Archives for September 28, 2017

Former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva has filed a petition challenging the legality of the Provincial Council Elections Amendment Bill, which was passed in Parliament on 20th September.
Former CJ filed the petition with the Supreme Court today (28th) requesting the court to determine that the bill was unlawful.

All Ceylon Transport Employees Union began collecting signatures to a petition at Colombo Central Bus Stand today (28th) to demand the government to find solutions for several of their grievances.
Some of their demands are getting the Rs.5000 that was given to all state employees added to their basic salary, providing new buses for the service, not to hand over the security of the SLTB to private companies and to convert SLTB to a department.

Harassing and assaulting a group of Rohingya refugees who had arrived from Myanmar and are temporarily settled under the care of UNHRC by a gang lead by Buddhist priests at Mt. Lavinia on the 26th is an act that should not have occurred in a civilized society that could never be approved by anyone and should be condemned by all those who respect humanity states the JVP .
Issuing a statement the Political Bureau of the JVP states it is the country, the people and the religious institutions that are humiliated as a result of such perverse acts by diminutive extremist groups and asks the government to intervene immediately to prevent such acts.
Full text of the JVP statement:
It is reported that on the 26th a gang lead by Buddhist Priests harassed and assaulted a group of Rohingya refugees who have been temporarily settled in Sri Lanka under the care of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).We consider this act of harassing a group of about 30 that included children and women who had fled as they had been made destitute due to communal and religious extremist conflicts and have arrived here seeking refuge is one that should not have occurred in a civilized society, that could never be approved by anyone and should be condemned by all those who respect humanity.
A large number of people including women and children are killed and made to suffer due to communal and religious extremist conflicts that exist throughout the world. Communalism and religious extremism, in whichever country it exists and whatever language or side it is manipulated by, is harmful to the masses and an act of barbarism that is an insult to humanity.
This is why we should condemn all sorts of communalism and religious extremism in the world. Just because one communalism or a religious extremism is wrong any other such communalism or religious extremism cannot be justifiable.
In Sri Lanka too conflicts due to various kinds of communalist and religious extremist groups have surfaced lately. Sri Lanka had to undergo a grave period and was confronted with a 30-year separatist war due to communalist conflicts. The country is still facing the ill effects of this war. Such conflicts were also a reason for foreign interventions in the country. In such an environment it is regrettable to see diminutive communal and religious extremist groups repeat their manipulations.
This is not the first time that Rohingya refugees came to Sri Lanka. Small groups of these refugees had arrived in Sri Lanka from time to time since 2008 and they were later settled down in other countries through the UNHRC. The small group that has arrived in Sri Lanka at present stays here temporarily and under the care of UNHRC. As such, terrorizing these refugees and attacking them are ignoble acts that cannot be justified by any moral norms or religious philosophy. It is the country, its people and the religious institutions that are humiliated as a result of such perverse acts.
There is another side for this. The moves of the authorities, especially of the government, who are responsible for preventing such acts are shoddy, lethargic and irresponsible. A small group has been able to spread various fabrications regarding Rohingya refugees as the authorities failed to inform the truth to the masses. Also, politically bankrupt leaders of capitalist political parties seem to be behind these extremist groups. In the end, it is not they but the country that is insulted.
Hence, whichever side comes up with whatever arguments to spread communalism and religious extremism, it is harmful and it should not be allowed to exist. We believe that all should condemn harassing Rohingya refugees as it is against humanity and civilized society.

Several investigations are being carried out into the allegations levelled against former Acting Chief Medical Officer (ACMO) of the Welikada Prison Hospital, Nirmalie Thenuwara say reports.
The Ministry of Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation has instructed the CID to investigate the former ACMO and the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine has instructed the Health Services Director-General to submit a report to the CID regarding her.
It is alleged that former ACMO Dr. Nirmalie Thenuwara had granted undue privileges to certain prisoners.
Many prisoners who have political leanings and charged with misappropriation of public funds have got themselves transferred to the prison hospital. Some have got themselves transferred to Colombo National Hospital and recently two prisoners who were imprisoned for misappropriation of Rs.600 million of public funds by distributing ‘Sil’ clothes during presidential election campaign had themselves transferred to the prison hospital as soon as they were taken to the prison to serve their prison sentences.
A strike was launched by doctors serving at Welikada prison hosp[ital for not carrying out directives to transfer the former ACMO. Eventually, she was transferred to the Colombo National Hospital on 18th September under a directive issued by Minister of Health.