Colombo (LNW): MP Patali Champika Karanawaka during a discussion with representatives of the ‘Nidahasa Janatha Sabha’ recently asserted that he is President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s “preferred choice” for the upcoming presidential election, sources said.
Born in 1965, Acchige Patali Champika Ranawaka is an electrical engineer and a graduate of the University of Moratuwa. He entered Parliament in 2007 through the national list and subsequently held ministerial positions, including Minister of Power and Energy, Technology and Research, and Minister of Environment and Natural Resources during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s regime in 2010.
In 2015, Ranawaka served as the Minister of Power and Energy in the Good Governance Government and later as the Minister of Metropolitan and Western Provincial Development.
Known for his efficiency, Ranawaka earned high approval from Wickremesinghe, who was the Prime Minister at the time.
Having led various parties and organisations, including the ‘Jathika Hela Urumaya,’ Ranawaka currently serves as the leader of the United Republic Front (Eksath Janaraja Peramuna).
There is a noticeable social media campaign by Ranawaka’s followers on Facebook, suggesting that Wickremesinghe will not run for the presidential election, and Ranawaka emerges as a strong candidate from the right-wing camp against the left-wing camp led by the National Peoples Power (NPP).
Colombo (LNW): During a recent event, Irrigation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi emphasised the crucial role of officials in preventing environmental and wildlife damage.
She highlighted the threat of floods in Galle, Matara, and Ratnapura, adversely affecting the lives of residents during the rainy season.
To address the flood issue in Galle and Matara, Wanniarachchi recommended a focused approach to the Ging-Nilwala flood control project.
Instructing officials to prioritise these projects, she emphasised their swift implementation in 2024.
Additionally, the Minister directed officials to concentrate on the Kitulwela Irrigation Project for resolving water issues in Batticaloa and the Kumbukkan Oya Reservoir Project for addressing water concerns in Moneragala in the coming year.
With an allocated budget of Rs.30 billion to the Irrigation Department, she urged officials to promptly prepare plans, identifying project priorities for implementation in the upcoming year.
Colombo (LNW): The State Ministry of Power and Energy has issued a directive to Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CEYPETCO), Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC), and Sinopec, emphasising the importance of ensuring an uninterrupted fuel supply during the upcoming festive season.
The directive outlines the requirement for these fuel providers to maintain a minimum of 50 per cent fuel stocks at all their stations at all times.
This strategic instruction aims to prevent fuel shortages, ensuring that consumers have consistent access to fuel during the festive period and minimising disruptions in transportation and daily activities.
Colombo (LNW): In commemoration of the festive occasion of Christmas and Poya Day, it has been announced that all liquor sales outlets and wine shops located throughout the island will be temporarily closed on December 25th and 26th, encompassing the days of Monday and Tuesday.
Freedom Network, a partner of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in Pakistan, has launched the “Advocacy Hub for Afghan Journalists” initiative to support Afghan journalists in exile in that country.
“The “Advocacy Hub for Afghan journalists” project aims to support Afghan journalists who had to flee to Pakistan to save their lives after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in 2021. They have had to put an abrupt end to their journalistic careers and are now faced with a very difficult daily life. It is essential to support them and find lasting solutions to give them new prospects, particularly in their professional lives. We would like to thank RSF and the EU-funded ProtectDefenders mechanism for providing the resources and technical support needed to undertake this project.”
Iqbal Khattak, Executive Director of Freedom Network. RSF representative in Pakistan
Freedom Network, RSF’s partner in Pakistan, launched on 6 December in the capital Islamabad a pilot initiative lasting several months, entitled “Advocacy Hub for Afghan Journalists”, which will benefit nearly 100 Afghan journalists in exile. Led by Iqbal Khattak, Executive Director of Freedom Network, the project is supported by RSF through the ProtectDefenders programme funded by the European Union. The programme includes lobbying Pakistani policy and decision-makers to ensure the safety of journalists in exile and to enable them to work in their host country, capacity-building workshops for Pakistani media and colleagues, and legal assistance.
Some sixty Afghan journalists in exile participated in the project presentation meeting, attended by an RSF team, at the National Press Club in Islamabad on 6 December. Several professional organisations also took part in this founding event: the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ), the Women Journalists Association of Pakistan (WJAP), civil society activists and Pakistani journalists also took part in the launch.
“We live in a climate of tension and anxiety,” said Freshta Azizi, a former journalist with the Afghan state broadcaster RTA TV. “We need help to live without this anxiety, which has a very negative impact on the health of each and every one of us.” She and her colleagues shared their administrative and financial difficulties. The media professionals also spoke of the slow registration process with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The agency’s spokesman, who was present at the meeting, was able to clarify the mechanics of the process.
Around 200 Afghan journalists are currently refugees in Pakistan. Faced with an uncertain future and administrative problems, they have to deal with a lack of resources and police harassment in Pakistan. Since 1 November, they have also been threatened with deportation by the Pakistani authorities, although the statement by interim Prime Minister Anwar Kakar on 17 December suggests that the high risks run by journalists if they are sent back to Afghanistan will be taken into account.
Colombo (LNW): Several spells of showers will occur in Northern and Eastern provinces and a few showers will occur in North-central province, with showers or thundershowers being expected at a few places in Sabaragamuwa province and in Kalutara and Galle districts after 2.00 p.m, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (24).
Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expected at times in eastern slopes of the central hills, the statement added.
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Sabaragamuwa, Central and Western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the morning.
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 in the sea areas off the coast extending from Mannar to Trincomalee via Kankasanthurai.
Winds:
Winds will be north-easterly and wind speed will be (20-30) kmph. Wind speed may increase up to (40-50) kmph in the sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Kankasanthurai via Puttalam and Mannar.
State of Sea:
The sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Kankasanthurai via Puttalam and Mannar can be fairly rough at times. The other sea areas around the island will be moderate. Temporarily strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers.
The annual conference, PEOPLE’S ECONOMIC FORUM, organized by SANASA International (PVT) Ltd, unfolded successfully on November 23rd at the SANASA Campus in Kegalle. The event drew a notable assembly, comprising representatives from the public, private, and the cooperative sector. The theme of this year was “Building resilience towards sustainable growth”.
Dr. P A Kiriwandeniya, the founder of the Sanasa Movement, delivered the inaugural address on the title “What the risks as a community? What is sustainable growth? And What can communities do to ensure they are moving towards a sustainable future?”. Elaborating on the practical experiences he had gathered over a 5 decade long journey with people, having notable achievements resulting from the active participation of individuals, he delivered a very strong message that the people should be proactive and take leadership to build the tomorrow they aspire. Professor Ven. Vijithapura Wimalarathna Thero, the Vice Chancellor of SANASA Higher Education Institute highlighted the importance of cooperative enterprises when carving our path for sustainable growth. He stated that in a capitalist reading, the society consists of rational individuals who strive to get maximum happiness for him/herself. The focus is on individuals. For marxists it’s the class, not an individual. For cooperatives the unit of analysis is the collective. Also in a market economy there are state enterprises, private enterprises and cooperative enterprises. Over the years Sri Lanka has witnessed the state acquiring all the profitable private and cooperative enterprises and making them loss making enterprises. He said state should delink themselves from profit making and enable the private and cooperative sector to do that. The state should create an enabling environment for these sectors to do their business while ensuring that those who get left behind are taken care of.
Professor M T M Mahees, from Colombo University, shared his thoughts on “ What kind of a society can ensure that we move forward sustainably as a community, what are the risks, what can we do to minimize that?. He emphasized the importance of analyzing and fostering the social patterns that bind a society. For a society to progress it is important to respect ecological democracy and experiential learning as opposed to pure class room or theoretical learning. Professor M T M Mahees stressed on the importance of having a collective social consciousness for the nation, where the uncertainties and aspirations of youth, women, small income holders are equally understood and empathized with. He concluded that women should get involved in governance more and women should be recognized and provided with support as it will strengthen the society at large.
Speaking on “Nature and resilience, what is at risk? What should be our path for Growth?” Mr. Mahendra Jagath, Deputy Director – Disaster Management Centre appreciated the space created by SANASA to have a cross sectoral dialogue on resilience. Discussing on the numerous challenges faced by the country he said that Sri Lanka is prone to disaster and with the fragile economy and able human resource migrating and indigenous coping knowledge is depleting while new technologies are also not adopted well we as a nation are positioned in a very vulnerable situation . He proposed that we adopt nature based solutions and humanitarian development approach if we plan for a long term sustainable growth.
Speaking on the Role of the State to build more inclusive resilient and sustainable nation Mr. Mr. Rohana Hettiarachchi (Convener – March 12 Movement) asked the audience to think if we have a state? Weather we we differentiate state and governance? He stated that people often see state through the government. People have been changing government again and again but these governments have not been able to create a state that has a economic policy for the country. That is why we have to organize this kind of forums and talk about a peoples economy. Every succeeding government has failed to bring stability to economy. That is because neither the peoples representatives who are elected to the parliament, nor people understand the role of the state and the legislature. So if we want to build an economy and a country that is sustainable, both the political leadership and citizens who elect them need to understand the role of the government in building a resilient state. Mr hettiarachhci stated that there is a great responsibility by the people to ensure that we send to the parliament capable people who represent public interest and to make policies and laws and take decisions on the public funds.
The 2023 conference was attended by a significant number of young scholars who are studying rural development, poverty alleviation and regional planning and the event generated a discussion on future actions and way forward. In concluding the event, Dr. P.A.Kiriwandeniya invited participants to be more involved, and engaged to disseminate the ideas deliberated. The future of the nation is in the hands of its people and we must ensure that we engage to build it, without letting the nation delivered to us by the politicians and the market.
All in all the 3rd PEOPLES ECONOMIC FORUM 2023 ended with a hope for more positive tomorrow.
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Thailand and Permanent Representative to UNESCAP C.A. Chaminda I. Colonne paid a courtesy call on Minister of Tourism and Sport, Sudawan Wangsuphakitkosol at the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of Thailand on 19th December 2023.
Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakitkosol warmly welcomed Ambassador Chaminda Colonne, and Ambassador congratulated the newly appointed Minister.
Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakitkosol assured her fullest support and cooperation for strengthening Thai-Sri Lanka relations in the field of Tourism, especially to enhance Buddhist Religious Tourism, and two-way Tourism exchanges.
Ambassador also requested Ministry of Tourism and Sport of Thailand to encourage Thai investors to invest in the hospitality and tourism sectors in Sri Lanka.
Ambassador further highlighted that the Government of Sri Lanka has recently waived off the visa fee for Thai Nationalities in order to promote Sri Lanka as a destination for Thai tourists.
The invitation extended by the Ambassador Chaminda Colonne to Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakitkosol to visit Sri Lanka at a convenient time in the near future, was warmly accepted.
Head of Chancery, A.W.S. Samanmali and the First Secretary (Commercial), Vireshika Bandara accompanied the Ambassador for the discussion.
Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka Bangkok 22 December 2023
The newly appointed High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne (Rtd.) presented credentials to the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi at a formal ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr (Presidency) in Islamabad on Tuesday, 19 December 2023.
The credential ceremony included a guard of honour followed by the presentation of credentials and a cordial discussion with the President of Pakistan. High Commissioner Wijegunaratne conveyed warm greeting from the President of Sri Lanka and highlighted the strong relationship between the two nations in the areas of trade, culture, defence and people to people.
The President of Pakistan extended his best wishes to President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the people of Sri Lanka and wished that Sri Lanka will overcome economic challenges soon. He thanked the Sri Lanka government for providing more than 35,000 Eye corneas to Pakistani people. Further, the President of Pakistan underlined the need for enhancing and strengthening cultural linkages between the two countries, besides exchanging visits at the political and cultural levels. The President acknowledged that Sri Lanka was the first country that entered into a Free Trade Agreement with Pakistan and highlighted the need for increasing the volume of bilateral trade for the mutual benefit of two countries. The High Commissioner extended his gratitude to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for the support extended to the Government of Sri Lanka at various levels.
The High Commissioner, Admiral Ravindra began his career in the Sri Lanka Navy in the year 1980 and was promoted to the rank of Admiral/ Chief of Defense Staff (Tri-Forces Commander). He has 40 years active service in Sri Lanka Armed Forces. He completed his BSc (Hon) (War Studies) in Karachi University and MPhil (Defense and Strategic Studies), Madras University. He has also specialized in Anti-Submarine Warfare and served as the First Secretary/Defense Adviser of the Sri Lanka High Commission, New Delhi from 2001-2005. Before appointing as the High Commissioner, he served as the Managing Director of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Chairman of Trinco Petroleum Terminals (Pvt) Ltd. The High Commissioner is a past student of Royal College, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka.
During his tenure in the Forces, he was awarded several medals from Sri Lanka and Nishan-e-Imtiyaz Medal from Pakistan.
The High Commissioner was accompanied to the credentials ceremony by his family, Minister of the Sri Lanka High Commission in Pakistan Christy Ruban and Minister Counsellor (Defence) Brigadier Kaminda Silva.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on Mongolian authorities to release journalist Unurtsetseg Naran. Kept in pre-trial detention since early December, she has been charged with spreading false information after she posted comments critical of the judiciary on social media. Her news outlet, Zarig.mn, has also been blocked for two days.
Unurtsetseg Naran, journalist and editor-in-chief of news website Zarig.mn, was arrested on 4 December and sent into pre-trial detention for a month in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, after she failed to appear before law enforcement authorities to testify in case filed against her, in relation to her critical comments on the judiciary system.
A few weeks earlier, on 13 October, the General Judiciary Council, which role is to maintain the independence of Mongolian judiciary, had requested the opening of an investigation against her, after she posted comments on social media criticising the activities of the courts and a prosecutor. The Council charged her with “spreading false information” under the Criminal Code. On 19 December, the Songinokhairkhan district criminal court for the fourth time upheld the decision to keep journalist Unurtsetseg Naran in pre-trial detention for a month while she is being investigated.
“This case comes as a surprise, as Mongolia has demonstrated clear efforts to commit to the principles of freedom and media pluralism in the past three decades. Depriving a reporter from her freedom, on the pretext of fighting against disinformation, simply because she criticised the judicial system on her social media channels, is clearly abusive. We urge authorities to end proceedings against Unurtsetseg Naran and call for her immediate release.”
Cédric Alviani RSF Asia-Pacific Bureau Director
Two days before Naran Unurtsetseg’s arrest, Zarig.mn’s website had been blocked by the Mongolia’s Communications Regulatory Commission as per Prosecutor’s permission and Police’s decision. The media’s online platform was then added to the illegal domains. Access to the news site was restored after two days, following protests from the journalistic community.
In the past, Naran Unurtstetseg exposed corruption and money-laundering practices of high-ranking Mongolian officials. She notably exposed fraud to the Development Bank in 2022 and diversion of the State Educational Loan Funds in May 2023. Unurtsetseg in the past four years faced 16 defamation charges initiated by politicians mentioned in her reporting. While she won most of the cases, Unurtsetseg still faces a fine of around 750 euros, which equates to two months’ salary for the majority of journalists in the country.
Mongolia, moved up two places in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index and currently ranks 88th out of 180 countries. A liberal democracy since the early 1990s, Mongolia has shown steady interest in promoting the right to information, as well as media pluralism and independence.
In March 2023, RSF commended the presidential veto – backed by the State Great Khural (the Mongolian Parliament) – of a bill on social media posing a potential threat to journalism and the public’s right to information.
REPORTERS SANS FRONTIÈRES / REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS (RSF)
