News
Mahavamsa gets recognition in UNESCO’s Memory of the World International Register
Mahāvaṃsa has been listed among the 64 new items of documentary heritage inscribed on the UNESCO’s Memory of the World (MoW) International Register in 2023.
Issuing a press release, on Monday night, the UNESCO said the Mahavamsa was the first of its kind in South Asia, initiating a mature historiographical tradition, presenting Sri Lanka’s history in a chronological order from the 6th century BCE.
UNESCO added that the authenticity of the facts provided in the document has been confirmed through archaeological research conducted in Sri Lanka and India.
It is an important historical source in South Asia containing crucial information about the lifetime of the Buddha, the Emperor Asoka and the rise of Buddhism as a world religion, the UNESCO said.
“The document played a significant role in popularising Buddhism in Southeast Asia and contributed singularly to the identity of Emperor Asoka in Indian history,” the press release said.
The existence of a number of manuscripts of the Mahavamsa in several countries as well as the transliteration and translation of the text to several Southeast Asian and European languages stand testimony to its immense historical, cultural, literal, linguistic and scholarly values,” the UNESCO said.
Mahāvaṃsa was first written in the 5th or 6th century, probably by the Buddhist monk Mahānāma and covered the period from about the 6th century BC to the early 4th century AD.
However, the Mahāvaṃsa has been updated repeatedly by successive authors and concludes on 1815, when the British occupied the whole of Lanka by military force.
(Ms.) Nina P. Cainglet, Ambassador of the Philippines to Sri Lanka based in Dhaka, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at the Prime Minister’s Office on May 16, 2025.
The Prime Minister welcomed Ambassador Cainglet and extended her congratulations on the new appointment. The discussion focused on expanding cooperation in trade and tourism, with both sides expressing their commitment to exploring new opportunities in these key sectors. The meeting also addressed consular matters relating to the Filipino community in Sri Lanka. In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured continued dialogue and necessary support on relevant issues.
The meeting was attended by Ms. Judienne Capiz, Vice Consul of the Embassy of the Philippines in Dhaka, Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister; Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister; Ms. S.S. Premawardhane, Additional Secretary, Bilateral Political Affairs (East); and M.R. Keegel, Deputy Director, Southeast Asia & Central Asia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division].
The Bribery Commission on Friday filed a corruption case against former Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and ex-BOI Director General Jayantha Edirisinghe, accusing them of misusing public cash for a lavish newspaper ad campaign back in 2014.
They stand accused of siphoning Rs. 1.7 million in state funds to publish 11 newspaper supplements marking the second inauguration anniversary of then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa on November 19, 2014.
According to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), the move amounted to a clear breach of anti-graft laws, with five formal charges now filed before the Colombo High Court.
The case, centred around alleged misuse of Board of Investment (BOI) funds, is backed by 21 pieces of documentary evidence and testimony from 15 witnesses.
The Bribery Commission maintains that the ad blitz had no official sanction and led to a direct loss of Rs. 1,748,877.76 to the state.
Inspector General of Police T.M.W. Deshabandu Tennakoon is set to face formal questioning tomorrow (May 19) over serious allegations of misconduct and abuse of power, parliamentary sources said on Friday.
A special committee appointed to investigate the claims will commence formal proceedings next week, following several rounds of preliminary discussions held within the parliamentary complex in recent weeks.
The IGP has been officially notified to appear before the committee and is expected to face the inquiry for the first time at 2:00 PM in Committee Room No. 8.
The committee, which met again on Thursday (15) to finalise arrangements, is investigating allegations that Tennakoon misused his official powers in a manner deemed severe and improper.
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