News
Ratwatte’s prison raids: Probes a farce, State Minister protected, TNA alleges
‘Govt. actions make promises on domestic mechanisms a joke’
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) yesterday (26) accused the government of having suppressed a proper investigation into death threats the then Prison Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation State Minister Lohan Ratwatte issued to a group of ex-LTTE cadres held at the Anuradhapura prison on the late afternoon of 12 Sept.
Batticaloa District TNA lawmaker Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam told The Island that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was yet to record the statements of those threatened by Ratwatte, who continued to be the State Minister of Gem and Jewellery related industries.
Rasamanickam said so after meeting eight of those who had been threatened by the Kandy District MP. He accompanied TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran and Acting General Secretary of the party on Saturday (25) to Anuradhapura, where they spoke to eight out of the 10 ex-LTTE cadres threatened by MP Ratwatte.
Responding to another query, MP Rasamanickam said they had been able to meet only eight inmates. One of them informed the TNA delegation that he didn’t want to cause himself further trouble.
MP Rasamanickam said that the prisoner’s concerns were quite legitimate as the police proved incapable of handling the investigation.
Referring to a special statement made by Public Security Minister retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera on Sept 17 regarding IGP C.D. Wickremaratne being instructed to initiate an inquiry into the complaint in respect of MP Ratwatte received by the CID on the previous day, MP Rasamanickam asked for the status of the inquiry.
The Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Sept 16 urging the immediate arrest of MP Ratwatte. CPRP President Attorney at Law Senaka Perera yesterday told The Island that in terms of the Criminal Procedure Code Section 109 (1) the police could have initiated an inquiry without receiving a complaint. Perera alleged that Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya and Commissioner Chandana Ekanayake were guilty of dereliction of duty as public officers of the State by both aiding and abetting in Ratwatte’s actions. Perera also pointed out that the CID never contacted them in spite of issuance of the receipt for having recorded their statement.
MP Rasamanickam said that ex-LTTE cadres requested that they be moved to the Jaffna prison and cases against them heard as quickly as possible. The TNA spokesperson said that Anuradhapura incident on Sept. 12 wouldn’t have taken place if the Prisons administration took tangible measures following MP Ratwatte’s drunken raid on the Welikada prison on Sept 6. The government should explain its failure to respond to the Sept.6 raid, MP Rasamanickam said, pointing out the absurdity in underscoring the importance of domestic accountability mechanisms at a time those in judicial custody weren’t safe. The TNA would take up Ratwatte’s matter with the visiting EU delegation.
Asked whether the TNA would use Welikada and Anuradhapura drunken escapades by a Minister to push for required amendments for the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), MP Rasamanickam pointed out that they had been campaigning against the PTA for some time. “There is absolutely no connection between our representations to the EU and other members of the international community as regards the PTA and the death threats directed at ex-LTTE cadres,” MP Rasamanickam said.
The EU delegation is scheduled to meet the TNA tomorrow (28). MP Rasamanickam asserted that the EU delegation would primarily take up the apparel workers’ conditions at apparel factories and the PTA. Those who had received death threats from an intoxicated lawmaker brandishing a weapon at Anuradhapura prison couldn’t tell the TNA delegation the full story as two jail guards sat with the lawmakers throughout their interaction with the prisoners. MP Rasamanickam quoted prisoners as having told them they were ordered out and directed to sit down on ‘L’ shape. Later, the MP repeatedly demanded them to tell him the truth.
MP Rasamanickam alleged that the Prisons Department would have quietly hushed up the incidents if not for the print and electronic media coverage and the social media taking it up. Asked whether he appreciated the appointment of retired High Court judge Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena to inquire into the incidents, MP Rasamanickam said that no such investigation was required if the police moved against the wrongdoer in terms of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The MP pointed out the continuing controversy over the government failure to implement the recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into 2019 Easter Sunday carnage. “What happened to the investigation undertaken by retired HC judge Weerawardene into the Mahara prison riots in late Nov. 2020,” MP Ramamanickam asked. That committee also included the Chief Legal Advisor to the Justice Ministry U.R. de Silva, PC, a former President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, MP Rasamanickam said, urging the government not to suppress the investigation.
The TNA MP said that by the time they met Anuradhapura prisoners, their statements had been recorded by the Prisons Department and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. Well informed sources said that the appointment of a retired HC judge to probe prison incidents had been made on the recommendation of the cabinet. MP Rasamanickam said that the incidents involving the State Minister has set a new record. “Now in addition to the promised police investigation, the Prisons, HRC and retired judge are inquiring into the Ratwatte affair,” MP Rasamanickam said, adding that the much touted pohottuwa slogan ‘One country, one law’ is nothing but a joke.
Ratwatte incidents in the run-up to the 48th Geneva sessions and 76th session of the UNGA ruined the country’s image, the lawmaker said. The TNA spokesman challenged the government to prove its sincerity by taking tangible measures pertaining to prison raids.
The SLPP’s response to the prison raids should be compared with its demand to Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila to resign over his announcement regarding fuel price increase in June. The SLPP found fault with Minister Gammanpila for making an announcement on behalf of the government. But, the same party had no issue over one of its members threatening prisoners in judicial custody.
MP Rasamanickam said that among those held at Anuradhapura prison were ex-LTTE cadres from Batticaloa. However, State Minister Ratwatte was seen in Batticaloa on Saturday, MP Rasamanickam said. How can there be a proper investigation when the prisoners and prison department personnel realize the possibility of Ratwatte returning to the Prisons Management and Prisoner’s Rehabilitation Ministry MP Rasamanickam asked.
The first-time entrant to national politics said the TNA would pursue this issue both in and outside parliament.
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dr. Kavinda Jayawardana has expressed his gratitude to US President Donald Trump for his commitment to safeguarding persecuted Christian communities in Nigeria.
In a letter addressed to President Trump, SJB MP Kavinda Jayawardana said the US President’s decisive intervention to address the violence, murders, and assassinations targeting Catholics and other Christians in Nigeria demonstrates exceptional moral leadership on the global stage.
“By standing firmly against the terrorist elements perpetrating these heinous crimes, you have given voice to the voiceless and hope to those living in fear. As a representative of the Catholic community in Sri Lanka, I am deeply moved by your administration’s efforts to bring international attention to these atrocities and to work toward meaningful solutions. Your actions reflect a recognition that the protection of religious minorities and the preservation of human dignity transcend borders and political considerations,” he said.
Dr. Jayawardana said, “The world you envision, one where people of all races, ethnicities, and religions can coexist in harmony and peace, resonates deeply with the values we hold dear in Sri Lanka, a nation that has itself experienced the devastating consequences of religious and ethnic conflict.”
Alcohol consumption, particularly the rising use of illicit liquor, has emerged as a major public health and economic crisis in Sri Lanka, with experts warning of devastating consequences if urgent action is not taken.
Surveys have confirmed that nearly 37 percent of alcohol users in the country consume illicit liquor, according to Chamil Muthukuda, Secretary of the Sri Lanka Public Health Inspectors’ Association. He warned that alcohol abuse has already begun to create a severe burden on both the national economy and the public health system.
Citing World Health Organization (WHO) data, Muthukuda said illicit alcohol consumption in Sri Lanka has increased by more than 300 percent, while global reports indicate that overall alcohol consumption around the world has risen by about 95 percent. Illicit alcohol now accounts for more than a third of total alcohol use in the country.
Alcohol abuse is a major driver of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Muthukuda said, noting that toxic substances commonly found in illicit liquor such as methyl alcohol and heavy metals cause extensive damage to internal organs. He explained that long-term alcohol use leads to memory impairment, liver cirrhosis, kidney failure, cancers and other serious health conditions, while also contributing to mental stress, family conflicts and social breakdown.
According to data from the WHO and relevant ministries, alcohol consumption directly or indirectly causes between 15,000 and 20,000 deaths annually in Sri Lanka equivalent to 40 to 50 deaths per day. Statistics further show that around 20 percent of fatal accidents are linked to alcohol use. Muthukuda added that 85 percent of deaths related to alcohol and drug use are caused by non-communicable diseases, and that one in every four deaths nationwide is attributed to alcohol consumption. The resulting damage to the country’s health and economic systems is estimated at around Rs. 237 billion each year.
Meanwhile, rising alcohol and drug abuse among young people has been identified as one of Sri Lanka’s most serious social threats, undermining education, employment prospects and the country’s future human capital, the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) warned yesterday.
ADIC Executive Director Sampath de Seram said an increasing number of adolescents and young adults are being drawn into substance abuse at an early age—often before completing their schooling—with long-term consequences for families and the national economy.
“We are witnessing a dangerous shift where alcohol and drugs are becoming normalised among youth. This is eroding their health, decision-making ability and chances of becoming productive citizens,” De Seram told The Island.
He warned that aggressive alcohol marketing, easy availability of alcohol outlets near schools and universities, and weak enforcement of age restrictions are accelerating the trend, while prevention programmes remain critically under-funded.
“When young people fall into addiction, the damage extends far beyond the individual. It affects parents, siblings, workplaces and ultimately the country’s development,” he said.
De Seram stressed that substance abuse among youth is closely linked to road accidents, violence, mental health issues and school dropout rate increase, creating a vicious cycle of poverty and social instability.
Calling for urgent state intervention, he urged authorities to tighten controls on alcohol sales and advertising, strengthen school-based prevention programmes, and expand access to youth-friendly treatment and counselling services.
“If we fail to act now, we risk losing an entire generation. Protecting our youth must be treated as a national priority, not a side issue,” he emphasised.
By Ifham Nizam ✍️
The Central Provincial Council on Tuesday (6) launched a new mobile application, Hari Gamana, aimed at facilitating public transport services in the Central Province.
The launch took place under the patronage of Central Province Governor Prof. Sarath Abayakoon, with the participation of senior provincial officials.
The application is intended to connect users with registered transport services, including three-wheelers, with the objective of improving accessibility and efficiency in local transport. Operations of the service are administered by the Hari Gamana Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, which is registered under the Central Provincial Council.
Addressing the event, Chairman of the Hari Gamana Cooperative Society A.S. Kumara said the service includes safety measures for passengers, competitive fare structures, insurance coverage for users during travel, and continuous 24-hour operation.
He stated that the initiative is designed to function as a state-supported transport service while providing an alternative to existing private ride-hailing platforms and supporting local transport operators.
A number of senior officials representing the Central Provincial Council were present at the launch ceremony.
Text and Pic By S.K. Samaranayake ✍️
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