Category: Featured Headlines

Sri Lankan Police have been strongly condemned by a leading international Human Rights Organisation for their highhandedness in dealing with peaceful protestors.

Dublin-based Front Line Defenders (FLD) while expressing their deep concern over repressive measures of the state in dealing with the peaceful protestors supporting Tamil livestock farmers in Batticaloa district in a statement said the authorities have responded to their expression of dissent, protests, and the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly with assault and intimidation.

“Sri Lankan police employed excessive force against a gathering of peaceful protesters who had convened to express solidarity with minority Tamil livestock farmers and their families from Madhavanai and Mayilathamadu in Batticaloa”.

War-affected Tamils have repeatedly accused the racist Sinhala elements of scuttling their livelihood and depriving them economically.

For over a decade now, pasturelands in Madhavanai and Mayilathamadu have been occupied by majority Sinhalese settlers from districts like Ampara and Polonnaruwa, which share a border with Batticaloa, with state backing.

This occupation has forced Tamil livestock farmers to sell their cattle, leading to increased cattle mortality and the need to seek alternative employment opportunities FLD said further in their statement.

The livestock farmers of the area are now protesting for over a month seeking to graze their cattle in the lands authorised by the government, a portion of which has been forcefully occupied by Sinhala who was allegedly brought there during the ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime.

Tamil farmers have been continuously apprehensive about the loss of their grazing land through the forced colonisation of the Sinhala people with the tacit support of the Buddhist monks as a part of a larger land-grabbing strategy.

Their fears have now been proved right with the installation of a Buddha statue in the area on Sunday (15) under the leadership of Ampittiya Sumanarathna Thero with the participation of the former Governor of the Eastern Province Anuradha Yahampath.

Meanwhile, Tamil MPs have taken strong exception to the installation of a Buddha statue in Mylathamadu-Madhayanai. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (17), Govindan Karunakaran questioned the authority of such installation.

“Who is ruling this country? Is it the President or the Parliament or the Buddhist Monks or the Viyathmaga members? If such things continue it would only lead the country to be split”.

FDL has also pointed out the sinister act of the government in settling Sinhala people from other districts in predominantly Tamil areas has forced the Tamil livestock farmers to sell their cattle, leading to increased cattle mortality and the need to seek alternative employment opportunities.

“The farmers have pursued legal action to remove some of the illegal occupiers from these pastures. However, to this day, more than 500 majority Sinhalese families continue to disrupt the day-to-day activities of these Tamil livestock farmers through various means”.

Earlier this month, President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Batticaloa for an event when hundreds of protesters and human rights defenders embarked on a peaceful march with the intention of meeting him.

However, in an effort to obstruct the protest, the Sri Lankan police intervened and set up barricades to impede further progress and the police resorted to physically assaulting them, which included women and the families of the disappeared.

FDL in their report has pointed out to continuous harassment of those who speak for the rights of the Tamil people and have called for an end to it.

“Front Line Defenders is extremely concerned by the continuing reprisals against peaceful protesters, including human rights defenders, especially in the North and East of Sri Lanka. There are daily reports of harassment of human rights defenders, peaceful protesters, civil society activists, and journalists in the country as reprisals for their genuine work. Minority Tamil and Muslim human rights defenders, especially those operating in heavily militarized, conflict-affected regions, are particularly vulnerable to reprisals. We call for an end to the repression, harassment, and intimidation against peaceful protesters including human rights defenders and families of the disappeared advocating for justice and peacefully expressing their demands in Batticaloa”.

A special discussion will be held on Wednesday (18) with party leaders to create a mixed electoral system.

Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, said their opinions will be obtained regarding the matters that have been proposed so far.

He said he presented a request to the Cabinet to introduce a mixed electoral system, instead of the proportional representation system.

The Justice Minister said this aims to identify 160 electorates and appoint 160 MPs through the first-past-the-post system.

He added that the remaining 65 should be elected at the national and provincial or district level, through the proportional representation system.

Minister Rajapakshe said a final decision has not been reached in this regard, and the relevant bill is yet to be formulated and gazetted, as it needs to be discussed with party leaders and social activists.

He said accordingly discussions have commenced and a discussion will be held in Parliament on Wednesday (18), chaired by the Prime Minister.

The Justice Minister said they hope to pass the bill by creating a fair system, with the agreement of party leaders.

The Indian Navy ship Airavat, Shardul-class Landing Ship Tank (LST) arrived in Colombo today, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said.

Commanding Officer of the vessel, Commander Rindu Babu, called on the Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral TSK Perera during the visit.

In line with Government of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff – Foreign Cooperation, Indian Navy Rear Admiral Nirbhay Bapna handed over valuable Machinery test and trial equipment including machinery items for the Sri Lanka Navy on a grant by the Indian Government to the Director General of Engineering, Sri Lanka Navy Rear Admiral (E) KWARI Ranasinghe, in a ceremony onboard the ship.

The timely availability of spares would ensure optimal operational availability of the SLN platforms.

The efforts of the Indian Navy are in keeping with its core ideology of ‘Bridges of Friendship’, towards strengthening it’s relations with friendly neighbours.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on Wednesday (18 Oct.) informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court that further action will not be taken in relation to the Rs. 17.85 million in cash found at former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official room at the President’s House in Colombo.

The CIABOC attributed the decision due to the lack of evidence, and therefore stated that no measures will be taken in this regard.

The money was found by protesters on the 09 July 2022, when they stormed the official presidential residence during mass anti-government protests.

The cash was handed over to the Fort Police by the protesters who were at the presidential residence on that day, which was subsequently handed over to the Fort Magistrate’s Court three weeks later.

Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage, however, ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to conduct an investigation into the delay by the police in handing over the money, stating that there was reasonable doubt as to why the Fort Police OIC delayed the matter.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Nalin Bandara requested Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to provide protection for MPs from Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne (Retd).

The MP told Parliament they will be required to have Ministerial Security Division (MSD) officers in Parliament to protect themselves from the Defence Secretary.

He said that the Defence Secretary often attends Parliament committee meetings.

The MP accused the Defence Secretary of misbehaving after at least one of these committee meetings.

As a result, the MP appealed to the Speaker to provide MSD security for the MPs when the Defence Secretary is present in the Parliament complex.