News

The Head of Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Rajith has called on the support of the UHNRC to intervene to uncover the truth behind the Easter Sunday Attacks of 2019 and mete out justice to the victims.

“The Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka on the 21st of April 2019 claimed the lives of 269 people including 82 children, and 47 foreign nationals belonging to 14 nations and injured more than 500 others,” said His Eminence to the 49th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

He said the first impression of the massacre was that it was purely the work of a few Islamist extremists. However, subsequent investigations indicate that this massacre was part of a grand political plot, he added.

The Head of the Catholic Church said that despite repeated requests the incumbent government of Sri Lanka has failed to mete out justice to the victims.

“Instead of uncovering the truth behind the attack and prosecuting those responsible, there are attempts to harass and intimate those who call for justice,” he said.

His Eminence also noted that “as a result nearly three years after the horrendous crime were are still in the dark as to what really happened on that Easter Sunday.”

“As this is a serious violation of the fundamental rights of the aggrieved victims, we earnestly call upon the UNHRC and its member countries to support the continuation of evidence gathering initiated by the council last year and to devise the means to ensure an impartial investigation to unravel the truth behind the Easter Sunday massacre,” he noted.

The Supreme Court today (04) refused to grant leave to proceed with the five petitions filed against the Yugadanavi powerplant deal.

FR petitions were filed by Ven. Elle Gunawanse Thera, Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party, Government Ministers Wimal Weearwansa, Udaya Gammanpila, and Vasudeva Nanayakkara.

The petitioners challenged the Cabinet decision to transfer 40 percent of shares of the Yugadanavi Power Plant in Kerawalapitiya, to the US-based company, New Fortress Energy, adding that Finance Minister Basil Rajapksa had not presented a Cabinet paper on the matter.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (07) declared tusker 'Nedungamuwa Raja' a national treasure.

Following the ceremonial tusker's passing earlier this morning, President Rajapaksa issued directives to the Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious & Cultural Affairs Professor Kapila Gunawardena to preserve the carcass of the tusker.

A team of officials attached to the National Museum was also dispatched to Nedungamuwa in Weliweriya, Gampaha, where the tusker was residing, so as to collect more information about him, the President's Media Division (PMD) said.

Nedungamuwa Raja', gifted from India, was the tallest tamed tusker in Sri Lanka, towering nearly 10.5 feet (3.2 metres) in height.

He was the bearer of the Sacred Tooth Relics Casket at the Kandy Esala Perahera for 12 years, having carried it for the most number of times.

The United National Party has criticised the Government's attempts to distract the public from the ongoing crisis in the country.

The UNP Deputy Leader, Ruwan Wijewardena, accused the Government of failing to address the growing issues faced by the public. Speaking at a meeting attended by UNP activists, Wijewardena commented on the recent sacking of two Cabinet Ministers. “The Government is treating the public like fools, they think that sacking two Ministers will make us think they are solving the problems in the country. This is just an attempt to distract us. A Cabinet Reshuffle is not the answer to the dollar crisis, if at all the President should remove the Central Bank Governor who has continued to pursue policies that have prevented dollars from entering the country."

He further highlighted that daily the problems faced by the public increase yet there has been no attempts made by the Government to solve them. “First there was a milk powder shortage, then a cement shortage, after this there was a gas shortage now there is a fuel shortage and 7-hour power cuts. We are also seeing yet another round of gas shortages. What has this Government done to solve these problems? For 18 months the UNP has been urging this Government to seek the assistance of the IMF, but they refuse to. What is their solution to this crisis?”

Wijewardena said that the UNP has continually offered their support for any meaningful efforts to solve the crisis in the country, “we stood up and offered to support the Government in addressing these problems but they have ignored us. They are now ignoring the public. It will not be long before the people come out on to the streets calling for this Government to go home”.

Central Media

Unit United National Party

4th March 2022

U.S. payments firms Visa Inc and Mastercard Inc on Sunday said they were suspending operations in Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, and that they would work with clients and partners to cease all transactions there.

Within days, all transactions initiated with Visa cards issued in Russia will no longer work outside of the country and any Visa cards issued outside of Russia will no longer work within the country, the company said.

“We are compelled to act following Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and the unacceptable events that we have witnessed,” Al Kelly, chief executive officer of Visa, said in a statement.

U.S. President Joe Biden, in a call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, welcomed Visa’s and Mastercard’s decisions to suspend their operations in Russia, the White House said.

“President Biden noted his administration is surging security, humanitarian, and economic assistance to Ukraine and is working closely with Congress to secure additional funding,” a White House readout of the call added.

The move by the payments firms could mean more disruption for Russians who are bracing for an uncertain future of spiraling inflation, economic hardship and an even sharper squeeze on imported goods.

Unprecedented Western sanctions imposed on Russia have frozen much of the country’s central bank’s $640 billion in assets; barred several banks from global payments system SWIFT; and sent the rouble into free-fall, erasing a third of its value this week.

On Monday, Ukraine’s central bank chief Kyrylo Shevchenko told Nikkei Asia the central bank and Zelenskiy urged Visa and MasterCard to halt transactions of their credit and debit cards issued by Russian banks to increase pressure on the Russian regime, the paper.

A growing number of financial and technology companies have suspended Russian operations. PayPal Holdings Inc (PYPL.O), announced its decision earlier on Saturday.

ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM

Sberbank Rossii PAO, Russia’s largest lender, said the moves by Visa and Mastercard would not affect users of the cards it issues in Russia, Tass news reported.

Sberbank said its customers would be able to withdraw cash, make transfers, pay both in offline stores and Russian internet stores because transactions in Russia pass through the domestic National Payment Card System which does not depend on foreign payment systems, according to Tass.

Russia has been taking steps to increase the independence of its financial system for years, particularly after ties with the West deteriorated over the country’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The country set up its own banking messaging system, known as SPFS, as an alternative to SWIFT and its own card payment system MIR began operating in 2015. They were part of Moscow’s efforts to develop homegrown financial tools to mirror Western ones, to protect the country in case sanctions are broadened.

Mastercard and Visa had significant business in Russia. In 2021, about 4% of Mastercard’s net revenues were derived from business conducted within, into and out of Russia. Meanwhile, business conducted within, into and out of Ukraine accounted for 2% of its net revenues, according to a filing on Tuesday.

Visa also reported that total net revenue from Russia in 2021 was about 4% of its total.

Mastercard, which has operated in Russia for 25 years, said its cards issued by Russian banks will no longer be supported by Mastercard networks, and that any the company’s card issued outside of the Russia will not work at Russian merchants or ATMs.

Mastercard said it decided to suspend its network services in Russia following its recent action to block multiple Russian financial institutions from the company’s payment network, as required by regulators globally.

Visa also said this week it blocked multiple Russian financial institutions from its network in compliance with government sanctions imposed over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Source: Reuters

Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila and Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa were sacked from their portfolios by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Following this evening's cabinet reshuffle, S.B. Dissanayake was appointed as the Minister of Industries, while Gamini Lokuge was appointed as the Minister of Energy.

Both Gammanpila and Weerawansa criticised the government’s conduct at an event held by 11 constituent parties of the government.

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka has approved the Ceylon Electricity Board’s request for power cuts on Monday (7).

Groups P Q R S T U V W:

2 hours from 9 AM to 5 PM 1 hour from 5 PM to 9 PM

Groups E & F:

5 hours from 8 AM to 6 PM 2 1/2 hours from 6 PM to 11 PM

The token strike launched by health professionals will be temporarily called off for 10-days from 8:00 AM on Friday (Mar. 4).

The decision was reached based on the response of the authorities following a discussion held with the Secretary to the Ministry of Health last night, Ravi Kumudesh, the Convenor of the Federation of Health Professionals told News 1st.

Moreover, the strike was temporarily called off taking into account the difficulties faced by the people as a result of the prevailing power and fuel crises, he added.

The decision to call off the strike was reached at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Federation of Health Professionals held on Thursday.

Health professionals attached to 17 trade unions launched the strike action on Tuesday (Mar. 2) citing the failure of the authorities to resolve several issues including salary anomalies.

The treatment of patients, the issuance of medicines, laboratory services, and radiology services at Government Hospitals.

The strike will be carried out until 8:00 AM on Friday (4).

Veteran actor and comedian Berty Gunathilake passed away this morning (06), aged 97 years.

He had been receiving treatment at Kahawatte Base Hospital at the time of his death.

Berty was best known for his character ‘Baba’ in the radio and television comedy series ‘Vinoda Samaya.'

Former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has called on the government to be more flexible to discuss the issues that have burdened the people.

“The people are in dire straits and in anger. We must cast aside our party differences and call for an all-party convention that will be represented by the leaders of all parties in Parliament,” Sirisena, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, told an event in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte on Wednesday (2).

He was speaking at the launch of a resolution ‘Taking The Nation On The Correct Path’ to solve the economic crisis suffered by Sri Lanka.

A collective of 11 political parties affiliated with the government was present to launch its National Statement “Mulu Ratama Hari Magata” and it comprised of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the Democratic Leftist Party, Lanka Samasamaja Party, the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, the National Freedom Front, the National Congress, the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya, the Vijaya Dharani National Council, the Eksath Mahajana Pakshaya and Yuthukama National Movement.

Maithripala Sirisena said that before the 2020 Parliamentary Elections, the Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Sandanaya was formed and he was appointed as its Chair, however, to-date this alliance has not met.

“If this is how they want to work, how can we express our views to the government?” lamented the Former Head of State, adding without dialogue one cannot solve issues.

He said it is for this very reason that 11 political parties affiliated with the government were brought to one common platform to raise their issues.

“The government is responsible for forcing the 11 parties with 30 MPs to meet separately,” he said while calling on the opposition to come to the table for a common goal, rather than dreaming about securing power in governance.

The Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya staged a protest in Mirihana today (05).

The Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya, led by Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra, staged a protest with regard to the rising cost of living and calling for solutions to a number of problems, including a shortage of essential goods.

The protest started this afternoon near Mirihana Junction, and later the group also went near the President’s house and protested.

The Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith on Wednesday (3) met with Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.