Category: News

Maldives and Sri Lanka discuss impact of war on Indian Ocean

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Maldives and Sri Lanka discussed the current situation in the Indian Ocean region due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Palestine.

State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon met the Maldives Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon at the Ministry of Defence, in the Maldives.

During the meeting, Minister Ghassan thanked State Minister Tennakoon and the delegation for undertaking the official visit to the Maldives. He also thanked the government and the armed forces of Sri Lanka for the continued training assistance extended to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).

Minister Ghassan further reiterated the importance of defence cooperation and relationship between Maldives and Sri Lanka and highlighted the critical role played through collaborative efforts to ensure regional peace and stability.

Minister Tennakoon thanked the Maldivian Defence Minister for extending an invitation to visit Maldives. He also assured continued support and assistance to the MNDF in terms of training and military education.

He further stated that President Ranil Wickremasinghe has given specific directives to increase training engagements with Maldives and identify the requirements of MNDF.

State Minister Tennakoon also stressed upon the importance of working together to counter common challenges such as climate change and environmental security, violent extremism, illicit trafficking, disasters and humanitarian crises. He also mentioned the current situation in the Indian Ocean region due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia also Israel and Palestine.

Both Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to enhance defence cooperation, bilateral relations, strengthen existing engagements and identify new avenues for collaboration and work together towards greater peace, stability and security in the region.

The State Minister was joined by the Director General Training Sri Lanka Army Major General Sumith Nandana, Director at the Foreign Secretary’s Bureau in Maldives Maxwell Keegel, Principal Director of the Department of International Defence Cooperation and Policy in Maldives Colonel Hussain Ibrahim, Military Secretary at the Ministry of Defence in Maldives Colonel Hassan Bushree, Defence Advisor of Maldives in Sri Lanka Colonel Hassan Amir and Wing Commander Chaminda Ranasinghe from the State Ministry of Defence in Sri Lanka.

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Gota to release book on conspiracy behind his ouster

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Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced the release of a book titled “The conspiracy to oust me from the Presidency”.

He said the book reveals the political campaign to oust him from the presidency.

“I wish to announce the publication of my book titled “The conspiracy to oust me from the Presidency”. Foreign intervention has weighed heavily on Sri Lanka since we won the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009. From the time I was elected President in November 2019, certain foreign and local parties were intent on removing me from power,” he said in a statement.

Rajapaksa said that the entirety of his two and a half year tenure in power was spent combating the Covid-19 pandemic that swept through Sri Lanka and the whole world soon after he took office.

“Conspiratorial forces commenced the political campaign to oust me from the presidency at the end of March 2022 after the pandemic had been brought under control and the vaccination campaign had been concluded and just when the economy was beginning to recover,” he said.

Rajapaksa said that foreign intervention and the manipulation of internal politics has become a fact of life in Sri Lanka today in a manner never experienced in the first sixty years of independence of this country.

“The political campaign to oust me brought in a new element into the politics of Sri Lanka which has since independence experienced only peaceful transfers of power following elections,” he said.

Rajapaksa said the events of 2022 are fraught with serious implications for the future of this country.

“What this book explains is the first hand experience of an internationally sponsored regime change operation. As such I believe this book will be of interest not only to Sri Lankans but also to foreigners,” he said.

Rajaoaksa said that his book will be available in both English and Sinhala at leading book stores from Thursday the 7th of March 2024.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa was removed from power in 2022 following major street protests.

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Ambassadors of six countries meet Anura Kumara

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Ambassadors of six countries met leader of the National People’s Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the head office of the JVP this afternoon (6), party sources said.

Ambassador of the State of Palestine Dr. Zuhair M.H. Dar Zaid, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey Ms. R. Demet Sekercioglu, High Commissioner of the Republic of Bangladesh Tareq M.D. Ariful Islam, Ms. Dewi Gustina Tobing, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Heru Prayitno, Head of Chancery of the Embassy, Badli Hisham Bin Adam Malaysian High Commissioner and Ms. Fathimath Ghina, Acting Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives attended the meeting.

National Executive Members of the NPP Bimal Ratnayaka, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Dr. Rizvie Salih and Muditha Nanayakkara represented the NPP.

The NPP representatives briefed the foreign diplomats about the principles and functioning of the National People’s Power and discussed the political and economic situation in the country at length. Also, at the meeting, they expressed to the foreign diplomats the readiness of the National People’s Power to deal with all countries based on mutual respect and cooperation.

Basil Is Back! SLPP Founder Returns from US

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Former Sri Lankan Minister and Founder of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Basil Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka on Tuesday (5) morning.

The Former Minister returned to the country after flying to the United States of America, following the fall of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government.

Speaking to reporters upon his arrival, Basil Rajapaksa said no official decision has been reached with regard to candidates for the upcoming elections.

He said, irrespective of the nature of the election, he will spearhead the SLPP preparations for elections.

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UK Tourists Assaulted by Railway Employees: Investigation Launched

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An official investigation has been initiated in response to an incident at the Nawalapitiya railway station, where two foreign tourists were reportedly assaulted by two railway employees.

Two British nationals, who were traveling on the Podi Manike train from Colombo to Badulla, found themselves embroiled in an ugly incident.

Their journey commenced at the Kandy railway station.

Upon investigation, Railway Superintendent N.M.J. Idipola revealed that the duo had been removed from the train, citing that despite holding third-class tickets, they had occupied seats in the first-class compartment.

Sumeda Somaratne, President of the Sri Lanka Railways Station Master’s Association, confirmed that a railway guard had instructed the foreign passengers to disembark.

Despite these instructions, the two foreigners had refused to vacate the train compartment, and Sumeda Somaratne noted as a result they were removed from the train.

The Nawalapitiya Police indicated that no possibility of arresting foreigners exists in this context.

Meanwhile, H. M. K. Bandara, the General Manager of Sri Lanka Railways, has directed the railway security department to conduct an investigation and submit a comprehensive report regarding this incident.

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Sri Lanka opposition to table first-ever no-faith motion against sitting speaker

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Opposition parties in Sri Lanka will table a motion of no confidence against an incumbent speaker on Tuesday March 05 for the first time in the legislature’s history, opposition lawmaker G L Peiris said.

“At no point in the history of this country has a no-confidence motion (NCM) being tabled against a speaker. It’s a special event,” said Peiris.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Peiris said NCMs have been tabled against four prime ministers and 14 ministers, and against 27 governments as a whole.

“This is the 26th speaker. No NCM has been tabled against a speaker. The opposition has taken this decision responsibly, looking ahead and in the absence of an alternative,” he said.

“All parties in the opposition have already expressed their full support for this NCM. This too is a rare occurrence. Various opinions exist within the opposition, but when it comes to this matter, every group in the opposition has been able to reach a consensus,” he added.

The NCM was filed by the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) against Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena for approving the controversial Online Safety Bill allegedly in violation of Supreme Court recommendations.

The SJB said previously that the motion was filed against the speaker’s “gross misconduct and disregard for the supreme law of the land”.

“He has betrayed the trust of the people and the parliament. It’s time to unite for transparency and accountability,” the party said in a statement.

Peiris is not a member of the SJB but sits in the opposition. His formation of “independent” MPs formerly of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna were party to the signing of the NCM against Speaker Abeywardena on Monday February 26.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M A Sumanthiran, a vocal critic of the bill, was also part of the signatories to the motion.

Parliament’s recent passing of the Online Safety Bill (OBS) has been controversial.

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) said in January that the process followed in enacting bill raised serious questions on law-making and its impact on constitutional democracy. The organisation urged the government to replace the act with a law that “genuinely addresses” concerns on online safety.

Claiming that the process of drafting the OSA was shrouded in secrecy, CPA said the rushed manner of its passage raises questions as to the intentions of the government in enacting a law that has significant implications for fundamental rights and the rule of law in Sri Lanka.

“CPA has previously commented on the substance and process followed with the Bill and challenged its constitutionality. In light of recent events surrounding the enactment of the OSA, CPA condemns the enactment of such a draconian law that can further limit freedom of speech and the right to dissent,” the organisation said.

Auctioning of SriLankan Airlines postponed

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The decision to auction SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, has been put on hold and the Treasury is to pump money into the airline for 6 months, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva said.

He said that the restructuring of SriLankan Airlines was postponed on a recommendation made to the Government that it first settle the outstanding debts of the airline.

Accordingly, the Cabinet has decided to release funds from the Treasury for 6 months to manage the airline before it is restructured.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that once the airline is restructured the funds used by the Treasury will be collected.

The move to restructure SriLankan Airlines comes as the airline continued to face several cancellations and delays over the past few weeks.

On February 27th several SriLankan Airlines flights scheduled to leave from the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake were disrupted.

According to reports, at least 10 flights were either delayed or cancelled.

The flights included those operating to India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the UAE and Kuwai.

It was also reported that SriLankan Airlines flights to Chennai, Bangalore, and Abu Dhabi were cancelled.

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Sri Lanka, India working to link power grids via $1.2bn undersea transmission line

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Sri Lanka and India are working on an estimated USD 1.2 billion undersea transmission line that will link the island nation’s power grind with that of India to provide energy security to this country, a top Sri Lankan official said on Tuesday.

The proposal is to link Sri Lanka’s north central town of Anuradhapura and Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state in India through a direct power line. After a 130km overland transmission line in India, an undersea line (via a submarine cable) will emerge at Thiruketheeswaram in Mannar in northeast Sri Lanka.

Sulakshana Jayawardena, Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy said, “This will raise our hopes on energy security.” He said this days after the fifth meeting of the India-Sri Lanka joint working group (JWG) for cooperation in the power sector was held on February 28 here. The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha also attended the meeting.

“The proposal for the power grid interconnection was discussed at this meeting,” Jayawardena said.

The 4th meeting of the JWG was held in June 2019 in India. This was the 5th meeting of the JWG.

A statement from the Indian High Commission said that during the meeting, discussions were held on the power grid interconnection between India and Sri Lanka and the Sampur Solar Power project, to be built by India in Sri Lanka’s eastern Trincomalee district.

On March 1, India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement for the development of a hybrid renewable energy system for the Delft, Analativu and Nainativu islands of the northern Jaffna peninsula.

The project, to be carried out under grant assistance from the Government of India, will comprise a 530 kW of wind power, 1,700 kW of solar power, 2,400 kWh of battery power and a 2,500 kW diesel power system for the three islands, which are not connected to Sri Lanka’s national grid.

The proposal to link Sri Lanka with the Indian power grid was proposed more than a decade ago, but it has made little progress till now. In 2023, Sri Lanka said it had hoped to get the transmission line in place within two to three years so that renewable power produced on the island/s can be sold to India.

After the February 28 meeting, Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, India’s Ministry of Power, highlighted the benefits that could be accrued by Sri Lanka in the power sector integration with India.

“It would cause significant cost reductions with Sri Lanka gaining capacity to export to India once the offshore wind capacity in Sri Lanka is harnessed. (It will) also encourage private sector investment in Sri Lanka’s power sector,” he said, according to a statement from the Indian mission in Colombo.

However, there is no formal agreement in place as yet. Jayawardena told a local news channel that earlier there was an MoU signed between the two countries to conduct necessary technical assessment.

“That is the only agreement. However, it was proposed (at the meeting) that the project should be implemented within a legal framework,” he said.

Jayawardena on Tuesday said the project, which is expected to cost USD 1.2 billion, would require the establishment of a new institution where Sri Lanka would have a 50 per cent representation.

However, the proposal needs further discussions as Sri Lanka would need to source funding for it, he added.

The statement from the Indian High Commission also noted that substantial progress had been made on the Sampur Solar Power project, especially after the visit of the President of Sri Lanka to India in July 2023, during which an energy permit for 50 MW power plant was granted to the implementing agency, Trincomalee Power Corporation Limited (TPCL).

The TPCL is a joint venture between the Indian entity NTPC Ltd and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

The Indian side also agreed to extend technical assistance to CEB in areas to be identified by the Sri Lankan side, it said.

After the March 1 agreement, local media reports have highlighted how the energy sector was identified as a priority area in the India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Vision document, which was adopted during the visit of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to India in July 2023.

Several landmark initiatives such as the power grid connectivity, and multi-product two-way oil pipeline are currently under discussion between India and Sri Lanka in the energy sphere. India’s overall development partnership portfolio stands at USD 5 billion with almost USD 600 million being in grants alone.

Source: PTI

UNHRC concerned about constitutional jugglery to suppress Opposition: GL

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Dissident SLPP MP Prof. G. L. Peiris, yesterday (04) said that the ongoing attempts by the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government to suppress the Opposition had attracted the attention of the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Referring to the recent declaration made by Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the 55th session of the HRC, the former External Affairs Minister said that regardless of what the state controlled media reported, the UN had issued a very clear warning over the brazen manipulation of parliamentary process to intimidate the Opposition.

Addressing the media at his residence at Kirula Road, Prof. Peiris dealt with the Opposition decision to move a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena over the authorisation of the Online Safety Act, sans mandatory Supreme Court recommendations, the Speaker’s controversial role in the appointment of Deshabandu Tennakoon as the IGP and preposterous salary increase granted to CBSL employees.

Declaring that the Opposition would hand over its NCM today (05), Prof. Peiris said that Volker Türk expressed concern over the introduction of laws with potentially far-reaching impact on fundamental rights and freedoms, the rule of law and democratic governance. Prof. Peiris quoted the UN official as having said these included the Online Safety Act, the Anti-Terrorism Bill, the Electronic Media Broadcasting Authority Bill and the NGO Supervision and Registration Bill.

The UN official also questioned the new IGP’s appointment in spite of the Supreme Court’s finding that he was responsible for torture of an individual in 2010.

Prof. Peiris said that contrary to earlier reports regarding the vote at the Constitutional Council in respect of the IGP’s appointment, the Opposition could now confirm that Speaker Abeywardena never exercised his right to vote at the CC but in a letter addressed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe declared his support to Deshabandu’s appointment.

Pointing out that the Speaker as Chairman of the Constitutional Council couldn’t, under any circumstances, either support or oppose a particular proposal in a letter to a third party, Prof. Peiris alleged that the Galle District MP had turned the Parliament upside down.

The former minister said that there had never been a NCM move against a Speaker since Sri Lanka gained independence. “We had no option but to take action against him to prevent the government repeating the same strategy in respect of the Anti-Terrorism Bill,” Prof. Peiris said, adding that the Opposition was united on this particular issue. The retired top law academic explained that manipulation of the Constitutional Council was a very serious matter, as bad as the disregarding of SC recommendations in respect of the Online Safety Bill.

He alleged that the government was busy undermining the parliamentary system. Though there had been issues with regard to passage of laws previously, the Parliament never witnessed such an outright manipulation, Prof. Peiris said, pointing out that the Speaker chose to conveniently remain silent even after the Human Rights Council, in a letter dated Feb 8, pointed out glaring omissions.

Mannar wind power: CEA to decide post-public consultation

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In the wake of various allegations being made by certain parties, including environmentalists, regarding the negative impact of the proposed Mannar wind power project, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and other authorities await the conclusion of the public consultation programme to make a final decision.

Recently, the Board of Investment approved India’s Adani Green Energy Limited’s United States dollars ($) 442 million initiative to build two wind power facilities in Mannar and Pooneryn, with the Mannar project slated to have a capacity of 250 megawatts. Meanwhile, a number of environmentalists have already warned the Sri Lankan Government on the impact it exerts on the country’s environment, according to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted on the project. They have raised serious concerns about its unfavourable conditions for migratory birds and also urged the CEA to take immediate action regarding the issues.

However, when contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday (4), the CEA Chairman Venura Fernando said that no final decision has been taken thus far regarding the approval of the project as it is still at the public consultation stage, where the CEA cannot make any decision. Fernando noted that the EIA report has already been published, and that it is open for every individual and civil society organisation to come up with their proposals and views with regard to the project, and that therefore, there is much more time to take a decision regarding the power project.

“We have published the EIA report, and that is how the public, including those parties who raise various concerns, became aware of the respective matters. According to the standard procedure, the decision is to be taken after the public consultation stage. We have to go through what the people have said about the project. Then, we review all the matters raised by the stakeholders, after which we take a decision,” he added.

Speaking further, he stated that the CEA has never taken its attention away from the matter and its impact on the environment, but that it should adhere to the prescribed procedures when dealing with such projects of national importance.