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The United States is advancing its goal of a mine-free Sri Lanka, the US Embassy in Colombo said on Thursday (11).

The US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Martin Kelly visited a Mines Advisory Group (MAG) demining site to observe the painstaking measures undertaken to clear explosive hazards in the area and speak with a team of female deminers.

The project, which is part of the more than LKR 1 billion (USD 5.5 million) the United States is providing this fiscal year for clearance activities, promotes the safety and security of local residents.

“Clearing these deadly devices takes skill, patience, and bravery,” said Martin Kelly, adding that "the women deminers defy stereotypes of appropriate gender roles while at the same time performing a courageous service in the rebuilding of their communities. We’re grateful for their contributions to helping Sri Lanka become mine-free.”

DCM Kelly met with representatives of local and international clearance partners, including the Delvon Association for Social Harmony (DASH), Skavita Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Project (SHARP), HALO Trust, and MAG, who carry out demining operations with the support of U.S. funding.

He also had a positive and productive meeting with the National Mine Action Center at the Regional Mine Action Office in Kilinochchi.

Since 1995, the United States has been the largest donor to humanitarian demining in Sri Lanka, providing over USD 78 million for operations and equipment.

US support has helped advance clearance efforts in the nine districts affected by landmine contamination and helped efforts that enabled Batticaloa District to be declared mine-impact free in 2017.

US funding has also supported mine detection training for and has provided demining equipment to the Sri Lanka Army

Police repression against Tamil mothers who have been protesting for years trying to find their missing family members continue unabated, Northern media reported.

A mother who led a protest on the International Women's Day to mark the fourth anniversary of the ongoing protest demanding justice for missing persons was summoned to the Mullaitivu Police on Tuesday (9) to record a statement.

The President of the Mullaithivu Association of Relations of Enforced Disappearances Mariyasuresh Eswari said that after the conclusion of the protest, a police officer had visited her office and informed her to come to the Mullaitivu Police to give a statement.  

Speaking to local reporters, Eswari said that the Mullaitivu Police had recorded her statement for about an hour and a half. The persecution and intimidation of the mothers have intensified under the current government, civil society activists pointed out, adding that military intelligence officers routinely visit their houses warning them not to participate in protests. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a statement last month said that Sri Lankan security forces and intelligence agencies have intensified surveillance and threats against families of victims of enforced disappearance and activists supporting them since Gotabaya Rajapaksa became president in November 2019.

“The families of Sri Lanka’s ‘disappeared’ have spent years waiting for answers, but with the Rajapaksas back in power, security forces are threatening them to drop their demands for truth and accountability,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director.

“The government needs to stop the harassment immediately and abide by Sri Lanka’s pledges to the UN to uncover the fate of the ‘disappeared’ and provide justice to victims’ families,” she added.

HRW said that thousands of people, primarily ethnic Tamils, are believed to have been forcibly disappeared in state custody between 2005 and 2015, when the current president was defense secretary and his brother, current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, was president.

President Rajapaksa has resisted demands for justice, including past Sri Lankan commitments to the UN Human Rights Council, and said at a recent meeting with the UN that the “missing persons are actually dead.”

Eight Human rights ambassadors in Europe, in a joint statement called on the Sri Lankan government to respect human rights defenders. The Ambassadors noted that they remain deeply concerned by the unlawful incarceration of human rights activist and Attorney-at-Law Hejaaz Hizbullah since April 2020.

“We remain deeply concerned by the continued incarceration of reputed lawyer Mr. Hejaaz Hizbullah since April 2020. We regret to note that after ten months of detention, Mr. Hizbullah is now being accused of speech-related offenses under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and other laws," they said.

The statement by the ambassadors noted that Hizbullah is a leading advocate of the rights of people from minority communities, including Muslims in Sri Lanka, and a vocal critic of discriminatory policies. "We note that the role of human rights defenders is crucial to the protection and promotion of human rights in a country. Governments have a special responsibility to protect human rights defenders, and prevent their persecution.

We join the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, special procedures mandate holders, in urging the Government of Sri Lanka to respect human rights defenders such as Mr. Hizbullah,” they added.

The Indian Government has refused to be part of talks between Sri Lanka and a private Indian company to develop the West Container Terminal (WCT) of the Colombo Port.

The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has given its approval to use Russia’s 'Sputnik V' vaccine in Sri Lanka, Senior Advisor to the President, Lalith Weeratunga said.

Addressing a special media briefing at the Media Ministry yesterday (10), Weeratunga, who heads the taskforce coordinating the importation of Covid-19 vaccines, said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa requested Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine from the Russian President and accordingly, Sri Lanka is scheduled to receive the first batch of the said vaccine as a donation.

Weeratunga stressed that the Sputnik vaccine will be procured pending the necessary approvals to vaccinate every Sri Lankan citizen with a special focus on the drivers of the economy in such as the tourism, export and apparel industries.

The alleged sugar scam has resulted in the loss of Rs 15.9 billion in tax revenue, the Finance Ministry revealed.

In a report submitted to the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) today (09), it was revealed that the Rs. 15.9 billion in its entirety or a portion of it had only benefited a small group of individuals who had imported sugar.

Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance Dr. Harsha de Silva made the following observations in Parliament today.

The first lot of 10 coaches out of 160 stainless steel passenger coaches supplied by RITES Ltd. to Sri Lanka Railways was delivered in Colombo on Monday (09), the Indian High Commission said.

Batticaloa district MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam said that the President should go to Montessori on human rights first before talking about a PhD. Speaking in Parliament today (09), he stressed that the President, as the head of state, should be more responsible when issuing statements. He observed that making such statements will be detrimental to the country's image.

"Now they are saying that there are no missing persons in this country. The families of the missing are meeting the President," he said.

Rasamanickam also said that the Human Rights Council in Geneva has been portrayed as anti-Sri Lankan even though that is not the case.

He further said that it was Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who set a precedent by going to Geneva to address issues of human rights violations.

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In a letter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, railway trade unions have warned of an attempt by Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage to use political power to acquire 2 acres of land owned by the Department of Railways for the construction of an apartment complex in the Nawalapitiya electorate.

The co-convener of the Railway Trade Union Alliance has urged the President to immediately intervene to stop these illegal land grabbing attempts by Minister Aluthgamage who is trying to seize lands belonging to the Department of Railways with a view to securing votes in the area.

The letter to the President by the railway trade union is found below.