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Protests will grow until government caves in says Vijitha Herath

Published

4 years ago

2022/04/17

Sahan Weerasooriya

People have no way but to fight harder for longer

by Saman Indrajith

The JVP, after the LSSP and CP, has the longest Marxist history in this country. It subscribes to a Hegelian dialectic where contradiction between a proposition (thesis) and its antithesis is resolved at a higher level of truth (synthesis).

This is illustrated by a stone mason or sculptor chipping away at a block of stone. Perhaps a hundred hammer blows would not create a crack in the stone but it would split into two at the 101st blow. The stone mason knows that it was not the last blow that did but all that had preceded it.

The JVP led NPP has commenced throwing its fullest weight against the government in support of the ongoing protest on Galle Face green. The party is scheduled to commence a march from Beruwala today (17) and to proceed along the Galle Road to reach the Town Hall in Colombo on Tuesday (19), NPP MP Vijtha Herath said in an interview with the Sunday Island.

“The protest at Galle Face is growing with increasing pressure applied on the government. Artistes, lawyers and almost all prominent and leading professionals have either joined the protest or extended their support. It has the blessings of leaders of all religions except a few monks in the pay of the Rajapaksa family who show no sign of stepping down. Yet, if we continue to apply further pressure it is only a matter of time before the beleaguered government gives up. We believe in this struggle. There is no turning back now. It should end in nothing but victory,” Herath said.

Excerpts:

Q: The protesters have rejected the call by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa for talks. Do you approve of that rejection?

A: What is there to discuss with him? He first tried to ignore this struggle. Thereafter he and his cronies tried to intimidate the protesters and also to denigrate them. Thereafter, they tried to arouse communal disharmony. After all these tactics failed, he has now invited the youth for talks. We emphasize that none in the struggle has anything to talk about with this government or the president.

The first and foremost demand of the struggle is that Gota goes home. The second is for the government to resign. Third is to put an end to the 74-year long political culture that has become the bane of this nation. There is nothing to discuss in these demands. The President and government should step down. The youth want nothing less than that.

The proposal for talks is with the intention of weakening this struggle, by creating divisions. Such tactics would not work because those in the struggle are not like those in the SLPP parliamentary group willing to change their stance for money or privileges. The president and the prime minister are not even genuine and honest to their own parliament group. How could others trust them and go for talks with them?

Q: There is no indication that the government would give up that easily. It is after all a democratically elected government. How could a government make up its mind to give up power just because there are protests?

A: If you look back at the world’s political history in recent decades you will find ample instances where governments had to step down owing to pressure from the people. The ongoing public protests have already achieved victories. They got the cabinet and the Central Bank Governor to resign. There are more heads to fall and the struggle is not yet over.

Either this government does not understand this struggle or it so pretends. This is not a simple demonstration and it is not limited to Galle Face. People all over the country stage protests demanding that Gota goes home. They did not have that slogan at the beginning. First the protests started demanding that government delivers what they promised the people to get their votes.

They hit the streets demanding their rights. The government could not even provide the basic rights and needs of people. First the farmers came out demanding fertilizer. The mothers followed demanding milk powder for their children. There were protests demanding gas and fuel.

The government did not listen to any of them. Its ministers promised there would be no power cuts and there was enough diesel and petrol in the country. Those were sick jokes. Now the situation has changed for the worse. Doctors say that there are no medicines at hospitals. Soon people in hospitals will die without medicine. Already six people have died in petrol and gas queues.

The situation is changing for the worse by the hour. Meanwhile the government is waiting to for the protesters to become fed-up and tired of the struggle. In the meantime it has started the process of buying over MPs to replenish the numbers of those who dissented and decided to be independent. None of these tactics will work. Power of the people is greater than the power of money. The government should step down.

Q: The President has invited the Opposition parties including the SJB and its leader Sajith Premadasa to join the government. What is your response?

A: We cannot think of forming a government with other corrupt parties while Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still the President. That is not the change expected by the people. We reject invitations for such governance.

Q: The supporters of the government are staging ‘We want Gota’ protests countering yours. Where would this lead?

A: That is a flop. The government has got some of its ministers to conduct such protests. That did not work. People are more intelligent than the government thinks. People know that pro-government protests are meant to create a conflict and are used as a diversionary tactic. They know that such plans would not solve their problems of fuel and gas shortages and many more.

Q: The President has said he will not resign. People demand his resignation. How long will this impasse continue? Prime Minister Rajapaksa in his recent address to the nation said that every second the people protest, the country loses dollars.

A: The country lost dollars not because of the peoples’ protests. What we see is an economy ruined by a single family and its cronies. That was done by frauds and theft by manipulating government machinery. The economy suffered Rs 150,000 million loss because of the sugar tax fraud.

They came to power promising to recover the Rs 120,000 million loss by the Treasury Bond scam. But they did better. The economy suffered blow after blow because of the coconut oil fraud and garlic scam. The meagre amount of dollars available had to be spent on the nano-nitrogen fertilizer scam. Compensation was paid for a Chinese fertilizer ship. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

The answer to the first part of your question is that not only the President but also the Prime Minister have said they would not resign. That means they do not have an answer to the crisis. The MPs who announced they would be independent in the House demand that a cabinet should be appointed without the Rajapaksas. The President has not agreed to that demand either.

The crisis will grow further. People have no other way but to fight harder for some more time because the fall of this government is inevitable. It is only a matter of time. So, we have to stay in the same line a little longer and fight harder.

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The National Strategic Action Plan to monitor and combat human trafficking (2026-2030) officially launched

Published

8 hours ago

2026/01/29

Priyan

The Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in the official launch of the National Strategic Action Plan to monitor and combat human trafficking (2026-2030) held on 28th of January at the Cinnamon Life Hotel, Colombo. The event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Defence, National Anti Human Trafficking Task Force ( NAHTTF), International Organization for Migration (IOM).

This five-year Action Plan was unveiled under the leadership of the Ministry of Defence, in its capacity as Chair of the NAHTTF and with the technical support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The National Strategic Action Plan 2026-2030 establishes a unified national framework to prevent human trafficking, protect and assist victims, strengthen law enforcement responses, and enhance accountability.

Addressing the event, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening national efforts to prevent and address human trafficking and stated that the Action Plan must transcend its symbolic launch into concrete, coordinated, and sustained implementation.

The Prime Minister also noted that the launch of the National Strategic Action Plan is timely, as it operationalizes the four internationally recognized pillars of the anti-trafficking framework namely prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership.

The Prime Minister further stated,

“Caring for trafficking survivors in Sri Lanka requires a holistic, gender-sensitive, and survivor-centered approach that addresses both immediate protection and long-term recovery. This includes safe shelter, medical care, and trauma-informed psychological support, with particular attention to women and girls who experience more severe and gendered forms of violence, alongside legal assistance, economic empowerment, and skills development to prevent re-trafficking.

Human trafficking is a structural and social challenge that requires sustained, multi-sectoral action. Ministries and government agencies must embed anti-trafficking priorities into their core strategies and day-to-day operations, ensuring institutional integration and professional accountability”.

The event was attended by Parinda Ranasinghe Jnr, PC, Attorney General of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Chair of the NAHTTF, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha; and Kristin Parco, IOM Chief of Mission in Sri Lanka and Maldives. Members of the NAHTTF representing 23 key government entities, along with representatives of the diplomatic community, United Nations entities and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

(Prime Minister’s Media Division)

News

No changes to IMF agreement despite Cyclone Ditwah impact

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has declared that the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) wouldn’t be amended in view of the impact of Cyclone Ditwah.

The IMF delegation, at the end of its visit to Sri Lanka, informed President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of its decision during a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (28). The IMF delegation included Director of the Asia and Pacific Department Krishna Srinivasan, Deputy Director for Asia and the Pacific Sanjaya Panth, Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou, and Resident Representative Martha Woldemichael.

The 48-month arrangement, approved on 20 March, 2023, during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as the President, is for SDR 2.286 billion (approximately US$3 billion). In terms of the agreement, repayment of debt has to be resumed in 2028. Sri Lanka unilaterally suspended debt repayment in April 2022.

Close on the heels of Cyclone Ditwah, the main Opposition party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), repeatedly pressed the government to request the IMF to amend the agreement.

The Presidential Media Division ( PMD) quoted the IMF delegation as having said that the strong fiscal discipline maintained by the government over the past year had been a key factor in addressing the challenges caused by Cyclone Ditwah. They said that the government’s ability to present a supplementary estimate of Rs. 500 billion was made possible by a surplus in the Treasury.

The Government of Sri Lanka was represented by Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Senior Economic Adviser to the President Duminda Hulangamuwa, along with several others.

News

IMF lauds Sri Lanka’s economic turnaround, highlights regional resilience

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka’s economy has “stabilised decisively” under its International Monetary Fund (IMF)-supported programme, with growth rebounding, tax revenues doubling, and inflation sharply declining, a senior IMF official said in Colombo yesterday.

Dr. Krishna Srinivasan, Director of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, delivered the assessment during a public lecture on the IMF Regional Economic Outlook: Asia and Pacific, held at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. He was joined by Dr. Thomas Helbling, the Department’s Country Director.

Both officials commended the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region’s overall economic resilience in the face of global challenges and advocated for deeper trade and supply chain integration to mitigate vulnerabilities in international trade.

Presenting a country-focused analysis, Dr. Srinivasan outlined how Sri Lanka has performed against the five key pillars of the IMF programme:

Revenue-based fiscal consolidation, supported by tax reforms and strengthened social safety nets.

Restoring debt sustainability through fiscal adjustment and debt restructuring.

Maintaining price stability and rebuilding foreign exchange reserves.

Safeguarding external stability.

Combating corruption via a comprehensive anti-corruption reform agenda.

“Sri Lanka has come out of the crisis stabilising its economy across three dimensions,” Dr. Srinivasan stated referring to Sri Lanka’s Growth, Revenue, and Inflation. He highlighted that growth “bounced back decisively,” turning positive within six months of the programme and recently averaging about 5 percent annually.

On fiscal performance, he noted a “significant turnaround.” Tax revenue has doubled from a critically low 7.3 percent of GDP to 14.8 percent in 2025.

Dr. Krishna Srinivasan / Dr. Thomas Helbling

Furthermore, inflation has dropped “in a very convincing manner” from approximately 70 percent to the current 2-3 percent range. “One would hope that in the next few quarters, it will reach the Central Bank’s target of 5 percent,” he added.

“Overall, the IMF programme for Sri Lanka has delivered on many of its objectives,” Dr. Srinivasan concluded. “There is still a long way to go in terms of securing strong, sustained, balanced growth, but the program is off to a very good start. All of you, the authorities, and the people of Sri Lanka need to be congratulated for the progress made so far,” he said.

In his regional remarks, Dr. Srinivasan projected that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be a key driver of the Asian economy. He suggested that technology companies in the region would be “better served by the capital markets than from conventional banks,” pointing to a need for evolved financial ecosystems to support innovation.

The lecture underscored the IMF’s constructive outlook for Asia’s continued resilience, while emphasising structural reforms and regional cooperation as vital for future stability and growth.

By Sanath Nanayakkare