News

Lanka forced to walk tight rope

Published

3 years ago

2022/08/6

Thilina Walpola

Chinese research vessel saga

By Rathindra Kuruwita

There would be constant pressure on Sri Lanka to distance itself from China in the future, Ramindu Perera, lecturer at the Open University Law faculty said, commenting on the controversy surrounding the Chinese research vessel, Yuan Wang 5.Sri Lanka, thus, must figure out how to benefit from the emerging multi-polar world, while not antagonizing its powerful neighbour, Perera said.

Sri Lanka should also recognise that India and China reacted differently to perceived changes in the country’s political landscape, Perera added.

“China and India deal with things differently. The official policy of China is not to intervene in the internal affairs of other countries. It will more or less work with any government that comes into power. But India is different, it takes a much more political

stance. Let’s look at the controversy over the proposed arrival of the Chinese scientific research vessel Yuan Wang 5. Foreign ships, even naval vessels, arrive in Sri Lanka each year but India is making an issue over Yuan Wang 5. They feel it’s a challenge and this kind of thing will keep on happening. In the future things will be more complex,” he said.Perera said that there is no solution in international law to address the problems faced by Sri Lanka due to the emerging cold war between China and the US. All countries are members of the United Nations and had agreed to respect the sovereignty of other nations and not to intervene in the domestic affairs of others, he said.

“However, this is not what happens. This is a political problem, and the solution is political, too,” he said.

China has risen rapidly in the last four decades and is a serious challenge to the world order, dominated by the United States. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States had about two decades to do whatever it wanted in the world. However, with the rise of China and the reemergence of Russia, the world order is in a flux, he said.

“The unipolar moment is over, and the West is trying to undermine China and to slow down its economic rise. They also want to isolate China and thus a lot of pressure is applied on countries like Sri Lanka. For example, when former US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, visited Sri Lanka, a few years ago, he openly said Sri Lanka has to take a side. US has initiated a number of groupings to contain China, and India is a member of one of the groups, the QUAD,” Perera said.

The West has also launched a concerted anti-China propaganda campaign and the best option before us is to adhere to Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s stance when she successfully declared the Indian Ocean a zone of peace in the 1970s, he said.

“This is not an easy road to take because unlike in the 70s, India is now with the West. But as a small nation, we need to figure out what our strategy is. We need to find a way to benefit from the emerging multipolar world while not making India angry. The conflict between China and the west already affects us. We see this with our debt restructuring process. The controversy over Yuan Wang 5 is not only about a ship, it’s about the way the world will be run,” he said.

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News

Navy divers restore sluice gate of Bomburuella Reservoir

Published

1 hour ago

2026/01/23

Priyan

The Sri Lanka Navy successfully conducted a diving operation on 19 Jan 26 to inspect and restore the sluice gate of the Bomburuella Reservoir.

Acting on a request from the Department of Irrigation, the Sri Lanka Navy deployed a specialized diving team from the Western Naval Command, for the urgent requirement.

Through concerted effort, the Navy divers successfully cleared accumulated debris, including a significant quantity of wooden fragments, which had impeded the sluice gate mechanism.

News

PM holds High-Level meetings with EU, UNDP, and corporate leadership at World Economic Forum

Published

5 hours ago

2026/01/23

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya held a series of high-level bilateral meetings on Wednesday [January 21] on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, engaging with representatives of the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme, and the global private sector.

The Prime Minister met with Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management. During the meeting, she expressed Sri Lanka’s appreciation for the support extended by the European Union and its member states following Cyclone Ditwa. The Prime Minister also briefed the Commissioner on the key findings of the World Bank’s GRADE report and requested continued EU support for Sri Lanka’s development and recovery efforts.

Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Alexander De Croo, representing the United Nations Development Programme. She expressed appreciation for the longstanding partnership between Sri Lanka and the United Nations and acknowledged the UN’s support in flood relief and livelihood assistance. The Prime Minister noted that, following the mandate received at the parliamentary election, the government is focused on meeting public expectations through national rebuilding grounded in public trust and good governance. She further reaffirmed the Government of Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening social protection systems and safeguarding vulnerable communities.

In addition, the Prime Minister met with Robert M. Uggla, Chairman of A.P. Moller Holding. The discussion focused on engagement with the private sector and potential areas of collaboration.

These meetings reflected Sri Lanka’s continued engagement with international partners and global stakeholders to support recovery, development, and long-term economic stability.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

News

Opposition slams sitting HC judge’s appointment as Justice Ministry Additional Secretary

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/23

Thilina Walpola

Prof. Peiris

… alleges Prez trying to control judiciary

Opposition grouping ‘Mahajana Handa’ has accused President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of trying to exercise control over the judiciary by appointing a sitting High Court judge as Additional Secretary to the Justice and National Integration Ministry.

Addressing the media at Dr. N. M. Perera Centre, Punchi Borella, on Tuesday (20) top Opposition spokesman and former External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris warned the High Court judge D.M.D.C. Bandara’s appointment was nothing but a direct executive intervention in the judiciary.

Responding to The Island queries, Prof Peiris asked how the government could compel courts to deal with a sitting judge who functioned as Secretary to the Justice and National Integration Ministry.

Prof. Peiris explained that the latest move by the Executive should be examined taking into consideration the attacks on Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe Jr, PC., the deliberate delaying of the appointment of Auditor General and the controversy over the process of promotions of Judicial Officers, Judges of the High Court and the Court of Appeal in Sri Lanka. Prof. Peiris pointed out that the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) had raised those controversial promotions with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

D.M.D.C. Bandara, Senior Assistant Secretary, Judicial Service Commission, was among altogether 18 High Court judges appointed by President Dissanayake in early Sept this year. The group consisted of 17 Special Class Judicial Officers and a Senior State Counsel serving in the Attorney General’s Department.

Referring to a recent meeting ‘Mahajana Handa’ representatives, including him had with the Mahanayake theras of the Asgiriya and Malwatta Chapters in Kandy, Prof. Peiris said that they had received the blessings of the Mahanayakes to go ahead with what he called a programme of action meant to address major issues.

Prof. Peiris said they would initiate talks with other like-minded political parties and groups in this regard soon. Referring a protest held at the Hulftsdorp on Wednesday (21) demanding the removal of the AG Ranasinghe, Prof. Peiris emphasized that the government’s hand in that demonstration was very clear. President Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed him as the AG in July 2024 with the unanimous backing of the Constitutional Council.

Prof. Peiris said that action was yet to be initiated to appoint new civil society representatives to the Constitutional Council. That issue hadn’t received sufficient public attention, Prof. Peiris said, urging President Dissanayake to come down from his high horse.

Asked whether the President could appoint a sitting judge as an Additional Secretary to a Ministry without consulting the Chief Justice and President of the High Court Judges Association, sources familiar with the issues at hand said that certain appointments could be made on secondment. However, that has to follow the proper procedure, sources said.

The Island sought a response from the Justice and National Integration Ministry to the accusations made by Prof. Peiris on behalf of ‘Mahajana Handa,’ but did not receive one until this edition went to press.

By Shamindra Ferdinando ✍️