News

ITAK protests against some pending appointments to Office of Reparations

Published

6 months ago

2025/11/9

The ITAK (Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi) has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake protesting against an alleged move to appoint some individuals with a defence sector background to vacant posts in the Office of Reparations.

The letter signed by ITAK President CVK Sivagnanam and General Secretary MA Sumnthiram says they they have “reliably understood that four names have been recommended for appointment to the Office of Reparations recently and that two of them have security sector backgrounds. This

is in addition to the fact that the fifth member is a Major General!”

“So if Mrs. Wasantha Perera (who previously held the position of Addl. Secretary, Ministry of Defence) and Joseph Terence Gnananandan Sundaram (Ex Navy Officer) are appointed, three out of five members will be from the security sector, when not even one person should come from that sector into an office such as this,” the letter said.

It noted that the Office of Reparations is generally touted as one of the mechanisms for advancing reconciliation in Sri Lanka after the Civil War in the North and East. Reparations are said to be made to make amends for the violations by mostly the security forces of the country.

“The Tamil People have rejected any internal mechanism for accountability or reconciliation as they do not have any confidence in the impartiality of these institutions. It is in this setting that we write this

letter to point out a very serious issue concerning the above Office,” it said.

“Any person with the security sector background appointed to this position will only go to confirm what our people have been saying all these days and the callousness of the government.

The letter concluded saying “the Central Working Committee of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi which met in Vavuniya on November 5 resolved unanimously to write and urge Your Excellency not to appoint Mrs. Wasantha Perera and Joseph Terence Gnananandan Sundaram to the Office.”

All News Advertisement

News

Minister of Health of the Russian Federation attends the Sri Lanka–Russia Medical Forum

Published

55 mins ago

2026/05/5

Priyan

Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, officially visited the Russian House in Colombo to attend the Sri Lanka–Russia Medical Forum, where members of the Sri Lanka Russia Business Council and graduates from the Association of Sri Lankan Graduates from Socialist countries (ASLGSC) attended.

This historic gathering was graced by rectors and representatives from several world-class Russian medical institutions, including Kursk State Medical University, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, and Tver State Medical University, among others.

The forum commenced with an address by Minister Murashko, during which Russian medical graduates in attendance raised pertinent questions regarding medical and pharmaceutical sector opportunities in Sri Lanka.

Levan Dzhagaryan, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, together with Madam Maria L. Popova, Counsellor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Sri Lanka & the Maldives and Director of the Russian House in Colombo, graced the occasion. Both officials expressed strong support for continued collaboration and future initiatives between the two nations.

News

Members of Sri Lanka Cricket Transformation Committee Officially Appointed

Published

9 hours ago

2026/05/5

Priyan

The official appointment letters for the members of the newly established “Cricket Transformation Committee” (CTC) were handed over on Monday (04) by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage.

The following members received their letters of appointment at the Ministry premises:

Sidath Wettimuny
Thushira Radella
Prakash Schaffter
Ms. Avanthi Colombage

The Ministry also noted that veteran cricketers Roshan Mahanama and Kumar Sangakkara, who are key members of the committee, are currently overseas. Their official appointments will be formalised immediately upon their arrival in Sri Lanka.

The Cricket Transformation Committee has been mandated to oversee the administration and drive structural reforms within Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in accordance with the powers vested in the Minister under the Sports Act No. 25 of 1973.