News

Pavitra says extraordinary measures adopted to keep country safe, offers to be sacrificed to the sea

Published

6 years ago

2020/11/5

by Saman Indrajith

Health Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi told Parliament on Tuesday (3) that Sri Lanka followed guidelines and imposed some precautions to ensure that the nation would be safe from the COVID-19 pandemic even if such precautionary measures had not been taken in other countries.

The Minister said that nowhere in the world a person without symptoms was directed to undergo self-quarantine after 12 days of monitoring period, but it was done in Sri Lanka to contain the pandemic.

SJB Kurunegala District MP Ashok Abeysinghe:

Is it true that even if a person shows COVID-19 symptoms, he or she would be asked to undergo self-quarantine at home?

Minister Wanniarachchi:

If a person shows COVID-19 symptoms he will be taken to hospital by an ambulance. We follow health guidelines formulated by world renowned virologists including Dr Malik Peiris. Their advice is to monitor a person suspected to have contracted the virus for 12 days. We are told that if the person does not show any symptom within 12 days, that person is neither infected nor possesses a threat to spread the disease to others. We will refer such persons for 14 more days of self-quarantine. Such precautions are not taken anywhere in the world. But we ensure that our nation is safe from the virus.

MP Abeysinghe:

Then how come there are people in Anamaduwa who have been infected twice and thrice?

Minister Wanniarachchi:

This is a new virus.

Ratnapura District SJB MP Hesha Withange:

Over a private TV channel, a doctor said that if one got COVID-19 symptoms, he or she should go to hospital. Basil Rajapaksa says those who have symptoms should not go out but stay wherever they are to undergo quarantine. What should people follow?

Minister Wanniarachchi:

Both said that they should not spread the virus and an ambulance would come to the house of the infected and take that person to hospital.

MP Abeysinghe: Now we hear of the 23rd death. The 21st, 22nd and 23rd deaths were reported from their homes. It was only after their deaths, it was found that they were infected.

Minister Wanniarachchi: They were in a quarantine process under observation. We identified them as second and first level contacts of the infected and prescribed them quarantine.

MP Abeysinghe:

I just checked now. One person died in a hospital in a normal ward among other patients. If that person is infected he should have been in a separate special ward isn’t it?

Minister Wanniarachchi:

I do not know of the deaths that occurred while I am here in this House. I did not have time to ask from the Director General of Health. I will ask him and let you know.

Earlier in the day, the minister assured Parliament that she was even ready to be sacrificed to the sea if that act would ensure the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Starting the debate on two Regulations of the Medical Ordinance, she said that many people sling mud at her using images of her engaging in a religious activity to get blessings to curb the pandemic.

“The Opposition slings mud at me and puts up Facebook posts stating that the country would be safe if I would sacrifice myself to the sea. According to the legends deities watch over this country. I do my best these days to prevent this pandemic as the responsible minister. Apart from that, I have received many invitations to participate in religious activities to bless the country in this difficult situation. I am even ready to sacrifice myself to the sea if that will help protect the country from COVID-19.”

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

Published

6 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

6 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

6 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.