News
Ven. Agalakada Thera takes up cry on behalf of Easter carnage victims
Sri Lankan Buddhist monks have demanded justice for victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks as several demonstrations were held in European countries highlighting the government’s failure to nab the culprits, says a report published by the UCA News service.
The report said: Ven. Professor Agalakada Sirisumana Thera said on Sept. 26 that not only Sri Lankans but the whole world is waiting for justice to be done for the Easter attacks.
“People did not receive the complete copy of the report of the Presidential Commission,” said Ven. Sirisumana Thera, who added that the absence of parts of the report had caused suspicion among Catholics.
The presidential commission of inquiry was ordered into the deadly attacks by former president Maithripala Sirisena.
Ven. Sirisumana Thera said that it was because of the failure of the previous government to ensure justice that people voted for the current government. But protests greeted the Prime Minister in Italy and the President in the United States recently due to their failure to provide results.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to Italy on Sept. 10 was also mired in controversy when Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith called it an attempt to mislead the Vatican on the progress of the probe into the attacks.
Protests were also held in the US while President Gotabaya Rajapaksa attended the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, where he assured the world that terrorist violence would never happen again in Sri Lanka.
“Similar protests will be held in the future wherever the leaders of the country go,” warned Ven. Sirisumana Thera while calling on the government to come up with a solution that is acceptable to both Catholics and Buddhists.
He said that some Buddhist monks were unnecessarily indulging in heated arguments that threatened to destroy the harmony between Catholics and Buddhists. “Our responsibility today is to provide the guidance needed to resolve those issues without making impulsive comments in a divisive manner,” he said.
Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera, the chief patron of the Hela Bodu Saviya, said: “Catholic people have every right to go international if the issue can’t be resolved at the national level.”
He further said that it should not be perceived as an insult to the country. “As Buddhists, let us support the Catholics,” Ven. Sobitha Thera said.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will undertake a four-day state visit to Vietnam on 03 May, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said. Since the presidential election, President Dissanayake has so far visited India, China and the UAE.
The 5th annual Sri Lanka-Pakistan Bilateral Defence Dialogue commenced on Monday (April 28) in Islamabad, Pakistan, marking a continued commitment to strengthening defence cooperation between the two nations.
The MoD statement: “The Sri Lankan delegation is led by Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal (retd.) Sampath Thuyacontha accompanied by Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, and Additional Secretary (Defence) of the Ministry of Defence Jayantha Edirisinghe. The Pakistani delegation is headed by Lieutenant General (retd.) Muhammad Ali, Secretary Defence of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
In conjunction with the on-going defence dialogue, Defence Secretary Thuyacontha held a side-line meeting yesterday (April 29) with Defence Minister of Pakistan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
These high-level engagements aim to enhance bilateral cooperation, foster mutual understanding on regional security dynamics and explore opportunities for defence collaboration. Both nations share a longstanding relationship rooted in mutual respect and strategic cooperation. The dialogue reflects the growing importance of partnerships in maintaining stability and promoting peace in the South Asian region.
The three-day dialogue, which concludes today (April 30), is expected to reinforce bilateral defence ties and contribute to broader regional security objectives.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), conducted a two day seminar on disarmament for Sri Lanka Foreign Service Officers on 25 and 26 April, 2025 at the Ministry. The text of the FM statement: “Over 40 officers, based in Colombo, attended the workshop physically while over 60 officers, attached to Sri Lanka Missions abroad, followed the Seminar virtually.
Director of UNIDIR, Dr. Robin Geiss, Senior Researcher at the UNIDIR Security and Technology Programme, Dr. Dongyoun Cho, and Associate of Political Affairs, Ms. Fanny Sebban of UNIDIR, conducted the Seminar as resource personnel. They shared their expertise and perspectives on the global disarmament landscape and evolving threats to international peace and security, etc.
Director of UNIDIR, Dr. Robin Geiss, called on Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath and discussed closer cooperation between the Ministry and UNIDIR.
The Human Resource Development, Research & Training Division and the United Nations and Human Rights Division of the Ministry organised the Seminar initiated by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva.”
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