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Postal strike enters day 14 - Unions vow to continue

Postal unions say they will continue with the strike until their demands are met. “We will only stop the strike if our demands are signed off by the Wages Board at least prior to being presented to the cabinet” Convenor of the Joint Postal Trade Union Front, Chinthaka Bandara said. According to him, they will return to work once this occurs. The workers have now been striking for two weeks. 
 
Bandara says the authorities have failed to address their issues and give any favourable solutions regarding the problematic 6/2016 circular issued in 2006 which has resulted in recruitment to the department to come to a standstill along with promotions and salary increments for the staff. Therefore, they are requesting the new proposed scheme of recruitment drafted by the Department and the unions jointly is approved by the cabinet. 
 
 27,000 employees of the Department of Posts have joined the strike and over 600 post offices and 3,000 sub-post offices are still closed.  Despite repeated requests by the Minister and Postmaster General Rohana Abeyratne asking the Unions to return to work, they have refused to do so claiming they have been tricked by false promises since 2006. Currently, a large number of government offices have been affected including the Police and Court system. Pension payments along with distributions of Senior citizens allowances too have stalled. “The whole country is affected and the government must take the responsibility,” Bandara said.

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Preferential treatment for Aloysius: Allowed use of mobile phones in Prison

According to sources within the Department of Prisons, Bond scam suspects Arjun Aloysius and Kasun Palisena now being held in the H ward of the Colombo Magazin Prison are being given preferential treatment while also being given the facility to use mobile phones. 

In a recent raid of E and H wards, three mobile phones were discovered and confiscated sources say. 

While the duo was first held in the E ward they were later transferred to the H ward. They are currently said to be housed with around 60 LTTE suspects and underworld members. Sources say Aloysius and Palisena have been receiving special treatment from the first day of imprisonment. 

Those in the H ward are said to be using mobile phones to keep in touch with politicians according to information uncovered by Intelligence services, Deshaya newspaper reports. They have further revealed that Aloysius and Palisena are among those who have been using mobile phones while in prison. 

Jayantha Samarakoon

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Joint Opposition will not come to power in 2020 - Kavinda

The Joint Opposition will not be able to come back to power in the year 2020, says UNP Parliamentarian Kavina Jayawardena. 

The reason was this, he said, was due to conflicting opinions among them.

Speaking to media in Ja-Ela, he said that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has one policy and the United National Party (UNP) another policy and that when two parties with two policies unite and govern the country, certain issues are bound to emerge.

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Two suspected Leopard killers arrested 

Two individuals believed to be connected to the savage killing of a rare Leopard in Ambalakulam, Kilinochchi was arrested by the Police last night. Three Police teams were deployed in the area following the brutal killing which was caught on tape and distributed widely on social media. Court eventually ordered the arrest of these suspects asking the Police to identify them through the video footage. 

One arrested suspect has been identified as 42-year-old Nadarasa Mohana Rasa, a resident of Ambalakulam while the other is said to be 39-year old Nadaraja Sukumal of Udayanagar. 

The villagers had obstructed the officials of the Department of Wildlife from capturing the Leopard and instead chose to form a mob to capture it themselves and kill it in a brutal manner. 

This type of Leopard is considered to be highly endangered and therefore a severely protected species in Sri Lanka.

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Buddha’s Teachings And Hitler’s Brutality Cannot Be Reconciled, Says PM

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday joined in the criticism against remarks by a senior member of the Buddhist Clergy, calling on former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to “be like Hitler”, saying he would have condemned the statement immediately if it had been made in his presence.
 
“There is no way Buddhism and Hitler’s brutality can be reconciled,” said the Premier addressing crowds at an event in Matara yesterday, “as Buddhists such a thing is against our dhamma.”
 
“Buddhists cannot tell someone to be like Idi Amin or Hitler or Pol-Pot, it goes against the Buddha’s teachings,” he added.
 
Democratic rule is about gathering peacefully, discussing matters peacefully and dispersing peacefully, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said. The Premier said that if such a remark had been made in his presence, the media would have ripped him apart. “They would have attacked me from morning till night,” he said with a chuckle. “I am shocked that this didn’t happen. Only one newspaper even carried the story. Electronic media carried the story only once. In print, editorials and news stories went missing. If this is how the media behaves now, imagine what would happen to the media if ‘Hitler’ was in power?” the Premier quipped.
 
At religious ceremony to mark the 69th birthday of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Anunayake of the Asgiriya Chapter Ven Wendaruwe Upali Thero suggested that the former powerful defence official should “be like Hitler and establish military rule to develop the country.”The monk clarified his remarks in an official statement issued yesterday, saying he only meant that the country needed strong policy, and did not mean that rulers should behave brutally like Hitler.
The appropriate reaction to a recent statement by a senior monk to ‘be like Hitler’ would have been to condemn the remarks.
 
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe vehemently condemned the statement by Anunayake of Asgiriya Chapter Ven. Wendaruwe Upali Thera where it was suggested that the Former Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa should form a military regime in the country like Hitler.
 
Addressing the 125th-anniversary celebrations of the Maha Manthindana Pirivena in Matara last evening premier further stated that Hitler and Buddhism are two things that can never be reconciled.
 
“If someone said to be like Hitler in my presence I would have condemned the statement then and there. Print media editorials and news items on the Hitler remarks have gone missing. it appears only once on electronic media. if the media is like this now what will happen to the media if Hitler comes to power?” premier questioned.

While stating that Hitler ensured the complete whitewash of Buddhists in Germany back in 1930 went on to say that Buddha never preached anyone to be like Hitler.
 
“We can have different political opinions, that’s accepted. but, we cannot ask someone to be like Idi Amin, Polpot or Hitler. it should be condemned at the very outset,” Premier continued.

Source : Sunday Observer

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Mangala expresses dismay at Upali thera’s Hitler comment

Expressing his dismay at the recent controversial comments made by Asgiriya Anunayake Vendaruwe Upali thera asking Former Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa to be like Hitler, Minister Mangala Samaraweera says he was deeply ashamed by the statement made. 

“This statement by a responsible and senior monk in the country is both serious and clearly malicious” releasing a communique he said adding that any person who is of right sound and mind cannot make such a shameless statement while knowing of the brutal rule carried out by Hitler and the Nazis in Germany. 

The Minister also went on to say that Buddha in his Dhamma does not condone dictatorships at any point. “Therefore only a monk following the steps of Devadatta thera can make such a fearsome statement” the Minister claimed. 

He also warned the people of the country must beware of such statements made with vile intentions which call for the rule of a killer and are against Buddhist precepts as well as social norms. 

According to the Minister rulers such as Hitler converted the whole of Germany into a prison while killing thousands of innocent people through the use of inhumane methods such as gas chambers and was considered as the cruellest dictator in recent history.

In his statement, the Minister also pointed out that the former Rajapaksa regime too showed similar signs. “No one had the right to life under the Rajakasa rule,” he said.   

However, the government will never allow this country’s people to be subjected to a military junta rule lead by the Rajapaksa family, the finance Minister affirmed.

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Matara shops closed down in honour of slain cop

Many shops in Matara remained closed today in honour of the Policeman killed in a recent shootout with a group of underworld members in Matara town. Police Sergeant Suranga Pradeep Weerasinghe (33) had bravely fought with the group who were attempting to rob a famous jewellery store only to be gunned down by the criminals. While he was admitted to hospital Suranga later succumbed to his injuries. 

The officer has been greatly commended for his heroic efforts to prevent the gang from fleeing after CCTV footage of the incident was revealed. The Police posthumously promoted him to the rank of Sergeant. 

His last rites will be held today with full Police guard and honours. He leaves behind his wife and two children aged 5 and 3.

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Trio of judges appointed to Sri Lanka’s special high court

Three High Court Judges to hear cases in the country’s first Special High Court Trial-at-Bar which will be established to try high-profile financial fraud and corruption cases have been appointed. High Court Judges Sampath Abeykoon, Sampath Wijeratne and Champa Janaki Rajaratne have been appointed to the posts.
 
Cabinet approval was granted to establish three anti-corruption High Courts in the country and the first of these special High Courts is to be established within the Hulftsdorp Court complex to try high-profile cases. The new cases will be taken up daily commencing from July 15. The special courts will hear cases involving money laundering, bribery and large financial crimes, dishonest misappropriation of property, and criminal breach of trust by public servants.

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e- Health cards for every citizen within four months! 

Minister of Health Rajitha Senaratne has announced that every citizen of the country will receive the e-Health card stating their health information within four months time. 

The Minister made this announcement while attending a function at the Borella Castle Street Hospital recently. 

According to the Minister, the lack of drugs in hospitals lead to the e-Health card being introduced and it will help the hospitals to order necessary drugs and medicines in the future through the new software introduced.

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Matara jewellery theft suspect hurls grenade at Police: Officers shoot him dead

Chamara Indrajith, one of the main suspects of yesterday’s jewellery shop robbery and shootout in Matara, has been shot and killed by police today when he allegedly tried to hurl a grenade at them.

The suspect was taken by police to recover a hidden bag of clothes to the area called Kirala Kaley (Kirala Forest) after his arrest. Initially police said that the suspect was shot and injured, however, it was later confirmed that he had succumbed to injuries while being taken to the hospital.  
 
One police officer was killed, two other police officers and two civilians were injured and hospitalised following the shootout outside the famous Nileka jewellery shop in Matara town, between several armed men wearing helmets who were robbing the store and policemen responding to a witness phone call, at around 10.45am yesterday.
 
Following a search operation carried out in the vicinity by the police immediately after the gun battle, one of the suspects Chamara Indrajith Jayasundara was caught in the Hunukotuwa area. 

Three other suspects were arrested after they were found left behind near the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital with gunshot wounds. They are currently receiving treatment at the hospital ICU.

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Mangala slams underworld don shooting as ‘brutal murder’

The death of a suspect in the Matara jewellery heist while in police custody drew swift condemnation from Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, a Matara District Parliamentarian who tweeted that it was a “brutal murder” yesterday while lawyers and human rights activists slammed the police action as an “extra-judicial” killing.
 
“The rule of law must prevail even when dealing with criminals,” Minister Samaraweera tweeting last evening after police claimed the suspect had been shot trying to retrieve a hand-grenade from a hiding spot – the same sequence of events used by police personnel to justify multiple deaths in police custody.
 
The suspect and victim of yesterday’s shooting Chamara Indrajith was one of four suspects who were arrested during a jewellery robbery in Matara town. A gunfight ensued when police officers arrived on the scene while the robbery was taking place, leading to the death of one policeman and injury to two civilians.
 
An irate Finance Minister tweeted that the tit-for-tat murders were tantamount to a breakdown in the rule of law.
 
“The brutal murder of a Police Constable on duty cannot be justified by an equally brutal murder of suspect whilst in police custody. This is Yahapalanaya, not Yamapalanaya,” Samaraweera tweeted.

Source : Sunday Observer

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Action to be taken against Leopard killers of Kilinochchi - DWC 

Legal action will be taken against individuals who had been involved in the killing of a rare leopard in Kilinochchi, Director General of the Department of Wildlife, Chandana Sooriyabandara has said. 

He said representations will be made to court and action will be taken to nab the killers. He says the people in the area had obstructed the Department officials from carrying out their duties and killed the leopard. They had even attempted to grab the weapons of the officials he said. 

A Leopard which is an endangered species had been brutally killed by villagers in Kilinochchi after they claim it had attacked 10 people in the area. However, Leopards are known to be shy animals and generally do not attack groups unless provoked. Serious backlash against the incident has been brewing on social media after videos of the incident were widely circulated.

Environmentalists have also identified some of the suspects connected to the killing through their facebook posts with one employee of the zonal education office in the area also being implicated in the incident.

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