News

National child protection policy not implemented for 21 years, says COPE

Published

5 years ago

2021/07/21

Sahan Weerasooriya

NFF cranks up pressure on SJB over death of teenage girl

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) was established in 1998, but the national policy on child protection hasn’t been implemented yet, according to the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).

This was revealed when NCPA Chairperson Prof. Muditha Vidanapathirana and other officials including the Secretary of the Education Ministry Prof. Kapila Perera, appeared before the COPE in Feburary this year.

COPE Chairman Prof. Charitha Herath has pointed out the failure on their part to implement the national policy though NCPA had been established more than 20 years ago.

Prof. Vidanapathirana was not immediately available for comment.

The COPE highlighted the NCPA’s failure to implement a national policy it called a primary responsibility of the outfit. COPE proceedings also revealed NCPA’s annual reports for 2016, 2017, 1018 and 2019 hadn’t been handed over to Parliament, wasting of public funds on futile project to prepare a data network, the Legal Department being served by only two persons and only one person serving the section handling complaints.

The inordinate delay implementing the national policy on child protection has received the media attention in the wake of shocking revelations surrounding the apparent suicide of sexually abused 16-year-old Ishalini Jude Kumar, who succumbed to injuries caused by a fire in the residence of lawmaker Rishad Bathiudeen at No 410/16, Baudhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7.

Civil society groups ‘We are the future’ and “Lakmawa Diyaniyo’ affiliated to the National Freedom Front (NFF) yesterday alleged that some of those who caused a media and social media furore over the statutory rape of another 15-year-old girl, was silent over the death of Ishalini.

Addressing the media at Dr. N. M. Perera Centre, Borella, Isuru Prasanga and S.R. Muthumali said that Ishalini had been admitted to the National Hospital on July 3 with serious burn injuries and in spite of medical staffs’ efforts to save her, she succumbed to her injuries on July 15. Subsequent examination of the Ishalini revealed the teenager had been subjected to sexual abuse, they said, urging authorities to take immediate action.

They pointed out that though Bathiudeen was an MP he shouldn’t enjoy privilege status and should be subjected to no holds barred police investigation.

MP Bathiudeen and his brother are in custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) over their alleged links with the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage.

The groups affiliated to the NFF alleged that those responsible for ensuring justice for Ishalini were silent. They urged the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) to respond to the unexpected development as Bathiudeen’s All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) contested the last parliamentary election on the SJB ticket. The ACMC contested the 2010 and 2015 general elections, on the SLFP led UPFA and UNP, respectively. The ACMC switched its allegiance to breakaway UNP faction, SJB in early 2020 following the split in the former ruling party.

They asked whether attempts were being made to suppress the case. Declaring their intention to lodge a complaint with police headquarters in that regard, they urged the mainstream and social media to campaign for the rights of children.

Having condemned the other statutory rape of 15-year-old girl, the SJB couldn’t remain silent on the latest exposure of one of its lawmakers employing an underage child in clear violation of the law and she having been sexually abused, they said. The NCPA and higher authorities, including the relevant parliamentary watchdog committee should be held responsible for a proper investigation into the incident at the Baudhaloka Mawatha residence of the MP.

They said that a lawmaker couldn’t have been unaware of the legal impediment in hiring children as servants.

The police have recorded several statements so far in connection with the death of Ishalini who was procured in Oct or Nov last year and she had not been able to go home for the last seven months.

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News

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

Published

2 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

2 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

2 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.