News
Nationalists wary of Indo-Lanka defence talks amidst secret MoUs
Top spokesman for the Patriotic National Movement (PNM) Dr. Wasantha Bandara yesterday (09) said that even two months after Sri Lanka entered into a Defence MoU with India, the Parliament, the country’s supreme legislative body, was yet to be informed about any of its contents.
Dr. Bandara found fault with the Opposition for not vigorously campaigning for the release of the seven MoUs, finalised during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Colombo in early April. Those who represent the current Parliament seemed to be ready to go blindly with India, Dr. Bandara said, urging them to take a fresh look at the developing situation.
Responding to The Island queries, the civil society activist said that a top Indian defence delegation recently visited Colombo where the entire gamut of defence matters was discussed while the National People’s Power (NPP) government kept the Opposition in the dark.
The Indian delegation, led by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, last week separately met Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (retd.) Aruna Jayasekara and Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (retd). Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Santosh Jha attended both meetings.
The Defence Ministry here quoted Singh as having reiterated India’s commitment to maintaining close and friendly relationship with Sri Lanka and further enhancement of defence and security cooperation, contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region during his meeting with AVM Thuyakontha.
Dr. Bandara asked why the NPP couldn’t take the public into its confidence. “The government owed an explanation. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as the Defence Minister as well as the Commander-in-Chief of armed forces, cannot engage in a secret dialogue with India, under any circumstances,” Dr. Bandara said.
The Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) that dealt with defence was yet to discuss the Defence MoU, Dr. Bandara said, asserting that the whole parliamentary process seemed to be deeply flawed. Such a vital MoU should have been discussed at the relevant SOC before the government finalised it, Dr. Bandara said, pointing out that the current Indian posture in foreign policy matters may not be conducive to Sri Lanka, the former JVPer said.
Dr. Bandara pointed out that Prime Minister Modi announced the planned signing of the Defence MoU last December, several weeks before the NPP government mentioned it. The announcement made by Premier Modi, during President Dissanayake’s first official visit abroad since the presidential election, indicated that Sri Lanka didn’t have any other option than to proceed with New Delhi’s plans.
The PNM spokesman said that though some made an effort to portray the NPP-BJP government agreement on defence as a continuation of the dialogue between Modi and Ranil Wickremesinghe, the reality is different. A joint statement issued on July 21, 2023, soon after the conclusion of Wickremesinghe’s visit, hadn’t referred to an MoU on defence cooperation, Dr. Bandara said, asserting that specific MoU on defence was obviously a new addition.
Dr. Bandara said that nationalist groups got together in a bid to challenge the constitutionality of the Indo-Lanka MoUs.
The Patriotic National Movement, Global Sri Lanka Forum, Swadeshika Jathika Viyaparaya and Thunhela Jathika Viyaparaya filed a petition, requesting the Supreme Court to prevent the implementation of the MoUs, he said.
Challenging constitutionality of the seven MoUs finalised on April 07, 2025, in terms of Article 126 read with Article 17 of the Constitution, the petitioners, Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera, Dr. Wasantha Bandara, Shyamendra Wickremarachchi, Chaminda Priyadarshana, Dr. Asoka Indrajith Kamaladasa and Ballanthudawa Achchige Nuwan Chamara Indunil asserted that the implementation of MoUs would violate the sovereignty of the people—including their economic sovereignty and right to governance—as well as the independence of Sri Lanka as a free state and nation.
“We are really concerned about the failure on the part of the parliamentary Opposition to take up this matter,” Dr. Bandara said, adding that the political parties here seemed to be dancing to India’s tune. The PNM spokesman questioned the rationale in India arranging groups of parliamentarians to visit New Delhi. “Have we ever gained from such foreign trips?” Dr. Bandara asked.
Among the 29 respondents were members of the Cabinet, including the Prime Minister, secretaries to the relevant ministries complicit in the issue at hand, Cabinet Secretary and the Attorney General.
The MoUs covered implementation of HVDC interconnection for import/export of power, cooperation in the field of sharing successful digital solutions implemented at population scale for digital transformation, development of Trincomalee as an energy hub, defence cooperation, multi-sectoral grant assistance for Eastern Province, cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine and cooperation between the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission and National Medicines Regulatory Authority.
Dr. Bandara alleged that India was taking advantage of the continuing economic crisis to pressure Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, those who represented Parliament, and the executive, lacked the strength to protect national interests.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) yesterday accused the government of seeking to use the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA) to suppress popular political activity, claiming that some of its provisions were more repressive than those of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda told a media briefing, in Nugegoda, that the definition of terrorism in the Bill was so broad that it could be used to label almost any form of popular political activity as terrorism.
He said the Bill’s approach to defining terrorism was based largely on attempts to compel a government, or an international organisation, to do, or refrain from doing something, rather than on internationally recognised criteria, such as killings, causing serious bodily harm, kidnapping or acts intended to spread terror among the public.
Jayagoda also alleged that the Bill transferred substantial powers from the judiciary to the executive, while extending powers of arrest, investigation and detention to the armed forces, in addition to the police.
He claimed that the government had sought to portray the Bill as a replacement for the PTA while retaining or introducing provisions that could facilitate political victimisation and repression.
The FSP also questioned the government’s decision to proceed with the Bill, despite having previously sought public views on an earlier draft.
Jayagoda said a draft had been published earlier this year, with the period for public submissions ending on February 28, but the Bill subsequently gazetted was essentially the same draft with some provisions rearranged.
Jayagoda also referred to a letter reportedly sent by Attorney-at-Law Saliya Peiris, a member of a Committee, chaired by President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsecularatne, that had been appointed to draft the legislation. He said Peiris had stated, in the October 06 letter, that changes had been made to the draft prepared by the Committee.
“This means that even the Committee, appointed to prepare the Bill, was a deception,” Jayagoda alleged.
He said that the PSTA was fundamentally similar to the Anti-Terrorism Bill introduced by the previous government, in 2023, which the National People’s Power (NPP) opposed and challenged in court.
“If the NPP opposed that Bill then and is now bringing the same legislation before Parliament, the government must explain its position,” he said.
Jayagoda called on NPP MPs to oppose the PSTA in Parliament and urged trade unions and other groups to build a broad public movement against the legislation.
He challenged the government to an open debate on the Bill.
Former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa was yesterday remanded until 13 October after being produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court following her arrest by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
Shiranthi, wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested at her residence on Poorwarama Road, Kirulapone, after CIABOC officers recorded a statement from her for nearly two hours.
According to the CIABOC, the arrest was made over allegations that Rs. 10 million obtained from the National Savings Bank through the Siriliya Saviya organisation was misappropriated.
The money was allegedly obtained to provide a Computed Tomography (CT) scanner to the children’s hospital. Investigators allege that the scanner was not provided and that the funds were instead unlawfully used.
CIABOC is investigating alleged offences under the Public Property Act and corruption-related provisions in connection with the transaction and other financial activities involving Siriliya Saviya, which was headed by Rajapaksa.
Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka on Monday night on a flight from Malaysia after travelling overseas for medical treatment. She left for Singapore on 16 September after being admitted to a private hospital in Colombo on 15 September following an illness.
She had been due to appear before the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) on 13 October in connection with its investigation into the financial affairs of Siriliya Saviya.
Meanwhile, her lawyers filed an anticipatory bail application before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court on Monday, seeking an order preventing her arrest in connection with the FCID investigation.
Former National Savings Bank (NSB) Chairman Pradeep Kariyawasam was yesterday granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court following his arrest by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
Kariyawasam, husband of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, was arrested in connection with the Bribery Commission’s investigation into the ‘Siriliya Saviya’ account linked to former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa.
The investigation concerns financial activities involving the Siriliya Saviya initiative, which was headed by Rajapaksa, wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
CIABOC is continuing investigations into the alleged financial irregularities relating to the account.
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