Sri Lanka President guarantees ultimate impunity for the criminals in the Presidential Security Division

Rookantha after the attack

Sri Lanka President pardoned 10 personnel of the Presidential Security Division under President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who were sentenced last year for torturing the family of famous singer Rookantha Gunathilaka and robbing their property.


On January 26, 2001, the personnel forced into the house in Mattegoda in which Rookantha Gunathilaka, his wife Chandralekha Perera and their children, aged seven and two then, and Chandralekha’s mother lived wielding pistols. They held pistols to their heads, cut off their hair and the couple was doused with petrol. The police officers also robbed cash and jewellery and got away in the jeep belonging to Rookantha Gunathilaka.

On August 01, 2013, Panadura High Court judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena sentenced 10 former Presidential Security Division members who involved in this crime to jail terms of four and a half years each for the attack.

Soon after the court ruling, Rookantha and Chandralekha held a press conference and said they would forgive the men. Rookantha wrote to President Mahinda Rajapaksa saying he had no objection to a presidential pardon for the men. Meanwhile, he alluded to Chandrika Bandaranaike, Sanath Gunathilaka and others in the political, cinema and military fields as culprits of the attack.

No fresh investigation was initiated against them.

But the sentence was politically manipulated against Chandrika. After incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa came to power Rookantha Gunathilaka returned to the island from US where he had lived since the attack and expressed support to the President.

The case was crucial in public interest despite the President pardoned based on a personal appeal of the victim. There is no legal basis that links the pardoning and the victims' appeal.

The convicts proved of engaging in the crime whole-heatedly although Rookantha wanted to show them as mere undertakers of orders.  

Police calls on Sri Lanka's violent BBS but action unlikely

Sri Lanka police has summoned the general secretary of the Buddhist extremist Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero to appear in Slave Island police on April 12th to question him on the incident that took place at Hotel Nippon.

The general secretary of Jathika Bala Sena Ven. Watareka Vijitha Thero has complained to the Slave Island police that he was threatened by the BBS.

Watateka Vijitha Thero and BBS member Kirulapone Nanda Thero have also been summoned to the police on the same time.

BBS disrupted a press conference of a inter-faith movement press conference held in Colombo against the racist organizations that are raising their head.

The press conference was summoned by an organization called Jathika Bala Senawa and the calling letter was signed by Ven. Watareka Vijitha Thero.

Muslim religious representatives were also present to participate in the press conference.

A group of BBS monks led by Buddhist monk Galagodaaththe Gnanasara invaded the press conference and questioned the organizers. They threatened the Muslim clerics and the Buddhist monks.

Watareka Vijitha Thero was forced to apologize but he later complained to Slave Island police that he apologized due to threats to his life.

Officer-in-Charge of Slave Island police and other police officers witnessed the violence but did not act to prevent it. 

Sri Lankan newspaper editor questioned by CID

Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today questioned Saman Wagaarachchi, the editor-in-chief of Sinhala daily The Lakbima over an incident of defaming Ayoma Rajapaksa, the wife of the secretary of the Ministry of Defense Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

The newspaper carried a photo on April 07 on page 8 in which the Chairman of the Sewa Vanitha Unit of the Defense Ministry Ayoma Rajapaksa was depicted buying goods at a New Year fair of the Civil Defense Department.

The caption of the photo carried a title 'They aren't fake money, aren't they?'

The newspaper apologized the following day to Ms. Rajapaksa and the Civil Defense Department. The apology was posted on the front page today.

The police media spokesman said that the editor-in-chief Saman Wagaarachchi was questioned for three hours and a statement was recorded. 

Sri Lankan doctor kicks a fve year old boy suffering from fever

A doctor in Matale Base Hospital of Sri Lanka has kicked  a five year child who had come to the Outer Patients' Department (OPD) to take medicine since he was suffering from fever. 

Eyewitnesses said that the doctor had got angry since the child was tapping the door of the doctor's room with his finger, as reported by Divaina Sinhala newspaper.

The child fell down with the attack as the mother cried loudly creating a chaotic situation in the OPD.

The mother Sunethra Malani has lodged a complaint in police.

Nurses, doctors, midwives clash in Sri Lanka over midwifery training

Man (more accurately woman) is the only animal that needs specially trained midwife to deliver the baby. No other animal visits hospital for this.

Sri Lanka's Family Health Services Union has decided to strike work since tomorrow, said the Chairman of the union Devika Kodithuwakku.

Accordingly, the midwives will keep away from deliveries in the maternity hospitals and also the work related to maternity clinics island wide.

The midwives protest the nurses given the midwifery training as part of their basic training. They demand the midwifery training given only to them.

Meanwhile, the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) which represents the doctors has decided not to give midwifery training to the nurses.

As a protest to the development, the Government Nursing Officers' Association (GNOA) has planned a one day token strike for tomorrow, April 3 in the hospitals island wide.

 

Killings, nonsense and mania amidst big match fever

Royal nonsense

Royal mania

A man was killed in a clash in a big match in the former war zone Jaffna of Sri Lanka's Northern Province.

The man who was killed was identified as a 23 year old past student of the St. Patrick College.

During the big match of between Jaffna Central College and St. Patrick College, a group launched a sudden attack killing the past student of St. Patrick College, reports say.

Police said that two students had been arrested and police is looking for three more students to be arrested for the killing.

The big match was held in Vadukkodai in Jaffna.

Lesser violence was displayed in Colombo schools so far but most of the big match activities were nonsense or maniac irrespective of the so called prestige of the schools. The boys of the big schools tried to rush into Visaka Girls' College and created massive traffic blocks through their parades.

A drama from Sri Lankan prisoners at state drama festival

A scene from Rajitha Disanayaka's Weeraya Merila

Sri Lankan prisoners are to present a drama for the state drama festival this year.

The Prisons Department says that the drama that is staged in Tower Hall on February 28 is acted out completely by the prisoners.

The drama is named as Weeraya Merila Nehe, meaning the hero is not dead.

The title of the drama is an antonym of Weeraya Merila that means the hero is dead of renowned dramatist Rajitha Disanayaka.