July 18, Colombo (LNW): The collection of books containing the ‘Mahāvansha’ (also spelled Mahāvaṃsa) chronicles, the primary historical records of Sri Lanka, housed in the Peradeniya University Library, has been officially recognised as a world heritage.
The Director-General of UNESCO graced the ceremony as the chief guest.
The certificate declaring the Mahāvansha as a world heritage was presented to the Chancellor of Peradeniya University, Professor G.H. Peiris, by the UNESCO Director-General.
In recognition of her visit, Vice-Chancellor Professor M.D. Lamawansa presented a memento to the Director-General.
The University Librarian, Dr. M. Maheshvaran, was also present at the event.
The Mahāvansha is a detailed record of Sri Lanka’s history up to the time of King Mahasena of Anuradhapura. Composed in the style of an epic poem in the Pali language, it chronicles the island’s history from its mythical origins through the reign of King Mahasena.
The narrative begins with the arrival of Prince Vijaya from India in 543 BCE and has been updated by various authors over time.
Initially compiled by the Buddhist monk Mahanama at the Mahavihara temple in Anuradhapura during the 5th or 6th century CE, it remains a vital historical document.
July 18, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lankan film directors are urging a ban on mobile phones in cinemas following a recent incident where a film was illegally recorded and uploaded to social media.
Teledrama and film director Jayantha Chandrasiri addressed the media, emphasising the necessity of banning mobile phones in cinemas to safeguard the efforts and financial returns of film producers.
Chandrasiri called on cinema owners to implement this measure and urged the Sri Lanka Film Corporation to issue an official directive on the matter.
He highlighted that, internationally, audiences are prohibited from bringing cameras or mobile phones into stage plays, a practice that should be adopted in Sri Lankan cinemas as well.
These comments were made in response to the recent illegal recording and uploading of the film ‘Sinhabahu’ on social media.
A 24-year-old man from Kandy has been arrested for illegally recording and uploading the film, which was directed by Somaratne Dissanayake, the President of the Film Directors Guild of Sri Lanka, to YouTube.
July 18, New York (Human Rights Watch):Sri Lankan authorities continue to use the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to target perceived opponents and minority communities without credible evidence to support the allegations despite repeated pledges to end the practice, Human Rights Watch said today. While some victims have suffered years of arbitrary detention and torture, others are persecuted even after the case against them is dropped.
The law, widely known as the PTA, has provisions allowing for extended administrative detention, limited judicial oversight, and inadequate protections against torture. In a 2022 speech to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the then foreign minister pledged a moratorium on its use, but under President Ranil Wickremesinghe, detentions under the PTA have continued. Such is the chilling effect of the law that in September 2023 the International Monetary Fund found that “broad application of counter-terrorism rules” restricts civil society scrutiny of official corruption.
“Sri Lanka’s extensive domestic security apparatus routinely uses baseless accusations of terrorism to target innocent people, silencing critics and stigmatizing minority communities,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Previous international pressure has led to modest improvements, and Sri Lanka’s foreign partners should renew their call to repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.”
Following government promises to repeal the PTA since 2015, draft legislation to replace it, known as the Anti-Terrorism Bill (ATB), was published in March 2023. While the new bill contains some improvements, it includes provisions that could facilitate abuse.
Since it first came into force in 1979, the PTA has primarily been used to target members of the Tamil minority during a separatist war led by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which was defeated in 2009. While many long-term PTA prisoners have been released in recent years, in part due to international pressure by the European Union and others, at least eight who were first detained between 1996 and 2011 remain in prison.
In November 2023, police in the eastern town of Batticaloa arrested nine people under the law for commemorating the war dead. They were released on bail a month later, but one of those detained told Human Rights Watch that he remains under intense surveillance and his family has lost its income because of the case.
A former LTTE child soldier said that she was arrested under the PTA in 2019 and held for three years. Because she was a minor at the end of the war, she had been placed in the care of the Red Cross instead of being sent to government “rehabilitation” with adult combatants. She believes that the ongoing surveillance and harassment is because security agencies regard her as “unrehabilitated.” She said: “I am afraid. I don’t know who is watching me.”
Human Rights Watch also interviewed a man who was among several arrested under the PTA in 2019 after receiving financial support from the Tamil diaspora, which the Sri Lankan authorities sometimes construe as “terrorist financing.” “We don’t know why we were arrested,” he said. “The PTA allows them to keep us without any reason.” He faced abuse in prison, including threats at gunpoint by a government minister. Following his release three years later, he still faces intense police harassment. “My freedom of movement is restricted. People are afraid to give me a job.”
Following the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, when Islamist suicide bombers targeted churches and hotels, killing over 260 people, the authorities detained at least 125 Muslims in the eastern town of Kattankudy under the PTA. Little or no evidence was produced against most of them, a lawyer familiar with the situation told Human Rights Watch. Most spent between one and three years in detention and were then either discharged altogether or released on bail. Twenty-four are facing trial in a proceeding that is expected to continue for years.
Former detainees from this group told Human Rights Watch that they had experienced torture and ill treatment in custody, and that the police had made extortion demands on their families for their release.
Following their release due to lack of evidence, they said they had received frequent threatening home visits or phone calls and are under surveillance by security agencies. They have been unable to access banking services, obtain passports, or operate their businesses. “They can’t go abroad for work,” said an activist who works with the community. “They can’t live freely in peace with their families.” In many cases, children have been forced by hardship to drop out of school.
A man who had been held under the PTA for about a year, then discharged, said that while there is a tradition of charitable giving in the Muslim community, security officials warn others not to help affected families, and people are afraid to do so for fear that they may be accused of supporting terrorism.
Numerous human rights defenders in the Northern and Eastern provinces said that members of police and intelligence agencies routinely warn that they will be accused of terrorism because of their work. “If we talk of Tamil rights, they use the PTA to silence us, saying we are working to reorganize the LTTE,” said an activist in the Northern Province.
Another rights activist, who works on several PTA cases, said in May 2024, “Just yesterday a [police] CID person called me and said, ‘Where are you? What are you doing?’ They oppress us because they want to stop the information we can provide from reaching the international community.”
Like the PTA, the draft law to replace it appears designed to give the president, police, and military broad powers to detain people without evidence, to make vaguely defined forms of speech a criminal offense, and to arbitrarily ban gatherings and organizations without meaningful judicial oversight.
It would expand the definition of terrorism to include crimes such as property damage, and restrict rights to freedom of assembly and speech. It would give the police and military sweeping powers to stop, question, search, and arrest anyone without a warrant, and allow the attorney general to “impose” “voluntary” custodial “rehabilitation” on a person who has not been convicted of any crime.
Recommendations
The government should impose a full moratorium on the PTA and work to repeal it.
The authorities should draft rights respecting counterterrorism legislation in consultation with experts and civil society.
Foreign partners including the United States, EU, and UK should insist that Sri Lanka abides by commitments to repeal the law.
The UN Human Rights Council should renew the mandates of resolution 46/1 for reporting and investigating human rights violations in Sri Lanka.
“For many Sri Lankans, baseless allegations of terrorism and sweeping powers provided by the PTA remain the most frightening and unaccountable method of repression,” Ganguly said. “Foreign governments seeking to support improved governance and respect for human rights should prioritize action to end the Sri Lankan government’s misuse of counterterrorism powers.”
July 18, Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lankan Rupee indicates further depreciation against the US Dollar today (18) in comparison to yesterday, as per leading commercial banks in the country.
At Peoples Bank, the buying price of the US Dollar has increased to Rs. 298.86 from Rs. 298.36, and the selling price to Rs. 309.58 from Rs. 309.07.
At Commercial Bank, the buying and selling prices of the US Dollar remain unchanged at Rs. 297.91 and Rs. 307.75, respectively.
At Sampath Bank, the buying and selling prices of the US Dollar have dropped to Rs. 299 from Rs. 299.50 and to Rs. 308 from Rs. 308.50, respectively.
July 18, Colombo (LNW): Maheesh Theekshana of Galle Marvels has offered his Man-of-the-Match Award for the Indira Cancer Trust, an entity engaged in creating awareness about breast cancer.
Theekshana donated the US$1,500 he won during the Lanka Premier League game between the Dambulla Sixers and the Galle Marvels on July 14, 2024.
His offer was made on LPL Pink Day, which was conducted on `Sunday, July 14, to help raise awareness about ‘breast cancer.’
The campaign titled “Strike with Hope: LPL Goes Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness’, saw all the players and supporters wearing ‘Pink’ colored clothing to support the cause on ‘Pink Day.’
July 18, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s economic performance in the first quarter of 2024 has outperformed the projections made in the April 2024 Asian Development Outlook (ADO), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reported.
The report indicates that inflation expectations for South Asia have been adjusted upwards to 7.1 per cent for 2024, while the forecast for 2025 remains at 5.8 per cent.
Although inflation predictions for Bhutan, India, and Pakistan for the financial years 2024 and 2025 remain unchanged from the April 2024 ADO, the projections for Bangladesh and Maldives have been revised upwards to double digits and 3 per cent, respectively.
In Nepal, average inflation has eased to 5.8 per cent. Pakistan continues to experience the highest inflation rate in South Asia at 23.06 per cent.
Conversely, Sri Lanka’s inflation forecast for 2024 has been significantly revised down to below 2 per cent, a remarkable improvement from 70 per cent two years ago, attributed to better supply-side conditions, enhanced external buffers, and increased availability of foreign currency.
However, the growth forecasts for Sri Lanka for 2024 and 2025 remain unchanged due to uncertainties associated with the upcoming election cycle.
Economic growth in developing Asia accelerated at the beginning of the year, buoyed by a relatively stable global economy. The region experienced robust growth in the first quarter of 2024, driven by strong export growth and solid domestic demand.
For the forecast period, GDP growth reductions in Bangladesh and Maldives are balanced by upward revisions for Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan, maintaining the region’s 2024 growth forecast at 6.3 per cent. The Maldives’ growth forecasts for 2024 and 2025 have been lowered due to underperformance in the construction sector and lower-than-expected growth in the fisheries sector.
Bhutan’s GDP growth forecast for 2024 has been revised upwards due to a larger-than-expected government budget and improved tourism prospects.
Nepal’s GDP projection for the financial year ending in mid-July 2024 has also been revised upwards, thanks to stronger-than-anticipated growth in agriculture and services.
Pakistan’s provisional government estimate of GDP growth for the financial year ending 30 June 2024 stands at 2.4 per cent, driven by robust agricultural output due to favourable weather conditions and government subsidies.
Afghanistan’s economy shows signs of recovery, but it remains fragile due to a weak investment climate, tight fiscal constraints, and declining international humanitarian support.
India’s economy is on track to grow by 7.0 per cent in the financial year 2024 and 7.2 per cent in 2025, as predicted in the April 2024 ADO.
The service sector continues to expand robustly, with the industrial sector expected to grow driven by manufacturing and strong demand for construction.
The growth forecast for South Asia remains steady at 6.3 per cent for 2024, with a slight decrease to 6.5 per cent for 2025.
Despite individual country changes, growth forecasts for Southeast Asia remain at 4.6 per cent in 2024 and 4.7 per cent in 2025, while the Pacific is expected to grow by 3.3 per cent in 2024 and 4.0 per cent in 2025.
East Asia’s 2024 growth projection is revised upwards to 4.6 per cent, driven by strong semiconductor exports and the artificial intelligence boom, with the 2025 projection remaining at 4.2 per cent.
The Caucasus and Central Asia’s growth outlook is revised up to 4.5 per cent from 4.3 per cent for 2024, and to 5.1 per cent from 5.0 per cent for 2025.
Interest rates in the United States and other advanced economies continue to influence the outlook, which faces several downside risks.
These include uncertainty regarding the United States election outcome, elevated geopolitical tensions, trade fragmentation, property market vulnerabilities in the People’s Republic of China, and weather-related events.
July 18, Colombo (LNW): Dilshan Madushanka has been fined 10 per cent of his match fee and given a demerit point.
This is following the player breaching Article 2.5 of the LPL Code of Conduct, which is a Level 1 offense, during a game between the Dambulla Sixers and Galle Marvels played on July 14th.
He was reported by on-field umpires for using language, actions, or gestures that disparage or could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his dismissal.
July 18, Colombo (LNW): The Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mahinda Amaraweera, has directed the State Fertiliser Company to significantly reduce the prices of fertilisers used for plantation crops such as cinnamon, tea, and coconut.
Dr. Jagath Perera, Chairman of the State Fertilizer Company, announced that the prices of five types of fertiliser—APM, YPM, urea (for cinnamon), SA (for cinnamon), and TDM—will be reduced by Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,000 with immediate effect.
Additionally, the price of each type of fertiliser produced by the State Fertiliser Company will be reduced by Rs. 5,000 per metric tonne.
This decision was made during a discussion at the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries yesterday (17).
Minister Amaraweera stated that the aim of this price reduction is to encourage the increased use of fertilisers to boost the production of cinnamon, tea, and coconut.
The meeting was attended by Janaka Dharmakeerthi, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, A.M.H.L. Abeyratne, Commissioner General of Agrarian Development, and officials from the National Fertilizer Secretariat.
July 18, Colombo (LNW): The Department of Immigration and Emigration has introduced a new, streamlined process for applying for passports, effective from yesterday (17).
As part of this new system, applicants must complete prior registration through the provided link: https://www.immigration.gov.lk.
After registration, applicants will be given priority access to obtain their passports, applicable for both standard and one-day services.
The following details outline the new methodology introduced by the Department:
From 1 January 2025, Sri Lankans will have access to new, efficient, and secure e-passports. To facilitate this, a new application process has been implemented starting 16 July 2024.
Applicants must register in advance using the specified link. This new process commenced on 19 July 2024 for registrations made on 16 July 2024, and will remain effective until 18 July 2024.
After registration, priority will be given to applicants for passport issuance.
Both existing passport holders and new applicants can register for passport services. Priority will be given based on:
Current possession of a valid passport.
Validity period of the current passport being less than six months.
Urgent need for the passport for imminent foreign travel.
Required documents for registration include:
A valid National Identity Card (one per applicant, including children under 16).
A valid mobile phone number (one number can be used for up to two registrations).
Applicants meeting the above criteria can visit the website and complete registration after obtaining a photograph receipt from an approved photo studio.
Successful registrations will be notified via SMS, including a date for application submission. It is mandatory to visit the designated office before noon on the assigned date.
The prior registration process is valid for both one-day and normal services.
Current passport holders can continue to use their passports until they switch to the e-passport, provided there are blank visa pages available.
Passports cannot be obtained without an assigned date and time.
For further details and to complete the registration process, visit the Department’s official website.
