Crime

Sri Lanka Police Minister raps UN over anti-drug campaign concerns

Thursday January 18, 2024 6:00 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, who is also in charge of the island nation’s police, slammed the United Nations Human Rights Commission and its local arm for criticizing the government’s anti-drug campaign which has nabbed around 39,000 for their involvement with drugs.

Sri Lanka has recognized the drug menace as one of the key threats and Alles has backed drastic measures in a police-led operation titled “Yukthiya” (justice) to nab the drug distributors across the country.

Since the operation was launched in mid-December, the police have arrested nearly 39,000 people mostly with drugs including heroin, cannabis, synthetic drugs, and cocaine, police data show.

The UN Human Rights Commission last week said it was “very concerned that authorities in Sri Lanka” were “adopting a heavily security-based response to the country’s drugs problem, instead of public health policies grounded in human rights”.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has urged the Sri Lankan government to review the ongoing “Yukthiya” operation, and to implement human rights based approaches, notably the right to health, in addressing the issues of illicit drugs in society.

Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in a statement said people were reported to have been subjected to a number of violations during and after these operations, including unauthorised searches, arbitrary arrests and detention, ill-treatment, torture, and strip searches in public.

Throssell also said lawyers acting for those detained have alleged that they have faced intimidation from police officers.

However, Minister Alles said most of the content in the statement by the UN was generalized.

“Unfortunately, the Human Rights Commission in Sri Lanka and the UN Human Rights Commission, they go on the people who write to them with various kinds of things,” Alles told Foreign Correspondents’ Association (FCA) forum on Thursday (18).

“If they say these 3-4 incidents have happened and please inquire, it is that I will accept. But generally, you make a statement. On what basis?”

“The Human Rights Commission’s duty is to tell us: okay, these are the incidents and get our answers. Without all that, they issue statements.”

“ON WHAT BASIS THEY ISSUED THIS STATEMENT?”

The operation has led to nab around 4.8 billion Sri Lankan rupee worth drugs and the police have taken assets worth of 725 million rupees including assets and properties under the Money Laundering Act, police data show.

According to the police data, out of 39,000 arrested, 1,703 people have been detained with detention orders, while nearly 2,000 people have been sent to rehabilitation and others have been released on bail.

Alles said he had asked the local UN Resident Representative this week to speak to the Human Rights Commission and ask them “on what basis they issued this statement”.

“I don’t want these kinds of statements. Tell them to come up with facts and figures,” he said.

“I will be very honest. As far as I am concerned, the UN Human Rights Commission…can issue statements. But I will not stop this operation. We will go ahead, and we will do it in the same way because we know that we are doing something good for the children of this country, for the women of this country.”

“And that is why the general public is whole heartedly with us in this operation. If we are doing anything wrong on the ground, people are not going to support this.”

The UN in its statement said a heavy-handed law enforcement approach is not the solution for the drug use which has become “a serious challenge to society”.

It said the abuse of drugs and the factors that lead to it are first and foremost public health and social issues.

“People suspected of selling or trafficking drugs are entitled to humane treatment, with full respect for due process and transparent, fair trials,” Throssell, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said. (Colombo/Jan 18/2024)

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Weather and Climate

Water levels rising in Sri Lanka Kalu, Nilwala river basins: Irrigation Department

Sri Lanka Navy assisting in rescue operations (Pic courtesy SL Navy)

Monday June 3, 2024 2:17 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Irrigation Department has issued warnings that water levels in the Kalu and Nilwala river basins are rising and major flooding is possible due to the continuous rain. People living in close proximity are advised to take precautions.

“There is a high possibility of slowly increasing prevailing flood lowline areas of Kiriella, Millaniya, Ingiriya, Horana, Dodangoda, Bulathsinhala, Palinda Nuwara and Madurawala D/S divisions of Ratnapura and Kalutara Districts, up to next 48 hours,” it said issuing a warning.

“In addition, flood situation prevailing at upstream lowline areas of Ratnapura district will further be prevailing with a slight decrease.

“The residents and vehicle drivers running through those area are requested to pay high attention in this regard.

“Disaster Management Authorities are requested to take adequate precautions in this regard.”

The island is in the midst of south western monsoon.

DMC reported that 11,864 people belonging to 3,727 families have been affected due to the weather in Rathnapura, Kegalle, Kilinochchi, Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kalutara, Gampaha, Colombo, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Badulla, Moneragala, and Trincomalee districts.

Meanwhile, the Meteorology Department stated that showers are expected on most parts of the island today.(Colombo/June3/2024)

Politics

UNP gen secy defends call for postponing Sri Lanka poll, claims opposition silent

The UNP party headquarters in Pitakotte/EconomyNext

Monday June 3, 2024 1:59 pm

ECONOMYNEXT — United National Party (UNP) General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara has defended his call for postponing Sri Lanka’s presidential election by two years, claiming that his proposal was not undemocratic nor unconstitutional.

Speaking to reporters at the UNP headquarters Monday June 03 morning, Bandara also claimed that neither opposition leader Sajith Premadasa nor National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake have spoken against his proposal.

“I have made no statement that’s undemocratic. My statement was in line with provisions of the constitution,” the former UNP parliamentarian said.

He quoted Section 86 of Chapter XIII of the constitution which says: “The President may, subject to the provisions of Article 85, submit to the People by Referendum any matter which in the opinion of the President is of national importance.”

Sections 87.1, 87.2 also elaborates on the matter and describes the parliament’s role, said Bandara.

“I spoke of a referendum and parliament’s duty. Neither of this is antidemocratic or unconstitutional. As per the constitution, priority should be given to ensuring people’s right to life,” he said.

“Some parties may be against what I proposed. They may criticse me. But what I ask them is to come to one position as political parties and make a statement on whether they’re ready to continue the ongoing economic programme,” he added.

Bandara claimed that, though thee has been much criticism of his proposal for a postponement of the presidential election, President Wickremesinghe’s rivals Premadasa and Dissanayake have yet to remark on the matter.

“I suggested that [Premadasa] make this proposal in parliament and for [Dissanayake] to second it. But I don’t see that either Premadasa nor Dissanayake is opposed to it. To date, I have not seen nor heard either of them utter a word against this. I believe they have no objection to my proposal which was made for the betterment of the country,” he said. (Colombo/Jun03/2024)

Accidents

300 of 100,000 trees in Colombo considered high risk: state minister

Monday June 3, 2024 1:05 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Trees in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo are being monitored by the municipal council, Army and Civil Defense Force as the severe weather conditions continue, State Minister for Defense Premitha Bandara Tennakoon said.

“Within the Colombo Municipal Council city limits, there are 100,000 trees. Of these, around 300 are considered high risk,” Tennakoon told reporters at a media conference to raise awareness about the current disaster management situation.

Not all trees required to be cut down he said. “We can trim some of the branches and retain them.”

The problem was that buildings in the vicinity of the tree had cut branches on one side, causing it to become unbalanced, the minister said.

New laws would be brought in so provincial/municipal institutions could strengthen enforcement of building codes.

“We don’t have a single institution that can issue a warning about a tree. Not one to tell us what trees can or cannot be planted near a road.

“Trees should be suitable for the area. Some trees have roots that spread and damage roads, buildings. When the roots can’t go deep, they tend to topple over.

“Now Environment Day is coming up, and anyone can go plant a tree by the road. We have to take a decision about this. We have to enforce laws strongly in future.” (Colombo/June3/2024)