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If not for Ashraff LTTE would have achieved Eelam – Zuhair

Published

5 years ago

2020/10/8

Ashraff memorial meeting in Sammanthurai

Former President J R Jayewardene had, in 1987, merged the Eastern and Northern Provinces under Indian pressure. Then leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) late M.H.M. Ashraff and the Muslims in the country had opposed the merger. They didn’t want to be governed by another minority. Because of the forced merger, new demands of a separate council for Muslims emerged at that time. If not for the SLMC led by Marhoom Ashraff, the LTTE would have achieved its Eelam dream. Eastern Muslims thereby paid a heavy price at the hands of the LTTE in 1989-90 for not supporting the division of the country, President’s Counsel M. M. Zuhair, former Member of Parliament said at the 20th Ashraff memorial meeting held recently at the Abdul Majeed Hall, Sammanthurai, in the Ampara District.

Speaking further, Zuhair said the Muslims of Sri Lanka or the SLMC and its then leader Ashraff never supported separatism or the 30-year LTTE struggle to establish ‘Eelam’. Ashraff and the Muslims were opposed to the division of the country. It was the United Nations that created the first racially based state of ‘Israel’ seven decades ago in multi- ethnic Palestine. There is no place for other races in today’s Israel. It is today a land only for one race. Muslims of Sri Lanka did not want the country divided or to see the creation of a state for one race. Nevertheless Ashraff saw devolution of power as the political answer to the LTTE! Devolution is the only way today to win over the peace!

The meeting presided by Professor Rameez Abdullah was addressed by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran PC, former MP and Chairman Sammanthurai Pradeshiya Sabha A.M.M. Naushad and Deshamanya Irshad A. Cader. The meeting was organised by the Humanitarian Welfare Council of Sammanthurai and the Deshamanya Irshad A. Cader Welfare Forum of Sammanthurai.

The two major communities, Zuhair said have had their own problems. The failed ‘Christian’ coup of 1961 was an attempt to topple the government unlawfully. In 1971, the then JVP led Sinhala youth rebellion to overawe the government ended in failure. In 1988-9 another Marxist inspired major uprising of Sinhala youth to topple the government through criminal force also ended in failure. Meanwhile the 30-year LTTE war to establish a separate state was also defeated. Muslims were the only community that did not have any role in any of these terrorising events. Ashraff’s patriotic role during the 30 year war will never be forgotten. He was however never opposed to the genuine aspirations of the Tamil people of the country.

Zuhair said M.P. Sumanthiran referred to the need for the unity of the Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala people particularly in the East. Muslims will strongly support such moves. But the Tamil demand for merger had always been the major obstacle to this unity.

Genuine concerns have now emerged regarding the preservation of historical archaeological sites in the country. In Pakistan Taxila and other archaeological sites are protected by the government and the people of Pakistan. In Afghanistan, we tend to forget that the Bamiyan Buddha statues were protected by the Muslims there for over a thousand years. These sites also bring them tourist income.

The time has come for Muslims in the East to publicly come forward to protect these sites from destruction. This is also a national duty which is also supported by the Holy Quran. Sura 6 Verse 108 states ‘(Oh believers) Revile not, those whom they worship instead of Allah…’. The reference is to objects of worship. There is a clear Quranic prohibition, apart from the country’s laws, against permitting any form of vandalizing of objects, idols or places of such worship. Of course, archaeological sites are no longer places of worship. It is a national duty by all to protect these sites from damage or destruction, he said.

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Amendment to the regulations for registration of Subscriber SIM Cards (Subscriber Identity Modules- SIM) and reregistration of subscriber information related to the SIM cards obtained before 02-08-2019

Published

11 mins ago

2026/02/11

Priyan

As per the provisions of the Sri Lanka Telecommunications Act No. 25 of 1991, the regulations for registration of subscriber SIM Cards (Subscriber Identity Modules- SIM) No. 01 of 2019 have
been declared on 02-08-2019 and the aforementioned regulations are only applicable for the SIM cards issued after that date.

Therefore, the information on certain subscribers who registered before 02-08-2019 is not available with the telephone operating companies, which has led to problematic situations in certain law investigation activities.

Further, it has been recognized the necessity of amending the regulations appropriate to the current requirements, including the new provisions relevant to the registration of subscribers between the ages of 16 and 17 and the issuance of SIM
cards for foreigners who come to Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution presented by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Digital Economy, to introduce new regulations providing the provisions for reregistration of the information of the subscribers who have obtained the SIM cards before 02-08-2019 and amending the currently implemented regulations for registration of Subscriber SIM Cards (Subscriber Identity Modules- SIM) No. 01 of 2019.

News

Police open fire on speeding van in Jaffna: 17-year-old driver killed

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/11

Sahan Weerasooriya

The van shot by the police

Police are investigating the circumstances under which its men, manning a checkpoint, opened fire on a vehicle, killing a 17-year-old boy in Jaffna, in the early hours of yesterday (10).

Police said that they opened fire at a van that ignored orders to stop at the checkpoint. The dead youth was identified as Albino Arul Bias, a resident of Vaddukoddai. Bias was identified as the driver of the vehicle.

Sources said that the incident happened at a checkpoint at the Alaipiddy junction, along the Jaffna–Urkavalthurai road.

After the vehicle was brought to a stop, the teenage boy, who had been inside, was found to have sustained critical gunshot injuries. He was subsequently transported to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital for emergency treatment. Despite medical intervention, he later succumbed to his injuries.

Two other individuals, who were inside the vehicle, have been taken into custody by police. Authorities have stated that one of those arrested is from the Vaddukoddai area, while the other is from Nallur.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Attorney-at-Law, F. U. Wootler said that the men had no option but to open fire as they were suspicious of the vehicle. “The incident happened around 1 am in the morning and their failure to heed the police order couldn’t be justified under any circumstances,” the spokesman said (SF)

News

HRCSL employee protests demanding justice, takes swipe at Presidential Secretariat

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/11

Sahan Weerasooriya

Ayanthini Shiromini protests opposite HRCSL main office at R.A. de Mel Mawatha yesterday (10) pic by Nishan S. Priyantha

‘There is no basis for her accusations’- HRCSL

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Permanent employee of Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Ayanthini Shiromini yesterday (10) protested outside its main office at No 14, R.A. de Mel Mawatha, formerly Duplication road, in a bid to draw the attention of the Presidential Secretariat to her plight.

At the protest site, Shiromini told The Island that she had been relentlessly targeted since 2018 and the situation took a turn for worse in 2023 over her protest against the appointment of a particular member to an internal interview board and an incident pertaining to a complaint lodged against the then IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon.

Responding to a query regarding the 2018 developments, Shiromini said that she met with a near fatal accident in 2014 while engaged in official duty and depended on crutches for eight years and was recommended by a medical board to grant the opportunity for suitable work. Mother of two and post graduate social science in Kelaniya University and human rights at the Colombo University alleged that the HRCSL changed her status regardless of the recommendation made by the medical board.

Having failed to convince the top HRCSL administration to treat her fairly, Shiromi said that she sought the intervention of the Presidential Secretariat in late July 2025 to rectify the problems experienced by her.

She alleged that the Presidential Secretariat sided with the HRCSL and did absolutely nothing. “Instead of taking remedial measures, the Presidential Secretariat sent the file submitted by me against the HRCSL top management back to them. They shouldn’t have done that,” Shiromini said.

Shiromini staged a protest opposite HRCSL main office on the world human rights day on Dec 10, last year to highlight what she called injustice done to her by the HRCSL and the Presidential Secretariat. Shiromi said that she called off the protest after receiving an assurance from the Presidential Secretariat that two committees would be appointed to inquire into issues raised by her. “I had no option but to protest again as the Presidential Secretariat did nothing to address her grievances.”

A top spokesperson for HRCSL said that her allegations didn’t hold legal weight. The Parliamentary Ombudsman inquired into her accusations and the HRCSL fully explained the developments since the 2014 accident that took place in the Balangoda area.

The official said that after the accident she was granted the opportunity to work from home and other relief. “But we couldn’t have continued with the same indefinitely and she reacted angrily after a decision was made to treat her like a normal employee after the recovery,” the official said.

Shiromini has served the HRCSL since 2005. The official strongly denied allegations that Shiromini had been mistreated and harassed by a section of the HRCSL staff. “Of course, there had been a series of clashes with other employees and incidents provoked by the disgruntled worker but the HRCSL tried to address the issues in a systematic way,” the official said.

The official alleged that Shiromini exploited the post-Aragalaya situation for her advantage.

Shiromini said that she intended to continue the protest until the Presidential Secretariat ordered an investigation into the conduct of HRCSL top management. In a lengthy letter addressed to members of parliament, Shiromini named the Presidential Secretariat personnel who mishandled her case.

The HRCSL official said that in spite of her being a long-standing employee of the institution she seemed to be unaware that the President couldn’t appoint a committee to inquire into the HRCSL. “We do not have anything to hide,” the official said, calling the lone protester a quarrelsome employee.