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JVP leader claims university ragging allegations outrageous

Published

4 years ago

2022/10/21

By Saman Indrajith

Some politicians hate university students because they played a major role in sending Gotabaya Rajapaksa home, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka has said.During the past few months, university students had won praise and admiration of the public, he said in Colomb yesterday.

“The students played a key role in ending the disastrous reign of Gotabaya. So, they hate students,” he said.

Most politicians who blamed university students for ragging were driven by hate and their past actions had shown that they did not care about the youth of the country, Dissanayaka said.The JVP leader said some people claimed that physical and mental harassment was used by some political parties for recruitment.

“Does anyone think that you can harass and torture someone, and convince him or her to join a political party? These are myths perpetuated by some people with ulterior motives,” he said.The JVP is a political party that supports the human rights of all Sri Lankans. Leftist movements across the world have fought for the betterment of the people. On the other hand, those in the right have been among the most severe violators of human rights, Dissanayaka said.

“Look at these people who are making these baseless accusations? They have a history of working with thugs. They are involved in various anti-social activities. Some of them have actually killed young people. They have played a role in destroying the economy of Sri Lanka. They have ruined the future of youth and children and you expect me to believe that they care about the rights of young people?” the JVP leader asked.The JVP as a political party and students aligned to it are opposed to physical or mental harassment, he said.Responding to a question posed by a journalist whether the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) is involved in ragging, Dissanayaka said that neither the FSP nor its students union is involved in ragging.

“No organised leftwing political party nor its students’ union is involved in ragging. They are against it. However, there are incidents of ragging, and we condemn them. Student union leaders have fought against this. We would like to remind students involved in ragging that their actions are providing ammunition to reactionary politicians,” he said.The JVP leader added that political parties had a right to engage in politics in universities and students had a right to engage in politics.

“Our political elites do not like university students engaging in politics. Most university students do not come from elitist backgrounds. Our political elites don’t like talented young politicians coming up from ordinary families. If they can stop young political leaders from universities form coming up, it allows them and their children to dominate politics. The JVP leader added that there were university administrators who were lackeys of politicians, and they were bent on harassing dissenting students. They had done nothing to develop universities and uplift student life or university rankings, he said.

“The Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) and university students in general played a leading role in ending Gota’s rule. And Rajapaksa affiliates hate them for this. That’s why they have arrested the IUSF convener under PTA. This young man fought for the rights of all Sri Lankans. He fought for our rights. Now, he has been in jail for 90 days under the PTA. His life is in danger. Recently, Suren Ragavan and Janaka Bandara Tennakoon’s son made ‘emotional statements’ about innocent youth affected by ragging. Shouldn’t Ragavan and Bandara care about Wasantha Mudalige, too?”

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

Published

23 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

23 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

23 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.