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Unions threaten to cripple port to foil bid to bring in contaminated fertiliser

Published

5 years ago

2021/10/29

By Saman Indrajith

Trade unions yesterday vowed that they would not let the ship carrying rejected Chinese fertilizer to unload at the Colombo Port. They said they were even ready to cripple the port for that purpose.

“We know that the government is doing everything in its power to take delivery of the stock of contaminated fertiliser, which is harmful to this country. Even if the government manages somehow to get this ship in, we’ll surround the port and cripple it,” General Secretary of the JVP-led All Ceylon General Ports Union Niroshan Gorakana told The Island yesterday.

Gorakana said that there were several unions including the ones affiliated to the SLPP and the SLFP in the Colombo Port and all of them had joined forces to protect the national interest. “Our political differences do not matter when the need arises for us to ward off threats to this country. We already have agreed to oppose China’s plan to acquire 13 acres of land belonging to the Colombo Port. We will launch a joint protest campaign on 03 Nov.”

Gorakana that the South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) with an 18-meter depth now belonged to China. “In 2012Mahinda Rajapaksa handed it over to China for 35 years.

Basil Rajapaksa recently presented a Cabinet paper for handing over a 13-acre of land adjacent to the port to China for setting up an operational and service centre. So, even after the expiration of the lease, China will still have control there. We will let the government sell off our national assets or import anything harmful to this country.”

Meanwhile, former JVP MP Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, addressing the media at his party office in Kalutara yesterday, said that some to government officials were trying their level best to bring in the contaminated shipload of fertiliser. “The shipment of contaminated organic fertiliser produced by the Qingdao Seawin Biotech left China on 23 Sept., even before the test reports were released. They are transporting 20,000 metric tonnes. Now, the ship is in Sri Lankan waters but cannot officially enter a Sri Lanka port. In the meantime, several top officials are trying to get a test result from a third party to facilitate the delivery of the contaminated cargo. The local agent of Qingdao Seawin Biotech is a close relative of one of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s top officials. This company provided consultancy services to many Chinese funded projects. They have provided services to Chinese projects worth over USD seven billion in Sri Lanka prior to the 2015 regime change. So, it is clear now who wants the ship with contaminated fertiliser to enter this country,” Dr Jayatissa said.

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“Rathuwewi Mihimadala” Book Launched with the Participation of the Prime Minister

Published

1 hour ago

2026/08/30

Priyan

The book “Rathuwewi Mihimadala”, written based on the life story of Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Leader of the Democratic Left Front, was launched on Friday [August 28] at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo, with the participation of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

Speaking to the media afterwards about Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:

“Vasudeva Nanayakkara is a prominent figure in Sri Lankan politics, particularly within the left-wing political movement. There were several influential figures within the left movement, and that left-wing influence also contributed to bringing the country to where it is today. Politically, there were areas where we agreed and areas where we did not. However, I have great respect for the contribution made by Vasudeva Nanayakkara to left-wing politics. When I entered Parliament in 2020, Vasudeva Nanayakkara was also in Parliament. We sat in the same row, and we spoke about many important as well as interesting moments in his political career. I believe some of these experiences have also been included in this book.”

The event was attended by members of the Maha Sangha, Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara, former President Maithripala Sirisena, former Speakers Karu Jayasuriya and Chamal Rajapaksa, as well as party members, family members and friends.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

Latest News

Sun directly overhead Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon today (30)

Published

11 hours ago

2026/08/30

Priyan

The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.

The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (30) are Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and
Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon.

News

Lanka tracks 11 US-sanctioned Iranian tankers off coast

Published

13 hours ago

2026/08/30

Thilina Walpola

(AFP) Sri Lanka’s maritime authorities were monitoring a fleet of 11 US-sanctioned Iranian oil tankers just off the island’s southern coast, the foreign minister said Wednesday.

The tankers were spotted close to the Galle harbour where an Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, was sunk by a US submarine in March, killing 104 sailors. Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from that frigate.

Iranian vessels have been in limbo, unable to return to their home port because of a US blockade.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign minister Vijitha Herath said the tankers were in international waters where they had freedom of navigation.

“These ships are away from our territorial waters… we have no hold on them, nor have we facilitated them,” Herath told AFP.

The military deployed reconnaissance aircraft and patrol boats to monitor the vessels outside Sri Lanka’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters, a military official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“There is no indication of any ship-to-ship transfer of oil or illegal discharge of pollutants, so there is no basis for Sri Lankan authorities to take action against them,” the official said.

Many Iranian merchant vessels moved east towards the Strait of Malacca and Singapore due to US sanctions, while several remained near Sri Lankan waters, authorities said.

Sri Lankan officials said Washington had not formally notified Colombo about sanctioned Iranian-flagged vessels