News
Now, UK concerned about detention of lawyer allegedly involved in Easter Sunday carnage
Dinesh G. says matter before SC
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Many an eyebrow has been raised over the UK condemning the arrest of 2019 Easter Sunday attack suspect, lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah, at the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council.
The Cabinet on Wednesday (16) discussed the British government criticism of Sri Lanka’s withdrawal from the 30/1 accountability resolution and current human rights situation in Sri Lanka et al.
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena briefed the cabinet of ministers of strong criticism directed by the UK at the onset of the ongoing UNHRC sessions.
The UK’s International Ambassador for Human Rights, Rita French, in a statement delivered on behalf of Canada, Germany, North Macedonia, Montenegro and the UK alleged that civil society and human rights groups in Sri Lanka experienced an increasingly difficult operating environment.
A British statement quoted Ambassador French as having said: “Instances of intimidation, harassment and surveillance continue, including threats to families of disappeared persons. Individuals are detained indefinitely without appearance before court, such as lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah.”
Declaring Sri Lanka’s dynamic and diverse civil society lies at the heart of its vibrant democracy, the Core Group expressed its strong solidarity with Sri Lanka’s civil society, and human rights defenders while requesting the government to take all steps necessary to allow them to operate freely.
Cabinet spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella Thursday (17) told post-cabinet media briefing of Sri Lanka’s response to Core Group’s latest criticism. The Core Group also made reference to the proposed now controversial 20th Amendment to the Constitution as well as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa government quitting the Geneva process.
The UK statement further quoted Ambassador French as having said: “”It (Sri Lanka Government) has suggested that a new domestic process will take the Geneva agenda forward. While we appreciate this continued commitment, previous such processes have, regrettably, proved insufficient to tackle impunity and deliver real reconciliation. This Council will want to pay particular attention to how the new approach, will differ from these previous attempts and put the victims of conflict at its heart. The future of the Independent Commissions including the Office for Missing Persons and Office for Reparations will be particularly important.”
Responding to several questions regarding attacks on Sri Lanka over human rights and accountability issues at the post-cabinet media briefing, Minister Rambukwella pointed out that Lord Naseby had quite efficiently countered the very basis of the 30/1 accountability resolution. The minister recalled how Lord Naseby in Oct 2017 in the House of Lords set the record straight. Kandy District lawmaker pointed out that Ambassador French’s statement was nothing but an extension of accusations propagated on the basis of unsubstantiated war crimes allegations. The Media Minister was flanked by co-cabinet spokesperson Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana and Director General of Information Department Nalaka Kaluwewa.
Minister Rambukwella said that Sri Lanka wouldn’t succumb to international pressure.
Responding to The Island queries regarding the Core Group’s criticism, Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that Geneva statement had been conveniently silent on why lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah was taken in by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The police took him into custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in April this year over his alleged involvement in the Easter attacks nearly a year before.
Noting that Hizbullah had moved the Supreme Court against his arrest, Minister Gunawardena pointed out that British nationals were among about 40 foreigners killed in near simultaneous suicide attacks in Colombo, Batticaloa and Katuwapitiya. Nearly 270 killed and over 400 wounded in Easter Sunday attacks.
Minister Gunawardena said that those who had been critical of certain aspects of the ongoing investigation into Easter attacks should go through the submissions made by the Attorney General‘ s
Department in respect of Hizbullah arrest before the court. The minister said that the AG compared the suspect with the late Anton Balasingham, UK based theoretician of the LTTE.
Responding to another query, the Minister said that the government would certainly inquire into UK claim that civil society and human rights groups were operating in an increasingly difficult environment.
Perhaps, they should reveal specific incidents in case the civil society and human rights groups brought them to the attention of UK the High Commission or other members of the Core Group.
Minister Gunawardena said that civil society groups worked overtime against the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) during 2019 presidential and 2020 general elections. Their high profile projects went awry, the minister said, adding that the SLPP did nothing other than to rout the political opposition at two national elections.
The Foreign Minister alleged that various interested parties were making a desperate effort to sustain anti-Sri Lanka campaign though the then government restored peace over a decade ago. Colombo based embassies couldn’t be unaware of the ground situation, Minister Gunawardena said that incident-free presidential and parliamentary polls highlighted the peaceful environment. There was absolutely no basis for accusations that civil society and human rights groups faced threats whatsoever, the MEP leader said.
Minister Gunawardena acknowledged that the government would have to set the record straight as regards war crimes accusations reiterated by some lawmakers from the North at the inauguration of the 9th parliament.
News
GMOA warns of trade union action unless govt. urgently resolves critical issues in health sector
Influx of substandard drugs is of particular concern
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has warned of renewed and intensified trade union action if the government fails to fulfil its promise to resolve the ongoing crisis in the health sector within the next few days.
GMOA Executive Committee member Dr. Prasad Colombage said his association was hopeful that commitments made by the government, including those formally stated by the Minister of Health in Parliament and recorded in the Hansard, would be implemented.
He called for urgent remedial action in view of the influx of substandard medicines into the country, patient deaths linked to such drugs, difficulties faced by doctors in prescribing medicines, and disruptions to patient care services caused by the continued migration of medical professionals. These factors, he warned, had placed patients’ lives at serious risk.
Dr. Colombage said discussions had already been held with all relevant authorities, including the President and the Minister of Health. He expressed hope that swift solutions would be forthcoming based on agreements reached at discussions. However, he cautioned that the GMOA would not hesitate to resort to strong trade union action if tangible progress was not seen in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Medical and Civil Rights Professional Associations yesterday (01) handed over a special memorandum to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, calling for immediate action to resolve the deepening crisis in the health sector.
Federation President, Consultant Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, said Sri Lanka’s health system was currently facing a severe crisis and had sought an opportunity to hold discussions with the President on the matter.
The memorandum calls for the President’s direct and immediate intervention on several key issues, including the Indo–Sri Lanka health agreement, shortages of essential medicines including cancer drugs, continued allegations surrounding the administration of the Ministry of Health, reported irregularities at the National Hospital, Colombo, and the absence of an internationally accredited quality control laboratory for the National Medicines Regulatory Authority to test medicines. The Federation has also requested a meeting with the President to discuss these concerns in detail.
By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️
Sri Lanka’s latest elephant census must result in immediate policy action, not remain a paper exercise, Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Managing Director Dilena Pathragoda warned, as nearly 400 wild elephants have already died in 2025 alone amid escalating human–elephant conflict.
With the national elephant population estimated at around 5,879, Pathragoda said the figures would be meaningless unless they shape land-use planning, habitat protection and enforcement.
“As of mid-December, close to 397 elephants have died in 2025, mostly due to shootings, electrocution, train collisions and other human-related causes,” he told The Island. “When deaths continue at this scale, census numbers alone offer little reassurance.”
Official data show that 388 elephants died in 2024, while 2023 recorded a staggering 488 deaths, one of the highest annual tolls on record. Conservationists warn that the trend reflects systemic failure to secure habitats and elephant corridors, despite repeated warnings.
“An elephant census should not end with a headline figure,” Pathragoda said. “If these statistics do not influence development approvals, infrastructure planning and land-use decisions, they fail both elephants and rural communities.”
Elephant populations remain unevenly distributed, with higher densities in the Mahaweli, Eastern and North Western regions, while other areas face sharp declines driven by habitat fragmentation and unplanned development.
Pathragoda said recurring fatalities from gunshots, illegal electric fences, improvised explosive devices along with poisonings and rail collisions expose the limits of short-term mitigation measures, including ad hoc fencing projects.
“The crisis is not a lack of data, but a lack of political will,” he said, calling for binding conservation policy, transparent environmental assessments and accountability at the highest level.
He urged authorities to treat elephant conservation as a national governance issue, warning that failure to act would only see future censuses record further decline of these majestic animals.
“Elephants are part of Sri Lanka’s natural heritage and economy,” Pathragoda said. “Ignoring these warning signs will come at an irreversible cost.”
By Ifham Nizam ✍️
The Ministry of Education has yet to clarify whether school hours will be extended by 30 minutes from next Monday (05) under the proposed new education reforms, Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin has said.
Stalin told The Island that the Ministry should reconsider the planned reforms, warning that decisions taken without adequate study and consultation could have serious repercussions for nearly four million schoolchildren.
He said the Education Ministry had announced that education reforms would be implemented in Grades from 1 to Grade 6, but it had not said anything about the Grades above 6. This lack of clarity, he said, had created confusion among teachers, parents and students.
Stalin also noted that although learning modules had been issued, students are required to obtain photocopies based on the codes introduced in these modules. However, the Ministry had not revealed who would bear the additional financial burden arising from those costs, raising further concerns over the practical implementation of the reforms.
by Chaminda Silva ✍️
Over 400,000 Russians killed, wounded for 0.8 percent of Ukraine in 2025
SCG curator ‘really happy’ with pitch for final Ashes Test
Showery condition is expected to enhance in the Eastern, Northern and Uva provinces during the coming days, due to the development of a low-level atmospheric disturbance to the East of Sri Lanka
GMOA warns of trade union action unless govt. urgently resolves critical issues in health sector
Elephant census urged as death toll nears 400
CTU raises questions about education reforms
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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