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US Stakeholders urged not to be misled efforts to vilify Sri Lanka, its leadership
Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the US Ravinatha Aryasinha has called on stakeholders in the US not to be misled by efforts of certain groups to vilify Sri Lanka and its leadership, and to pay heed to the facts and recognize the difficult tasks the Government has embarked upon in a short time notwithstanding grappling with a global pandemic that has crippled most of the world.
Ambassador Aryasinha made this observations when he addressed the 73rd Anniversary of Independence of Sri Lanka celebrated on 4 February at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington D.C., with the participation of religious dignitaries, Mr. Dean Thompson, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the US Department of State, with the Sri Lankan community and friends of Sri Lanka across the US joining virtually in view of the prevailing pandemic related restrictions.
The Ambassador, who detailed the Sri Lanka government’s priorities at present, and several dimensions of the Sri Lanka–US partnership, recalled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s recent congratulatory message to US President Joe Biden, where he assured that “Sri Lanka, under my leadership, based on the mandate received from my people, is committed to further strengthen and consolidate this multifaceted partnership with the United States, grounded in mutual respect, shared values and common interests”.
Noting that Sri Lanka-US ties today are multifaceted, he said the visit to Sri Lanka of US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in October 2020, is testimony to the importance placed by the US Government on Sri Lanka. This visit provided a platform to discuss a number of areas of bilateral and regional importance to both countries at the highest level. It also gave an opportunity to brief the Secretary of State of the initiatives undertaken by the new government to address Sri Lanka’s economic and national security challenges, to strengthen reconciliation, and to promote and protect human rights through domestic mechanisms – the details of, including that of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) pertaining to human rights, has subsequently been placed before the country and the world.
Ambassador Aryasinha who noted that on 31 January the Embassy took an ambitious step in launching the ‘Pan-US Overseas Sri Lankans (OSL) Network’, aimed at supporting OSL activities and to leverage their support towards realizing the interests of Sri Lanka in the US, said the core areas of focus of this Network would be – advocacy of Sri Lanka, economic advancement and socio-cultural engagement. Observing that he was encouraged to see the participation of OSLs from 27 States across the US and their commitment towards this new initiative, he said, the Embassy was in the process of expanding the ‘network’ to cover all States in the US. It would also be developing ‘nodal clusters’ across each State, in order to bring together OSLs to work collectively on the areas of focus identified. This network would also have overarching ‘interest clusters’ – including to engage with OSL entrepreneurs, youth, and academics, as well as to reach out to non-Sri Lankan ‘Friends of Sri Lanka’ throughout the USA. He was hopeful that this network would be a powerful vehicle in serving the interests of the OSLs in the US, keeping them connected with their motherland, and in ensuring that they become ‘catalysts’ in taking the US-Sri Lanka relationship to greater heights. Ambassador Aryasinha urged the support of the State Department, to engage the totality of the US based OSLs, so that they become a strength to both their host country, as well as to their home country.
The Iranian warship Iris Dena was given permission by India to dock three days before it was torpedoed by a US submarine, India has said.
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said Iran had sought permission for three of its ships to dock at Indian ports on 28 February – the day the US and Israel began a war on Iran – and permission was granted by India on 1 March.
The ships’ movements between 1 and 4 March are not clear and nor is why only one of them made it to India.
The sinking of the Iris Dena, with 130 sailors on board, in international waters off Sri Lanka’s southern coast on 4 March marked a dramatic widening of the war – and raised questions about India’s authority in its backyard.
It was the first military strike outside the Middle East since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran. President Donald Trump has said destroying Iran’s navy is one aim of the assault.
The three Iranian ships – Iris Dena, Iris Bushehr and Iris Lavan – had all participated in a military exercise hosted by India between 15 and 25 February in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam.
They left Indian waters on 25 February and were likely to have been in international waters on 28 February – when the US and Israel began attacking Iran.
“The Iranian side had requested permission on 28 February for three ships in the region to dock at our ports. This was accorded on 1 March,” Jaishankar told parliament on Monday. “Iris Lavan actually docked on 4 March in Kochi. The crew is currently in Indian naval facilities. We believe that this was the right thing to do.”
On 4 March, Iris Dena sank after being hit by a torpedo fired from a US submarine, killing at least 87 of its crew members.
According to the Indian Navy, the Iris Dena was operating about 20 nautical miles – roughly 23 miles (37km) – west of Galle in waters that fall under Sri Lanka’s designated search-and-rescue zone on the day it was struck.
The US tracks vessels across the world’s oceans, and a quarter of its submarine fleet of 65-70 is at sea at any given time, according to analysts.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said last week the US had “perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores” and that the warship was “struck in international waters without warning.”
Later, Sri Lanka said it had provided sanctuary for Iris Bushehr on 5 March, a day after it requested for docking following an engine malfunction.
Eventually, India also confirmed that Iris Lavan was docked in its southern city Kochi.
The BBC has written to the Iranian embassy in India and India’s external affairs ministry seeking clarification on the movements of the three Iranian naval vessels after Delhi granted them permission to dock.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has touted the attack on Iris Dena as an example of America’s military prowess, claiming it was “the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War Two”.
While it is the first time since 1945 that an American submarine has sunk an enemy ship this way, the UK and Pakistan have both sunk vessels using torpedoes since then.
The Iris Dena was one of about 20 Iranian navy vessels destroyed since Israel and the US launched co-ordinated strikes on Iran.
[BBC]
“No shipment for 10 days; seas off western coast will become rough by April end”
Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Pubudu Jayagoda says the Indian company which secured a tender to supply coal for electricity generation this year has delivered only 13 of the 25 shipments required and no vessel has arrived in Sri Lanka for the last 10 days or so.
Jayagoda said so while addressing the media during a protest held in Colombo yesterday.
Jayagoda said the Indian company Trident Chemphar, which secured the tender to supply 25 coal shipments for 2026, had placed the country’s coal stocks at risk.
Although all 25 coal shipments are required to be unloaded before the end of April, only 13 vessels have arrived in Sri Lanka so far, according to Jayagoda. He also claimed that no shipment had arrived during the first week of March, adding that coal vessels had not arrived for about 10 days.
Jayagoda warned that the situation could endanger the country’s energy supply as the seas off the western coast usually turn rough by the end of April, disrupting unloading operations.
According to Jayagoda, a report submitted by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka to the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on infrastructure and strategic development, power cuts may become necessary from August even if the country falls short of five shipments unless electricity is generated using costly diesel-powered thermal plants.
Jayagoda also alleged irregularities in the tender process, claiming that the government had changed tender specifications and delayed the tender process by about four months, possibly to allow the Indian company time to register and secure performance guarantees.
He further alleged that the coal supplied by the Indian company was substandard.
Jayagoda questioned why the tender had not been cancelled despite several shipments allegedly failing to meet quality standards and why no investigation had been launched.He asked why legal action had not been taken against the company despite supply disruptions.
The US Department of State has said that Washington respects Sri Lanka’s sovereignty in handling matters relating to the Iranian warship IRIS Bushehr and its crew, according to agency reports, quoting a State Department Spokesperson. He has said the final decision regarding the vessel, its crew and the rescued Iranian sailors rests with Sri Lanka in accordance with its domestic laws and international legal obligations.
The statement follows comments by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath that Sri Lanka was looking after 32 sailors rescued from the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena under Colombo’s international treaty obligations.
The frigate was sunk by a US submarine off Sri Lanka’s southern coast on Wednesday during escalating hostilities involving the United States and Iran.
Sri Lanka’s Navy conducted rescue operations, following the incident, recovering 84 bodies.
Asked whether Colombo was under US pressure not to repatriate the Iranian sailors, Herath said Sri Lanka had taken all actions in accordance with international law.
Sri Lanka also provided safe harbour to the second Iranian warship, IRIS Bushehr, and evacuated its 219 crew members a day after the Dena was torpedoed. The vessel was taken to the port of Trincomalee after reporting engine problems.
Citing an internal cable, Reuters reported that Washington had urged Sri Lanka not to repatriate the Iranian sailors. However, the State Department spokesperson reiterated that the disposition of the crew and survivors was a matter for Sri Lanka to decide, adding that the United States respects Sri Lanka’s sovereignty in managing the situation.
Meanwhile, India allowed a third Iranian warship, IRIS Lavan, to dock in a port on humanitarian grounds after it reported operational difficulties.
The ship docked at the port of Kochi, where many of the crew, including young cadets, were disembarked and transferred to a nearby facility.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Colombo would follow the provisions of the Hague Convention, which requires neutral states to detain combatants of warring parties until the end of hostilities.
A senior administration official said Sri Lanka was in discussions with the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding the treatment of survivors from the torpedoed vessel. International humanitarian law would apply to the wounded, who could be repatriated if they requested it, the official added.
Iranian diplomats in Colombo have requested the return of the remains of sailors killed in the attack to Iran.
India offered sanctuary to Iranian ship three days before US sank it
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