Dark Room

by Garvin Karunaratne

Posted on November 12th, 2024   Re printed for favour of action

E-Con-E-News 3-9 th November in Lanka Web writes:

• ‘Garvin Karunaratne writes again today. I have read his Dahanayaka & red-onion affair several times in the Island. His telephone handling at the Marketing Department’s Tripoli HQ resembles Mountbatten’s war operations room.’”

We did use phones in a remarkable way to move veg and fruit from far away to Colombo. 

It was always a hive of activity from the time I parked my Hillman Minx at eight or nine and walked in. The attempt was to   see that all the produce available  at the Producer fairs were purchased at  a higher price.  The telephones rang again and again and our lorries did move fast to bring the produce. We got so many oranges at Tripoli that we even built a makeshift grader to grade them by size. 

In the outstations we had to be in the good books of the Government Agent, so that we could walk in to his office and use his special phone to get to Tripoli. He too had a few phones and one phone was special as we could dial Tripoli Market to get approval to purchase everything the producers brought to the Fairs. 

 Economic theory that we learned from books tell that a number of traders would compete and offer higher prices. But I had known that this never happens at the Fairs. The traders are in a group and offer low prices. As dusk sets in the producers are at their mercy as they must sell. It was the Marketing Department that did give good prices and I hope to see    a Marketing Department being formed soon after the election.

It is sad that we being blessed with rain and shine cannot produce all our food. Once we did produce all the rice we needed- that was in 1956-1970, when we gave a ration of rice free to everyone. I have never heard of that being done in any other country . Mind you the MD Cannery did make Sri Lanka self sufficient in all fruit products within three years 1956 to 1958, We even exported pine apple rings and pieces- eight percent of what we made went abroad earning dollars.  Tomatoe Juice was the drink that Professor Sarathchandra liked most. 

Once in Matara I set up a Crayon Factory. It took three months of nocturnal experiments locked up in the science lab at Rahula College Matara for my Planning Officer to find the recipe to make crayons. Then I summoned Sumanapala Dahanayake the Member of parliament for Deniya who happened to be the President of the Moraka Cooperatives to set it up with the cooperative funds he held, I had no authority to use coop funds for that but I did authorize. Sumane purchased all the ingredients, pot and pans and burners in a day, twenty youths were found in the next day and we- myself and Vetus Fernando my Plnning Officer moved in  with some six officers and working pell mell for two weeks  on a 24 hour basis we trained the youths and filled two large rooms with Crayons. We showed the crayons to Minister Subasinghe and he came down to open  sales the very next day and lo we did sell Coop Crayon islandwide all done at the end of the third week.  In about the fifth week we approached the Controller of Imports Harry Guneratne as we got wind that he was about to authorize imports of crayons. We did convince him that he should give our Crayon Factory a small allocation of forex to import dyes. He wanted the Ministers approval. Sumane and I went to meet Minister Illangaratne who not only approved a  cross allocation, never done earlier but also happily shouted to the Import Controller to ban the import of |Crayons. 

Over to our new President . Dear Excellency we did work fast once and allayed poverty. I am certain that you can do it better. I was only a GA. Excellency you are the President of Sri Lanka. You can do it.

Garvin Karunaratne former GA Matara, 12 11 2024 garvin_karunaratne@hotmail.com 

Garvin Karunaratne

Agriculture luminary, Professor Buddhi Marambe has been quoted in Ceylon Today, to the effect that paddy cultivation is facing a serious situation as a consequence of the Ditwah Cyclone. The cyclone devastated 106,000 hectares from the extent cultivated in the Maha season. The chances are that it is only a small percentage of this 106,000 hectares can be re cultivated.

He also adds that the farmers will find it a yeoman task to find seed paddy for the Yala Season. Seed Paddy cannot be imported. According to Professor Marambe the loss could be estimated at around 413,000 metric tons, In Maize, he states that we will have to import 35 to 40% of our maize requirement. (Ceylon Today4/1/26)

Can we recultivate the lost area in Maha. The chances are that our farmers will be able to replant a small extent. Similar losses are reported in vegetable cultivation.

My expertise lies in organizing paddy farmers which I did for over a decade working as an assistant commissioner and senior assistant commissioner of agrarian services.

Assessing the farmer organizations of today and their working, my opinion is that the organization of paddy farming as well as other crops is at a very low level.

The organization of paddy farming came to the forefront during the three year regime of Minister Philip Gunawardena who was the Minister for Food and Agriculture from 1956. Before that paddy farming was attended to by the Department of Agriculture, that had a two year trained Agricultural Instructor at the divisional level assisted by a few one year trained overseers at the village level. In 1956 the Marketing Department that implemented the Guaranteed Price Scheme where I worked got a list of paddy farmers and owners, showing the extents cultivated in that season and we authorized the multipurpose cooperative societies to purchase paddy from the owners and cultivators based on the extents cultivated and the average yield, The cooperatives paid around double the market price to farmers for the paddy so handed over. Then the Department of Agriculture played a major role in the use of certified seed paddy and advising farmers to use fertilizer and follow improved systems of cultivation like row seeding, row weeding etc.

A major change in paddy farming came about with Minister Philip Gunawardena implementing the Paddy Lands Act of 1958. Under The Paddy Lands Act, farmers were grouped into cultivation committees, which were charged with organizing farmers to use certified seed paddy and also fertilizer. One problem was that there are three varieties of fertilizer and these have to be applied when the crop is at a particular stage.

In order to implement the Paddy Lands Act a special Department- the Agrarian Services Department was established overnight. Mr MS Perera of the Civil Service was appointed the commissioner, Instead of recruting Assistant Commissioners, officers of other Government Departments were chosen for their ability and leanings to the left and were charged with the implementation of the Paddy Lands Act. This took on the form of doing publicity to detail the provisions of the Paddy Lands Act and finally elect the cultivation committees. Divisional Officers and Field Assistants were recruited and cultivation committees were elected. I worked a year in Kegalla and was appointed to establish cultivation committees in the Anuradhapura District. This task in the Anuradhapura District was done by me and also by Sappie Peiris and TG Peris recruited from the Land Development Department. I had ten Divisional Officetrs and close upon a hundred overseers and the committees were elected from among farmers.

We did publicity explaining the Paddy Lands Act to the farmers and elected the cultivation committees. Working in Matara and Kegalla I had observed that party politics was entering in and I decided that in electing the cultivation committees there should be a consensus decision. Though the Paddy Lands Act specified that the ballot box should be used I decided that the election should be on a consensus basis. Of some 296 cultivation committees we succeeded in electing around 280 on a consensus basis without holding elections and I personally held the other elections almost forcing a consensus decision. This played great dividends when it came to action in the use of fertilizer and improved practices like row seeding and fertilizer use because the farmers worked together in cooperation. In fact I can remember that I even offered that I could get the farmers to produce all the maize that was required. This was not approved.

The elected cultivation committees did wonders in paddy production.

The working of the Paddy Lands Act received a shake up when Minister Philip Gunwsardena left the cabinet but it did not effect the working in any manner as we workers were committed to the Paddy Lands Act and effectively implemented planning to use certified seed paddy and fertilizer. In Anuradhapura where I was in charge, discussions in cultivation committees took long hours and farmers cooperated admirably.

Into this set up marched Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake. He understood that paddy cultivation had to be concentrated on and for that purpose brought in the Government Agents of the District to totally devote their time to furthering paddy cultivation.

A major change made was to divest the Government Agent of all his work. A senior administrator was appointed to each District to take over all the functions of the Government Agent so that the Government Agent could devote his full time to furthering paddy production. It was this total attention to paddy Production that enabled Sri Lanka to become self sufficient in paddy. It is important to note that there was a rice ration scheme implemented at that time that gave a measure of rice free to every person.

A major change made by Mr Senanayake was to ensure that the paddy crop was assessed by crop cuttings done on plots decided on by random sampling and each crop cutting done by staff officers of Departments other than the Department of Agriculture.,

Further in those days when no foreign exchange was given for foreign travel, the foremost farmer of each District was selected and a foreign exchange grant was given for him to travel to the sacred buddhist sites in India.

It was this massive effort that enabled Sri Lanka to become self sufficient in rice.

As the Additional Govt Agent at Kegalla I had to accompany the Hon Prime Minister in his electorate every Saturday and Sunday when he attended many meetings of farmers partly organized by his political party- the UNP and partly organized by officers of various Departments under me. The Prime Minister would attend meetings, participate in cultivation tasks that took place and I can state that we had totally allieviated poverty.

This massive effort at furthering paddy production came to be gradually stopped.

Prime Minister Sirimavo directed that the Government Agents should take charge of implementing the Divisional Development Councils Programme- to create employment through small industries and agriculture. Therefore the Government Agents departed from paddy production, which was left for the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Services to pursue.

As stated in my book Nuwarakalaviya,

the Agricultural extension system exists only in name today. The specialist department of Agriculture- the Department of Agriculture today has a trained officer only at the divisional level. President Premadasa promoted some 2400 Agricultural Overseers to the higher cadre of Grama Sevaka and since then there has been no officer trained in agriculture at the village level.”

Further the Training and Visit System of the World Bank forbid the agricultural staff from using the institutions of the people like cooperatives, thus the extension system is very ineffective today. .

I left the Service in 1973, When I visited Sri Lanka in 1980, I met the Secretary for Agriculture and he boasted about the high yields achieved. I asked for the results of the crop cuttings that found the high results. He told me that they had given up the practice of holding crop cutting surveys as it was too costly.

Thus agricultural extension is fairly non existent at the village level today. The officer of the Agricultural Department, the Agricultural Instructor. works at the divisional level and a division has around 3000 to 14,000 farmers and it is difficult for a single official to attend to the requirements of so vast a number.

The conclusion of my book : Nuwarakalaviya(Godages:2020) is appropriate: Whet we are seeing today is the total destruction of orderly cultivation that existed when the Government Agents and later the Agrarian Services handled development…. The agricultural extension service which was in top form in the Sixties and Seventies is non existent”.

Garvin Karunaratne

Histórias com João

Beautiful to see such a grand Buddhist Spectacle from Myanmar (formerly Burma). An event never highlighted in day to day mainstream YouTube before. Greetings from Sri Lanka another Theravada Buddhist country with over 1000 year close friendly ties with Burma.

උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ප්‍රථම කේබල් කාර් ව්‍යාපෘතිය ලෙස සැලකෙන අඹුලුවාව කේබල් කාර් ව්‍යාපෘතියෙන් ඉවත් වීමට එහි ආයෝජකයා වන චීනයේ Amber Adventures පෞද්ගලික සමාගම තීරණය කර ඇත.

මෙරට නියාමන ක්‍රියාවලියේ පවතින බාධා සහ රජයේ නිලධාරීන්ගේ අත්තනෝමතික ක්‍රියාකලාපයන් මෙම තීරණයට හේතු වූ බව එම සමාගම අවධාරණය කරයි.

ඊයේ (13) දින ශ්‍රී ලංකා ආයෝජන මණ්ඩලය වෙත ලිඛිතව දැනුම් දෙමින් සමාගම පවසා සිටියේ, තාක්ෂණික ආයතනවල අනුමැතිය ලැබී තිබියදීත්, සමාජ මාධ්‍ය ඔස්සේ පැතිර ගිය පැමිණිලි පදනම් කරගනිමින් මධ්‍යම පරිසර අධිකාරිය විසින් ඉදිකිරීම් කටයුතු අත්හිටුවීමට පියවර ගැනීම ඇතුළු කරුණු කිහිපයක් මත මෙම ව්‍යාපෘතියෙන් ඉවත් වන බවයි.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව, චීනය සහ ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදය යන රටවල ආයෝජකයින්ගෙන් සැදුම්ලත් එකමුතුවක් හරහා 2022 වසරේ පැවති ආර්ථික අර්බුදය මධ්‍යයේ මෙම ව්‍යාපෘතිය ආරම්භ විය.

ව්‍යාපෘතියේ සම්පූර්ණ ආයෝජන වටිනාකම ඇමරිකානු ඩොලර් මිලියන 12.75ක් වන අතර, ඉන් ඩොලර් මිලියන 3.5ක් දැනටමත් ව්‍යාපෘතිය වෙනුවෙන් ආයෝජනය කර ඇති බව සමාගම පවසයි.

මෙම ව්‍යාපෘතිය ‘ඉදිකිරීම්, ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම සහ පැවරීම’ පදනම මත ක්‍රියාත්මක වීමට නියමිතව තිබූ අතර, වසර 13ක කාලයකට පසු රුපියල් බිලියන 5කට අධික වටිනාකමකින් යුත් පද්ධතිය නොමිලේ රජයට පැවරීමට ගිවිසගෙන තිබුණි.

ඒ සඳහා අවශ්‍ය කැබිනට් අනුමැතිය, නාගරික සංවර්ධන අධිකාරිය, ආරක්ෂක අමාත්‍යාංශය සහ මධ්‍යම පරිසර අධිකාරිය ඇතුළු සියලු ආයතනවල අනුමැතිය හිමිව තිබූ බවද සමාගම පෙන්වා දෙයි.

ව්‍යාපෘති භූමියේ නායයෑමේ අවදානමක් පවතින බවට එල්ල වූ චෝදනා සමාගම ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කරන අතර, සුළි කුණාටුවෙන් පසු ජාතික ගොඩනැගිලි පර්යේෂණ සංවිධානය විසින් සිදුකළ පරීක්ෂාවකින් භූමියේ ස්ථාවරත්වය තහවුරු කර ඇති බවද ඔවුන් පවසයි.

රජයේ නිලධාරීන්ගේ නිරන්තර බාධා කිරීම් හමුවේ ව්‍යාපෘතිය වාණිජමය වශයෙන් පවත්වාගෙන යා නොහැකි මට්ටමකට පත්ව ඇති බව පවසන ඇම්බර් ඇඩ්වෙන්චර්ස් සමාගම, සිදුවූ පාඩුව අය කර ගැනීම සඳහා ජාත්‍යන්තර නීතිමය ක්‍රියාමාර්ග ගැනීමටද සූදානම් වෙයි.

ආයෝජන මණ්ඩලය විසින් ආයෝජකයින් ආරක්ෂා කිරීමට අපොහොසත් වීම බරපතල නියාමන අසාර්ථකත්වයක් බවත්, මෙවැනි අනපේක්ෂිත පරිසරයක් තුළ තවදුරටත් කටයුතු කළ නොහැකි බවත් එම ලිපියේ සඳහන් වේ.

2022 වසරෙන් පසු ආර්ථික අස්ථාවරත්වය සහ ප්‍රතිපත්තිමය නොගැලපීම් හේතුවෙන් මෙරටින් ඉවත් වූ ප්‍රධාන පෙළේ ජාත්‍යන්තර සමාගම් කිහිපයක් අතරට දැන් ඇම්බර් ඇඩ්වෙන්චර්ස් සමාගමද එක්ව තිබේ.

මීට පෙර වසර 60ක් මෙරට ක්‍රියාත්මක වූ ජපානයේ මිට්සුබිෂි (Mitsubishi) සමාගම, ප්‍රංශයේ ඩෙකැත්ලෝන් (Decathlon) ක්‍රීඩා භාණ්ඩ සමාගම, ඉන්දියාවේ සොමැටෝ (Zomato) සේවාව, සහ ආන්දෝලනාත්මක සුළං බල ව්‍යාපෘතියෙන් ඉවත් වූ අදානි (Adani) සමූහය මෙරට මෙහෙයුම් නතර කිරීමට පියවර ගෙන තිබුණි.

මෙම නවතම ඉවත් වීම විදේශීය ආයෝජකයින් වෙත ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ පවතින ආයෝජන සුරක්ෂිතභාවය පිළිබඳ සෘණාත්මක පණිවුඩයක් නිකුත් කරන බව ආර්ථික විශ්ලේෂකයෝ පවසති.

Courtesy Hiru News

Colombo District Member of Parliament Mujibur Rahman of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) stated that the party’s Working Committee has granted approval to continue discussions on working together with the United National Party (UNP).

He explained that the progress of the ongoing discussions with the UNP was briefed to the Working Committee by the Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the SJB, Sajith Premadasa, and that approval was subsequently granted for future actions and continued discussions related to this process.

In addition, the MP stated that the Working Committee had also approved several measures to be taken regarding the importation of substandard coal.

The Working Committee meeting also held extensive discussions on the decision to increase electricity tariffs in a manner that is unfair to consumers, and it was decided to take action against this decision through several channels, Mujibur Rahuman noted.

Furthermore, discussions were held on strengthening the organizational activities of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya in line with the current political situation, as well as on measures to confront any challenges posed by the government in the future with strength as an effective opposition, he added.

The SJB Working Committee meeting was held yesterday (13) at the party’s head office in Pitakotte, under the leadership of Opposition Leader and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa.

Courtesy Hiru News

Nine individuals, including Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero and three other monks, remain in custody until January 19 for allegedly violating the Coast Conservation Act.

The charges involve the unauthorised construction of a roof and enclosure for a Buddha statue at the Sri Sambuddha Jayanti Bodhiraja Temple in Trincomalee.

The Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court issued the remand order today (14) after nine out of eleven summoned individuals appeared before the bench.

Notices were originally issued on December 10 for the group to present themselves in court regarding the illegal construction.

The Trincomalee Port Police and the Department of Coast Conservation filed the relevant reports leading to the legal action.

Shenali D Waduge

Even decades after the 1996/2006 amendments, the protections under Sections 365 and 365A remain crucial. Children continue to face sexual exploitation, grooming, and abuse, both offline and online, while even same-sex abuse victims still require clear legal pathways for justice. Narrowing or repealing these provisions would dismantle preventive tools, limit early police intervention, and reduce courts’ ability to recognize psychological trauma as legally cognizable injury.

Modern sexual predation, including digital and peer-to-peer abuse, demands a legal framework that is trauma-aware and preventive, rather than reactive.

Instead of repealing or diluting Penal Code 365/365a it should be strengthened further to include explicit recognition of online grooming, exploitation via social media, and emerging abuse patterns, ensuring that Sri Lanka’s legal protections evolve with contemporary realities while preserving the moral-based preventive, child- and victim-centred intent of Parliament.

Colonial Origin

The Penal Code was introduced in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) by the British colonial government  

Key points

• Sri Lanka’s Penal Code was enacted as Ordinance No. 2 of 1883under British rule.
• It came into force on 1 January 1885.
• It replaced Roman–Dutch criminal law with a comprehensive statutory code.
• Sections 365 and 365A were part of the original Code, criminalising:
  • Carnal intercourse against the order of nature (Section 365)
  • Gross indecency between persons (Section 365A)
• Colonial framing was morality-based.

Crucial fact:

Independence did not result in repeal.

Parliament retained and later strengthened these provisions.

• 1995 amendment to Penal Code 365/365a (Operational in 1996)
  • Clearer age-based protections
  • Recognizing that sexual abuse is not limited to heterosexual acts
  • Stronger penalties where children were involved
  • Broader coverage of non-penetrative sexual exploitation.
  • Strengthened to address child sexual abuse that did not fit classical rape definitions.
  • Prevent offenders from escaping liability by arguing:
    • No vaginal penetration
    • Victim is male
    • Act was not between a man and woman
  • Sections 365/365a was strengthened in 1995 as a
    • Protection to cover all provisions of sexual violence against children in particular
    • Enabled early intervention before severe harm
    • Covered acts that grooming laws or rape laws did not
  • Higher penalties for adults (above 18) committing unnatural offences against minors (under 16)
  • Mandatory imprisonment & fines for violations involving minors

Note: 1995 Parliament chose to strengthen child protection – not liberalize sexual conduct

• 2006 amendment to Penal Code 365/365a (Operational in 1996)
  • Penal Code (Amendment) Act No. 16 of 2006
  • Further proof that the 1885 Colonial Penal Code was continued post-independence, strengthened in 1995 and further strengthened in 2006.
  • Sexual offences were made gender-neutral
  • Recognized victims as persons” not only women (covered males)
  • Recognized perpetrators as any persons” not only men (covered women)
  • Acknowledged same-sex abuse existed and must be prosecuted (as before 2006 same-sex abuse victims had no clear legal path)
  • Post-2006 Parliament ensured male victims, female victims, even same-sex victims were all protected
  • The 2006 amendment ensured abuse covered same-sex, abuse included non-penetration, abuse involved grooming or indecent conduct.
  • Parliament inserted an explanation to several sexual offence provisions & added
    • Injuries include psychological or mental trauma”.
  • Courts could now
    • Recognized mental/psychological harm
    • Treat trauma as legally cognizable injury
    • Order compensation based on that harm
    • Abuse was no longer assessed only by – physical injury, penetration or visible harm.

Those who argue that 365/365a is a colonial law conveniently omit the additions done in 1995 and 2006.

Through the 1995 amendment (operational in 1996), Parliament

• Focused on child protection
• Preventive criminalization
• Recognizing same-sex abuse risks

In 2006 Parliament

• Recognized mental & psychological harm
• Victim-centred justice
• Acknowledge long-term trauma

Note:

Thus, Parliament updated the 1885, 1995 law to respond to reality not ideology.

If 365A is repealed and 365 is narrowed:

• The 2006 trauma-based compensation pathway collapses for acts previously covered
• Same-sex abuse victims must meet higher thresholds under other sections
• Preventive and victim-centric protections built over 30 years are dismantled

However, in 2023, SLPP MP Dolawatte presented a private members bill calling for the diluting of Penal Code 365 via amendment & the complete repeal of Penal Code 365a.

https://documents.gov.lk/view/bills/2023/3/305-2023_E.pdf

What the Private Members Bill in 2023 by MP Dolawatte sought to do

Section 365 — Amendment

Purpose

• Remove references to any man or woman” and against the order of nature” in relation to persons
• Limit the offenceonly to bestiality
• Remove the age-specific child protection provision
• Decriminalise consensual same-sex sexual acts between adults
• Reduce police discretion and early intervention

Section 365A — Repeal in entirety

Purpose

• Remove the offence of gross indecency between persons”
• Eliminate the age-specific offence protecting children under 16
• Decriminalise private consensual adult acts
• Remove preventive and trauma-recognition safeguards (2006 inclusion)
• Introduceno replacement child-protection provision

What was actually being sought in 2023

1. Narrowing Section 365 to bestiality alone
2. Total removal of Section 365A
3. Prioritisation ofadult sexual autonomy
4. Transfer of all abuse cases tonarrow, harm-based offences
5. Removal of preventive legal tools built over 30 years

Why did MP Dolawatte make such a request?

Who was to benefit by the Bill he presented?

Who benefits from the amendment of 365 and total repeal of 365a? — and who bears the cost

Who Benefits

• Adults engaging in consensual same-sex conduct
• Advocacy groups promoting decriminalisation
• Individuals previously subject to police scrutiny

Our next question is naturally, who becomes victimized or is impacted if the MPs request is implemented?

Who Is Disadvantaged / Victimised

Children:

• Higher burden of proof
• Loss of early-intervention safeguards
• Grooming and exposure harder to stop
• Vulnerable to online sexual predatory campaigns.

Victims of same-sex abuse:

• Forced into narrow offence categories
• Greater evidentiary and procedural trauma
• Lack of compensation for abuse

Public protection:

• Loss of public-decency and preventive tools
• Law enforcement constrained to reactive action

Who Stood With the Bill — and what they actually supported

The most revealing aspect of MP Dolawatte’s 2023 Private Member’s Bill is not merely that it was presented, but who actively intervened in court to support it.

https://database.ilga.org/api/downloader/download/1/LK%20-%20JUD%20-%20SC%20-%20SC%20SD%20No.%2013%20%282023%29%20-%20OR-OFF%28en%29.pdf

These individuals and organisations did not merely support decriminalisation in principle”.

They petitioned the Supreme Court in defence of a Bill that:

• Removedage-specific child protections
• Repealed offences coveringnon-penetrative sexual abuse
• Eliminatedpreventive legal tools
• Dismantledtrauma-recognition mechanisms introduced in 2006
• Offeredno replacement child-protection framework

This support was knowing, informed, and deliberate.

Many of the interveners are:

• Formerchild protection authorities
• Psychiatrists and psychologists
• Human rights commissioners
• UN officials and advisers
• Legal academics

None can plausibly claim ignorance of the consequences.

The Central Contradiction

These petitioners publicly present themselves as:

• Defenders ofchildren’s rights
• Advocates ofvictim-centred justice
• Champions ofmental health and trauma awareness

Yet they supported a Bill that:

• Raised the burden of proof for abused children
• Removed early-intervention safeguards
• Forced victims into narrower, reactive offence categories
• Undermined trauma-based compensation pathways

This is not a difference of opinion.
It is a direct contradiction between public posture and legal outcome.

Individual Petitioners — Roles Matter

The following individuals intervened in support of the Bill, not as private citizens alone, but drawing authority from their professional standing:

Individual Professional and Academic Petitioners

1. Professor Savitri Goonesekere: Emeritus Professor of Law; provided the foundational human rights legal framework.

2. Radhika Coomaraswamy: Former UN Under-Secretary-General; focused on global human rights standards and child protection. Chairperson of South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) former member Constitutional Council of Sri Lanka, former UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, advocate of LGBTQIA rights.

3. Ambika Satkunanathan: Former HRCSL Commissioner; focused on the arbitrary use of the Penal Code.

4. Ramani Muttettuwegama: Former HRCSL Commissioner and Managing Partner at Tiruchelvam Associates.

5. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu: Executive Director of Centre for Policy Alternatives

6. Bhavani Fonseka: Senior Researcher and constitutional lawyer at CPA.

7. Mirak Raheem: Former Commissioner at the Office on Missing Persons.

8. Natasha Thiruni Jayasekera Balendra: Former Chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority.
9. Yamindra Watson Perera: Integrated marketing strategist and former UNICEF advisor.

10. Nirupa Irani Karunaratne: Professional human rights advocate.

11. Sonali Therese Gunasekera: Director of Advocacy at FPA Sri Lanka; refuted claims that decriminalization would increase HIV risk.

12. Jake Randle Oorloff: Theatre practitioner and HIV services programme officer at UNDP.

13. Prabasiri Ginige: Professor in Psychiatry; documented medical evidence of transgender health in Sri Lanka.

14. Chandana Kapila Ranasinghe: Former President of the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists.

15. Gameela Samarasinghe: Professor in Psychology at the University of Colombo.

16. Ananda Galappatti: Medical anthropologist and mental health professional.

17. Tamara Andrea (Rosanna) Flamer-Caldera: Executive Director of EQUAL GROUND.

18. P. Bhoomi Harendran: Executive Director of the National Transgender Network.

19. Aritha Wickremasinghe: Equality Director at iProbono and lawyer.

20. Pasan Hasitha Jayasinghe: Policy researcher and PhD candidate at UCL.

21. Damith Chandimal (W.L.D.C. De Alwis Gunetilleke): Human rights defender and HRCSL Sub-Committee member.

22. K.M. Thushara Manoj Kumara: Chairperson of Equite Sri Lanka.

23. B. Adhil Suraj Vimukthi Bandara: Member of Equite Sri Lanka and LGBTQIA+ promoter.

24. Visakesa Chandrasekeram: Senior Lecturer in Law and queer filmmaker.

25. Radika Guneratne: Human rights lawyer and founder of Parivartan.

26. Thenu Ranketh: Executive Director of Venasa Transgender Network.

27. Hettigoda Gamage Kanthilatha: Human rights activist.

28. Tush Wickramanayaka: Founder of Stop Child Cruelty Trust; provided the Best Interests of the Child” argument.

Organizational Petitioners

29. Women and Media Collective (WMC): Represented by its leadership and long-standing feminist advocates.

30. EQUAL GROUND: The primary organization advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights since 2004.

31. Equite Sri Lanka Trust: A specialized organization focused on grassroots queer rights.

These individuals and organisations did not merely seek decriminalisation.

They supported legal changes that removed child-specific protections without replacement.

This is not about identity orientation, private adult conduct – what they sought was far more dangerous and damaging.

We have to assess

• Which laws were targeted
• What protections were removed
• Who supported those removals and why
• Who would bear the consequences

History does not record intentions.

It records outcomes and names.

And the outcome sought in 2023 was clear:

Adult sexual autonomy was prioritised — child protection was made secondary.

History should record these names by critically analyzing what the clauses of the amendment/repeal sought & the individuals/organizations that came forward to justify.

This analysis is presented to highlight the legal and social consequences of the proposed amendments, and to encourage readers to visualize their impact on child victims, as well as on same-sex victims too.

No Member of Parliament, nor any political party, should seek to amend or repeal these critical provisions of Penal Code Sections 365 and 365A.

The extraordinary level of sustained lobbying, foreign influence, and coordinated advocacy directed at removing these clauses underscores—not diminishes—their legal necessity and protective value, especially for children and other vulnerable groups.

Shenali D Waduge

RANJITH SOYSA Courtesy Island

Reference ,the Indian High Commissioner’s recent comments ( The Island, 9th Jan. ) on strong India-Sri Lanka relationship and the assistance granted on recovering from the financial collapse of Sri Lanka and yet again for cyclone recovery., Sri Lankans should express their thanks to India for standing up as a friendly neighbour.

On the Defence Cooperation agreement, the Indian High Commissioner’s assertion was that there was nothing beyond that which had been included in the text. But, dear High Commissioner, we Sri Lankans have burnt our fingers when we signed agreements with the European nations who invaded our country; they took our leaders around the Mulberry bush and made our nation pay a very high price by controlling our destiny for hundreds of years. When the Opposition parties in the Parliament requested the Sri Lankan government to reveal the contents of the Defence agreements signed with India as per the prevalent common practice, the government’s strange response was that India did not want them disclosed.

Even the terms of the one-sided infamous Indo-Sri Lanka agreement, signed in 1987, were disclosed to the public.

Mr. High Commissioner, we are not satisfied with your reply as we are weak, economically, and unable to clearly understand your India’s Neighbourhood First and Mahasagar policies” . We need the details of the defence agreements signed with our government, early.

RANJITH SOYSA-ISLAND

by A.Abdul Aziz

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be on him, Promised Messiah and Imam-al-Mahdi and Holy Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam, in 1905, he warned the world in the following words:

 Remember, God has informed me of many earthquakes. Rest assured, therefore, that as earthquakes have shaken America and Europe, so will they shake Asia. Some of them will resemble the Day of Doom. So many people shall die that rivulets of blood shall flow. Even the bird and the beasts will not be immune against this death. A havoc shall sweep the surface of the earth which shall be the greatest since the birth of man. Habitations shall be demolished as if no one had ever lived in them. This will be accompanied by many other terrible calamities which the earth and the heavens will send forth, till their extraordinary nature will become evident to every reasonable man. All the literature of science and philosophy shall fail to show their like. Then mankind shall be sorely distressed and wonder what is going to happen. Many shall escape and many perish. The days are near, in fact, I can see them close at hand, when the world shall witness a terrible sight; not only earthquakes, but also many fearsome calamities shall overtake man, some from the skies, and some from the earth. This will happen because mankind has stopped worshipping their true God and have become lost in their affairs of the world with all their heart and their effort and their intent. If I had not come these afflictions would perhaps have been delayed a little. But with my coming the secret purposes of an affronted God which were hidden so far, became manifest.

Says God: ‘We never punish until We send a Messenger’.       

Those who repent, shall find security and those who fear before calamity overtakes them shall be shown mercy. Do you think you will be immune to these calamities?

Or can you save yourselves through artifice or design? Indeed not. That day all human schemes shall fail. Think not that earthquakes visited America and other continents but that your own country shall remain secure. Indeed, you may experience a severe hardship.

O Europe, You are not safe, and O Asia, you are not immune. I see Cities fall, and settlements laid waste. The One and the Only God kept silent for long. Heinous deeds were done before His eyes. He said nothing. But now he shall reveal His face Majesty and Awe.

Let him who has ears hear that the time is not far. I have done my best to bring all under the protection of God, but it was destined that what was written should come to pass

Truly do I say that the turn of this land, too, is approaching fast. The time of Noah shall reappear before your eyes, and your own eyes will be witnesses to the calamity that overtook the cities of Lot. But God is slow in his Wrath. Repent that you may be shown mercy! He who does not fear Him is dead, not alive.” (Haqiqathul Wahi – pp: 256, 257).     

Note: The time of Noah refers to the people who rejected Prophet Noah – and had become lost in the affairs of the world, punished by God with mighty floods. Similarly Prophet Lot – the people who rejected him and extremely had foul practice of sodomy – because of, they were punished by God through devastated earthquakes.

Source: www.alislam.org

National Development Bank PLC

Guided by its commitment to sustainability, NDB Bank has renewed its partnership with Clean Ocean Force Lanka, extending three vital environmental initiatives that collectively protect Sri Lanka’s coastal and marine ecosystems.

For the third consecutive year, NDB Bank continues to support the Adopt a Beach” initiative at Kapungoda, ensuring the stretch is maintained and cleaned daily. This long-term effort not only prevents debris from re-entering the ocean and harming marine life but also empowers low-income women from local coastal community. In addition, the Bank has renewed its support for the Lagoon & Mangrove Cleanup Project and the Underwater and Coral Bed Cleanup & Conservation Project for a second consecutive year. Together, these initiatives form a multi-year, strategic approach to marine conservation.

By moving beyond one-off interventions, NDB Bank reinforces its responsibility to strengthen biodiversity, enhance climate resilience, and promote responsible environmental stewardship. In 2025 alone, the three projects removed over 16,500 kg of waste, including plastic, polythene debris, PET bottles, fishing gear, ghost nets, and metal, demonstrating tangible impact on both ecosystems and communities.

Through these sustained efforts, NDB Bank highlights its holistic approach to sustainability, integrating environmental care with community engagement, particularly by supporting local women’s livelihoods. These initiatives are a testament to the Bank’s long-term vision of embedding sustainability into its operations, partnerships, and social impact programs, creating lasting value for communities and future generations.

NDB Bank is the fourth-largest listed commercial bank in Sri Lanka. NDB was named Sri Lanka’s Best Digital Bank for SMEs at Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025 and was awarded awards Domestic Retail Bank of the Year – Sri Lanka and Islamic Banking Initiative of the Year – Sri Lanka at the Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Awards 2025. NDB is the parent company of the NDB Group, comprising capital market subsidiary companies, together forming a unique banking and capital market services group. The Bank is committed to empowering the nation and its people through meaningful financial and advisory services powered by digital banking solutions.

Courtesy Hiru News

A meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, and representatives of teachers’ trade unions was held this afternoon (13) at the Presidential Secretariat.

At the meeting, the teachers’ union representatives stated that they accept the necessity of the new education reforms being implemented by the government and emphasised that the Grade 6 curriculum requires revision.

They also expressed their willingness to work together with the government in the process of implementing the new education reforms.

They further proposed that these activities be carried out under the supervision of a formal mechanism comprising the National Education Commission, the National Institute of Education, educationists, legal experts, university lecturers and professors, and representatives of education-sector trade unions.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake pointed out that winning the trust of teachers and parents is essential for the successful implementation of education reforms, and that no transformation can be carried out amid doubt or mistrust.

He therefore invited the teachers’ union representatives to work collaboratively with the government in implementing the new education reforms.

The President briefed the teachers’ unions on the new education reform process initiated by the government, stating that while Grade 1 reforms are being implemented as planned, the government expects to commence Grade 6 reforms in 2027, after addressing issues related to module preparation, delays in teacher training, and technical challenges.

The President also stated that infrastructure required for the reforms, such as smart boards, televisions, and computers, will be provided through government funding rather than parents’ contributions.

Attention was also drawn to issues concerning inter-provincial teacher transfers, promotions, salary anomalies, and challenges faced in the principals’ service.

e-Con e-News

blog: https://eesrilanka.wordpress.com

‘Before you study the economics, study the economists!’

e-Con e-News 04-10 January 2026

*

‘Trump even admitted to having informed ‘the oil companies’

of the secret operation in advance, which appears to imply they

took part in the planning of the whole affair from the get go –

or perhaps, were even the chief drivers of it all…:

‘Did you speak with (the oil companies) before the operation

took place?’ Trump: ‘Yes. Before & after. They want to go

in & they’re going to do a great job’.’ – see ee Sovereignty

*

US President Don Trump met with oil company executives led by Exxon at the White House on Friday, to publicly discuss the renewed looting of Venezuela. The USA’s foreign policies and their Secretaries of State (Foreign Ministers) are always chosen, if not whetted, by their leading capitalists, especially Exxon aka Standard Oil of New Jersey, which seeks to monopolize international access to energy. Marco ‘Little Narco’ Rubio, Trump’s latest Secretary of State, is no exception…

     In 2017, Don Trump wanted Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as his 1^st Secretary of State. But Exxon had some ‘issues’. Under Tillerson, Exxon had been using Washington’s Riggs Bank to funnel $100,000,000s to the head of Equatorial Guinea, to grab its enormous gas & oil reserves. Exxon also paid for the children of high-ranking government officials to study in the US. In 2010 Congress had approved new disclosure regulations attempting legislative reforms of banks, despite Exxon CEO Tillerson’s opposition. On 1 Feb 2017, Exxon lobbyists got Congress & Senate to rescind the rule. Exactly one hour later, Tillerson was confirmed as Trump’s US Secretary of State. (see ee 11 Nov 2018).

*

• This week sees the much-promised final exit of the US Envoy in Colombo. She arrived in 2022 one day after the escalating of the US/EU war on the Ukraine, to apply the coup-de-grace to the kidnapping & killing of a popularly elected President in Sri Lanka. Having left the US Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs after overseeing the murder of Haitian President Jovenal Moise in 2021, plus various coups in Peru & Bolivia, the unfortunate lady had to settle for a mere juggling in the incumbent political firmament here.

     Sri Lanka is an exporter of illiterate accountants & innumerate literati, so there will be no computing of the numbers of people impoverished and stunted under this envoy’s posting: the continued prevention of investment in industry resulting in labor power & dollars being drained out, nor will there be any artistic recording of the howls of the sickened & the dying, which were force-multiplied under her watch. And so, one diseased mask is being torn off and another one slipped on. Gone with the lady are the windy lectures of rule-based order and free&open this&that. And in comes a gunboating overseer of diplomats in the US Bureau of South & Central Asian Affairs, Eric S. Meyer, who has escalated conflicts in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Central Asia, aiming to sabotage China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). He is now ready to do the will of his current White House bosses (see ee Who’s Who) who promote hemispheric exclusion in the Atlantic and yet wish to splash more centrally in this ocean called Indian, while he maybe gets a sun tan too (though not too crisp).

     We recall that the Japanese attack against the US on Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, in 1941 was preceded by the US telling Japan that they could not operate in the Pacific Ocean. What could this new envoy accomplish in this ocean? The new envoy’s surname Meyer is curiouslt homonymous with the Sinhala word for rat ­– an animal with a pointed snout which it sticks into unwanted places; some being considered cosmopolitan yet transmitting diseases far and wide.

     The transvesting of masks from free-trader to protectionist, is not new. The US-led imperialist gang has always been divided between its 2 wings, which maybe compared to an old thief & a young thief: The old thief worries that any more robbery may push them all over the edge. The young thief whines that they have not been given their fair share yet, and that the US should wage more forever wars at least until they too are either allowed to grow old – peaceably – or eliminated. While media commentators divert with cries about morality, justice & universal (Martian?) law, and whether the US President can ‘legally’ wage wars whenever he desires (PS: he can), it is eminently apparent that Europe, the US, its settler satellites & colonial satrapies will wage wars until they are unable to do so.

     Russia’s impending rout of the US-led war machine in the Ukraine, has however led to the maddened escalations by imperialism in their New Year: the invasion, bombings & kidnappings in Venezuela, preceded by the attacks on Nigeria & attempted coup in Burkina Faso, and the continuing slaughter in Palestine and Sudan, was followed by attacks on Lebanon, Syria, hijacking of Russian ships, and renewed threats against Iran. (Apparently, terrorist cells in Iran have been equipped with US Starlink terminals to coordinate their attacks, while Russia has developed equipment to detect active Starlink terminals from the air, and has provided Iran with copies…).    

     The USA-led white world believes it has bloodily subjugated West Asia, which has not only allied with the white world (despite claims to being Muslim and Arab, etc.) in their decimation of Palestine, but is eagerly participating in their wars on East Africa. And now, with the US excluding navigation other than theirs in the Atlantic, it becomes more & more obvious that their real aim is to prevent the rise of China. And more importantly, their real aim is to grab China’s home market, which they are currently restrained from ravishing. We’ll leave our rap about who has hijacked our home market to another time….

*

• Major US capitalists are acting coy about the current round of US military attacks, at least in front of the media. The broadcast media – TV, podcasts, etc – rarely challenge or get to openly confront multinational corporations (MNCs), that hide behind public relations spokespersons and heavily fortified penthouse offices & gated suburban villas. The permissible villains, paraded in perp-walks before cameras, are usually petty politicians & low-level officials.

     The USA’s massive investment in the recent kidnapping of a major leader of a country that used its wealth to help its own people & neighbours, is, however, still fraught with impending continent-wide ‘blowback!’

     After the US President met with such capitalists on Friday, we learned that Exxon & Shell are demanding ‘physical security, legal certainty & a competitive fiscal framework’, without which they are ‘not going to invest single-digit billions of dollars, much less tens of $billions’ in Venezuela, claims David Goldwyn, a former US state department special envoy for international energy affairs. He told BBC: ‘It’s not really welcome from an industry point of view… The conditions are just not right.’ Goldwyn, who runs his own energy consultancy (of course!), is also chairman of the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center’s Energy Advisory Group. The Atlantic Council, a Washington thinktank, is funded by military weapons contractors, and is a major promoter of the NATO expansion, which triggered the war in the Ukraine. Agnia Grigas, at Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, another expert on ‘energy & geopolitical economy’, also explains that the US need to grab Russian oil tankers, is to ‘signal a shift from symbolic sanctions toward more assertive enforcement against maritime sanctions evasion’. The attack on Venezuela is also meant to symbolize an escalation worldwide against the shipping fleets of China, Russia, & Iran, claiming they are breaking sanctions.

     ‘What you need is to give up state socialism & to enhance the rule of law’, adds Ariel Cohen, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, ‘That will take time’ (see ee Sovereignty, Trump’s Venezuela plan lures investors with oil, minerals – & risk). Exxon however is all gung ho to send in an exploratory team, diverting from the fact that their subsidiary Chevron has long been operating in Venezuela, accounting for about 20% of Venezuela’s output!

     The attacks on shipping are to soon escalate in this ocean called Indian too. Such US attacks are bound to set off a boom in oil prices, putting paid to all the rosy economic forecasts promoted by the same USA’s IMF & World Bank, etc. 

*

• Sri Lanka is overrun by experts & thinktanks, officials & politicians, all funded in dollars & euros & pounds dished out by the usual suspects in the USA & Europe. These poohbahs repeat the same hype: about following the IMF, promoting exports, ending corruption, etc. All shamelessly seek to promote strategies anchored in the casinos (financial markets) of Wall Street and their English & European affiliates, rather than offer any plan to finesse productive investment. All their pronouncements are concealed in the latest financial jargon.

     This ee exposes the latest panaceas promoted by the US-funded thinktank Verité, which would expose the country even more to volatile capital markets, and spiral us into further debt commercialization. Even in the aftermath of disaster, these experts refuse to prioritize debt relief, temporary moratoria, and non-debt-creating financing mechanisms. Shiran Illanperuma, et al, point to Verité’s silence on the limited fiscal sovereignty imposed by the recent Central Bank Act. This Act, demanded by the USA’s IMF, seeks to prevent productive investment. Veritê instead offers another path to repackaged debt traps (see ee Focus). 

     The much-media-lauded Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe has aired his criticisms on TV against the recent statement by over 120 foreign economists calling for debt suspension. He has been countered line by line, by the Institute for Political Economy (IPE), which organized the statement. The Central Bank Governor casts aspersions on the economists’ objectives: ‘their intentions are not to help the country’. While we’re not enamored by these economists, who seem to ignore that the main aim of the imperialists is to prevent investment in modern (machine-making) industrialization, the clearly fudged responses of this high official suggest he is not really ‘governing’ anything at all! (see ee Focus)

*

• Blaming only oil companies, Jews, Republicans, Nazis, illuminati, lizard pedophiles, orange clowns, human nature & original sin, etc, for the habitual US, English & European penchant for wholesale slaughter across the globe – this is standard, corporate, ‘mass media’ fare. Media coverage has been no different for explaining the motivations behind the latest outrages in Venezuela. ‘The mask is off’ cry yet others. But did these mass murderers ever really use disguises? If they do it’s never lasted long, as did their flimsy pretext for invading Iraq etc, Gulf of Tonkin (for invading Vietnam), USS Maine (for invading Spain’s colonies), etc. 

     What such easy explanations betray is a wilful ignorance of history, and worse, a lack of understanding of the ruling capitalist classes of these countries. Sri Lankans are also kept ignorant of our own history, particularly, our own economic history, and the nature of our own merchant- & moneylender-dominated ruling class, who operate on behalf of the foreign MNCs.

     Multinationals such as Unilever control the media, and so-called social-media, through their ample advertising budgets. There is no other explanations, for the insistent repetition that Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro & his spouse Cilia Flores were ‘arrested’ & ‘captured’, instead of the more obvious verb: ‘Kidnapped!’ ‘Captured’ is an age-old trope in the white settler vocabulary, describing every encroachment on the original people’s lands. Ask the Apache Geronimo (aka Goyaalé), which 6 different US armies claimed to have ‘captured’ at different times.

     The English media revel in playing to the prejudices that they themselves have inculcated, and innumerable are the excuses or justifications for their horrors. Indeed, it’s over 100 years now since VI Lenin, the leader of the Russian Revolution, sought to explain in his classic Imperialism, the Latest Stage of Capitalism, how the monopolists of a few powerful banks & industries (including food, petroleum, coal, iron, steel, chemicals, minerals, transport, weapons), protected by the leading capitalist states, sent their armies to war against each other, and more numerously & significantly, against the rest of the world, maiming & killing tens of millions of people, so as to maximize their loot & power.  While they presently justify their invasions by blaming Russia & China, it is precisely Russia & China that have been invaded numerous times, and it is these countries who sacrificed the most to defeat their fascist wars

     The media in Sri Lanka are paid in dollars and yen to extol the ‘historic’ speech of JR Jayawardene ‘forgiving’ Japan at the San Francisco Treaty Conference in 1951. The Japanese government even erected a statue to JR in Japan! And now we learn more of how JR became known as ‘Yankee Dicky’.  It turns out that the US SF conference, which excluded China and the USSR, was a pretext for rearming Japan, less than 5 years after the US bombing of Hiroshima. It turns out their world wars have never ended. After their World War 2, the US would establish 902 foreign military bases across 98 countries & territories (see ee Focus).

     Last year, US War Secretary Peter Hegseth reminded Japan, that the USA had fought them as rival empires, not as ideological opponents: ‘Their shared enemy was always socialism.’ Japanese commemorations of the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima are now recast as warnings about Russia & China’s ‘potential’ use of nuclear weapons!

     This ee concludes Roy Singham’s incredibly comprehensive yet succinct assessment of the ‘80th Anniversary of the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War (WAFW)’, and the need to ‘Understand Who Saved Humanity’. He calculates the sacrifice of the 2 main groups of silenced victims: The 40-45 million casualties in the USSR, the 35-50 million casualties (dead & wounded) in China, and the 11.2 million colonized peoples killed in Asia & Africa, with the numbers of victims of the anti-communist genocides that followed, being minimized or forgotten’… Singham also recalls how in 30 minutes in August 1945, 2 ignorant US colonels drew the 38^th parallel line dividing Korea, igniting war within a proud nation that had been promised independence.

     The recent invasion of Venezuela has cleared away mists about the real status of any hollow cultural claims to actual independence. Crying about how the white man has robbed and continues to rob our countries will come to nothing, unless we understand the actual economic mechanisms that can enable true independence. In our conclusion of Chapter 5 of his classic ThePolitical Economy of Underdevelopment, SBD de Silva examines how it was the internal focus (not exports!) of capital & enterprise that made settler colonies’ development: distinctive. Our dollared economists (& not just them) ‘overlook the structural changes in the economy which the settlers brought about’. De Silva also discusses the failures of the settlers in the French colonies versus those in the English domains. Meanwhile, England’s white supremacist system in South Africa, with fake divisions based on skilled & unskilled labor, resulted in an irrational society that could only result in an ‘explosion’ (see ee Focus). 

*

_______

Contents:

From Debt War to Ditwah: US Envoy Brought Disaster & Leaves Disaster in Sri Lanka

By Dimitris Konstantakopoulos

After the live-streamed genocide of the Palestinians, carried out with the support of almost the entire West, the bombing of Venezuela and the abduction of President Maduro and his wife mark the entry into one of the most dangerous periods in the history of Western imperialism and of the entire planet. They also mark a milestone in the rise of a new form of global Totalitarianism.

The attack on Venezuela does not aim merely at achieving full control over Latin America, as Trump and his propagandists misleadingly try to persuade us—especially through the deception of the new National Security Strategy” issued by the U.S. President on the eve of the operation against Venezuela, in which he once again attempts to deceive by claiming that he does not seek global domination and that he supports multipolarity!

Even on the issue of peace in Ukraine, which he supposedly promotes (after having armed Ukraine to the teeth during his first term), it is increasingly likely that he is simply deceiving. It is not possible for the head of NATO—always an American-controlled position—Mark Rutte, to make the statements he does against Russia if the Americans truly disagreed. It is not possible for the Italian general, head of NATO’s Military Committee, to speak of a pre-emptive strike against Russia—i.e., to threaten Moscow with nuclear war—without American approval. It is not possible for Ukrainians, with the help of London, to carry out increasingly provocative operations against Russia (strikes on presidential residences and nuclear facilities) without the approval of the Americans and the CIA, and without the knowledge of Mossad. The supposed disagreements between Americans and Europeans over Ukraine look more like a useful division of roles. Never in history, moreover, have European states been as subordinated to the Americans as they are today. If Trump wanted to, he could indeed end the war in Ukraine. If he does not, it is either because he does not want to end it and prefers to continue a war of attrition against Russia, or because he is seeking greater concessions from Moscow—not necessarily limited to Ukraine alone.

Of course, it is not irrational for Moscow to try to exploit any possible contradictions within the Western Imperium, provided they are real and not merely pretextual. Nor is it irrational for it to try to avoid the terrible dangers of escalation, so long as it does not provoke even greater ones.

The Importance of Latin America in the Global Balance

An openly declared aim of Trump, in the same U.S. National Security Strategy,” is to annihilate any foreign influence—namely that of Russia, China, and Iran—on the American continent. He states this openly, partly to secure support from the most bellicose and primitive segments of US public opinion and the far Right, and partly to reassure” the Russians and Chinese that his interests are supposedly limited to that region, that his moves are somehow defensive,” that he does not consider Russia and China to be threats,” and perhaps that he would even make certain concessions to Russia and China by recognizing some spheres of influence.”

All this, of course, is a fairy tale for small children. Trump has no intention whatsoever of accepting Russia’s current strategic nuclear parity, or China’s future one. Nor, obviously, is a power that has carried out more than 200 invasions, coups, or assassinations of foreign leaders since 1900 prepared to sit back calmly and watch China’s economic, technological, and ultimately military ascent.

There is no place left on the planet that is completely independent. For centuries, the core of British—and subsequently American—strategy has been to secure their island,” so that Britain could safely launch attacks against Europe, and the United States against Eurasia and Africa.

The Missiles in Cuba

Nikita Khrushchev understood this in the past, and for precisely this reason Moscow reacted to the deployment of American nuclear missiles in Turkey—missiles that could be used for a first nuclear strike against the USSR—by placing similar missiles in Cuba. This move was dangerous and nearly led to global nuclear catastrophe, but had Moscow not taken it, it would have risked suffering a first strike.” The wisdom, however, of the then General Secretary of the CPSU and of the Kennedy brothers—reflecting one of the most democratic periods in human history—not only ultimately allowed an agreement for the removal of missiles from both Cuba and Turkey, along with a U.S. commitment not to attack Cuba, but also laid for the first time the foundations of Washington–Moscow cooperation to avoid war and mutual destruction. This understanding led to the major nuclear arms control agreements, from which Washington gradually withdrew after the self-dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and the USSR—without any guarantees as to what would replace them. In reality, Khrushchev, through his move, restored the U.S.–USSR balance achieved at Yalta, which the Americans attempted to overturn immediately after the war and are attempting once again now, after the suicide of Soviet socialism” and communism,” thus risking the nuclear and ecological destruction of humanity.

Cuba, a declared target of Trump after Venezuela, is not just another Caribbean island. Like Venezuela, it is a central element of the strategic balance between the United States and the USSR in the past, and between the United States, Russia, and China today. In the absence of a willingness for disarmament and other radical social measures, this balance is a fundamental prerequisite for avoiding global catastrophe.

Greenland, too, is of strategic importance in a nuclear war with Russia, among other reasons because Russian nuclear missiles could be struck there during their initial launch phase. It would also allow control of Arctic Sea routes once the ice melts due to climate change—a deranged plan passionately promoted by American oil companies under Trump’s leadership (***). In our next article, we will examine the return of the United States to the German interwar strategy of Hitler and Haushofer—not at the European level, but on a global scale.

Of course, it must be noted that action always provokes reaction. It does not follow that because the Americans plan these things, they will necessarily succeed. This is demonstrated by the remarkable resilience and growing popular support for Venezuela’s Bolivarian regime. What is certain is that we are entering the most dangerous period in the entire history of humankind.

We must also emphasize from now on that it is absolutely necessary to organize immediately a very large global campaign for the preservation of life and for the immediate release of the courageous President of Venezuela

(https://www.defenddemocracy.press/president-maduro-before-new-york-court-i-am-president-of-venezuela-and-i-consider-myself-a-prisoner-of-war/ ) and his wife, who are threatened by what one of the greatest American journalists and writers, Chris Hedges, calls a gangster state https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/america-is-a-gangster-state

Notes

(*) Since Trump first appeared on the scene, the author has argued that it is simply impossible for a representative of the US far Right, closely linked to the Israeli far Right, to be a peace-loving and Russia-friendly president who would challenge the establishment. Unfortunately, illusions and self-deceptions, both inside and outside the United States, correspond to very deep human needs and are not easily overcome. For a discussion of Trump’s first term, readers are referred to an earlier article: https://www.defenddemocracy.press/can-trump-be-a-solution-2/

 (**) This is not the first time in history that leaders of imperialist powers have resorted to deception. Deception is systematically one of their weapons. Americans were mocking Europeans that slaughtered each other like beasts and were proclaiming isolationism while —until the U.S. decided to intervene militarily in World War I, ensuring that it, rather than Germany, would dominate postwar Europe. Before World War II, Hitler convinced Stalin that he was an ally and friend, with consequences well known to all (and vividly described at the beginning of the memoirs of Marshal Zhukov, the victor of World War II). During World War II, they continually promised to open a second front” in Europe, but did so only when the Red Army had already defeated Hitler and was advancing rapidly toward the center of the continent, while powerful armed communist resistance movements already dominated several European countries. In the 1980s, they convinced Gorbachev that they wanted to help democratize, modernize, and thus strengthen the USSR. Today, since the product of so-called democracy” and markets” has become deeply repellent, they are trying to sell” nationalism, claiming to be allies” of Russia against globalization,” and perhaps hoping to use it against China.

But American and Israeli nationalism are by their nature aggressive, imperialist, and global in scope. America has been built as a global Empire, and only under its umbrella—and by controlling it—can Zionism survive in the long term. Donald Trump’s America First is, in essence, no different from Deutschland über Alles, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov aptly observed.

(Translated by Christian Haccuria

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Colombo Dockyard Limited (CDL) remains one of Sri Lanka’s most valuable yet under-leveraged strategic assets in the maritime and marine engineering sector. Its location, skilled workforce, dry dock facilities, and legacy capabilities position it as a natural anchor for Sri Lanka’s emergence as a regional maritime hub.

Post-Privatisation Reality

Since privatisation, the anticipated technological transfer, strategic expansion, and international market leverage from the Japanese partnership have been minimal. While the Japanese association brought initial credibility, the tangible contribution in terms of diversification, offshore capability development, and regional hub creation has been limited.

In contrast, successive Sri Lankan CEOs and management teams have worked tirelessly—often under severe financial, policy, and market constraints—to sustain and elevate the Dockyard to its current operational level. Their contribution deserves recognition as a core driver of CDL’s resilience.

Opportunity under Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders

The proposed leadership role of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (India) opens a critical strategic window. With its proven strengths in:

• Offshore platforms and naval vessels
• Subsea and heavy marine engineering
• Defence and commercial shipbuilding integration

Sri Lanka can reposition itself as an Indian Ocean marine engineering and offshore services hub, rather than remaining confined to ship repair alone.

Lease Extension: Strategic Conditionality Required

The Government’s proposal to extend the lease of Colombo Harbour land to Colombo Dockyard must not be treated as a routine administrative decision. It should be strategically conditioned.

Key Condition Recommended:

Any lease extension must require Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders to prepare and implement a time-bound diversification plan, including the development of Trincomalee as an offshore industrial and marine engineering hub.

Trincomalee: The Missing Link

Trincomalee offers unmatched natural depth, space, and strategic location for:

• Offshore energy fabrication and maintenance
• Floating docks and mega-structure assembly
• Defence and dual-use marine industries
• Oil & gas support services and renewables (offshore wind, OTEC, LNG)

Colombo Dockyard should act as the technical and managerial nucleus, while Trincomalee becomes the expansion platform for large-scale offshore and industrial marine activities that Colombo Harbour cannot physically accommodate.

Strategic Outcome for Sri Lanka

If properly structured, this approach would:

• Transform Sri Lanka into a regional offshore engineering hub
• Create high-value employment and skill transfer
• Reduce over-dependence on port logistics alone
• Anchor Indo-Sri Lankan industrial maritime cooperation
• Position Trincomalee as a long-term industrial growth pole

Conclusion

Colombo Dockyard is not merely a shipyard—it is a strategic national asset. The transition to Mazagon Dock’s stewardship must be leveraged to achieve national industrial objectives. A conditional lease extension linked to Trincomalee’s development is not only justified—it is essential for Sri Lanka’s maritime future.

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Courtesy AA.com

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi makes brief stopover in Sri Lanka while on his way back from Africa trip.

China is willing to deepen strategic cooperative partnership with Sri Lanka, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, as he made a brief stopover in the South Asian island country while on his way back from a trip to Africa.

Wang met with his Sri Lankan counterpart Vijitha Herath and discussed strengthening bilateral ties and regional cooperation, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The foreign minister praised Sri Lanka for its resilience following the recent devastating cyclone and reaffirmed China’s readiness to provide assistance.

China is willing to enhance exchanges of governance experience with Sri Lanka, expand practical cooperation in various fields, facilitate people-to-people exchanges, further deepen the strategic cooperative partnership based on sincere mutual assistance and everlasting friendship between the two countries,” he said.

During the meeting, Wang emphasized China’s willingness to expand exchanges in governance, infrastructure, maritime affairs, tourism, and cultural cooperation.

Wang also highlighted China’s commitment to safeguarding the rights of developing countries, upholding multilateralism, and promoting a fairer global governance system.

Herath, for his part, reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s adherence to the one-China principle and expressed firm support for China’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the news agency.

During the meeting, Herath also conveyed that the agreement related to the SINOPEC Oil Refinery Project in Hambantota will be finalized in the first quarter of 2026, according to a Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry statement.

Courtesy  The Daily Mirror

• December revenue dips to US$ 309mn
• Annual earnings flat at US$ 3.2bn

Earnings from Sri Lanka’s tourism industry disappointed in 2025, as revenue failed to correspond with the surge in arrivals, which reached a fresh high during the year. 

For instance, the country attracted 258,928 visitors in December – about 10,000 more than a year earlier – bringing total arrivals for the year to 2,362,521, up 15.1 percent from 2024.

However, earnings in December 2025 came in lower at US$ 308.6 million, down from US$ 362.1 million a year ago. This trend was reflected in the cumulative performance as well, with full-year revenue reaching US$ 3,219.2 million, a marginal 1.6 percent increase over 2024. Addressing this disparity, SLTDA and SLTPB Chairman Buddika Hewawasam recently noted that the industry is now in the process of recalibrating its data. Preliminary findings from a comprehensive 12-month survey, which covered a sample size of 10,000, indicated that daily tourist spending had declined to US$ 148, a sharp drop from the previously estimated US$ 171. Hewawasam attributed this correction to the outdated nature of the previous 2010 benchmark, significant shifts in the exchange rate, and a general reduction in global travel expenditure in the post-Covid landscape.

This data raises the pertinent question of whether Sri Lanka is attracting the right mix of tourists, as a significant portion appears to be low spenders and backpackers seeking inexpensive getaways. Many of these visitors rely on budget transport options like three-wheelers and scooters, drawing criticism from sections of the local community for not meeting the perceived standards of international visitors.  Meanwhile, the SLTDA has embarked on efforts to measure leakage – the share of tourism income that flows out of the country. While leakage surveys serve a statistical purpose, the SLTDA must recognise that they offer limited value from a practical business perspective.

Nevertheless, Sri Lanka continues to pin high hopes on the sector to support broader economic recovery. While the country aims to attract three million visitors in 2026, authorities have refrained from committing to a specific revenue target just yet. 

Hewawasam recently remarked that the authority is awaiting the final outcome of the sector survey before forecasting earnings, ensuring future targets are based on grounded reality rather than speculation.

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Arrivals record marginal growth in first four days of January

Sri Lanka welcomed 33,076 tourists during the first four days of January 2026, recording a marginal growth of 2.6 percent compared to the same period in the previous year. In comparison, the island nation received 32,234 visitors during the first four days of 2025.

While the year-on-year trajectory remains positive, the daily arrival average of 8,269 witnessed in early January indicates a slowdown compared to the latter half of December 2025. The final weeks of December saw significantly higher traffic, with daily arrivals peaking at 12,397 and the final week alone recording nearly 100,000 visitors, driven by peak winter holiday demand.

India maintained its position as the leading source market, contributing 5,065 arrivals, which accounts for 15 percent of the total traffic. The Russian Federation followed as the second-largest market with 3,948 visitors, representing a 12 percent share. The United Kingdom and Germany also remained key contributors, bringing in 2,914 and 2,862 tourists respectively, and each commanding a 9 percent share of the total arrivals.

Other notable markets included Australia with 1,790 arrivals, Poland with 1,658, and the United States with 1,137 visitors. Traditional European markets continued to show interest, with Italy contributing 1,119 tourists, while China and France rounded out the top ten with 1,044 and 991 arrivals respectively.

by Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

AKD’s request to Harsha:

Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne has frustrated an attempt by Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) Dr. Harsha de Silva, MP, to intervene to settle the continuing dispute over the appointment of a new Auditor General.

Dr. De Silva yesterday told The Island he had recently written to all members of the Constitutional Council (CC) drawing their attention to the urgent need to address the issue at hand. The AG’s position remains vacant since 08 Dec, 2025. AG W.P.C. Wickremanayake retired in April and since then there have been a couple of Acting appointments. The CC has declined to endorse any of President Dissanayake’s nominees as the AG.

Asked whether he had taken up the issue with the CC following President Anura Kumara Dissanayake soliciting his support in this regard, MP de Silva said that he had written to CC members as agreed with the President.

The former UNPer and one-time State Minister said: I did so, giving due respect to CC’s independence, underscoring the critical importance in them working with the President to resolve the crisis. I alluded to the need to have transparency in public financial management during this post-cyclone period where large amounts of funds are being transacted on multiple fronts, both domestic and foreign.”

Responding to another query, Dr. De Silva emphasised that he had clarified that the President must send the names of qualified and experienced persons to the CC for consideration. However, these letters were returned to me by the Speaker, without being delivered to members of the CC. The Speaker didn’t give an explanation. Thus, except for members who are MPs who had been copied via email by my committee office, others never received my letter of concern. Even though I questioned, in Parliament, the basis of his refusal to forward my communication to the members of the CC of which he is Chairman, no answer was given.”

The CC consists of Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, Speaker and Chairman of the 10-member body. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister, Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the Opposition, Bimal Rathnayake, Aboobucker Athambawa, Ajith P. Perera, Sivagnanam Shritharan, and three civil society members namely Dr. Prathap Ramanujam, Dr. Dilkushi Anula Wijesundere and Dr. Dinesha Samararatne. None of the President’s nominees could obtain CC’s approval as all of them were rejected by the CC.

The present CC was introduced by the 21st Amendment to the Constitution which was endorsed on 31 October 2022.

Both the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and the Transparency International Sri Lanka Chapter recently requested President Dissanayake, in writing, to propose a suitable person to the post of AG. The BASL, in another statement that dealt with the forthcoming vacancies in the CC due to three civil society members completing their terms, declared its concern over possible attempts by the President and the NPP government to fill the vacancies with rubber stamps.

The three civil society members will complete their terms on 18 January. In terms of Article 41E of the Constitution, the CC meets at least twice every month, and may meet as often as may be necessary. The Chairman presides at all meetings of the CC and in the absence of the Chairman, the Prime Minister, and in the absence of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition presides at the meetings of the CC.

Asked whether the CC could be disrupted due to the end of civil society members’ terms, an authoritative official pointed out that in case new appointments were not made the current members could continue.

The Parliament has not so far called for applications to fill the forthcoming vacancies.

by Shamindra Ferdinando ✍️

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Colombo, January 12 (Daily Mirror) – Whilst highlighting a serious scam with regard to the awarding of tender pertaining to supply of coal to Norochcholai power plant, the Frontline Socialist Party yesterday urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to carry out a probe on it.

FLSP Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda told media that calling for tenders for the supply of coal to the power plant has been delayed in 2025 to enable Trident Chemphar to register as an official coal supplier. The usual practice has been the completion of tenders for supplying of coal by February each year.

Also, it was alleged that the company has not fulfilled the standard criteria of experience in supplying coal. The owner of the company has been alleged to have involved in money laundering in New Delhi India.

We call upon the Government and the President to carry out a probe on the awarding of coal power supplying tender.

Courtesy Hiru News

Wimal Weerawansa, the leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF), has announced that a continuous sathyagraha will commence today (12) in front of the Ministry of Education. The protest demands the immediate withdrawal of the recently introduced education reforms, which Weerawansa claims lack a scientific basis, and calls for the resignation of the Minister of Education, PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

The former minister, who visited Kandy yesterday (11), asserted that the Education Minister must be removed from her post due to “serious errors” within the new reform process. He argued that the changes are being implemented hastily without proper consultation with experts or consideration for the future of the country’s children.

During his visit to the hill capital, Weerawansa first called upon the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera, the Chief Prelate of the Malwatta Chapter. He presented a memorandum detailing the concerns surrounding the reforms and provided an explanation of the potential negative impacts on the education system.

Following this, he met with the Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera, the Chief Prelate of the Asgiriya Chapter.

The satyagraha, organised by the group “Adults Standing for Children,” is scheduled to begin at 9:00 am today, with Weerawansa inviting parents across all political divides to join the struggle against the proposed educational changes.

SL Leaders

Dr. Sarath Obeysekera 

Lessons from Hambantota and the Way Forward

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1. Executive Summary

Sri Lanka’s strategic location along the East–West international shipping route presents a unique opportunity to develop a high-value marine and offshore industrial economy, rather than relying solely on port-based logistics and transshipment activities.

In 2015, a comprehensive proposal was submitted to develop a Hambantota Dockyard Project, aimed at ship repair, conversion, and offshore services. The proposal demonstrated strong technical, economic, and strategic merit. However, the absence of a national marine industrial policy and delays in institutional decision-making resulted in the opportunity not being realised in its intended form.

This paper outlines:

• What the Hambantota Dockyard proposal achieved conceptually
• Why marine industry–led development is superior to port-only models
• How Sri Lanka can still recover this opportunity through a national, multi-location marine & offshore strategy

2. Strategic Importance of Marine & Offshore Industries

Ports generate value only when anchored to industry. Globally successful maritime hubs such as:

• Dubai (Drydocks World)
• Sohar (Oman)
• Singapore

derive the majority of their economic value from:

• Ship repair & conversion
• Offshore engineering
• Marine fabrication
• Skilled technical services

These sectors generate:

• Continuous foreign exchange earnings
• High-skilled employment
• Strong backward linkages (steel, welding, coatings, logistics)

3. The Hambantota Dockyard Proposal – What It Got Right (2015)

The Hambantota Dockyard Project proposed in 2015 was industry-led, not asset-driven.

Key strengths:

• Location: ~10 nautical miles from the main East–West shipping lane
• Natural deep water suitable for 300,000 DWT class vessels
• Availability of ~50 hectares of contiguous industrial land
• Integrated connectivity (port, airport, highway, rail)

Proposed facilities:

• 300,000 DWT dry dock
• Floating dock
• 1.5 km quay length with four berths
• Phased development:
  • Phase I: Ship repair & conversion
  • Phase II: Shipbuilding and offshore works

Economic impact:

• Approx. USD 400 million FDI
• ~3,000 direct skilled jobs
• Technology transfer and managerial expertise
• Development of a marine industrial cluster

4. Why Hambantota Could Have Competed with Dubai

Dubai’s maritime success was industry-first:

• Drydocks preceded large-scale port expansion
• Offshore conversion created continuous demand
• Marine clusters followed naturally

Hambantota possessed:

• Comparable geographic advantage
• Superior natural depth
• Lower operating costs
• Immediate access to South Asian and Indian Ocean fleets

The key difference was policy sequencing, not feasibility.

5. Lessons Learned (Policy-Safe Analysis)

Without assigning blame, the following structural gaps are evident:

• Absence of a unified National Marine & Offshore Industry Policy
• Overemphasis on port asset utilisation rather than industrial value creation
• Fragmented institutional responsibility across ministries
• Slow investment facilitation mechanisms for complex marine projects

6. Why the Opportunity Still Exists (2026 Outlook)

• Global fleet ageing → increased repair and conversion demand
• Congestion and rising costs in traditional hubs
• Growth in green retrofits, ballast water systems, scrubbers
• Sri Lanka’s existing but underutilised marine skill base

7. Recommended National Strategy

A Tiered Marine Industry Development Model

Tier 1 – Trincomalee

• Heavy ship repair
• Offshore structures
• Floating and semi-submersible docks

Tier 2 – Hambantota

• Large-vessel repair & conversion
• Offshore maintenance
• Green ship retrofit hub

Tier 3 – Modera / Galle / Beruwala

• Yacht and leisure craft MRO
• Nautical tourism support services

8. Implementation Framework

• PPP model with land lease (not port asset transfer)
• Multiple international partners
• EDB-led single-window facilitation
• Vocational and engineering skill pipeline development

9. Conclusion

Sri Lanka’s future maritime competitiveness depends not on ports alone, but on industrial capability. The Hambantota Dockyard proposal offers a proven blueprint that can still be adapted and scaled nationally.

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Prepared by:

Dr. Sarath Obeysekera 

Source: Al Hakam, London.

There are certain ignorant philosophers in this day and age, who attribute all positive advancement to the brain. However, such people do not realise that the brain only possesses the ability to weigh arguments and evidence. Although it is the brain that possesses the faculty of reflection and retention, the heart possesses a quality which moves it to the position of a chief. The mind follows a forced, mechanical process, while the heart is free of this and functions in an unforced, natural way. It is for this reason that the heart holds an affinity with the Lord of the Throne, and is able to determine the truth merely through its faculty of sense, without any evidence or proof. This is why it is narrated in a Hadith:

Full Text: https://www.alhakam.org/the-nature-of-the-heart-and-brain/

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Colombo, January 11 (Daily Mirror) – Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Namal Rajapaksa said that if the President believes education reforms compatible with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) are also compatible with the country, then a wrong decision has been taken.

He made these remarks while addressing the media, commenting on the President’s speech yesterday, which he said indicates that despite the proposed education reforms being incompatible with the country, the government is prepared to implement them.

MP Rajapaksa said the President should understand the need to implement only what is suitable and necessary for the country, adding that decisions taken with arrogance would not bring justice to the nation, its people, or the President himself.

He said that both the SLPP and the public accept the need for changes to the education system as well as the state mechanism. However, he stressed that any reforms introduced must be compatible with the country and its needs, and not designed to suit the JVP.

He also made an appeal to the President not to interfere with the country’s religion and culture.

MP Rajapaksa added that the government should take full responsibility for attempts to introduce education reforms that are incompatible with the country’s education system.

Courtesy The Island

Thilini Ranasinghe speaking to the media outside of the Police headquarters

A person, named Thilini Ranasinghe yesterday, said she had requested information from the Police under the country’s Right to Information law regarding a visit by Lankan police officers to an English university linked to an ongoing case involving a former president.

Addressing the media outside the Police Headquarters in Colombo, Ranasinghe said she had visited the Police to confirm facts related to reports that officers travelled to England in connection with a case involving the imprisonment of Sri Lanka’s eighth executive president.

She added that she had formally requested details about the visit under the Right to Information Act, No. 12 of 2016, seeking information about the number of police officers who travelled to the UK, their identities, the expenses incurred and the outcomes of the visit.

I am not requesting any sensitive information about the case itself, because it is still ongoing,” Ranasinghe said.

What I need to know is how much public money was spent and what results were achieved from this visit.”

She said her request was made in her capacity as a citizen and taxpayer and that she expects the relevant authorities to provide the information within 14 days, as required by law.

Responding to questions about her motive, Ranasinghe said the public has a right to know how state funds are used by authorities.

As citizens and taxpayers, we have the right to know how our money is being spent,” she said.

Asked whether she would take legal action if misuse of funds or other irregularities were revealed, Ranasinghe said she believes the law applies equally to all and plans to address the media again after receiving the requested information and related documents.

If there has been any wrongdoing, I will file a fundamental rights petition and take the necessary legal steps,” she said.

The case involving the former president remains under legal proceedings, and according to official disclosures in Parliament, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has incurred expenses totaling Rs. 1.27 billion for 23 overseas visits between 2022 and 2024.

These figures were reported by Chief Government Whip Nalinda Jayatissa, who told Parliament that the total covered 23 foreign tours during Wickremesinghe’s tenure, including four in 2022, 14 in 2023 and five in 2024.

Courtesy The Island

Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa on Friday told Parliament that the Buddhism textbook contained a serious error,” citing the use of the Ashoka Chakra instead of the Dharmachakra.

He said the Dharmachakra depicted in the book differs from the one featured in the state symbol and called on the Education Minister to correct the mistake.

Responding, Education Minister and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said the Dharmachakra used in the textbook had been approved by the Ministry of Buddhist Affairs. She added that the advisory board on Buddhism had also endorsed it.

The Premier further noted that during her recent visit, Mahanayake Theras confirmed that the Dharmachakra in the textbook was the officially approved version.

Courtesy Adaderana

Although there is a need for educational reforms in schools, the process in which the present administration is carrying them out is not acceptable, Senior Professor Venerable Pathegama Gnanissara Thero noted.

Ven. Gnanissara Thero made these remarks while delivering the keynote address at the book launch of a biography written about Venerable Daramitipola Ratnasara Thero.

The Gnanissara Thero further emphasized that it is impossible to develop the country while destroying its culture and eroding its Buddhist heritage.

Expressing further views, Ven. Pathegama Gnanissara Thero said:

We accept that school education reforms are necessary. But the change being proposed is not the right one… They go to the Chief Prelates and say, ‘We only shared the link; we never asked anyone to visit it.’ The Chief Prelates are not irrational like some rulers. They possess wisdom that sees past, present, and future. They are observing these acts. What kind of country can be built by wiping out the nation’s culture and eliminating the Buddhist heritage embedded in society?”

Participating in the event, Ven. Medagoda Abayathissa Thero stated that there had even been a plan within the current government to interfere with the Pirivena Education Act.

Abayathissa Thero further explained that the Chief Prelates had not granted permission to interfere with the Pirivena Act, but had only allowed reforms to the Pirivena education system.

Commenting further, Ven. Abayathissa Thero Thero said:

They went so far as to plan to interfere even with the Pirivena Act. The Chief Prelates did not give permission to tamper with the Pirivena Act. They only allowed reforms to Pirivena education. Therefore, I respectfully urge the monks to remain vigilant. If there are obstacles or threats that could lead to a crisis for the Buddhist order, we cannot remain silent. If it is destroyed, there will be no place left for us to rebuild it.”