…Wasantha, Shavendra among them

Global Sri Lanka Forum (GSLF) Yasas Dharmadasa said that UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy who is due to visit Colombo tomorrow (17) played a significant role in imposing sanctions on ex-military chiefs, including Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda and former Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva.

Alleging that Lammy had pushed for punitive actions on the basis of unsubstantiated war crimes allegations, Dharmadasa said that the NPP owed an explanation regarding how the new government responded to the UK move.

Lammy was appointed Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice and Deputy Prime Minister on 5 September 2025, seven months after in his capacity as Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs he announced sanctions on Karannagoda, Silva, former Army Commander General Jagath Jayasuriya and former LTTE commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan aka Karuna Amman.

 Dharmadasa said that Lammy was on record as having said on 25 March 2025 that he made a commitment during the last election campaign to ensure those responsible were not allowed impunity. The British Labour politician also declared that the decision to impose sanctions ensured that those responsible for past human rights violations and abuses were held accountable, Dharmadsasa said.

Lammy was first elected as Labour MP for Tottenham at the age of 27 in June 2000.

The UK heads the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council, which includes Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.

Dharmadasa said that throughout the war in Sri Lanka the UK provided refuge to LTTE though it was declared a proscribed organization. How could we forget that Adele, wife of LTTE strategist Anton Balasingham, one-time British High Commission employee, lives in the UK after having promoted terrorism in Sri Lanka, Dharmadasa asked.

The GSLF spokesman said that though the NPP government announced the appointment of a ministerial team in March 2025 to inquire into and make recommendations regarding the sanctions nothing was heard of them. Dharmadasa pointed out that Lammy was coming here to sign an agreement on the Charter for the Global Campaign on Children’s Care. The UK and others concerned had conveniently forgotten that it was the Sri Lankan government that ended the LTTE’s despicable use of children as cannon fodder by bringing the war to a successful conclusion in May 2009, Dharmadasa said. Since then, the UK and other like-minded countries, including Canada had been campaigning against war winning Sri Lanka, he said, urging the genuine opposition to exploit Lammy’s visit to expose false allegations directed at the military.

 By Shamindra Ferdinando

The GCE (O/L) examination 2025 is scheduled to be held from tomorrow (17) until 26 February.

The examination will take place at 3,545 centres across the country, as well as at seven special examination centres. A total of 451,463 students are expected to sit the exam, and, of them, 382,249 are school candidates. About 69,214 private candidates are scheduled to take the examination.

The Department of Examinations advises candidates to prepare for the exam using only the timetable provided with the admission card bearing the heading ‘G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination 2025 (2026).’

Lawyers, who are members of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), last evening decided not to appear in courts across the country today (16) in protest against the fatal shooting of Attorney-at-Law Buddhika Mallawarachchi and his wife at a supermarket car park in Akuregoda, Thalangama, on Friday.

The decision was taken at a special general meeting of BASL members held last evening, BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya said.

The meeting, convened under Article 12A on the direction of the Executive Committee, was held at 3 pm at the Dr H W Jayawardena QC Auditorium, BASL Secretariat, Colombo 12. BASL Secretary Chathura Galhena told the media that the purpose was to discuss the incident and decide on the Association’s next course of action.

At the conclusion of the meeting, lawyers marched from the BASL premises to the Superior Courts complex in Colombo to signal their protest over the killings.

by Nishan S Priyantha