News
Easter Sunday carnage: Govt. claims emergence of fresh evidence

by Saman Indrajith
Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananda Wijeypala informed Parliament yesterday that new evidence had emerged in the investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Responding to a question raised by Puttalam District NPP MP Ajith Gihan, the Minister said that following the resumption of investigations under the new government, both civil and military personnel had come forward to furnish new evidence.
The Minister said the latest investigation had been initiated, as reported to the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court on November 11, 2024, under case No. B 35882/2024.
Investigators had recorded statements from 48 individuals so far. Among them were 12 civilians, seven army personnel, 26 police officers, and three prison officials, the Minister said.
The Minister added that investigations conducted by the CID and the Terrorist Investigation Division, under previous administrations, had led to the arrest of 747 suspects. Forty-one cases had been filed against 100 of those suspects before the High Courts, and indictments had been served on 14 of them by the Attorney General, he said.
Minister Wijeypala agreed with the NPP MP that the Catholic Church, led by His Eminence the Cardinal, along with other religious leaders, expected the masterminds and all responsible individuals behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks to be brought to justice soon.
The Minister said matters raised following the Channel 4 revelations on the Easter Sunday attacks, as well as information from other sources, were being thoroughly investigated. Legal action would be taken based on the results of these investigations.
MP Gihan: “As you have informed this House, several cases are currently in progress. They were filed on the basis of the findings of investigations and reports from commissions of inquiry appointed by previous governments. New evidence is emerging, and I ask whether new commissions or appropriate mechanisms will be established to examine this evidence.”
Minister Wijayapala: “We have initiated fresh investigations since the new government took office. We assure you that investigations are on track.”
Latest News
Sri Lankan among hundreds of foreigners freed from Myanmar’s scam centres

More than 250 people from 20 nationalities including a Sri Lankan who had been working in telecom fraud centres in Myanmar’s Karen State have been released by an ethnic armed group and brought to Thailand.
The workers, more than half of whom were from African or Asian nations, were received by the Thai army, and are being assessed to find out if they were victims of human trafficking.
Last week Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met Chinese leader Xi Jinping and promised to shut down the scam centres which have proliferated along the Thai-Myanmar border.
Her government has stopped access to power and fuel from the Thai side of the border, and toughened up banking and visa rules to try to prevent scam operators from using Thailand as a transit country for moving workers and cash.
Some opposition MPs in Thailand have been pushing for this kind of action for the past two years.
Foreign workers are typically lured to these scam centres by offers of good salaries, or in some cases tricked into thinking they will be doing different work in Thailand, not Myanmar.
The scammers look for workers with skills in the languages of those who are targeted for cyber-fraud, usually English and Chinese.
They are pressed into conducting online criminal activity, ranging from love scams known as “pig butchering” and crypto fraud, to money laundering and illegal gambling.
Some are willing to do the work, but others are forced to stay, with release only possible if their families pay large ransoms. Some of those who have escaped have described being tortured.
The released foreign workers were handed over by the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, DKBA, one of several armed factions which control territory inside Karen State.
These armed groups have been accused of allowing the scam compounds to operate under their protection, and of tolerating the widespread abuse of trafficking victims who are forced to work in the compounds.
The Myanmar government has been unable to extend its control over much of Karen State since independence in 1948.

On Tuesday, Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation, which is similar to the US FBI, requested arrest warrants for three commanders of another armed group known as the Karen National Army.
The warrants included Saw Chit Thu, the Karen warlord who struck a deal in 2017 with a Chinese company to build Shwe Kokko, a new city believed to be largely funded by scams.
The BBC visited Shwe Kokko at the invitation of Yatai, the company which built the city.
Yatai says there are no more scams in Shwe Kokko. It has put up huge billboards all over town proclaiming, in Chinese, Burmese and English, that forced labour is not allowed, and that “online businesses” should leave.
But we were told by local people that the scam business was still running, and interviewed a worker who had been employed in one.

Like the DKBA, Saw Chit Thu broke away from the main Karen insurgent group, the KNU, in 1994, and allied himself to the Myanmar military.
Under pressure from Thailand and China, both Saw Chit Thu and the DKBA have said they are expelling the scam businesses from their territories.
The DKBA commander contacted a Thai member of parliament on Tuesday to arrange the handover of the 260 workers.
They included 221 men and 39 women, from Ethiopia, Kenya, the Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Nepal, Uganda, Laos, Burundi, Brazil, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Tanzania, Sir Lanka, India, Ghana and Cambodia.
[BBC]
News
Sri Lanka and UAE sign agreement to Strengthen Economic and Investment Relations

Coinciding with the President’s three-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attend the World Governments Summit 2025, Sri Lanka and the UAE reached an agreement on Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments to strengthen economic and investment relations between the two countries.
The agreement was signed by Mohamed Bin Hadi Al Hussaini, UAE’s Minister of State for Financial Affairs, and Vijitha Herath, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
This bilateral agreement establishes a secure legal framework to expand investment opportunities in global markets while ensuring the protection of foreign investments.
The purpose of this agreement is to facilitate and strengthen foreign investments between the two nations by ensuring investor rights protection, promoting economic cooperation, and establishing comprehensive investment protection mechanisms, dispute resolution frameworks, and policy structures. This agreement will also contribute to strengthening global economic partnerships and creating opportunities for exploring new investment prospects in Sri Lanka.
This agreement underscores the importance of bilateral economic development and financial stability while demonstrating the commitment of both the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka to strengthening economic cooperation. It aims to foster trade and business expansion in Sri Lanka while promoting a transparent and stable investment environment.
Furthermore, this agreement also highlights Sri Lanka’s commitment to enhancing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and fostering a more attractive investment landscape. By enhancing investor confidence, it is expected to generate new business opportunities and contribute to economic progress as well as reinforce the long-term partnership between the UAE and Sri Lanka, facilitating sustainable investments and advancing trade and financial collaborations between the two countries.
Latest News
Adani Green withdraws from controversial renewable energy project in Sri Lanka

The Hindu has reported that Adani Green has withdrawn from the controversial renewable energy project in northern Sri Lanka, amid persisting controversy and a legal battle over its approval and potential environmental impact.
-
News7 days ago
Musk reveals ‘crazy waste’ of USAID funds in Sri Lanka
-
News5 days ago
SLAS senior to be HC in London, several new dpl appointments
-
Features5 days ago
Ken Balendra’s impact on John Keells
-
Life style5 days ago
Polished to Perfection
-
Features5 days ago
The Ceylon Journal’s Second Issue: A Captivating Dive into Sri Lanka’s Rich History and Culture
-
Midweek Review2 days ago
How USAID influenced Sri Lanka
-
Editorial5 days ago
Cat out of the bag
-
Editorial3 days ago
Needed: ‘Ministry of Excuses’