News

Impunity in Sri Lanka will appear prominently, with the long-awaited report by High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile, being presented in an interactive dialogue on the second day of the session.

In light of the report and other troubling developments, the HRC probably will produce a new resolution on Sri Lanka.

In the wake of these developments, a former United Nations (UN) official has told Sri Lanka not to count on the UN for justice.

Former Assistant Secretary General and former Chair of a UN Panel, Charles Petrie, said that the UN lacks courage to act on the Sri Lanka issue.

Speaking at a webinar organised by the Global Tamil Forum, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice – New York University, Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice and the Canadian Tamil Congress, Petrie said that the UN cannot say it does not have the system in place to address the issue.

He said that there are UN officials in Colombo and elsewhere who want to do the right thing. However, he asserted that the UN lacks courage and so the Sri Lankan public must not depend on the UN.

He said that if the Sri Lankan public depends on the UN, they may end up being disappointed.

Instead, he said if the Sri Lankan public could count on their own resilience and the UN performs, it would be an unexpected win.

Petrie headed a panel appointed by then UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to conduct a comprehensive review of action by the UN of the civil war in Sri Lanka.

The panel had found that the United Nations system failed to meet its responsibilities — highlighting, in particular, the roles played by the Secretariat, the agencies and programmes of the UN Country Team, and the members of the Security Council and Human Rights Council.

The prestigious Mahatma Gandhi Scholarships were awarded to 150 Advanced Level school students from all 25 districts across Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commission said.

The government has suspended the surcharge on import of fuel as relief to loss-incurring Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and the listed Lanka IOC PLC, though there won’t be a change in prices at the retail level.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Sri Lanka have welcomed a funding of CAD 1 million (LKR 151 million) from Global Affairs Canada to help smallholder farmers cultivate nutritious crops for the National School Meal Programme.

AG informs IGP Criminal probe on April attacks incomplete 

Attorney General Dappula De Livera has informed the Inspector General of Police that the criminal investigations and the material submitted pertaining to the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks are incomplete.

The Coordinating Officer to the Attorney General, State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne said the IGP was also directed to conduct further investigations and submit the material called for without delay.

Shel went on to note that the Attorney General has dispatched a 30-page advisory to the IGP.

Further, the IGP has been directed by the Attorney General to obtain a copy of the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to probe the Easter attacks and conduct necessary investigations if there is any new evidence recorded in the report.

In addition, statements should be recorded from the relevant witnesses with respect to the evidence in the PCoI report, State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne said.

The IGP was directed to revert to the Attorney General within 14 days on the matters mentioned above.

Cabinet has approved a proposal submitted by the Industries Ministry to allocate land plots from eight industrial zones on a 35-year lease basis to 22 investors under the Regional Investment Zones (RIZ) Development Programme implemented by the Ministry.

The Cabinet nod comes following recommendations by the project evaluation committee of the Ministries Regional Industrial Services Committees, the Cabinet Office said in a press release.

According to Cabinet Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella, the aim is to generate some 3,300 jobs which the new industries will bring.

“Investors are to invest LKR 24,047.85 million in these projects while it has been estimated that 3,326 direct employment opportunities will also be generated," Rambukwella adde

The Core Group on Sri Lanka has confirmed it will be submitting a Resolution on Sri Lanka at the upcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.

The National Movement for Social Justice has commended the decision taken by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to allow the burial of Covid-19 victims.

According to internal government sources, Rajapaksa family members and senior SLPP leaders are exerting pressure on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to remove Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa from the Cabinet immediately.

Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has instructed relevant authorities to take immediate action to establish quarantine centers for Sri Lankan migrant workers who are being repatriated.

JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday (08) called on the government to table the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to investigate the 2019 Easter Sunday attack in Parliament.