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 Muslim group finds fault with govt. for lukewarm response

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Sri Lankans in Indian custody (file photo)

Lankans arrested on terrorism charges:

‘Foreign Ministry didn’t bother at least to update us on their status’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The All Ceylon Union of Muslim League Youth Fronts (ACUMLYF) yesterday (15) said that the government owed an explanation regarding the arrest of four Sri Lankans on terrorism charges in Gujarat in late May this year.The grouping President Sham Nawaz said that though they had made representations in this regard to State Foreign Minister Tharaka Balasuriya in the first week of June, the Foreign Ministry at least didn’t bother to respond.

“We are concerned about the arrested persons’ wellbeing,”

Nawaz said, declaring that the families of the detained have a right to know what was going on. Nawaz pointed out that some reports suggested that the arrested persons had arrived in India to cause mayhem during the general election.

Nawaz emphasized that their effort shouldn’t be misinterpreted as an attempt to intervene on behalf of a group dubbed terrorists. The arrests were made by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad. Responding to another query, Nawaz said that they emphasized the responsibility on the part of the government to represent the interests of the detained persons in terms of the Vienna Convention on consular assistance.

Pointing out the conflicting claims regarding the arrests made on May 19/20, Nawaz said that Sri Lanka should seek access to the detained men without further delay.

Asked whether the families of the detained or some other interested party sought their intervention or he knew them personally, Nawaz emphasized that ACUMLYE stepped-in on its own.

Nawaz said that the delegation received an assurance from State Minister Balasuriya that consular matters would be duly followed up and due consideration would be given to the issues at hand raised by them.

Nawaz said that the delegation stressed the need for an independent local investigation as many raised doubts over the continuing allegations regarding the ISIS operations here. Such fears impacted the economy in many ways, Nawaz said, reiterating the responsibility on the part of the government to conduct no holds barred investigation into the allegations made by Indian authorities.

Contrary to repeated declarations in Indian media that the four arrested at the Sardar Vallabhai Patel airport in Ahmedabad had been linked to ISIS and coordinated by a Pakistani handler, investigations conducted by Sri Lankan authorities contradicted the Indian findings.

Authoritative officials said that India was yet to grant Sri Lankan investigators access to the suspects. Following the arrests made in Gujarat, nearly a dozen suspects were apprehended here, they said. According to them, Indian authorities had been promptly briefed of the status of the investigations conducted here though the two parties were yet to reach consensus on the issue at hand.

Responding to another query, Nawaz said that they wouldn’t seek the intervention of the Indian High Commission here. “We took up this issue with the State Foreign Minister three and half months ago. The FM’s failure to address our concerns is of grave concern and evidence of the pathetic state of affairs,” Nawaz said.

Nawaz alleged that at the drop of a hat those who had been detained in Gujarat were accused of being ISIS operatives. Referring to statements attributed to various Sri Lankan authorities with access to local investigations, Nawaz questioned whether Gujarat remained committed to the original charges or were prepared to reconsider the suspects’ status having taken into consideration investigations conducted by Sri Lankan authorities. Investigations have revealed that all of them had been involved in various nefarious activities over the years but never known for religious extremism.



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Indonesian Naval Ship KRI BUNG TOMO – 357 arrives in Colombo

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The Indonesian Naval Ship KRI BUNG TOMO – 357 arrived at the Port of Colombo on a goodwill visit on Sunday (16 Feb 25). The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship in compliance with naval traditions.

The 95m – long Multirole Light Frigate is manned by 111 crew members and commanded by Captain (N) DEDI GUNAWAN WIDYATMOKO.

During the stay in Colombo, crew members of the ship are expected to visit some tourist attractions within Colombo and the ship is scheduled to depart the island on Monday (17 Feb).

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Coconut auction volumes down

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By Nisheni Atapattu

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s coconut auction volumes dropped to 21,569 nuts, with 89,687 nuts offered, recording an all time low at this week’s auction, Coconut Development Authority data showed.

The auction was conducted at a fixed price of 140,000 rupees for a thousand nuts for the fourth straight week on February 13.

It is uncertain why all the nuts offered were not bought at the auction.

Last week 177,362 nuts were offered, down and 173,007 nuts were sold.

Volumes offered at the auction have moved down after a fixed price of 140 per nut was agreed.

Wholesale prices of a nut were listed at 200-210 rupees for a large nut and 180-190 rupees for a small nut in the local market on January 13.

Coconut oil local wholesale price was 830,000 to 850,000.00 rupees per metric ton.

Coconut shells were 50,000 to 51,000 rupees per metric ton.

Coconut shell charcoal was 178,000 per metric ton.

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New Catholic Bishop of Mannar to be ordained on Feb 22

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Bishop Anthonipillai

by Norman Palihawadane

Episcopal Ordination of Anthonipillai Gananpragasam as the Bishop of Mannar is scheduled to be held next Saturday (22) at 9.30 am at Our Lady of Madhu shrine.

Bishop Anthonipillai was born on July 12, 1965, in Adampan in Mannar diocese and studied philosophy and theology at the Saint Francis Xavier Major Seminary in Jaffna.

He was ordained a priest on April 7, 1994, for the clergy of Mannar.

After ordination, he held the roles of parish vicar of Murunkan (1994-1996), secretary to the bishop (1996-1999), parish priest of Cheddikulam (1999-2003), parish priest of Pallimunai (2003-2006), parish priest of Vankalai (2006-2009), rector of the diocesan minor seminary (2014-2018), and parish priest of St. Sebastian Cathedral (2018-2021) and Pesalai (2021-2023).

After obtaining a licentiate in religious education from Fordham University in New York (2010-2014), he attended a course in youth pastoral care in India (2022). Since 2023, he has served as administrator of the Our Lady of Madhu National Shrine in Mannar.

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