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State Minister Fernandopulle calls for formulating national policy on gender equality

Published

5 years ago

2021/09/25

By Saman Indrajith

State Minister of Primary Health Care, Pandemics and COVID-19 Disease Control (Dr) Sudarshini Fernandopulle has emphasised the need for formulating a national policy to ensure gender equality in Sri Lanka and to prepare an action plan to implement it.

The State Minister spoke for the need to formulate a National Policy and Action Plan to ensure gender equality in the country in her capacity as the chairperson of the Parliamentary Select Committee to make recommendations to ensure gender equity and equality with special emphasis on looking into gender-based discriminations and violations of women’s rights in Sri Lanka.

The PSC met recently with Minister Dr Fernandopulle presiding at the Parliamentary complex.

The PSC meeting was held with the participation of officials from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Pre-School and Primary Education, School Infrastructure and Education Services and several other groups, parliament sources said.

Addressing the committee, the Additional Secretary to the State Ministry of Women and Child Development Nilmini Herath said that the formulation of a national policy in this regard was initiated many years ago. But it could not be submitted to the Cabinet for approval as it has shortcomings, she further stated. Nilmini Herath pointed out the possibility of formulating the aforesaid policy in a systematic manner by overcoming its shortcomings.

Minister Dr. Fernandopulle said that the participation of women in the field of employment and politics is at a minimum. Therefore, the State Minister pointed out the need to formulate and implement this policy as an urgent necessity. Furthermore, she explained that views of all parties should be obtained and that all parties should be informed in writing for the purpose of formulating the national policy as soon as possible.

NPP MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said that the national policy and action plan should be formulated with a focus on new concepts outside the traditional framework.

Director (Planning) J.P.S Jayasinghe and Additional Secretary to the State Ministry of Women and Child Development and Nilmini Herath requested to establish an action committee with the intervention of the select committee on the draft National Policy and its Action Plan and take action to rectify the shortcomings.

Minister Dr Fernandopulle said that steps would be taken to appoint a committee in this regard. Therefore, the Select Committee pointed out that this National Policy at the draft level should be directed to all parties who want to study it properly.

MP Sivagnanam Sreetharan, Officers of the State Ministry of Women and Child Development, Pre-Schools and Primary Education, School Infrastructure and Education Services, Deputy Secretary General of Parliament and Chief of Staff, Secretary to the Select Committee Kushani Rohanadheera and several other Parliament officials and other parties participated in the committee meeting held online.

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

Published

3 hours 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

News

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

Published

3 hours 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.

News

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

Published

3 hours 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.