News
Yahapalana govt. came to power with minority votes and officials felt helpless – Ex- Defence secy.
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Given how important the support from the minorities was for the previous government, the defence establishment had to be very careful when dealing with rising Islamic extremism and radicalisation, former Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarchchi on Thursday informed the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.
Hettiarchchi said that State Intelligence Service (SIS) had identified rising Islamic extremism and radicalisation as serious issues by 2016 and steps had been taken to infiltrate and monitor those organisations. The SIS identified a large number of radicals that could pose a serious threat, and the Counter Terrorism Act (CTA), which was proposed by the previous government, was an attempt to bring in laws that could deal with extremists.
“A lot of legal experts examined the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and told us that they could not apprehend people under the PTA for radicalisation. But those people posed a serious threat and until laws were changed we took steps to work with moulavis, parents and other community leaders to advice people who had embraced extremism.”
Between late 2016 and early 2017, Hettiarchchi met a large number of Muslim political and religious leaders on establishing community mechanisms to address radicalism. Politicians like Rishad Bathiudeen, Azath Salley and children of Alavi Moulana had met him, Hettiarchchi said.
“All agreed that there was extremism. However, they also said that Sri Lanka was not an ISIS target and should not become one. ISIS targeted countries that took military action against them, they argued.”
Intelligence agencies kept tabs on the promotion of extremism promoted by certain mosques and madrasas but were hesitant to take action because of political implications.
“If those things had been happening in the majority community, we could have easily done something. We had to be very careful with Muslims and Christians. We had informed the National Security Council (NSC) of these developments and it could have done something.”
A member of the commission then asked Hettiarchchi what the political implications of taking action against extremism were. The witness said that the yahapalana government had come to power with the votes of the minorities and officials felt helpless.
“The yahapalana government won the North and the East, Mahinda Rajapaksa won all other areas. Religious and ethnic minorities were a powerful force in that government, and we couldn’t act unilaterally. That’s what we felt. We felt powerless. If something had gone wrong, officials would have had to face the consequences,” he said.
Hettiarchchi also said that he had made a proposal to ban the niqab, a veil worn by some Muslim women in public, covering all of the face apart from the eyes. He felt that the niqab was a threat to the national security and it should be banned at least in public spaces, Hettiarchchi said.
Representatives from the ’The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce’ met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Wednesday [24th of June] at the Parliament premises.
During the meeting, discussions focused on the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2026 (SLEIS 2026), which is scheduled to be held on 12 and 13 October 2026. Attention was also given to digitalization initiatives, the introduction of digital technologies in schools under new education reforms, and the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Sri Lanka’s education sector.
Representatives of the Chamber noted that the summit would serve as an important platform for encouraging both local and foreign investment, while also contributing to the shaping of the country’s future economic policies.
The meeting was attended by Krishan Balendra, Chairman of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; Vinod Hirdaramani, Deputy Vice Chairman; Shiran Fernando, Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer; Aliki Perera, Deputy Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer; and Anagi Rodrigo-Weerasekera, Chief Economist and Head of Economic Intelligence, along with several other representatives.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
A discussion to review the progress of the housing project under which 4,700 houses are being constructed for the Malayagam community with Indian assistance was held this afternoon (24) at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabath Chandrakeerthi.
Under this housing programme, 2,026 houses are to be provided to families identified by the National Building Research Institute (NBRI) as being at disaster risk. The remaining houses are expected to be allocated to eligible workers residing in the plantation sector.
Accordingly, the houses will be provided to Malayagam community families living on estates belonging to 22 Regional Plantation Companies, as well as estates under the State Plantations Corporation, Janawasama and Elkaduwa Plantations.
For the construction of each house, the Government of India has allocated Rs. 2.8 million, while the Government of Sri Lanka has contributed Rs. 400,000.
During the discussion, Chandrakeerthi instructed officials to ensure that the housing project is completed before the end of this year. He further directed that land identified for the construction of houses be released without delay and that the National Building Research Institute provide the necessary reports to identify suitable land for the project.
The housing project is being implemented jointly by the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, the National Housing Development Authority, the State Engineering Corporation and the Plantation Human Development Trust.
Among those present were Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, K. S. Wijayakeerthi; Director General (Engineering), N. D. N. Pushpakumara; Director General (Planning), W. A. K. S. Damayanthi; the Secretary General of the Planters’ Association; and officials from the National Housing Development Authority, the State Engineering Corporation, relevant institutions and plantation companies.
(PMD)
It has been reported that Attorney at Law Rakitha Rajapakshe, the son of former Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over alleged links with the underworld.
Representatives from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce meet PM
Progress of Housing Project for Malayagam Community families funded by India reviewed
South Africa stun South Korea to reach World Cup knockouts for the first time
Tremors of 7.5, 7.2 kill 32, injure hundreds in Venezuela
Former Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’s son arrested by CIABOC
Morocco come back after historic Haiti goals to reach World Cup last 32
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News6 days agoCreditor receives USD 2.5 mn as Lankan public bears loss from theft of Treasury funds
-
News5 days agoCreditor not yet paid
-
News5 days agoConsumers bearing 22% tax burden despite 18% VAT claim: Dr. Harsha de Silva
-
Features4 days agoNanda Pethiyagoda Wanasundara as three generations of family saw her
-
Features3 days agoSri Lanka developing independent hydrographic capabilities
-
Opinion6 days agoSriLankan Airbus struck by lightning
-
Editorial4 days agoFuel crisis: Beyond price debate
-
Latest News4 days agoSooryavanshi thumps fastest List A fifty as India A win tri-series