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.

SJB and Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has pledged to usher in a transformative era for the country’s healthcare if he is elected President.Speaking at a health conference in Colombo on Saturday, Premadasa said: “After the 21st, we will have the opportunity to address all critical issues that have long plagued our health system.”

Transforming Sri Lanka’s healthcare infrastructure was not a task that was attainable solely with the help of the traditional public investment and funding. Instead, he said he would adopt a fresh approach that included a robust foster care system for every Medical Officer of Health (MOH) division and hospital across the country.

Premadasa proposed the introduction of a charity system to supplement government funding. “While various stakeholders often highlight allocations as a percentage of GDP, we need to recognize that government investment alone is insufficient to revitalize our health system,” he noted.

Premadasa also highlighted the importance of preventive healthcare. He acknowledged the existing preventive initiatives under the MOH divisions and pledged to enhance these efforts to ensure healthier lives for all Sri Lankans.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe says it is everyone’s responsibility to support the ongoing economic recovery programme because the country cannot face another economic crisis.Addressing a political rally in Jaffna on Saturday, President Wickremesinghe referred to a statement issued by the IMF Friday, warning that if the government did not continue the programme it started with the IMF, the economy could collapse again.

The President stressed that if the recovery programme continued for another three years, no one would be able to destabilise the country’s economy. He said that the issues in the North could not be limited to just political problems. “If development does not take place, the North will fall behind while other provinces move forward,” he said, adding that he would address both the political and developmental challenges in the North.

The President reiterated that his policy statement includes strengthening provincial councils and delegating more powers to them. He also mentioned that, under the framework of nine provincial administrations, development plans would be accelerated to assist the central government.

“We have made progress on land issues and are working towards implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Additionally, we are moving forward with the recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry for the Appraisal of the Findings of Previous Commissions and Committees, headed by Supreme Court Judge A. H. M. D. Nawaz. We have also introduced a bill addressing Muslim burial rights.

Recalling how former Agriculture Minister Anura Kumara led a major movement in the South against the Provincial Councils and various promises were made to the people of Jaffna today, he said there must be a commitment to ensure these promises are fulfilled.

He also reflected on the recent economic crisis when Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities had lost hope and had no clear vision for the future.

Wickremesinghe said that he provided a vision for the future through the “Puluwan Sri Lanka” plan, which has since opened doors for the country’s economic recovery. He affirmed his commitment to developing the North and pointed out that neither Sajith Premadasa nor Anura Kumara has a solution for the region’s needs.