News

Response to Canadian genocide charge: Daya Gamage finds fault with FM

Published

3 years ago

2023/07/27

Former US State Department employee Daya Gamage yesterday found fault with our Foreign Ministry for what he called the government’s pathetic response to unsubstantiated Canadian charge of genocide against Sri Lanka.

Gamage asked whether the Foreign Ministry has conveniently forgotten that genocide was the LTTE’s policy platform when it mercilessly removed the Sinhalese and Muslims from the North?

Gamage was commenting on the following statement: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs unreservedly rejects the reference to a Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day in the statement issued on 23 July 2023 by the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canada’s continued reference to a false, distorted narrative of the past conflict in Sri Lanka is aimed solely at achieving local vote-bank electoral gains, and is not conducive to broader goals of communal harmony.

Sri Lanka urges Canada and its leaders to support Sri Lanka in its efforts to ensure stability, progress, peace and reconciliation among all communities in all parts of Sri Lanka, as well as among communities of Sri Lankan heritage overseas.

Gamage said: “Isn’t the FM aware that when the War was concluded in May 2009, there were 44% Tamils living among the Sinhalese away from the N-E? If the GSL or the Sinhalese used Genocide as a weapon, will there be over 50% Tamils living among the Sinhalese in the South away from the North/East with gainful employment and enjoying other social facilities? Since the July 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom – carried out by those associated with the JRJ regime who happened to be Sinhalese – there was not a single incident of anti-Tamil violence against the Tamils.

Why is the SL Ministry of Foreign Affairs reluctant to present these facts – and many more – to the Canadian Government to blast its ‘Genocide Propaganda’?

This is very pathetic that Sri Lanka is unable to collect its thoughts to educate the International Community.

These strong facts have never been used by successive governments here, and even to reply to the Canadian Genocide ‘proclamation’.

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Related Topics:Daya Gamage Former US State Department employee Daya Gamage

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Animal Welfare Draft Bill to be Gazetted

Published

16 hours ago

2026/06/24

Priyan

A specialists committee has been appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation adhering to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 29.12.2025 for submitting appropriate recommendations analyzing the provisions of the draft bill formulation in regard to Animal Welfare.

Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, the Legal Draftsman has been instructed at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 18.05.2026 to prepare the final bill on the animal welfare.

Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the draft bill and the clearance of the Attorney General has been received in the connection.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to publish the said draft bill in the
Government Gazette Notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.

News

Legal provisions on marking voters using indelible ink during elections removed

Published

16 hours ago

2026/06/24

Priyan

Under the legal provisions for elections in this country since 2004, it is mandatory for voters who come to mark their votes to verify their identity through a valid identity card, and it is also mandatory for all such voters to be marked with an appropriate mark using indelible ink. The dual purpose of these two functions is to prevent a voter from voting more than once in a single election.

It has been observed that having to follow two different
methods at the same time to achieve the same objective hinders the efficiency of the duties performed at the polling stations and also incurs additional costs to the government.

Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate to remove the legal provisions regarding the use of indelible ink and marking the voter with the appropriate mark from all election acts.

Accordingly, the development activities of the province, as well as national security, will benefit. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the
President to take necessary steps to remove the legal provisions

• Section 36 of the presidential Election Act, No 15 of 1981
• Section 38 of the Parliamentary Election Act, No 01 of 1981
• Section 36 of the Provincial Council Election Act, No 02 of 1988
• Section 53 A of the Local Government Elections Ordinance (262 Authority)
• Section 21 of the Referendum Act No 7 of 1981

News

Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts

Published

16 hours ago

2026/06/24

Priyan

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 24 JUNE 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 24 June 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m.

Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expectedat times over the Western slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.