News

Sinking of Iranian ship: Government abides by International Law: Jayatissa

Published

7 months ago

2026/03/6

Thilina Walpola

Dr Nalinda Jayatissa

Another Iranian vessel in Lanka’s exclusive economic zone

Chief Government Whip and Health and Mass Media Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday told Parliament that the government was acting in accordance with international law to ensure peace and security following the maritime incident off the southern coast.

“We are doing our best as the government in this regard. We are acting according to international law. We are taking necessary measures,” the Minister said, assuring that Parliament would be briefed in due course.

Dr. Jayatissa acknowledged that another Iranian vessel was currently in international waters close to Sri Lanka’s maritime boundary, adding that authorities were aware of its presence.

“The ship is not in Sri Lankan territorial waters. It is located in the exclusive economic zone. The government and the Defence Ministry are aware of the ship. The government is involved in providing maximum intervention pertaining to the lives of those onboard. We will give a report once we complete the mission,” he said.

Responding to questions raised by the Opposition regarding the Iranian naval vessel that sank off the coast of Galle, the Minister said the incident had occurred within Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone and not within its territorial waters.

He said the freedom of navigation applied within the Exclusive Economic Zone and that Sri Lanka’s authority in that area related primarily to economic matters.

“Any country is allowed to travel, and there is freedom of navigation in the exclusive economic zone. Sri Lanka only has authority related to economic affairs in the said zone. However, the attack on the earlier Iranian vessel on Wednesday morning happened 19 nautical miles from Sri Lanka,” he said.

Dr. Jayatissa said the authorities had been alerted after reports that bodies had been spotted in the sea, and thereafter the Sri Lanka had Navy launched search and rescue operations.

“At the time, we did not probe whether it was a result of a military or torpedo attack or war-related. We acted purely on a humanitarian basis,” he said.

According to the Minister, 32 persons had been rescued and admitted to the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, with one of them receiving treatment in the intensive care unit, while a total of 84 bodies had been recovered.

He also acknowledged that state hospitals did not have adequate freezer facilities to preserve the bodies and said the government was seeking assistance from the private sector.

“We are looking to obtain help from the private sector. We are in discussion. We believe we need two freezers. In a few hours, two freezers will be heading to Galle,” he said.

Clarifying conflicting reports on the attack on the Iranian ship, Dr. Jayatissa said the government had acted on the information available at the time, noting that the United States had officially confirmed a torpedo attack only later in the evening.

by Saman Indrajith

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News

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

Published

20 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

20 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

20 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.