Category: Breaking News

Sri Lanka Thursday reported 21 deaths due to COVID-19 after the figures were confirmed by the Director General of Health Services on Wednesday, October 13.

Among the deaths reported today, 15 are of males and 06 of females. The majority of deaths – 16- are of elderly people in the 60 years and above age group. A male below 30 years of age also succumbed to the disease.

According to the data reported by the Government Information Department, the total deaths due to Covid-19 since the pandemic began last year has now risen to 13,429.

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, in an address to the Colombo-based diplomatic community yesterday (13), had stressed on the importance of the European Union’s (EU) Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade concession to the Sri Lankan economy.

According to a Foreign Ministry press release, Prof. Peiris had said that he was satisfied with the discussions that were held with the delegation of the EU GSP+ Monitoring Mission, and had added that the continuation of the GSP+ is vital for the Sri Lankan economy, not only in the apparel sector, but also in other areas of bilateral trade.
“Covid-19 dealt a significant blow to our plans and we need to recover,” Prof. Peiris had added.

However, he had expressed his satisfaction at the improvement of the Covid-19 situation in the country due to the ongoing successful vaccination drive and had therefore sought the assistance of the diplomatic community to revive tourism activity.

Prof. Peiris made these remarks at a meeting with all Colombo-based diplomats at the Foreign Ministry yesterday.

The European Parliament, earlier this year, called on the Government of Sri Lanka to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No. 48 of 1979 as amended and the European Commission to consider the temporary withdrawal of the GSP+ from Sri Lanka if it is not done.

The EU GSP+ Monitoring Mission visited Sri Lanka during the first week of October and met with a number of officials and organisations, both within and outside the Government, in this regard.

The GSP+ gives Sri Lanka preferential access to markets in the EU. It was withdrawn in 2010 after the EU identified three major shortcomings with respect to United Nations human rights conventions (the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention Against Torture, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child) related to the scheme of the GSP+, which is not only a special incentive agreement for sustainable development but also for good governance. It has been identified that the GSP+ especially benefits the fisheries and apparels industries.

The Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union, Joseph Stalin says that the trade union action of the Teachers’ and Principals’ Trade Union Alliance will continue.

The decision was taken following a discussion held by the trade union officials today (13).

“Obviously, we have decided to continue our trade union action as the Teachers’ and Principals’ Alliance. If our demands are not granted by the 21st we will make a decision whether the Teachers’ and Principals’ unions will go to work when the schools are opened on 21st,” Mr. Stalin said.

He said the teachers’ strike on online teaching is enters 94th day today and the issue could have been resolved sooner if the authorities held the discussions sooner.

“The Cabinet passed the resolution of the Sub-Committee on August 30. How long after this the discussion took place? We continually asked for a discussion. This is due to the delay in giving a meeting,” the trade union leader said.

The discussion held between Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the teachers’ and principals’ trade unions Tuesday at the Prime Minister’s office ended without a solution, according to the trade union representatives.

An application was filed at the Mannar High Court (HC) yesterday (13) seeking an order to summon former Prison Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation State Minister Lohan Ratwatte over being in alleged contempt of court, in connection with the latter’s reported intimidation of a group of prisoners at the Anuradhapura Prison on 12 September.

This application comes a few days after a similar application was filed at the Vavuniya HC on 6 October by the legal representation of three prisoners who are being detained under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No. 48 of 1979 as amended (PTA) at the Anuradhapura Prison, seeking an order to summon Ratwatte over being in alleged contempt of court in connection with the said incident.

Attorney-at-Law (AAL) K.S. Ratnavel, representing a detainee, who is alleged to have been threatened by Ratwatte, told The Morning yesterday that a case was being heard in the Mannar HC against the accused under the PTA. He added that while the case has been ongoing for a few years, the Mannar HC had ordered that the accused be held at the Anuradhapura Prison.

“We have made one submission for Ratwatte to be charged over committing the offence of contempt of court. In that, we have noted that this prisoner was committed to prison by the order of the Mannar HC and that anything affecting him would therefore be interfering with the judicial procedures,” Ratnavel said.

Another submission they have made is for Ratwatte to be charged for allegedly committing offences and serious crimes under the Penal Code, namely, attempted murder and torture, which are also offences punishable under the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) Act No. 22 of 1994 as amended.

Meanwhile, adding that a judge or a parliamentarian can only go to visit a prison between 5.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. under the Prisons Ordinance, Ratnavel claimed that Ratwatte however, had gone to the Anuradhapura Prison on that day after 6 p.m. “Accordingly, he has violated the Prisons Ordinance and also compelled the prison officials to act in violation of it by taking these prisoners out of the cells. Therefore, in the application, we requested that action be taken in this regard as well,” he added.

In the application, they have also requested that the said accused be transferred from the Anuradhapura Prison to the Jaffna Prison as the said incident could endanger his life. However, the accused was, according to Ratnavel, not allowed to be transferred to the Jaffna Prison and was instead ordered to be given maximum security inside the Anuradhapura Prison.

The application also requested to conduct an inquiry into the incident on 12 September by summoning the relevant Superintendent of the Anuradhapura Prison and other Prisons Department officials. The Mannar HC has then ordered the Prisons Commissioner General (CG) to submit a report on the incident to the Mannar HC on 30 November 2021, the next court date.

The said application has been supported by AAL S. Thanikumar.

On 12 September 2021, an inebriated and pistol-brandishing Ratwatte had flown in a helicopter to the Anuradhapura Prison, where he had allegedly summoned a group of Tamil political prisoners detained under the PTA (reports state between eight to 16 such prisoners), and ordered them to kneel, and had proceeded to threaten two of them at point blank range, telling them to accept their offence/s and to submit to authority.

Prior to this incident, on 6 September, Ratwatte had, together with a group of friends, also under the influence of liquor, allegedly forcibly entered the Welikada Prison premises after 6 p.m. and proceeded to view the gallows. As per Section 39 of the Prisons Ordinance, an MP who wishes to pay a visit to a prison can only do so between the hours of 5.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m.

The Prisons Department, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) have since commenced investigations into the incidents, whilst Justice Minister, President’s Counsel M.U.M. Ali Sabry appointed HC Judge (Retd.) Kusala Sarojani Weerawardena to independently inquire into the incidents.

Ratwatte resigned from the post of Prison Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation State Minister on 15 September, and he is claimed to have, as per a Tweet by the President’s Spokesman, accepted responsibility for the incidents at the Welikada and Anuradhapura Prisons. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the same Tweet mentioned, had accepted the said resignation. However, in subsequent statements made to the media, Ratwatte, who remains the Gem and Jewellery-Related Industries State Minister, had denied all allegations made against him.

The Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, General Manoj Mukund Naravane met with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday (13).

General Naravane met with the President, to seek his guidance on strengthening bilateral defence linkages further, tweeted the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka.

“Sri Lanka’s leading role as a partner in security was appreciated including within the Colombo Security Conclave initiative,” said the High Commission.

The Chief of the Army Staff of India Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane called on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees this morning.

“Between the two armed forces, we have an excellent relationship,” Gen. Naravane told Prime Minister Rajapaksa, further noting that this positive interaction will also help cement the bilateral relations between the two countries at all levels, including people-to-people connections.

The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the assistance provided by the Indian Armed Forces to Sri Lanka throughout the years, especially in the area of training.

During the current visit to Sri Lanka, Gen. Naravane will be presenting driving and firing simulators to the School of Sri Lanka Army Service Corps in Anuradhapura. Speaking about this to the Prime Minister, the Indian Army Chief noted that technology will play a big role in the future, particularly in the area of training.

Given the high costs involved in maintaining a standing army, Gen. Naravane pointed out that simulators can serve a very useful role.

Among other aspects discussed between the two delegations included regional concerns of fundamentalism and terrorism, and the importance of caring for veterans after their service to the country.