Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights

Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights is the theme of Human Rights Day 2020. 

"This year’s Human Rights Day theme relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on the need to build back better by ensuring Human Rights are central to recovery efforts. We will reach our common global goals only if we are able to create equal opportunities for all, address the failures exposed and exploited by COVID-19, and apply human rights standards to tackle entrenched, systematic, and intergenerational inequalities, exclusion and discrimination," the United Nations announced.

Speaker of Sri Lanka to host the budget party violating quarantine regulations

Speaker of Sri Lanka is planning to host the traditional party after the budget is passed violating quarantine regulations, Lankadeepa Sinhala newspaper reported.  

The budget party is scheduled to be held on December 10th in the official residence of the Speaker. 

As the newspaper reported, all the parliamentarians and their families are invited to the party. The number of guests for the party is around 500 and food and beverages are ordered for 700 persons including the staff. 

Under the quarantine regulations in Sri Lanka, health authorities allow only 50 to 100 people for a similar party organized by ordinary people. 

A Sri Lankan man claims for the invention of a syrup that gives lifetime immunity for COVID-19

District Secretary of Kegalle of Sri Lanka temporarily suspended distributing a syrup that a local physician claimed a cure for COVID-19. Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi, other Ministers and some health professionals also promoted this medication as a cure for coronavirus through media. 

However, the syrup is yet to be approved by the health authorities.  

However, heavy traffic was reported from Kegalle in Sri Lanka's Sabaragamuwa Province due to the flow of hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country who rushed to grab the syrup believed a cure for COVID-19. No quarantine regulation or social distancing was followed and the 'doctor' and his helpers did not wear face masks. Even the police failed to control the crowds. 

The inventor of the medicine is not a registered traditional medical practitioner in Sri Lanka. People flocked in the inventor's house to grab the product he sold in small bottles enough for a family of four to six persons. 

The drug was distributed free of charge. The inventor who introduced himself as Dhammika Bandara said that two table spoonfuls of the syrup in the morning and in the evening for two days would give a man immunity from the deadly virus for the entire life. The patients need to take the medicine only for three days to cure, as he claims.

He says the drug was produced using bees' honey and several domestic spices. 

(Picture: The inventor distributing the drug)

Japanese girl who eloped with a Sri Lankan suspected of raped by step-father with the connivance of her mother

A 24-year old Sri Lankan who was suspected of trafficking a Japanese girl was released on bail by Negambo Magistrate Court of Sri Lanka. 

The man was arrested based on a complaint by the mother of the Japanese girl. The Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka also involved in the case. However, K.C. Pathirana the counsel appearing for the plaintiff said that the mother would consent for the man to marry the girl. 

Waruna Weerasuriya, the counsel who appeared for the suspect said the girl told to Kochchikade police that she had been raped twice by her step-father with the connivance of her mother. The lawyer said that the Japanese language sworn translator had ignored the translation of that part to police and demanded an investigation on that matter. 

The girl continues to be held under the probationary custody. She is five-month pregnant and under Sri Lanka's law sex with minors below 16 years of age even with consent is considered statutory rape. The offence will result in a ten-year mandatory sentence and a fine against the rapist. 

Sri Lankan health authorities work hard to end child pregnancy and the Japanese embassy of Sri Lanka assist to such projects sometimes. Sri Lanka's challenge is around 5% of total pregnancies are considered teenage pregnancy. 

The Sri Lankan man who migrated into Japan under student visa had started the affair while he was working in the girl's house as a temporary worker. He returned to Sri Lanka with the Japanese girl five months ago.   

The case was postponed until 18 March 2021. 

Psychiatrists of Sri Lanka reject government's claim that psychiatric drugs caused violence among prisoners

Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists says that the publicity given in the media on the connection between the violent and aggressive behaviour of prisoners and the abuse of the drugs used in psychiatric practice has no rational basis. 

"The drugs used in psychiatric practice in Sri Lanka are also used all over the world and these drugs are brought under the guidance of regulatory authorities. In Sri Lanka, psychiatrists have been using these drugs during the last seven decades with great benefit to patients. These drugs are prescribed based on well-accepted guidelines. Nome of these drugs are responsible for violent or aggressive behaviour and in fact, many of these drugs promote calmness and cause mild drowsiness," the statement further said. 

Sri Lankan Minister Wimal Weerawansa and Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Kamal Gunarathna were two of the bigwigs who said that the prisoners had been under the influence of psychiatric drugs stolen from a medical store in the prison. 

 

Prisoners killed in Sri Lanka are COVID-19 patients

Amnesty International said issuing a statement on killing of prisoners in Sri Lanka that prison authorities should ensure an end to the use of unlawful and excessive force against prisoners agitating against their detention conditions during the outbreak of COVID-19 within prisons. "Ensure that force is only ever used against prisoners where it is strictly necessary and proportionate to a legitimate objective," the statement said. 

"The incident at Mahara Prison Complex is the third time this year that lethal force has been used against prison inmates in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. In March, two prisoners were killed and several others injured in Anuradhapura prison in North Central Province, following a protest related to COVID-19. On 18 November, a prisoner was shot dead while trying to escape from Bogambara Prison in Central Province, where more than 100 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19," the statement further said.

Prisons Commissioner of Sri Lanka Thushara Upuldeniya said to media that nine of the 11 prisoners killed in Mahara prison had been COVID-19 positive. The reports of the PCR tests conducted on the dead bodies revealed this and the reports of the other two deceased are to be received. The unrest in Mahara prison started with the demand of the prisoners to conduct PCR tests and to treat the patients. 

Sri Lanka's prisons are about three-fold overcrowded and the remanded prisoners in many prisons agitate demanding bail, PCR tests and quarantine. The COVID-19 cluster in prisons has exceeded 1,000 now but the number of PCR tests is still low. 

The prison authorities say that prisoners in Mahara rioted, attempted to escape, set ablaze the record room and other buildings, took two officials hostage and the prison officers shot at the prisoners to control them.

By now, 11 prisoners have been killed and more than 100 prisoners have been injured due to the attacks on November 29, according to prison sources. Deputy Director of Ragama Hospital Dr. Sarath Premasiri said on November 30 that the condition of 10 of the prisoners was critical. Three prisoners of them have already died now.

Many of the patients are COVID-19 positive. The agitation started with the demand of the prisoners to conduct PCR tests and quarantine them. A large number of naked prisoners were seen transported in hired buses out of the prison yesterday. The prisoners said to the relatives who had gathered near the prison that they had been transported somewhere for quarantine. 

Wives, mothers, children, siblings and other relatives of the prisoners were seen weeping near the prison and Ragama hospital pleading police and other officials to inform them of the plight of their loved ones. 

Some women were shown on television channels begging the authorities to stop shooting the prisoners. In one scene, a video showed the shock of a young mother carrying a baby when she heard police announced the death of her husband.

The slain prisoners are not convicted and they are only suspects. 

Cyclone Burevi: Indian Meteorological Department issues RED warning

Under the influence of the potential cyclone Burevi, widespread rainfall is forecast across Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, South Andhra Pradesh and Kerala between Tuesday and Friday with a likelihood of isolated extremely heavy rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday.

Indian Meteorological Department forecast very heavy rains across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. While both the states have been kept under a ‘red warning’ by the IMD for Thursday, an ‘orange alert’ is also in place from Tuesday to Friday.

"The IMD’s red warning urges residents and authorities to take action, while an orange alert recommends residents to ‘be prepared’. In particular, the districts of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Ramanathapuram and Sivaganaga from Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha from Kerala are under a red warning for Wednesday and Thursday," reported weather.com.

Meteorological Department of Sri Lanka issued the following statement: 

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 02nd DECEMBER 2020 Issued at 12.00 noon on 01st December 2020 

The deep depression is expected to intensify further into a cyclonic storm and very likely to cross Sri Lanka. Due to this situation, the rainy and windy condition is expected to enhance considerably over the island. The depression area in the south-east Bay of Bengal has concentrated into a deep depression and lay centred 500 km southeast to Trincomalee at 1130 hrs today (01st December). The system is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours. The system is very likely to move west-northwestwards and cross eastern coast of Sri Lanka between Batticaloa and Point-Pedro around tomorrow (02nd December) evening/night. Intermittent showers/thundershowers will occur in the Eastern, Northern, Northern-central, North-western, Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces. Very heavy rainfall above 200mm can be expected at some places. Showers or thundershowers at times will occur elsewhere. Heavy rainfall above 100mm can be expected at some places. Very strong gusty winds (80-90) kmph can be expected in Northern, North-Central, Eastern, North-Western, Western, Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces. Strong gusty winds (60-70) kmph can be expected elsewhere.