Category: News

Sri Lanka has granted approval for the commencement of passenger and cargo service to India through the Kankesanturai Harbour.

The approval was granted by Minister of Ports and Shipping Nimal Siripala de Silva.

However, the approval or the service has not been granted by India thus far.

Minister de Silva said once India grants approval for the service, the transportation of passengers and goods to India through the Kankesanturai Harbour can take place within six months.

According to officials, the primary objective of the project is to develop the Jaffna city and the Kankesanturai Harbour.

Although the service was scheduled to commence earlier this year, due to various issues, the commencement was delayed.

The Human Rights Council adopted the Universal Periodic Review outcomes of Pakistan, Japan, and Sri Lanka on Monday(10).

In terms of Sri Lanka, the Vice-President of the Council said that out of the 294 recommendations received, 173 enjoyed the support of Sri Lanka, and 121 were noted as well.

In the presentation of the report, it mentioned that there were a significant number of recommendations pertaining to the Prevention of terrorism act, and the Government had undertaken to repeal the act as a voluntary pledge.

It added that Sri Lanka remained committed to pursuing efforts to achieve tangible progress in national reconciliation through domestic mechanisms with the assistance of international partners.

A local journalist yesterday called on the Government of Sri Lanka to withdraw charges against civil activists charged under the PTA and discharge court cases on protest activists charged under the ICCPR at the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nation’s 59th Session.

The journalist called on the Government of Sri Lanka to withdraw charges against activist and lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah charged under the PTA, to discharge activist and comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya facing several court cases including under the ICCPR Act and to discharge protesters facing court cases related to protests under various laws.

Journalist Tharindu Jayawardena made these remarks delivering his oral statements at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Japan at the 29th Meeting of the 53rd Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Jayawardena also called on to conduct impartial investigations and prosecutions in relation to violations committed by police and armed forces in the context of protests and repeal all draconian legislation used to criminalize activists.

His oral submissions are as follows; “Mr. President, the Centre for Society and Religion, Asia Legal Resource Centre and CIVICUS welcome the government of Sri Lanka’s engagement with the UPR process.

Since its last review, Sri Lanka did not implement any of the nine recommendations related to civic space. We note that Sri Lanka accepted 24 of the 31 recommendations on civic space it received during this cycle including ensuring a safe environment for civil society, including human rights defenders and journalists and refrain from imposing undue limitations on NGOs.

Despite these commitments, space for civil society has continued to come under attack in recent years. We have documented arbitrary arrests, detention, harassment and surveillance of activists and journalists and the misuse of the PTA and ICCPR Act and other laws to silence freedom of expression and assembly.

We also documented restrictions on protests and harassment and intimidation of protesters, including against families of disappeared persons in the North and East – and the use of excessive force and prosecution of protesters following the economic crisis. We are concerned the imminent “NGO law” will curtail freedom of association and legalize government interference in civil society,” Jayawardena concluded.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Mr. Marc-André Franche of Canada as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, with the approval of island nation’s government.

Accordingly, he has assumed duties in his office on July 08.

Mr. Franche has served the United Nations for over 24 years. Prior to his appointment as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, he has acted as the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Libya promoting better governance, local peacebuilding and sustainable growth.

Between 2016 and 2021, he led the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund in the Peacebuilding Support Office in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, investing in over 50 countries worldwide to sustain peace.

Prior to this assignment he was Country Director for UNDP in Pakistan from 2013 to 2016, where he led a team working on governance, climate-change adaptation and crisis prevention and recovery. He was Deputy Director of UNDP in Haiti from 2008 to 2012 where he oversaw the implementation of programmes addressing governance, rule of law reform, improvement of livelihoods and environmental protection notably in the context of the post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction.

Between 2004 and 2008, he worked for UNDP in New York as Programme Adviser for Conflict Prevention in Latin America and the Caribbean. Before that, he worked on applied research and policy dialogue for UNDP in Colombia from 2001 to 2004, and poverty reduction and local governance for UNDP in Bolivia from 1998 to 2001.

He obtained his master’s degrees in politics of development from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and in European affairs from Lund University, and a Bachelor of Science in political science from Université de Montréal.

A Gazette notification has been issued by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, to carry out a census of population and housing in Sri Lanka for 2023 and 2024.

The President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies, has directed that a Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka be taken in the years of 2023 and 2024, by the powers vested in him by Section 2 of the Census Ordinance (Chapter 143).

The Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) had planned to conduct the 15th population and housing census of the country in the year 2021.

However, the government had taken steps to postpone it due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

The first population and housing census in Sri Lanka was conducted in 1871 and the last population and housing census was conducted in 2012.

A population and housing census is usually conducted every ten years.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for a two-day official visit, an airport duty officer said.

He arrived in the country with three other officials.

The group arrived at the airport at around 8.55 p.m today on a flight (IFC-33) belonging to the Indian Air Force from New Delhi, India.

A group of high officials from the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka arrived at the Katunayake Airport to welcome the visiting group.

The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has decided not to renew the money changing permits of 15 money changers (MCs) in the country for the year 2023.

Issuing a statement in this regard, the CBSL explained that the relevant decision was taken due to the non-compliance with a condition of the permits issued for the year 2022.

Thus, the matter was communicated to the respective MCs on 22 June, and they are thereby no longer permitted to engage in money changing activities, including the buying, selling and exchanging of foreign currency.

CBSL further warned that engaging in such activities with said companies will be considered a contravention of the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017.

Below are the 15 MCs of which CBSL has decided not to renew the money changing permits:

Aruna Forexc (Pvt) Ltd (No. 22, New Bazaar Street, Nuwara Eliya)

Brescia Grameen (Private) Limited (No. 88/02, Chilaw Road, Kattuwa, Negombo)

Jeya Forex Exchange (Pvt) Ltd (No. 688, Galle Road, Colombo 03)

Kamal Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd (No. 57A, Bristol Paradise Building, York Street, Colombo 01)

Kudamadu Money Exchange (Pvt) Ltd (Main Road, Mahawewa)

Midna Mini Market (Pvt) Ltd (No. 12, Shopping Complex, Wennappuwa)

New Lanka Gold House (Private) Limited (No. 59, Rathnapura Road, Horana)

Rafeek’s Gems (Pvt) Ltd (No. 109, Chatham Street, Colombo 01)

Rimha Jewellers (Pvt) Ltd (No. 4/A, Masjidh Road, Puttalam)

Salaka Trust Investments (Pvt) Ltd (No. 466, Union Place, Colombo 02)

Sharanga Money Exchange (Pvt) Ltd (No. 157/1, Kasturiyar Road, Jaffna)

Sornam Forex (Private) Limited (No. 59, Batticaloa Road, Kalmunai)

Thamasha Forex (Private) Limited (No. 131, Bazzar Street, Chilaw)

Universal Money Changers (Pvt) Ltd (No. 143A, Galle Road, Colombo 06)

Vasanthas International Money Exchange (Pvt) Ltd (No. 56, D S Senanayake Veediya, Kandy)