Category: News

Sri Lanka is to enact new legislation to curb Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing practices and regulate fisheries resources management as one of the key requirements to regaining the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) concessions from the European Union. The move to introduce fresh legislation to eliminate IUU fishing came in the wake of the new GSP Regulation expected to enter into force on January 1, 2024 for the next ten-year cycle.

Countries such as Sri Lanka which were among the beneficiary countries from the EU trade concessions would have a two-year window to reapply to the scheme.

“These bills are to be enacted to meet the EU concessionary requirements that were already communicated to us. One of them–Fisheries Resource Management–is to ensure a sustainable fisheries industry since we noticed our resources have reduced significantly over the years,” Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda told the Sunday Times.

A fresh bill, published on Wednesday to amend the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act, No. 2 of 1996 declared no person would be allowed to engage in IUU fishing activities in Sri Lankan territorial waters or the high seas.

Penalties for those vessels found to be engaged in IUU fishing would be imposed with fines ranging from Rs 50,000 (10.3-15 metres) to Rs 50 million (45 to 75 metres) depending on the length of the boat.

The Fisheries Department Director General would also be armed with powers to cancel or suspend the fishing permits of those vessels found to be engaged in IUU fishing in the country’s waters.

If the bills were not challenged in the Supreme Court within three weeks of their publication, they would be taken up for the Second Reading in the upcoming Parliament sessions, Minister Devavanda said.

Among the matters that were raised at the 25th session of the Joint Commission between Sri Lanka and the European Union held in May at the Foreign Ministry, issues related to IUU fishing were highlighted and cooperation in the framework of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) were discussed.

Both sides agreed to take follow-up action based on the deliberations of the 25th session, including the identification of a series of action points to make progress on or before the next Joint Commission Meeting in 2024 in Brussels, the Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement following the discussion. The EU also informed that the report of the last EU GSP+ monitoring cycle of 2020-2022 was expected to be released in the coming months as well.

The spiritual leader of Tibet – His holiness Dalai Lama has formally accepted an invitation to visit Sri Lanka, says the most Ven. Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thera of the Amarapura Sri Sambuddha Shasanodaya Maha Sangha Sabha.

The Thera said this during the ‘Multilingual Scholarly Symposium’ held at the University of Kelaniya on July 06th as a tribute to the spiritual leader. The event also coincided with his holiness’ 88th birthday.

This event was held with the coordination of the University’s Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies, Department of Philosophy and the Department of Sanskrit & Eastern Studies as well as that of the Foundation for Buddhist Brotherhood, International Buddhist Confederation and the Sri Lankan Tibetan Buddhist Brotherhood Society.

According to the Mahanayaka Thera, this invitation was extended in 2022 when His Holiness started his annual visit to Bodh Gaya, where the Mahanayake Thero was also present with a Sri Lankan delegation.

Emphasising the importance of a visit by the Dalai Lama to Sri Lanka, the Mahanayaka Thera pointed out that that such a visit would also mark the arrival of countless Buddhist devotees around the globe which will definitely lead to a revival of tourism as well as foreign investments.

“Damage to Sino-Lanka friendship”

However, in a special interview done with ‘Sri Lanka Mirror’ last January, Mr. Hu Wei, Acting Ambassador of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo, said that a visit by the Dalai Lama could damage the friendship between Sri Lanka and China.

Explaining that the mutual trust between the two countries is based on the ‘One China’ policy, Mr. Hu Wei explained that Jaffna or Kandy is a part of Sri Lanka and Tibet is not an independent country but a part of China.

Mr. Hu Wei had further mentioned that he had discussed this with the Maha Nayaka Theros and monks during his visit to Kandy back then, and was assured that none of them had extended such an invitation.

Meanwhile, during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart – Mr. Qin Gang in Beijing last month, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister – Ali Sabry had assured Sri Lanka’s continuous adherence to the ‘One China’ policy and to build the Belt and Road Initiative.

Continuing his discussions with senior Indian private sector figures, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda, held a meeting in New Delhi with Subhrakant Panda, the President of The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Panda, who is also the Managing Director of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA), India’s foremost fully integrated producer of value-added ferro chrome, engaged in fruitful discussions with High Commissioner Moragoda.

Panda and the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka discussed a range of issues pertaining to possible cooperation between FICCI, Trade Chambers in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka High Commission. The High Commissioner provided Panda with an update on the assistance provided by the Indian Government during the economic crisis. Moreover, he underscored Sri Lanka’s current state of readiness to embrace large-scale investment from India.

Panda shared valuable insights into FICCI’s rich history spanning 96 years, highlighting its vast network that encompasses not only India’s largest companies but also small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Both parties recognized the significance of targeted sector-specific investments, aiming for greater integration with the Indian economy. It was agreed to engage with Sri Lankan trade chambers and the High Commission to take this initiative further

Sallesh Pathak, Secretary General of FICCI, and Dr. Gunveena Chadda, Assistant Secretary General of FICCI, were present at the meeting. The High Commissioner was accompanied by Sarath Godankanda, Minister Counsellor, and Geshan Dissanayake, First Secretary (Commercial).

Expressing his gratitude to “trustworthy friend” India for saving Sri Lanka and preventing a “bloodbath” during its unprecedented economic crisis last year, Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has said that not a single nation has extended that kind of assistance to Colombo as done by New Delhi.

Sri Lanka was hit by a catastrophic financial crisis in 2022, the worst since its independence from Britain in 1948, due to a severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves.

As the country struggled, locked in the throes of the crisis, India extended multi-pronged assistance of about USD 4 billion to it last year, through multiple credit lines and currency support, in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

In his address at the gala dinner reception hosted for delegates of the Indian Travel Congress here on Friday, Abeywardena said India “saved us” during the financial crisis, otherwise, there would have been “another bloodbath for all of us”.

At the evening reception, he thanked India for the help extended to the cash-strapped nation and recalled the civilisational ties and similarities between the two countries and their cultures.

“Sri Lanka and India are very, very closely interconnected countries, culturally, nationally, and policy-wise, and above all, India has been a very close associate and trustworthy friend of Sri Lanka,” Abeywardena said, adding that when “we were in trouble”, India always helped out.

“And, even this time, today, I heard that India is willing to extend our restructuring of loans for 12 years. Never expected, and never in history, not a single country has extended that kind of assistance,” he said.

He recalled the helping hand lent by India during the period of trouble last year that devastated the Sri Lankan economy, pushing it into a debt crisis.

“I must tell you, during the trouble that we had last year, you (India) saved us, India saved us otherwise, there would have been another bloodbath for all of us. So, that is how India came to help us,” Abeywardena said.

He made the remarks in the presence of the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay, Sri Lanka’s Tourism and Lands Minister Harin Fernando, and other senior officials of the Sri Lankan government.
“Your ambassador here, (is a) very close friend of ours. We love and respect him,” the Speaker said, referring to Baglay.

Later, in an interaction with PTI on the sidelines of the reception, Abeywardena said, “India has always come to aid of Sri Lanka” in times of crises, and laid emphasis on the financial assistance given by New Delhi last year when the island nation was mired in the economic turmoil.

“That helped us survive for six months in the midst of the crisis,” he said “We thank India for the kind gesture, and I also say, thank you, honourable Prime Minister of India (Narendra Modi),” he told PTI.

Noting the similarity between the Indian surname Singh and the Sri Lankan surname Singhe, Abeywardena said, “It shows we are genetically connected to India”.

“That way, India is not a new country to us. It’s part of the ethos of our country, part of our life, part of our heart,” he said, adding, “We are here to receive you, respect you, join with you.” “Together, we (Sri Lanka) can join with you (India), without any difficulty or hesitation, with great trust,” the Speaker said.

In his address, Tourism and Lands Minister Fernando pitched Sri Lanka — Pearl of the Indian Ocean — as a unique destination for India and the rest of the world, saying, “One island nation offers so many different tourist experiences, without travelling far from one location to another.” Meanwhile, several sessions were held on Saturday as part of the three-day 67th Convention of the TAAI (Travel Agents Association of India) which began here on July 6.

The four-day convention of the TAAI which was established in 1951, is being held with the support of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and the Sri Lankan Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO).

Source – PTI

The 88th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and religious leader of the Tibetan people, who is respected by the whole world, a Buddhist monk with a heart filled with kindness, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was held in the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka on July 06.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who perfecting himself for worldly Enlightenment is the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet and holds two titles, the King and the Sangharaja of the Tibetan People. Tibet was the first and the only country in the world to have such a unique feature. Also, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who has the virtue of compassion and generosity, has earned the respect of the whole world for his patience, kindness, compassion and the ocean of knowledge on Buddhist Philosophy and many other fields like science, logic etc. His Holiness has written more than 100 books based on Buddhist doctrine and has delivered an uncountable number of teachings based on Sutra, Abhidhamma, Vinaya and many other topics.

Based on the great kindness arisen from the Buddha’s teachings and following an unchanging policy of non-violence, His Holiness was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1989 for his unique peace ability for peacemaking.

The occasion of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 88th birthday was celebrated by millions of his followers and devotees from all over the world in their respective countries. In order to celebrate his birthday in Sri Lanka, in a meaningful way, an International Scholarly Symposium was organized by the University of Kelaniya; Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies, Department of Philosophy, Department of Sanskrit and Eastern Studies, the Foundation for Buddhist Brotherhood and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) in the premises of University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.

The occasion was graced by the Chancellor of the Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine, Most Ven. Dr Niyangoda Vijithasiri Anunayake Thero as the Chief Guest, former Vice Chancellor of Central Tibetan University, Saranath Prof. Most Ven. Geshe Ngawang Samten as the Keynote Speaker and Most Ven. Dr. Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero as the guest speaker.

Most Ven. Dr. Waleboda Gunasiri Anunayake Thero, Most Ven. Prof. Pallekande Rathanasara Anunayake Thero, Most Ven. Dr. Madampagama Assaji Anunayake Thero and Most Ven. Elikewala Seelananda Nayaka Thero participated in the event representing the three Main Nikayas of Sri Lanka.

Snr. Prof. Chandima Wijebandara, Snr. Prof. UdithaGarusinghe, Prof. Jayantha Waththevidana, Dr Chaminda G. Gamage, Dr Anuradha Mahasingha represented different seats of higher learning. Members of Buddhist organizations from various countries, namely, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand, and Myanmar also joined the symposium. Academics, diplomats, and scholars joined in representing different fields as dignitaries. The inauguration programme was held at the Faculty of Humanities Auditorium, the University of Kelaniya.

Ven. Dr. Deniyaye Pannaloka Thero (Senior Lecturer, Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies) delivered the welcome address at this event welcoming the eminent guests who participated in this grand International Symposium and the Chairman of the Foundation for Buddhist Brotherhood Dr Damenda Porage addressed the scholarly gathering explaining the objectives of the conference. Then, all the participants witnessed His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s special video message.

Most Ven. As the guest speaker, Dr Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero made a very important statement in his ‘anusasana’. He said, ‘During His Holiness, the Dalai Lama’s annual visit to Bodhgaya in 2022, our Most Venerable Mahanayake and Anunayake Theros who were among the delegations met His Holiness and invited him for a pilgrimage in Sri Lanka. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has informed me in writing that he accepted the invitation. Accordingly, if the arrival of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Sri Lanka occurs, millions of followers and devotees from all over the world will also come to Sri Lanka, which will be a huge boost to the tourism industry. Not only that, the arrival of his followers from America, Europe, Japan, Vietnam, India, Thailand and many other countries and some of them are also giant investors who will invest in the business sector of Sri Lanka. Undoubtedly, alleviating the current economic crisis on a poverty-stricken island will be a great strength.

After this, a congratulatory message from the Snr. Prof. Nilanthi De Silva, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya was read and a short documentary video on His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s religious and social mission was presented.

The renowned Tibetan scholar former Vice Chancellor of the Central Tibetan University Snr. Prof. Geshe Ngawang Samten delivered the Keynote speech of the inauguration programme of the Scholarly Symposium under the theme of “His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s Commitment to Humanity”. He eloquently explained the commitments of the Dalai Lama and how important they are to the sustainment of the modern world.

In his address, the Chief Guest, Chancellor of the Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine Most Ven. Dr.Niyangoda Vijithasiri Anunayake Thero said ‘Today we celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 88th birthday, which is respected and celebrated by the whole world. The Dalai Lama is known as the spiritual leader of the Buddhist world. Not only Asian Buddhist countries, but even Western countries have also accepted him as a global Buddhist leader. His Holiness was able to achieve his spiritual goals. He created followers and a strong spirituality for himself. His Holiness himself set the background for this, and his foundation is Buddhist doctrine. Our foundation is also Buddhist doctrine. Buddhist teachings help to create a disciplined and peaceful world.’

Then the vote of thanks was proposed by Snr. Lect. Ms Sanjeewani Rupasinghe of the Department of Philosophy marking the end of the Inauguration Programme.

After offering the afternoon alms to more than a hundred Maha Sangha who were present, the distinguished guests and other guests enjoyed lunch followed by scholarly discussions on His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and his Commitment to Humanity and Tibetan Buddhist culture. The Deans of the Social Science Faculty Prof. M.M. Gunathilaka and the Faculty of Humanities Dr. Sudath Senerath also participated in the programme.

After awarding souvenirs and certificates to the participants, the head of the Department of Sanskrit and Eastern Languages, Prof. K.B. Jayawardena proposed the vote of thanks and subsequently the International Multilingual Scholarly Symposium which was held on the occasion of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 88th birthday under the theme ‘Buddhist Commitment to Humanity’ ended in a grand note.