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Wimal, Sarath issue warning, claim destabilisation project underway

Published

4 years ago

2022/06/6

By Shamindra Ferdinando

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa, MP, has issued a dire warning to the government over the unprecedented detention of an Aeroflot flight under controversial circumstances. The former Industries Minister has asked whether the three branches of government are working together to further worsen the crisis by antagonising Russia, an all-weather friend.SLPP MP Rear Admiral (retd) Sarath Weerasekera, has in a letter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, demanded the latter’s immediate intervention to settle the issue or face the consequences. The former Public Security Minister has opposed the stand taken by Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe that the Commercial Court action was in respect of a private dispute between Plaintiff, Celestial Aviation Trading 10 Ltd., an Irish Company against the first Defendant the Public Joint Stock Company ‘Aeroflot’ and the second Defendant, N. C Abeywardene/Acting Head of Air Navigation/Airport and Aviation Services of Sri Lanka (AASL), Katunayake.

Both MPs have demanded a through investigation into the Aeroflot affair.Addressing the media at Communist Party Office, in Colombo yesterday (05) MP Weerawansa said interested parties had worked overtime to isolate Sri Lanka by causing serious issues which may trigger unprecedented reactions.Both Weerawansa and Weerasekera pointed out that flight SU 289 had been detained in violation of a specific assurance given by Sri Lanka that Aeroflot flights wouldn’t be detained under any circumstances. But regardless of that assurance given, SU 289 had been detained at the expense of Sri Lanka’s ties with Russia.MP Weerawansa reminded the government that Russia had resumed flights to Colombo following assurances received from the incumbent dispensation.

Both lawmakers asked whether external powers had been engaged in an operation to jeopardise relations between the two countries at a time Russia allowed its citizens to visit Sri Lanka while the West discouraged tourists.Both lawmakers questioned the role played by a court official in this regard. They underscored the important role played by both China and Russia in defending Sri Lanka at the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council over the years. The former ministers said that Sri Lanka should unreservedly express regret over the incident as Russia already summoned Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Moscow following the dispute.The MPs said that the government couldn’t absolve itself of the responsibility of an extremely serious development. Lawmaker Weerasekera told The Island that detention of SU 289 was contrary to Sri Lanka-Russia bilateral relations and nothing but a treacherous act. “We should be ashamed as a nation,” the former Navy Chief of Staff said, urging the government, particularly the Foreign Ministry, to be mindful of the domestic, regional and international environment.

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

Published

13 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

13 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

13 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.