News
NPC urges govt. to talk to all minority parties
A section of of the international community was planning sactions while Sri Lanka was moving from crisis to crisis, the National Peace Council (NPC) said yesterday.
Sri Lanka had been one of the richest nations in Asia in 1948 and due to actions of all governments, the country was now among the poorest, the NPC said.
NPC head Dr. Jehan Perera said: “Unless there is a strong will and genuine commitment to have a unified country with law that applies to all in equal measure we may not see positive development in the country. The sanctions being planned by sections of the international community cannot be overcome by non-existent strategies as the country moves from one crisis to another. The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva has set up a special monitoring unit to document past and ongoing human rights violations in Sri Lanka. The most recent manifestation of international scrutiny by the EU. Its parliament last week passed a resolution by the margin of 628 votes to 15 to hold Sri Lanka to account on a number of issues.”
Dr. Perera said that if Sri Lanka did not heed the EU resolution, it was possible that GSP+ concessions would be taken away. That could be a severe blow to Sri Lanka’s struggling economy, he added.
“There is another resolution against Sri Lanka before the US Congress. While the US resolution does not have any sanction mentioned in it at the moment, it calls on the Sri Lankan government to address root causes that led to a civil war. At the root of the resolutions against Sri Lanka in international forums is the long unresolved issue of the ethnic conflict and its resolution by political means.
“The NPC believes that resolving these root causes calls for dialogue with the representatives of the ethnic and religious minorities and their political parties. We welcome the meeting between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the TNA as a first step in that direction which needs to be expanded to include other minority parties. The constitutional reform proposals made by the TNA to the Expert Committee on Constitutional Reform appointed by the President, the holding of provincial elections, which will enable the minority parties to have a share of governance in the country, and the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission to give a definitive account of the war, end the speculations and divisive interpretations and correct the human rights violations of the past may be matters for discussion that can lead to a unified national approach in dealing with the international community to ensure the development of the country.”
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.
By Norman Palihawadane
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