News

Communist Party accuses US of attempting to aggravate crisis here

Published

4 years ago

2022/07/29

The economic and political crisis caused by four decades of neoliberalism could only be overcome by bringing an alternative economic program to power, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL) Dr. G. Weerasinghe said issuing a statement yesterday.

Dr. Weerasinghe said that as soon as satisfactory solutions for the pressing needs of the people were found, parliamentary elections should be held so that the people’s will and sovereignty could be expressed.

“Long-term solutions to overcome the crisis facing the country can be expected from such a government,” he said.

Given below is the CPSL statement: “With the crisis, the struggle and the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe as President, Sri Lanka has reached a critical point.

“It is necessary to examine very briefly how the country reached this critical moment. A trade deficit has been created due to the neoliberal economic policies that have been operating in our country for many decades. The tax policy associated with that system reduced government revenue, and the public sector was removed from the economic process.

“Planning was excluded. The misguided economy that was built as a result was pushed into a severe crisis by the COVID – 19 epidemic and failed management in the last two years, causing a shortage of dollars and rupees. A great disaster has been created in the areas of food, medicine, electricity, fuel, gas, fertilizers, industries and agriculture.

“The economic crisis that arose in the country pushed to a political explosion. Beginning with the removal of ministers from the cabinet in March, Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as Prime Minister on May 09, the Rajapaksas were removed from ministerial positions, and Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed as Prime Minister on May 12.

“These developments took place in parallel with the Galle-Face protest movement that started in April. The violence was unleashed from the Temple-Trees on May 9 targeting protest movement, followed by killings and burning of houses across the country. The people’s uprising took place on July 09, with the participation of hundreds of thousands of people, in a situation where the Ranil Wickremesinghe government, which assumed the position of Prime Minister on May 12, did not provide the expected solutions to the acute problems of the economic crisis, which were served as the basis for the struggle. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country.

“Ranil Wickremesinghe became the President on July 20th in the constitutionally held presidential election as the post of President was vacant. The national and international factors as well as subjective and objective factors that led to Ranil Wickremesinghe’s victory can be understood. However, what is important is whether under the government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the people will get the relief they need and whether they will overcome the crisis. The acute problems that the people expect immediate solutions from the government have arisen regarding food, fuel gas, medicines, and fertilizers, industrial and agricultural inputs.

“Therefore, these issues related to living need immediate solutions. As soon as satisfactory solutions are found for these issues, parliamentary elections should be held so that the people’s will and sovereignty can be expressed. Long-term solutions to overcome the crisis facing the country can be expected from such a government.

“It will not be possible to prevent the emergence of various conflicting events in this crisis situation. It is the expectation of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka that the government will respect the right of the people for agitation and protest peacefully. The Communist Party will not hesitate to defeat any attempt to violate those rights of the people.

We observe how certain forces led by the American imperialists are working to further aggravate this crisis that has arisen in our country, and to use the crisis for their own purposes and strategies. The Communist Party called on all leftist, democratic, progressive and nationalist and anti-imperialist forces to work together to ruthlessly expose and defeat those attempts.”

All News Advertisement

News

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

Published

2 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

2 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

2 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.