News

Wiggy blames Easter carnage on carelessness and indifference of security arm of Law politicized in recent times

Published

6 years ago

2020/10/23

By Saman Indrajith

Jaffna District Thamizh Makkal Thesiya Kootani (TMTK) MP C.V. Wigneswaran told Parliament on Wednesday that those very same persons who were working hard to bring the 20th Amendment to the Constitution and all those who supported it would surely take to the streets tomorrow to fight for the abolition of the same amendment.

Participating in the second reading debate on the amendment, MP Wigneswaran said: “This amendment you bring today will boomerang on you, your children, and the future generations of your family. Please do not prick your eyes with your own fingers. My dear colleagues from both sides, please do not allow this 20th Amendment to be passed with a two-thirds majority.”

Vigneswaran said that it was so unfortunate that every party which had come to power brought in laws to further its intersts, and those of its members and supporters forgetting their duty towards all people and the country as a whole. “Those who aspire to become a Lee Kuan Yew should shed their partisan predilections if they are to progress. Lee Kuan Yew did not pursue a Chinese Buddhist path. He loved every Singaporean of whatever hue he or she was. Branding the minorities as terrorists might bring votes from the majority but it would not help to take the country forward. There would certainly be geo–political and international reaction. This is in furtherance of their attitude of self-interest that those in power were today bringing in this 20th Amendment to clothe a single individual with enormous powers. This would for sure strike the death knell to democracy and human rights in the country.

“The world civilization in its onward march searches for ways and means to improve democratic principles and work towards human rights, equality and reconciliation among contending factions locally and internationally At this juncture it is funny that we in Sri Lanka want to denigrate democracy and desecrate the decent dimensions in a democratic way of life,” he said.

“For over 20 years we have been talking of bringing in a Constitution which would reconcile the ethnic differences among communities and lead the country forward. For over quarter of a century we have been promising to abolish the Executive Presidency. Nothing has been done so far in that regard. But this government is making the April 21 Easter Sunday bombings as a convenient excuse for them to bring this 20th amendment. They are trying to make out it was the lowering of presidential powers by the 19th Amendment which gave rise to the April 21 tragedy.

Hence they say President must have unfettered powers. It certainly sounds humorous to say a criminal or thief could only be caught or arrested if the President is clothed with extraordinary powers?

“The real cause for the April 21 incident was the carelessness and indifference of the security arm of the Law which has been politicized in recent times. If the judiciary, police and public service had been allowed to function independently we would not have witnessed the April 21 tragedy.

“Most countries in the world do not have an Executive Presidential system. Do those countries always have security lapses? Or do countries that have this system never have had security lapses? Therefore it is time we thought prudently and pragmatically and got rid of the Executive Presidential system and make the Rule of Law supreme,” he said.

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

Published

24 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

24 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

24 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.