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Be more conciliatory in addressing grievances: FUTA
The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) Friday called upon the government to respect the democratic rights of various stakeholders in the university system and to adopt a more conciliatory approach to addressing grievances.
Issuing a statement signed by its general secretary Dr. Athulasiri Samarakoon to condemn the police attacks on a protest march organized by university non-academic staff members on Thursday (18) near the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, FUTA reminded the government that the right to protest is a fundamental right well recognized by the constitution of Sri Lanka.
Full text of the statement:
“The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) is deeply concerned about the attack the police carried out against the protest march organized by university’s non-academic staff members on Jan.18. During the protest march held near the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, the police fired tear gas at protesting non-academic employees, forcing the protesters to disperse. This was done amidst the one-day token strike declared by non-academic staff members demanding an increase in their allowances.
“Non-academic staff members are an inseparable part of the university system, and the government has a responsibility to consider their grievances. Instead of conciliation, the use of force to suppress their demands risks creating an unstable situation at universities. At a time of unprecedented economic burden, it is needless to remind that all academic and non-academic staff perform a commendable task in keeping our universities functioning. In such a situation, the FUTA considers it unacceptable to use force against such employees who are raising their concerns and grievances.
“FUTA would like to remind the government that the right to protest is a fundamental right, well recognized by the constitution of Sri Lanka. Regardless of this protection, in the recent past, we have seen an alarming tendency where the state uses force to disperse peaceful demonstrations that do not cause any disturbance to public peace.
“FUTA was prevented from conducting a street demonstration in March 2022, against which we have filed a Fundamental Rights application. Furthermore, in many instances, students’ demonstrations were dispersed with the use of force. It is disappointing to see that the same repressive measures are applied against non-academic employees.
“While condemning this act in the strongest terms, FUTA calls upon the government to respect the democratic rights of various stakeholders in the university system and to adopt a more conciliatory approach to addressing grievances.”
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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