News
Govt. to initiate talks on setting up Truth Commission: FM Herath
UNHRC Session in Geneva:
The JVP/NPP government has expressed its willingness, at the UNHRC in Geneva to initiate talks on setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate acts of violence caused by racism and religious extremism,
Addressing the High-Level Segment of the 58th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said: “The contours of a truth and reconciliation framework, will be further discussed with the broadest possible cross section of stakeholders, before operationalisation to ensure a process that has the trust of all Sri Lankans. Our aim is to make the domestic mechanisms credible and sound within the constitutional framework. This will include strengthening the work towards a truth and reconciliation commission empowered to investigate acts of violence caused by racism and religious extremism that give rise to tensions within Sri Lankan society.”
“The Government has pledged to take tangible steps in the interest of further advancing national unity and reconciliation. The President has proposed to declare a Sri Lanka Day, in line with our vision for a reconciled Sri Lanka and commitment to bridging gaps between communities. We will ensure that the domestic mechanisms and processes, established to address challenges emanating from the conflict, will continue their work in an independent and credible manner, within the Constitutional framework. Domestic institutions, such as the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), Office for Reparations, and Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), will be strengthened,” he said.
Minister Herath reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to human rights, reconciliation, and sustainable development, highlighting the country’s progress and government’s strategies for continued engagement with the international community.
The government is firmly and sincerely committed to working towards a unified Sri Lanka that respects and celebrates the diversity of its people with no division or discrimination based on race, religion, class and caste. We will not leave room for a resurgence of divisive racism or religious extremism in our country. The fundamental and long standing principles of democracy and freedom enshrined in our Constitution will be fully respected and safeguarded while protecting the human rights of all citizens. Every citizen should feel free to practice their religion, speak their language, and live according to their cultural values without fear or discrimination. No one should feel that their beliefs, culture, or political affiliations will make them targets of undue pressure or prejudice. Administrative, political and electoral processes will be activated towards this end.
A number of confidence building measures have also been taken in the last few months towards reconciliation. In November 2024, a number of roads in the Northern Province, including the Palali-Achchuveli main road, were opened for public use, after several decades. The President, during his visit to the North in January this year, made an open invitation to Tamil-speaking youth to be part of Sri Lanka’s police service. The 2025 Budget includes significant allocations to upgrade the libraries throughout the country, including the historical Jaffna library which is a symbol of education and enlightenment for the Tamil community, he said.
Former Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles told the media yesterday that he would appear before the CID today (31) to make a statement regarding the fatal shooting of a Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) officer near a hotel in Weligama in December 2023.
The CID has summoned Alles to record a statement regarding the shooting incident which resulted in the death of a sergeant from the CCD.
Earlier, the Matara Magistrate’s Court ordered the arrest of seven police officers including IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon over the same incident. Tennakoon surrendered himself to court after absconding for nearly three weeks. He was remanded.
On 31 Dec., 2023, a CCD team travelled to the area to arrest a suspect without informing the area police. Policemen opened fire at the CCD, due to a mistaken identity, and one of the police sergeants, Upul Chaminda Kumara (46) was killed in the incident, while a Sub-Inspector was injured.
by Chaminda Silva
The Hambantota International Port (HIP) welcomed vessel CMA CGM Silverstone, a car carrier operated by CMA CGM, marking her first-ever call at a Sri Lankan port. This milestone emphasises the growing significance of HIP as a regional hub for vehicle transshipment, said a release from HIP.
The 200-meter-long, LNG powered, CMA CGM Silverstone, sailing under the Maltese flag, was built in 2024 and has the capacity to transport 7,000 cars. The ship arrived in HIP from Singapore with 333 loading units that included vehicles. While CMA CGM is already well established as the third-largest container shipping operator in the world, this marks the operator’s expansion into the roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) segment.
“CMA CGM bringing its first pure car carrier vessel to Sri Lanka is a significant moment,” says Kingsley Abeywickrama, Director of CMA CGM Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. “While this is currently a one-off trial call, it provides an opportunity for us to assess HIP’s potential as a future transshipment hub for car operations.”
Unlike conventional RoRo vessels that may carry mixed cargo, the CMA CGM SILVERSTONE is exclusively designed for vehicle transport. This voyage does not involve local vehicle imports or exports but rather transshipment of units already discharged at HIP by other operators. The vessel will transport the units from Hambantota to Casablanca, Morocco.
Senior General Manager Operations HIPG, Tommy Yang, presenting a plaque to Capt. Iselous Igor, CMA CGM Vessel Master
Hambantota International Port has steadily gained traction as a key transshipment hub for vehicles manufactured in India, Japan, China, and South Korea, which are re-exported to global markets.
The ship’s arrival and departure operation at HIP was managed by CMA CGM’s marine services, while cargo operation was coordinated directly by Glovis.
“As CMA CGM continues to expand its RoRo capabilities, this maiden call signals the company’s intent to explore new opportunities in vehicle transshipment, leveraging HIP’s strategic location and modern infrastructure,” says Lance Zuo, General Manager Commercial and Marketing of HIPG.
CMA CGM is a global leader in shipping and logistics, ranked among the top three container shipping operators worldwide. The company, which operates 14 container vessels weekly at the Port of Colombo, has a strong presence in Sri Lanka and continues to expand into new market segments, including vehicle transshipment.
During a search operation conducted in the sea area between Sand Dune 1 and 2 in Talaimannar on 28 March, the Navy recovered a consignment of Kerala cannabis, weighing about 124kg and 392g in wet weight.
The search operation was carried out by a team of Special Boat Squadron of SLNS Thammanna, belonging to the North Central Naval Command. During the operation, naval personnel spotted 46 suspicious parcels adrift in water, between Sand Dune 1 and 2. Upon inspection, the parcels were found to contain approximately 124kg and 392g (wet weight) of Kerala cannabis which were subsequently taken into naval custody.
It is suspected that smugglers abandoned the drug haul at sea due to intensified naval surveillance, which likely prevented them from smuggling it ashore. The gross street value of the stock of Kerala cannabis is believed to exceed Rs. 49 million.
The seized consignment of narcotics was handed over to the Talaimannar Police for onward legal action.
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