January 29, Colombo (LNW): Jagath Manuvarna has been honoured with the Best Director Award at the 22nd Dhaka International Film Festival for his outstanding contribution to the film industry.
The recognition was bestowed upon him for his directorial debut, the film titled “Rahas Kiana Kandu” (Whispering Mountains).
The acknowledgment of Manuvarna’s achievement underscores the exceptional quality and impact of his inaugural directorial venture.
This accolade at the prestigious Dhaka International Film Festival highlights the director’s talent and promises a noteworthy trajectory in the realm of filmmaking.
UN Human Rights Council Engagement Remains Vital to Ensure Justice for Atrocity Crimes
(Geneva, January 29, 2024) – The Sri Lankan government’s proposed law to create another body to investigate wartime abuses replicates previous failed efforts, ignores the needs of victims, and falls far short of meeting Sri Lanka’s international legal obligations, Human Rights Watch said today. Sri Lankan authorities continue to silence and repress families of victims and their communities 15 years after the armed conflict ended.
The Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka Bill was published on January 1, 2024, following limited consultations in 2023 and government pledges to investigate human rights violations and war crimes committed during the 1983-2009 civil war with the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and in its aftermath. It excludes widespread abuses committed during the left-wing Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) uprising of 1988-1990. Instead of providing truth, justice and redress, the proposed law appears designed to deflect international pressure over the lack of accountability for atrocity crimes and to persuade the United Nations Human Rights Council to end its scrutiny of Sri Lanka.
“A credible truth and justice process is desperately needed in Sri Lanka, where wartime abuses resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and enforced disappearances,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “However, the government’s continuing repression of victim communities and its protection of alleged perpetrators shows a lack of will to deliver justice, ensuring that this commission will fare no better than previous ones.”
The bill states that the new commission would produce a “truthful record” of violations committed during the war, make recommendations on reparations, and propose measures to prevent a recurrence. While the commission would also be able “to refer matters to the relevant law enforcement or prosecuting authorities … for further investigation and necessary action,” those authorities are already supposed to take up such cases, but routinely fail to do so. Successive Sri Lankan governments have blocked investigations, stalled trials, and silenced victims, in violation of international legal obligations to prosecute or extradite people responsible for serious crimes.
Since the 1990s, the government has created at least 10 similar commissions, at leave five of which have concluded reports. Many victims say they have “commission fatigue” and see no use in testifying again, risking re-traumatization and possible threats from the security forces with no expectation of justice and redress.
In 2023, after the government announced its plans to establish a new commission, numerous organizations representing conflict victims and civil society groups—especially in the most conflict-affected Northern and Eastern provinces—joined four separate joint statements rejecting the government’s approach and instead said it should act upon the work of previous commissions, while “building confidence” by ending ongoing abuses.
The current government, like its predecessors, has a record of making human rights pledges to deflect international pressure while continuing abuses and blocking meaningful reform and accountability. Many victims see the proposed commission as an attempt to persuade UN Human Rights Council member countries to end the council’s scrutiny, a view supported by statements from President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office.
The proposed commission resembles the 2010-2011 Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. After this commission failed to achieve its stated objectives, the Human Rights Council in 2015 passed the first of a series of important resolutions to advance accountability for atrocity crimes committed in Sri Lanka.
From 2015 to 2020, when Wickremesinghe was prime minister, the Human Rights Council adopted resolutions with the endorsement of Sri Lanka that envisaged a “hybrid” justice mechanism including both foreign and Sri Lankan staff. In 2021, after a new Sri Lankan government repudiated this process, the council established an international evidence-gathering project to support possible future prosecutions abroad.
Meanwhile, the current government has continued to repress fundamental rights. In January 2024, the government presented two bills in parliament that threaten the right to freedom of expression. According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Anti-Terrorism Bill, to replace a law that has long been used to target minorities and perceived government opponents, “grants wide powers to the police – and to the military – to stop, question and search, and to arrest and detain people, with inadequate judicial oversight.”
The government has also continued to target those campaigning for truth and accountability. On January 5, the authorities arrested and detained Sivananthan Jenita and Meera Jasmine Charlesnise, who have campaigned for years seeking answers after the enforced disappearance of their relatives for protesting against President Wickremesinghe during his visit to the north. In December, nine ethnic Tamils were held under anti-terrorism legislation for commemorating war dead.
Government agencies continue to appropriate Hindu and Muslim religious sites and lands occupied by Tamil and Muslim communities on a variety of pretexts, in some cases to convert the sites into Buddhist temples or transfer them to members of the majority community. These actions violate the right to freedom of religion or belief and are in direct opposition to the government’s purported goals of promoting “reconciliation” and addressing the causes of conflict, Human Rights Watch said.
The new commission’s proposed mandate would overlap in ill-defined ways with existing but nonperforming agencies, including the Office of Reparations, established in 2018, and the Office of Missing Persons, established in 2017. On January 9, Sri Lanka’s parliament passed legislation to formalize yet another institution with an ostensibly similar purpose, the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation, which was created in 2015.
Concerned governments should decline to fund or endorse the new Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation, because it would not uphold Sri Lanka’s international obligations to address impunity or provide redress and does not have the support of victims and affected communities. Instead, they should work to ensure that the Human Rights Council mandate is renewed and enhanced to pursue accountability for past crimes and help end ongoing abuses.
“The actions of President Wickremesinghe’s government to silence dissent, protect and promote alleged rights abusers, and discriminate against minority communities give no grounds to believe that the latest ‘reconciliation’ plan will turn out differently from past commissions,” Ganguly said. “The government should start dealing with the past in good faith, by using the evidence already collected to advance accountability and stop persecuting victims and their families who demand justice.”
January 29, Colombo (LNW): Showers will occur at times in Eastern and Uva provinces and in Polonnaruwa, Matale and Nuwara-Eliya districts, and several spells of showers may occur in Anuradhapura, Mullaitivu and Hambantota districts, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (29).
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara and Kandy districts after 2.00 p.m., the statement added.
Fairly strong winds about 40 kmph can be expected at times over the Central, Uva and Northwestern provinces and Hambantota district.
The public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Marine Weather:
Condition of Rain:
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Trincomalee to Hambantota via Batticaloa. Showers or thundershowers may occur at few places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Matara to Colombo via Galle during the evening or night.
Winds:
Winds will be north-easterly and wind speed will be (30-40) kmph. Wind speed may increase up to 60 kmph at times in the sea areas off the coasts extending from Colombo to Mannar via Puttalam and from Hambantota to Pottuvil. Wind speed may increase up to 50 kmph at times in the other sea areas around the island.
State of Sea:
The sea areas off the coasts extending from Colombo to Mannar via Puttalam and from Hambantota to Pottuvil can be rough at times. In other sea areas around the island can be fairly rough at times.
January 28, Colombo (LNW): The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has lifted the suspension of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) with immediate effect.
SLC was suspended in November for being in serious breach of its obligations as an ICC Member, in particular, the requirement to manage its affairs autonomously and ensure that there is no government interference in the governance, regulation and / or administration of cricket in Sri Lanka.
The board have been monitoring the situation since the suspension and are now satisfied that SLC are no longer in breach of membership obligations.
The manner in which the Online Safety Bill was passed in parliament is a matter of grave concern. The bill was passed without taking a vote at the third reading even though the opposition called for a vote. In addition, the opposition has alleged that a number of amendments to the original bill required by the Supreme Court had not been included.
The National Peace Council calls on the government to heed the opposition which has called for the Online Safety bill not to be signed into law by the Speaker of Parliament due to these infirmities. The proroguing of parliament by the president provides an opportunity to ensure that all amendments are included in the law.
We welcome Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s announcement that the Attorney General’s Department will investigate whether all amendments inserted during the legislative process were properly implemented in accordance with the Supreme Court directives. The right to free expression is a fundamental democratic right that if vitiated would place the democratic process in jeopardy.
In this context, NPC wishes to address the Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation (CTUR) bill which was gazetted on January 1 this year. We call on the government not to rush through with this bill in the manner of the Online Safety bill or the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) bill which was similarly pushed through parliament on January 9 this year without heeding the views of the opposition or civil society.
It is a matter for concern that the draft law with respect to the CTUR has been prepared and gazetted even before the submission of the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate the findings of preceding Commissions and Committees headed by Justice A H M D Nawaz.
In the synopsis of the Nawaz Commission report issued in February last year, the Commissioners referred to a Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Sri Lanka and stated that the contours of the commission would be set out in due course when the Final Report was submitted. The government’s urgency in rushing through with the law pertaining to the CTUR, without even waiting for the Nawaz Commission to submit its report, and with only minimal consultation with opposition political parties and civil society suggests a motivation that goes beyond reconciliation.
There seems to be a desire to obtain the support of the international community by producing the TURC law, even though it may not have the support from the aggrieved ethnic and religious minorities for whom it is meant.
Like ONUR, the purpose of the proposed truth commission (CTUR) is to strengthen the national reconciliation process. Therefore, it needs to be based on consensus of the government and parties representing the opposition and ethnic and religious minorities rather than being steamrolled by a majority vote in parliament. NPC calls on the government to discuss the proposed CTUR law with the opposition and civil society and obtain their consensus before proceeding to pass it through a vote in parliament.
January 28, Colombo (LNW): Expolanka Holdings PLC announced its financial results for the third quarter ending 31 December 2023, delivering a resilient performance, and leveraging its strengths despite global economic headwinds and uncertainty.
The Group reported a Revenue of Rs. 66.8 billion for the quarter and Rs. 183.9 billion for the nine months ending 31 December 2023. Gross Profit stood at Rs. 10.9 billion for the quarter, summing up to Rs. 34.2 billion for the nine-month period.
A Net Loss of Rs. 5.1 billion was recorded for the quarter, contributing to a nine-month Net Loss of Rs. 12.3 billion.
Global trade faced challenges due to tightening monetary policies, high inflation, geopolitical tensions, trade protectionism, and elevated energy prices. These factors contributed to uncertainty, reduced consumer spending, and lower demand conditions.
Despite subdued global trade and fluctuating freight rates, Expolanka’s Logistics sector sustained its customer base and welcomed new clients, ending the quarter with Rs. 64.4 billion in Revenue and a Gross Profit of Rs. 10.2 billion.
The sector experienced a Net Loss of Rs. 5.2 billion for the quarter. The sector also reported a revenue of Rs. 177 billion, a Gross Profit of Rs 32.1 billion and a Net Loss of Rs. 12.7 billion for the nine months of the financial year.
A drop in volumes and a steep decline in freight rates have impacted Revenue and Gross Profit, resulting in Operating Losses.
Margins faced pressure due to declining freight rates and volumes. Profitability decline was visible across both Air and Ocean Freight and was more pronounced in the latter due to experiencing visible freight rate corrections during the year.
The Group reported that strategic investments to enhance domestic capabilities and recent international acquisitions namely, Trans American Global and the LEI Group, have performed to satisfaction whilst integration efforts have moved forward gradually.
With the company’s primary focus on strengthening customer relationships, EFL was able to retain all its core customers whilst witnessing growth in new customers.
The strategy of enhancing service offerings and domestic logistics capabilities have had a positive impact both commercially and financially, establishing the group’s long-term vision as a global logistics company.
Additionally, EFL was able to leverage its strong network presence, market know-how, infrastructure capabilities and its experienced leadership team to bring to bear the exceptional value-added service offering to its customers.
However, cost control initiatives are underway to improve profitability going forward while the recent acquisitions position the company well for long term growth.
The Leisure sector delivered strong results with Rs. 1 billion Revenue, a Gross Profit of Rs. 655 million and a Profit-After-Tax of Rs. 200.4 million. Robust corporate travel sales and recovering inbound and leisure travel segments boosted performance. Efficient operations and service excellence remain key success factors for the organization.
The Investment sector reported a steady quarter with Rs. 1.3 billion in Revenue and a Gross Profit of Rs. 33.8 million, reflecting stabilization in export operations and gradual progress in the IT business.
January 28, Colombo (LNW): Danish shipping company Maersk has increased its focus on the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East to address the challenge in the Red Sea and Suez Canal. It will launch a weekly Chennai service and a new Arabian Sea service.
It will introduce a new container service between India and Sri Lanka, and the Middle East.. From February 5, it will launch a new weekly Chennai service. Its rotation will be Salalah, Oman – Colombo, Sri Lanka – Ennore, India – Colombo, Sri Lanka – Salalah, Oman.
In Colombo, Maersk will have connections to Europe through its AE7 service and to the Far East with its AE55 service. Maersk said both services include West Mediterranean hubs offering connections to North Europe.
As the situation around the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden persists, the line said it is working to maintain capacity and offer greater reliability for supply chains.
It will also introduce a new service called Arabian Sea Service. The rotation will be Salalah, Oman – Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates – Port Qasim, Pakistan – Pipavav, India – Nhava Sheva, India – Salalah, Oman. The first sailing in the service will be GSL Kalliopi, which will depart Salalah on February 9, the line said.
In a monumental stride towards sustainability, maritime titan Maersk unveils its latest marvel: the Ane Maersk, a revolutionary container vessel powered by green methanol derived from green hydrogen.
Scheduled to embark on its maiden voyage on February 9th from Ulsan, South Korea, the Ane Maersk will traverse global waters, calling at ports in China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and beyond. This voyage symbolizes Maersk’s unwavering dedication to global connectivity and sustainable maritime practices.
Central to Maersk’s sustainability strategy is the utilization of green methanol, sourced from green hydrogen and biogas. By prioritizing the procurement of green and biomethanol, Maersk is leading the charge towards carbon-neutral shipping, mitigating the environmental impact of maritime transportation.
Vincent Clerc, Maersk’s CEO, champions the transformative impact of the Ane Maersk and its sister vessels on the company’s climate ambitions. By offering sustainable shipping solutions, Maersk empowers businesses worldwide to reduce emissions and embrace environmentally
Named after Ane Mærsk Mc-Kinney Uggla, chairman of AP Moller Holding, the Ane Maersk pays homage to a legacy of innovation and leadership. As a beacon of sustainability, this vessel embodies Maersk’s dedication to shaping a more sustainable future for the maritime industry.
January 28, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka is aiming to negotiate a debt restructuring with holders of its defaulted US dollar bonds within “a couple of months”, the Governor of the Central Bank Nandalal Weerasinghe said despite complaints by private creditors that they are being left in the dark.
CB Governor further mentioned that Sri Lanka needs to reach an agreement “within a couple of months” on restructuring the USD 13bn of debt, but he went on to dismiss worries that negotiations have become bogged down.
“There’s a lot of interest from private creditors to finish this as soon as possible. But because of the procedure it takes a certain time . . . We also want to do that fast,” the CB governor has said.
He noted that Sri Lanka must “ensure whatever proposals we have exchanged are consistent with the [IMF’s] debt sustainability analysis and also comparable [with] we have been discussing with other creditors. That’s a bit of a complicated process.”
Sri Lanka will need to show it is still talking to bondholders in good faith in order to secure the next $330mn tranche of the IMF programme, which is up for review in March.
The island also faces the risk that it will be meeting some creditors in the courts rather than around a negotiating table.
Hamilton Reserve Bank, a St Kitts and Nevis-based creditor that is not part of the bondholder committee, has been seeking immediate repayment on about $250mn of Sri Lanka debt through the US courts.
In November, a judge stayed the case until February 29 in order to allow negotiations with other bondholders to proceed.
In response to a question on how the lawsuit might affect the debt negotiations, Dr. Weerasinghe has said that those are “two parallel processes running independently”.
He has ensured that Sri Lanka is “taking into consideration and being mindful about any implications of delay or not delay in judgment”.
Citing people familiar with bond holders’ thinking, he said a ruling in Hamilton Reserve Bank’s favour would complicate talks even if its claim would be difficult to enforce, and might lead other frustrated creditors to turn to the courts.
If Sri Lanka does not secure a deal soon, “you’re going to see pressure building on bondholders to abandon the consensual process and start looking after themselves”, a person familiar with discussions was quoted as saying.
Under its IMF programme, Sri Lanka is undergoing a series of economic reforms including raising taxes and privatising state companies such as its national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines.
January 28, Colombo (LNW): India has expressed the belief for the early conclusion of the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), which seeks to add to the existing free trade agreement with Sri Lanka, to pave the way to boost the island’s export potential while working on setting up a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) pipeline from Kochi to Colombo to bring down electricity costs in the island.
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, addressing an event held in Colombo, said: his country hopes to enhance our economic partnership and enhance Sri Lanka’s export potential through early conclusion of the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement.
Moreover the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries opened new export opportunities for Sri Lanka to India, which now stands at more than 1 billion dollars, he added.
The remarks came during an evening reception hosted by Mr. Jha at India House in Colombo on the occasion of 75th Republic Day of India on Friday (Jan.26).
He said India’s Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) policy is at the heart of its approach towards Sri Lanka.
“The India-Sri Lanka partnership has been built on civilizational ties, geographical proximity, cultural connect, strong sense of solidarity and age-old goodwill.”
Recalling the measures taken by the two nations to build a stronger economic partnership with connectivity as the central theme, Mr. Jha said since July 2023, India and Sri Lanka have launched daily flights between Jaffna and Chennai, as well as a ferry service.
Commenting on advancing multiple energy initiatives, the Indian high commissioner said the two nations are now working on power grid connectivity to enable Sri Lanka to export power to India, the multi-product petroleum pipeline to develop Trincomalee as an economic hub and the virtual LNG pipeline from Kochi to Colombo to bring to electricity costs in Sri Lanka.
“There are other clean energy projects in the private sector as well as the one by the NTPC in Sampur.”
Mr. Jha went on to emphasize that India is also Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner, adding that in 2022, bilateral trade stood at USD 6 billion. He said in recent years, India has also been the largest foreign investor in Sri Lanka and that it continues to be the largest source of foreign tourists in Sri Lanka.
Speaking further, Mr. Jha said: “Till date, we have contributed over 5 billion US dollars towards our development partnership, which has touched every single district of Sri Lanka.
We are working on projects for solar electrification of religious places across Sri Lanka, assisting in modernization of Sri Lanka railways, constructing houses for the poor, enhancing Sri Lanka’s health and education infrastructure, and engaging in ports and airports development.
The people of Sri Lanka are facing unprecedented crises, as the government’s policies aimed at addressing economic challenges and social issues have led to widespread suffering among the population. The situation is dire, and various aspects of daily life – from food security to human rights and freedoms are affected.
The government’s response to economic challenges in compliance with conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has come under intense scrutiny for undermining human rights and exacerbating the plight of the people rather than alleviating their hardships.
A shocking revelation is that more than 17 percent of the population is grappling with some form of food insecurity, requiring urgent assistance. According to the United Nations, an alarming 31 percent of children under the age of 5 are malnourished, highlighting the severity of the crisis.
With ongoing issues of corruption, wastage, and mismanagement, the economic burden on the citizens is further intensified by the doubling of the Value Added Tax (VAT). An 18% VAT has been introduced even for basic needs such as food and textbooks. Measures of social protection are not only inadequate but are also politicised, leaving vulnerable communities in dire straits. And the burden of the economic recovery process falls disproportionately on individuals with low incomes, exacerbating inequality.
Adding to the growing concerns are new repressive measures aimed at curtailing freedoms of expression and association. A proposed counterterrorism law threatens to grant authorities sweeping powers to suppress dissent, raising fears about the erosion of democratic values. Disturbingly discriminatory policies and social exclusion of non-majority communities persist, deepening social divisions.
Furthermore, the Online Safety Commission that will be established under the new Online Safety Act is set to control social media, impose over-censorship, and may demand removal of content within 24 hours without judicial oversight. Online satirical jokes may no longer be able to be used to expose corrupt and dishonest politicians. We vehemently condemn these measures, which use executive powers to undermine democracy and impose them without inclusive consultation.
We urge the various civil society groups in Sri Lanka, the diaspora community, and like-minded international organizations to take notice of the unfolding crises and stand in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka who are facing the full brunt of these challenging times. Humanitarian assistance and diplomatic efforts are essential to address the pressing issues and to ensure that the government adopts just policies that prioritize the well-being of its citizens.
Signed: Dr Lionel Bopage President, Australian Advocacy for Good Governance in Sri Lanka Australia
