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Amaraweera explains why SLFP has rejected PCoI probe report
By Ifham Nizam
The leader did not commit suicide at the outset in any terrorist organisation in the world. “So, we need to find out who ordered Zahran to carry out attacks. And if Sarah, the wife of one of the suicide bombers, herself had fled to India, who would have helped her? Answers to those questions should have been found, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday.
Amaraweera yesterday said that the SLFP, therefore, rejected the report by the PCoI that probed the Easter Sunday carnage.
He said that from the beginning media had reported the evidence led before the Commission about advance intelligence available about the pending attacks that Zahran was going to carry out. But in the end, it was former President Maithripala Sirisena and Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera of the Bodu Bala Sena who were blamed for the attack.
It was President Sirisena who appointed the commission to find out the truth about the attacks. “The desired objectives have been achieved. I think even His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the Archbishop, will not accept this report. He has not yet expressed his opinion in this regard,” Amaraweera said, adding that the SLFP wanted to know who had handled Zahran. “The other issue is that who brought 6,000 swords into the country. Those are the issues that came up following the Easter Sunday carnage. But it should be revealed why they have been ignored. Therefore, we are focusing on future steps in this regard.”
The people of the country did not expect such a report from the commission appointed to probe the Easter Sunday carnage, he said.
Amaraweera said: “I am not commenting on the Commission or the judiciary. But we, as the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, are deploying a team of our lawyers to conduct a full study in this regard”
Amaraweera said female suicide cadres had also been trained and they had taken an oath before Zahran. The presidential commission had not made any revelations about this aspect of the issue, he added.
“The people wanted to know who was behind the Easter Sunday carnage, but the report does not say anything about it. This is one of the reasons why we have rejected the report.”
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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