News
AI questions handling of wartime abductions blamed on SLN
Amnesty International yesterday claimed that Sri Lankan authorities were faltering on accountability in the ‘Navy 11’ case after the Attorney General’s Department decided not to proceed with charges against Wasantha Karannagoda, a former Navy Commander, over his alleged role in the abduction of 11 Tamil youth in 2008 and 2009. The Sri Lankan Navy is alleged to have been behind the forcible disappearance of the ‘Navy 11’.
Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director Yamini Mishra claimed: “Sri Lanka has the world’s second highest number of enforced disappearances, with tens of thousands of people forcibly disappeared over many decades. This case was an opportunity for the Sri Lankan authorities to deliver justice for crimes under international law, by ensuring that those reasonably suspected of criminal responsibility, including those implicated for aiding and abetting and under command responsibility, are brought to trial.
“This case has already been beset by obstacles in the Sri Lankan Courts, and today’s decision pushes justice further out of reach for the families of victims. The AG’s Department must explain the reasons for its decision, and Sri Lankan authorities must deliver truth, justice and reparations for all victims of enforced disappearance.”
“The ‘Navy 11’ case refers to the enforced disappearance of 11 Tamil youth in 2008-2009, allegedly in an abduction racket spearheaded by members of the Sri Lankan Navy. Senior military commanders are implicated.
“In August 2018 the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police arrested Lt. Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi, alias “Navy Sampath,” as the main suspect. The CID accused then Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijeguneratne of shielding one of the main suspects, and the court also ordered his arrest.
“In February 2019, former Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, was named as the 14th suspect in the case. He was accused of having known about the enforced disappearance by naval personnel he had command responsibility over, and choosing to take no action.
“On Wednesday 4 August, media reported that the Attorney General’s Department had decided not to proceed with charges against Karannagoda.
“The case has faced many obstacles in the Sri Lankan Courts. In January 2020, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into “political victimisation” under the previous Government.
“Many State officials facing trial over human rights violations have complained of being “politically targeted” by the previous Government, and have sought the Commission’s support in absolving them from ongoing Court cases. As a result, the Commission has intervened in cases that are pending before Courts, especially where military members are implicated”.
News
Cabinet nod to appoint Mrs. Tharani Kumaradasa to the Post of Commissioner of Cooperative Development / Cooperative Society Registrar
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal
furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development to appoint Mrs. Tharani Kumaradasa, a Grade I officer in Sri Lanka Administrative Service, serving in a post of Senior Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development to the post of Commissioner of Cooperative Development / Cooperative Society Registrar
News
Cabinet nod to hold 28th joint Asia Pacific Regional Social Workshop from 18-21 November in Sri Lanka
It has been planned to conduct the 28th Joint Asia-Pacific Regional Social Workshop from 18th November 2025 to 21st November 2025 in Sri Lanka, and 13 local representatives and 104 foreign representatives from 30 countries will participate in the said summit.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Rural Development, Social Security,
and Community Empowerment to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Social Development Institute and the Society of Professionals engaged in Sri Lankan social services to conduct the aforementioned workshop in Sri Lanka and obtain the necessary institutional support to
conduct the said summit.
As per the current national policy of the government to make public transport in Sri Lanka efficient and streamlined, the necessity of establishing multi-modal transport hubs with required facilities has been identified to enable efficient public transport services to be initiated from transit cities and main cities through the interconnection between transport modes.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved in principle the proposal presented by the Acting Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to develop the following multi-modal transport hubs on a priority basis, with the objective of upgrading the interconnection of transport modes such as buses, trains, and taxi services by integrating bus stands and railway stations identified as having a growing passenger circulation on the island, subject to a formal feasibility study.
• Kandy Multimodal Transport Hub (Construction work has already been started under world bank financing)
• Anuradhapura (South) Multimodal Transport Hub (Constructions are about to be completed under the Anuradhapura combined urban development project)
• Anuradhapura (North) Multimodal Transport Hub (feasibility study has been performed and preliminary work completed)
• Multimodal Transport Hub centered around the Fort Railway Station (as proposed by the ComTrans Master Plan, which has been prepared for urban transport in Colombo and suburbs)
• Moratuwa Multimodal Transport Center (proposed by the ComTrans Master Plan)
• Ragama Multimodal Transport Center ( identified through a study conducted by the Japan International Coorperation Agency)
• Avissawella, Galle, Katunayake, Kurunegala Multimodal Transport Centers (identified according to the urban plans of the Urban Development Authority)
• Gampaha Multimodal Transport Center ((identified according to the urban plans of the Urban Development Authority and railway electrification of the Colombo Suburban Railway Project)
• Katunayake Multimodal Transport Hub (identified under the Airport Development Plan)
• Kaluthara Multimodal Transport Center (identified as a proposal of the District coordination Committee)
• Kankasanthure Multimodal Transport Center(identified according to the urban plans of the Urban Development Authority)
Salman Agha 105*, Hussain Talat half-century set Sri Lanka 300
Suicide bombing in Islamabad kills 12, says Pakistan’s interior minister
Israel parliament passes first reading of death penalty for ‘terrorism’ law
Cabinet nod to appoint Mrs. Tharani Kumaradasa to the Post of Commissioner of Cooperative Development / Cooperative Society Registrar
Cabinet nod to hold 28th joint Asia Pacific Regional Social Workshop from 18-21 November in Sri Lanka
Establishment of multi-modal transport hubs
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