News
SLMC flays NPP govt. over its stand on Israeli aggression
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem, MP, has lambasted the National People’s Power (NPP) government’s stand on the US-backed Israel military campaign against the Palestinians.Attorney-at-Law Hakeem declared that the recent statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, on behalf of the NPP, on the Israeli attack aimed at Hamas political leadership, was nothing but a disgrace.
Israel carried out the attack on Hamas leadership last Tuesday (09).
The following is the text of statement issued by the SLMC leader: “At the time of Israel’s recent attack on Qatar, I was in Tehran, Iran, attending the World Islamic Solidarity Conference on Palestine, which was attended by representatives from more than 50 countries.
While returning from there, that I came across a statement issued by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs following Israel’s attack on Qatar.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry has demonstrated once again not just how incapable it is or distinguish between an Occupier and the Occupied, or between an air attack and incident, or even worse, between a mercenary behaviour and solidarity with victims.
It has also exposed the depths of a culture of tomfoolery, recklessness and vicarious criminality in which it remains ensnared when it comes to unconscionable and abominable breaches by the Netanyahu government, of all norms of humanity and decency, principles of international law, and sovereignty of other countries.
Sadly, this is the government which has come to power on a pledge to create culture of accountable and responsible governance. It often claims so vociferously that the “Clean Sri Lanka” project it has launched since it assumed office, is aimed to place the country on a governance footing that is eithically and morally sound.
The government fails on all these criteria so miserably, when it comes to one single entity, that is Israel. The entire world watches with bleeding hearts, discourage, abhor, and condemn unequivocally the Netanyahu government’s genocidal activities, violent, aggressive, and catastrophic conduct of war, and its breach of peace in the region and in the world. The government appears to be in a tactical or strategic collusion with Netanyahu and his ruling cabal not just with regard to crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially Gaza, but now far beyond, extending to Iran last June and now, more dangerously in Qatar.
All the statements or official remarks that this government has issued, including in particular the latest one on Qatar, expose the government and the Foreign Ministry for their chronic inability to extend those ethical and moral parameters to Israel and to reject its aggressive behaviour, prolonged occupation and challenges to regional stability. Any reasonable-minded reading the Foreign Ministry’s statement yesterday would conclude that it is nothing but a Israeli hand in the Foreign Ministry or in the government that drafts such statements. An average Sri Lankan citizen would never be so insensitive, illogical, and scornful as to even attempt at drafting such a deliberately apathetic, one-sided, distorted statement as that has been released yesterday.
We need Qatar for labour migration, investment, trade, and tourism, which alongside similar contributions from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, bring much-needed foreign exchange to the country. We need Gulf Cooperation Council to speak in Sri Lanka’s favour during the Human Rights Council session. Hon. Minister Bimal Rathnayake has just returned after a visit to Saudi Arabia where he appealed for financial support for specific projects in Sri Lanka. But it is a poignant reality that when one of those countries comes under aggression with targeted air attacks, the government of Sri Lanka has no audacity to name the aggressor, or even talk about how it shared the sentiments of the government and the people of the country whose sovereignty was so blatantly violated.
By calling serious breaches by Israel just incidents or strikes, not naming the perpetrator even as the world, and the perpetrator itself, so bolds claims it was carried by Israel, what prevents the government and the Foreign Ministry from doing so? Sri Lanka’s foreign policy apparatus is not just becoming a pack of jokers, but they are actively making Sri Lanka a STRIKINGLY “INCIDENTAL” state.”
The countrywide dengue outbreak has intensified, with the death toll rising to 50, by July 16, as the number of reported infections surpassed 73,000, according to the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU).
The country has recorded 73,455 dengue cases so far this year, with the case fatality rate standing at 0.07 percent, highlighting the severity of the ongoing outbreak.
The Western Province continues to remain the worst affected region, accounting for more than half of the total cases, with 38,700 infections. The Gampaha District has recorded the highest number of cases in the province with 15,341, followed closely by Colombo with 14,625.
The Southern Province has reported 11,382 cases, while the Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces have each recorded more than 6,000 infections.
Dengue cases have shown a sharp increase in recent months, with June recording the highest monthly total of 21,538 cases, while July has already reported 18,076 infections. In comparison, 8,590 cases were reported in May, and 5,651 in April.
Health authorities have identified 175 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas as high-risk locations during the 27th epidemiological week. An average of 2,677 new dengue cases are being reported daily, prompting authorities to intensify prevention and mosquito control measures.
The Colombo High Court yesterday (17) resumed hearing the money laundering case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The proceedings were held before High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga, where evidence was recorded from prosecution witnesses, under the direction of Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara.
President’s Counsel Sampath Mendis, appearing for Yoshitha Rajapaksa, cross-examined the witnesses during the hearing.
After recording evidence, the court ordered that further examination of evidence be postponed until July 24.
The Attorney General has filed indictments, alleging that Yoshitha Rajapaksa committed an offence, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, by purchasing five plots of land in Dehiwala and Ratmalana, valued at more than Rs. 73 million.
Former IGP Chandana Deepal Wickramaratne died after sustaining a gunshot injury at his residence, in Thalangama, yesterday (17), with police saying preliminary investigations indicate that the incident was a suspected suicide.
Kaduwela Magistrate Aruna Indrajith Buddhadasa, on Friday, ordered the Officer-in-Charge of the Malabe Police Station, Police Inspector Pradeep Ranasinghe, to conduct a formal investigation into the death and submit a report to court on its progress.
The order was issued after the Malabe Police Station presented facts before court regarding the incident.
According to police, the Malabe Police Station received information from the Police Unit of the Colombo East Base Hospital, in Mulleriyawa, that Wickramaratne, who resided in the Thalahena area, within the Malabe Police division, had died after being admitted to hospital, with gunshot injuries.
Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler said Wickramaratne had allegedly used the firearm of his personal security officer and shot himself at his residence.
Police said the shooting had taken place at his residence on Parakum Road, Thalangama, on Thursday morning, before he was due to leave for his regular exercise routine. He was rushed to the Colombo East Base Hospital, in Mulleriyawa, with serious injuries but was pronounced dead upon admission, police said.
The deceased’s remains were placed at the Colombo East Base Hospital, where a post-mortem examination was scheduled to be conducted.
ASP Wootler said three police teams have been appointed to investigate the incident. Further investigations are being conducted by the Crime Division of the Western Province South Range and the Malabe Police Station.
Wickramaratne, 63, served as the 35th Inspector General of Police of Sri Lanka from November 27, 2020, to November 23, 2023.
He joined the Sri Lanka Police in 1986 as a Probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police and later served in several senior positions.
A graduate of the University of Colombo and the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, he also served as Acting IGP for more than a year, from April 28, 2019, before being appointed IGP, in November 2020.
He retired from the post of Inspector General of Police, in November 2023.
by Norman Palihawadane ✍️
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