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Anti-terrorism Bill will be changedThe highly controversial Antiterrorism Bill is subject to amendments and changes in Parliament and as such no one should have any fear or feeling of threat from the proposed Bill, Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. The government is aware of concerns raised by the global and local community on certain provisions contained in the draft of the Anti-terrorism Bill and the Government is ready to alleviate them by discussion, compromise and flexibility, he added. Addressing a news conference at the Information Department auditorium, Minister Rajapakshe said the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) passed in 1979 under President J.R. Jayewardene’s rule as a temporary measure to counter the emerging separatist insurgency. The PTA has been misused and exploited by successive Governments since then for their personal and political...Read More...
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WhatsApp adds option to use the same account on multiple phonesWhatsApp users are no longer restricted to using their account on just a single phone. Today, the Meta-owned messaging service is announcing that its multi-device feature — which previously allowed you to access and send messages from additional Android tablets, browsers, or computers alongside your primary phone — is expanding to support additional smartphones. “One WhatsApp account, now across multiple phones” is how the service describes the feature, which it says is rolling out to everyone in the coming weeks.Read More...
Setting up a secondary phone to use with your WhatsApp account happens after doing a fresh install of the app. Except, rather than entering your phone number during setup and logging in as usual, you instead tap a new “link to existing account” option. This will generate a QR... -
CBK commends Dr. Shafi’s noble gesture of donating past salary to buy essential medicineFalsely accused by racist elements for alleged illegal sterilisation, Kurunegala Teaching Hospital doctor says racism will not take country or organisation forward except make poor people suffer more; calls on all to make Sri Lanka racism-free Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has commended Dr. Mohamed Shafi Shihabdeen over his gesture of donating the past salaries amounting to Rs. 2.6 million during his suspension and imprisonment on false charges to buy essential medicines. Chandrika Bandaranaike KumaratungaRead More...
Dr. Mohamed Shafi Shihabdeen
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Dr. Shafi donates arrears of his salary to purchase medicines for hospitalsDr. Shihabdeen Mohamed Shafi, the doctor at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital has decided to donate arrears of his salary amounting over Rs. 2.67 million for the purchase of essential medicines for hospitals.
Dr. Shafi who was on compulsory leave on charges of performing infertility surgery, has received a cheque of over Rs. 2.67 million salary arrears from the Health Ministry last week.
The salary arrears include the basic salary, interim allowance, cost of living, and allowance in lieu of pension for the period of compulsory leave imposed on Dr. Sihabdeen.
Dr. Shafi who was employed at the Kurunegala teaching hospital was arrested on May 25th, 2019, on charges of performing infertility surgery.
On July 25, 2019, the Kurunegala Magistrate’s Court ordered that the doctor be released on bail.Govt. used Sinhala-Buddhist shield to its maximum benefit Ven. Galkande Dhammananda TheraThis Govt. nurtured thug-like monks promoted them and deployed them in various places Certain monks have severe psychological wounds If society isn’t healed cases of domestic violence, harassment and child abuse will be on the rise Reconciliation was about having workshops, providing a report and earning dollars Accountability has not been included in the Constitution or the Judicial system Terrorism sprouts in a country that has no justice Ven. Galkande Dhammananda Thera who currently heads the Walpola Rahula Institute for Buddhist Studies has been addressing issues related to social justice and harmony while promoting an inclusive and plural society. Having gathered a wealth of experience during the height of war for instance and having encountered various incidents during his lifetime, Ven. Dhammananda Thera has...Read More...Health ministry to pay back-wages for Dr. Shafi before July 10The Ministry of Health today gave an undertaking before the Court of Appeal that the salary and allowances payable to Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen will be paid before July 10 this year. The Ministry of Health gave this undertaking pursuant to a writ petition filed by Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen, who was at the centre of the controversy surrounding the alleged sterilisation of female patients. The Director General of Establishment at the Ministry of Public Services had earlier informed the Court that the basic salary, interim allowance, cost of living and allowance in lieu of pension could be paid to Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen, for the compulsory leave period. Meanwhile, the petitioner expressed willingness to attend the preliminary inquiry before Director of Kurunegala Teaching Hospital Dr. Chandana Kendangamuwa. Taking into consideration the facts,...Read More...Sri Lanka court orders release of lawyer held for two yearsA Sri Lankan court has ordered the release on bail of a lawyer arrested over his alleged links to the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings and held for nearly two years on charges rights groups say lacked credible evidence. Hejaaz Hizbullah was arrested in April 2020 and accused of being linked to the attacks on churches and hotels that left 279 people dead. But after prosecutors failed to provide evidence of his involvement in the attacks, blamed on a local group, he was instead Read More...Hejaaz Hizbullah leaves from remand custodyAttorney-at-law Hejaaz Hizbullah today left from remand custody after fulfilling his bail conditions before Puttlalam High Court.Read More...
He was incarcerated for 22 months for allegedly committing offences come under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.Last Monday (07), the Court of Appeal ordered to release Hizbullah on bail pursuant to a revision application filed on behalf him.Hizbullah was ordered to be released on a cash bail of Rs.100,000 with two sureties of Rs.500,000 by Puttlalam High Court Judge Kumari Abeyratne. He was further ordered to report to the DIG office of Puttalam Police Division every second and fourth Sunday of every month.An indictment under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act has now been served on Hejaaz Hizbullah. According to the indictment, Hizbullah...හිජාස් ගෙදර යයිRead More...
(නිමන්ති රණසිංහ සහ හිරාන් ප්රියංකර ජයසිංහ) ත්රස්තවාදය වැළැක්වීමේ පනත සහ සිවිල් හා දේශපාලන අයිතීන් පිළිබද ජාත්යන්තර සම්මුති පනත ප්රකාරව චෝදනා ලැබ වසර දෙකකට ආසන්න කාලයක් රක්ෂිත බන්ධනාගාර ගත කර සිටි නිතීඥ හිජාස් හිස්බුල්ලා මහතා අභියාචනාධිකරණ නියෝගය ප්රකාරව ඇප මත මුදාහැරීමට පුත්තලම මහාධිකරණය අද (09)...Court of Appeal grants bail on Hejaaz HizbullahThe Court of Appeal today ordered to release Attorney-at-law Hejaaz Hizbullah on bail after nearly two years in detention and remand custody. Accordingly, the Court of Appeal directed the Puttalam High Court to release Hejaaz Hizbullah on bail with suitable bail conditions. The Court of Appeal two-judge-bench comprising Justice Menaka Wijesundera and Justice Neil Iddawala made this order taking into consideration a revision application filed on behalf of Hejaaz Hizbullah. The Attorney General did not raise objections to release Hizbullah on bail. On January 28, an application made by the defence requesting to release Attorney-at-law Hejaaz Hizbullah on bail was rejected by Puttalam High Court. The High Court Judge Kumari Abeyrathne refused to grant bail citing that she has no jurisdiction to grant bail under the Prevention of Terrorism...Read More...- 1
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Tuesday, 17 June 2014 22:49
June 17, 2014 -- Updated 1256 GMT (2056 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- At least 3 people dead, 52 injured after Buddhist mobs attacked Muslim areas in Sri Lanka
- The rampage followed a rally by a hardline Buddhist nationalist group led by monks
- The rally was prompted by the alleged assault of a monk by Muslim youths days earlier
- The towns, popular tourist destinations, are now subject to a curfew
Colombo (CNN) -- At least three people have been killed and 52 injured after Buddhist mobs rampaged through Muslim areas in southwest Sri Lanka, police say.
The outbreak of religious violence followed a large rally Sunday by the Bodu Bala Sena, a hardline Buddhist nationalist group led by monks, in the town of Aluthgama, about 60 kilometers south of Colombo.
The rally was prompted by the alleged assault of a monk by Muslim youths days earlier.
After the rally, violence erupted on both sides as the demonstrators marched through Muslim neighborhoods, allegedly chanting anti-Muslim slogans, according to a statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.
Muslim homes and shops were gutted in the violence, which has prompted Muslims in the region to gather in mosques for safety.
Sri Lankan police spokesman Ajith Rohana told CNN that 12 people from Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority had been arrested over the violence, some of them members of Bodu Bala Sena.
"They have been remanded at the moment and we're framing charges in due course," he said.
Soldiers had been brought in to enforce a curfew, banning people from the roads or from gathering in public places, in the hope of preventing further clashes in Aluthgama and the nearby town of Beruwala, coastal destinations popular with foreign tourists.
The curfew was relaxed from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday to allow people to leave their homes to gather supplies. Rohana said that "sporadic incidents" had been reported Monday night, but that authorities had the situation under control.
The violence has alarmed international observers, with the U.N.'s Pillay urging Sri Lanka's government to "urgently do everything it can to arrest this violence, curb the incitement and hate speech which is driving it, and protect all religious minorities."
"I am very concerned this violence could spread to Muslim communities in other parts of the country," she said.
Sri Lanka's Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem, a Muslim, said his party would weigh its future in the government depending on the official response to the attacks. "I am ashamed I could not help my people," he said.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is in Bolivia for the G77 summit, commented on the clashes on Twitter.
"The Government will not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands. I urge all parties concerned to act in restraint," he wrote.
"An investigation will be held for law to take its course of action to bring to book those responsible for incidents in Aluthgama."
READ MORE: Are Sri Lanka's 'anti-terror' arrests an attempt to intimidate activists?
About three-quarters of Sri Lanka's population are Sinhalese, most of them Theravada Buddhists. According to the country's 2011 census, 70.2% of the population is Buddhist, 12.6% Hindu, 9.7% Muslim and 7.4% Christian.
In recent years, the country has witnessed a surge of Buddhist nationalism, led by the Bodu Bala Sena, the country's most powerful Buddhist organization, which has pledged to defend the religion.
Its rally on Sunday was held in response to an earlier incident on Thursday, which is a public holiday in Sri Lanka commemorating the day Buddhism reached the island nation.
Rohana said a Buddhist monk and his driver had been assaulted by a group of four Muslim youths, sparking anger among the Buddhist community. The four alleged assailants were subsequently arrested.
He said the mob violence did not begin until the rally on Sunday.
Fred Carver, of the UK-based Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice, urged Sri Lanka's authorities to rapidly take charge of the situation.
"We know from past experience that ethnic violence in Sri Lanka rapidly spirals and leads to phenomenal loss of life unless there is swift and effective intervention by the police," he told CNN.
"In the longer term, I hope the Sri Lankan Government reflects on the consequences of patronizing and endorsing extremist nationalists, while at the same time engendering a culture of impunity for those involved in ethnic violence."
The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka condemned the violence and called on all sides to show restraint.
Groups warn of backlash as U.N. calls for probe into Sri Lanka civil war
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/17/world/asia/sri-lanka-aluthgama-violence/#cnn-disqus-area
Sri Lankan Muslims leave seeking sanctuary following mob attacks by a hardline Buddhist group.- At least 3 people dead, 52 injured after Buddhist mobs attacked Muslim areas in Sri Lanka
- The rampage followed a rally by a hardline Buddhist nationalist group led by monks
- The rally was prompted by the alleged assault of a monk by Muslim youths days earlier
- The towns, popular tourist destinations, are now subject to a curfew
Colombo (CNN) -- At least three people have been killed and 52 injured after Buddhist mobs rampaged through Muslim areas in southwest Sri Lanka, police say.
The outbreak of religious violence followed a large rally Sunday by the Bodu Bala Sena, a hardline Buddhist nationalist group led by monks, in the town of Aluthgama, about 60 kilometers south of Colombo.
The rally was prompted by the alleged assault of a monk by Muslim youths days earlier.
After the rally, violence erupted on both sides as the demonstrators marched through Muslim neighborhoods, allegedly chanting anti-Muslim slogans, according to a statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.
Muslim homes and shops were gutted in the violence, which has prompted Muslims in the region to gather in mosques for safety.
Sri Lankan police spokesman Ajith Rohana told CNN that 12 people from Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority had been arrested over the violence, some of them members of Bodu Bala Sena.
"They have been remanded at the moment and we're framing charges in due course," he said.
Soldiers had been brought in to enforce a curfew, banning people from the roads or from gathering in public places, in the hope of preventing further clashes in Aluthgama and the nearby town of Beruwala, coastal destinations popular with foreign tourists.
The curfew was relaxed from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday to allow people to leave their homes to gather supplies. Rohana said that "sporadic incidents" had been reported Monday night, but that authorities had the situation under control.
The violence has alarmed international observers, with the U.N.'s Pillay urging Sri Lanka's government to "urgently do everything it can to arrest this violence, curb the incitement and hate speech which is driving it, and protect all religious minorities."
"I am very concerned this violence could spread to Muslim communities in other parts of the country," she said.
Sri Lanka's Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem, a Muslim, said his party would weigh its future in the government depending on the official response to the attacks. "I am ashamed I could not help my people," he said.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is in Bolivia for the G77 summit, commented on the clashes on Twitter.
"The Government will not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands. I urge all parties concerned to act in restraint," he wrote.
"An investigation will be held for law to take its course of action to bring to book those responsible for incidents in Aluthgama."
READ MORE: Are Sri Lanka's 'anti-terror' arrests an attempt to intimidate activists?
About three-quarters of Sri Lanka's population are Sinhalese, most of them Theravada Buddhists. According to the country's 2011 census, 70.2% of the population is Buddhist, 12.6% Hindu, 9.7% Muslim and 7.4% Christian.
In recent years, the country has witnessed a surge of Buddhist nationalism, led by the Bodu Bala Sena, the country's most powerful Buddhist organization, which has pledged to defend the religion.
Its rally on Sunday was held in response to an earlier incident on Thursday, which is a public holiday in Sri Lanka commemorating the day Buddhism reached the island nation.
Rohana said a Buddhist monk and his driver had been assaulted by a group of four Muslim youths, sparking anger among the Buddhist community. The four alleged assailants were subsequently arrested.
He said the mob violence did not begin until the rally on Sunday.
Fred Carver, of the UK-based Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice, urged Sri Lanka's authorities to rapidly take charge of the situation.
"We know from past experience that ethnic violence in Sri Lanka rapidly spirals and leads to phenomenal loss of life unless there is swift and effective intervention by the police," he told CNN.
"In the longer term, I hope the Sri Lankan Government reflects on the consequences of patronizing and endorsing extremist nationalists, while at the same time engendering a culture of impunity for those involved in ethnic violence."
The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka condemned the violence and called on all sides to show restraint.
Groups warn of backlash as U.N. calls for probe into Sri Lanka civil war
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/17/world/asia/sri-lanka-aluthgama-violence/#cnn-disqus-area
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