He replaces former Chairman Prof. Harendra Silva.
A fleeing illegal sand transporter knocked down a police intelligence constable of Nikaweratiya police station Sri Lanka on November 28.
The 32-year old police officer, identified as Rathnayaka succumbed injuries at Nikaweratiya hospital. He was a father of two children.
The constable was in an operation to thwart illegal sand mining in River Deduruoya in Kobeigane with four other police officers.
Xinhua News Agency published five photos depicting scenes at Galle Face with the title 'People's daily life in Colombo, Sri Lanka.' Some of the photos are taken in the background of China-built Colombo Port City that is under construction.
New Zealand Immigration Protection Tribunal has rejected a Sri Lankan prisoner's appeal against deportation.
He claims there will be threats to his life if he returns to Sri Lanka.
The 37-year-old man who migrated to New Zealand on a work visa in 2016 was subjected to two years and four months’ imprisonment in New Zealand for sexually assaulting a massage therapy student. He has appealed to New Zealand Supreme Court now after Court of Appeal rejected the appeal.
Accordingly, the present government has given up the fuel price formula introduced by the previous government to adjust petroleum prices according to the market prices.
Singer tweeted, "Families grieving for their loved ones for too long deserve answers. The UN welcomes the publication by the @ompsrilanka of the list of complaints of the #missing and #disappeared. It is a key step towards a comprehensive list and providing answers to families."
The list will be made available at the OMP Head Office in Colombo and its Regional Offices in Batticaloa, Jaffna, Mannar and Matara, the OMP said.
The Sunday Times published the following details inter alia.
The details included in the List were obtained from i) complaints received directly by the OMP; ii) complaints obtained by the former Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation from District Secretariats and forwarded to the OMP; and iii) lists of Missing in Action personnel provided by the armed forces at the request of the OMP.
The List released contains information provided by persons regarding missing and disappeared persons residing in all districts, apart from Batticaloa which has the largest numbers of complaints and will be released soon.
It also contains the following information i) a reference number assigned by the OMP; ii) the name of the missing or disappeared person in English and in Sinhala or Tamil; iii) the date that the person went missing or were disappeared; and iv) the district in which the missing or disappeared person last resided.
The Sunday Times introduced the OMP as follows:
Persons who went missing or were disappeared in connection with the conflict, political unrest or civil disturbances or as an enforced disappearance; and personnel of the armed forces or police who have been identified as missing in action fall within the OMP’s mandate, as per section 27 of the Office on Missing Persons (Establishment, Administration and Discharge of Functions) Act, No. 14 of 2016 (the Act). The OMP’s primary mandate to search for and clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing or disappeared persons is not limited to a specific period, community or region.
The former Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is despised by the present government and he was arrested four months ago. The charges against him are related to illegal possession of firearms. There are suspicions on fabricated evidence related to the case but when a case is filed under Firearms Ordinance in Sri Lanka, the suspect has to stay in remand for a long time until bail is granted.
Sri Lanka Young Journalists' Association started a petition to Commissioner General of Prisons Sri Lanka and 6 others seeking the safety for Superintendent of Police Shani Abesekara who is suffering from COVID-19 while detained in prison.
The petition addresses Commissioner General of Prisons Sri Lanka Chandana Wickramaratne, Inspector General of Police - Sri Lanka, Dappula De Livera Attorney General, Human Rights Commission, Director-General of Health, State Minister of Prison Reforms and Prisoners' Rehabilitation Minister of Public Security also.
Shani Abesekara was transferred from Mahara prison to Welikada prison claiming he had contracted COVID-19. On November 26th, he was transferred to Gallella quarantine centre in Polonnaruwa which has a low level of facilities. He was transferred to Welikanda hospital due to a heart attack last night. Bringing him back to Colombo means back to back transport of a patient over 500 kilometres on roads unnecessarily within 48 hours.
The online petition says that SP Shani Abesekara is an official who supervised investigations on controversial cases like the assassination of school student Vidya in Jaffna, double murder at Angulana, Royal Park murder, suicide attack against Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at Piththala Junction, Easter Sunday attack, President Maithripala Sirisena assassination attempt and murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.
Sign the petition (language Sinhala) >>
Sri Lankan civil society is silently but strongly marking their protest against the government's inhuman forcible cremation of a 20-da...
