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Sri Lanka is one of 42 countries, out of 193 member states, blacklisted by the United Nations for retaliating against human rights activists and journalists who are either behind bars, persecuted or under government surveillance.  

These activists also faced reprisals and intimidation for cooperating with the UN on human rights, according to a recent report.

Highlighting a number of disturbing trends over the past year, the annual report by the UN Secretary General details how people–mainly victims of human rights violations, human rights defenders and journalists–suffered reprisals and intimidation by State and non-State actors. This included people being detained, targeted by restrictive legislation and surveilled both online and offline.

“People who tried to cooperate with the UN or were perceived as doing so were also affected. In a third of the countries named in the report, individuals and groups either refrained from cooperating or only agreed to report their cases anonymously out of fear of reprisals,” says the report.

“Despite positive developments, including pledges and shared commitments by the member states against reprisals, this report shows the extent to which people are pursued and persecuted for raising human rights concerns with the UN. And we know that, shocking though this number is, many cases of reprisals are not even reported,” said UN Assistant Secretary General Ilze Brands Kehris, who is in charge of Human Rights.

The 42 States referred to in the report, which covers the period from May 1, 2021 to April 39, 2022, include Afghanistan, Andorra, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Laos, Libya, the Maldives, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nicaragua, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, the State of Palestine, Thailand, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Viet Nam and Yemen.

Facebook user apologises for violating TNA leader’s privileges

The Parliamentary Committee on Ethics and Privileges this week warned a social media user on Facebook for violating the privileges of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R. Sampanthan.

The complaint was lodged by TNA spokesperson M. A. Sumanthiran regarding a video posted in an insulting manner to Mr Sampanthan by the alleged individual who is affiliated with the relevant Facebook page. An investigation related to this incident took place in Parliament under the chairmanship of the Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Ministry Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.

Given that the Facebook user admitted there had been a breach of the senior Parliamentarian’s privilege by him, it was decided to settle the matter subjected to conditions agreed upon by both parties. The settlement required the offender publishing a statement in a renowned newspaper and on the Facebook page expressing regret and apologising about the matter. The committee released him after a stern warning not to continue with such postings in the future.

It turned out that the social media page was funded and supported by a one-time militant turned MP from the East and the video was recorded within the premises of Parliament.

At Riverstone in Matale, top CEA official and son in trouble

A top Central Environmental Authority (CEA) official is facing charges that instead of protecting the environment, he along with his son is busy putting up a holiday bungalow in violation of existing regulations in the environmentally sensitive area of Riverstone in Matale.

The holiday bungalow is coming up in the Rathninda Grama Sevaka division on a land that is a little more than one acre.

A report on the environmental destruction has already been received by the President’s office as well.

In this project, some trees have been cut down and waterways polluted.

A bathing point is also being constructed for guests in violation of the regulations. Considering the allegations a decision is likely to be taken about the official while legal action against the violation of environmental regulations is to follow.

State ministers don’t know what to do, others have no offices

Even though weeks have passed since the appointment of State ministers, many of them are unaware of what their duties are, while some are yet to secure an office to start their work.

The Irrigation Ministry’s State Minister is mandated to carry out development activities such as “control flood and drainage through flood control schemes, prevent environmental pollution in water sources such as rivers, canals and tanks and implement sea water elimination schemes” under the guidance and supervision of the Irrigation Minister.

Considering this, the Ports, Naval and Aviation Ministry’s State Minister could be lucky since his portfolio consists of “managing and developing three domestic airports in the country.”

Who cares whether these State minister posts serve anything substantial since they are given for political reasons under pressure from the ruling coalition with perks and privileges from the taxpayers’ funds?

Allegations and counter-allegations on fuel deal and unpaid electricity bills

Over the years, Parliament has been one of the forums where members are known to trade allegations against each other while expecting to take decisions on important business and passing laws.

Dayasiri Jayasekara

Some allegations are directly linked to the subject, but some of them are way off the subject under discussion.

This week Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara brought up allegations against a fuel deal to which Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara was trying to respond, while denying the allegations.

Suddenly, Mr Wijesekara turned the line of the debate claiming that Mr Jayasekara, though no longer a minister, was still occupying the official residence given to him as a minister.

Kanchana Wijesekara

The former minister responded by saying he had no accommodation in Colombo and if he was given a house he was ready to move out. Mr Jayasekara went on accusing Minister Wijesekara saying he had leaked the electricity bill to the media claiming that the arrears had not been paid by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary.

Mr Jayasekara of course denied the allegations about the non-payment of arrears saying it was arrears due from former ministers and implicated some former members who occupied the premises. Mr. Wijesekara’s response was; “if you bring allegations you also need to have a clean record. The bottom line is that if you bring forth allegations, be ready to face counter-allegations whether they are relevant to the topic or not.”

Foreign Employment Minister boasts of export of workers but unconcerned about brain drain

It seems Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara is on a mission when it comes to exporting Sri Lankan workers for the pure purpose of tapping into their remittances for the exchequer.

He used to give a live update on how many Lankans left the island searching for jobs, to secure a decent life back home for their families they left behind, while the country is undergoing the worst economic crisis.

The latest update from the Minister as published on his Twitter account was that 240,350 Sri Lankans registered for foreign employment and Lankan workers’ remittances increased to US$ 359 million last month from US$ 325 million in August.

According to him, it is a ten per cent (US$ 34Mn) increase compared to the inflows recorded in August and a 29 per cent (US$ 80 Mn) increase compared to the inflows recorded in July last year.

A senior Labour Ministry official quipped that the Minister seemed to have set some goals when it comes to sending the Sri Lankan labour force and talent abroad, without realising the brain drain that would be detrimental to the country’s development in the future.

Sri Lankan drug kingpin released due to Defence Ministry goof-up

Wickramaratne Nandun Chinthaka alias Harak kata

The word accountability is an alien word in the Sri Lankan context for many reasons let alone in a lethargic, inefficient and overpopulated State machinery. To put it simply, no one wants to take any responsibility for their official or unofficial actions while in office, but there are many lining up to take credit for any success stories, though not to accept responsibility for failures.

This was evident when reports emerged that a notorious drug kingpin named Wickramaratne Nandun Chinthaka alias ‘Harak kata’ was released by the Dubai Police on Monday after Sri Lankan authorities failed to submit documents on time to facilitate his extradition.

The Defence Ministry which came under severe criticism over this issue, was quick to make a statement to clear the allegations against the ministry, but did not reveal which institution was responsible for the goof-up that enabled Dubai police to release the suspect.

According to the Ministry, the National Central Bureau (Sri Lanka Interpol) in Colombo which functioned under the purview of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had been informed about the arrest by the authorities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 19 in response to a ‘Red Notice’ alert issued by the National Central Bureau.

On the same day, the CID requested the Defence Ministry to coordinate the extradition of the most wanted suspect. On the following day (September 13), in keeping with the instructions of the Defence Secretary, a letter prepared with regard to the individual and related official documents were handed over to the Foreign Affairs Ministry by officers of the Defence Ministry’s Legal Division.

Consequently, the Foreign Affairs Ministry had requested instructions from the Attorney General’s Department on September 14. In this regard the Attorney General’s Department responded on September 26, the Defence Ministry said while indicating Foreign Affairs Ministry had informed the Sri Lankan Embassy in the UAE on September 30 requesting the UAE’s Competent Authorities, not to release the suspect.

It took several weeks for Sri Lankan authorities to prepare a dossier on the most wanted drug kingpin in the country, to share with their UAE counterparts to facilitate the extradition, which ended up in failure.

Whether the delay was deliberate or intentional, no one knows for sure but something is certain–if the extradition took place as it should have, there would be many individuals, departments and ministries trying to take the credit.