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Alibaba, the world's largest retailer group, recently launched the 'Fliggy Online Visa Centre' in Beijing with the participation of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Beijing.

The programme was designed for Chinese nationals to expedite the process of applying visas to Sri Lanka and 10 other countries which have been designated as “electronic visa countries”.

The Alibaba Fliggy Online Visa system will make the process for applying visas easier and faster for the Chinese tourists. It provides the functions of OCR recognition speed filling, online self-photographing of visa photographs, progress tracking and other functions simplifying the traditionally lengthy and complicated visa processing procedures. Specially, it will result in a large scale impact on Sri Lanka's tourism positively.

According to Mr. Zhou Zheng, the Vice President of Fliggy, Chinese people’s tendency to go to the Belt and Road countries has been significantly enhanced in the past three years and the Belt and Road countries have become more attractive to young consumers. Accordingly the Fliggy Online Visa system will bring these Belt and Road countries closer to Chinese consumers as tourist destinations.

During the Q & A session of the event, information on the visa issuance procedure of Sri Lanka was explained to the Chinese Media.

Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku, Manager of Sri Lankan Airlines Mr. Raveendran, as well as Ambassadors of Belt and Road countries, entrepreneurs from China participated in the event.

PT Kalbe Farma, whose antacid drug Promag is a household name in Indonesia, is seeking a partner in Sri Lanka and eyeing the Middle East as a new market for its nutritional products, Bloomberg reported.

The pharmaceutical company, Southeast Asia’s biggest, will initially export its products to Sri Lanka before joining hands with a local company to manufacture its generic drugs, President Director Vidjongtius said in an interview in Jakarta on Tuesday. It’s also expanding to the Middle East after the positive response to test-marketing of its packaged coconut water, he said.

“Our focus has been Asean so far and we have been quite successful,” said Vidjongtius, who took over as the president director in June 2017. “Our ultimate mission is to develop a portfolio for the developed and more regulated countries like the U.S. and Europe. We are upgrading our quality standards to global level.”

Business tycoon Dilith Jayaweera, who recently bought the defunct ‘Janayugaya’ newspaper’s modern printing press, is reportedly engaged in discussions to use the ‘SathHanda’ brand name for the newly acquired press.

Although it was decided to publish the newspaper under the name ‘Derana’, vehement opposition to the idea by the Derana Board of Directors had foiled the attempt and it was suggested that the publishing house and the printing press be operated as separate entities, sources close to Derana said.

Accordingly, Dilith Jayaweera has had discussions to acquire the Sath Handa brand name with an official from the 'People’s Power Media', the company responsible for the operation of the Sath Handa newspaper. However, it is reported that the concerned parties were not able to come to an agreement.

Dilith Jayaweera, Chairman of Ada Derana television channel and radio channels, also heads ‘Triad’, one of the most prominent advertising agencies in Sri Lanka.

The Janayugaya newspaper, which began its operations with huge investment, was closed down recently due to a plethora of economic hardships.

At the same time, the Sath Handa newspaper, which was operated by a powerful government minister, ended its operations two weeks ago due to severe economic hardships.

A commemorative Rs. 1000 currency note has been printed to mark the country’s 70th anniversary of independence. It was handed over by Central Bank Governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy to Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday.

The new note, which is dated February 4th, Independence Day, contains 3 key differences from the current Rs. 1000 note.

First, the butterfly in the bottom left-hand corner of the current note is replaced with a graphic of four children and the tagline, “70th Independence Celebration: Celebrating Diversity.”

Second, the image of the Ramboda Tunnel in the background of the current note is replaced by four structures: a church, a mosque, a kovil, and a pagoda.

Third, the number 70 now succeeds the “S” designation on the notes.

Five million of these commemorative notes were printed and will enter circulation.

This is only the fourth occasion in Sri Lanka’s history in which a commemorative currency note has been created.

The High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in India, Chitranganee Wagiswara signed the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) on Wednesday at the Ministry of External Affairs of India in New Delhi. The signed documents were handed over to Mr. Nagaraj Naidu, Joint Secretary (Investments, Technology Promotion and Energy Security Division) of the Ministry of External Affairs of India. Once the Agreement is ratified, Sri Lanka will become a founding member of the International Solar Alliance.

With a view to spearheading the UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/36/193 in 1981 which underlined the need for cooperation among developing countries and mobilization of financial resources for new and renewable resources of energy and subsequent to the 2002 UN World Summit on Sustainable Development, many advocacy organisations were set up, primarily to disseminate knowledge on Renewable Energy, making it a priority area in the future agenda of all the countries.

The Paris Declaration on the International Solar Alliance of 30th November 2015 stressed on the shared ambition to undertake joint efforts required to reduce the cost of finance and the cost of technology and to mobilize more than USD $ 1000 billion investments required by 2030 for massive deployment of solar energy and pave the way for future technologies as well.

In this context, the ISA was conceived as a coalition of solar resource rich countries to address their special energy needs and to provide a platform to collaborate on addressing and identifying issues through an agreed common approach.

The ISA will provide solar resources rich countries, lying fully or partially between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, with an unprecedented opportunity to bring prosperity, energy security and sustainable development to the people. The objective of the ISA is to cooperate closely with its members and strive towards establishing mutual beneficial relationships with relevant organizations, public and private stakeholders, and with non-member countries.

Cabinet has approved the setting up of a special three-member High Court to hear cases of corruption and corruption.

The decision was taken yesterday (30) during the cabinet meeting headed by the President. Justice Minister Thalatha Athukorala is said to have submitted the relevant cabinet paper.

Accordingly, senior legal experts say that the Chief Justice will be entitled to appoint judges to these special high courts.

The government has taken this decision due to the continuous legal delays regarding several fraud and corruption cases source said.

Source: Resa

Apparel export revenue data issued by the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) and Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association (SLAEA) show that the total Sri Lankan apparel exports for year 2017 has crossed USD 4.8 billion, an increase of 3.06% from 2016’s $4.67 billion. According to a statement by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, this is the highest annual export revenue to be recorded for Sri Lankan apparels to date.

Sri Lanka has recorded an increase of 2% on year on year exports to the United States, the largest export market for Sri Lankan apparels. Compared with 2016, year on year exports to the European Union, the second largest market for Lankan apparels, surged by around 4.3% to USD 2.02 billion in 2017 from USD 1.9 billion in 2016.

Bringing back chilling memories of a period when dissenting voices were shamed as traitors and hunted down, the president of Sri Lanka has accused rights activists of being 'supporters of Tamil Tigers', while admitting his involvement in delaying justice on criminal violations.

In a special meeting with media heads, President Maithripala Sirisena branded human rights organisations that expose details of ongoing violations in the country as LTTE sympathisers.

His anger was particularly levelled at activists who provided the UN rights body with documented evidence of ongoing torture, abductions, sexual violence and military intimidation.

“These people have gone to Geneva and told the human rights council that serious violations have been committed this year too,” said President Maithripala Sirisena.

“There are several non-governmental organisations (NGO) sympathetic to the LTTE, which make damaging statements in Geneva to the international. As far as I am aware our country does not have such a bad record.”

Myanmar and Sri Lanka

The president claimed that leaders from powerful states have hailed Sri Lanka alongside Myanmar as a model country that has restored democracy.

“When I met UN officials and state leaders in 2015-2016, they told me that only two countries that can be shown as prime examples to the world in restoring democracy, upholding freedom and human rights. They are Sri Lanka and Myanmar."

However, Myanmar has failed to maintain its good record.

“In 2017 September when I met them at the UN, they told me that only Sri Lanka has that status today.”

Therefore, in 2017 Sri Lanka was granted an extension of two years to fulfil its commitments on accountability and justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the final phase of its war against Tamil Tigers in 2009.

President Sirisena described such crimes as “things that happened earlier”.

“If there are issues about things that happened earlier, we have an opportunity to take the necessary steps.”

Activists who campaigned for accountability and upholding the rule of law, during the tenure of President Mahinda Rajapaksa ousted in 2015, were persecuted by the regime as Tamil Tiger supporters.

Many who managed to survive, including members of JDS had to leave the country.

Illegal interference

Addressing media heads, President Sirisena also admitted that he had intervened to delay justice in many cases implicating leaders of the former regime.

His advice to the police chief and the prime minister was not to file cases “that would be a waste” against former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and other alleged perpetrators including members of the military.

According to him several investigations have concluded by 2016.

“The attorney general sent all the files to the inspector general of police. I told them not to file cases that would be a waste, before getting them scrutinized by other senior lawyers.”

President Sirisena’s intervention has been heavily criticized as illegal by senior human rights lawyers who highlight that the president has no authority to overrule the attorney general (AG).

“The AG is the state prosecutor who has full authority on filing a case,” attorney at law Chandrapala Kumarage told JDS.

“There is no legal procedure that allows external lawyers to re-examine a recommendation by the AG to file a case on a crime investigation.”

Chandrapala Kumarage emphasized that the police chief was also wrong to hand over the files to the president.

“The president is not the prosecuting authority. This is serious.”

At home and abroad, Sri Lankan government leaders claim that the country’s judiciary is independent since it adopted the 19th amendment to the constitution in 2015, which aims to restrict powers of the executive president.

Source : JDS Sri Lanka

Addressing an election rally in Mannar yesterday, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the UNP is committed to fostering harmony among all communities and building a society where the rights of all communities are secured.

“When we assumed office in January 2015, there was discord among people. We were able to strengthen the reconciliation process by uniting the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and all other communities,” the Prime Minister added.

Speaking at a rally in Vavuniya, The Premier elaborated on the development projects that will help to revive the economies in the North and the East, including the Northern highway and requested the masses to cast their vote for the only party that will really address their concerns.

"North east has not been forgotten. We are all Sri Lankans. We all have the right to exist. Only we have solutions. Only we can find required finances. Let's move forward. Just like the country's government give UNP the governance of the village as well, he added.

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and the Countess of Wessex arrived in Sri Lanka today.

Their five-day visit will focus on the long-standing UK and Sri Lanka relationship, the Commonwealth, education and young people.

During the visit, Their Royal Highnesses will meet young people overcoming challenges from a variety of communities across Sri Lanka.

During their visit to the Schools for the Deaf and Blind in Ratmalana, they will meet differently-abled young people following the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme, and witness how the scheme helps the communication impaired integrate into society in meaningful ways.

The Royal couple will also meet with young athletes and para-athletes who will represent Sri Lanka at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.

British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka James Dauris said: We are delighted to have The Earl and Countess of Wessex in Sri Lanka to celebrate the strong links between our two countries, young people and the Commonwealth.

Their visit comes just two months before we host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London and allows us to celebrate our Commonwealth links and the important role young people will play in developing its potential.

His Royal Highness Prince Edward is the youngest child of Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.

Their Royal Highnesses will represent Her Majesty The Queen at the 70th-anniversary celebration of Sri Lanka’s independence on Sunday.

The Earl and Countess will also travel to Kandy where they will visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic and the Royal Botanical Gardens.

The U.S. Embassy in Colombo will launch a series of programs over the course of the next twelve months to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Sri Lanka. A campaign titled "#USLS70" will be launched to underscore the seven decades of respect and partnership that have characterized the SL - US relationship.

In a statement released today, the US Embassy in Colombo said that they will encompass cultural events, educational opportunities, and community engagements that will involve Sri Lankans from all backgrounds and regions of the country to underscore the seven decades of respect and partnership that have characterized the U.S.-Sri Lanka relationship.

“Our Embassy community is delighted to celebrate this wonderful anniversary with our Sri Lankan friends and partners,” said Ambassador Keshap. “For seven decades, the United States has stood shoulder to shoulder with Sri Lanka, whether as one of the largest donors of foreign assistance or as Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner.”

Ambassador Keshap further said that the #USSL70 campaign will also highlight new significant bilateral initiatives, such as the signing of the Peace Corps’ bilateral agreement to return to Sri Lanka.

During the campaign, exercises between the two countries’ militaries will enhance disaster response capabilities and expand interoperability. Supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development, job training programs will help prepare Sri Lankan youth for employment in the 21st century, while agricultural assistance will help make Sri Lanka’s dairy industry more productive.

Probing the abduction of Tamil youth in the capital city of Colombo and its suburbs during the height of the war, Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested yet another Navy intelligence officer charging him of being in-charge of dumping dead bodies at sea as part of the well-organised abduction operation.

After evading arrest for several years, Muthuwhennadige Aruna Thushara Mendis attached to the Sri Lankan Navy's Special Intelligence Unit and its Special Boat Squadron (SBS) was arrested on January 23, 2018 by the CID team and produced before Colombo Fort Magistrate who ordered him to be kept in remand custody.

He is the ninth Navy officer to be arrested in connection with the enforced disappearance of the 11 people in and around Colombo in October 2008.

Gunsite underground camp

According to the CID, Mendis had been in charge of a boat which provided support to this special intelligence team, especially in disposing of bodies, while serving at the Parakrama Naval base in Colombo from 2008 to 2009.

Officers directly involved in this investigation said that these dead bodies were tied tightly to concrete pillars before being dumped into the deep sea. "This was to ensure that these dead bodies would never float at sea unlike in early 1990".

His arrest followed the arrest of another naval intelligence officer Kasthuriarachchige Gamini a week ago this month.

Mendis has functioned as the Chief Petty Officer of the Special Intelligence Unit headed by Lieutenant Commander Sumith Ranasinghe, who has also been arrested in connection with these abductions.

He had allegedly been part of the navy unit that took the eight abducted youths to the Gunsite underground camp at the Trincomalee Naval Base, from the Naval camp in Chaithya Road, Colombo Fort.

The CID is also probing his involvement with the abduction and the disappearance of navy intelligence operative, Ali Anwar at Katunayake.

President's intervention

Former Navy Spokesman Commodore D.K.P Dassanayake, who was the Overall Commanding Officer for the Navy's Special Intelligence Unit and the SBS during the peak of the war, and Chief Security Officer of former Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, Sampath Munasinghe were also arrested over the enforced disappearances. Both were released on bail after months of detention.

Granting of bail to these Naval officers came after President Maithripala Sirisena warned the judiciary and the law enforcement authorities not to press cases against the war heroes.

One more navy officer wanted in connection with this abduction ring Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi is absconding and an international arrest warrant has been issued on him.

Following is the details of the 11 people including five school boys who were abducted and made to disappear by the Navy's Special Intelligence Wing in 2008.

1. Kasthuri Araachchige John Reed alias John, 38/ 28, Ratnam Road, Kotahena Colombo 13.

2. Rajeev Naganathan alias Malli, 87, Shoe road, Kotahena, Colombo 13.

3. Pradeep Wishwanathan, 1/6, 220 Wasala Road, Colombo 13.

4. Thilakeshwaran Ramalingam, A/ 3F/ 12, Bloemendhal Flats, Colombo 13.

5. Mohamed Saajith, 40 Clifton Road, Dematagoda, Colombo 10.

6. Mohamed Jamaldeen Dilan, 75/12 Maligakanda Road, Maradana, Colombo 10.

7. Amalean Lyon, Arippu East, Arippu.

8. Roshan Lyon, Arippu East, Arippu.

9. Anthony Kasthuriarachchi, 38/ 28, Ratnam Road, Kotahena Colombo 13.

10. Thiyagaraja Jegan, 42, Linganaagar, Trincomalee.

11. Mohammed Ali Anver alias Hajjiar, 27/ 40, Fernando Road, Karagampitya, Dehiwala.

Source : JDS Sri Lanka