News
Katchatheevu sovereignty ‘settled’ under int’l law – Hakeem in Chennai
Sri Lankan Member of Parliament and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem has asserted that the sovereignty of Katchatheevu is a settled matter, under international law and bilateral agreements, saying that raising the issue to resolve the ongoing fishermen conflict is not a “prudent approach”.
“Prioritising the Katchatheevu issue as an immediate fix, the moment a conflict arises, is not a wise strategy,” Hakeem, who is on a goodwill visit to Tamil Nadu, said on Friday, according to the New Indian Express.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, in Tamil Nadu, Hakeem noted that any re-examination of the island’s status would require approaching the United Nations, as neither India nor Sri Lanka can unilaterally alter the established international maritime boundary line.
Replying to a query on whether Sri Lanka would consider handing over the islet back to India to resolve the frequent detention of Tamil Nadu fishermen, Hakeem said the Indian government had accepted Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over Katchatheevu, based on international legal frameworks.
“To change this, outside of international law, one would have to resort to a military invasion to capture it, which we know the Indian central government will never do,” he said.
Hakeem emphasised that Indian citizens face no restrictions when visiting Katchatheevu for pilgrimage, particularly to the St Antony’s Church. He added that the Sri Lankan Navy and local fishermen routinely welcome and facilitate Indian visitors. “The problem escalates into a massive crisis only when there is an encroachment of borders for illegal fishing activities.”
Addressing the persistent issue of Tamil Nadu fishermen being apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy, the MP termed it a critical humanitarian and livelihood crisis rather than a purely legal matter.
He advocated for a joint cooperative society framework combining the fishermen of both nations to find a common ground.
“Many bilateral discussions have taken place and committees have been set up at diplomatic levels. Unfortunately, the solutions have not been successfully implemented on the ground yet. This cannot be solved solely through judicial or legal avenues,” Hakeem said.
He underscored the importance of protecting marine resources, pointing out that the use of banned fishing gear and destructive methods remains a core concern for authorities in Sri Lanka.
To alleviate the crisis, Hakeem suggested that the Indian government extend financial subsidies to help Tamil Nadu fishermen transition from traditional coastal fishing to deep-sea fishing vessels.
The Sri Lankan lawmaker also announced that a joint delegation, representing all Tamil-speaking political parties in the Sri Lankan Parliament, would soon travel to Chennai to collectively meet the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to deliberate on coordinated solutions.
A specialists committee has been appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation adhering to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 29.12.2025 for submitting appropriate recommendations analyzing the provisions of the draft bill formulation in regard to Animal Welfare.
Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, the Legal Draftsman has been instructed at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 18.05.2026 to prepare the final bill on the animal welfare.
Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the draft bill and the clearance of the Attorney General has been received in the connection.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to publish the said draft bill in the
Government Gazette Notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Under the legal provisions for elections in this country since 2004, it is mandatory for voters who come to mark their votes to verify their identity through a valid identity card, and it is also mandatory for all such voters to be marked with an appropriate mark using indelible ink. The dual purpose of these two functions is to prevent a voter from voting more than once in a single election.
It has been observed that having to follow two different
methods at the same time to achieve the same objective hinders the efficiency of the duties performed at the polling stations and also incurs additional costs to the government.
Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate to remove the legal provisions regarding the use of indelible ink and marking the voter with the appropriate mark from all election acts.
Accordingly, the development activities of the province, as well as national security, will benefit. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the
President to take necessary steps to remove the legal provisions
• Section 36 of the presidential Election Act, No 15 of 1981
• Section 38 of the Parliamentary Election Act, No 01 of 1981
• Section 36 of the Provincial Council Election Act, No 02 of 1988
• Section 53 A of the Local Government Elections Ordinance (262 Authority)
• Section 21 of the Referendum Act No 7 of 1981
News
Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 24 JUNE 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 24 June 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m.
Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expectedat times over the Western slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
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Animal Welfare Draft Bill to be Gazetted
Legal provisions on marking voters using indelible ink during elections removed
Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
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