News
Fishermen protest against shortages
(UCAN) Hundreds of fishermen took to the streets in Sri Lanka’s coastal cities and towns to demand relief from fuel shortages that have crippled their livelihoods for months.The protest marches and rallies held on Aug. 17 saw fishing boats being shifted to the streets as roadblocks in villages like Karukupanei, Muthupanthia, Ambakadawila, Thoduwava, and Chilaw.
Protests were also held in the northern districts of Mullaitivu, Jaffna, and Mannar, where the fishermen, besides fuel shortages, also complained about increased illegal fishing by Indian trawlers.The protesting fishermen complained they had not received fuel supplies for almost three months and were unable to put to sea.
Sebastian Fernando, a fisherman from Chilaw, a town in North Western province, told UCA News that kerosene has been in short supply ever since the economic crisis hit the nation.
“Fishermen managed for a while by buying kerosene on the black market. Some fishermen mixed petrol with kerosene oil and used it to run the outboard engines,” he said.
“We are not even able to afford proper meals”
Fernando said it was as if the government has forgotten the fisher community. “We are frustrated because we are not even able to afford proper meals and education for our children,” he added.Minister of Fisheries, Douglas Devananda, said a solution will be worked out to ensure an uninterrupted supply of kerosene oil within this week.
Fishing and related industries employ more than 10 percent of the island nation’s 22 million people, according to government statistics.The majority of Sri Lanka’s fishermen are Christians.Mary Crotilda, a Sunday school teacher from Negombo said attendance by children had fallen sharply.
“The fisher families were suffering income losses while prices of essential food items had gone up. Fish supplies too are decreasing. Hence, children are at great risk of malnutrition,” she said alluding to the fact that fish makes up about half of the protein in the local diet.
“Seven out of ten families are cutting down their food intake”
Sri Lanka had one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in South Asia and the economic crisis has accelerated the problem, UNICEF said.
“Seven out of ten families are cutting down their food intake to manage the crisis,” UNICEF added while appealing for US$25 million to support humanitarian aid to 1.7 million children in the island nation.Crotilda said that those fisher families who had three meals a day could now only afford two meals, while those who had two meals were having only one meal now.
The official appointment letters for the members of the newly established “Cricket Transformation Committee” (CTC) were handed over on Monday (04) by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage.
The following members received their letters of appointment at the Ministry premises:
Sidath Wettimuny
Thushira Radella
Prakash Schaffter
Ms. Avanthi Colombage
The Ministry also noted that veteran cricketers Roshan Mahanama and Kumar Sangakkara, who are key members of the committee, are currently overseas. Their official appointments will be formalised immediately upon their arrival in Sri Lanka.
The Cricket Transformation Committee has been mandated to oversee the administration and drive structural reforms within Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in accordance with the powers vested in the Minister under the Sports Act No. 25 of 1973.
Three prison guards attached to the Welikada Prison have been arrested by Borella Police following the death of an inmate on Monday (04).
‘Bar Association must reveal its stand’
Civil society group ‘Free Lawyers’ has requested Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena to probe whether political pressure was brought on a Magistrate, or a High Court Judge, in respect of an ongoing high profile case.
Speaking to The Island on behalf of ‘Free Lawyers,’ Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon said that they felt the urgent need to seek the CJ’s intervention, following the May Day declaration by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that the verdict of a case that was heard on 30 April would be given on 25 May. Tennakoon said that addressing the NPP’s main May Day rally at Maharagama, the President asked the people to be ready to celebrate that verdict. The President couldn’t have said so if he hadn’t been aware of the impending verdict, Tennakoon said, while emphasising the responsibility on the part of the Bar Association to state its position on the issue.
‘Free Lawyers’ recently captured pubic attention following its exposure of the theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury.
Responding to a query, Tennakoon said that on behalf of ‘Free Lawyers,’ Maithri Gunaratne, PC, on Monday, 4 April, wrote to both CJ Surasena and President of the Bar Association Rajeev Amarasuriya.
Alleging that President Dissanayake’s declaration caused immense harm to the independence of the judiciary and raised controversy over the judgement that would be given on 25 May, ‘Free Lawyers’ organisation also asked the CJ to inquire into whether the entire judicial process was under political pressure.
Tennakoon said that they expect the Bar Association to reveal its position on President Dissanayake’s statement. Tennakoon pointed out that during the May Day address, President Dissanayake made reference to 15 cases that were to be taken up during this month, whereas Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister, as well as Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake, mentioned nearly 10 names of politicians, both sitting and former lawmakers, to be summoned beginning, May.
Tennakoon said that the NPP appeared to have used May Day to counter growing accusations over the Colombo port container controversy, coal scam, Rs 13.2 bn NDB fraud and theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury and USD 625,000 from the Sri Lanka Postal Service.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
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