Category: Breaking News

What we are experiencing now is the consequence of handing over everything in the country to politicians, the Chairman of the National Movement for the Protection of the Nation Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera said.

“We have never heard of an era where the people of our country are suffering as much as they do these days,” he lamented.

He told the media yesterday that the people of the country did not rule the country, but only two parties. The people do not have sovereignty, he said.

“Now I am hearing several opinions being discussed about the issues in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the country.
“The Government should not do that. It will be creating more national problems at a time when people are worried over their next meals,” he said.

“Political parties are pre-occupied with issues in the North and East, but the people of the country are not,” he said.

“The Constitution says that it shall give the foremost place to Buddhism while protecting and nurturing it, and it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana. But it has not mentioned a proper definition of how to protect and foster Buddha Sasana. That means the Constitution has misled us.”

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardana was present at the event. Ven. Gunawansa Thera said The foreigners used to visit Sri Lanka to admire our culture, ancient temples, and many other sights. The Government was nurtured by the revenue from foreign tourists because of the cultural monuments in the country. But the Government has forgotten that.”

“We are unable to switch on the lights due to the recent increase in the electricity tariff. Do not attempt to do anything to force us to come to the streets,” Ven. Gunawansa Thera cautioned.

“I’ve heard some Ministers speak arrogantly. Those are not the people who go to temples or are devout. There are some people and monks who always favoured in this country. As we used to say, we lose all the time. As monks, we don’t mind losing, but we want to remind this Government not to work in a way to undermine Buddhism,” he added.

The Pakistani intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has been accused of trying to revive the now defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Tamil Nadu, an Indian media report claimed.

Republic World said that Pakistan’s ISI has been trying to push the revival of the LTTE in the southern Indian state. Notably, this comes after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested nine persons earlier last week in connection with illegal drugs and arms cases pertaining to the revival of the LTTE.

According to the NIA, the case was related to activities of the Sri Lankan drug mafia controlled by Gunashekaran and Pushparajah in association with Haji Salim– a drugs and arms supplier based in Pakistan.

Republic World quoted reports as saying the module has been operating in India as well as Sri Lanka and has been smuggling drugs and arms in an attempt to revive the LTTE, an outfit designated as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries, including the European Union, Canada, the United States, and India.

With NIA busting that module at the roots, the ISI is now allegedly trying to revive the LTTE in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka to derail the peace and security in the region.

The NIA had earlier arrested former LTTE operatives and found that they were linked to individuals in Europe. It was later learnt that these operatives based in European countries– Denmark and Switzerland were trying to withdraw money to use for the LTTE’s revival.

Pakistan is yet to respond to the claims.

Welcoming the recent order issued by the Vavuniya High Court (HC) to the security forces to produce a person who was handed over to them in Mullaitivu by his relatives during the end of

war, the Association for the Relatives of Enforced Disappearances in the North and the East

yesterday (26) noted that they too would file habeas corpus petitions to identify the whereabouts

of their loved ones if the authorities take necessary steps to produce the relevant person before

court.

Speaking to The Morning, Association Secretary Leeladevi Ananthanadarajah yesterday said

that the order was a positive move by the Vavuniya High Court, and that if the relevant

authorities take necessary steps to produce the relevant person before court, the other families

of missing persons would similarly file petitions to ascertain their loved ones’ whereabouts.

“On an earlier occasion, we filed a few habeas corpus petitions with the Vavuniya and Mullaitivu

courts in order to ascertain the whereabouts of our missing relatives, but due to the lack of

certain evidence, they were rejected. Now, the recent order by the Vavuniya High Court seems

positive, and if this particular person is produced, we would follow the same procedure,” she

added.

She further said that when the relatives of missing persons filed the same petition earlier to find

the whereabouts of their loved ones, they faced difficulties because the cases kept dragging on.

Meanwhile, recently, in response to a habeas corpus petition filed with the Vavuniya High Court,

an order was made to the Sri Lanka Army to produce a person who was handed over to the

security forces during the end of the war.

Certain Tamil political parties including the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) took up a stance to push for mediation by other countries, including India and the US, at the upcoming all-party conference meetings where a resolution for the longstanding national ethnic question is to be sought.

Speaking to The Morning last week, Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani (TMTK) Leader MP C.V. Wigneswaran said last week that an Indian mediator should be present at the all-party conference when reconciliation-related decisions are being made.

“The Government of India should send a senior civil servant to participate as a mediator. It is not a question of any particular person; the reason being that when it was done in 1987, many people in the civil service of India took part in it. Back then, President J.R. Jayewardene bamboozled everyone when he said in India that he would provide all the powers to the North and the East, but came back here and said that it is to be valid with regard to all nine provinces. This was not something India said when they were trying to do something beneficial for the North and the East. He then came up with the concurrent list, and this took away many of our powers,” he added.

He further noted that a Supreme Court case in 2007 divided the contiguity of the North and the East by delegating them as two separate provinces.

“Therefore, it is good if a senior Indian civil servant of the calibre of Norwegian Erik Solheim (currently International Advisor on Climate Change to President Ranil Wickremesinghe) can also take part in these discussions. I am of the opinion that we must have Indian intervention or Indian facilitation in the all-party conference.”

Also, in a recent letter written to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Wigneswaran had stated: “We Tamils would be calling upon India to send in their representative in case you wish to get the services of Solheim in the near future. In any event, we feel that the presence of India is sine qua non to attain a plausible solution.”

Meanwhile, Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) MP Sivagnanam Shritharan also took up the stand that a mediator should represent India as well as the US.

“If you see the Indo-Lanka Pact, on behalf of the Tamil people, as their representative, India signed the pact. India is the superpower in the region and since the US has been continuously speaking up for human rights, we expect both countries to be represented as mediators,” he added.

Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) Leader and MP Selvam Addaikalanathan is of the same stance and said that under the supervision of India, other interested countries should also be represented as mediators.

The ITAK and TELO are part of the TNA.

Meanwhile, President Wickremesinghe stated at the first all-party conference held for the purpose that in January 2023, he will hold discussions with Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya Leader Sajith Premadasa in regard to the devolution of power and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, among others.

A two-minute silence was observed from 9.25am to 9.27am today, in remembrance of all those who died in the 2004 tsunami.

Today marks 18 years since the disaster.

Tragedy struck when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake was recorded in deep seas near Sumatra Islands in Indonesia.

The tsunami resulted in the death of nearly 282,000 people from 14 countries including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and India.

The death toll in Sri Lanka was nearly 35,000.

Around 2,000 people were killed in the Peraliya Thelwatta train accident, which is considered to be the largest single rail disaster in world history by death toll.

Every year since 2005, the 26th of December has been declared National Safety Day and various programmes are carried out in remembrance of all those who died in disasters, including the tsunami.

The main event of this year’s National Safety Day was held at the Peraliya Tsunami Memorial in Galle, with the participation of state officials, Tri-Forces and Police, and the public.

The Disaster Management Centre said several programmes were organized in other districts, in line with the main event.

The National Election Commission is continuing to make preparations to conduct the Local Authorities Election.

The Commission has said it is in the process of preparing ballot boxes needed for the upcoming election.

Accordingly, the Commission has decided to use cardboard ballot boxes in the upcoming election as well.

Officials have commenced inspecting ballot boxes and those cannot be used will be disposed.

New boxes will be prepared as required. Meanwhile, several rounds of discussions have been held pertaining to the Local Authorities Election.

Accordingly, an announcement on the conduct of the Local Authorities Election is expected to be made during the first week of January.