News

Gota goes, plunging country into chaos

Published

4 years ago

2022/07/14

Thilina Walpola

Ranil W appointed Acting President
Curfew declared in WP as armed forces, police receive orders to ‘clear’ protesters
Party leaders’ decision to elect new Prez on 20 July stands

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The crisis took an unexpected and violent turn as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the country without resigning. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is functioning as the Acting President. Wickremesinghe’s appointment was announced by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena around 12.45 pm, hours after the Air Force confirmed that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his wife, Iyoma left for the Maldives.

The Speaker’s Office said the President hadn’t tendered his letter of resignation. Instead, the Speaker had been informed of PM Wickremesinghe’s appointment as the Acting President.In his capacity as the Acting President, Wickremesinghe imposed a curfew in the Western Province comprising Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara Districts and declared a state of Emergency.

Wickremesinghe’s Office issued instructions to the armed forces and the police to bring the situation under control as thousands of protesters surrounded the Prime Minister’s Office. Fresh protests erupted in the wake of the Speaker’s announcement. Police fired tear gas, water cannon, followed by a baton charge, but protesters regrouped and forced themselves into the Prime Minister’s Office as heavily armed troops looked on.

Earlier in the day, groups of youth launched protests outside Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Office, demanding his immediate resignation as the Air Force headquarters confirmed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and wife, Iyoma, left the country.

An authoritative official told The Island that the first couple, accompanied by two bodyguards, had been flown out in an AN-32 transport aircraft following clearance given by relevant authorities. “The flight time was approximately two hours and the aircraft returned to the country,” the official said.

Responding to another query, the official said that the first couple had arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) from the Akuregoda Defence Complex, where they were staying. According to him, they had moved to a few places before taking refuge at Akuregoda. They left the country at 1 am and landed in Male around 3 am.

At the onset of clashes between police backed by anti-riots squads, protesters captured a heavy police vehicle as the crew abandoned it.The Speaker’s Office quoted Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena as having said that President Rajapaksa had informed him that PM Wickremesinghe had been appointed the Acting President in terms of article 37(1) of the Constitution.

In spite of the declaration of curfew thousands of protesters remained in the city while they refused to vacate the President’s House, the Presidential Secretariat and Temple Trees or leave the city. Thousands of protesters arrived in Colombo from the provinces and more continued to arrive disregarding the curfew.

Air Force helicopters flew low over the Galle Face in the afternoon. The Air Force headquarters said that it was to monitor the gathering of people.However, some sources said that the President would transmit his letter of resignation from the Maldives during the day. During yesterday’s disturbances, a group of protesters stormed Rupavahini forcing the suspension of services. According to some reports they have effectively taken over the national TV.

As violence spread, Speaker Abeywardena issued a second statement within three hours after the first that dealt with Wickremesinghe’s appointment. the Speaker said that he had received a call from President Rajapaksa reiterating his original promise to resign on 13 July. The Speaker said that the President had reassured him that he would send his letter of resignation as promised and the election of a new President could take place on 20 July.

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News

Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

14 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

14 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

14 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.