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Tamil MPs question alleged inaction on monk’s racist outburst
ECONOMYNEXT –Legislators representing Sri Lanka’s Tamil community have questioned alleged police inaction on a Buddhist monk accused of inciting “racial hatred and violence”.
Opposition Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran writing to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on Friday October 27 said Mangalaramaya Ampitiya Sumana Thero has threatened to cut Tamils living in Sri Lanka’s south “to pieces”.
“Ven Sumana Thera has repeatedly attacked TNA Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam and has also gone on to explicitly threaten all the Tamils living in the south, stating that he will cut them to pieces,” said Sumanthiran in his letter to the chief of police.
The MP said the monk’s remark is “blatantly an offence” punishable under Sections 3(1) and (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act No 56 of 2007.
“Why has the police not taken immediate action against the said venerable thera?” the MP asked.
Sumanthiran’s TNA colleague Rasamanickam tweeted Friday morning that action taken or not taken on the matter will demonstrate whether the use of the ICCPR Act is selective.
“Action taken/not taken on this matter will show us if the ICCPR Act is only to be used against those opposed to the government, Tamils and Muslims in Sri Lanka or if it is against hate speech,” he said.
The comments from the TNA MPs came after a video of the monk making the vitriolic remarks went viral on social media. Videos of angry outbursts by the same monk have gone viral in the past.
This particular incident reportedly occurred after a cemetery said to have been the final resting place of Sinhalese people who lived in an area of Batticaloa was allegedly bulldozed, which had angered the monk.
Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) MP Mano Ganesan also questioned the monk’s behaviour.
“If he has an issue with the MP of the area and municipal commissioner, there are channels to address such grievances. But here he’s inciting racial hatred and violence. This is unacceptable and disgusting,” Ganesan tweeted Thursday evening.
“Isn’t this in clear breach of ICCPR Act Section 3? Over to Mr President,” he said.
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Police officers donate LKR 9,687,462 from day’s salary to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
A sum of LKR. 9,687,462, raised from day’s salary officers of the Police Department, has been donated to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, established to support the recovery of communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah and to assist in rebuilding the country following the disaster.
To date, officers of the Police Department have contributed over LKR. 74 million to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund through three such contributions of one day’s salary.
The donation was presented on Wednesday (22) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat by the Personal Assistant to the Inspector General of Police, Senior Superintendent of Police C. C. Bamunuarachchi, to the Secretary to the President, Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Chief Inspector Udaya Kumara, Officer-in-Charge of the Police Secretariat, was also present on the occasion.
[Presidents Media Division]
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Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, and Eastern provinces and in Monaragala district during the day time
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 26 April 2026, valid for 27 April 2026.
The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, and Eastern provinces and in Monaragala district during the day time.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry
of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
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Opposition asks for PSC to probe Treasury theft
Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa has called for the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to investigate the illegal diversion of Treasury funds, amounting to US$2.5 million to a third-party account.
Premadasa has said both the chairmanship and a majority of the Committee’s membership should be held by the Opposition to ensure impartiality.
The government has not only failed to account for the loss of US$2.5 million but also deliberately withheld information from Parliament, the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) and the public, Premadasa has told the media, accusing the ruling party of seeking to deflect responsibility by initiating an internal departmental inquiry, which he describes as a biased process designed to justify predetermined conclusions.
The Opposition Leader has said only a transparent and independent probe could establish the facts, adding that such an investigation could be effectively carried out through a Parliamentary Select Committee led by the Opposition.
He has also warned that the alleged failure to inform Parliament about the missing funds amounted to a serious breach of accountability.
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