News

One killed, 24 wounded in police shooting at Rambukkana

Published

4 years ago

2022/04/20

Sahan Weerasooriya

Wounded protester being carried by youth

Countrywide protests against steep fuel price hikes: Govt. announces 35% bus fare increase; minimum charge Rs 27

Indefinite curfew declared in part of Kegalle District following incident

By Shamindra Ferdinando and Rathindra Kuruwita

Having failed to disperse those who had been blocking the railway line at Rambukkana for over 15 hours in protest against the latest increase in the price of diesel and petrol, the police yesterday evening opened fire on protesters. Several protesters suffered injuries, and one of them, succumbed to his injuries; two others underwent emergency operations at the Kegalle hospital. Hospital sources said 21 others had been admitted to hospital.

It was the first occasion the police opened fire since public protests erupted on 31 March demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government over the rapid deterioration of the economy.

Police spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that the police had been compelled to use force after protesters started causing damages to public property. The official alleged that an attempt had been made to set fire to a fuel bowser.

Trouble at Rambukkana led to the public forcing a Fort bound train to stop at Rambukkana, while people blocked the Colombo-Kandy and Colombo-Chilaw roads.

Earlier in the day, private bus operators, in Colombo and its suburbs, as well as in the provinces, yesterday (19) suspended services, demanding immediate relief in the wake of the steep increase in the price of diesel, by the loss- making CPC.

They blocked roads in several parts of the country, including the entrance to the Katunayake-Colombo Expressway, over a mile away from the Bandaranaike International Airport.

The police intervened at many places though private bus services couldn’t be restored. Private bus operators called for an immediate revision of bus fares as they couldn’t bear the latest increase.

Some asked for diesel at discounted price for private bus operators to maintain bus fares at the present rate.

The CPC has matched the cost of a litre of Lanka IOC’s diesel and petrol by revising price to Rs 289 and Rs 338, respectively.

Following consultations between Transport Minister Dilum Amunugama and relevant authorities, the former announced a 35 percent increase in private and SLTB bus fares and the minimum charge was increased to Rs 27.

Amunugama has succeeded Pavitradevi Wanniarachchi in the cabinet reshuffle effected in response to the political crisis whereas the Samagi Jana Balavegaya National List MP Diana Gamage received the appointment as the State Transport Minister.

Three wheeler drivers, too, protested against the increase in the price of petrol while protests erupted at a service station in Rambukkana after the management announced the closing of its fuel dispensing pumps in the wake of CPC price revision. They demanded fuel at the previous price as old stocks were available therein.

In spite of repeated assurances to normalise the fuel distribution network during the Sinhala and Tamil New year the country continued to experience fuel shortages.

SJB MP Mujibur Rahuman said that the country was paying a huge price for a spate of wrong decisions taken by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The President should reveal who really advised him not to seek the IMF’s intervention at the first signs of a forex currency crisis, Colombo District MP Rahuman said. Having acknowledged that the current crisis could have been avoided if the IMF’s assistance was sought much earlier, President Rajapaksa couldn’t remain silent as regards the culpability of his advisors, the lawmaker said.

The police yesterday imposed a curfew in Rambukkana indefinitely.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

4 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

4 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

4 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.