Category: News

As the Olympic flame touched down in France from Greece, excitement brewed for the relay involving 10,000 torchbearers, representing diverse stories of achievement. Among them shines a Paris-based, Sri Lankan-born baker Tharshan Selvarajah who only arrived in France for the first time in 2006.

Known for his award-winning baguettes, he makes history as the first Sri Lankan torchbearer in the annals of the Olympic Games.

In 2023, the winner of the “Grand Prize of the Traditional French Baguette,” organized by the Paris City Hall, was the baguette made by Tharshan Selvarajah, after which he received the opportunity to supply baguettes to France’s presidential palace.

Sri Lanka’s stance on Palestine in the face of Israel’s offensive push with human rights violations has helped the island nation to regain its reputation among the countries in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) after strong criticism over forced cremation of Muslim Covid victims, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said.

The government of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa led by current ruling party Sri Lanka Podujana Peremuna (SLPP) forced Muslims and Christians to cremate the dead bodies of those who died of Covid-19 in 2020.

The OIC raised the forced cremations issue at the 46th United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in February 2021 after the SLPP government rejected repeated requests by local and global Islamic bodies.

The policy was later reversed, but the move hit diplomatic ties with Middle Eastern and OIC nations which is the highest source of employment for Sri Lankan expatriates.

Rajapaksa’s arrogant policy, which he later blamed on experts, led the OIC and Middle East nations to reject Sri Lanka’s repeated requests for credit lines to buy oil and loans before the country collapsed after an unprecedented economic crisis in 2022.

“I think that was a major setback in that point in time with our relationship with the OIC and Middle East, but that’s why we worked overtime to reach out to the OIC and build relationships with them,” Foreign Minister Sabry told reporters at a media briefing on Wednesday (08).

“Wherever we met, we explained the circumstances on which this happened. They do understand that, and their only hope is we not to repeat that kind of discriminatory treatment in the future.”

“But they are happy with the stand Sri Lanka has taken particularly on the Palestinian issue,” Sabry said.

“We have been very very vociferous both in Sri Lanka and outside in all forums in multilateral or otherwise. Basically, when I met with the OIC, when I met Palestinian foreign minister and then generally the Muslim world and the Middle East, they are very very happy with the stance Sri Lanka has taken.”

“So, I can say that the Sri Lankan relationship with the Muslim countries and the Middle East is almost and all-time high.”

Minister Ali Sabry faced harsh criticism from human rights defenders and from members of the Muslim community for what they claimed was his silence in the face of the inhumane, unscientific decision by the Rajapaksa government.

The Rajapaksa government’s stubborn insistence on cremating Muslim and Christian victims of the Covid-19 virus was against the communities’ religious believes and drew widespread condemnation and concern of Muslim countries and leaders.

Rajapaksa, after the economic crisis hit the country, was forced to flee in the face of massive protests against him in July 2022.

Sri Lanka has already started to build the capacity of Navy in handling foreign research vessels during a one-year moratorium, Foreign Ministry Ali Sabry said.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government has temporarily halted foreign research ships after strong security concerns raised by neighbour India and the United States following the visit of two Chinese research vessels in 14 months.

Sabry said Sri Lanka has banned foreign ships for research purpose though they have use the island nation’s ports for replenishments and crew changes.

“What we basically say is not a ban, but a moratorium for a year that until we expand our capacity and build our capacity to understand what is necessary, for which we have appointed a committee. We will have a temporary pause for this particular year for all marine research activity,” he said at a media briefing on Wednesday.

“In the meantime, our navy is building its own capacity. That’s why we made a request to the Japanese to give us a beachcraft to monitor. Those authorities have agreed on that. \So that will give our navy the ability also to do their own research and then once they start working with collaboration with foreign countries.”

“They will act as equal partners to understand the gravity of it subject to that we only allow ports of call. Ports of call, we will continue to allow without a research component.”

Chinese Embassy in Colombo raised strong protest against the move to allow a German research vessel early in March following the island nation’s authorities turned down a Beijing request for a research vessel in February.

When the ban was announced, the government failed to specifically reveal its stance on requests for replenishment or crew change for foreign research vessels.

Sri Lanka is in the process of introducing a SOP (Standard Operation Procedure) for handling foreign research vessels and to improve the capacity of relevant officials in handling foreign research ships.

Two Chinese research ships were allowed to dock in Sri Lanka ports within 14 months through November 2023 with one called for replenishment and the other for research.

Chinese research ship Shi Yan 6 arrived in Sri Lanka in October 2023 and docked in Colombo port, for what Beijing citing was for “geophysical scientific research” in collaboration with the island nation’s National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA).

In August 2022, Chinese navy vessel Yuan Wang 5 docked at Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka for replenishment.

Both drew strong Indian protests citing security concerns in the Indian Ocean.

India uses the Colombo port as its main transshipment hub and accounts for around 70 percent of the total transshipment volume of the port.

The Election Commission of Sri Lanka announced, Thursday, that the Presidential election will be held on a day between 17th September and 16th October 2024.

The election commission said that it will call for nominations to hold the presidential election within the specified timeframe in terms of the provisions of the Constitution and the Presidential Elections Act, No. 15 of 1981.

Current President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and National Peoples Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake are expected to be the main contenders at the polls.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led by former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is yet to decide if it will support Wickremesinghe or put forward its own candidate.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by former President Maithripala Sirisena has indicated its intention of putting forward Minister Wijeydasa Rajapaksha as its candidate at the polls.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the last Presidential election but was forced to resign following mass protests in 2022.

President Ranil Wickre-mesinghe and Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday clashed in Parliament after the former blamed the latter for the current crisis.

Wickremesinghe accused Premadasa of being a responsible party to the crisis and suggested that the country’s outcome might have been different if Premadasa had agreed to assume the Prime Minister position in April 2022.

Wickremesinghe made these remarks in response to questions posed by Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa after the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) sought an explanation on his speech delivered earlier.

In requesting a clarification, Premadasa remarked that despite the President’s assertion that conditions have returned to normal, the reality is that a new normal has emerged, marked by the persistence of various issues. “The new normal has been created by putting a great burden and pressure on the general public,” Premadasa remarked.

However, the President in response said that in 2022 he willingly took on the challenge of rejuvenating both the nation and its economy.

“At that pivotal juncture, no one else stepped forward to undertake the responsibility of rescuing the country. Instead, various conditions were proposed. I wholeheartedly accepted the duty of guiding the country, even though my party held just one seat in Parliament. I embarked on this endeavour amid daunting circumstances,” he affirmed.

Initially, the President agreed to provide an explanation, but later walked out, suggesting that a debate could be held if necessary.

The tense situation arose, and Premadasa questioned Wickremesinghe’s sudden exit. He accused Wickremesinghe of being afraid to confront the Opposition.

“Why are you leaving? Are you afraid? Are you afraid? Can you not answer?” Premadasa asked.

When accused of attempting to make a speech instead of seeking clarification, Premadasa questioned if he had no freedom of speech. He asserted that he had every right to respond to the President’s statement.