News

Wijeyadasa wary of Chinese designs, urges govt to pay attention to developing scenario

Published

5 years ago

2022/01/13

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Ruling party lawmaker Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, says Sri Lanka should be wary of overall Chinese strategy as the ongoing battle between China and the US-led alliance has entered into what the former Justice Minister called an intense phase.

“Sri Lanka shouldn’t be caught up in the situation,” Colombo District MP Rajapakse told The Island yesterday.

Asked whether the Foreign Ministry or the Chinese Embassy in Colombo contacted him following his criticism of the Chinese actions in a letter dated January 3 addressed to the Chinese President, MP Rajapakse said that he was not contacted.

The former President of the Bar Association said that he perused Chinese Ambassador in Colombo Qi Zhenhong’s response to The Island query as regards his letter to the Chinese leader as well as the reportage of the contentious issue of Sri Lanka being compelled to pay a Chinese company to the tune of USD 6.7 mn in the wake of Sri Lanka rejecting a consignment of contaminated carbonic fertilizer. The MP was referring to the media briefing given by Ambassador Qi Zhenhong immediately after Chinese Foreign Minister Wangi Yi left Colombo following high level meetings.

MP Rajapakse emphasized that whether Sri Lanka political leadership liked it or not the country’s relations with ‘Quad’ grouping comprising the US, India, Japan and Australia as well as South Korea would be largely depend on the current dispensation’s relationship with China.

Appreciating the Chinese backing for Sri Lanka’s war against terrorism at a time the West conveniently turned a blind eye as they didn’t want to interfere with the Indian destabilization project, lawmaker Rajapakse asserted China largely changed its approach with the launch of the Belt and the Road initiative in 2013.

Asked whether he endorsed the controversial US and Indian investments on the energy sector, the outspoken politician said that interventions made by ‘Quad’ countries should be studied against the backdrop of Chinese actions.

The former minister denied pursuing a high profile anti-China agenda now, thereby being part of the Western project. MP Rajapakse said that he had to pay a heavy price for opposing the Hambantota port deal and finally the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration finalized it in 2017.

MP Rajapakse said that he expected the government to pay attention to the issues raised by him in his letter to the Chinese President. The Opposition, too, has a responsibility to protect the national interests though they didn’t have the strength to take on the government both in and outside Parliament. Noting the presence of former Premier and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at the launch of Sri Lanka-China Friendship Sailing Cup at the Port City last Sunday, the former UNPer pointed out how successive governments pursued policies at the expense of national security, political stability and overall well-being of the nation.

The former minister questioned the 99-year-leasing of the Hambantota port to the Chinese as well as agreements on Yugadanavi Power Plant with the Americans and the deal on the Trincomalee oil tank farm that ended up with the LIOC receiving control of a section of the tanks for a period of 50 years. Both Yugadanavi and Trinco deals have been challenged in the Supreme Court.

Making reference to Sri Lanka Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) that had been signed in January 2018 as well as Access and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) signed with the US in August 2017, MP Rajapakse said that it was crying shame political parties hadn’t been able to at least reach a basic consensus on foreign policy. The former justice minister said that successive governments allowed foreign powers to influence parliamentarians, officials, clergy, civil society and the media as well.

MR Rajapakse said that his call to take back the Hambantota port didn’t receive the expected backing for obvious reasons.

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Ranawaka accuses govt. of using JVP cadres and police to suppress political opponents

Published

6 hours ago

2026/10/20

Sahan Weerasooriya

… reminds AKD led over 560 protests during Yahapalanaya

Former Yahapalana Minister and United Republican Front (URF) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka yesterday (19) alleged that the JVP, which carried out over 560 protests during the 2015-2019 period, was now bent on preventing the Opposition from exercising its democratic right to protest.

Recalling the declaration made by the JVP at the height of the violent protest campaign in July 2022 that it would set the Parliament ablaze, the former parliamentarian lashed out at the JVP-led administration for using the police excessively to curb political opposition. Ranawaka said this while addressing the media at the former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Flower Road Office .

Commenting on the protest campaign launched by the Maha Sangha, demanding presidential pardon for General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Ven. Galagotaatte Gnanasara, the ex-Colombo District lawmaker alleged that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake used a combination of police, investigative units and JVP cadres to break up the monks’ protest. The government went to the extent of compelling the JVP/NPP-run Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to deprive the peaceful protesters of basic toilet facilities, he alleged.

The government’s actions proved that only those with prior approval from JVP Pelawatte headquarters could launch protests in Colombo, its suburbs or in the provinces. The police have become a political tool in the hands of the JVP, the ex-Minister said. (SF)

News

Six killed as speeding bulker crashes into vehicles, shop in Akurana

Published

6 hours ago

2026/10/20

Sahan Weerasooriya

By SK Samaranayake

Six people were killed and seven others injured when a speeding bulker lorry carrying cement and concrete ploughed into several vehicles and a shop on the Kandy-Jaffna A9 road at Kurugoda, Akurana, yesterday (19).

Four of the victims, two women and two men, died on the spot in the accident which occurred around 10.30 am, according to Alawathugoda Police.

Police said the bulker, travelling at high speed from the Matale direction, collided with three three-wheelers, two motorcycles and two lorries before veering off the road and crashing into a commercial establishment.

Five of the injured were rushed to the National Hospital of Kandy, where hospital sources said two remained in critical condition.

The bodies of the four victims were placed at the Akurana Hospital, where two others, who suffered minor injuries, were also receiving treatment.

The driver of the bulker was arrested by the Alawathugoda Police Traffic Division and is to be produced before court.

Investigations are being conducted under the supervision of Central Province Senior DIG Lalith Pathinayake.

News

Prof. Peiris, summoned by CIABOC, appeals for Ven. Gnanasara’s release

Published

6 hours ago

2026/10/20

Sahan Weerasooriya

G.L. Peiris

By Shamindra Ferdinando

owledging that there had been an administrative lapse on the part of the President’s Office in 2019 when Maithripala Sirisena granted presidential pardon to Ven. Gnanasara Thera, Convener of Janathawadi Joint Opposition Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday (19) urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to rectify whatever those shortcomings and release the General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena.

Addressing the media at the former President Ranil Wickrekmesinghe’s Flower Road Office, Prof. Peiris emphasized that it was not fair to hold Ven. Gnanasara accountable for lapse or technical fault of others at the Presidential Secretariat during President Sirisena’s tenure.

Prof. Peiris was flanked by UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena and United Republican Front (URF) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka.

The fresh appeal was made on behalf of Ven. Gnanasara in the wake of President Dissanayake and JVP heavyweight Anura Kumara Dissanayake ruling out fresh presidential pardon for the monk. Minister Lal Kantha declared that the government couldn’t under any circumstances meet the continuing monks’ protest demanding Ven. Gnanasara’s release. President Dissanayake dismissed repeated appeals for Ven. Gnanasara’s release when he addressed the NPP really in Badulla.

Sirisena granted presidential pardon in May 2019 even before he completed a year of his six-year term of rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court during proceedings of the media personality Prageeth Ekneligoda’s 2010 January disappearance in the Homagama Magistrate’s court.

At the onset of the regular weekly briefing, Prof. Peiris said that he would report to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) today (20) morning as requested by the commission. “The CIABOC wanted to record my statement regarding a meeting I chaired at the ministry after the conclusion of the war in 2009 pertaining to an ongoing investigation.”

Commenting further on the imprisonment of Ven. Gnanasara, the former parliamentarian said that President Sirisena intervened following a spate of requests made on behalf of BBS General Secretary by the Mahanayakes, Anunayakes and other Maha Sangha.

The Supreme Court on 10 September, 2026 rescinded the presidential pardon granted in late May 2019.