Sri Lanka is no different,” he said. “Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief is our most likely five-meter target, the most likely need. I mean, that can happen tomorrow, right

It would have been better for the country if former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa was allowed to leave Sri Lanka when he attempted to do so in early July, National Freedom Front (NFF) leader, Wimal Weerawansa said.

“Basil tried to go, but officers at the airport didn’t let him go because passengers opposed it. Three officers at the counters left their duties because a passenger took their photos and threatened them. This was a time when the protests were at their zenith. Because of that Basil didn’t go. It would have been better if he had gone,” he said.

Weerawansa said that a person doesn’t need to be in Sri Lanka to investigate whether he had engaged in corruption and that there are UN mechanisms that can be used to punish such individuals and reclaim their assets.

“So there was no reason to keep him. If he had been allowed to go, he wouldn’t still be playing such a big role here,” he said.

The NFF leader said that successive Sri Lankan governments, after 1977, are responsible for the current economic crisis.

“We created this economic mess, and we haven’t really seen the worst of this crisis. Before 1977, Sri Lanka had a positive balance of payment, for the most part. Now it’s the other way around. Especially in the 60s and the 70s, Sri Lanka was trying to manufacture things. A lot of credit must go to then Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. I am not saying that things were great, but we were making progress. But this was cut short in 1977. JR Jayawardene opened up Sri Lanka before our industries could mature. Now we are enjoying the ‘benefits’ of the system that JR created,” Weerawansa said.

The NFF leader said that the crisis was exacerbated by the actions of the Rajapaksa family, in the last few years, especially Gotabaya and Basil Rajapaksa.

“The main reason was Basil, but Gota also played a big role in creating this mess. Gota stuck to his family and let them run the show. This is not what the people wanted,” he said.

Weerawansa added that Gotabaya also had no political experience and they had asked him to discuss with trusted Ministers, and expert advisors, before taking serious decisions.

“Because he had no political experience, he needed to talk to people who know how things operated. But he didn’t do that. There was no discussion or consensus building. I don’t think Gotabaya even consulted the other Rajapaksas before deciding on banning agro-chemicals overnight. Therefore, a lot of necessary decisions were not made and a number of errors were made. Things were going down really fast and we tried to warn him, we tried to fix things from within. When we failed, we told the people where the country was heading and Gotabaya responded by firing us,” he said.

The NFF leader said the during party leaders’ meetings, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa would act like a slave owner and treated party leaders like his personal property.

“He used to talk to respected politicians like they were peasants and he was the landlord. He thought their good nature was a sign of weakness. Because of this arrogance, Gotabaya now languishes in a hotel in Thailand and he can’t even come out,” he said.