News
JVP raps Sarath Weerasekera’s ‘mono-ethnic superiority’ stance
by Saman Indrajith
Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (Retd) Sarath Weerasekera’s recent statements promoting mono-ethnic supremacy have exacerbated communal divisions in the country, says the JVP.
Former JVP MP and Politburo Member Bimal Ratnayake said that people have a constitutional right to speak their minds and support the brand of politics they favour.
“It is not a right they have been given by the president or the government. That right has been upheld by many Supreme Court decisions. But the Public Security Minister is speaking as if it has been given by to the people by the government,” he said.
“It is a right that they too enjoyed while they were in the opposition. He and other ministers describe teacher unionists as Taliban. The Public Security Minister defends any wrong doing of the police.
“Those who engaged in recent protests against selling a terminal of the port and those by petroleum workers were protests to save national assets. But the Public Security Minister is setting the police against them.
“They make speeches setting up people against the unionists. His recent statements speak of a mono-ethnic supremacy which is dangerous to communal harmony.
“The government is in need of another Prabhakaran or Zahran to play the communal card again and create another disaster. Their plan is to cover their failures using such a disaster as a means of diverting public attention from the burning issues of the day.
“We tell those in government and the Minster of Public Security that playing a Cyril Matthew role would not yield anything positive for the country,” Ratnayake said during a press conference held at the party headquarters on Thursday.
He said that the police were being used as a means of coercion against those who do not toe the government line. “CID teams have been sent to the homes of our party members. A group of Frontline Socialist Party leaders are held in detention for more than 60 days. Some of them contracted COVID-19 behind bars.
“It is said that they are held under the laws of public property. Then what action has the government taken against Nirupama Rajapaksa who failed to declare her assets recently published in the Pandora Papers while she was a sitting MP?,” Ratnayake queried.
MP Dr Harini Amarasuriya said that the government was using the police force in a manner that people are deprived of their civil liberties on a daily basis.
“The Public Security Minister calls the teacher unionists terrorists. As we know that police are allowed to shoot below the knee in some instances to bring a volatile situation under control. But the Public Security Minister says that policemen could shoot at the heads of people and he would stand by such policemen. This is an outrageous situation,” she said.
National People’s Power Operational Committee Member Aruna Shantha Nonis also addressed the press.
A group of Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) members, including its Leader Mano Ganesan, met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Thursday (02) morning at the Presidential Secretariat.
Extensive discussions were held on the issues faced by the Malayagam communities, particularly in relation to education, housing and land, as well as on the urgent measures required to address these concerns. The President paid special attention to all these matters.
Attention was also drawn to the recruitment of qualified Tamil-medium teachers to address the teacher shortage in estate sector schools and this too was discussed at length.
Members of Parliament P. Digambaram and V. Radhakrishnan, along with several other party members, were present at the meeting.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vijitha Herath, held talks with Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Andrey Rudenko at the Foreign Ministry, in Colombo, on Thursday (02), with both sides reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
The Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the visiting Russian Deputy Minister noted that Russia regarded Sri Lanka as a long-standing friend.
Rudenko assured that Russia stood ready to support Sri Lanka when required, including in the swift supply of Russian oil to help address the current energy challenges, encouraging Russian investors to explore new opportunities in the country and promoting increased tourist arrivals.
He also expressed Russia’s readiness to provide compensation for Sri Lankan war veterans who had lost their lives in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Minister Herath welcomed Russia’s willingness to assist, emphasising that Sri Lanka valued the support extended by its “old friend”, particularly at a time when the country was facing pressing energy needs.
He noted that the two countries shared nearly seven decades of diplomatic relations and said the present moment provided an opportunity to further strengthen ties, including through long-term trade agreements.
The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of energy, investment, tourism and diplomacy, with both sides reiterating their commitment to further deepen the longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and Russia.
Police yesterday arrested 157 foreign nationals in connection with an alleged organised online financial scam, conducted from a hotel in the Iranawila area in Chilaw.
The suspects were taken into custody during a raid carried out by the Police while they were staying at the hotel in Iranawila.
Police said the arrested group included 143 nationals from China, 13 from Bangladesh and one from Vietnam.
Investigators suspect the group had been involved in a coordinated online financial scam, targeting victims through digital platforms.
The suspects are being detained for further questioning while investigations are continuing to determine the full extent of the operation and whether additional individuals were involved.Police said further inquiries are underway.
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