News
Talks with Tamil expats: Civil society ready to support
Sri Lanka Collective for Consensus (SLCC) yesterday (21) welcomed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s call for a dialogue with the Tamil Diaspora to explore ways and means of addressing reconciliation issues through domestic systems.
The following is the text of the statement issued by the SLCC: “We are glad to note the stand of the President at the UN General Assembly in New York and the Foreign Minister at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. We are pleased that they have spoken of carrying on those changes that they had spoken to us about and which shows commitment.
In our meetings with members of the government, including the president, we presented the issues that we felt needed to be addressed by the government. These included bringing the PTA into line with international standards, releasing long term prisoners held under it, addressing the issue of missing, and the Muslim burials and targeting of Muslims, releasing of land in the north and halting continuation of land grabs especially grazing land in the east, implementing the 13th Amendment in full and holding elections to the provincial councils, appointing of appropriate persons to the vacancies in the Commissions and obtaining NGO inputs to the proposed NGO law.
The President’s offer to talk to the Tamil Diaspora is a positive initiative. We believe this has to be preceded by changes on the ground that meets the needs of the people, especially those who have suffered due to the war, and not be words alone as the people have heard them many times before. We ask for time bound commitments to be implemented as confidence building measures. Another confidence building measure would be to lift the ban on those Diaspora groups that have credibility both within Sri Lanka and internationally prior to commencing the talks.
The President’s intention to deal with contentious issues requires the support of the parties in the opposition, especially the minority parties which have democratic mandates with them. As civil society we will support the effective functioning of the already established reconciliation mechanisms such as the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), Office on Missing Persons (OMP) and Office for Reparations (OR) by the correct dissemination of information and seeking appropriate leadership within them. In these circumstances, we will be happy to work collaboratively with the government to open a new door to reconciliation in Sri Lanka.”
President Anura Kumara Disanayake paid a visit to the Vatican Embassy on Thursday (24) afternoon to extend his condolences on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis.
Upon his arrival, the President was warmly received by Most Reverend Archbishop Brian N. Udaigwe, the Apostolic Nuncio of the Vatican to Sri Lanka.
Following a brief discussion with Archbishop Udaigwe, President Disanayake signed the book of condolence, conveying, on behalf of the Government and the people of Sri Lanka, heartfelt sympathies to the global Christian community on the demise of His Holiness Pope Francis.
The Purawesi Balaya organisation yesterday (24) lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, requesting an investigation into the alleged overpayment of Rs. 200 million in detention charges for 40 container trucks used in the removal of waste from the distressed ship X-Press Pearl.
According to the complaint, the waste from the ship was transported from a temporary yard in Wattala to the storage yard in Pamunugama using 40 containers, for which an excessive amount — approximately Rs. 200 million — had been paid as detention fees. This information has reportedly been included in the 2021 annual report of the Marine Environment Protection Authority
(MEPA), as cited in a report submitted to Parliament by the National Audit Office.After lodging the complaint Purawesi Balaya Chairman Jamuni Kamantha Thushara said that they hoped the CIABOC would conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
By Sujeewa Thathsara
The main suspect in the shooting and killing of political activist Dan Priyasad had been arrested, the police said yesterday. Investigators suspect that notorious Mohommad Najim Mohommad Imran alias Kanjipani Imran, who is taking refuge in Dubai, ordered Priyasad’s killing.
The suspect is a resident of Wellampitiya.
The convenor of the “Nawa Sinhale National Movement” and political activist, Dan Priyasad, was fatally shot at the ‘Laksanda Sevana’ Housing Complex in Wellampitiya on Tuesday (22) night. He was initially admitted to the Colombo National
Hospital with gunshot wounds, but passed away shortly after due to the severity of his injuries. Priyasad was reportedly shot four times—twice in the chest and twice in the shoulder. Additionally, another individual who sustained minor injuries during the incident is also currently receiving treatment in hospital.
It is reported that two individuals, who had arrived on a motorcycle, fired multiple shots using a pistol before fleeing the scene.
As of yesterday evening police had taken into custody seven persons including two women for questioning related to Priyasad’s murder.
According to police, the contract was arranged by a three-wheeler owner named Dulan, also a resident of Wellampitiya. Dulan is currently in police custody and has provided investigators with key information. It was revealed that Dulan is related to the father and son duo who are the main suspects in a previous case involving the murder of Dan Priyasad’s younger brother. Dulan reportedly informed them that Dan continued to harass him.
The conflict reportedly escalated on April 20, when Dan Priyasad allegedly assaulted Dulan during an altercation in Wellampitiya, also damaging his three-wheeler with a sharp weapon. Dulan later discussed the incident with the father and son, who in turn contacted underworld criminal Grandpass Danushka in Dubai. Danushka, a close associate of Kanjipani Imran, informed him of the issue as well.
Imran, who reportedly had his own grudge against Dan Priyasad, allegedly agreed to support the murder plan and instructed that two contract killers be engaged to carry out the hit.
Dulan did not complain to the police about damage to his three-wheeler but instead had another individual file a complaint on his behalf — believed to be an attempt to distance himself from the murder plot.
The assassination was initially planned for April 21 in front of the Wellampitiya Police Station, when Dan Priyasad was expected to appear in relation to that complaint. However, he did not show up, and the attempt failed. Later that night, the killers struck while Dan was at a family gathering.
So far, police have questioned nearly 20 individuals in connection with the case. A special police team has been deployed to locate the missing father and son, but multiple searches of suspected hideouts have yielded no results.
By Norman Palihawadane and Hemantha Randunu
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