Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that a long-term programme should be formulated to minimize the spread of dengue epidemic and emphasized that, just as the country has successfully overcome previous challenges, the dengue challenge must also be addressed and overcome through a collective effort.

The Prime Minister made these remarks today (16) while addressing a special dengue prevention programme organized in kottawa in conjunction with Dengue Prevention Week. The programme was aimed at controlling the spread of dengue and raising public awareness on health and safety measures.

Speaking at the event, the Prime Minister further stated:

At present, the risk of dengue is increasing across the country. The Colombo District remains at high risk, and health authorities have identified Maharagama as one of the particularly vulnerable areas.

The risk has been identified especially in schools, government and private sector offices, and other public spaces. As a government, we have declared a Dengue Prevention Week and are undertaking special interventions during this period with the objective of addressing the risk of dengue faced by the public.

However, this effort should not be limited to a single week. A long term programme should be formulated to address this issue. At this critical juncture, all stakeholders must come together and act with determination.

Over the past one and a half years, we have successfully overcome numerous challenges. Similarly, we must collectively come forward to overcome this challenge as well. Dengue prevention should be regarded as a personal responsibility by every citizen. We must work towards transforming the Colombo District from a high-risk area into a lower-risk zone and progressively move towards eliminating the threat altogether.

Following the programme, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya also inspected the local bus stand and surrounding areas.

Addressing the occasion, Chairman of the Maharagama Municipal Council,  Saman Samarakoon, expressed his appreciation to the institutions that contributed significantly to the dengue prevention initiative, including the Maharagama Municipal Council, Kottawa Police, security forces personnel, the Maharagama Divisional Secretariat, the Public Health Inspector’s Office, the National Housing Development Authority, the Land Registry Office, the National Transport Commission, Kottawa Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Kottawa Ananda Vidyalaya, and the Kottawa Traders’ Association.

The event was attended by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamlath, Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Sunil Watagala, Colombo District Member of Parliament, Dewananda Suraweera, Chairman of the Maharagama Municipal Council, Saman Samarakoon, and several other invitees.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

Former Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, yesterday urged the Department (CID) to question former Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC, regarding his claim that the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage was a grand conspiracy.

Dr. Rajapakshe, a former President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, pointed out that the former Director of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) and the ex-head of State Intelligence Service (SIS) had been arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations levelled by a fugitive from the Sri Lankan law that Gen. Sallay masterminded the Easter Sunday carnage.

The CID arrested Sallay on February 25, 2026, at Peliyagoda.

Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe, (Jnr), PC, could not under any circumstances further delay seeking an opportunity for the CID to question de Livera. The ex-Minister said so yesterday (15) when The Island sought his explanation regarding the claim he made in Kandy on Sunday that de Livera alleged a grand conspiracy after the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declined to grant him a one-year extension.

Ex-parliamentarian Rajapakshe quoted President Rajapaksa as having told him that de Livera was told of his inability to grant the outgoing AG’s request. However, the then government offered him the opportunity to serve as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Canada. He declined that offer.

Responding to The Island queries, Rajapakshe said that though de Livera succeeded in thwarting the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) from questioning him over his claim made on the eve of his retirement, in May, 2021. According to him, when a major controversy erupted over De Livera’s claim, the TID had been sent to record his statement.

Having evaded the police and successfully moved the Court of Appeal against the TID, the former AG sent a lawyer to the TID on his behalf. That lawyer declared that a seven-paged legal objection to the matter in question has been submitted to the TID.

“Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith and all those who had been demanding justice for Easter Sunday victims should urge AG Parinda Ranasinghe (Junior), PC to record de Livera’s statement. The ex-Minister said that the Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Ratnayake, disclosed that SSP Shanie Abeysekera and Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne had been appointed Director, CID and Secretary to the Public Security Ministry, respectively, on the Cardinal’s advice. Therefore, the Cardinal should stress the urgent need to record the former AG’s statement.

Dappula de Livera received his appointment on 10 May, 2019, just weeks after the Easter Sunday carnage, and retired on 25 May, 2025.

On the eve of his retirement, alleging that there had been a grand conspiracy, de Livera said that the information by the SIS with times, targets, places, method of attacks and other information proved the conspiracy. He said that the identities of those involved in the grand conspiracy must come by the way of evidence.

Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that investigations into the Easter Sunday carnage couldn’t be brought to a successful conclusion until de Livera revealed what he knew about the grand conspiracy, mastermind or whatever various interested parties chose to call the attacks.

The government sent a CID team to Paris to record a statement of Azad Moulana, a fugitive seeking asylum in Switzerland and who implicated Sallay in the Easter Sunday attacks. “This matter is so serious de Livera must consider volunteering to assist the investigation,” ex-lawmaker Rajapakshe said, challenging all those genuinely concerned about the inordinate delay in bringing the high profile investigation into a conclusion to push for immediate questioning of de Livera.

Having spearheaded the Easter Sunday investigation at the onset of the probe, de Livera could shed light on the alleged conspiracy if he really meant his declaration on the eve of his retirement, Dr. Rajapakshe said.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Beijing Capital Airlines to resume direct flights between Beijing and Colombo in September this year, restoring an important air link and strengthening tourism, business, and people-to-people connectivity. This service will complement the existing 23 weekly flights between Mainland China and Colombo.

This was announced at Sri Lanka tourism briefing and networking reception held recently in Beijing. Sri Lanka embassy in Beijing with the support of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) held the event that brought together over 120 representatives from China’s travel trade, media organizations, tourism-related investment sector, airlines, content creation industry, and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector.

Among the participants were representatives of leading Chinese travel companies and media organisations, including China Tourism Group Travel Services Corporation Limited, China International Travel Service (CITS), China Youth Travel Service (CYTS), Spring Tour, Mafengwo, Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily, Global Times, Guangming Online, and China Times, together with representatives of SriLankan Airlines and Beijing Capital Airlines.

The event, led by Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM), Poornima Gunasekera marked the resumption of the Embassy’s direct engagement with China’s travel trade and media community after a considerable period and provided a platform to outline new initiatives aimed at strengthening tourism cooperation between Sri Lanka and China ahead of the 70th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2027.

In her keynote address, the DCM highlighted the longstanding historical ties between Sri Lanka and China, dating back more than 2,000 years through the ancient Maritime Silk Route, and stressed tourism as a key channel for deepening people-to-people exchanges. She noted Sri Lanka’s strong tourism recovery, with over two million international arrivals in 2025, and reaffirmed the country’s image as a safe, peaceful, and welcoming destination. She also highlighted the Government’s expanded visa-free entry programme covering 40 countries, including China, designed to make travel easier and more convenient.

She emphasised Sri Lanka’s unique tourism offering, which combines exceptional diversity within a compact geographical area. Within just 65,610 square kilometres—about four times the size of Beijing—visitors can experience beaches, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, wildlife safaris, tea country, wellness tourism, adventure activities, cultural heritage, gemstones, and authentic Sri Lankan hospitality. She also underlined improved connectivity, noting that a direct flight from Beijing to Colombo takes around seven hours, making Sri Lanka a convenient option for Chinese travellers within broader Asian travel itineraries.