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Talks with Tamil expats: Civil society ready to support
Sri Lanka Collective for Consensus (SLCC) yesterday (21) welcomed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s call for a dialogue with the Tamil Diaspora to explore ways and means of addressing reconciliation issues through domestic systems.
The following is the text of the statement issued by the SLCC: “We are glad to note the stand of the President at the UN General Assembly in New York and the Foreign Minister at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. We are pleased that they have spoken of carrying on those changes that they had spoken to us about and which shows commitment.
In our meetings with members of the government, including the president, we presented the issues that we felt needed to be addressed by the government. These included bringing the PTA into line with international standards, releasing long term prisoners held under it, addressing the issue of missing, and the Muslim burials and targeting of Muslims, releasing of land in the north and halting continuation of land grabs especially grazing land in the east, implementing the 13th Amendment in full and holding elections to the provincial councils, appointing of appropriate persons to the vacancies in the Commissions and obtaining NGO inputs to the proposed NGO law.
The President’s offer to talk to the Tamil Diaspora is a positive initiative. We believe this has to be preceded by changes on the ground that meets the needs of the people, especially those who have suffered due to the war, and not be words alone as the people have heard them many times before. We ask for time bound commitments to be implemented as confidence building measures. Another confidence building measure would be to lift the ban on those Diaspora groups that have credibility both within Sri Lanka and internationally prior to commencing the talks.
The President’s intention to deal with contentious issues requires the support of the parties in the opposition, especially the minority parties which have democratic mandates with them. As civil society we will support the effective functioning of the already established reconciliation mechanisms such as the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), Office on Missing Persons (OMP) and Office for Reparations (OR) by the correct dissemination of information and seeking appropriate leadership within them. In these circumstances, we will be happy to work collaboratively with the government to open a new door to reconciliation in Sri Lanka.”
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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