News

Fishermen’s organisations in Jaffna have joined political activists to distribute leaflets demanding an end to Indian trawler incursions and the withdrawal of a proposed Fisheries Bill.

The joint campaign was conducted in northern Sri Lanka alongside members of the Jana Aragala movement, including Frontline Socialist Party activist Vasantha Mudalige.

Protesters warned that taxes on nets and gear have driven prices beyond reach, making boat purchases impossible for ordinary workers.

Demonstrators pointed out that despite an official fuel subsidy announcement, local fishermen are still forced to pay full market prices at the pump.

Campaigners alleged that the government has failed to deliver on its pledges, leaving fishing communities waiting in vain for relief.

The leaflets accused successive administrations of neglecting to develop the sector scientifically while failing to halt Indian vessels from plundering local waters.

The long-running maritime dispute remains unresolved after bilateral talks on bottom trawling were postponed without a new date set.

Tamil fishing communities continue to suffer as bottom trawlers damage gear, deplete fish stocks, and destroy seabed habitats in the North and East.

Local fishermen also face severe operational limits due to ongoing military occupation of coastal land and strict naval access controls.

Organisers outlined key demands including lower fuel prices, affordable equipment, concessionary fuel supplies, decisive action against foreign incursions, and the immediate withdrawal of the legislation.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP S. M. Marikkar has accused President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government of imposing unprecedented authoritarian measures across Sri Lanka to conceal economic failure and public discontent.

He made these allegation during a media briefing in Colomb.

Marikkar asserted that the current executive was erecting a regime more repressive than that of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa while actively preparing legislative mechanisms to curtail civil liberties.

He said state authorities are attempting to dismantle freedom of speech and restrict journalists from reporting on growing social hardship.

He attributed these measures to the government's inability to reduce the prices of fuel, electricity, essential foodstuffs, and vital pharmaceuticals.

Marikkar observed that severe economic pressure had forced many families to reduce daily meals from three to two, driving record numbers of citizens to pawn personal jewellery to survive.

Anticipating widespread public demonstrations, he claimed the government was resorting to intimidation and media censorship to stifle dissent.

He said that the NPP government's political mandate had expired, asserting that voters were increasingly shifting allegiance to the SJB.

He also promised that an alternative SJB government would attract USD 10 billion in foreign direct investment during its first year to deliver economic relief.

Displaced landowners in Valikamam North staged their 26th consecutive Friday protest outside a military site, accusing the government of failing to honour pledges to return occupied ancestral land.

They gathered in heavy rain outside the military commander's bungalow in Myliddy, Jaffna, representing affected families from four Grama Niladhari divisions who were original residents before being displaced in June 1990.

Protesters expressed outrage after the administration failed to meet its promised September deadline for returning properties held within the High Security Zone.

Residents pointed out that official claims regarding recent land releases were misleading because the 11.23 acres returned by the military in Jaffna consisted of state land rather than privately owned residential property.

Frustration deepened following a recent announcement by Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, who asked for an additional two to three months to process the land releases.

Protestors noted that this delay follows earlier unfulfilled assurances that land would be handed back in April and September.

Protest actions have now spread beyond Myliddy, with parallel demonstrations taking place near Palaly Junction and in the Vasavilan area.

Local representative groups stated that they have been systematically excluded from divisional coordinating committee meetings.

Electoral promises under scrutiny

Community members highlighted that the government secured significant support in Jaffna based on explicit campaign commitments that civilian lands would be returned to their owners.

Local political figures remarked that the current government has spent two years repeating the same excuses without delivering tangible progress.

Protesters criticised ruling party parliamentarians, including local national list appointees, for failing to visit the demonstration site or directly engage with displaced families.

The affected villagers emphasised that they have been denied access to their homes for more than 17 years since the end of the armed conflict.

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has quashed a presidential pardon granted under former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to a man serving a 29-month prison sentence for defaulting on maintenance payments, declaring the release unlawful and unconstitutional.

A three-judge bench comprising Justice Janak De Silva, Justice Dr. Sobhitha Rajakaruna, and Justice Sampath K. B. Wijeratne delivered the verdict following a Fundamental Rights application filed by the convict’s former wife, Ahamend Jaleel Farmilla Begum.

The petitioner challenged the early September 2024 release of Mohamed Ameen Mohamed Naseem, who had served less than two months of his term following imprisonment by the Quazi Court for failing to pay Rs. 1.74 million in maintenance arrears.

The court ruled that former President Wickremesinghe, alongside the Ministry of Justice Secretary and the Commissioner General of Prisons, violated Article 12(1) constitutional guarantees of equality and equal law protection by granting the presidential remission.

The justices noted that prison authorities gave preferential treatment to the convict by recording his commitment as non-payment of a fine, whereas another inmate held under identical maintenance arrears received only a one-week sentence reduction.

Holding that clerical differences on commitment warrants could not justify unequal treatment, the bench invalidated the remission and reinstated the original prison term issued by the Negombo Magistrate’s Court.

The court designated the released convict a fugitive from justice and advised his immediate surrender to law enforcement, confirming that local magistrates retain existing statutory power to enforce the arrest warrant without requiring additional directives.

The bench clarified that the executive branch retains constitutional power to issue a fresh remission provided all procedures strictly adhere to legal standards.

Environmental watchdogs have warned that over 5,000 metric tonnes of highly toxic sulphuric acid could be leaking into Sri Lanka’s ecosystems annually due to unregulated battery recycling practices.

The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) issued the urgent warning following reports that more than 2,000 lead-smelting plants are operating nationwide without proper environmental safeguards or licensing oversight.

Experts highlighted that hazardous waste from battery recycling contains lead, cadmium, and arsenic, which pose severe health risks to workers and nearby populations.

Medical evidence indicates that no level of lead exposure is safe, with children facing permanent cognitive damage while adults risk cardiovascular and renal diseases.

The warning was delivered during events held between 18 and 24 October as part of global lead poisoning prevention awareness week.

Organisers conducted outreach sessions for schoolchildren and municipal waste workers in Kolonnawa, while experts held online panel discussions on national battery waste management.

Environmentalists warned that current licensing procedures fail to address toxic runoff, allowing hazardous chemicals to contaminate surrounding soil and water sources.

In addition to battery recycling, improper electronic waste disposal and unmonitored industrial discharges continue to spread heavy metals across the country.

Advocates urged authorities to establish a formal collection framework, enforce strict regulatory oversight, and align national policies with global chemical trade conventions.

The Irrigation Department has issued an Amber flood warning for low-lying areas near the Mahaweli River within the Pasbage Korale Divisional Secretariat Division following heavy rainfall in the river’s upper catchment areas.

According to the department, the heavy rainfall recorded over the past few hours has increased the risk of minor flooding in areas adjacent to the river.

The department has urged residents in the affected areas and motorists travelling along roads that pass through these locations to exercise extreme caution.

People living close to the Mahaweli River have also been advised to remain vigilant and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves in the event of flooding.

Meanwhile, disaster management authorities have been requested to implement appropriate precautionary measures in response to the potential flood threat.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has accused Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne of eroding parliamentary democracy by blocking a no-confidence motion submitted against him.

SJB MP Mujibur Rahman made these remarks in Colombo on Tuesday, criticising the Speaker for refusing to schedule a debate on his conduct.

Parliamentary proceedings have faced growing criticism from opposition lawmakers over the handling of motions against the chair.

Rahman pointed out that official justifications regarding a pending court case should not prevent the debate from moving forward.

He noted that former Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena previously permitted a debate on a no-confidence motion against himself in 2023 despite ongoing legal proceedings concerning the appointment of the Inspector General of Police.

The opposition MP alleged that the current Speaker is displaying political bias and systematically preventing minority parties from raising critical questions on the house floor.

Wholesale prices for key produce across Sri Lanka have surged dramatically following continuous heavy rainfall, threatening further financial strain on consumers ahead of the upcoming festive period.

Trade figures from major distribution hubs, including the Manning Market in Colombo, reveal significant price hikes affecting both upcountry and low-country crops over recent days.

Tomatoes registered the steepest increase, climbing from a previous wholesale range of Rs. 350 to Rs. 400 per kilogram to a peak of Rs. 600 to Rs. 650 per kilogram.

Capsicum prices rose sharply from Rs. 250 to between Rs. 400 and Rs. 450 per kilogram, while cabbage more than doubled in cost to reach Rs. 350 per kilogram.

Former Manning Market Traders Union Chief Organiser Anil Indrajith said that adverse weather patterns had severely disrupted supplies across key farming regions, making tomatoes the most expensive staple in the market.

Current market data indicates that beans are trading between Rs. 400 and Rs. 500 per kilogram, with green chillies fetching between Rs. 350 and Rs. 400 per kilogram.

Meanwhile, carrots are selling at between Rs. 200 and Rs. 250 per kilogram, and leeks are holding steady at approximately Rs. 200 per kilogram.

Indrajith cautioned that wholesale rates are likely to escalate further across the island as household demand intensifies in the coming weeks.

A 41-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly possessing a foreign-manufactured revolver-type firearm during a police raid in Orugodawatta, within the Grandpass Police area.

The arrest was made by a team of officers from the Colombo District Crimes Division during an operation conducted in the area.

According to police, the suspect is a resident of Kirulapone.

Further investigations into the incident are being carried out by the Colombo District Crimes Division.

Severe structural and management failures at the Port of Colombo have left Sri Lanka’s flagship East Container Terminal largely non-operational more than a decade after its first phase was completed, delaying critical returns on a USD 755 million national project.

Senior Professor Prasanna Perera, former Vice Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and Head of the Economics Department at the University of Peradeniya, disclosed the systemic lapses surrounding the asset during a detailed technical assessment.

Despite USD 550 million having been spent by early 2026, the facility remains unable to conduct full semi-automated operations due to fragmented procurement, incomplete integrated designs, and missing critical software interfaces.

Equipment sequencing failures have left all 40 Automated Rail-Mounted Gantry cranes and four Ship-to-Shore cranes standing idle, risking the expiry of warranties and software licences before commercial deployment.

The terminal civil works face ongoing delays under a fourth extension request through July 2026, compounded by pending legal claims, five cancelled straddle carrier tenders, and unresolved staffing approvals.

Revenue losses for 2026 alone are estimated between USD 28.2 million and USD 105.6 million, excluding loan interest, maintenance costs, and potential long-term cargo diversion to regional competitors such as Hambantota.

Governance conflict

Critical oversight deficiencies and frequent leadership turnover have further undermined project execution and financial accountability.

Professor Perera highlighted a fundamental conflict of interest in having internal authority engineers supervise construction and assess contractual claims resulting from the institution's own operational decisions.

Frequent management changes, featuring at least four chairpersons and multiple project directors since 2021, have continually disrupted continuity and institutional memory.

To resolve the impasse, the economist outlined a series of mandatory operational and administrative interventions.

- Appointment of an independent third-party engineer to supervise remaining civil works and objectively assess contractor claims.

- Formalisation of a final, unextendable completion deadline that fully accounts for seasonal monsoon risks.

- Immediate procurement of the Equipment Control Interface Database alongside parallel resolution of legal disputes.

- Resolution of the straddle carrier procurement based on an independent price evaluation to support interim operations.

- Approval of 467 pending operational posts by the Department of Management Services to ensure adequate staffing.

Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa was brought to the Hulftsdorp Courts Complex in Aluthkade a short while ago today (October 27) in connection with a court case.

Further details regarding the proceedings have not yet been reported.

Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has commended Brazilian voters following the return of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the presidency, describing the election outcome as a victory for democratic principles over political corruption and national division.

In a message posted on social media platform "X", President Dissanayake said that the electorate had decisively rejected political forces that attempted to fracture the nation.

He remarked that the Brazilian people had achieved more than an electoral win by defeating corruption, division, and political deception.

Furthermore, Dissanayake noted that Lula’s return demonstrated that voters could not be misled by bankrupt political dynasties or established interests attempting to assert authority over democratic rights.

Extending personal congratulations to the newly elected leader, the Sri Lankan president applauded him for securing public confidence once again to lead one of the world's largest democracies and guiding what he termed a march of progress.