Features

Ruckus in Parliament over Online Safety Bill

Published

2 years ago

2024/01/28

Thilina Walpola

View from the gallery

by Saman Indrajith

The second sitting week of parliament this year was limited to only two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, intended for debating and passing the Online Safety Bill. When the House convened on Tuesday, opposition parties demanded a postponement of the two-day debate. They argued that many stakeholders, both local and foreign, had expressed fears that the new legislation might become a law limiting freedom of speech. Since the request went against the previously agreed agenda for the day, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena suspended sittings and called for a special party leaders’ meeting.

At this meeting, the government insisted that the Bill should be debated and passed. With those in opposition holding a different viewpoint, the Speaker had no choice but to put the question to the House and call for a vote. The subsequent vote favored the government with 83 votes to take up the Bill for debate, while the opposition could muster only 50 votes against it. Accordingly, the Bill was put forward for debate with the approval of a majority of 33 votes, amidst public protests at several places, including one by civil society organizations opposite the Polduwa Junction near Parliament.

During the two days of the debate, only a few MPs from both sides managed to speak sensibly about the content of the Bill, while the majority of Government MPs used that time to hurl obscenities and abuse at their counterparts. Deputy Minister Nimal Lanza stated that the government did not introduce this bill to ban social media, emphasizing that they are not against it.

Lanza explained, “We came to know some news which we would have otherwise missed if not for social media. It was thanks to social media that we came to know the JVP was promising to legalize prostitution, and its female cadres were calling for women not to wear bras as a promotional sign for feminism.”

SLPP Kalutara District MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena expressed the view that social media should be regulated because anyone could use it to sling mud at politicians and VIPs. He shared a personal anecdote, stating that his family members and friends used to call him Raththaran (gold) as an endearment when he was young, but social media later created the impression that he earned this accolade by snatching gold necklaces. Abeygunawardena challenged anyone to produce a copy of a police complaint against him for snatching gold chains, pledging to step down from his seat if such evidence surfaced.

Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa criticized a proposed Bill to control online publications, alleging it aimed to suppress freedom of speech ahead of upcoming elections. He quoted George Washington’s 1783 warning on the consequences of losing freedom of speech: “the freedom of speech may be taken away, and dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep, to the slaughter.”

Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella criticized government MPs for comparing proposed online regulations to Singapore’s, highlighting Singapore’s low media freedom ranking (145 out of 170). He warned of a potential setback to Sri Lanka’s IT industry, citing concerns expressed by major internet companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Apple threatening to withdraw services. After two days of the second reading stage debate, the opposition called for a division. Accordingly, a vote was taken, with 108 votes in favor and 62 votes against it.

The next day, the Bill was passed in its third and final reading without a vote, despite strong protests from the opposition who objected to the government adding new clauses to the Bill, arguing that it went against the Supreme Court’s decision on the Bill’s constitutionality.

Soon after the committee stage commenced, SLPP dissident MP Dayasiri Jayasekera got up and stated that the government has not amended a clause of the draft bill as instructed by the Supreme Court in its determination.

TNA Jaffna District MP MA Sumanthiran said that what Jayasekera stated was right. In addition, he noted 13 instances where the amendments by the government override the Supreme Court determination and asked the government to stop proceeding. “This is wrong because this will not become law if you go against the Supreme Court decision. For example, the Supreme Court stated in its determination that there should be certain exemptions from this Bill. Those exemptions do not appear in these amendments. The Court, on page 59 of its determination states that SMS messages, MMS messages, and user-generated content enabled by the telecom services should be exempted from this Bill. That amendment is not here,” he said.

SLPP dissident MP Prof Charitha Herath stated that, according to Standing Order 64, the government cannot introduce new clauses outside the Supreme Court determination. SLMC leader Rauff Hakim emphasized, “This is why we have asked for additional time to study these amendments. The government cannot pass it in this manner. We cannot introduce amendments across the floor owing to practical reasons. We must put this off.”

Chief Opposition Whip Kiriella questioned whether the Attorney General had approved these amendments, pointing out the presence of the Attorney General’s representatives in the official’s box.

Amid shouts and protests, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles walked to the Chair, informing the Speaker that the Legal Draftsman stated these amendments had been approved by the Attorney General. He was instructed to convey this to the Leader of the House.

SLPP dissident MP Chandima Weerakkkody argued that the Attorney General would be held in contempt of court for going against the directives given by the Supreme Court.

Opposition leader Premadasa asserted the process should be stopped because it was illegal. Speaker Abeywardena stated that the government does not agree with the opposition’s standpoint, and the process should continue.

The government did not incorporate amendments put forward by the opposition, prompting the opposition to call for another vote. The vote received 92 votes against and 51 votes for, and as such, the opposition moved that amendments would not be incorporated into the Bill.

Minister Premajayantha continued to read the amendments, and at the end, the Speaker changed the House from the committee stage to Parliament and announced that the Bill had been passed.

JVP-NPP MP Vijitha Herath and other opposition MPs demanded a division on the Bill, insisting that a vote must be taken. The Speaker, however, stated that the time for division had lapsed, and the Bill had been passed.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, returning from visits to Switzerland and Uganda, came to Parliament on Wednesday. On his way to his parliament office, he noticed TNA MP Charles Nirmalanathan waiting for him and asked him to follow him. Other MPs waiting there said Nirmalanathan influenced the previous week’s TNA election appointing MP S Sritharan at the Tamil diaspora’s behest. The President has tasked Nirmalanathan with encouraging diaspora investment in Sri Lanka for Northern development.

As the president was leaving parliament he saw retiring Sergeant-at-Arms Narendra Fernando and he stepped out of his car to speak to Fernando who had 42 years of parliament service. Both the President and Fernando started their parliamentary careers at the Old Parliament building, now the Presidential Secretariat in the Fort. A photograph of the president with Fernando was shot.

Wednesday marked the last parliament sitting day for the Fourth Session of the Ninth Parliament due to an announced prorogation. On Thursday, after the news came of Puttalam District MP Sanath Nishantha’s demise, there was talk of his successor. The vacancy will be filled by Jagath Priyankara, the Puttalam District Leader of Wimal Weerawansa-led National Freedom Front, expected to sit in the opposition, depriving one seat for the government side.

While certain SLPP MPs suggested the possibility of honoring Nishantha by bringing his remains to Parliament, some senior party members opposed the idea. They highlighted the overwhelming social media posts against Nishantha, with some expressing joy and others expressing anger. The seniors argued that bringing Nishantha’s coffin would not only incur significant expenses but also shift public wrath and anger from the deceased MP to the living MPs.

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Features

Crucial test for religious and ethnic harmony in Bangladesh

Published

21 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

A political protest that led to governmental change in Bangladesh mid last year. (photograph: imago)

Will the Bangladesh parliamentary election bring into being a government that will ensure ethnic and religious harmony in the country? This is the poser on the lips of peace-loving sections in Bangladesh and a principal concern of those outside who mean the country well.

The apprehensions are mainly on the part of religious and ethnic minorities. The parliamentary poll of February 12th is expected to bring into existence a government headed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist oriented Jamaat-e-Islami party and this is where the rub is. If these parties win, will it be a case of Bangladesh sliding in the direction of a theocracy or a state where majoritarian chauvinism thrives?

Chief of the Jamaat, Shafiqur Rahman, who was interviewed by sections of the international media recently said that there is no need for minority groups in Bangladesh to have the above fears. He assured, essentially, that the state that will come into being will be equable and inclusive. May it be so, is likely to be the wish of those who cherish a tension-free Bangladesh.

The party that could have posed a challenge to the above parties, the Awami League Party of former Prime Minister Hasina Wased, is out of the running on account of a suspension that was imposed on it by the authorities and the mentioned majoritarian-oriented parties are expected to have it easy at the polls.

A positive that has emerged against the backdrop of the poll is that most ordinary people in Bangladesh, be they Muslim or Hindu, are for communal and religious harmony and it is hoped that this sentiment will strongly prevail, going ahead. Interestingly, most of them were of the view, when interviewed, that it was the politicians who sowed the seeds of discord in the country and this viewpoint is widely shared by publics all over the region in respect of the politicians of their countries.

Some sections of the Jamaat party were of the view that matters with regard to the orientation of governance are best left to the incoming parliament to decide on but such opinions will be cold comfort for minority groups. If the parliamentary majority comes to consist of hard line Islamists, for instance, there is nothing to prevent the country from going in for theocratic governance. Consequently, minority group fears over their safety and protection cannot be prevented from spreading.

Therefore, we come back to the question of just and fair governance and whether Bangladesh’s future rulers could ensure these essential conditions of democratic rule. The latter, it is hoped, will be sufficiently perceptive to ascertain that a Bangladesh rife with religious and ethnic tensions, and therefore unstable, would not be in the interests of Bangladesh and those of the region’s countries.

Unfortunately, politicians region-wide fall for the lure of ethnic, religious and linguistic chauvinism. This happens even in the case of politicians who claim to be democratic in orientation. This fate even befell Bangladesh’s Awami League Party, which claims to be democratic and socialist in general outlook.

We have it on the authority of Taslima Nasrin in her ground-breaking novel, ‘Lajja’, that the Awami Party was not of any substantial help to Bangladesh’s Hindus, for example, when violence was unleashed on them by sections of the majority community. In fact some elements in the Awami Party were found to be siding with the Hindus’ murderous persecutors. Such are the temptations of hard line majoritarianism.

In Sri Lanka’s past numerous have been the occasions when even self-professed Leftists and their parties have conveniently fallen in line with Southern nationalist groups with self-interest in mind. The present NPP government in Sri Lanka has been waxing lyrical about fostering national reconciliation and harmony but it is yet to prove its worthiness on this score in practice. The NPP government remains untested material.

As a first step towards national reconciliation it is hoped that Sri Lanka’s present rulers would learn the Tamil language and address the people of the North and East of the country in Tamil and not Sinhala, which most Tamil-speaking people do not understand. We earnestly await official language reforms which afford to Tamil the dignity it deserves.

An acid test awaits Bangladesh as well on the nation-building front. Not only must all forms of chauvinism be shunned by the incoming rulers but a secular, truly democratic Bangladesh awaits being licked into shape. All identity barriers among people need to be abolished and it is this process that is referred to as nation-building.

On the foreign policy frontier, a task of foremost importance for Bangladesh is the need to build bridges of amity with India. If pragmatism is to rule the roost in foreign policy formulation, Bangladesh would place priority to the overcoming of this challenge. The repatriation to Bangladesh of ex-Prime Minister Hasina could emerge as a steep hurdle to bilateral accord but sagacious diplomacy must be used by Bangladesh to get over the problem.

A reply to N.A. de S. Amaratunga

A response has been penned by N.A. de S. Amaratunga (please see p5 of ‘The Island’ of February 6th) to a previous column by me on ‘ India shaping-up as a Swing State’, published in this newspaper on January 29th , but I remain firmly convinced that India remains a foremost democracy and a Swing State in the making.

If the countries of South Asia are to effectively manage ‘murderous terrorism’, particularly of the separatist kind, then they would do well to adopt to the best of their ability a system of government that provides for power decentralization from the centre to the provinces or periphery, as the case may be. This system has stood India in good stead and ought to prove effective in all other states that have fears of disintegration.

Moreover, power decentralization ensures that all communities within a country enjoy some self-governing rights within an overall unitary governance framework. Such power-sharing is a hallmark of democratic governance.

Features

Celebrating Valentine’s Day …

Published

21 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love, romance, and affection, and this is how some of our well-known personalities plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day – 14th February:

Merlina Fernando (Singer)

Yes, it’s a special day for lovers all over the world and it’s even more special to me because 14th February is the birthday of my husband Suresh, who’s the lead guitarist of my band Mission.

We have planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day and his Birthday together and it will be a wonderful night as always.

We will be having our fans and close friends, on that night, with their loved ones at Highso – City Max hotel Dubai, from 9.00 pm onwards.

Lorensz Francke (Elvis Tribute Artiste)

On Valentine’s Day I will be performing a live concert at a Wealthy Senior Home for Men and Women, and their families will be attending, as well.

I will be performing live with romantic, iconic love songs and my song list would include ‘Can’t Help falling in Love’, ‘Love Me Tender’, ‘Burning Love’, ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’, ‘The Wonder of You’ and ‘’It’s Now or Never’ to name a few.

To make Valentine’s Day extra special I will give the Home folks red satin scarfs.

Emma Shanaya (Singer)

I plan on spending the day of love with my girls, especially my best friend. I don’t have a romantic Valentine this year but I am thrilled to spend it with the girl that loves me through and through. I’ll be in Colombo and look forward to go to a cute cafe and spend some quality time with my childhood best friend Zulha.

JAYASRI

Emma-and-Maneeka

This Valentine’s Day the band JAYASRI we will be really busy; in the morning we will be landing in Sri Lanka, after our Oman Tour; then in the afternoon we are invited as Chief Guests at our Maris Stella College Sports Meet, Negombo, and late night we will be with LineOne band live in Karandeniya Open Air Down South. Everywhere we will be sharing LOVE with the mass crowds.

Kay Jay (Singer)

I will stay at home and cook a lovely meal for lunch, watch some movies, together with Sanjaya, and, maybe we go out for dinner and have a lovely time. Come to think of it, every day is Valentine’s Day for me with Sanjaya Alles.

Maneka Liyanage (Beauty Tips)

On this special day, I celebrate love by spending meaningful time with the people I cherish. I prepare food with love and share meals together, because food made with love brings hearts closer. I enjoy my leisure time with them — talking, laughing, sharing stories, understanding each other, and creating beautiful memories. My wish for this Valentine’s Day is a world without fighting — a world where we love one another like our own beloved, where we do not hurt others, even through a single word or action. Let us choose kindness, patience, and understanding in everything we do.

Janaka Palapathwala (Singer)

Janaka

Valentine’s Day should not be the only day we speak about love.

From the moment we are born into this world, we seek love, first through the very drop of our mother’s milk, then through the boundless care of our Mother and Father, and the embrace of family.

Love is everywhere. All living beings, even plants, respond in affection when they are loved.

As we grow, we learn to love, and to be loved. One day, that love inspires us to build a new family of our own.

Love has no beginning and no end. It flows through every stage of life, timeless, endless, and eternal.

Natasha Rathnayake (Singer)

We don’t have any special plans for Valentine’s Day. When you’ve been in love with the same person for over 25 years, you realise that love isn’t a performance reserved for one calendar date. My husband and I have never been big on public displays, or grand gestures, on 14th February. Our love is expressed quietly and consistently, in ordinary, uncelebrated moments.

With time, you learn that love isn’t about proving anything to the world or buying into a commercialised idea of romance—flowers that wilt, sweets that spike blood sugar, and gifts that impress briefly but add little real value. In today’s society, marketing often pushes the idea that love is proven by how much money you spend, and that buying things is treated as a sign of commitment.

Real love doesn’t need reminders or price tags. It lives in showing up every day, choosing each other on unromantic days, and nurturing the relationship intentionally and without an audience.

This isn’t a judgment on those who enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day. It’s simply a personal choice.

Melloney Dassanayake (Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2024)

I truly believe it’s beautiful to have a day specially dedicated to love. But, for me, Valentine’s Day goes far beyond romantic love alone. It celebrates every form of love we hold close to our hearts: the love for family, friends, and that one special person who makes life brighter. While 14th February gives us a moment to pause and celebrate, I always remind myself that love should never be limited to just one day. Every single day should feel like Valentine’s Day – constant reminder to the people we love that they are never alone, that they are valued, and that they matter.

I’m incredibly blessed because, for me, every day feels like Valentine’s Day. My special person makes sure of that through the smallest gestures, the quiet moments, and the simple reminders that love lives in the details. He shows me that it’s the little things that count, and that love doesn’t need grand stages to feel extraordinary. This Valentine’s Day, perfection would be something intimate and meaningful: a cozy picnic in our home garden, surrounded by nature, laughter, and warmth, followed by an abstract drawing session where we let our creativity flow freely. To me, that’s what love is – simple, soulful, expressive, and deeply personal. When love is real, every ordinary moment becomes magical.

Noshin De Silva (Actress)

Valentine’s Day is one of my favourite holidays! I love the décor, the hearts everywhere, the pinks and reds, heart-shaped chocolates, and roses all around. But honestly, I believe every day can be Valentine’s Day.

It doesn’t have to be just about romantic love. It’s a chance to celebrate love in all its forms with friends, family, or even by taking a little time for yourself.

Whether you’re spending the day with someone special or enjoying your own company, it’s a reminder to appreciate meaningful connections, show kindness, and lead with love every day.

And yes, I’m fully on theme this year with heart nail art and heart mehendi design!

Wishing everyone a very happy Valentine’s Day, but, remember, love yourself first, and don’t forget to treat yourself.

Sending my love to all of you.

Features

Banana and Aloe Vera

Published

21 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

To create a powerful, natural, and hydrating beauty mask that soothes inflammation, fights acne, and boosts skin radiance, mix a mashed banana with fresh aloe vera gel.

This nutrient-rich blend acts as an antioxidant-packed anti-ageing treatment that also doubles as a nourishing, shiny hair mask.

* Face Masks for Glowing Skin:

Mix 01 ripe banana with 01 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel and apply this mixture to the face. Massage for a few minutes, leave for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse off for a glowing complexion.

* Acne and Soothing Mask:

Mix 01 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel with 1/2 a mashed banana and 01 teaspoon of honey. Apply this mixture to clean skin to calm inflammation, reduce redness, and hydrate dry, sensitive skin. Leave for 15-20 minutes, and rinse with warm water.

* Hair Treatment for Shine:

Mix 01 fresh ripe banana with 03 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel and 01 teaspoon of honey. Apply from scalp to ends, massage for 10-15 minutes and then let it dry for maximum absorption. Rinse thoroughly with cool water for soft, shiny, and frizz-free hair.