Tuesday, January 31, 2023
No 1 epaper in Sri Lanka
  • News
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Foreign
  • Entertainment
  • Business
  • Political Analysis
  • Inside Politics
  • EPAPERPDF
  • සිංහලSINHALA
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Foreign
  • Entertainment
  • Business
  • Political Analysis
  • Inside Politics
  • EPAPERPDF
  • සිංහලSINHALA
No Result
View All Result
Mawratanews.lk | Sri Lanka Latest Sinhala News and Headlines
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Sri Lanka urged to drop terror charges for 2 protest leaders

November 17, 2022
in News
A A
Sri Lanka urged to drop terror charges for 2 protest leaders

The Sri Lankan government is being urged to drop charges against two protest leaders detained for more than three months following the anti-government demonstrations that engulfed the island nation earlier this year.

Amnesty International also renewed its call for Sri Lanka to repeal the harsh, civil war-era Prevention of Terrorism Act under which the two protest leaders are being held.

Wasantha Mudalige and Galwewa Siridhamma, both university student leaders, were arrested in August and have been detained for more than 90 days under the PTA.

Thyagi Ruwanpathirana, Amnesty International’s South Asia regional researcher, urged the government to drop the “baseless terror charges” against the two leaders and also not to extend their detention.

Mudalige and Siridhamma, who is also a Buddhist monk, were actively involved in this year’s anti-government protests and their arrests drew wide condemnation from opposition lawmakers and rights groups who say the duo have been detained without legal basis.

In recent weeks, opposition groups and rights activists have been staging frequent protests to demand the release of two leaders and end to a government crackdown on anti-government demonstrations over economic hardships.

“The continued targeted persecution of student leaders in Sri Lanka has a chilling effect on civil society and the right to protest,” Ruwanpathirana said in a statement released late Wednesday.

There was no immediate comment from the government to the Amensy’s statement.

For years, opposition lawmakers and trade union and civil rights activists have been urging the government to abolish the PTA.

It was amended in March, but opponents called the reforms cosmetic and said the law still allows the detention of suspects without warrants and the use of confessions obtained through torture. They say the law, introduced during Sri Lanka’s civil war in 1979, has been widely abused, causing a large number of innocent people to spend years in prison without trial.
Sri Lankans protested for months earlier this year over the economic crisis, which has led to severe shortages of many essential imported items such as medicines, fuel and cooking gas. Thousands stormed the president’s residence in July, forcing then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee and later resign.

The protesters also occupied other key government buildings, including the offices of the president and prime minister.

The country’s new president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, cracked down on opposition, ousting the protesters from the government buildings.

Dozens of protest leaders and activists have been arrested, with some later released.

Rights groups say the military has sought to curtail protests through intimidation, surveillance and arbitrary arrests since Wickremesinghe took office in July.

Dozens of protest leaders and activists have been arrested, with some later released.

Rights groups say the military has sought to curtail protests through intimidation, surveillance and arbitrary arrests since Wickremesinghe took office in July.

The months of protests earlier this year dismantled the powerful Rajapaksa family’s grip on politics. Before Rajapaksa resigned, his older brother stepped down as prime minister and three other family members quit their Cabinet positions.

Wickremesinghe was elected by Parliament to complete Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in 2024. He is unpopular because he is supported by lawmakers who are still backed by the Rajapaksa family, which ruled Sri Lanka for most of the past two decades. Many accuse Wickremesinghe of protecting the Rajapaksas, who are widely blamed for corruption and misrule that led to the crisis.

Sri Lanka is effectively bankrupt and has suspended repayment of nearly $7 billion in foreign debt due this year pending the outcome of talks with the International Monetary Fund on an economic rescue package. The country’s total foreign debt exceeds $51 billion, of which $28 billion has to be repaid by 2027.


( Curtesy Yahoo News)

Share50Tweet32SendShare13
Previous Post

Northern parties rejected Ranil’s request to talk. Sampanthan-Gajendran-Wigneswaran opinion made known

Next Post

Ramaphosa stopped in Sri Lanka on his way back from the G-20 summit! Ranil had a dialogue! (PHOTOS)

MORE NEWS

As previously stated, the HRC completed the task! The secretary-chairman of the board-chairman of the petroleum was sued in the Supreme Court for cutting lights!
News

As previously stated, the HRC completed the task! The secretary-chairman of the board-chairman of the petroleum was sued in the Supreme Court for cutting lights!

January 30, 2023
Kabir Hashim has been invited to speak at a UN summit! Only representative invited from the South Asia!
News

Kabir Hashim has been invited to speak at a UN summit! Only representative invited from the South Asia!

January 30, 2023
Can president prorogue parliament? Who is threatening the members of the NEC with death? What happens if the NEC suddenly expands? Why the 13th amendment now? Professor G.L. Peiris-VIDEO
News

Can president prorogue parliament? Who is threatening the members of the NEC with death? What happens if the NEC suddenly expands? Why the 13th amendment now? Professor G.L. Peiris-VIDEO

January 30, 2023
12,000 signatures on a petition for Mudali’s release have been delivered to the Attorney General’s Office! VIDEO
News

12,000 signatures on a petition for Mudali’s release have been delivered to the Attorney General’s Office! VIDEO

January 30, 2023
Everyone wanted to know where! Notices have also been posted! The commission sent the election gazette to the press today!
News

Everyone wanted to know where! Notices have also been posted! The commission sent the election gazette to the press today!

January 30, 2023
Call for applications to the NEC is anti-political!  constitutional violation! We reconsider continuing in the Legislative Assembly! Sajith receives blessings with Mujibur, Colombo Mayoral candidate, at Gangarama-Grand Mosque-Kochchikade Church-Mayura Temple.VIDEO
News

Call for applications to the NEC is anti-political! constitutional violation! We reconsider continuing in the Legislative Assembly! Sajith receives blessings with Mujibur, Colombo Mayoral candidate, at Gangarama-Grand Mosque-Kochchikade Church-Mayura Temple.VIDEO

January 30, 2023
Load More
Leave Comment

Free Newsletter

Register for our weekly epaper for latest news updates.

MORE NEWS

As previously stated, the HRC completed the task! The secretary-chairman of the board-chairman of the petroleum was sued in the Supreme Court for cutting lights!
News

As previously stated, the HRC completed the task! The secretary-chairman of the board-chairman of the petroleum was sued in the Supreme Court for cutting lights!

January 30, 2023

The Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission has filed a petition before...

Read more
Kabir Hashim has been invited to speak at a UN summit! Only representative invited from the South Asia!

Kabir Hashim has been invited to speak at a UN summit! Only representative invited from the South Asia!

January 30, 2023
Can president prorogue parliament? Who is threatening the members of the NEC with death? What happens if the NEC suddenly expands? Why the 13th amendment now? Professor G.L. Peiris-VIDEO

Can president prorogue parliament? Who is threatening the members of the NEC with death? What happens if the NEC suddenly expands? Why the 13th amendment now? Professor G.L. Peiris-VIDEO

January 30, 2023
12,000 signatures on a petition for Mudali’s release have been delivered to the Attorney General’s Office! VIDEO

12,000 signatures on a petition for Mudali’s release have been delivered to the Attorney General’s Office! VIDEO

January 30, 2023
Everyone wanted to know where! Notices have also been posted! The commission sent the election gazette to the press today!

Everyone wanted to know where! Notices have also been posted! The commission sent the election gazette to the press today!

January 30, 2023
Call for applications to the NEC is anti-political!  constitutional violation! We reconsider continuing in the Legislative Assembly! Sajith receives blessings with Mujibur, Colombo Mayoral candidate, at Gangarama-Grand Mosque-Kochchikade Church-Mayura Temple.VIDEO

Call for applications to the NEC is anti-political! constitutional violation! We reconsider continuing in the Legislative Assembly! Sajith receives blessings with Mujibur, Colombo Mayoral candidate, at Gangarama-Grand Mosque-Kochchikade Church-Mayura Temple.VIDEO

January 30, 2023
Load More

One of the best Sri Lanka Latest News Website and Sinhala language newspaper with Sunday editions, published by Free Media Independent Networks Pvt Ltd.

Browse by Category

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Foreign
  • Gurudawa
  • My Serendib
  • News
  • Politics
  • Rajya Rahas
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Latest news

As previously stated, the HRC completed the task! The secretary-chairman of the board-chairman of the petroleum was sued in the Supreme Court for cutting lights!

As previously stated, the HRC completed the task! The secretary-chairman of the board-chairman of the petroleum was sued in the Supreme Court for cutting lights!

January 30, 2023
Kabir Hashim has been invited to speak at a UN summit! Only representative invited from the South Asia!

Kabir Hashim has been invited to speak at a UN summit! Only representative invited from the South Asia!

January 30, 2023

Free Newsletter

Register for our weekly epaper for latest news updates.

Copyright © 2019 -2021 Free Media Independent Networks Pvt Ltd, All Rights Reserved. Solution by hodama.net

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Foreign
  • Entertainment
  • Business
  • Political Analysis
  • Inside Politics
  • EPAPER
  • සිංහල

Copyright © 2019 -2021 Free Media Independent Networks Pvt Ltd, All Rights Reserved. Solution by hodama.net

Go to mobile version