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FSP calls proposed defence pact with India betrayal

Published

2 years ago

2025/04/4

Duminda

The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) says that if JVP’s pioneer leader Rohana Wijeweera had been alive today, he, too, would have joined the FSP in opposing the proposed defence agreement between Sri Lanka and India, calling it a serious betrayal of the nation’s interests.

Duminda Nagamuwa, Propaganda Secretary of the FSP, told the media that the JVP-led NPP government was reportedly planning to sign the agreement.Speaking to the media, Nagamuwa said there was lack of transparency surrounding the proposed accord, which had already drawn the attention of Indian experts.

“These experts have termed the agreement as the most significant between the two countries since the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord of 1987, Nagamuwa said.

“Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa recently revealed that a number of agreements involving defence, energy, health, and digitalisation are set to be signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Sri Lanka. Foreign Minister Wijitha Herath had previously stated that agreements would be signed covering six key areas, but details of these agreements have not been disclosed to the public,” Nagamuwa said.

“We call upon the people of this country to realise the dangers lurking in these agreements. If the government keeps the people in the dark about their contents, they will be illegitimate.”

He said those agreements had not been presented to Parliament for approval. That marked a troubling continuation of a trend where previous agreements have been signed without proper public discourse or parliamentary scrutiny, he said.

Nagamuwa said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the proposed accord had been signed by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe in 2023, and that the JVP/NPP was now proposing the same deal. “If Ranil Wickremesinghe had tried to sign this accord, the people would have taken to the streets in protest. But now, this government is pushing the same agreement forward,” he said.

Nagamuwa appealed to the public to closely observe the processes leading up to the signing of the accord. “We believe that this agreement will have serious implications for the country’s national security. If Comrade Wijeweera were alive today, he too would stand with us in opposing this government’s betrayal of our national interests,” he said.

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

Published

12 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

12 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

12 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.