Govt has inherited this problem: Jaishankar on arrest of fishermen in Lanka

Responding to queries regarding the plight of Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka during the question hour in the Rajya Sabha, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said the government has inherited this problem due to events that can be traced back to 1974 and 1976.

“Sri Lanka has two laws — the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act of 1996 and the Fisheries Regulation of Foreign Fishing Boats of 1979. Both these acts were amended in 2018 and 2023, providing for much stiffer sentences, bigger fines, and greater detention,” he told the House.

He explained that many of those serving sentences are boat owners, skippers, or repeat offenders, complicating resolution efforts.

He stated that the “root cause” of the ongoing issue related to the detention of Indian fishermen in Sri Lanka began in 1974 when the international maritime boundary line was drawn, followed by an exchange of letters in 1976 with Sri Lanka delineating fishing jurisdiction.

“The House is aware that, in a way, our government has inherited the problem. This problem began in 1974 when the international maritime boundary line was drawn, followed by an exchange of letters in 1976 delineating fishing jurisdiction. These decisions are the root cause of the situation,” Mr Jaishankar said responding to the issue raised by DMK member Tiruchi Siva.

He further noted that most of the fishermen detained in Sri Lanka are from Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry due to geographical proximity. “Because it is Sri Lanka, it is natural that most of the fishermen will be from Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry,” he said.

Providing an update on the number of fishermen detained in the island nation, he said, “Till yesterday, there were 86 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody. Today, one more trawler has been apprehended, adding 11 more fishermen. So, in total, 97 are in custody–83 are serving sentences, three are awaiting trial, and 11 have been apprehended today.”

(The Statesman)

Mannar, Poonakari and Dehiattakandiya LG Polls on May 6

The elections for the Poonakari, Mannar, and Dehiattakandiya local government institutions will be held together with the 2025 Local Government (LG) Polls, the Election Commission announced.

Accordingly, the elections for the abovementioned local government bodies will be held on May 06, 2025, the commission said today (27).

The acceptance of nominations for the Poonakari, Mannar, and Dehiattakandiya LG institutions were held separately from the other LG institutions across the island, and the process ended at 12:00 noon today.

The nomination process for these Local Government bodies had been delayed due to court proceedings, however, the petitions which had been filed over these LG bodies were later withdrawn by the petitioning parties.

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Postal voting dates announced for LG Polls

The Election Commission of Sri Lanka has announced the dates allocated for the marking of postal votes in the 2025 Local Government (LG) Elections.

Accordingly, postal voting for the LG Polls will be held on April 22, 23 and 24 at all District Secretariats and election offices.

Meanwhile, those unable to mark postal votes on the aforementioned dates can do so on April 28 and 29, the Election Commission said.

Julie Chung visits UNP HQ Sirikotha

A discussion has been held between US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung and senior members of the United National Party (UNP) at the party headquarters in Sirikotha today.

Accordingly, Ambassador Julie Chung had engaged in discussions with UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardana and General Secretary Thalatha Athukorala.

It is reported that the discussion, which had taken place for over an hour, had focused on the current political state and the UNP’s political activities.

US Ambassador Julie Chung has previously held discussions at the headquarters of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) as well.

Commenting on the discussions, US Ambassador Julie Chung said the meeting had taken place as part of a cross-party engagement.

“Grateful for the perspectives shared today at my meeting with UNP Secretary General Thalatha Athukorala and UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardena as part of our cross-party engagement. We spoke about our nations’ shared commitment to democracy and how our U.S.-Sri Lanka cooperation — on maritime security and economic growth — makes both nations safer, stronger and more prosperous,” she said in a statement on ‘X’.

Alipay+ open to work with Sri Lanka Tourism

Singaporean incorporated digital payments solution platform, Alipay+, is open to work with Sri Lankan tourism authorities to boost tourism to the island by targeting the South East Asian region and tourism source markets, Alipay+ Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand General Manager Edward Yue told The Daily Morning Business.

“We always take an open collaborative approach and work with local partners to support the travel ecosystem. In our past and ongoing efforts working with local regulators and tourism boards, we have seen very positive results,” Yue said, speaking at the launch of Alipay+ in Sri Lanka, in partnership with Lankapay on Tuesday (25).

The partnership’s aim is to elevate inbound and outbound travel experiences within the island, as users are enabled to make payments at over 400,000 LankaQR merchants within Sri Lanka.

The partnership is to also enable Sri Lankans who use the LankaQR-enabled apps to pay at Alipay+ merchants when traveling overseas.

In 2024, the cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation technology solutions platform collaborated with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to create a customisable in-app programme that features essential travel and cultural information, local merchant recommendations and city guides for Thai destinations.

“We started with offering seamless payments, and going beyond with in-app marketing and new travel innovations, which is creating new forms of engagement between tourism boards, merchants and travellers.”

The collaboration was opportune to strengthen Thailand’s digital offerings catered to Chinese tourists, its biggest tourism source market. For Sri Lanka, Chinese tourists consistently rank among the top five main source markets for tourism.

Chinese tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka doubled during the Chinese Lunar New Year period this year, with 19,809 arrivals, statistics from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) shows.

Sri Lanka as a destination has been platformed on Ctrip, China’s largest online travel agency, to offer customised tour packages.

Yue noted that tourism has become a significant driver of the global economy, and especially in destinations like Sri Lanka, that will benefit from new traveller preferences for more unique, localised, sustainable holidays.

“But for local businesses to benefit from this growth, they need to adapt to new traveller habits. Since the pandemic, mobile wallets have become the preferred choice of payment method, particularly for consumers from Asia,” he said.

“By connecting 14 international payment partners to Sri Lanka, we build on the national LankaQR infrastructure by LankaPay to enhance the travel experience for these users. Now, they can visit local shops, food stores, attractions and much more, and pay just like they would at home,” he explained.

“In doing so, we can provide growth opportunities for local merchants, who may miss out if they don’t offer solutions that travellers are used to.”

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18% of Sri Lankan Students Struggle with Mental Health

A recent survey conducted by the Family Health Bureau of the Ministry of Health has revealed that 18% of school children in Sri Lanka are suffering from various mental health issues.

The survey, which covered over 2,500 students aged 13 to 17 across the country, was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

The survey, carried out between September and October 2024, involved 78 questions across 10 health-related topics.

The findings highlighted several concerning trends among school children, including feelings of isolation, sleep disturbances, and increased anxiety and depression.

Dr. Chiranthika Withana, National Program Manager for Adolescent Health at the Family Health Bureau, noted that 22% of students reported feeling isolated in the past 12 months, while 12% experienced sleep disturbances due to various issues.

Additionally, 18% of students were found to be suffering from depression and anxiety.

Alarmingly, the rates of suicidal thoughts, planning, and attempts have increased compared to 2016, with 4.4% of students contemplating suicide, 9.6% planning it, and 9.1% attempting it.

The survey also revealed that 63% of students suffer from sleep deprivation due to excessive internet use.

Cyberbullying was reported by 5.4% of students, and 63% indicated that they do not get enough sleep, which is crucial for their health.

Dr. Withana highlighted various forms of harassment faced by students, including physical attacks (23.8%), sexual harassment (6.1%), dating violence (10.1%), and cyber sexual harassment (6.9%). Physical fights were reported by 34.5% of students, and despite legal prohibitions, 47.9% of students reported experiencing physical punishment in schools.

To address these issues, Dr. Withana emphasized the importance of creating a healthy environment for children, including promoting healthy eating habits, increasing physical activity, and implementing effective school health programs.

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Mahinda says LTTE killed 27,965 in Sri Lanka forces, asks govt to defend commanders

Ex- President Mahinda Rajakaksa says the Tamil Tigers killed 27,965 Sri Lanka soldiers and police as well as thousands of civilians and expects the current administration to defend military commanders.

The statement came after The United Kingdom announced sanctions including travel against Sri Lanka’s former Chief of Defence Staff Shavendra Silva, former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and former Army Commander Jagath Jayasuriya and well as a Tiger leader.

“It was I, as the Executive President of Sri Lanka who took the decision to militarily defeat the LTTE and the armed forces implemented that decision on the ground,” President Rajapaksa said in a statement.

“Three decades of LTTE terrorism claimed the lives of 27,965 armed forces and police personnel not to mention the lives of many thousands of civilians including politicians.

“What Sri Lanka defeated in 2009 was the organization that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation had officially designated as the deadliest terrorist organization in the world.

“It is noteworthy that the United Kingdom introduced special legislation in 2021 and 2023 to protect their own armed forces from persecution by interested parties.

“Hence I expect the present government to resolutely stand by and defend former armed forces personnel who face persecution by foreign governments and organisations for doing their duty to safeguard Sri Lanka’s national security.”

The full statement is reproduced below :

UK Sanctions against Sri Lankan armed forces Commanders

The United Kingdom govt. has announced sanctions including travel bans and asset freezes against Sri Lanka’s former Chief of Defence Staff Shavendra Silva, former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and former Army Commander Jagath Jayasuriya over unproven allegations of human rights violations during the war with the LTTE. It was I, as the Executive President of Sri Lanka who took the decision to militarily defeat the LTTE and the armed forces implemented that decision on the ground.

Despite the 2002 ceasefire agreement, the LTTE had carried out 363 killings during the ceasefire between February 2002 and the end of September 2005. LTTE attacks intensified in the first few weeks and months after I was elected President in November 2005. Among the most serious such incidents were claymore mine attacks on 4 and 6 December 2005 in Jaffna that killed thirteen soldiers, a suicide attack on a naval craft on 5 January 2006 that killed 15 naval personnel, and the suicide attack on the Army Commander inside Army Headquarters in April 2006.

Despite all that, my government held two rounds of peace talks in January and June 2006 in Geneva and Oslo which were unilaterally halted by the LTTE. The LTTE landmine attack on a civilian bus in Kebithogollawa in June 2006 which killed 64 and seriously injured 86, many of them children – was a pivotal moment for me and my govt. Military operations commenced in July 2006 when the LTTE closed the Mawilaru anicut cutting off irrigation water to cultivators in the Trincomalee district and did not stop until the LTTE was completely defeated on 19 May 2009.

I categorically reject the UK govt.’s allegation of widespread human rights violations during the military operations. Lord Naseby stated in the House of Lords on 12 October 2017 that the then UK Defence Attache in Colombo Lieutenant Colonel Anton Gash had in conversation with him, praised the discipline of the Sri Lanka army and stated that there certainly was no policy to kill civilians.

Because Lt. Col Anton Gash’s war time dispatches to London differ so significantly from the narrative promoted by the UK political authorities, only a heavily redacted version of those dispatches have been released. We conducted military operations only against the LTTE and not against the Tamil people.

Just months after the war ended, when my wartime army commander came forward as the opposition candidate at the 2010 presidential elections, the Tamil National Alliance issued a statement on 6 January 2010 appealing to the Tamil people to vote for the former army commander and he won over 60% of the votes cast in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, thus directly contradicting the narrative being promoted by the UK govt.

Imposing sanctions on Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan a.k.a Karuna Amman who broke away from the LTTE in 2004 and later entered democratic politics is a clear case of penalizing anti-LTTE Tamils so as to placate the dominant segment of the Tamil diaspora in the UK.

When the UK foreign secretary David Milliband came to Sri Lanka in April 2009 and demanded a halt to military operations, I flatly turned him down. Later, a London based newspaper The Telegraph revealed – quoting secret documents made public by Wikileaks – that Mr. Miliband had tried to intervene in Sri Lanka to win Tamil votes for the Labour Party. Regrettably, to this day vote bank politics determines the UK’s stand on Sri Lanka’s war against the LTTE.

Three decades of LTTE terrorism claimed the lives of 27,965 armed forces and police personnel not to mention the lives of many thousands of civilians including politicians. What Sri Lanka defeated in 2009 was the organization that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation had officially designated as the deadliest terrorist organization in the world. It is noteworthy that the United Kingdom introduced special legislation in 2021 and 2023 to protect their own armed forces from persecution by interested parties.

Hence I expect the present government to resolutely stand by and defend former armed forces personnel who face persecution by foreign governments and organisations for doing their duty to safeguard Sri Lanka’s national security.

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Bandula’s Escape from Batalanda: A Tale of Survival

TM Bandula, a key witness at the Batalanda Commission, has recounted his harrowing experience of abduction and torture.

Bandula, who served as the personal bodyguard to the late Sri Lanka Mahajana Party leader Ossie Abeygunasekera, provided detailed testimony about the events that transpired on January 27, 1990.

Bandula was assigned to protect Abeygunasekera following the assassination of party leader Vijaya Kumaratunga.

Bandula was assigned the duty of providing security for Ossie Abeygunasekera’s vehicle while riding a motorcycle.

On January 27, 1990 on the day of his abduction, Bandula was traveling by bicycle from his home in Dalugama, Kelaniya, to a nearby shop when he was forcibly taken by an armed group.

Among the abductors was then Assistant Superintendent of Police Douglas Peiris, who reportedly brandished a firearm.

According to the Batalanda Commission report, Peiris threatened Bandula, demanding he get into a vehicle and warning him of imminent harm.

Bandula was blindfolded and taken to the Peliyagoda Police Station, then transferred to another vehicle and eventually brought to the Batalanda housing complex, with several tires on him.

Bandula was confined to a room, handcuffed to a nearby object, and subjected to severe physical abuse.

Two other individuals in the room were blindfolded and bound.

Bandula inquired from one of them the reason for his abduction to Batalanda.

One of the individuals had previously taken legal action against Assistant Superintendent of Police Douglas Peiris, accusing him of assault.

The court found Douglas Peiris guilty and ordered him to pay compensation.

Bandula’s testimony revealed that after the compensation was paid, the complainant was abducted and taken to the Batalanda torture chamber.

During his detention, Bandula was subjected to severe beatings, often being hung upside down and struck with poles.

He was moved between several houses, and at one location, police officers informed him that Denzil, Basil, Upali, and Quintus had been abducted and murdered there.

One morning, a police officer informed Bandula that his arrest was based on false information and that he would be released.

The officer instructed Bandula not to disclose his ordeal to Ossie Abeygunasekera.

However, Bandula overheard a conversation outside the building, revealing plans to take him to the Rathgahahawatta Bridge that night, shoot him near the ear, remove his handcuffs, and throw him into the river.

Fearing for his life, Bandula escaped by jumping out of a window, climbing over a barbed wire fence, and fleeing to Badugewatta village.

There, he sought refuge at a relative’s house, where he managed to remove his handcuffs with their help.

Bandula then fled to Ossie Abeygunasekera’s residence in Colombo.

Bandula stayed at Abeygunasekera’s house for four months before traveling to Saudi Arabia for his safety.

He returned to Sri Lanka in July 1993 and provided a statement to the Criminal Investigation Department in August 1994.

Tragically, Ossie Abeygunasekera was killed in a bomb attack targeting Gamini Dissanayake on November 9, 1994.

Shouldn’t these crimes be thoroughly investigated beyond mere debates?

Shouldn’t justice be served to the victims, even now?

Can India Reclaim Katchatheevu? Supreme Court to Decide in September

The Supreme Court of India has scheduled a hearing for 15 September 2025 to address petitions challenging the agreements through which India ceded the Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka in the 1970s.

This follows the Court’s recent decision to allow DMK leader T.R. Baalu to substitute the late former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi as the petitioner in the case.

The petitions contest the legality of the agreements signed on 26 and 28 June 1974 and 23 March 1976, which formalised the transfer of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. The petitioners argue that these accords, executed without parliamentary approval, resulted in the unconstitutional cession of Indian territory.

The Katchatheevu issue has been a longstanding point of contention, particularly in Tamil Nadu, where political leaders have periodically called for the retrieval of the islet.

In 2014, the Indian government informed the Supreme Court that reclaiming Katchatheevu was not feasible, asserting that no Indian territory had been ceded, as the area was disputed and had never been demarcated.

The upcoming hearing is expected to revisit these arguments and assess the constitutional validity of the 1970s agreements.

Sri Lanka responds to UK’s sanctions on former military commanders

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism has issued a statement in response to the decision of the government of the United Kingdom (UK) to impose sanction against three former military commanders and a former minister.

The ministry said it takes note of the Press Release dated 24th March 2025, issued by the UK, Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) entitled “UK Sanctions for Human Rights Violations and Abuses during the Sri Lankan Civil War”.

As stated in the press release, the UK government has imposed sanctions on four individuals, three of whom are former military commanders of the Sri Lankan armed forces.

Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry said it is also noted that the UK FCDO Press Release refers to “a commitment made during the election campaign to ensure those responsible are not allowed impunity”.

In this regard, the Ministry said it wishes to underline that this is a “unilateral action” taken by the UK government which involves an asset freeze and travel ban on the individuals concerned.

“Such unilateral actions by countries do not assist but serve to complicate the national reconciliation process underway in Sri Lanka,” the ministry said in the statement.

It further said that the government is in the process of strengthening domestic mechanisms on accountability and reconciliation and that any past human rights violations should be dealt with through domestic accountability mechanisms.

The statement further said that the position of the Government of Sri Lanka was conveyed by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath to the British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick, today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism.

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