News
Ex-military officers seek meeting with UNHRC Chief and ask govt. to release its response to UK sanctions
Retired military officers facing war crimes allegations have said they are still awaiting the release of recommendations of a committee that inquired into targeted sanctions imposed on General Shavendra Silva, General Jagath Jayasuriya, Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, and former LTTE field commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna.
The newly formed committee, chaired by Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath, includes Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara and Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara.
The UK announced the sanctions on March 24, 2025 claiming that the aforementioned former military officers were responsible for serious human rights abuses and violations during the war, including extrajudicial killings, torture and/or perpetration of sexual violence.
A former military officer emphasised the pivotal importance of releasing the NPP government’s findings during United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s visit. Foreign Ministry announced Türk would undertake an official visit to Sri Lanka today (23) to 26 June This marks the first visit by a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Sri Lanka since February 2016.
Responding to The Island query, the retired officer pointed out the government couldn’t delay its formal response as the Geneva-based UNHRC was stepping up pressure on the war-winning military.
The Foreign Ministry has announced that Türk is scheduled to call on the President and the Prime Minister. He is also scheduled to meet the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, several other Cabinet Ministers, members of Parliament, senior government officials, religious leaders, representatives of civil society, members of the diplomatic community, and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.
“We believe Türk can meet us because his schedule includes visits to Jaffna and Trincomalee and paying homage to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and calling on the
Chief Prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters.
The retired officer noted that Nagalingam Vethanayagam, the Governor of the Northern Province and Professor Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera, Governor of the Eastern Province were scheduled to meet the visiting UN official.
Referring to sanctions imposed on selected officers as well as former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa by the US, Canada and Australia, the ex-military officer said that they expected the NPP to do better than previous governments.
Noting that Mullivaikkal hadn’t been included in the High Commissioner’s itinerary in spite of the British Tamil Forum (BTF) specifically requesting him to visit the area where the LTTE was defeated in third week of May 2009, the ex-serviceman said that they didn’t see any need to impose restrictions on the visiting team. “There is no harm in the High Commissioner visiting even the spot where the Army killed Velupillai Prabhakaran,” the spokesman said, urging the government to counter unsubstantiated war crimes allegations, blaming the Yahapalana government for having co-sponsored an accountability resolution against the Sri Lankan military in Oct 2015.
The ex-official recalled all predominantly Tamil speaking northern and eastern districts overwhelmingly voted for war-winning Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka at the 2010 presidential election.
by Shamindra Ferdinando ✍️
The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) on Friday said the largest groundwater source discovered in Sri Lanka so far had been identified during tube-well drilling near the Pitabeddara Police Station.
Indrajith Gamage, geologist in charge of the Southern Province, said the source recorded a continuous flow of about 10,000 litres (10 cubic metres) per minute, marking the first instance in the country where a groundwater source of that magnitude had been found.
He noted that the previous largest groundwater source was discovered in the Madhu area, which recorded a flow of about 7,000 litres per minute.
According to the NWSDB, the tube well was drilled following geological studies of rock layers and the identification of underground water through fractures in rock strata using specialised technical instruments.
The Board said steps would be taken to distribute water from the newly discovered source to residents facing shortages in Pitabeddara, Morawaka and surrounding areas.
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has formally handed over its historical records to the National Archives Department, entrusting over a century of the nation’s commercial history to the country’s official custodians of heritage.
The archive, spanning from the CCC’s founding in 1839 to 1973, includes correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, ledgers, and publications that chronicle the development of trade, enterprise, and industry in Sri Lanka. Together, the records provide a rare and detailed account of the island’s economic evolution and the role of its business community in shaping national progress.
The Ministry of Defence said on Friday (13) that arrangements had been made to repatriate to Iran the bodies of 84 sailors who died aboard the IRIS Dena, which sank in the southern seas off Sri Lanka.
A special aircraft carrying the bodies departed from Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport on Friday, the Ministry said, adding that the repatriation was carried out in coordination with the Embassy of Iran in Sri Lanka.
The remains had been kept in two mobile cold-storage units at the Galle National Hospital before being transported to Mattala by lorry following a court order. Forty-five bodies were moved in the morning, while the remaining 39 were transported later in the day.
Earlier this month, the Iranian naval vessel suffered an incident about 40 nautical miles off Port of Galle while carrying around 180 personnel. Thirty-five rescued sailors were admitted to the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, while 84 bodies were subsequently recovered.
Following the incident, Pete Hegseth confirmed that the Iranian vessel had been sunk in international waters by a torpedo fired from a submarine of the United States Navy.
Showers will occur at several places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western and Uva provinces and in Galle, Matara, Mannar and Anuradhapura districts after 2.00 pm.
Lanka discovers largest groundwater source
Lanka’s commercial legacy preserved in National Archives
Bodies of 84 Iranian sailors flown home
Kirsten brings pedigree, but Sri Lanka must fix the system
Barrels vs bombs
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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