News

CID will initiate the procedure to lodge an application with Sri Lanka Interpol this week , seeking a Red Notice to locate and arrest Sri Lanka’s former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran.

The Attorney General’s Department has advised the CID to apply for the Interpol Red Notice on Mahendran, after Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne issued an arrest warrant on him, when the CID informed the Magistrate that he had ignored summons issued earlier to appear before Courts on March 8.

Mahendran is believed to be currently living in Singapore. However, officials have not been able to trace him at his former address in that country.

Meanwhile sources say the CID is also preparing to request of the Singapore government that Mahendran be extradited to Sri Lanka.

According to sources the request will be made based on the legal corporation between the two countries. The Foreign Ministry will therefore make the extradition request to the Singapore’s Ministry of Justice.

However, when inquired about this, a scholar of international politics said that Singapore will not hand over one of its citizens based merely on a request made by the Sri Lankan government and the chances of this happening are limited.

Investigations into the assassination of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen have stalled due to Dialog Axiata, a leading mobile service provider in the country has abstained from providing the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police with the necessary information required sources say.

The CID had previously requested information, in particular, mobile phone conversations of the suspects during the time of Thajudeen's death from Hutch and Dialog. While Hutch has provided the CID with the necessary details however Dialog is said to be dragging their feet in this regard and hampering the investigations into the death.

Furthering government’s commitment to uphold and ensure the safety and security of all its citizens, the Ministry of Law and Order has introduced several platforms where the people can complain of any incidents of harassments, amidst reports of alleged incidents of illegal surveillance and harassment.

According to a communiqué issued by the Ministry, any alleged incidents of harassment and illegal surveillance of the public, including human rights defenders and victims of human rights violations including members of the families of missing persons can be lodged within the National Police Commission on 1960 (hotline), 0115107722, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka – 1996 (hotline) 0112505575. Special Investigations Unit of the Sri Lanka Police – 119 (hotline) and TELL IGP – online complaints portal – telligp.police.lk.

The Ministry requests members of the public in any event they are subjected to, or is made aware of instances of intimidation, illegal surveillance of civilians, or harassment by any individual or group of people, kindly use the given mechanisms to lodge a complaint.

The license for the firearm used by the Provincial Councilor and his wife during the recent assault of a bus driver which had not been obtained for the year 2018, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, ND. Panditharatne said.

At present, around 1,300 civilians are in possession of licensed firearms, the Additional Secretary added.

He also said that there are about 19,000 firearms issued for agricultural activities while over 1000 illegal firearms were handed over to the Ministry during the last amnesty period he said.

According to him, the Ministry is still not in possession of stats regarding unlicensed firearms for 2018 while the Ministry also does not have data regarding the total number of unlicensed firearms being used in the country at the moment.

Facebook is said to have asked local social media analysts to help them monitor hate speech and report such posts, a group of analysts claim.

Making this claim Social media analyst Nalaka Gunawardene has said a group of Facebook officials, himself and two others took part in a conference call in this regard yesterday where the social media officials had sought their help in this regard.

According to Gunawardena, the trio including himself, Sanjana Hattotuwa co-editor of Ground Views and social media personality Yudhanjaya Wijeratne had volunteered with their services to do the needful.

"We have said that we would help to identify some of the current shortcomings, quickly identify hate statements, and create a more efficient mechanism to report such posts to Facebook," Gunawardene said.

Minister of Digital Infrastructure, Harin Fernando had earlier said hate speech reported on Facebook are taken down in a very slow manner.

According to the local social media analysts, Facebook will hire local staffers and volunteers to monitor for hate speech in the future.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa says a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be brought in during the next week.

Mahinda Rajapaksa made this comment at a meeting with the members of the Foreign Correspondents’ Association in Colombo today (March 16).

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had said, the removal of the Prime Minister will be spearheaded by the Members of Parliament representing the United National Party itself.

The report quoting the Former President said a substantial number of MPs who are representing United National Party will either sign the motion or vote for it when the motion is taken up.

Mahinda Rajapaksa believes the Prime Minister would step down before the motion is moved and had smiled when he was asked that if he aspires to become the Prime Minister. He had said that he is not prepared to take over the government however he will support a Prime Minister from the SLFP while remaining in the opposition.

According to posts circulating on social media, signatures of those supporting the motion are currently being collected.

Source : Newsfirst

Freedom of expression and the right to information must be balanced in any future policy regarding the regulation of social media to deal with hate speech within the legal limits, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) said yesterday.

Dr Deepika Udagama, the Chairperson of the HRCSL said the legal limits, within which freedom of expression and the Right to Information should be restricted, must be within the Constitution and Sri Lanka's international human rights obligations in the larger public interest.

In a letter sent to the Chairman of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRCSL) Chairman Austin Fernando on Thursday, she said the HRCSL had received several complaints from the public regarding the continued restrictions on social media even after the violence in the Kandy District was under control.

“The Commission recognizes the critical necessity to protect freedom of expression and the right to information as guaranteed by the Constitution of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka's international human rights obligations,” the letter said.

“ln doing so, we recognize the need to strike the necessary balance between those rights and maintenance of public order and the protection of the rights of all,” it said.

Further, the HRCSL had reiterated the urgent need to take legal action against those who were using social media to propagate communal hatred and incite sectarian violence, under applicable laws, in particular under the ICCPR Act No. 56 of 2007.

The ban on social media was removed by the Government during the week.

Discussions are also being held with telecommunication authorities including officials from Facebook Inc. who arrived in the country yesterday.

However, it is also learnt that regulating social media posts in local languages was a challenge for the officials at the TRCSL.

Source : Daily Mirror

President’s Media Division has issued a statement saying Venerable Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara Thero was not a member of the Sri Lankan delegation accompanied the President to his state visit to Japan.

According to the statement, news circulating on social media and websites stating Gnanasara Thero was part of the Sri Lankan delegation is totally fictitious and false.

Venerable Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara Thero had arrived in Japan on a personal visit before the commencement of the President’s tour to Japan, said the President’s Media Division

The statement also says that the Thero participated in a meeting which was organized by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Japan, to provide an opportunity for the Sri Lankan community in Japan to meet the President.

According to the communique issued Gnanasara Thero had accompanied several monks of Buddhists Temples in Japan for this meeting.

The Colombo Fort Magistrate yesterday issued an open arrest warrant on former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga.

The INTERPOL issued a ‘Red Warrant' on Weeratunga last month, naming him as a fugitive wanted by the Sri Lankan law enforcement officials.

He is wanted in connection with certain discrepancies that had taken place in the acquisition of four MiG-27 fighter jets from the Ukrainian arms company 'Ukrinmash' in 2006 and financial misappropriation said to be taken place in overhauling four MiG fighter jets owned by the Air Force.

A change in the United National Party (UNP) ranks is set to happen before March 31, Minister of Youth Affairs and Southern Development Sagala Ratnayake has said.

According to him, Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe has appointed a committee and proposals in this regard are now being discussed by the committee which is being headed by Minister of Housing Development, Sajith Premadasa.

The committee is also set to discuss the policies of the current consensus government he said adding that yet another committee appointed headed by State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene are now discussing policies of the UNP and action needed in promoting the party.

Backbenchers of the party have also formed a committee to look in to issue faced by them. Based on the reports of these three committees the UNP is set to evaluate and identify necessary changes for the benefit of the people he said.

He also pointed out that this new reform will be aimed at the 2020 general election and the presidential election.

The strike being carried by the University Non-Academic staff would continue as the discussion held with Prime Minister’s Office ended without a solution this afternoon.

Chairman of the University Trade Union Joint Committee, Edward Malwattage was quoted as saying that Prime Minister’s Coordinating Secretary Dadallage failed to provide a satisfactory solution to the issue.

The union has said it has no interest in attending any more discussions and would continue its trade union action until their demands were granted.

Operations across 15 State universities and higher education institutes, which come under the purview of the University Grants Commission, continues to be stalled for the 17th consecutive day inconveniencing undergraduates and academic staff of the institutions.

More than 15, 000 non-academic members support the trade union action launched on February 27 over several demands, including a solution to the monthly allowance, based on an agreement reached in 2016.

COPE Chairman Sunil Handunneththi is preparing a report on 13 other institutions that were examined by the COPE in the coming week sources said.

However according to political sources with no action being taken on COPE report presented previously, the Chairman of the COPE committee has decided to publicize the reports if no action is taken after the presentation of this report to the house as well.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the COPE committee had also met with Chair of the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) John Hyde this week.

During this meeting, there is said to have been a discussion on the possibility of opening the COPE to the media and reporting them to the public sources said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the COPE, MP Sunil Handunnetti had also invited John Hyde to hold a workshop for MPs in Sri Lanka. Sunil Handunneththi also holds the post of treasurer in the GOPAC.