News
GL alerts country to danger of ‘thought-police’ by way of Online Safety Commission
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The government is bent on ensuring that people have no access to truthful information by the time of the presidential election next year, Freedom People’s Congress (FPC) MP, Prof. G.L. Peiris said, commenting on the proposed Online Safety Bill.
The Ranil Wickremesinghe administration knows that it can’t win elections and has postponed every election it can, he said. “However, the presidential election can’t be postponed. The government is curbing freedom of speech and the right to share information in a desperate bid to have a monopoly on information. There is no other reason to bring the Online Safety Bill.”
The Bill establishes an Online Safety Commission tasked with overseeing its implementation and addressing complaints related to online harm. Members of the commission are appointed by the President. “The commission will have five members. The President will appoint them the way he wants. The President can also get rid of them any time he wants. No one else has a say in whether the President’s decisions, with regard to the commission are fair. The power of appointing members should have been given to the Constitutional Council, which appoints members to all other independent commissions,” he said.
Prof. Peiris added that the digital space must be made safe and that there are a number of young people who have become victims of the unscrupulous activities of nefarious people. However, the proposed cure by the government is more dangerous than the disease.
Prof. Peiris said that Sri Lanka has been trying to attract foreign revenue into the country, mainly through tourism, trade and FDIs. Investments will not come into a country that passes draconian laws on a regular basis, he said.
“There are several sections that should scare anyone. There are sections that say people must obey the directives of the commission, established by the Online Safety Bill. If not, a person can be sent to jail for five years. This does not only apply to Sri Lankans, but also to global companies. For these companies, Sri Lanka is a small market. These companies will avoid Sri Lanka. We will just regress 30 years.”
If the Online Safety Bill and the Anti-Terrorism Act, which have been re-gazetted, pass, none of the democratic rights we have enjoyed will last, the MP said. “Social media has played a big role in the recent elections. When science and technology change, how people interact changes. We can’t avoid the digital space.”
Prof. Peiris said that he has been in Parliament for decades and that he has never seen a government this desperate to pass laws that restrict freedom of expression. “The Budget for 2024 will be presented mid-November. Nothing else can be done in Parliament for the next month following the Budget. The government is desperate to pass several draconian laws before the Budget.”
A team of Opposition MPs will meet the IMF representatives in Sri Lanka next week, he said.
“IMF money is to make the lives of people better. It’s not for the government. We want to tell the IMF that they have a duty to ensure that the money they provide is not pocketed by powerful people. We have to pay the loan, and people will have to pay. The IMF agreed that there is a lot of corruption here.”
News
Heat index at ‘Caution level’ in Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western, Western provinces and Monaragala district today [09]
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology has issued a Warm Weather Advisory for 09 April 2025
The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western, and Western 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 below 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.
Prof. Jayasumana raises possibility of Lanka ending up with “Quad’
Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa has said it is the responsibility of the NPP government to submit the MoUs/agreements that were recently signed with India to the respective Sectoral Oversight Committees (SOCs).
Premadasa said so when The Island raised the issue with him. He said that during his meeting with Premier Modi his focus had been on opening the Indian market for Sri Lankan garment exports.
The seven MoUs/agreements signed on 05 April included defence cooperation, energy, Eastern Province development and digitalisation.
Meanwhile, the Vice President of Sarvajana Balaya and former lawmaker Prof. Channa Jayasumana said that the government owed an explanation whether the recently signed MoU on defence cooperation directly or indirectly attached Sri Lanka to the Quad security alliance, consisting of the US, Australia, Japan and India.
The former SLPPer raised the issue at a meeting held at Boralesgamuwa on Monday (07) in support of Sarvajana Balaya candidates contesting the May 6 LG polls.
Prof. Jayasumana urged that the MoU on Defence Cooperation be placed before Parliament, and the people, without further delay. The academic who served as State Health Minister during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s tenure said that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s foreign policy direction should be dealt with.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The government would not extend the suspension of ‘parate executions’ that was now effective, Deputy Minister of Finance Harshana Suriyapperuma told Parliament yesterday.
Suriyapperuma said so in response to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, who asked about the government’s plans regarding a relief package to assist small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) struggling to repay loans.
Pointing out that about 263,000 SMEs had closed down, Premadasa asked what action the government would take to address the grievances of these SMEs.
He said that from 01 Jan., 2019, to 01 Dec., 31, 2023, licensed banks had collected Rs. 113.7 billion through 2,263 parate executions. As of 31 Dec., 2024, Rs. 1,380 billion had been recovered from Stage III defaulters.
The government has introduced loan schemes to assist SMEs impacted by the economic crisis. They included capital loans of up to Rs. 10 million, with a six-month grace period and a three-year repayment term at 8% interest, Suriyapperuma said. Additionally, another loan scheme under the consolidated fund aimed to help SMEs that werecurrently paying their loans. That scheme offered loans of up to Rs. 15 million, which must be repaid over ten years with a one-year grace period and a 7% interest rate. For SMEs that had defaulted on their loans, a loan of up to Rs. 5 million is available at 8% interest, with a six-month grace period and a five-year repayment term, Suriyapperuma said.
By Saman Indrajith
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Heat index at ‘Caution level’ in Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western, Western provinces and Monaragala district today [09]
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