Pressure from India and the U.S. on the docking of Chinese research vessels at its ports appears to have prompted Sri Lanka to impose a one-year moratorium on visits by foreign research vessels.
In recent months, Sri Lanka has found itself at the center of an escalating geopolitical storm, which seems to have prompted it to impose a one-year moratorium on foreign research vessels. Behind this seemingly local decision looms the intensifying tensions between China and the Quad, an alliance comprising the United States, India, Japan, and Australia.
The decision is expected to affect Chinese ships the most.
The Indian Ocean has been an arena of great power competition and conflict for centuries. In recent years, it has become a theater for strategic maneuvering, where China’s expanding influence is being countered by the Quad.
A coalition formed in response to China’s growing regional and global reach, the Quad seeks to curb Chinese initiatives, notably the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and assert its dominance in the Indo-Pacific region. This power struggle manifests in various forms, including increased scrutiny of Chinese activities in vital maritime routes.
For Sri Lanka, a nation that is strategically positioned in the heart of the Indian Ocean, this geopolitical tug-of-war poses significant challenges. The island nation has historically enjoyed relationships with multiple global powers, leveraging these ties for economic development and infrastructure projects. However, the recent decision to impose restrictions on foreign research vessels, largely impacting Chinese ships, underscores the complexities of maintaining this delicate balance amid mounting pressures.
It is evident that Sri Lanka’s decision to impose a one-year moratorium on foreign research vessels has come in response to relentless pressure from India and the United States to halt the growing frequency of Chinese research vessels docking at Sri Lankan ports.
Announcing the moratorium, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry claimed that Sri Lanka will spend the next year preparing guidelines on procedures to follow when a foreign research vessel arrives in the country. Sri Lanka currently lacks a comprehensive policy concerning these vessels, leading to a situation where various government institutions issue conflicting statements regarding the intentions and parameters of recent Chinese research vessels’ arrivals. This lack of coherence has significantly contributed to the confusion among all involved parties.
Uditha Devapriya, lead researcher for the Colombo-based international relations think tank, Factum, said two Chinese research vessels docked in Sri Lanka in 2022 and 2023, and this caused a lot of diplomatic tension for Sri Lanka. The Chinese have also asked permission for the research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 to dock in Sri Lanka in January 2024.
The proposed arrival could have sparked another significant diplomatic dispute for Sri Lanka,” Devapriya explained, pointing to likely objections from India and the U.S. With parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for 2024, the influence of China, India, and the U.S. could impact the election’s outcome. Clearly, President Ranil Wickremesinghe aims to steer clear of controversies in this crucial electoral year.”
Research vessels have been arriving in Sri Lanka for decades. The recent hyperbolic scrutiny of these ships by a section of the media, however, is new. The scrutiny for the most part comes from the Indian media. India is a close ally of the United States in its containment efforts of China.
China has developed rapidly in the last five decades and is on the verge of becoming a regional hegemon. International relations scholars of the realist school have insisted that this is not a development the United States, the only current regional hegemon, would readily accept. Once China becomes the undisputed power in Asia, it can intervene in other theaters, a privilege only the U.S. currently enjoys.
Sri Lankan attorney-at-law and expert in international security Indika Perera said that announcing a moratorium provides Sri Lanka temporary relief from Indian and American pressure.
Perera said that Sri Lanka has not clearly communicated the fact that it has banned research vessels from all countries. The prevailing impression in China is that Sri Lanka has prohibited only Chinese research vessels, while keeping its ports open for research vessels from other nations, Perera, who was in China recently, said.
My impression was that the Chinese media too had picked up on Indian reporting. A lot of people asked me why Sri Lanka has targeted Chinese vessels alone. They had not seen the official statement by our foreign minister,” Perera said. This is a major problem Sri Lanka is facing. It does not communicate its policies and its thoughts. If we clearly articulated our positions through the media and conveyed our stance through diplomatic channels, we could avoid a lot of confusion.”
Perera said that across Asia, the Quad has been trying to counter BRI initiatives and there is intense pressure on the smaller nations to pick a side. With the absence of a movement similar to the Non-Aligned Movement, which once allowed smaller nations to navigate international power politics without firmly aligning with one camp or the other, smaller Asian countries will be compelled to choose between China and the Quad.
Sri Lanka faces the daunting task of safeguarding its sovereignty and interests, while balancing relationships with major global players. It finds itself walking a tightrope, striving to avoid becoming collateral damage in the escalating Cold War tensions.
The scrutiny faced by Chinese research vessels in Sri Lanka serves as a poignant reminder of the intricate dance smaller nations must perform in a world dominated by geopolitical rivalries. As the storm clouds of this Cold War continue to gather, Sri Lanka stands as a testament to the complex realities faced by nations seeking to carve their path in a world overshadowed by power struggles.
INDIAN OCEAN (June 26, 2021) Sri Lanka Navy Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel SLNS Gajabahu (P-626), right, and SLNS Sayurala (P-623) exercise divisional tactics alongside Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18), June 26. In its 27th year, the CARAT series is comprised of multinational exercises, designed to enhance U.S. and partner navies’ abilities to operate together in response to traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Adam Butler)
In the Red Sea, Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) is witnessing a gradual increase in naval strength. Led by the United States, OPG warships from different nations are trickling into the Red Sea to counter maritime attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels. In the past few days United Kingdom, Greece, and Sri Lanka have all announced the addition of warships to this coalition. Additionally, India and Pakistan have increased their warship commitments, but not as part of OPG.
iNews UK reports that the Royal Navy is deploying a third ship, the HMS Richmond, to join ongoing efforts in the Red Sea. This decision showcases the UK’s commitment to the American coalition. Departing from Plymouth, the HMS Richmond will rendezvous with the HMS Diamond, a destroyer, and the HMS Lancaster, a frigate, both already stationed in the region.
While the HMS Lancaster has significant missile capabilities with its 32 Vertical Launch Cells for anti-air missiles, they are not as extensive as those of larger destroyers like the USS Carney, which can hold 90 missiles. The USS Carney recently demonstrated the effectiveness of its VLS system by shooting down 14 drones before returning to the US naval base in Bahrain for resupply.
Today, following the diplomatic efforts of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Turkey and Greece, the Greek Navy has decided to contribute a Hydra-class frigate equipped with 32 Vertical Launch System (VLS) missile cells to OPG. Greece says this strategic decision aims to strengthen the protection of merchant vessels sailing in the turbulent waters of the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is taking steps to join the coalition, as reported by Barrons. President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka has expressed concerns about the rising freight costs and the negative impact on the country’s major exports, such as garments and tea, due to Houthi attacks on shipping. To address these challenges, Sri Lanka plans to deploy a 100-man warship, potentially an offshore patrol ship like the SLNS Sindurala, equipped with anti-air guns but lacking VLS cells. Wickramasuriya emphasized that a crew of over 100 personnel will be deployed.
Ten days ago Denmark announced plans to send a frigate to OPG but it’s not clear when that ship will arrive.
Non-Coalition Warships
While several nations are strengthening the OPG others, like France, are joining the OPG but prioritizing ships owned by their nations without submitting to US command. Some nations, such as India and Pakistan, are committed to protecting ships outside the OPG structure altogether.
Following India’s announcement, the Pakistan Navy declared via a YouTube video their intention to send 2-3 ships to the Red Sea, signifying a notable increase in naval presence in these strategic waters.
The purpose is to protect Pakistan-bound and international shipping traversing through our area. In this regard, 2-3 ships are always patrolling the areas on which Pakistan-bound and international merchant ships are plying,” a spokesman said. In addition, extensive air surveillance is also being undertaken to ensure the safety of international sea lines of communications passing through our maritime area.”
Joint Statement
Amidst these developments, the United States, along with eleven other countries, recently issued a joint statement calling for an end to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. This underscores the international community’s growing concern over maritime security in this vital region. Operation Prosperity Guardian continues to gain momentum, but progress appears to be slow and gradual.
Japan restated the importance for early completion of signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Sri Lanka and creditor nations on debt restructuring, after an agreement was reached in principle late last year.
It also emphasised the need to ensure transparency and comparability in agreements with creditors outside the Official Creditor Committee (OCC), according to a statement dated Friday.
Japan, along with France and India, co-chair the committee of 15 creditor nations.
Battling its worst financial crisis since independence in 1948, the South Asian island nation is trying to restructure deals with creditors after soaring inflation, currency depreciation and low foreign reserves sent its economy into free fall, forcing it to default on foreign debt in May 2022.
Sri Lanka and its creditors said in November they reached an agreement in principle on debt restructuring that would cover approximately $5.9 billion of outstanding public debt and consisted of a mix of long-term maturity extension and reduction in interest rates.
China, Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral creditor, has struck its own deal with the island nation, but has not joined OCC as a formal member.
Sri Lanka’s total external debt is estimated at $36.4 billion, which includes $10.81 billion of bilateral debt, according to data released by its finance ministry in September.
Sri Lanka needs to secure debt restructuring agreements with both bilateral creditors and bondholders, possibly by March, to complete the second review of a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
Vidura Wickramanayake, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs of Sri Lanka, has announced that the Cabinet has formed a committee to investigate individuals leading movements that distort religious beliefs and contribute to societal discord.
The government aims to enact new legislation to curb and eliminate activities that misrepresent religious teachings, potentially leading to social tensions.
The minister highlighted the need for preventive measures following incidents where individuals distorted religious facts, resulting in tragic consequences such as suicides among their followers. The government is committed to creating an environment that allows everyone to practice their religion within the legal framework of the country
The newly appointed committee is expected to conduct thorough investigations into instances of religious distortion and recommend appropriate measures to address the issue
President Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to travel to Switzerland this week to participate in the economic summit scheduled to begin in Davos on the 13th, as confirmed by the President’s Media Division.
Following the summit in Switzerland, the President will proceed to Uganda, in response to an official invitation from the country. The visit is expected to involve the participation of several ministers accompanying President Wickremesinghe
‘Before you study the economics, study the economists!’
e-Con e-News 31 December 2023 – 06 January 2024
The President, in his imported New Year blue suit with fading blue tie, announces deploying a Sri Lankan Navy ship into the roiling Red Sea at a cost of Rs250million per fortnight. He hopes to thwart depreciation of the Rupee in case shipping companies hike their prices claiming diversion around the Cape of Tempests of South Africa (which last week took Israel – tho not their bloodier sponsors, the USA – to the International Court of Justice for genocide).
The President’s announcement was reported first in his family newspapers – mouthpieces & mirrors for the embassy whites & their white-Blacks – to signal support for the US genocide in West Asia. Almost immediately, the SLNavy clarifies they are doing a ‘feasibility’ study on the matter.
The President, desperately seeking allies outside of his fading blue alliance (hence the paling tie), announces this, just as the chair of Exxon-Rockefeller International – whose ‘Foundation’ plays godfather to all US NGOs behind the Aragalaya, also funding fake reconciliations – lands in the country to demand further opening up of labor laws, midst a lot of diabetic sugar coating about how wonderful Sri Lanka’s other prospects are.
Astute observers note the public jettisoning of so-called nonalignment – let alone the open media-celebrated arrival of an oily Rockefeller agent – as further evidence of the extent of US infiltration of an ostensibly independent Sri Lankan state.
The US wars in West Asia have aimed to cut off if not control South & East Asia’s access to energy sources. If Africa decides to intercept such ships, as they surely will one day, what will the President, & all his import-export-loving corporate sponsors, economists & other yipping poodles, do?
The President bared his Red Sea revelation at the end of a speech at the National Handicrafts Exhibition, and at the BMICH, of all places! Handicrafts are a very quaint epitome of our colonial underdevelopment & stultification, as we are prevented from advancing to modern machine industry. The BMICH – an enduring construct of SL-China Friendship!
A day later on 4 January, Air Force Commander Air Marshall Udeni Rajapksa is beckoned to meet US Ambassador & lost-Korean kurumitta Julie Chung, to discuss ‘Security Cooperation’ & ‘Maritime Security’. On 5 January, US-installed former President M Sirisena is also come-hithered to discuss ‘the political & economic landscape in the year to come.’ with Chung (seeee Sovereignty, ‘Helplessness & Confusion’ in the Coming Year – Thoradeniya).
Imperialism plays all sides, so no matter who wins, they always have a friend. Of course, they actually have no friends – they only have interests. They aim to use the imminent turmoil they have provoked to prepare for the US military’s entrance to set up their new 8th Fleet Basein Sri Lanka – joining their other ‘unsinkable aircraft carriers’: US-occupied Palestine (aka Israel), Bahrain (US Navy Central Command), & Hawaii (US Pacific Command base). – see ee Random Notes, 8th Fleet
A ‘Galle Concerto 2024’ is offering European literary & musical flatulence within Sri Lanka’s Ruhuna heartland, as soothing overtures to disaster. Let us recall that the post-1814 military-diplomatic ‘Concert of Europe’ was set up to unite the whites against the rest of the world, as well as undermine the Ottoman Empire (of which Israel is a white settler legatee). The 1815 soft-coup against the last redoubt of Sinhale (in the highlands) was their first prize (with the 1818 genocide soon after). This new ‘Concert of Europe’ (including all its settler states) awards prizes to literature as long as they sing the whites’ anti-Sinhala-Buddhist & anti-China baila.
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‘Do an unelected group of bureaucrats
staffing the Central Bank of a country
know better than the elected representatives
of the people and what is in their best interests?’
– Bram & Howard Nicholas (see ee Focus)
• Not Corruption But Capitalism!– Former USAID employee Dushni Weerakoon currently an Appointed Member of the Monetary Policy Board of the Central Bank & a Director of the Board of Investment (BOI), has joined the Cargills board as an Independent, Non-Executive Director. This is apparently not a conflict of interest or corruption. After all, recall that former Supreme Court Chief Justice K Siripavan joined the board of US World Bank-IFC-controlled Commercial Bank, ostensibly owned by John Keells Holdings (JKH). Weerakoon is also a director of this American Express-linked Nations Trust Bank (NTB) owned by JKH, Canada’s Fairfax’s HWIC Asia Fund, and Central Finance. She is also Executive Director of the Institute of Policy Studies of SL (IPS), whose studies are now thakata-thei with US thinktank Advocata (financed by US Atlas International, see ee Focus).
Weerakoon accompanies Ganesan Ampalavanar, who was also made a Non-Independent, Non-Executive Director. A Malaysian citizen, Ganesan served Nestle Group, 3 times as CEO (Nestle Indonesia, Nestle Vietnam, Nestle SL). – see ee Finance, Cargills appoints Dushni & Ganesan to board
The mushrooming of numerous Cargills Food City & Keells supermarkets (sometimes in the same vicinity) is causing the shuttering down of numerous neighbouring smaller kadays across the country. Not only shops, the government has provided these corporates with tons of import licenses and control over marketing & transport of goods. Switzerland’s Nestles is the dominant monopoly in dairy in Sri Lanka, behind the subversion & privatization of the National Milk Board.
Retail companies like Keells & Cargills Food City, fronted by such Parsi-capitalists as Rusi & Soli Captain, and Chettiar capitalists like the Pages, guided by US Rockefeller’s Citibank, promote rotten Kentucky Fried Chicken, etc. They have made massive profits in Sri Lanka in the last few years, often outpacing the rate of inflation. These profits are sparking further inflation, mainly due to market concentration. The Annual Reports of these companies also provide fascinating reading (literature not highlighted at arts festivals!). The US government’s USAID is also financing Cargills electric vehicle charging stations. Cargills & Keells have also extended their tenacles into leasing, while pushing impoverished people into leasing only.
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The US government’s demand for a new Central Bank Act has been fulfilled. This will bring Sri Lanka’s economy under further US control, just as all of Europe was first brought under US-military-occupied Germany’s Bundesbank, with Germany itself now under the Wall-Street-run US Federal Reserve. This is being blamed for the abandonment of all pretenses about Europe’s yearning for social democracy, which turns out to be the old muse for rising fascism (see ee Focus).
It is therefore fitting that we look at the Communist Party of Sri Lanka’sAlternative Program for Finance & Banking &Digital Transformation. The CPSL notes that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) supervises the 32 banks that own the majority of the assets in the financial sector of Sri Lanka; and how the People’s Bank & Bank of Ceylon meant to fulfil citizens’ investment needs have been hijacked to operate more like commercial banks, undermining those engaged in productive activities who need financial support.
As for so-called corruption in high places, the US has inspired India’s Supreme Court to absolve the Indian PM Modi-Linked Adani Corporation recently charged for stock manipulation. The USA’s International Development Finance Corporation has stamped their approval of the Adani Colombo port project, to apparently counterbalance ‘Chinese investment’, in Hambantota, etc. The blocking of Hambantota port as a hub for southern industrialization has also been at their behest. The Financial Times in October reviewed customs records to show how the Adani Group, which is India’s largest coal importer, used offshore middlemen in Taiwan, Singapore & Dubai, to import coal at highly inflated prices – at more than double the prevailing market rate.’
Meanwhile, India is gaming the US-Russia divide, after Russia promised to support their initiative to ‘manufacture combat hardware under the Made in India program’.
This ee News includes an interview with Russia’s Central Banker & ‘Anti-Sanctions Tsarina’, who should be contrasted to Sri Lanka’s central banker who has been exposed as a US agent. Elvira Nabiullina is seen as an example of a citizen who defends her country. She explains how Russia games several scenarios in order to protect its workers from monetary devaluation, etc.
Meanwhile the US, facing defeat in the Ukraine as well as West Asia, wants the Group of 7 (G7) major industrialized nations to explore ways to confiscate $300billion worth of the assets they have frozen. Like other central banks, Russia’s Central Bank placed some of its gold & foreign exchange reserves in liquid assets, eg major currencies, gold, & government bonds. About half of those reserves were held in the white West. Central Bank Governor Nabiullina was criticized by nationalists for allowing such a large chunk of the bank’s reserves to be frozen… But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says ‘If something is confiscated from us, we will look at what we will confiscate,’ adding. ‘We will do this immediately.’ (see ee Economists)
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• Media reported the Colombo Tea Auction was suspended because ‘they have no idea as to how VAT would affect their operations’. There were rumors however that both Dilmah’s and Akbar’s tea offices were raided for tax-related fraud. Their imports (tea, packaging &other value addition inputs) are all VAT-deferred, cos importation is done under the premise of full re-export. But they only re-export a portion of it. Some of their goods are instead sold here. Some say we should thank the IMF for such housecleaning, but both companies were set to boycott the tea auction on Thursday, which could have temporarily crashed the tea market. Some suggest this may just drive up the price? But it’s the opposite. These 2 are the biggest buyers. So the tea could well sit in factories and rot. The factories won’t be able to sell their tea. Perhaps the President is trying to ensure his corporate vote bank does not stray, so let’s see how all this pans out. The bets are on: elections being postponed through some sort of extra-parliamentary jilmart… (see ee Agriculture, VAT impacts start of Colombo Tea Auction) Capitalist elections are the best democracy that dollars can buy, haha…
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All of the references in our introduction are backed up by our teeming ee News Compendium below. Please remember to note monopolistic agencies are usually behind any repetitive news….
Read the Comment on the Double Standards of the International Cricket Council (ICC) when it comes to matters involving non-European cricketers and inventors. The Decision Review System (DRS) is another example where the ICC has failed to ‘play cricket’ in the true spirit of the game. ICC has a moral obligation to the Cricket world to explain how it acquired the idea of DRS. Both Wikipedia and Google identify Senaka Weeraratna, a lawyer from Sri Lanka, as the inventor of DRS based on his letter to the Editor of the ‘ Australian ‘ newspaper dated March 25, 1997, where he advocated a system called’ Player Referral ‘ to resolve mistakes made by ground umpires in combination with Video Replay technology. The fundamental elements of ‘ Player Referral ‘ and the DRS are the same. There is no other claimant for this invention. The ICC must give due recognition to Senaka Weeraratna as the inventor of the Decision Review System in Cricket. That is ‘playing cricket’ in the true spirit of the game.
The shame of suppressing the name of the true inventor of DRS falls not only on the ICC but also on the scandal-ridden and corrupt Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Board and the new ‘avatar’ on the scene the ‘Minister of Sports’. The latter has yet to acknowledge that there is an issue that can if resolved fairly, bring both inestimable laurels and much-needed money to the cash-strapped economy of Sri Lanka. It is time that these two institutions rise above their petty jealousy and envy to deliver their best for their country, Sri Lanka.
Israeli historian Ilan Pappé reframes ‘the only democracy in the Middle East’ as a colonizing force that is inherently undemocratic due to its necessary subjugation of Palestinians.
Israel’s status as a bona fide democracy is often taken to be a self-evident truth, but a more critical look at the history and reality of Zionism calls this into question. After all, how can a democracy exist in a country constitutionally defined as an ethnostate that can only exist through the suppression and gradual elimination of its Others? Israeli historian Ilan Pappé joins The Chris Hedges Report for a discussion on Israel as an inherently colonial, and therefore anti-democratic, project.
Ilan Pappé is a professor with the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter in the UK, where he directs the European Centre for Palestine Studies, and co-directs the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies. Prior to coming to the UK, Pappé was a historian and politician in Israel. He is the author of several books, including The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.
Studio Production: Cameron Granadino, Adam Coley Post-Production: David Hebden
This book offers in-depth insights into the struggles implementing the rule of law in nineteenth-century Ceylon, introduced into the colonies by the British as their “greatest gift.” The book argues that resistance can be understood as a form of negotiation to lessen oppressive colonial conditions and that the cumulative impact caused continual adjustments to the criminal justice system, weighing it down and distorting it.
The tactical use of the rule of law is explored within the three bureaucracies: the police, the courts, and the prisons. Policing was often “governed at a distance” due to fiscal constraints and economic priorities and the enforcement of law was often delegated to underpaid Ceylonese. Spaces of resistance opened up as Ceylon was largely left to manage its affairs. Villagers, minor officials, as well as senior British government officials, alternately used or subverted the rule of law to achieve their own goals. In the courts, the imported system lacked political legitimacy and consequently, the Ceylonese undermined it by embracing it with false cases and information, in the interests of achieving justice as they saw it. In the prisons, administrators developed numerous biopolitical techniques and medical experiments to punish prisoners’ bodies to their absolute lawful limit. This limit was one that prison officials, prisoners, and doctors negotiated continuously over the decades.
The book argues that the struggles around the rule of law can best be understood not in terms of a dualism of bureaucrats versus the public, but rather as a set of shifting alliances across permeable bureaucratic boundaries. It offers innovative perspectives, comparing the Ceylonese experiences to those of Britain and India, and where appropriate to other European colonies. This book will appeal to those interested in law, history, postcolonial studies, cultural studies, and cultural and political geography.
James S. Duncan was a Reader in Cultural Geography, at the University of Cambridge until his retirement. He is now an Emeritus Fellow of Emmanuel College. His research interests are cultural and historical geography, South Asian history, and the history of law.
Colombo, Jan. 06 (Daily Mirror)- The Health Ministry has introduced a hotline number for people to contact on matters related to the prevention and control of the dengue epidemic.
Director of the National Dengue Control Unit Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said members of the public can contact the hotline number 011-7966 366 set up at the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division of the Health Ministry from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm from today (6) to inquire about dengue fever or inform of mosquito breeding places.
The hotline is open all seven days including on Sundays and Public Holidays.
Colombo, Jan 06 (Daily Mirror) – The government is in the process of evolving fresh legislation to curb or eliminate the distortion of core religious teachings by some individuals creating social tension, Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs Minister Vidura Wickramanayake said.
The Minister made these remarks in response to a query about the controversial preacher who provoked some of his followers to commit suicide in his sermons.
Wickramanayake said the Cabinet appointed a committee to look into such religious cults led by various individuals.
We want to create an environment in which everybody can practice his or her religious within the legal framework of the country,” he told Daily Mirror.
Ministry Secretary Somaratne Vidanapathirane said he instructed the committee members to expedite work on the report to be submitted as early as possible. We are planning to work out the legal framework based on it,” he said.
Colombo, Jan 06 (Daily Mirror) – The Health Ministry today commenced the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Supplementary Immunization Activity across all immunization clinic centres in nine high-risk health districts.
The targeted areas include Colombo (including the CMC area), Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Kandy, Jaffna, Kurunegala, and Kalmunai.
Running from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., this vaccination programme, led by the Epidemiology Unit, focuses on children born between April 7, 2023, and July 5, 2023.
The decision to administer an additional vaccination dose against measles to infants aged 6 to 9 months comes in response to a surge in cases over the past year.
The second phase of the MMR vaccination drive is scheduled to commence on January 20, extending to other age groups nationwide.
The health authorities emphasize that the MMR vaccination is considered an additional dose, and routine MMR vaccination should be administered to all children who have received the SIA-MMR vaccination upon completion of 9 months and 3 years of age.
A student studying in the eleventh grade at a prominent school in Matara was arrested on January 4 for the possession of drugs. The sixteen-year-old student, residing in the Polhena area of Matara, was found with 60 mg of the drug ‘ice’ at the time of his arrest.
According to preliminary investigations by the police, the student claimed to have started using drugs six months ago after connecting with a friend in Kochchikade through Facebook. The arrested student allegedly confessed to requiring around fifty thousand rupees for his drug habit.
In an effort to fund his addiction, the student reportedly used his photographer father’s camera to capture pictures of couples and individuals in the city and at the beach. He then sold these photographs to generate the necessary funds for his drug use.
Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera has issued a directive to the chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to suspend the services of employees participating in the ongoing strike and to initiate disciplinary action against them. The strike has led to disruptions in the supply of electricity, which is considered an essential service.
In a letter to the CEB chairman, Minister Wijesekera emphasized the critical nature of electricity services and urged swift action to address the disruptions caused by the striking employees. The Minister instructed the chairman to provide details of the involved employees to the Ministry of Power and Energy.
Over the past three days (January 3-5), the Ministry received numerous public complaints citing the adverse impact of the strike on essential services provided by the Electricity Board. The complaints highlighted disruptions in public services, including the closure of payment windows.
Responding to the situation, the Ministry of Power and Energy took the decision to cancel the leave of all electrical workers from previous Monday. The move aimed to ensure the continuity of services and minimize disruptions caused by the ongoing strike.
The demonstration, organized by the CEB Trade Union Alliance as part of their opposition to the restructuring program, took place in front of the Electricity Board’s main office on the last day of a series of protests.
Minister Wijesekara expressed disapproval of the protest, stating that even if the relevant bill is passed in parliament, they have reported that they will not allow them to be implemented. The Colombo Fort Magistrate Court had previously issued an order preventing protestors from entering key government premises.<
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Electricity and Energy Indika Anuruddha informed the public that data for reducing the electricity bill has been submitted to the Public Utilities Commission. He assured that the electricity bill would be revised by the first week of February, responding to the concerns raised by protestors and the general public regarding the recent increase in electricity tariffs.
Whilst making an address at the Shilpa Abhimani 2023” Awards Ceremony held at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre on 3 January 2024, RW had the audacity to say that he is considering to send a warship to Red Sea in support of a US – led operation. It is astounding that RW has chosen an event presenting awards to village-level humble craftsmen to disclose such an important strategic decision which has local and international overtones. Has he thought that local craftsperson’s problems and grievances are caused by Houthis who are attacking vessels in the Red Sea area?
This writer heard this in a primetime news telecast but understood its gravity only after reading a news item.
Shamindra Ferdinando in The Island of January 5 disclosed the possibility of Sri Lankan Navy sending a warship to the Red Sea in support of a US – led operation to thwart Houthi attacks on commercial shipping passing through the Red Sea. He further stated that the US has requested nearly two dozen countries including Sri Lanka to provide with warships and the US has declared that twenty countries have signed up for Operation Prosperity Guardian”, a new maritime task force meant to protect this shipping route.
Daily Mirror on 4 January 2024 going a little further reported that RW has said that a decision has been taken to deploy a ship from the Sri Lanka Navy on the Red Sea area contributing to the security of the region against Houthi activities.
Questions that should be posed to the President, his Cabinet of Ministers, his so-called National Security Advisor, Defense Secretary, Tri-forces Commanders and Pohottuwa supporters are:
(1) Whether Sri Lankan (if we have any) vessels are under threat of Houthi missile attacks?
(2) For what reason Sri Lanka join in a new maritime task force” with US, Israel, UK and France and other Western stooges?
(3) Has RW and his advisors calculated the cost involved in the deployment of a Navy warship?
(4) Under current economic situation in the country can Sri Lanka afford such a huge cost?
(5) Does RW really think that by sending a Navy warship he can stop increase of freight charges and delayed delivery, as ships are compelled to navigate around ancient sea route around Cape of Good Hope and reduce cost of imports to Sri Lanka and guarantee a constant supply of our essential imports without any disruption to supply chains?
(6) Is Sri Lanka bound to deploy Offshore Patrol Vessels such as the vessel commissioned by the US Coast Guard Courageous” and gifted” to Sri Lanka Navy (SLNS Samudura) by the US in a crisis like this?
(7) Is US and the new maritime task force” attempting to utilize Sri Lanka Navy’s capabilities on asymmetric naval warfare, amphibious and land operations gained through many years of engaging in counter- insurgency operations against the dreaded Sea Tigers, its capability in sea battles, surveillance, intercepting and destroying floating arsenals, in short its blue water capability for their advantage?
(8) Can RW and Yahapalana grandees (including JVP) forget what they have done to Avant Guard and its key players supposed to have been deployed to counter Somalian sea pirates?
(9) We pose the most pertinent question to Anura Kumara the newfound parlor boy of Chung: Will you oppose RW if he decides to send a warship to the Red Sea area at the behest of your ‘sister’ Julie Chung?Or sing, as an expression of solidarity, We are family; I got (all my sisters) my sister with me; We are family; Get up everybody and sing” to the tune of Sister Sledge?
Julie Chung US Ambassador to Sri Lanka on 4 January, only a day after RW’s statement has welcomed Sri Lanka Air Force Commander Air Marshall Udeni Rajapksa to the US embassy, to discuss ways we (they) can build on ongoing US and Sri Lankan Security Cooperation and support Sri Lanka’s goals for maritime security”. Why does Julie Chung discuss about Sri Lankan Security Cooperation” and Sri Lanka’s goals for maritime security” with our security top brass soon after RW’s disclosure? It seems that Chung has already begun to negotiate with our security high command about sending a warship to Red Sea area under the garb of Sri Lanka’s maritime security”.
What are the dangers of sending a warship to Red Sea area? There are many. Sri Lanka (not only the SL Navy’s warship) can be an easy target. Remember how nearly 95 persons were killed recently at the fourth anniversary of the commemoration of Iran’s most powerful General Qassim Soleimani (slain by US in a drone attack in 2020) at his gravesite. A repetition of an Easter Sunday carnage cannot be ruled out here with external (American?) support. Are RW and Julie Chung jointly preparing the grounds for a postponement of elections?
Close on the heels of meeting Air Force Commander, Julie Chung on 5 January met Sirisena, exchanging views” on the political and economic landscape in the year to come, including the importance of engaging all sectors for inclusive political dialogue”. Is Chung harnessing support for Operation Prosperity Guardian”? Next few days will be very crucial as we will be able to see who will be involved in her inclusive political dialogue”.
Ranil is back to his true self again. He is doing the same grave mistake his uncle did in the late 1970s. Instead of maintaining strict neutrality in global conflicts, he teamed up with USA. This attracted a strong and violent response from India, the Soviet Union and China which dragged the nation into a long a protracted war and another insurrection. However, when faced with an Indian invasion in 1987 JRJ’s pleas to USA went unheard! By the time JRJ left power, the entire country was under foreign invasion, Tamil terrorism and JVP insurrection. That is a very bad report card.
USA is looking for more cannon fodder as they do in Ukraine.
Sri Lanka navy has no business in the Red Sea. No Sri Lankan ship should be sent to the Red Sea. USA invited 39 countries to join its military action in the Red Sea and 30 of them rejected it! Even far more powerful navies flatly refused to send any warship to the Red Sea. As the saying goes fools dare where even angels dire to tread. This insanity and slave mentality of Ranil will again condemn Sri Lanka to another round of war and violence.
The clumsy excuse given by Ranil is that Houthi activities in the Red Sea can potentially raise the cost of freight and goods. This is as stupid as it comes! Sri Lanka has very little imports from the West of the Red Sea. Almost all imports come from India, China, Saudi Arabia (east of the Red Sea) and Singapore. He has been careless as well as dishonest for making up a misleading excuse.
Any Sri Lankan military presence in the Red Sea will be seen as an anti-Muslim military action by the Muslim world given the broader context of the ongoing conflict where Sri Lanka has no direct stake. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, etc. although Islamic countries have a stake in petroleum shipping in the Red Sea and it are adjacent to it. Therefore, it is understandable that they have joined USA to attack Houthis. Sri Lanka has no such excuse and Colombo must keep out for its own sake.
In an interview with the Daily Mirror in December 2023, Senior JVP member Dr Nalinda Jayatissa stated that in the latest opinion poll, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake was leading among all the prospective presidential candidates and there was no need for the JVP to take up arms once again – https://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/JVP-led-NPP-believes-in-a-unique-Sri-Lankan-economic-model-based-on-socialist-principles-Nalinda-Jayatissa-former-MP/231-273197
In answer to a question posed by the interviewer Kelum Bandara from the Daily Mirror regarding a statement made by JVPs politburo member K.D. Lalkantha that the party is even ready for an armed struggle if the need arises, senior JVP member Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said, quotein the latest opinion poll, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake is leading among all the prospective presidential candidates. Then, there is no need for us to take up arms once again. Are we mad to do it? We believe in capturing power through electoral politics. We need public support and international backing. If we win democratically, we can get support from both ends, unquote.
In the interview published in the Daily Mirror on the 14th of December 2023, Dr Jayatissa periodically mentions how interpretations are made of statements. If one were to take a cue from his statements, readers could interpret his answer to the question posed by Kelum Bandara (quote, in the latest opinion poll, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake is leading among all the prospective presidential candidates. Then, there is no need for us to take up arms once again) as an admission that the JVP has not ruled out an armed struggle to achieve their end objective of gaining power, if the JVP leader was not leading the poll of all the prospective presidential candidates.
In responding to a follow up question Then, are you denying what he (Mr Lalkantha) said? Dr Jayatissa responded by saying In his remarks, there is scope for one to interpret it in that way. He said he was involved in the armed struggle in 1988/89. He said he will not shy away from such action if the need arises in the future. This is interpreted in this manner. We completely rule out an armed struggle.
Dr Jayatissa’s response to the questionIn your opinion is the 1988/89 struggle a past aberration? quote Whether an armed uprising is good or bad depends on its end result. In China, the government was formed in 1949 through an armed struggle. The armed struggles resulted in power capture in Vietnam and the United States. If the struggle is won, it is hailed. If it is defeated, it is bashed” unquote,appears toleave doors open for an armed uprising, if in the opinion of the JVP, conditions exist for one as they feel it did in China and Vietnam.
The JVP stance is ambiguous at best as they seem to be qualifying their policy on a possible third armed struggle should conditions present themselves for them to launch one. The question then arises as to what may constitute as conditions that justify an armed struggle. Could it be their failure to win the Presidency and/or government by the ballot? Could it be their failure to achieve their governance objectives should they win government?
Dr Jayatissa stated in the interview that the JVP has and is mobilising ex-military personnel politically. While this is the democratic right of the JVP and the right of the ex-military personnel to make their choices and decisions, the ambiguity regarding their stance on an armed struggle and the statement of Dr Jayatissa that they resolved internally that they should not make any statement that leaves scope for any interpretations, leaves behind some concern that the JVP is more concerned about interpretations than unambiguity when it comes to their policy on an armed struggle and violence. Any ambiguity could encourage some to resort to violence as they could easily interpret such ambiguity as an endorsement of violence. In an environment of hardships, and loss of hope, patience could wear thin, and violence could escalate. This is where the JVP, with their history of violence as a means to topple democratically elected governments, has to be totally unambiguous on their policy on an armed struggle. They cannot leave room for interpretations and misinterpretations. If they do not do this, they will be complicit in any violence that may occur in response to government policies that may be unpopular, but what may be necessary for the country.
JVP is yet to apologise for their violent uprisings of 1971 and 1988/89
In an article written by the author and published in the Sri Lanka Guardian in April 2022 titled Lest we forget; JVP needs to apologise to the Nation for their two violent uprisings” (http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2022/04/lest-we-forget-jvp-needs-to-apologise.html the following was stated talking of the past, there are things that haunt many politicians and political parties.
The JVP too has some skeletons they have hidden in cupboards and what some people seem to have hidden from their minds as well. The country experienced two violent uprisings of the JVP in 1971 and in 1988/1989. In particular, the second uprising of the JVP in the late eighties was more violent and inhuman. Those who lived through that period knows how violent it was. No doubt, some measures taken by the then government to quell that uprising were equally inhuman. More than 40,000 people were reportedly killed during that uprising, killed by the JVP and/or by a State apparatus. Some politicians who were part of that administration are still around and some have risen to great heights in the political arena”.
The article pointed out that the JVP needed to be remorseful and repentant about their violent campaigns to unseat the governments of the time and apologise to the Nation and the families of those killed during their two violent uprisings if they are to be treated with some regard and respect. The Sunday Observer of 1st June 2014 had reported that quote for the first time in its history, the JVP had tendered an apology to the people over 6,000 deaths that occurred due to JVP activities during the 88-89 insurrection. Addressing a meeting in London recently, JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake had expressed ‘regret’ over the killings for which his party was responsible during the 1988-89. However, he had also said that one had to understand that 1988-89 uprising was no coincidence and that there were developments that led to unfortunate incidents that occurred during the 88-89 period”. He added that the 88-89 uprising occurred due to oppressive behaviour of the then UNP government, led by the late President J.R. Jayewardene.
This feeble regret” is not an apology, and it did not display any remorse for the violent activities of the JVP. The caveat that the uprising was a consequence of the oppressive behaviour of President J R Jayewardene cannot be taken as any kind of justification for the consequential wanton killing of thousands of innocent people.
The article went on to say that the public had to be more discerning and question whether there are Wolves in Sheep’s clothing, and whether those who attempted to seize power by violent means, would do that again. Some could interpret the statement by JVP politburo member Mr K D Lalkantha, and the response from Dr Jayatissa as a possibility that there may be Wolves in Sheep’s clothing amongst the JVP.
Violence begets violence and neither the JVP nor any other political party or combine should directly or indirectly encourage. aid or abet violence to achieve their political objectives. It is well to remember the apostle of nonviolence, Mahatma Gandhi and the political and social strategies he adopted and promoted, to free India from the might of British colonialism.
The JVP no doubt has increased their following amongst the public. Some would opine that this has happened partly on account of their ability to articulate well and bring home hardship messages to a large section of the general public who are heavily burdened by the rising cost of living, rather than by articulating specific policies to address what they are criticizing. However, a general feeling that a change is needed in the political arena is quite palatable.
The selective law and order enforcement where some are, and have been, more equal than others, the skyrocketing corruption levels in the country, the failure to investigate alleged corrupt deals of very high level politicians and senior government officials, the unconscionable acts of some politicians and high officials in permitting substandard drugs to be procured and distributed to unsuspecting patients, are among the many issues that needs highlighting and the JVP has to be credited for keeping these issues in the limelight. If the NPP/JVP aims to win the Presidency and government at the oncoming elections, they have enough and more ballot ammunition to do so. However, the public needs to know specificities as to what changes they will introduce to arrest the situations they have articulated with great success and how they will do so and when they will do so.
The voters of the country are far more sophisticated and informed than what some may be assuming. They will spot that criticism without solutions is the same wine (or Arrack) in different bottles unless specificities are presented to them, not just voluble rhetoric. While many probably understand the difficult decisions that the current government has made, the doubt created in their minds by critics without specific solutions, and the hardships faced by them, could lead them to vote one way or the other by default rather than through an informed choice. The public probably are ready to heed what Einstein said; if the same thing is done repeatedly expecting different results, that is insanity”. The economic and social models of the past have not worked, and they have collectively landed the country in a state of bankruptcy. Continuing them and irresponsible pandering with short term populist measures will indeed be insanity.
PRESS RELEASE All India Association of Industries (AIAI)
All India Association of Industries (AIAI) welcomes the decision of the Central Government to reconsider the proposed Hit and Run law under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and its provisions to be kept in abeyance till further orders as the proposed law may award imprisonment of upto 10 years along with fine of Rs. 7 lakhs if the driver escapes or fails to report the incident immediately says Dr. Vijay Kalantri, President, All India Association of Industries (AIAI) and Chairman, MVIRDC, World Trade Centre Mumbai.
Dr Kalantri further said that The government may reconsider this fine and imprisonment provision as it may result in unnecessary harassment of innocent cargo drivers, who may have been involved in an accident because of situation beyond their control. Any innocent driver may try to escape to safeguard his life from the violent mob on the spot of the accident. But this does not mean that the driver has committed the accident willfully.”
Dr Kalantri further added that there are existing laws to penalize rash driving or drunk driving whose provisions can be widened to address the menace of rash driving, instead of enacting a fresh law, which will increase the compliance burden. Dr. Kalantri believes that the government should encourage the road transport sector to set up a Protection and Indemnity (P&I) club to insure against loss of assets and lives from road accidents. Such a club may be modelled on the lines of P&l club of the marine insurance companies to indemnify the losses to ship owners and seafarers. Dr Kalantri offered his expertise and services in an advisory role to the road transportation sector for setting up such a club.
AIAI feels that the objective of any government should be to regulate the economy and not cause undue harassment by introducing draconian legal provisions that are open to misuse. Passing harsh legislations militate against the government’s goal of rationalizing laws, simplifying compliance burden and deregulating the economy. Concludes Dr Kalantri, Government may consult the stakeholders in the industry before introducing such stringent legislations keeping the motto of Ease of Doing Business intact.”
COLOMBO, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) — Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry has declared a countrywide dengue prevention week from Jan. 7 to Jan. 13, said the National Dengue Control Unit on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference in Colombo to announce the initiative, Sudath Samaraweera, the director of the National Dengue Control Unit, said mosquito breeding sites across the country will be targeted.
An awareness campaign will also be held in conjunction, he said, noting that there has been a surge in dengue cases in recent months.
The main focus of the dengue prevention campaign will be on 70 high-risk areas, and police, health officials and volunteers will take part in the campaign, he said.
Last year, 88,398 Dengue cases were reported in Sri Lanka with 57 deaths, according to the National Dengue Control Unit.
They were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly being involved in illegal poaching in the Lankan waters.
At least 220 Indian fishermen were arrested by Sri Lankan Navy in 2023
Chennai:
As many as 21 Indian fishermen were repatriated from Sri Lanka to Chennai on Friday, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka informed through a statement.
They were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly being involved in illegal poaching in the Lankan waters.
At least 33 Indian trawlers and 220 Indian fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy in 2023, the Sri Lankan Navy said in a statement back in December, last year.
Six Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested by the Lankan Navy in December.
Adani has emerged unscathed from a slew of alleged wrongdoings
The writer is an academic and researcher. He is also the author of Development, Poverty, and Power in Pakistan, available from Routledge
The controversial Indian multibillionaire, Gautam Adani, has managed to secure a big boost of confidence by attracting over half a billion dollars for the Adani conglomerate backed Colombo seaport project in Sri Lanka.
This American deal with Adani seems compelled by growing great power competition across South Asia. The US government intends to use its International Development Finance Corporation to counter the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative in the Indo-Pacific, and its investment in Sri Lanka is part of that plan.
China has been forging closer ties with Sri Lanka for several years now. It backed the Sri Lankan government’s crushing defeat of the Tamil Tigers, and then strengthened ties with the victorious Rajapaksa regime, which also allowed China to build a strategic deep seaport in Hambantota.
Sri Lanka’s inability to pay back China for this port soon compelled the Sri Lankan government to ink a 99-year lease in 2017, giving China direct control of the port, which in turn raised alarm bells in neighboring India and in the US.
The US-backed Adani port project is thus meant to counterbalance the Chinese investment in Sri Lanka. To pursue this geostrategic objective, however, the US is now going to work with one of the most controversial businessmen in India, Gautam Adani. Adani, in turn, has very close ties with Narendra Modi, who is also a very polarising figure in his own right.
The American deal with Adani comes in the wake of a serious international scandal involving Adani. At the beginning of this year, Hindenburg Research, a reputable investigative investment research firm had accused the Adani group of major fraud, spanning over a period of decades.
This past October, The Financial Times also reviewed customs record to note how the Adani group, which is India’s largest coal importer, was allegedly using offshore middlemen based in Taiwan, Singapore and Dubai, to import coal at highly inflated prices, which at times were estimated to be more than double the prevailing market rate.
Such allegations did catch the attention of media outlets around the world given that Adani is one of the richest men in the world. These exposes also had a major adverse impact not only on Adani’s reputation but also on that of his companies. Adani’s personal wealth was reported to have nearly halved from $120 billion to $61 billion in a matter of a few months. Potentially these corruption revelations should have led to even more severe consequences for Adani. The Modi government could also have been implicated in this fiasco given its close alignment with Adani, which includes generous contributions to Modi’s electoral campaigns.
However, the US business deal with Adani will now help provide reassurances to the international financial sector and other private investors to continue engaging with Adani, despite the fraud allegations against him.
The Adani group has already been able to get major refinancing deals from large international banks. It has also begun to see the market price of its companies’ shares rebound. According to the latest estimates, the stocks of Adani’s varied companies have now regained $46 billion in value. Adani is now expanding his business empire within India as well by taking over India’s largest cement-maker and he is posed to make massive investments in green energy as well.
Like Modi, who is known as a ‘Teflon man’ for his political resilience despite having fueled and leveraged the politics of hated, Adani seems to have also become India’s Teflon business tycoon. Like Modi, Adani has emerged unscathed from a potentially devastating storm of alleged wrongdoings. And both these men have the US to thank for helping them not only survive but thrive, due to America’s own vested interests.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2024.
The donation is the latest investment by India into its neighbouring country’s railway network following a loan funding upgrade to signalling systems in 2023.
Sri Lanka’s railway network includes the famous nine arch bridge. Credit: Alexander Ishchenko/Shutterstock.com
The Indian Government will give 20 repurposed locomotives to Sri Lanka in a donation confirmed by the island nation’s national rail operator.
The donation of engines that have been taken off India’s rail network in favour of electric alternatives was confirmed by Sri Lanka Railways’ General Manager H.M.K.W Bandara.
Integration of the locomotives into Sri Lanka’s network will begin in February when two of the vehicles will be imported over before being joined by the other 18 later in the year.
While the deal was originally announced in September 2023, it has only now been confirmed after Sri Lanka’s Department of Railways sent over a team of experts to assess the vehicles and decide whether they would be appropriate for the country’s own network.
Confirmation of the donation marks another significant investment by India into the railway network of its neighbouring island nation, following a $15m investment agreed under the Indian Loan Scheme in late 2023 into the modernisation of signalling and communication systems of the incoming Mahave to Anuradhapura line.
Speaking at the signing of the agreement outlining the investment, where the request for the 20 locomotives was also confirmed, the then acting Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Highways LH Thilakaratne described the Indian High Commissioner as a very close friend of Sri Lanka.”
Thilakaratne thanked the Indian Government for its contributions, mentioning that the country’s railway department was in short supply of locomotives, and said: I believe that with all these relations, the long standing friendship between Sri Lanka and India will be further strengthened.”
India’s investment into a foreign railway network joins significant work on its own rail infrastructure, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launching operations of the country’s first Regional Rapid Transit System in the state of Uttar Pradesh as part of a $4bn project connecting capital city Delhi to two major cities in the state.
The Navy was still studying the possibility of sending a warship to the Red Sea in support of a recently launched US-led operation to thwart Houthi attacks on commercial shipping, sources said.
Sources said that a thorough study was required before such a deployment could be made in a region prone to missile attacks.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday (3) disclosed the possibility of the Navy joining the high profile mission. Sri Lanka’s pledge to join the US led endeavour was revealed at an event held at the BMICH and it was relayed by at least one news broadcast. But several countries have disassociated from the task already.
Iranian backed Houthi units in Yemen have mounted attacks targeting commercial ships passing through the Red Sea in response to the continuing Israeli military action in Gaza. Israel launched operations against Hamas in the wake of the Oct 7 raid on the Jewish State.
The US has requested nearly two dozen countries, including Sri Lanka to contribute warships.The US has declared that 20 countries have signed up for ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’, a new maritime task force meant to protect the vital shipping route.
The navies of the United States, UK and France have each shot down Houthi-launched drones or missiles, according to international news agencies.
Sources here said that the cost of the deployment of a warship in the Red Sea would be huge and the current economic situation too have to be considered. Sri Lanka has several Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPVs) and Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) acquired during the war and after and were responsible for successful anti-drug operations.During the war, SLN hunted over a half a dozen floating arsenals of the LTTE on the high seas.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) says it commenced an investigation into the preacher named Ruwan Prasanna Gunaratna, who promoted ‘mass suicide’ through his distorted teachings and later died by suicide.
When the CID officers presented submissions in this regard, the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court also called for an investigation to determine if the deceased preacher had received funds from any organizations and how the money was spent.
Earlier this week, CID launched an investigation into the seven deaths that had recently occurred under similar suspicious circumstances, after the bodies of a young woman and a man were found by the police.
It was suspected that the duo had died after consuming a strange concoction.
The duo were said to have been the followers of a certain religious preacher who had committed suicide in the Homagama area days prior.
The body of the 21-year-old woman was recovered at her residence in the Yakkala area while the body of the 34-year-old man, who was residing in Ambalangoda, was found at a guest house in the Maharagama area where he was temporarily staying.
An individual identified as Ruwan Prasanna Gunaratne, who had engaged in religion-related preaching activities in various parts of the island, was found dead from poisoning and was believed to have committed suicide in December.
A few days later on December 31, his wife, 35, was reported to have committed suicide by consuming a concoction after feeding poison to her two sons and daughter at their home in Kahantota in Malabe, according to police. The woman’s two sons and daughter were reportedly aged 09, 08 and 07 years respectively.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old woman and 34-year-old man in question were found to have attended the funeral of the religious preacher.
Investigators suspect that all seven deaths were the result of ingestion of the same type of poison.
The State Minister of Indigenous Medicine, Sisira Jayakody announced on Thursday (Jan.04) that athe government has taken a significant step towards reducing healthcare costs by exempting Ayurvedic products, medicines and industries-related to indigenous medicine from Value Added Tax (VAT).
The decision aims to make traditional medicine more accessible to the public, he explained.
Additionally, the State Minister mentioned that the cabinet has granted approval for the establishment of a special bureau dedicated to addressing issues affecting native doctors and ensuring the sustainability of the indigenous medicine system.
Speaking at a media briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC), Jayakody highlighted the Ayurveda Corporation’s plan to introduce Ayurvedic healing centers, known as Body Mantras”, as part of a transformative change in the field of indigenous medicine.
State Minister Sisira Jayakody further commented:
Significant strides have been made in the realm of indigenous medicine, with the government opting to exempt Ayurvedic products, medicines and related industries from VAT. This decision aims to reduce healthcare costs.
The Cabinet has approved the establishment of a specialized bureau dedicated to preserving traditional medicine. Operating under the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine, this bureau is tasked with addressing issues affecting traditional medicine until a formal institution is established. Its objectives include granting proper recognition to registered and unregistered native doctors, conducting studies on the medical system, developing an appropriate framework and collecting information about the profession.
Following discussions, it has been recommended to the Cabinet to approve the establishment of a unit to safeguard traditional medicine, as outlined in Paragraph 03.1 of the Cabinet Memorandum, without being a burden to the Treasury.
The Ayurveda Corporation is introducing Ayurvedic health care centers, known as Body Mantra”, to the local medical field, with the aim of bringing transformative change to indigenous medicine. The establishment of physical healthcare services, supervised by graduate-trained massage therapists, will be implemented through Ayurvedic healthcare centers. This initiative extends both domestically and internationally and organizations in the hotel and tourism industry in the country are invited to register, with a newspaper advertisement set for release on the 10th of this month.
By the end of this year, efforts are underway to elevate the production and cultivation of indigenous medicines to a commercial industry level. Traditionally at a subsistence level, the focus now shifts to commercial cultivation, with plans to cultivate Long pepper (Thippili) plants alongside paddy cultivation. Long pepper plants can be harvested for four seasons, offering a significant economic advantage over traditional methods. The goal is not only to enhance domestic production but also to generate raw materials locally.
The Suwa Daruwo” program aims to provide a robust and advanced education for government employees involved in the indigenous medical field. Additionally, efforts are directed towards empowering Ayurveda councils. In the coming months, arrangements are being made to organize a program awarding the Presidential Gold Awards” to indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturers and individuals contributing to the field.”
Colombo, Jan 06 (Daily Mirror) – The Health Ministry today commenced the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Supplementary Immunization Activity across all immunization clinic centres in nine high-risk health districts.
ගෝලීය දෙමළ සංසදය හා රටේ බහුතර ජනතාවක් නොදන්නා අනුනායක ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේලා හත්නමක් අත්සන් තබා ප්රකාශයට පත්කළ ‘හිමාලයා ප්රකාශනය’ නම් ලියවිල්ල එළිදැක්වීම පිටුපස බෙදුම්වාදීන්ගේ න්යායපත්රය ක්රියාත්මක වන බවත්, එම ලියවිල්ල එළිදැක්වීම සිදුවන්නේ යම් මාර්ග සිතියමකට අනුව බවත් දේශහිතෛෂී ජාතික ව්යාපාරය හෙළිකරයි.
