News
Colombo HC lawyers slam TT, police over recent mayhem
… demand probe into lawmaker’s killing
By Shamindra Ferdinando
President of the Colombo High Court Lawyers’ Association Lakshman Perera yesterday (13) said that Sri Lanka’s fate depended on the success of the ongoing efforts to stabilise its economy.
Attorney-at-Law Perera said all political parties, represented in Parliament and outside, including the civil society, should realise the country was in such a bad state there would be anarchy if the bid to form an interim administration failed.
Asked whether Perera, in his capacity as the President of the Colombo High Court Lawyers’ Association, endorsed the swearing in of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister, the spokesperson said that he couldn’t take a position on the issue without consulting the membership.
Perera, however, acknowledged the responsibility on the part of all stakeholders, both in and outside the political mainstream, to reach a consensus on a viable agreement on the developing economic-political-social crisis.
The official asserted that the violence unleashed on those who had been demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the entire Cabinet of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, on Monday (09) in Kollupitiya and Fort police areas and retaliatory attacks were a grim reminder to those wielding political power at different levels.
Lawyer Perera said that an explosive situation created by unprovoked attacks carried out by those who had been at a meeting chaired by then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa were now threatening to ruin the country unless consensus on a political settlement could be reached soon.
The association, in a statement that had been issued by its President Lakshman Perera and Secretary Sarath Ekanayake before the swearing in of Wickremesinghe as the Premier roundly condemned the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) for the wanton attack on protesting public.
Estimating the number of persons wounded in indiscriminate attacks at 150, they held the Colombo police responsible for their failure to thwart the Temple Trees project. The lawyers asserted that the police had been irresponsible in their conduct therefore guilty of what they called inadequate discharge of duty.
The lawyers’ association questioned the failure on the part of the police to anticipate serious breach of peace in the wake of such a large gathering at Temple Trees or receive advance warning from the intelligence services.
In the harshest recent criticism of the police by them, the Colombo High Court Lawyers’ Association alleged that the Colombo police had unashamedly served the interests of Temple Trees rather than enforcing laws.
Following Attorney General Sanjaya Rajaratnam’s intervention, IGP C.D. Wickremaratne directed the DIG, in charge of the CID to investigate May 09 incidents.
Commenting on the police and the Special Task Force (STF) deployed at Temple Trees on the day of the incidents, the lawyers alleged that law enforcement authorities turned a blind eye to brutal attacks on protesters. They intervened only after the first wave of attacks, the lawyers alleged, urging the IGP to take responsibility and resign forthwith.
The lawyers insisted that the attacks could have been prevented by the IGP.
Warning of further escalation of protests unless growing public grievances weren’t addressed, the grouping of lawyers declared that they didn’t have faith in Prasanna Ranatunga, who served as the Public Security Minister at the time of the incidents.
Ranatunga succeeded retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera at the last round of cabinet appointments.
They alleged Ranatunga lacked the capacity to handle the May 09 attacks that triggered a spate of incidents in areas outside the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Mobs set ablaze Ranatunga’s residence in Gampaha.
The association also underscored the responsibility on the part of the government to investigate the killing of Polonnaruwa District SLPP lawmaker Amarakeerthi Atukorale in the Nittambuwa police area and his police bodyguard.
The slain MP was on his way home after attending the Temple Trees meeting when vigilantes intercepted his vehicle.
The association declared six demands namely (1) resignation of the IGP (2) legal action against Senior DIG in charge of the Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon (3) a transparent and thorough investigation into May 09 attacks carried out on those demanding the change of government (4) Fully cooperate with the HRCSL (Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka) (5) establish rule of law (06) implementation of the Constitution and international instruments pertaining to human rights.
Warning that the public were suffering as a result of the pathetic failure of the political party system, the association said the situation would be further aggravated if those who wield political power sought to protect their interests at the expense of the national interests. The association declared that it wouldn’t hesitate to support what it called a progressive movement to establish democracy and rule of law in case the current political party system continued to fail the country.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) BUNGO and ETAJIMA arrived at the port of Colombo on a goodwill visit this morning (01 Apr 25).
The visiting ships were welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in compliance with naval traditions.
The 141m long JMSDF BUNGO is an Uraga-Class Minesweeper Tender commanded by Commander TANAKA Koji and the ship is manned by a crew of 125.
Meanwhile, JMSDF Etajima, a 65-meter-long Minesweeper, is under the command of Commander Oda Takayuki and operates with a crew of 54 personnel.
During the stay in the island, crew members of the ships will explore some tourist attractions within the city of Colombo. The ships are scheduled to set sail from Colombo on 04 Apr.
“You and your families will be eliminated”
By Norman Palihawadane and Hemantha Randun
A full-scale investigation has been launched to track down an underworld character, ‘Navy Dinesh,’ a key accomplice of Ganemulle Sanjeewa, for issuing death threats over the phone to three police officers, including the Gampaha HQI, Crime Branch OIC, of the same police station, and others.
Navy Dinesh is believed to have fled the country.
According to police sources, threats were issued following the arrest of Navy Dinesh’s father and brother in connection with a drug trafficking case.
Phone analysis reports have confirmed that the calls originated from Dubai and France.
Following the murder of Ganemulle Sanjeewa, Navy Dinesh assumed leadership of the underworld gang he had previously been involved with.
Navy Dinesh contacted the Gampaha HQI, the OIC of the Crime Branch, and the investigating police constable, and threatened to kill them and their family members. “You and your families will be eliminated,” he said.
A special police team had been assigned to investigate the matter, and a report has been submitted to the courts, police sources said.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya highlighted the significant potential for strengthening the economic ties between Sri Lanka and Germany. Premier Amarasuriya underscored the country’s improving economy, resurgent tourism and policy reforms that have fostered an attractive environment for investment and business.
Premier Amarasuriya said so at the annual gathering of the German Asia-Pacific Association (OAV) in Hamburg, Germany. She declared Germany is both a role model and an important partner in the further development of vocational education in Sri Lanka.
German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Premier Amarasuriya attended the annual gathering of the German Asia-Pacific Association (OAV) as Guests of Honour.
Dr. Amarasuriya said: “For the first time in Sri Lanka’s history, the results of the Parliamentary elections held last year reflected a collective and unified voice from people of all regions of the country” and highlighted that the new government is committed to taking tangible steps in the interest of further advancing national unity and reconciliation. She also highlighted that the current Parliament, which was formed after the election, is one of the most inclusive in Sri Lanka’s history, with a record number of women and representatives of different communities.
During her visit to Hamburg, the Prime Minister held a bilateral meeting with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Premier Amarasuriya also attended the ‘German-Asian Forum on Vocational Education & Training’ organised by the OAV. In a keynote speech at this forum, she conveyed Sri Lanka’s appreciation to German government’s assistance to uplift the vocational education sector in Sri Lanka which date back to the establishment in 1959 of the Sri Lanka-German Technical Training Institute in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, one of the milestones of the bilateral relationship. She stated that Sri Lanka aims to transform vocational education into a modern, relevant field that will help us create a skilled workforce that meets the demands of the industry, and which offer the youth of Sri Lanka real career paths, both in Sri Lanka and abroad.
She also took part in a Business Roundtable with over 20 member companies of OAV and visited German research and technology hubs in the city including ITECH, a vocational school for IT, electrical, and chemical engineering; NXP Semiconductors, a leading global semiconductors company; and DESY, Germany’s largest accelerator centre.
OAV is active in Sri Lanka through the BMO Membership Organisation Partnership Programme in Jaffna, which is a collaboration between the OAV and the Northern Chamber of Industries (NCI), and the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC) in Colombo. The programme aims to strengthen the competence and engagement of small and medium-sized enterprises in relation to public institutions and is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
In a 20-minute address German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier made a strong case for establishing future-oriented partnerships with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. According to Steinmeier, such action is urgently needed to reduce asymmetries and dependencies and mitigate the effects of increasing protectionism in world trade. To achieve this, it is important to better exploit the diverse opportunities in the dynamic region, Steinmeier said.
The remarks came during Steinmeier’s keynote speech during the traditional “East Asia friendship dinner” held in the ballroom of Hamburg City Hall. The event was hosted by the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV), which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.
“Recently, we have been forced to witness how close friends and allies are turning away from the order they played such a crucial role in establishing, and are celebrating wilfulness as progress,” Steinmeier noted. “The 102nd East Asia friendship dinner and 125 years of the German Asia-Pacific Business Association stand for something that might seem old-fashioned at first glance in our time but is all the more important in a time of crisis: partnership.”
Within this partnership framework, Steinmeier highlighted the vast opportunities the Asian market presents for Germany. “We will continue to diversify our foreign trade, reduce our economic and security policy dependencies, and forge closer political contacts with a larger number of countries, including in the area of trade policy,” Steinmeier said.
Duo of JMSDF ships arrive in Colombo
Heavy rainfall of about 100 mm are likely at some places in Central, Sabaragamuwa, Western, Southern and Uva provinces and in Kurunegala and Polonnaruwa districts
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