Category: News

The Sri Lanka Army has vacated the Sulipuram Army Camp, also known as Chulipuram, bringing to an end more than three decades of military presence at the site.

Troops stationed at the camp withdrew late on Friday night and were relocated to another Army facility in the area.

The closure follows decisions taken in late 2024 to dismantle selected long-standing military camps in the Jaffna peninsula, as part of efforts to return occupied land to its original civilian owners.

The formal process was carried out under the supervision of the Commander of the 513th Infantry Division, who handed over the official vacation notice to the Chankanai Divisional Secretariat last week.

The Sulipuram camp was established in the early 1990s during the height of the civil conflict and remained operational for over 30 years.

Army Spokesman Brigadier Waruna Gamage said the move should not be viewed as a sudden withdrawal, describing it instead as part of a planned restructuring of the Army.

In recent years, the Sri Lanka Army has closed or relocated several camps in the Northern Province under a broader national restructuring programme, with a focus on releasing land for civilian use.

The Katkolam Army Camp in the North was disbanded in November 2024 under the same initiative, while land occupied by the Karaitivu Army Camp in Ampara was returned to the public in October last year after 35 years.

The 10th Battalion of the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment, which had been stationed on approximately half an acre of land in Karaitivu since 1990, was withdrawn, and the land was formally handed over to the Karaitivu Pradeshiya Sabha.

A group of SLPP and SJB parliamentarians, led by SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa, are scheduled to travel to Odisha, India, on a private visit to participate in the celebrations of India’s Republic Day on January 26, following an invitation from a private university in India.

The delegation includes SJB MPs Chithral Fernando, Chamindrani Kiriella, Chathura Galappaththi, and Prasad Siriwardena, along with former SLPP MPs Indika Anuruddha, Sanjeewa Edirimanna, Sampath Athukorala, and Political Bureau member Milinda Rajapaksa.

In addition, the group is expected to undertake an observation tour of the Odisha Disaster Management Centre, recognized as one of the world’s leading disaster management institutions, and visit Buddhist archaeological sites dating back to the era of King Ashoka.

A cordial discussion regarding this visit was held recently at the official residence of the Indian High Commissioner, between the Sri Lankan delegation and the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha.

In a landmark moment for global Buddhism, a historic meeting took place today between the Most Venerable Dr. Pallegama Hemarathana Nayake Thero, the Atamasthanadhipathi of Sri Lanka, and 14th Dalai Lama, the world-renowned spiritual leader and symbol of universal compassion.

The encounter marks a watershed in the centuries-old relationship between Indo-Tibetan and Sri Lankan Buddhist traditions. It is the first recorded instance in which the spiritual heads of these two pre-eminent lineages have met in such a significant capacity, drawing wide attention across the global Buddhist community.

The position of Atamasthanadhipathi carries exceptional prestige within the Buddhist world. By ancient royal decree, Sri Lanka recognises three supreme pillars of Buddhist heritage: the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Pada, and the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. As custodian of the Eight Sacred Places (Atamasthana) in Anuradhapura, the Atamasthanadhipathi exercises profound spiritual and legal authority over some of Buddhism’s most revered sites.

The meeting between the guardian of Sri Lanka’s most ancient living heritage and the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people symbolised a powerful convergence of the Pali and Sanskrit Buddhist traditions.

Adding deep emotional significance to the occasion, the Most Venerable Thero presented His Holiness with a sacred sapling of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. For decades, the Dalai Lama has expressed a desire to undertake a pilgrimage to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi—the world’s oldest historically documented living tree, grown from a branch of the original Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained Enlightenment. While circumstances had previously prevented such a visit, the presentation of the sapling is seen as symbolically fulfilling that long-held aspiration.

The sapling is scheduled to be planted tomorrow, 21 January, at the Buddhist University within the Gaden Jangtse Monastery complex, during a ceremony to be conducted with full monastic honours. Tens of thousands of Tibetan monastics and devotees from across India and overseas are expected to attend.

The initiative—described by organisers as an act of “green diplomacy”—is being viewed as a reaffirmation of the enduring spiritual and cultural bonds between Sri Lanka and India, underscoring a shared commitment to ensuring the continuity and growth of the Dhamma for generations to come.

(Satipattana Magazine)

The Investment Summit will conclude today (22). The event, attended by local and foreign investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, development partners, and various public and private entities, aims to showcase investment opportunities available in the Northern Province to foreign investors.

The inauguration ceremony was chaired by the Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development. It was attended by the Northern Province Governor, several ministers, MPs, Government Agents from all five districts of the Northern Province, and a large number of investors from across the country. The Governor emphasised that the event, held in the historic city of Jaffna, is not merely a conference, but a decisive and strategic turning point for the Northern Province. He further stated that despite its abundant natural resources, resilient human capital, and rich cultural heritage, the province has historically contributed very little to the country’s GDP. Under the theme ‘Empowering Growth, Insightful Innovations’, he added, the province is now embarking on a journey to change that narrative.

He said, “The event comes at an opportune time, as Sri Lanka transitions from economic recovery to long-term sustainable growth. This initiative is being carried out under the vision and guidance of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, based on the concept of an ‘Inclusive Economy’, ensuring that no province is left behind.”

The Governor highlighted that looking back at our history, the Northern Province has always been a ‘Gateway to Excellence,’ and this summit aims to reclaim that pride.

By focusing on four strategic pillars — Agriculture and Fisheries, Tourism, Education and Information Technology, and Energy — we are creating a roadmap to connect the talent of our younger generation and the experience of our elders with international capital and innovation, he said.

The Governor added that everyone will work together to ensure that the investments made today generate sustainable jobs, vibrant businesses, and a prosperous future for every citizen of the Northern Province.

A Chinese Chamber of Commerce delegation has met Sri Lanka’s Minister of Agriculture, eyeing the cultivation of fruit and vegetables for export, a government statement said.

“Their aim is to use currently unused land to develop large-scale dairy farms and export-oriented agricultural products such as vegetables and fruits,” the media unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation said.

Lands belonging to the Land commissioner General’s Department, the Land Reform Commission and the Mahaweli Authority are to be offered to Chinese investors for this.

The delegation discussed ‘several important issues’ with minister K D Lalkantha, the statement said.

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce delegation submitted a proposal in this regard, to which the minister “responded positively”.