The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka says that it will conduct an investigation into how the police acted to control the protests that took place around the University of Colombo on the 7th and 8th and around the University of Kelaniya on the 8th.
Accordingly, the commission has announced that the Minister of Public Security Tiran Alas will be summoned before the Human Rights Commission on the 13th to explain the measures taken by the police to suppress the protests.
Colombo (LNW): Suffering times continue in Sri Lanka, masses are going through immense suffering due to the current situation in the Island. As a result of this some have decided to migrate for greener pastures but for them there are many unnecessary grueling hurdles they have to cross before achieving their dreams. Starting from the Passport office to either to obtain a new passport or to renew the old one. People are spending days & nights at the passport office queues. After a struggle they will get their passport and thereafter another massive hurdle is to apply for Visa.
Almost every Country has outsourced their Visa Application process to VFS Global in Colombo and VFS is minting money from the situation. In addition to those who seeks migration, Employees and official Travelers & Business travelers too are seeking the service of VFS Global to obtain the Visa of the relevant Country.
It is very pathetic to see the plight of these Visa applicants who have to go through starting from the Security at the VFS Global Offices. Security officers treat the applicants as pickpockets, they are extremely rude, do not have the politeness when addressing applicants. After passing the security check applicants have to wait inside the office for hours. VFS says they start at 8.30 AM but in actual fact till about 9 am the counters are empty. Personnel who man the counters after coming late, start chatting with their colleagues dis respecting the people who are waiting to get their service.
After their chats they start announcing the Appointment Numbers, but that too not with a proper pronunciation. Applicants are fuming but stomach those thinking their Visa. Majority of those counter staff who are supposed to collect the Visa applications are uneducated, arrogant & ill-mannered. Instead of Going thro the check lists they try to interview applicants as if they are the people who decide whether issuing the Visa or not. In an uncertain issue they do not escalate the issue to their superior officer despite many requests by the applicants. Funnily though none of the Supervising staff are not to be seen. Training given to these counter staff seems very poor, it was very evident the way they behave and carry out their duties.
Very recently I happen to be at the VFS Global Visa Centre collects Visa applications on behalf of Japanese Embassy in Colombo. The similar rigmarole was observed and one distinguished looking gentleman heard saying “You just submit my application and let the Japanese embassy decides whether I will get the Visa or not kindly do not ridicule me asking silly questions etc.” These Counter staff is extremely rude and they go beyond their scope of work by passing sarcastic remarks to many innocent Visa seekers. They even pass remarks saying Gurami traffic (asylum seekers). Many may do not understand the meaning but there were learned people who understand what they say. I felt so sad how our own country men are treating their own people. Whose power that these counter boys & girls have taken.
After going through these harassments if your are lucky enough to hand over your application to their satisfaction you will get a printout showing the Visa fee of the Country you applied plus almost equivalent amount as the Service fee which is supposed to be the Income for VFS Global. This total you need to pay in cash to the cashier at VFS Global and await for the Visa Approval and your passport. This date will be notify to you after a weeks’ time minimum and again you have to come to the VFS Global Centre to collect your VISA and the passport along with your original documents. And again you have to go thro the similar harassment starting from the Security etc.. Is it the penalty you pay for born in a developing country or is it only in Sri Lanka. It is high time that VFS global upgrade their standard of service to do a justice for what they collect as a Service fee.
The author is a person who experienced this first hand recently at a VFS Global Centre in Colombo.
By: Isuru Parakrama
Colombo (LNW): A recent poll carried out by Daily Mirror shows that less than 50 per cent are of the belief that President Ranil Wickremesinghe is the political leader who has the vision and the capability to put Sri Lanka on a recovery.
The poll “Which political party leader has the vision and the capability to put Sri Lanka on a recovery path and lead to sustainable development?” reveals that less than 50 per cent of the voters believe that the United National Party (UNP) Leader would be the ideal person on putting Sri Lanka on a path to sustainable development.
More than 25 per cent believe that Leader of the National People’s Power (NPP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Anura Kumara Dissanayake would be the ideal person for economic recovery, whilst more than 15 per cent believe that Leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa would be the man, according to the poll by Daily Mirror.
Meanwhile, less than 10 per cent believe that neither of the political leaders are capable of setting the island nation on a path to recovery.
Collectively put, about 55 per cent of the votes stand against President Wickremesinghe, who has about 44 per cent votes in favour.
The incumbent government led by Wickremesinghe is currently under severe criticism for not allowing the holding of the Local Government Election and approving a series of repressive measures against peaceful protests in the country.
By: Isuru Parakrama
Colombo (LNW): Lawyers of the National People’s Power (NPP) today (09) demanded the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to provide a full report on tear gas and water cannons used to disperse protesters under the Right to Information Act (RTI).
Accordingly, a letter comprising of a questionnaire to obtain details with regard to these items was handed over to the Police and further actions would be taken based on the report, said NPP Lawyer Sunil Watagala.
Revealing that they have reliable information on what they described as ‘expired’ tear gas canisters and ‘contaminated’ water being used to disperse protesters, Mr. Watagala emphasised that those who were exposed to tear gas have died during the past week, while others sustained complications.
Water used to disperse protestors, as confirmed by Ruling Party MP Sanath Nishantha, was taken from Beira Lake, he added, alleging the government of launching a mechanism of suppression by deploying security officers in numbers greater than the protesters themselves to block the road and dispersing them via fatally inhuman means.
Meanwhile, reports emerge that Public Security Minister Tiran Alles has been summoned to appear before the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) on Monday (13) to produce a statement over the action taken by the Police against the recent protesters.
UN Human Rights Council – 52nd Session
As Delivered by Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the WTO and UN in Geneva, Simon Manley
Thank you, Mr. Vice President.
This statement is by the Sri Lanka Core Group comprising Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the UK and the United States.
We welcome recent commitments with respect to the protection of human rights in Sri Lanka, including those of persons from all religious and ethnic groups. Together with recent efforts at constitutional reform, and initiatives aimed at fostering political inclusion, these provide a basis upon which to build.
We also welcome Sri Lanka’s positive engagement in the Universal Periodic Review process in January. We are keen to assist Sri Lanka in implementing its UPR recommendations.
However, our concerns over heavy-handed responses to peaceful protests remain. Sri Lanka must safeguard the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and freedom of expression. We call for accountability for any protest-related violence. Civil society has an important part to play in encouraging the protection of human rights and we underline the importance of protecting space for civil society’s important work, including through any future legislation.
We stress the crucial importance of upholding the rule of law and safeguarding representative democracy, including by ensuring the independence of institutions and governance systems. This includes the electoral system, in which maintaining the confidence of Sri Lankans is crucial.
We urge the Sri Lankan authorities to address long-standing impunity and corruption. We also underline the need for good governance, which together with sound economic policies, should better support the prosperity of all Sri Lankans.
Noting commitments made to the Council in September by the Government of Sri Lanka, we emphasise the importance of transitional justice, including promotion of truth and accountability, with the goal of reconciliation and accountability for all communities. We also emphasise the importance of replacing the Prevention of Terrorism Act with legislation that aligns with Sri Lanka’s international obligations.
The Core Group calls on Sri Lanka to work with the High Commissioner and his Office. We remain ready to support Sri Lanka in addressing HRC resolution 51/1.
Thank you.
By: Isuru Parakrama
Colombo (LNW): The Appeal Court today (09) extended the order barring the judges from being charged the ‘paye’ tax till March 16.
The order was extended as the relevant petitions by the Sri Lanka Judicial Officers’ Association and the Sri Lanka High Court Judges’ Association were taken up today.
The order was made by the Appeal Court Bench chaired by Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and comprising Justice A. Marikkar.
Colombo (LNW): Anka EnergyX, a sustainable energy company in Sri Lanka, has teamed up with Harnyss USA, a global leader in cutting-edge hydrogen energy storage technologies, to introduce smart grids to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
Anka EnergyX recently hosted “The Power of Hydrogen” – Sri Lanka’s first-ever open discussion and knowledge-sharing event on Hydrogen Energy Storage and smart grids, at the Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo.
The event aimed to raise awareness and promote conversations about the benefits of integrating hydrogen energy storage and smart grid technology with other, already existent renewable energy sources like solar, hydro and wind – sectors that have already been heavily invested in.
The event was attended by Secretary to the Prime Minister Anura Dissanayake, authorities from the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority and the Ministry of Industries, along with a range of other stakeholders, including CEOs, energy company directors, corporates, SMEs, engineers and entrepreneurs.
Smart Grid technology will enable Sri Lanka to better manage its existing power infrastructure, integrate new renewable energy sources, and create a more resilient, reliable, and sustainable energy system that benefits both the environment and the economy.
Additionally, it will allow the private sector to better insulate itself against shocks to the country’s power and energy infrastructure.
Explaining further, Harnyss USA CEO Kirby Smith, who was personally present for the event said: “Our goal is to bring our state-of-the-art hydrogen energy storage technology, which is scalable and flexible, making it suitable for SMEs and large-scale industrial applications, in Sri Lanka.
With smart grid technology, we can help balance energy supply and demand, optimise the power grid, and improve overall energy security.
“Our solutions can help Sri Lanka’s business sector, and the country as a whole, overcome the challenges of intermittent renewable energy sources, together with other risks in the system, and achieve energy security.”
“The Power of Hydrogen” event marked a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s energy sector, demonstrating the country’s commitment to a sustainable and eco-friendly future.
With the support of industry leaders, Sri Lanka is building a strong and stable platform towards achieving its goal of a reliable, sustainable and dependable energy grid.
By: Isuru Parakrama
Colombo (LNW): Former Chairman of the Weligama Urban Council and Weligama Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Organiser Rehan Jayawickreme says he is hoping to tender his resignation as the Vice Chairman of the SJB-Youth by the year end.
The former Urban Council Chief tweeted that he does not believe that he falls into the category of ‘Youth’ anymore, and thus the decision has been made.
“Not only because I am 37 years old, but because I firmly believe that top slots belong to the younger ones that we need to mentor,” he wrote on his twitter handle today (09).
By: Isuru Parakrama
Colombo (LNW): Indra Hotels and Resorts Kandy Pvt. Ltd., which operates a 216-roomed hotel, has signed a supplementary agreement with the Board of Investment (BOI) Sri Lanka.
The pact comes in in a move to further expand the company’s presence and business, towards the goal of achieving real estate investments in Sri Lanka.
Indra Hotels and Resorts Kandy Pvt. Ltd. is a operator of a 3-star luxury hotel based in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The hotel offers an expansive rooftop bar and swimming pool, as well as a restaurant that serves local and international cuisine on both a buffet and à la carte basis.
The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), the garment industry’s largest alliance of labour unions and non-governmental organisations, called on major brands sourcing apparel from Sri Lanka to take responsibility for their workers’ survival in the wake of the severe economic crisis in the country.
The brief titled ‘No relief: why clothing brands should take responsibility for worker relief payments amidst the economic crisis in Sri Lanka’, released last week, called upon the brands to ensure that the workers in their Sri Lankan supply chains are paid the ERA unconditionally.
It added that their right to organize and to have decent working conditions in line with the Conventions of the International Labour Organisation should be safeguarded.
The CCC alleges that garment workers in Sri Lanka have not been receiving the full Emergency Relief Allowances (ERA) of Rs. 10,000 on top of their monthly wages.
“Instead, workers have received far less than the ERA, or nothing. Bonuses have only been paid out under certain conditions, such as perfect attendance,” the CCC said in its latest research brief.
According to the CCC, several attempts by organisations in the CCC network to engage with the main garment brands sourcing from Sri Lanka urging them to take action to safeguard the livelihoods of their workers have had little effect thus far.
However, responding to the claims made by the CCC, Sri Lanka’s Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) said it “strongly” refutes the implications in the brief. It pointed out that while the article is addressed to global clothing brands, a careful reading uncovers serious allegations against Sri Lankan apparel manufacturers who are their partners.
“Those allegations have been used in the past by CCC, and the Joint Apparel Associations Forum (JAAF) has refuted and disproved them on multiple occasions. Including them in setting the context for the demands in this latest brief is inappropriate, unfair and borders on slanderous, both in tone and content,” JAAF said in a statement yesterday.
Commenting on a statement made by CCC which read “the massive wage theft and sickness during the pandemic…”, JAAF said the implication here appears to be that wages were not paid to workers for work done and that companies in effect “stole” those wages and added it to their bottom line.
“That would be against the law, and had it been the case employees / unions could have raised these as complaints with the Labour Department. Additionally, several audits have shown that all wages during the pandemic were paid,” clarified the Forum.
The CCC report also accuses the apparel industry of paying “subsistence wages”. To this JAAF noted that its members pay its employees well above the minimum wage and have made significant cost of living adjustments to salaries over and above the annual increments. In some instances, these represent increases of 25 percent from 2021.
