Category: Breaking News

Days after a shocking dispute over the doctoral credentials of Speaker Asoka Ranwala and his stoic silence over it, fresh controversy has emerged following the discovery that Urban Development and Housing Minister Aruna Karunatilake also does not possess such qualifications despite him being referred to as ‘Dr.’ on certain occasions and in instances, and the same of Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara being dropped from the parliamentary website.

An informed source told the Daily Mirror that some close aides of Minister Karunatilake had mistakenly referred to him as ‘Dr.’ since he is from academia.

The Minister is currently reading for his doctorate in Computational Mathematics at the Kelaniya University.

He is expected to submit his thesis within the next three months only.

In the meantime, the Justice Minister had also been referred with the ‘Dr’ title in official letters issued by the Office of Leader of the House earlier, but it had been knocked off from the parliamentary website.

The sudden drop has further fueled concerns that the academics who entered Parliament on the NPP ticket had used fake titles to deceive the public.

It is learnt that the parliamentary authorities have instructed those officials to have an overview of the titles in front of the names of MPs.

Opposition parties say this is an assault on the legitimacy of the NPP which boasted of academic and professional qualifications of its members, now assigned with responsibilities to run the country.

Earlier, the UNP said that the use of a fake doctorate title by the Speaker is an insult to the Parliament of Sri Lanka which is the oldest democracy in South Asia. Following criticism, the Speaker has got his title removed from the official website of Parliament.

The government has not made any official announcement yet, though the government said he was expected to hold a media briefing soon and would release a statement.

The NPP government, throughout it’s Presidential and Parliamentary campaign had been stating that their candidates were professionals including doctors, engineers etc. and they would bring in a new political culture by maintaining transparency.

Opposition parties such as the SLPP have already called on the diplomatic community to distance itself from the Speaker due to his alleged false educational qualifications and called on him to resign immediately.

The fine is in addition to more than $500,000 in unpaid wages and interest she has already been ordered to restore, but has so far refused to pay.

Himalee Arunatilaka served as Sri Lanka’s deputy high commissioner to Australia between 2015 and 2018. She employed Sri Lankan mother of two Priyanka Danaratna as a domestic worker in her home in Deakin, amid Canberra’s diplomatic quarter.

Arunatilaka sponsored Danaratna’s entry into Australia, promising she would pay her in accordance with Australian wages and conditions.

But Danaratna told the federal court she was instead isolated and oppressed, working every day for three years, save for two days she spent in hospital after burning herself with oil in the kitchen.

With breaks, it was calculated Danaratna worked 14 hours on a “normal day”, but when the deputy high commissioner was entertaining, she would not finish until 1am. Danaratna had her passport taken from her, and was not allowed to leave the house, except when given permission to take short walks in the neighbourhood.

“She did not provide me with satisfactory clothing and food. I did not feel like I was being treated properly,” Danaratna told the court.

Her lawyers calculated she was paid less than 65 cents an hour for her thousands of hours’ work over three years.

In a judgment delivered Friday, Justice Elizabeth Raper said the diplomat’s offending was calculated and intentional.

“Ms Danaratna was deliberately isolated from the community and effectively entrapped within the household,” the judge found.

“Ms Danaratna was deprived of any semblance of work and life divide. Her conditions bore no resemblance to what one would expect under Australian law and were egregious and exploitative.”

Raper said Aruntalika abused her authority and power over Danaratna.

“The whole scheme of exploitation stemmed from a number of factors. First, Ms Danaratna was vulnerable and wholly reliant on Ms Arunatilaka. She was unable to read or speak English and had no connections in the community.

“Secondly, by being cloistered in Ms Arunatilaka’s household Ms Danaratna was invisible from and unable to participate in Australian society.

“Thirdly, Ms Arunatilaka engaged in practices that entrapped Ms Danaratna in the household.”

The judge cited the seizure of Danaratna’s passport, her being kept sequestered in the diplomat’s house and being refused access to all but the smallest sums of money, as consciously and acutely exploitative.

Arunatilaka has refused to engage with the court process in Australia. She did not file any evidence with the court or appear at any hearings.

Despite a judgment in August this year that she compensate Danaratna more than half a million dollars – $543,300.73 – in backpay and interest, she has not paid any of the money she owes.

Arunatilaka has not responded to repeated requests for comment from Guardian Australia.

Her diplomatic career has been unaffected. She is now serving as Sri Lanka’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, where she is also accredited to the International Labor Organisation.

The Sri Lankan government has also rejected the court’s judgments. In response to the court’s first judgment, it accused Danaratna of absconding, and said it was “satisfied that the said salary was paid to the domestic assistant by the employer as mutually agreed”.

But Justice Raper said Arunatilaka knowingly intentionally exploited her employee, signing documents committing to upholding Australian laws and to paying award wages.

Despite this, she then signed a work contract with Danaratna which breached those obligations, and then failed to uphold even that contract. The judge said the protections of Australia laws were designed to protect vulnerable workers from the “domestic servitude of the Victorian era”.

In fining Arunatilaka $117,028.80, Raper said the diplomat had “taken no steps to rectify the conduct”.

“She has not paid Ms Danaratna the amounts owing, has shown no remorse or contrition and has taken no steps to ensure that this does not happen again.”

And the judge said she was concerned a number of similar cases “involving indentured servitude within the households of diplomats” had come before the court.

“There is a particular need for penalties to be imposed which deter diplomat employers from exploiting foreign workers who they bring to Australia to work in their private, diplomatic residences … a strong, clear message needs to be sent to those involved in the diplomatic corps as to the consequences for engaging in like conduct and to deter contravening conduct of this kind.”

Source: The Guardian

The Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health said that an unidentified fever is spreading in the Jaffna District, raising concerns among the health authorities.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the unidentified fever spreading in Jaffna has risen to five, according to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital’s Director Dr. T. Sathyamoorthy. Speaking at a media briefing, Dr. Sathyamoorthy confirmed that the deceased, aged between 20 and 65, succumbed to the fever and respiratory complications.

While the illness is suspected to be leptospirosis, commonly known as rat fever, he stated that blood samples have been sent to Colombo for further testing to confirm the diagnosis. Previously, three deaths were reported from this illness.

The health authorities have since launched investigations to determine the nature of the disease, with preliminary tests underway to assess whether it is related to leptospirosis. Detailed investigations are underway to identify the exact nature of the disease. The health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, with measures being taken to contain the spread of the illness and provide necessary medical care to the affected individuals.

Dr. Kumudu Weerakoon of the unit addressed the issue at a media briefing held at the Health Promotion Bureau yesterday (11). She explained that patients in the affected areas are presenting with fever and respiratory issues.

Health officials are collecting samples from these individuals to confirm the exact cause of the illness, Dr. Weerakoon added.

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria that affects humans as well as animals and is spread by the urine of infected animals like rats. Leptospirosis continues to be a major health concern in Sri Lanka. Last year (2023), the country recorded over 9,000 cases of rat fever, resulting in nearly 200 deaths.

Dr. Weerakoon revealed that the number of reported cases this year, around 10,000, has already surpassed those recorded during the same period last year. She emphasised that individuals engaged in occupations involving exposure to water and mud, such as paddy farming and mining, as well as those affected by floods, are particularly vulnerable to the disease.

The risk of contracting rat fever is particularly high among farmers, gem miners and workers who engage in cleaning waste or drainages. Cases are frequently reported in districts such as Ratnapura, Galle, Kegalle, Matara, Kalutara, Monaragala and Kurunegala. Dr. Weerakoon highlighted the symptoms of leptospirosis, which include high fever, severe muscle pain, red eyes, vomiting, headache, body aches, blood in urine, and decreased urination.

If untreated, the illness can cause significant damage to vital organs such as the kidneys, liver, and brain, and in severe cases, it can be fatal. Dr. Weerakoon urged individuals experiencing symptoms to seek immediate medical attention, noting that timely intervention is critical to recovery. She stressed the importance of early detection and treatment to prevent complications and save lives.

To combat the spread of the disease, the Ministry is providing free antibiotics to individuals at high risk, including those involved in water-related occupations. These antibiotics can be obtained from Public Health Inspectors attached to the relevant Medical Officer of Health offices, Dr. Weerakoon noted.

The prevailing weather has created a situation that is favourable for the spread of leptospirosis, which calls for steps such as proper garbage management and maintaining clean environments in order to reduce the spread of animals such as rats.

Noting this, Dr. Weerakoon cautioned that in a context where there are many groups whose professions involve coming into physical contact with soil and water contaminated by the bacteria that causes rat fever, both precautions and prompt responses to early symptoms are necessary. She pointed out the importance of taking seriously the early symptoms of the disease which some may consider to be insignificant.

Highlighting farmers as a key group that is facing the risk of contracting rat fever due to the nature of their profession, Dr. Weerakoon added that the recent rainy period has posed a threat to other groups including those working in flood affected areas and those engaged in jobs near water bodies and muddy areas. Preventing direct physical contact with water and mud was recommended.

“It is not only those engaged in paddy cultivation who are in a high-risk situation,” she stressed, adding that revealing to health professionals the risky conditions in which one functions is important for effective treatment.

The Health Ministry also advised individuals to avoid bathing in unknown and potentially unclean bodies of water. “We advise people to avoid dirty and unclean water, especially if they have wounds,” Dr. Weerakoon elaborated.

Director of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, Dr. T. Sathyamoorthy, said that if MP Ramanathan Archchuna visits the hospital again and disrupts its operations, he will be captured and handed over to the Jaffna Police.

Dr. Sathyamoorthy made this statement during a media briefing held yesterday (10) regarding a complaint lodged at the Jaffna Police, alleging that MP Archchuna’s recent visit to the hospital had disrupted its daily operations.

Providing further details, Dr. Sathyamoorthy explained that over 2,000 patients visit the Jaffna Teaching Hospital daily for treatment, making proper supervision essential. He stated that the MP had arrived at the hospital unannounced and attempted to meet with him without permission, disrupting the staff’s duties. During the meeting, the MP insisted on being addressed as “Sir.” When Dr. Sathyamoorthy declined and said he could address him as “Honorable Member of Parliament” instead, the MP scolded him and threatened to summon him to Parliament for questioning and take steps to have him removed from his position as hospital director.

The hospital director further stated that if the MP continued to disrupt hospital operations, steps would be taken to hand him over to the Jaffna Police through the hospital’s security officers.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is considering bringing in a no-confidence motion against Speaker Ashoka Ranwala as an option, SJB MP Ajith P. Perera said today.

“The SJB Parliamentary Group is to meet tomorrow to discuss the matter and bringing in a no confidence motion against the Speaker is an option which we will consider,” he told the Daily Mirror.

Speaker Ranwala is at the centre of a controversy after it has been reported that he has carried a fake doctoral title.