News
Alleged War crimes: Lord Naseby: UK dispatches have cleared Sri Lanka of five major accusations
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Member of House of Lords, Michael Naseby, has assured that he will try very hard to convince the UK to make public the sections of the Colombo British High Commission dispatches censored by London, pertaining to the last phase of the Vanni offensive.
Lord Naseby gave this assurance at the launch of his memoirs, ‘Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained’ at the BMICH on Tuesday (29).
Among those present on the occasion were Foreign Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence General Kamal Gunaratne and Commander of the Army General Shavendra Silva.
Dismissing British justification for deleting large sections of the dispatches from Colombo, during the period January-May 2009, Lord Naseby emphasised that the incumbent government, or previous administrations, shouldn’t worry about the content of those dispatches.
The British politician declared that there was nothing in them to implicate Sri Lanka in alleged war crimes. Lord Naseby said that he had got an opportunity to meet the then British Defence Advisor Lt. Colonel Anthony Gash, the author of those dispatches, at the Colombo Hilton.
Lord Naseby stressed that the dispatches from Colombo didn’t collaborate the five main accusations levelled against Sri Lanka. The House of Lords member quoted Lt. Colonel Gash having denied accusations that the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered the elimination of Tamil civilians, and there was no basis for claims that specific no-fire zones had been established by the military to kill those who gathered in them, and attempts had been made to starve the Vanni population. There was absolutely no justification of claims of genocide, and the dispatches had cleared Sri Lankan military of holding civilians in clandestine detention camps such as Menik Farm. Lord Naseby pointed out that the ICRC had been present at the Menik Farm from day one.
Lord Naseby stressed that it was the LTTE that compelled the civilians to move towards the eastern coastal areas as they retreated. He reiterated that it was a war not an uprising.
The present Defence Secretary Gunaratne commanded the 53 Division and the Army Commander served as the General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the much celebrated 58 Division that advanced from the Northwestern coast to Nanthikadal across the Kandy-Jaffna A- 09 road.
Lord Naseby asked how over 300,000 civilians would have survived if the Sri Lankan military had practised genocide. He also emphasised that in spite of the war, Sri Lanka’s civil service had functioned in both Northern and Eastern Provinces. That had ensured the supply of essential items, he pointed out.
Lord Naseby had fought for nearly three years to obtain dispatches from Colombo.
The UK, in spite of being leader of Sri Lanka Core Group at the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), has declined to release the dispatches to assist the ongoing investigations for obvious sinister reasons.
Lord Naseby revealed the existence of dispatches in the House of Lords in Oct 2017.
USS Canberra of the United States Navy departed the island on 14 Jun 26, following a successful replenishment port call. The Sri Lanka Navy extended a traditional naval farewell to the departing vessel at the Port of Colombo.
During the ship’s stay, the Commanding Officer of USS Canberra called on the Commander Western Naval Area at the Western Naval Command Headquarters
News
The use of local organic Agricultural products in the Bakery Industry will strengthen both local farmers and the tourism industry – PM
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the use of local organic agricultural products in bakery production would provide significant support to both local farmers and the growth of the tourism industry.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the Annual meeting of the All Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association, held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, on Friday (12 June).
The Prime Minister stated,
“At a decisive moment when the country is moving towards a new phase of economic transformation, I believe that the bakery industry has the potential to become a key driver of the national economy, rather than remaining limited to flour-based products alone.
The food production must be mainly considered the quality and safety of food. Therefore, instead of focusing solely on taste, we should introduce nutritious and healthy products to the market that are free from artificial flavourings and colourings.
By using ingredients such as rice flour, finger millet, foxtail millet, green gram, and indigenous tubers to create value-added products, the bakery industry has the opportunity to capitalize on the growing global trend towards health-conscious diets.
The use of local organic agricultural products in food prepared for foreign tourists will provide substantial benefits to local farmers while also contributing to the growth of the tourism industry. At the same time, the government remains committed to strengthening local entrepreneurs by reducing challenges related to the importation of raw materials, providing concessionary loans for new technologies, and offering the technical assistance required to meet international standards.
The government has already launched programmes through the Ministry of Industries to provide the necessary training and market linkages to help small and medium-scale bakery owners develop and expand their businesses”.
The occasion was attended by the Deputy Minister of Industries Chathuranga Abeysinghe, President of the All Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association N.K. Jayawardana, and a number of members of the Association were also present at the event.
Prime Minister’s Media Division
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met with a delegation from the UNICEF on Friday (June 12) at Temple Trees to discuss ongoing efforts to support the recovery of the education sector following the impact of Cyclone Ditwah.
Discussions focused on the implementation of activities outlined in the report titled “Cyclone Ditwah Education Emergency Response Plan: Phase 1 Progress Updates (January–April 2026).” The meeting provided an opportunity to review the progress achieved during the initial phase of the response and to discuss future interventions aimed at supporting children and schools affected by the disaster.
The Prime Minister and the UNICEF delegation also exchanged views on strengthening collaboration to ensure the continuity of education and the well-being of affected children.
The UNICEF delegation included Emma Brigham, UNICEF Representative, Begona Arellano, Deputy Representative, and other UNICEF officials.
(Prime Minister’s Media Division)
USS Canberra departs Colombo
The use of local organic Agricultural products in the Bakery Industry will strengthen both local farmers and the tourism industry – PM
Prime Minister meets with UNICEF delegation
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