Category: Featured Headlines

Sri Lanka confirmed five deaths on Sunday due to COVID -19 raising the death toll from the viral disease to 471, according to health authorities.

The Director General of Health Services confirmed the following deaths caused by COVID -19 virus infection and accordingly the total number of deaths due to COVID -19 infection in Sri Lanka is 471 by now.

01. The deceased is a 56 year old male resident from Kurunegala. He died on 26.02.2021 while undergoing treatments at Teaching Hospital Kurunegala. The Cause of death is mentioned as acute diabetes and acute gastritis with Covid-19 infection.

02. The deceased is a 55 year old male resident from Anuradhapura. He died on 26.02.2021 at his residence. The cause of death is mentioned as acute respiratory complication caused by Covid 19 infection.

03. The deceased is a 59 year old male resident from Gampaha. He was diagnosed as infected with Covid 19 and transferred from District Hospital Dompe to IDH Hospital where he died on 28.02.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as blood poisoning, Covid pneumonia and liver infection.

04. The deceased is a 79 year old female resident from Rukgahawila. She was diagnosed as infected with Covid 19 and transferred from Base Hospital Wathupitiwala to Base Hospital Homagama where she died on 27.02.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as Covid pneumonia and blood poisoning shock.

05. The deceased is a 51 year old male resident from Demalagama. He was diagnosed as infected with Covid 19 virus and transferred Colombo North Teaching Hospital to Base Hospital Homagama where he died on 28.02.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as Covid pneumonia and a cancer.

06. The deceased is an 81 year old male resident from Colombo 05. He was diagnosed as infected with Covid 19 virus and transferred from General Hospital Colombo to Base Hospital Homagama where he died on 28.02.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as Covid pneumonia with Covid 19 infection.

07. The deceased is an 87 year old male resident from Pannipitiya. He was diagnosed as infected with Covid 19 and transferred from Colombo South Teaching Hospital to National Hospital Kandy where he died on 27.02.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as Covid pneumonia,

he Sri Lanka Air Force is celebrating its 70th Anniversary on 02 Mar 2021 and also the presentation of President’s Colours to No. 5 Fighter Squadron and No. 6 Helicopter Squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

To commemorate this historical event, a Fly Past and an Aerobatic Display by teams of the Indian air and naval forces are also being organized for the first time in Sri Lanka at a grand scale at Galle Face from 03-05 Mar 2021.

As a gesture of solidarity, and in keeping with years of close interaction and camaraderie between the two countries and their militaries, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy will participate in the event with an Aerobatic Display by Sarang (Advance Light Helicopter), Surya Kiran (Hawks), Tejas Fighter Aircraft, Tejas Trainer and the Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft, the Indian High Commission said on Sunday.

A total of 23 aircraft of the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy would participate in the grand event.

The detachment for the Aerobatic Display arrived in Colombo on 27 Feb 2021, with the support of C17 Globe Master and C130J transport aircrafts of Indian Air Force.

The deployment of such wide variety and huge inventory of aircrafts and helicopters of the IAF and Indian Navy is testimony to the strong bonds of friendship and close interoperability between the corresponding forces of India and Sri Lanka.

All the Indian aircraft on display are Made in India and as such represent the indigenous technical prowess of Indian research and development sector & reliability of products of India’s Defence Industry. Tejas Trainer, on display for the first time, would also afford the opportunity of independent sorties for the Sri Lanka Air Force Pilots, accompanied with the Indian Pilots whilst adhering to relevant strict health guidelines.

Indian air force transport aircraft

During the deployment, the officers from Sri Lanka Air Force and Sri Lanka Navy will also have firsthand experience onboard the Indian Navy’s Maritime Patrol Aircraft Dornier. Sri Lanka Air Force pilots and Sri Lanka Navy observers will fly along with the Indian crew. This is in continuation of the half yearly Dornier training sorties being facilitated for SLAF/ SLN.

Sri Lanka is ‘Priority One’ partner for Indian in the sphere of Defence. The assurance of India’s fullest cooperation in the field of Defence and security was recently reiterated to Sri Lanka’s leadership by the National Security Adviser of India Mr Ajit Doval during his visit to Sri Lanka for the trilateral Maritime Security Cooperation talks among India, Sri Lanka and Maldives hosted by Sri Lanka in November 2020. The participation of IAF and Indian Navy aircraft and personnel in the 70th Anniversary celebration of SLAF is indicative of the growing cooperation, camaraderie and friendship between the Armed Forces of the two nations.

Germany should push for strong resolution in Human Rights Council

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is rightly proud of Germany’s commitment to global human rights. The Foreign Office says that human rights are at the core of German foreign policy. The federal government now has the chance to fill this postulate with life when Sri Lanka is on the agenda at the next session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Germany is a member of the “core group” of states at the Human Rights Council that presented a 2015 landmark resolution on Sri Lanka. It offered victims of abuses during the country’s long civil war the hope of truth, justice, and reconciliation, and upheld the principle of accountability for the most serious international crimes. Victims’ groups welcomed Germany’s role, and there were significant improvements in human rights, particularly freedom of expression. The shadow of fear and repression was lifted.

But the human rights situation in Sri Lanka has worsened to such an extent since Gotabaya Rajakpaksa became president in 2019 that Germany should place itself at the head of the states taking action to protect human rights there. Rajapaksa, his brother and associates are implicated in many of the war crimes and abuses committed when they were previously in government between 2005-2015.

It is therefore astonishing – and disconcerting — that there are worrying indications Germany is not playing its crucial role for justice and might even consider weakening the resolution in the interests of compromise. The recent tweetfrom the German ambassador in Colombo, in which he expressed hope that the Human Rights Council resolution will be passed by consensus with Sri Lanka’s endorsement, was particularly irritating.

That such a resolution could have a bite, and that senior government officials who are implicated in war crimes would condemn and hold themselves accountable for their own actions, would be an illusion, to say the least.

In a hard hitting new report, the UN high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, says that “Sri Lanka remains in a state of denial about the past”, and the “current trajectory sets the scene for the recurrence of the policies and practices that gave rise to grave human rights violations.” She warns of growing militarization, and calls for member states to take urgent action.

Tens of thousands of civilians were killed in the civil war between government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which ended in 2009. Both sides committed numerous war crimes, particularly in the final months of the war. At that time Mahinda Rajapaksa was president and his brother Gotabaya was the defence secretary. They oversaw armed forces that repeatedly and indiscriminately shelled civilians and summarily executed captured LTTE fighters. Critics of the government and suspected LTTE supporters were murdered, tortured, and “disappeared” in white vans, abuses that continued even after the fighting ended. When the Rajapaksas finally lost power in the 2015 presidential election, there seemed to be an opening for change.

Now fear has returned. In November 2019 Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected president and he appointed his brother Mahinda as prime minister.

Soon after, the government renounced its commitments under the 2015 Human Rights Council resolution. He has appointed to his administration numerous individuals who were implicated in war crimes, including his chief of defense staff, Gen. Shavendra Silva, who is banned from traveling to the United States for “his involvement, through command responsibility, in gross violations of human rights, namely extrajudicial killings.”

In March, Rajapaksa pardoned former army sergeant Sunil Ratnayake, who killed eight Tamil civilians including children, one of very few security force members ever held accountable for violations. In September, Sri Lanka told the Human Rights Council that allegations against senior military officers are “unacceptable” and without “substantive evidence.”

In October, the government amended the Constitution to remove the remaining constraints on political interference in Sri Lanka’s courts. The few officials who have sought to pursue justice are now at risk.

Instead of reconciliation and justice, the government is promoting extremist Sinhala Buddhist nationalism that discriminates against minority groups. Tamil communities in the north and east fear increasing instances of arbitrary and abusive treatment by security forces. Meanwhile, there has been an alarming rise in discrimination against Muslims, such as a ban on the burial of people who died with Covid-19, which denies the religious rights of Muslims and has no medical justification.

At its next session, beginning later this month, the Human Rights Council will face a crucial decision: whether to allow the Sri Lankan government to continue down this path, or take action to protect vulnerable Sri Lankans and uphold international law.

For the past decade the council has sought to work with Sri Lanka to promote reconciliation and accountability, but Sri Lanka has rejected those efforts. Now other measures are required. Steps to advance international accountability for international crimes will reduce the growing risk of future horrors. Germany should ensure that the warning signs are heeded, by working with partners on the core group to adopt a strong and effective resolution before the situation deteriorates further. It is crucial for Germany to step up once more to take the meaningful action that is urgently required.

Pressure politics, if used wisely, can be a powerful tool. The best example is Sri Lanka. In April last year, the country introduced a new rule. All coronavirus victims would be cremated and no burials.

There was no scientific explanation for it. A few Buddhist monks claimed burying the victims would contaminate the ground and the government agreed. A classic case of appeasement politics but they probably didn’t anticipate the backlash. Rights groups and community leaders were appalled.

The organisation of Islamic cooperation expressed concern that Muslims on the island were being denied dignity in death. In December, 19 bodies were forcefully cremated, including that of a baby.

The world community turned on Colombo. The Lankan Government had backed itself into a corner. Now, the order has been revoked and there are no more forced cremations. Muslims are free to bury their relatives. The pressure campaign worked but there’s more to this story than activism.

Sri Lanka is facing a stern test at the UN Human Rights Council. There’s a new resolution doing the rounds that slams the country for its dismal reconciliation efforts.

It’s been 12 years since the civil war ended. The Tamils are still awaiting justice. Far from punishing the war criminals, the government is rewarding them. Several former generals accused of war crimes have been appointed to government jobs to avoid being indicted at the UN, Sri Lanka needs help. It needs to gather enough votes to kill the resolution by reversing the burial ban, Colombo is wooing Islamic nations. Many of whom have a seat at the council. So while the global outcry definitely helped political convenience too played a part.

Here’s another reason why we can’t call this a change of heart. The Lankan government is considering a controversial law, one that would ban burqas in public. The cabinet has been consulted and with their permission, this proposal could make its way to the Parliament.

It’s one step forward and two steps back. Sri Lanka’s justification for the burqa ban is a time-tested one.

This has become the norm under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Stigmatisation has been used as a state policy while the government drums up anti-minority sentiments.

It seems oblivious to real issues like China’s expanding debt trap and Sri Lanka’s finances are in a shambles. The treasury is almost drained. Sri Lanka’s solution is to borrow from China. The country is seeking $ 2.2 billion dollars from Chinese banks.

Borrowing from China is never a good idea as it invariably ends with Beijing taking over strategic assets. Sri Lanka should know this because it’s happened to them already.

The Hambantota fiasco where China holds a 99-year lease on the strategic port and if reports are true, there is an option to extend it by another 99 years. Colombo wants to renegotiate the deal but Beijing isn’t interested. Every time, there is a new project in Sri Lanka. Chinese companies are first-off the block as they secure contracts with exorbitant bids and set up strategic Chinese presence all over the island. This is exactly what’s happening in northern Sri Lanka. Three islands are being developed as clean energy hubs. The contracts have been given to Chinese firms but here’s where it gets interesting.

These islands are just 48 kilometres from mainland India. How convenient that China’s strategic and economic interests converge so seamlessly! Right now, Sri Lanka finds itself in a vulnerable spot. It needs diplomatic backing at the United Nations and financial support to keep the country running.

It’s not an ideal situation for any sovereign nation but then again, that’s where misplaced priorities get you.

Responding to the Sri Lankan authorities’ decision to end the practice of forced cremations for victims of COVID-19, Yamini Mishra, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director, said:

“This is a long overdue but welcome move by the Sri Lankan authorities. Forced cremations, which should never have been carried out in the first place, have denied the Muslim community the right to say goodbye to loved ones in accordance with their religious beliefs.

“The ending of this cruel practice, which has not been scientifically proven to prevent the spread of the virus, allows Sri Lanka’s Muslim minority a dignified burial in line with Islamic burial rites.

“The decision is a testament to the tireless struggle of families of victims, activists, and members of the Muslim community.”

Amnesty had previously called for religious minorities in Sri Lanka to have their final rites respected in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.