News

Mano signs petition seeking pardon for Duminda to highlight Tamil prisoners’ plight

Published

5 years ago

2020/11/3

Sahan Weerasooriya

… laments absence of consensus among Tamil parties regarding ex-LTTE cadres in custody

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Democratic People’s Front (DPF) leader Mano Ganesan, MP, has strongly defended signing a petition initiated by SLPP (Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna) seeking a presidential pardon for former UPFA Colombo District lawmaker Duminda Silva currently serving a life sentence for 2011 killing of ex-MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

Addressing the media in Colombo, Ganesan, who is also the leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) explained how he sought to draw public attention to approximately 100 Tamil political prisoners languishing in jail by backing the move to secure presidential pardon for Silva.

MP Ganesan claimed he felt quite confident that the media coverage generated by the petition signed by nearly 150 lawmakers could help his longstanding cause to have the detained Tamils released.

Alleging that Tamil political prisoners issue hadn’t received sufficient public attention, Ganesan said that he believed the high profile initiative could help them as well.

At the successful conclusion of the war in May 2009, the government held over 12,000 LTTE cadres, the vast majority taken prisoner on the Vanni east front. In addition to them, there had been several hundred arrested during the conflict, some of them convicts. Of the total, approximately 100 remain in custody over a decade after the conflict.

Ganesan revealed that having signed the petition, he proposed to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to submit a separate petition seeking the release of Tamil political prisoners to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The DPF leader alleged that the TNA refrained from providing the required backing for his initiative.

The Lawmaker quoted Jaffna District MP M.A. Sumanthiran, PC as having told him that the time was not opportune for such an initiative. Vanni District MP Selvam Addaikalanathan had said that the matter would be considered later, Genesan told the media, while acknowledging the right of colleagues to take a different stand.

Both Sumanthiran and Addaikalanathan didn’t respond to telephone calls.

The Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando’s Office circulated the petition in Parliament on behalf of Duminda Silva. Minister Fernando, too, didn’t respond to telephone calls.

Genesan said that those who had ignored his genuine intentions flayed him over social media and other forums. The former National Co-existence, Dialogue and Official Languages Minister said that some sections of the Tamil community found fault with him for linking Tamil political prisoners issue with that of the former UPFA lawmaker. Ganesan pointed out though they called those in prison political prisoners, the majority community still considered them terrorists. The Tamil community should realize ground realities, the former Minister said.

Pointing out that those the Tamil community described as fighters were criminals for the global community, MP Ganesan said that difficulties experienced by both Tamils and Muslims could be resolved by bringing their plight to the notice of the Sinhalese.

TPA contested the August 2020 parliamentary election on Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) ticket.

MP Ganeshan said that his political career couldn’t be derailed by those exploiting the signing of the petition by him in support of former MP Silva’s release.

He wouldn’t give up efforts to secure Tamil prisoners’ release through legitimate measures and he would withdraw his signature from Silva’s petition to prevent interested parties from exploiting the situation, the former minister said.

At the onset of the briefing MP Ganeshan said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa granted presidential pardon for Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake found guilty of Dec 2000 Mirusuvil massacre. Ratnayake was sentenced to death in 2015 for the killing of eight persons. Ganesan further pointed out that former President Maithripala Sirisena pardoned Jude Jayamaha sentenced to death for killing teenager Yvonne Jonsson, a dual national whose mother was Sri Lankan. She was beaten to death after an earlier argument with Jayamaha, in the stairwell of posh Royal Park apartment complex, where her family was living in 2005.

Jayamaha was initially given 12 years in prison. His subsequent appeal against his jail term was rejected and he was sentenced to death instead, a sentence upheld by the Supreme Court in 2014.

MP Ganesan said that President Sirisena hastily released Jayamaha shortly before he left office.

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Advisory for Severe Lightning issued to the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and Galle and Matara districts

Published

3 hours ago

2026/03/12

Priyan

Advisory for Severe Lightning Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 12.30 noon 12 March 2026 valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 12 March 2026

Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle and Matara districts after 2.00 p.m.

There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
 Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
 Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
 Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
 For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

Latest News

Nasa spacecraft weighing 1,300lb due to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere

Published

4 hours ago

2026/03/12

Priyan

The two Van Allen Probes were launched in 2012 [BBC]

A Van Allen Probe spacecraft weighing more than 1,300lb (600kg) is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere almost 14 years after its launch, Nasa says.

The spacecraft is projected to re-enter around 19:45 EDT (23:45 GMT) on Tuesday the US Space Force predicted, according to Nasa, though there is a 24-hour margin of “uncertainty” in the timing.

The Van Allen Probe A, which launched in 2012, is expected mostly to burn up as it travels through the atmosphere, though some components may survive.

The space agency said there is a one in 4,200 chance of being harmed by a piece of the probe, which it characterised as “low” risk.

The spacecraft and its twin, Van Allen Probe B, were on a mission to gather unprecedented data on Earth’s two permanent radiation belts.

It was not immediately clear where in Earth’s atmosphere the satellite is projected to re-enter. The BBC has contacted Nasa for further detail.

Nasa and the US Space Force have said they will monitor the re-entry and update any predictions.

The mission, which was originally designed to last two years, went on for almost seven. It ended after the spacecrafts ran out of fuel and were no longer able to orient themselves toward the Sun.

The probes flew through rings of charged particles trapped by Earth’s magnetic field from 2012 to 2019, in order to study how particles were gained and lost, per Nasa.

Those rings, called the Van Allen belts, shield Earth from cosmic radiation, solar storms and streaming solar wind, which are harmful to humans and can damage technology.

The mission made significant discoveries, including the first data that show the existence of a transient third radiation belt, which can form during times of intense solar activity, Nasa said.

Van Allen Probe B is not expected to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere before 2030.

[BBC]

News

PM Visits the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

Published

5 hours ago

2026/03/12

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, on 11 March 2026, and held bilateral discussions with Yvonne Pinto, Director General of IRRI, focusing on strengthening cooperation in the field of rice research and sustainable agricultural development.

During the meeting, discussions centered on rice cultivation in Sri Lanka, including the key challenges faced by Sri Lankan paddy farmers. The Prime Minister highlighted issues affecting the sector such as productivity constraints, climate-related impacts, and the need to support farmers through improved agricultural practices and technological innovations.

Both sides also discussed the importance of introducing modern techniques and research-driven approaches to rice cultivation in order to enhance productivity and ensure long-term food security. In this regard, IRRI shared insights on ongoing global research initiatives aimed at improving rice varieties, strengthening climate resilience, and promoting sustainable farming practices.

The discussion further focused on the potential for expanded collaboration between Sri Lanka and IRRI, particularly in areas such as research partnerships, knowledge sharing, and capacity building for Sri Lankan agricultural institutions and farmers. The Prime Minister emphasized Sri Lanka’s interest in strengthening cooperation with IRRI to support the development of the country’s rice sector and to improve the livelihoods of paddy farmers.

The visit reaffirmed the importance of science-based agricultural innovation and international collaboration in addressing food security challenges and enhancing sustainable rice production in Sri Lanka.