News
PCoI members visit Katuwapitiya Church, one of the prime targets of Easter terrorists
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Members of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks visited St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya on Saturday (15).
St. Sebastian’s Church was one of the targets of National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) terrorists on 21 April, 2019. The suicide bomb attack was carried out by Atchchi Muhammadu Muhammadu Hasthun.
One hundred and fifteen Easter worshipers at Katuwapitiya were killed during the attack. Among the 115 dead in Katuwapitiya, 32 were children (9 boys and 23 girls.) Ten children were killed in the Kochchikade Church blast (6 boys and 4 girls.) More than 253 persons injured at Katuwapitiya. About 37 Easter worshippers are still in critical condition (17 from Katuwapitiya and 20 from Kochchikade.)
Father Nishantha Lawrance Ramanayake, Director of Seth Sarana, earlier told the PCoI that the Catholic Church had opened six bank accounts after the Easter Sunday attacks and by 31 March 2020 and the members of the public had donated Rs. 518 million, the witness said. The funds had been used to assist the victims and their families.
Two hundred and eighty one families were affected by the bomb blast at the St. Sebastian Church in Katuwapitiya, 114 affected families by the blast at St. Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade and those affected at the Zion church, Batticaloa were given Rs. 147.4 million in assistance so far, Father Ramanayake said, adding that the Church continued to support those who were injured in the attacks.
“281 families affected by the blast at St. Sebastian Church in Katuwapitiya were given RS. 95.579 million; 114 families affected at St. Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade were given 41.9 million and Rs. 10 million was given to those affected at the Zion Church/”
Govt. to provide monthly assistance package – official
By Ifham Nizam
Plans are underway to assist an average needy family of four with a monthly package of Rs. 15,000, a senior adviser to President Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday, adding that the move was expected to help ameliorate the plight of nearly 65,000 families.
Food Security Committee Chairman Dr. Suren Batagoda told The Island yesterday that at present some 100,000 families across the country were starving.
He said financial assistance would be provided to those families for three months. Within three months, the government would design a package in the form of food stamps, etc.
Dr. Batagoda said the World Food Programme, UNICEF, the World Bank, and state agencies would also team up to strengthen food security, focusing especially on needy pregnant mothers and pre-school children.
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The Gotabaya Rajapaksa government had ignored suggestions by Chinese lending institutions that Sri Lanka to restructure the debt in 2021, Prof. Samitha Hettige said yesterday.
“The Rajapaksa government started talking of debt restructuring earlier this year. The Opposition had been asking for this before,” he said. By 2021, before the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration decided on debt restructuring, the Chinese institutions that had given Sri Lanka loans suggested that a restructuring process should start since Sri Lanka would have trouble repaying the loans, the Strategic Studies scholar said.
However, the request had gone unheeded, and if the government had started discussions then, Sri Lanka would not have been in crisis, Prof. Hettige said.
The Sri Lankan foreign policy, in the last few years, had also been misguided, Prof. Hettige said. A number of Indian and Chinese companies faced unnecessary issues by the behaviour of the government, he said.
Prof. Hettige said that the government must focus on establishing free trade ports and reducing negative lists for investments.
By Chaminda Silva
MP Sarath Fonseka’s call for people to join anti-government protests was not a decision taken by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), party MP J.C Alawathuwala said.
The SJB believed that they had to help President Ranil Wickremesinghe stabilise the country, economically and politically, he said.
MP Alawathuwala said the President must be given some time to solve the problems faced by the people and that the SJB was holding discussions with the government to guide it on a people-friendly path.
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