Author: TELO Admin

The SLFP has come out with a proposal not to allow dual citizens to hold any key government posts in the future,Political sources say this is one of the proposals included in a report prepared by the SLFP on the party’s suggestions for drafting a new constitution.

The proposal seeks to prevent dual citizens holding key public posts such as president, prime minister, MPs, top posts in government corporations and presidential commissions.

The set of new proposals of the SLFP is to be submitted to president’s counsel Romesh de Silva who is heading the committee appointed to draft a new constitution.

The SLFP has also suggested that all the political parties must discuss and arrive at a decision whether the country should continue with the Executive Presidency.Other proposals of the SLFP’s include setting up two chambers in parliament, a mixed electoral system and devolution of power.

Minister NImal Siripala de Silva chaired the SLFP’s committee that drafted it’s constitutional proposals.

On the Attorney General’s direction, the Criminal Investigations Department arrested two Madrasa School teachers on the charges of giving arms training to school children in Puttlam on Friday (26).

This was confirmed to News 1st by State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne, the Coordinating Officer to the Attorney General.

On Friday (26) morning, Sri Lanka Police said the Terrorist Investigation Division on Thursday (Mar. 25) arrested two men aged 46 and 49 years for propagating extremism.

“The Terrorist Investigation Division arrested the 46-year-old suspect from Matale yesterday (25), and it was revealed that the individual had arrived in Sri Lanka on the 5th of December 2020 from the United Arab Emirates,” Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana told News 1st on Friday (Mar. 26).

Based on the investigations conducted so far, it has been revealed that the said suspect was deported by the UAE authorities given various extremist activities he had conducted while in the UAE, the Deputy Police Chief further noted.

According to DIG Ajith Rohana, the suspect had collected money from various Sri Lankans who were residing in the UAE and sent the money collected in this manner back to Sri Lanka to propagate extremism.

Furthermore, the suspect had spread extremist and terrorist ideologies via social media.

The suspect was brought to the Terrorist Investigation Division in Colombo and the TID will obtain a detention order under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to conduct further investigations, Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana noted.

Another suspect aged 49-year-old was also arrested by the TID in Kattankudy, Batticaloa on Thursday (Mar. 25) on various offences related to terrorism and extremism committed via social media.

“He has committed various offences connected to terrorism and extremism through social media, especially Facebook. He had promoted Wahabism and extremist ideologies through Facebook. It was also revealed that he was a close follower of the main perpetrator of Easter Sunday bombing Zahran Hashim,” DIG Ajith Rohana told News 1st on Friday (Mar. 26).

The second suspect will also be detained at the Terrorist Investigation Division in Colombo under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and further investigations are underway.

A section of the Jaffna town came under a lock down today after 80 COVID-19 patients were detected, health officials said.

Out of 670 individuals who were subject to PCR tests, 80 were reported as COVID-19 infected.

Northern Province Director of Health Services Dr. A.Kedeesaran told the media that the District COVID Control Committee at an emergency meeting decided to lock down the high risk areas that included a part of the Jaffna town including the Kankasanthurai highway, the Jaffna main bus stand, the hospital road, Jaffna public fair ground, Thirunelveli public fair ground and the Jaffna Fort.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on UN member states to impose targeted sanctions on Sri Lankans allegedly responsible for grave violations and pursue justice for international crimes in national courts under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

The United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka is a victory for victims of abuses to help them obtain information, accountability, and justice, Human Rights Watch said today.

HRW said that UN and member countries should emphasize to Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that any reprisals against activists who campaigned for the resolution would have serious consequences.

Resolution 46/1, adopted on March 23, 2021, establishes a powerful new accountability process to collect, analyze, and preserve evidence of international crimes committed in Sri Lanka for use in future prosecutions. The Sri Lankan Government vigorously opposed the resolution, and there have been numerous reports of threats and harassment against rights activists in recent months.

“The Human Rights Council’s landmark resolution on Sri Lanka shows that if justice is denied, the UN will act to provide accountability for atrocities,” John Fisher, Geneva Director at Human Rights Watch said. “When governments fail to respect their international law obligations, as Sri Lanka has, it’s crucial for the Human Rights Council to respond with substantive measures like these.”

Families of abuse victims have struggled for years to learn what happened to their loved ones and to see those responsible held to account, Human Rights Watch said.

The resolution was adopted in response to a devastating report in January by the UN high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, on the failure of successive Sri Lankan governments to provide justice and accountability.

It establishes a dedicated new capacity within the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights “to collect, consolidate, analyse and preserve information and evidence” of gross violations of human rights or serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Sri Lanka, and “to advocate for victims and survivors, and to support relevant judicial and other proceedings, including in Member States, with competent jurisdiction.”

After many years in which there was barely any progress on accountability, this measure brings justice closer for international crimes committed in Sri Lanka, Human Rights Watch said. The high commissioner is mandated to deliver a report to the Human Rights Council after 18 months, including “options for advancing accountability.”

In her January report, the high commissioner also warned of “clear early warning signs of a deteriorating human rights situation and a significantly heightened risk of future violations.”

The Core Group of states that brought the resolution on Sri Lanka – the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Malawi, Montenegro, and North Macedonia – have stood in support of human rights and accountability in Sri Lanka, and upheld the credibility of the Human Rights Council by advancing justice for serious violations of international law, Human Rights Watch said. Altogether 22 Human Rights Council members voted for the resolution, while 11 voted against, and 14 abstained. More than 40 countries co-sponsored the resolution, which remains open for co-sponsorship.

The Chinese company behind the Colombo Port City project, has welcomed the Cabinet decision to publish the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill on the Government gazette.

Cabinet approval was granted this week following a proposal made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

In January the Cabinet had approved a proposal to establish the Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone which will be an International business and services hub with specialized infrastructure facilities.

This week the Cabinet approved the proposal made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to take necessary steps to publish the relevant bill on the Government gazette and submit it to Parliament shortly.

Port City investor company, CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd. welcomed the Government’s move and expects this initiative will bring more Foreign Direct Investments to Sri Lanka.

“The Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone is expected to create a conducive and competitive environment in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI),” the Chinese company said.

The company noted that Urban Development via SEZs is not unique to Sri Lanka and that there are many successful SEZs in the world.

An SEZ will offer relief from various forms of taxation on businesses and individuals who qualify. They also offer superior infrastructure and have streamlined administrative processes in place that results in ease of doing business.

SEZ’s have been a useful tool for developing nations to upgrade infrastructure, human capital and institutional frameworks and test out policies and their impact before they are selectively implemented outside the SEZ in the rest of the country.

“The establishment of a well-positioned SEZ will benefit the nation by upgrading resources and capabilities where policy makers can overcome bottlenecks in resource mobility and attenuate the costs of larger scale implementation or upgrading across the entire country. A successful SEZ sends an important signal that the country is open for business,’ CHEC Port City Colombo said.

It is expected that the SEZ will attract multinational enterprises to set up headquarters or regional offices in Port City and in turn they will bring in financial recourses, technology, technical and managerial know-how.

“We hope the establishment of a SEZ will accelerate Sri Lanka’s economic growth. A realized master plan for the Port City provides 5.7 million square meters of built up area valued at $15 billion that will be home to multinational enterprises, corporate headquarters, transient workers, and residents. It will be the catalyst for a modern services hub that will help Sri Lanka’s transformation into a services-led growth model and elevate the economy to high-income status,” CHEC Port City Colombo said.

Port City Colombo is a brand-new city development built as an extension of the existing Colombo CBD, with a total reclaimed land mass spanning 269 HA.