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Sri Lanka has shown it will not fall for imperialist propaganda – President -SLCFA

Published

6 years ago

2020/10/30

Sri Lanka China Friendship Association (SLCFA) yesterday praised the government for having told US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Sri Lanka will remain true to its non-aligned foreign policy principles and that it would never take any action that undermines Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. The SLCFA also thanks all patriotic and progressive forces that convinced the government if there was any doubt, that most Sri Lankans were opposed to American imperialism and bullying tactics.

During the last few weeks USA and its allies had been engaged in a massive campaign of misinformation and disinformation about Sri Lanka’s relationship with China. Despite the fact that Chinese loans to Sri Lanka being less than 10% of our overall debt burden and the fact that these loans, overwhelmingly, are concessionary loans, with an interest rate of around 2%, Pompeo and other US officials have tried to portray that China has Sri Lanka in a ‘debt trap.’

The desperation of the US officials, who see that their military and economic strength dwindling and their country, in chaos due to systematic racism against its minorities, can be seen by US Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s veiled threat to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on August 30, where he hinted that the US could again exert pressure on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC. It’s laughable that on the same breath Pompeo saying they want “the people of Sri Lanka to have sovereignty and independence,” SLCFA President, Attorney-at-Law, Ananda Goonatilleke said.

In response to these baseless allegations and threats, foreign minister Dinesh Gunawardena told a joint press conference, in the presence of Pompeo, that Sri Lanka would remain non-aligned in its foreign relations. However what the most clear indication that the government was not buying into imperialist propaganda was President Rajapaksa’s claim that China had assisted in the development of Sri Lanka’s infrastructure since the end of the separatist war in May 2009 and that Sri Lanka had not been caught in a debt trap as a result.

SLCFA has always insisted that Sri Lanka is a nonaligned country, must stay true to its non-aligned foreign policy, which had served it so well in the past, not to be a “Strategic Partner” of any other country, and must resist attempts by imperialist and expansionist nations to bring us into their sphere of influence. Goonatilleke said that the Sri Lankan people, of various political persuasions, came together in recent weeks to demonstrate that this is how most Sri Lankans feel.

“The SLCFA is conscious of the unholy alliance of the USA, India and two other countries under the guise of safeguarding the Ocean around our country. Though South Asian neighboring nations are constantly faced with our own regional oceanic issues, we must resist interference of various distant powers who try to fish in the troubled Indian Ocean, not only to rob our fish and other oceanic vales but also to intrude into our geopolitical existence,” Goonatilleke said.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

30 mins ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

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Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

31 mins ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

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Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

32 mins ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.