News

FUTA condemns state violence against protesting students

Published

3 years ago

2023/03/12

The illegitimate government led by Ranil Wickremesinghe continues to resort to State violence in suppressing peaceful protests with impunity. On March 8 the State used brutal police force to disperse a peaceful protest march led by the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF), even invading the University of Colombo to do so, the Federation of University Teachers (FUTA) said in a statement last week. Full text of the statement: The Police was not content to disperse the protesting students using tear gas and water cannons, but also forcibly entered the University of Colombo premises without any lawful authorization and indiscriminately and arbitrarily attacked students who were in the university, some of whom had taken no part in the protest march, thereby blatantly disregarding any semblance of respect for the rule of law.

Students, academics and other bystanders were gratuitously targeted during this unprecedented and vicious attack carried out within the premise of an university. The conduct of the Police is a deliberate and flagrant violation of university autonomy — a cherished principle upon which our university system has been built, and which has been upheld by successive regimes in the past.

Not chastened by the fact that such state terror resulted in the death of one person who was attacked within the university premises, the Police continued to target protesters outside the University of Kelaniya on March 9 as well.

The Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) vehemently condemns the ruthless and unprovoked behavior exhibited by the Police in attacking students. The perpetrators of these cowardly and unlawful acts, as well as those whose orders were being followed by these perpetrators, must be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

The right to peaceful assembly and association is a fundamental right of all citizens, which is well recognized by the supreme law of our land. The country has witnessed a systematic assault on these very rights during the past few months, ever since Ranil Wickremesinghe was “elected” President by Parliament in July 2022.

The Government has adopted an illegal zero-tolerance policy towards any organized protest march and has repeatedly used violence, in the extreme, in dispersing street demonstrations.University students, trade unions, including FUTA, and even major political parties have been subjected to this inhuman repression in the recent past.

Peaceful demonstrations have been an integral part of our democracy ever since the country obtained independence. Citizens of this country have exercised their right to dissent through collective demonstrations whenever they were dissatisfied with government policies. These demonstrations took different forms, from street marches to pada-yathras or janagoshas that lasted for days.

The conduct of the current regime to impose an absolute ban on any mass demonstration is without precedent in our history, without merit within the law, and, moreover, it contravenes the fundamental values of a democratic society. We are living in times where ruthless and unjust economic reforms are imposed on the masses. The lower- and middle-income populations in the country are disproportionately burdened due to the so-called austerity measures the Government has imposed on them.

Arbitrary and unfair increase of taxes, the escalation of electricity and fuel prices due to the removal of subsidies, again disproportionately affecting the poor, high interest rates, and the suspension of state expenditure, have severely impacted the livelihoods of millions of citizens.

These measures are imposed by a President who was never elected through a popular mandate. To make matters worse, the President also refuses to conduct elections that are legally due, and therefore continues to govern without the consent of the governed.

This tendency of rising political authoritarianism accompanied by a harsh economic austerity that is oriented towards a neoliberal ideology poses a fundamental threat to the democratic fabric of this country. Prohibiting demonstrations, attacking protesters, illegally preventing elections, the use of repressive laws to restrict trade union activities, are all part and parcel of a larger authoritarian drive that should be vigorously and steadfastly challenged.

FUTA calls upon all citizens, organizations and forces that value democracy and basic civil liberties to oppose the illegitimate and inhuman conduct of this government. We wish to warn the Government that as the trade union federation representing the academic community in the country, FUTA will stand in solidarity with the people to the very end in order to defeat all such acts of state terror and injustice.

We recognize that in attacking peaceful protesters the Government is demonstrating the fact that it feels threatened by our voices and collective strength. They fear the inevitable triumph of justice over brute force. We are not afraid, nor will we back down.

Hence, this use of the Police as a weapon in the Government’s arsenal of terror must stop immediately. Impunity and utter callousness of this kind must be halted both by legal challenges and public outrage. FUTA pledges its commitment to stand up and fight against an illegitimate government’s illegal agenda and seeks the public’s continued support to ensure victory.

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Sun directly overhead Beruwala, Gurulubadda, Rakwana, Godakawela, Udawalawe and Thanamalwila at about 12:13 noon today (06)

Published

14 hours ago

2026/04/6

Priyan

On the apparent northward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka during 05th to 15th of April in this year.

The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (06th) are Beruwala, Gurulubadda, Rakwana, Godakawela, Udawalawe and Thanamalwila at about 12:13 noon.

Latest News

Heat Index at Caution Level in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district

Published

14 hours ago

2026/04/6

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 05 April 2026, valid for 06 April 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

News

West Asian conflict benefits China-managed H’tota Port

Published

15 hours ago

2026/04/6

Thilina Walpola

Extended yard facility, HIP (pic courtesy HIP)

The ongoing West Asia war, triggered by joint Israel-US attack on Iran on 28 Februar, has benefited the China-run Hambantota International Port (HIP).With Iran imposing restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz shipping, in retaliation for unprovoked attack, thereby choking vital shipping routes, particularly for crude oil and refined oil products, HIP situated, along the East-West shipping corridor, has received the anticipated attention.

Soon after the sinking of an unarmed Iranian frigate, just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, in India’s backyard, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar categorised HIP as a foreign military base, along with Diego Garcia, Bahrain and Djibouti, where both the US and China maintained major bases.

HIP, in a press release issued on Sunday (05), declared that the Port has significantly expanded its operational capacity, in response to a sharp surge in global shipping volumes, resulting from the West Asia conflict.

The company asserted that the developing situation reinforced its position as a key alternative hub along the East–West shipping corridor.

The port has doubled its Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) yard capacity and increased its container yard capacity by 30%, as shipping lines divert operations away from disrupted routes in search of stable and efficient alternatives.

HIP is situated just 10 nautical miles from the main East–West shipping route, allowing vessels to divert with minimal deviation while maintaining schedule integrity.

The Chinese government-owned China Merchant Port Holdings (CMPort) under controversial circumstances acquired controlling interests of the Hambantota port in 2017 during the Yahapalanaya administration. Although the Sri Lankan government repeatedly said that Sri Lanka was paid USD 1.12 bn according to the HIP website CMPort invested $974 mn in the HIP and held 85 percent of the shares.

The 2017 agreement granted CMPort a 99-year lease to develop, manage and operate the Port area. The Supreme Court dismissed a fundamental rights petition filed by lawmaker Vasudeva Nanayakkara pointing out that the original agreements pertaining to the Hambantota port had been signed in 2012 and 2013 during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure as the president when he was a member of the Rajapaksa Cabinet.

The HIP press release quoted CEO of HIP Wilson Qu as having said: “What we are witnessing today is a structural shift in global shipping patterns. At HIP, we have focused on building the capacity and operational agility to respond to such changes. Our ability to scale quickly, combined with our location, allows us to support global shipping lines when reliability becomes critical. Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in infrastructure and capabilities to strengthen Hambantota’s role as a key logistics and transshipment hub in the region.”

The rise in both vehicle transshipment and container volumes has driven yard utilization levels to the highest in HIP’s history, highlighting the scale of ongoing supply chain disruptions and the port’s growing strategic importance in global trade.

To accommodate increased throughput, HIP has rapidly expanded yard space across both cargo segments, enabling it to handle higher volumes while maintaining operational efficiency and minimizing congestion. Expanding capacity within a short time frame in a live port environment presents considerable operational and technical challenges and requires significant investment. However, through close coordination across management, engineering and operational teams, HIP was able to deliver these enhancements in step with rising demand.

The HIP statement added: “The expansion reflects Hambantota International Port’s continued development as a resilient logistics platform in the Indian Ocean, as geopolitical developments reshape established maritime routes and increase demand for alternative hubs. As infrastructure scales in tandem with demand, HIP is increasingly positioned to capture a larger share of regional transshipment volumes while supporting the continuity of global supply chains.”

Amidst the continuing uncertainty caused by war and growing threat to international shipping the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) the owning group of HIP recently finalised an agreement to invest USD 108 mn to procure new container handling equipment- six quay cranes, 16 rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) and 40 trailers, under the initial phase of the port’s Phase II container terminal development.

By Shamindra Ferdinando