News
Govt. must share its plan for national reconciliation with Opp. and civil society
The National Peace Council (NPC) has urged the government to engage constructively with the Opposition and with civil society in shaping its position at the forthcoming UNHRC session.
The text of the NPC statement: “As Sri Lanka prepares to appear before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva this September under Resolution 51/2, the government will need to show more than promises. The UN Human Rights High Commissioner’s 2025 report recognises that the new government has both a historic opportunity and a clear mandate to deliver results. The continuation of arbitrary arrests under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, custodial deaths, intimidation of civil society and the discovery of mass graves such as at Chemmani the UN report highlights shows the urgency of action.
Earlier this month the Cabinet of Ministers approved the development of a new National Policy and Action Plan on Reconciliation and Co-existence, to be spearheaded by the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) under the Ministry of Justice. A credible plan must include clear deadlines to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act, complete mass grave investigations, establish an independent Truth and Reconciliation Commission with international participation, and create a prosecutorial body to pursue emblematic cases from the war and the Easter Sunday bombings. Military involvement in civilian life in the north and east must be scaled back, and land disputes resolved transparently.
Just as critical are steps that improve the daily lives of ethnic and religious minorities. People should not feel threatened by representatives of any faith. They must be free to use their language wherever they choose, yet even today many government documents are not available in Tamil. This must be corrected immediately. Provincial Council elections should not be delayed for delimitation exercises. In the east, appointments to senior government posts must reflect the Tamil-speaking majority, yet there has never been a Tamil Government Agent in Trincomalee or Ampara. The same exclusion is seen across departments, from the police to banks and forest services, where Tamil speakers remain under-represented. Courts in the east accommodate Sinhala but rarely Tamil, although Tamil speakers are often bilingual. This imbalance must end.
Development in the east lags behind the rest of the country. Batticaloa, historically the capital of the east, has lost its centrality since the establishment of the provincial council system and has not recovered. Key services such as telecoms, taxation and provincial administration are located elsewhere, leaving Batticaloa behind while towns like Polonnaruwa and Ampara have grown rapidly. Transport links are also neglected: there is no train from Batticaloa to Trincomalee or Jaffna, and no air-conditioned bus service from Batticaloa to Jaffna. These shortcomings reinforce the sense of exclusion and abandonment which is not limited to Batticaloa but other parts of the north and east.
What is needed for the forthcoming UNHRC session in Geneva is not another statement of intent but a concrete plan that delivers justice, guarantees language and religious rights, ensures fair representation in public service, and restores equality in development. Without this, reconciliation will remain out of reach. The National Peace Council urges the government to engage constructively with the opposition and with civil society in shaping its position at the forthcoming UNHRC session.”
Sri Lanka Naval Ship (SLNS) Sindurala arrived at the port of Visakhapatnam in India on 17 September 2026, to participate in the bilateral naval exercise ‘SLINEX – 2026’.
The Indian Navy formally welcomed the SLN vessel upon its arrival, adhering to naval traditions.
The joint exercise will take place on 20 and 21 September in the seas off the east coast of India. On 18 September, the Commanding Officer SLNS Sindurala, Captain Sunanda Appuhamy, held official discussions with Commander Suraj Aiyappa, Commanding Officer Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kavaratti, aboard both vessels.
The annual exercise aims to enhance cooperation, interoperability, and professional exchange between the two navies. During the exercise, crew members from SLNS Sindurala will also participate in several professional and cultural exchanges organized by the Indian Navy.
Advisory for strong winds and rough seas for Multi-day boats in the Bay of Bengal deep sea areas
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 05.00 p.m. 18 September 2026, valid for the next 24 hours.
PLEASE BE AWARE!
The atmospheric disturbance to the North of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, is likely to develop into a low pressure area within the next 24 hours.
Due to its influence, wind speed over the Bay of Bengal sea areas will increase during the next few days starting from
tomorrow (19th).
The wind speed in the sea areas marked under the “Advisory” category on the map below will increase to 55-65 kmph at times and those sea areas will be rough or very rough at times.
Navel and fishing communities engaging the activities over this sea area are advised to be vigilant and be attentive to the future forecasts and bulletins issued by the department of Meteorology in this regards.
Text and Pic by Priyan de Silva
Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) Ranga Dissanayake has questioned whether some promises contained in the National People’s Power (NPP) manifesto, A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life, could be fulfilled even if the government wanted to implement them.
Dissanayake raised the issue during a discussion following the release of the third biannual report on manifesto monitoring by the March 12 Movement, at the BMICH, on Wednesday.
He questioned whether the report had taken into account legal and institutional constraints affecting the implementation of certain pledges.
Citing the proposal to establish Anti-Corruption Investigation Offices in each district, Dissanayake said such offices could be established only with the agreement of CIABOC and that amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act would be necessary.
He also referred to the pledge to abolish the Executive Presidency, noting that successive governments had made similar commitments since 1994. He questioned whether there had been adequate consideration of where the powers vested in the Executive President would be transferred if the system were abolished.
On the proposal to establish a Public Prosecutor, Dissanayake questioned whether the Government intended to maintain the office alongside the Attorney General, who currently performs prosecution-related functions.
Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) Manjula Gajanayake said Dissanayake’s remarks should be regarded as his personal views and not as Government policy.
Monitoring and Evaluation Consultants M. Thilakarajah and D.D. Mataharaarachchi presented the third-phase findings, covering January to June 2026.
SLNS Sindurala arrives in Visakhapatnam for SLINEX 2026
Advisory for strong winds and rough seas for Multi-day boats in the Bay of Bengal
Showers in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya Districts
Some NPP manifesto promises may be difficult to fulfil – CIABOC DG
Yoshitha and ex-Navy chief Karannagoda’s case fixed for PTC
Court orders probe into Wimal’s rally speech
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News7 days agoGnanasara Thero absconding after SC ruling
-
Opinion6 days agoFrom Galkissa (Mount Lavinia) to Tambuttegama
-
Business7 days agoHNB Finance strengthens Board with four independent directors
-
News3 days agoUS embassy won’t comment on IGP’s probe into joint drug raid
-
Sports7 days agoCulture within cricket team worrying authorities
-
Features6 days agoSri Lanka’s university crisis: Brain drain and union action demand urgent reform
-
Features5 days agoThe emptying university: why are academics leaving?
-
News7 days agoHouse to debate 22A, Judicature Bill next week