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Tag: Lanka

  • India, Sri Lanka to issue stamps on democracy

    India, Sri Lanka to issue stamps on democracy

    Sri Lanka Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that 3,000 stamp sets, 5,000 souvenir sheets and 2,000 first-day covers are to be exchanged between India and Sri Lanka….reports Susitha Fernando

    A collection of commemorative stamps are to be issued jointly by India and Sri Lanka to mark the 75 years of Independence.

    An MoU is to be signed between the two countries to issue a set of stamps under the theme of �Democracy’, Sri Lanka Cabinet spokesman and Media Minister Bandula Gunawardena said on Tuesday.

    The postal departments of India and Sri Lanka are to jointly issue the stamps to mark the 75th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s Independence from British rule. The stamps are to depict the Parliaments of the two South Asian neighbours.

    Sri Lanka Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that 3,000 stamp sets, 5,000 souvenir sheets and 2,000 first-day covers are to be exchanged between India and Sri Lanka.

    After India attained Independence after a long struggle on August 15, 1947, Sri Lanka became independent on February 4, 1948.

    Celebrities extends greetings

    As India celebrated its 76th Independence Day on Monday, several young celebrities from Sri Lanka extended their warm greetings to the nation.

    A video was posted on Youth Celebrity Forum’s YouTube account in which young musicians, actors and filmmakers from Sri Lanka could be seen marking the 75 years of India’s independence by hailing the relationship between the two counties.

    “We together fought against the British empire for our freedom and we won. I feel we (Sri Lanka and India) are one, we share the same roots, same culture and we are connected in all ways. We share the same spiritual brotherhood. Freedom is something we had to fight for and the time has come to celebrate the fact that we still have our freedom and we should never let go of it,” singer-actor Devnaka Porage said.

    Musician Hashini Wedanda thanked India for always supporting Sri Lanka.

    “India and Sri Lanka are connected, We are forever grateful that you have our back…Wishing you a very happy Independence Day,” she said.

    Hailing the ties between Sri Lanka and India, singer Ishini Thamodya Jayathilake said, “India holds an important relationship with mother Sri Lanka. India, a very happy Independence Day.”

    For the unversed, India is becoming a stronger and more mutually beneficial partner to Sri Lanka. Apart from assistance during the pandemic and fertilizer chaos, India has also donated basic products for the island nation. India in the last several months, has provided assistance on several fronts to the island nation to tide over its economic crisis.

    Assistance from India in the last few months has been given to Sri Lanka in the form of; a USD 500 million oil line of credit; USD 1 billion lines of credit for essentials to be imported from India under negotiation; Currency swap of USD 400 million; Deferral of USD 515 million under Asian Clearance Union; 40,000 MT of fuel on credit; 100,000 Rapid Antigen Test kits and supply of 1,000 tons of liquid medical oxygen.

    Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has been suffering a diesel shortage since February, which led to hours of daily power cuts. At present, Sri Lanka is struggling with acute food and electricity shortages, forcing the country to seek help from its neighbours.

    India under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, has always come forward to help the debt-ridden island country. Recently, India has extended 8 Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1,850.64 million in the past 10 years. (IANS/ANI)

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  • Lankan institutions directed to cut expenses

    Lankan institutions directed to cut expenses

    President Wickremesinghe advised heads of institutions not to lease new buildings, and the approval of the Treasury is needed before renting new vehicles or extending existing lease agreements…reports Asian Lite News

    Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed heads of all government institutions to adhere to a circular issued by the Treasury on the limits of government expenditure.

    In a statement issued on Monday, the President’s media unit said that the heads of the institutions exceeding these limits will have to use their personal funds to finance the expenses, Xinhua news agency reported.

    The media unit said these instructions have been relayed to the ministry secretaries, heads of departments, provincial secretaries, corporation presidents, institutional boards and government-owned trading institutions.

    The government decided to limit expenses of state institutions to help overcome the economic challenges facing the country, the media unit said.

    President Wickremesinghe advised heads of institutions not to lease new buildings, and the approval of the Treasury is needed before renting new vehicles or extending existing lease agreements.

    Meanwhile, demonstrations planned by Sri Lankan opposition parties and trade unions have fizzled out, with smaller crowds turning up to mark the fourth month of an anti-government protest campaign launched in the wake of the ongoing economic crisis.

    In contrast to the tens of thousands who turned up for previous protests, less than 2,000 were at one of the main rally sites in Colombo on Tuesday, police said.

    At a demonstration near the President’s office, where people have been camped for the past four months, only about 150 people arrived, reports dpa news agency.

    “The crackdown by the government and the arrest of anti-government protesters may have deterred people coming-out to show their dissent,” one of the demonstrators said.

    President Ranil Wickremesinghe has also taken the wind out of the protesters’ sails by addressing shortages of gas and fuel, and restoring some sense of political stability, although Sri Lanka remains under a state of emergency.

    Wickremesinghe was elected to the post by a parliamentary vote on July 20 after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country.

    More than 100 protesters, including those who stormed the residences and offices of Sri Lanka’s top leaders, have been arrested so far.

    An unprecedented economic crisis, the worst since the country gained independence in 1948, led to unrest amid fuel, gas and food shortages.

    Protesters began camping outside the President’s office on April 9.

    On May 9, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down and on June 9 Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa resigned.

    Protesters stormed the former President’s official residence on July 9, forcing him to quit.

    ALSO READ-Chinese spy ship reaches Lanka

  • Chinese spy ship reaches Lanka

    Chinese spy ship reaches Lanka

    Chinese vessel ‘Yuan Wang-5’ is widely believed to be a spy ship. It was given clearance to arrive on Sri Lanka port last week…reports Asian Lite News

    A Chinese research vessel – widely tagged as a spy ship – reached Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port on Tuesday morning, reports said, amid concerns in India. The vessel – Yuan Wang-5 – was give clearance to arrive at the Sri Lanka port over the weekend. Yuan Wang-5 is used by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to track satellites and ballistic missiles. The ship is said to have some 2,000 sailors aboard.

    “Having considered all material in place, on 13 August 2022, the clearance to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China was conveyed for the deferred arrival of the vessel from 16-22 August 2022,” Sri Lanka’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.

    The Hambantota Port has been taken by China on a debt swap by China on a 99-year-lease. It’s considered to be strategically important because of its location.

    The arrival of the vessel in debt-ridden Sri Lanka – which was initially expected on August 11 – comes after the island nation had asked Beijing earlier this month to defer the entry. This was, however, followed by a sharp reaction from China, which said that it was “completely unjustified” for certain countries to cite the so-called “security concerns” to pressure Colombo and “grossly interfere” in its internal affairs. Beijing had said it had sought new entry dates “for replenishment purposes of the vessel”.

    However, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi gave a sharp response over Beijing’s comment. “We reject the insinuations in the statement about India. Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and makes its own independent decisions,” Bagchi had said.

    “As regards India-China relations, we have consistently emphasised the necessity of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests as a basis for the development of ties.”

    Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at South Asian University, Dhananjay Tripathi says: “Sri Lanka is caught in a quandary. It cannot refuse China because it is under a pile of debt. Also, by giving a nod to the entry of the ship we can see that there is a strong Chinese influence in the current administration”.

    Tripathi says that there will also be a section in India’s neighbouring countries that will be anti-India. “We have a section that opposes India in Sri Lanka as well. But I feel that India should ignore such voices. Over time these voices will get neutralised”. Many anti-India sentiments are driven by personal political agendas as well external forces, he added.

    India has, largely, been the only country to have come to Sri Lanka’s aid since the beginning of this year with nearly $4 billion in lines of credit (LoC) and humanitarian aid. Colombo’s repeated requests for help went unheard in Beijing.

    Regarding the comments made by the outspoken Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, Tripathi says: “It is very cunning of China to use a third country to spy on India. If Sri Lanka is a sovereign country with the right to develop relations with other countries, India too is a sovereign State with a genuine right to express its concerns over the arrival of a spy ship”.

    India had last week asked Sri Lanka to defer the ‘Yuan Wang 5’ research ship’s docking at the commercial port of Hambantota over fears that the ship will be detrimental to India’s defence and economic interests in the Indian Ocean region.

    Military experts say that the ship is one of China’s latest space-tracking ships which can monitor satellites, missiles and rockets, and hence India’s concerns.

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  • Pak warship to take part in ‘war games’ with Lanka

    Pak warship to take part in ‘war games’ with Lanka

    According to report, the ship is expected to remain in the island until August 15 and the crew of the ship will take part in several programmes ..reports Asian Lite News

    Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Taimur has arrived at the port of Colombo and will conduct a joint exercise with the Sri Lankan Navy in the western seas, according to Sri Lankan media.

    The 134m-long Chinese-built frigate warship PNS Taimur was commanded by Captain M Yasir Tahir and it is manned by 169 as the ship’s complement, News First reported.

    According to the media report, the ship is expected to remain in the island until August 15 and the crew of the ship will take part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy to promote cooperation between the two navies.

    In June this year, China delivered the second of four powerful Type 054A/P frigates to the Pakistan Navy, according to Global Times.

    The PNS Taimur is the second of four Type 054 A/P frigates China built for the Pakistan Navy. The first Type 054A/P frigate, the PNS Tughril, joined the Pakistan Navy Fleet in January, according to Global Times.

    As a technologically advanced and highly capable sea asset, the PNS Taimur has high-tech weapons and sensors, and the latest combat management and electronic warfare systems to fight in multi-threat environments, according to a statement issued by Pakistan Navy.

    Pakistan President Arif Alvi said that the Type 054A/Ps will not only serve to reinforce the security architecture of Pakistan’s maritime zones across the country’s maritime border but also help safeguard the sea routes of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). (ANI)

    ALSO READ: Lanka allows Chinese ship to dock at Hambantota despite India’s concerns

  • Australia men’s cricket team donate tour prize money to crisis-hit Lanka

    Australia men’s cricket team donate tour prize money to crisis-hit Lanka

    The tour of Sri Lanka in June-July 2021 was Australia’s first trip to the island nation since 2016. Australia won the T20I series 2-1 before Sri Lanka clinched the ODI series 3-2. The tour ended with the two-match Test series in Galle at 1-1…reports Asian Lite News

    Australia’s men’s cricket team players on Thursday said they have donated their prize money from the recent all-format tour of Sri Lanka to support children and families impacted by the island nation’s economic crisis, the worst in decades for the country.

    The donation will be led by Test captain Pat Cummins, who is a UNICEF Australia ambassador, and white-ball skipper Aaron Finch. In all, the team will donate 45,000 Australia dollars (25,36,294 lakhs in INR) to the organisation’s Sri Lanka appeal.

    The donation made by Australia men’s cricketers will go towards UNICEF’s programs to support nutrition, healthcare, safe drinking water, education, and mental health services for 1.7 million vulnerable Sri Lankan children in need.

    “It was very clear to us how much day-to-day life for Sri Lankans is being impacted. When the team saw what was happening it was an easy decision to donate our prize money to UNICEF, who have been in Sri Lanka for more than 50 years supporting the needs of children and families,” Cummins was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

    The tour of Sri Lanka in June-July 2021 was Australia’s first trip to the island nation since 2016. Australia won the T20I series 2-1 before Sri Lanka clinched the ODI series 3-2. The tour ended with the two-match Test series in Galle at 1-1.

    Since April this year, Sri Lanka has been in acute economic and social crisis due to daily power cuts, rising fuel prices and massive shortages of basic essentials like food and medicines. During Australia’s second Test against Sri Lanka, peaceful protests happened around Galle International Cricket Stadium and in capital city Colombo apart from long lines by people for filing petrol in vehicles.

    In 2021, Cummins and Cricket Australia both donated 50,000 Australian dollars (28,18,621 lakhs in INR) for oxygen supplies during India’s Covid-19 crisis, when the second wave wreaked havoc in 2021, that resulted in the postponement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mid-way when the bio-bubbles were breached by the virus.

    “Last year Australian cricketers got behind India in its time of crisis during the peak of the COVID-19 Delta wave and we thank them for again giving generously to help Sri Lankans impacted by the current crisis. Australia has a strong bond with Sri Lanka that goes beyond the match days and this donation is gratefully received to support the long-term wellbeing of Sri Lanka’s families,” said Tony Stuart, UNICEF Australia CEO.

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  • SC extends travel ban on Mahinda, Basil

    SC extends travel ban on Mahinda, Basil

    The motion sought an investigation to be carried out against those individuals who are responsible for Sri Lanka’s economic crisis…reports Asian Lite News

    Sri Lankan Supreme Court on Wednesday extended the travel ban imposed on the country’s former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa until September 5.

    The Sri Lankan Supreme Court had earlier issued an interim order that prevented them from leaving the country without the court’s permission until August 11.

    A motion had been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an overseas travel ban on Mahinda Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa and former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Colombo Gazette reported.

    The motion sought an investigation to be carried out against those individuals who are responsible for Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, in line with a fundamental rights petition filed before the Supreme Court.

    The fundamental rights petition was filed by a group including former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Chandra Jayaratne, former Sri Lanka swimming champion Julian Bolling, Jehan Kanagaratna and Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL).

    Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration has cancelled the Medical visa issued to the British citizen, Kayleigh Fraser who published content on social media regarding the Galle Face protest.

    She has also been asked to leave the country before 15th August, reported News Wire.

    On July 22, 2022, a large military group, along with the police, launched a raid near the Presidential Secretariat and the protest site at Galle Face to clear the area of protesters. Several arrests were made.

    The armed soldiers were deployed in a bid to control the protestors who have been protesting against the new Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe outside the premises of the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat. Protesters are alleging that security personnel raided the anti-government protest camp in the capital on early Friday.

    With many Sri Lankans experiencing extreme shortages of essentials including food and fuel, peaceful protests began in March. The protests led then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign on May 9, and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to flee the country on July 13 and resign the following day.

    Wickremasinghe became acting president, and parliament elected him as the new president on July 20 with the support of the Rajapaksas’ political party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.

    Sri Lanka continues to face a severe shortage of fuel and other essential supplies and is in the throes of its worst-ever economic crisis with soaring inflation. The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice.

    Reduced domestic agricultural production, lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages.

    The economic crisis will push many families into hunger and poverty – some for the first time – adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic. (ANI)

    ALSO READ: Will Lanka stand up to China on spy ship row?

  • Will Lanka stand up to China on spy ship row?

    Will Lanka stand up to China on spy ship row?

    China is also aware that the mood in Sri Lanka is fairly anti-China and also anti-Gotabaya Rajapaksa as people are questioning whether expensive Chinese infrastructure projects…reports Rahul Kumar

    By mounting pressure on Sri Lanka to accept a research ship, which India calls a spy ship, Beijing is testing the depth and the mood in the new Sri Lankan administration of President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

    Experts say that by insisting that Sri Lanka invite the Yuan Wang 5 tracking and survey vessel to dock at the Hambantota Port on August 11 for a week, China has shown duplicity in its relations with Sri Lanka. Though China has not stepped forward to help Sri Lanka – which is grappling with public discontent and a grave financial crisis since the beginning of this year, Beijing is definitely asserting itself on the new administration in Colombo.

    China is also aware that the mood in Sri Lanka is fairly anti-China and also anti-Gotabaya Rajapaksa as people are questioning whether expensive Chinese infrastructure projects – the airport in Hambantota, the Lotus tower in Colombo and many others – were for the benefit of Sri Lanka or the Chinese companies. Sri Lanka had to give away the Hambantota Port on lease to China for 99 years after it could not pay off the debt incurred on the construction of the port.

    Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at South Asian University, Dhananjay Tripathi says: “Sri Lanka is caught in a quandary. It cannot refuse China because it is under a pile of debt. Also, by giving a nod to the entry of the ship we can see that there is a strong Chinese influence in the current administration”.

    Tripathi says that there will also be a section in India’s neighbouring countries that will be anti-India. “We have a section that opposes India in Sri Lanka as well. But I feel that India should ignore such voices. Over time these voices will get neutralised”. Many anti-India sentiments are driven by personal political agendas as well external forces, he added.

    India has, largely, been the only country to have come to Sri Lanka’s aid since the beginning of this year with nearly $4 billion in lines of credit (LoC) and humanitarian aid. Colombo’s repeated requests for help went unheard in Beijing.

    Regarding the comments made by the outspoken Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Monday, Tripathi says: “It is very cunning of China to use a third country to spy on India. If Sri Lanka is a sovereign country with the right to develop relations with other countries, India too is a sovereign State with a genuine right to express its concerns over the arrival of a spy ship”.

    In a regular foreign ministry briefing on Monday, Wang had said that it was “completely unjustified for certain countries to cite the so-called ‘security concerns’ to pressure Sri Lanka.” He was indirectly referring to India.

    India had last week asked Sri Lanka to defer the ‘Yuan Wang 5’ research ship’s docking at the commercial port of Hambantota over fears that the ship will be detrimental to India’s defence and economic interests in the Indian Ocean region.

    Military experts say that the ship is one of China’s latest space-tracking ships which can monitor satellites, missiles and rockets, and hence India’s concerns.

    (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

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  • Lanka Premier League 2022 to start on December 6

    Lanka Premier League 2022 to start on December 6

    Asia Cup, set to begin on August 27, was also shifted from Sri Lanka to the UAE due to similar reasons…reports Asian Lite News

    The rescheduled 2022 Lanka Premier League will be held from December 6 to 23, the organisers announced on Tuesday.

    The third season of the LPL was initially slated to be held in August, but the economic crisis engulfing the island nation had forced a postponement last month.

    “It’s my pleasure to announce that the LPL will be held from 6th to 23rd December,” LPL tournament organiser Samantha Dodanwela told the media. The news was also confirmed by IPG, the LPL’s official promoter, on Twitter.

    According to ESPNcricinfo report, the sponsors of LPL felt that organising the tournament in August during the crisis was suboptimal, which led to the official postponement in July. Later, the Asia Cup, set to begin on August 27, was also shifted from Sri Lanka to the UAE due to similar reasons.

    Meanwhile, no decision has been taken yet on a potential LPL re-draft. It is understood that the tournament organisers are deciding between two options: either holding a fresh draft, or going ahead with as many of the available players as possible with only the slots taken up by any unavailable foreign players being re-drafted.

    As per Sri Lanka’s Future Tours Program, the tournament will likely be sandwiched between a home Test series against West Indies in November and an away ODI series against India in December-January.

    The LPL is a five-team competition being held since 2020. Jaffna Kings, formerly the Stallions, have been champions in the two previous seasons while Galle Gladiators have been runners-up in both those editions.The other three teams are Colombo Stars, Kandy Falcons and Dambulla Giants – all three of whom have also gone through changes in ownership since the inaugural edition.

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  • Lanka: Anti govt protests fizzle out

    Lanka: Anti govt protests fizzle out

    At a demonstration near the President’s office, where people have been camped for the past four months, only about 150 people arrived…reports Asian Lite News

    Demonstrations planned by Sri Lankan opposition parties and trade unions have fizzled out, with smaller crowds turning up to mark the fourth month of an anti-government protest campaign launched in the wake of the ongoing economic crisis.

    In contrast to the tens of thousands who turned up for previous protests, less than 2,000 were at one of the main rally sites in Colombo on Tuesday, police said.

    At a demonstration near the President’s office, where people have been camped for the past four months, only about 150 people arrived, reports dpa news agency.

    “The crackdown by the government and the arrest of anti-government protesters may have deterred people coming-out to show their dissent,” one of the demonstrators said.

    President Ranil Wickremesinghe has also taken the wind out of the protesters’ sails by addressing shortages of gas and fuel, and restoring some sense of political stability, although Sri Lanka remains under a state of emergency.

    Wickremesinghe was elected to the post by a parliamentary vote on July 20 after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country.

    More than 100 protesters, including those who stormed the residences and offices of Sri Lanka’s top leaders, have been arrested so far.

    An unprecedented economic crisis, the worst since the country gained independence in 1948, led to unrest amid fuel, gas and food shortages.

    Protesters began camping outside the President’s office on April 9.

    On May 9, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down and on June 9 Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa resigned.

    Protesters stormed the former President’s official residence on July 9, forcing him to quit.

    ALSO READ: Row deepens as Lanka defers arrival of Chinese ‘spy vessel’

  • Row deepens as Lanka defers arrival of Chinese ‘spy vessel’

    Row deepens as Lanka defers arrival of Chinese ‘spy vessel’

    China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin told reporters on Monday that it “is completely unjustified for certain countries to cite the so-called ‘security concerns’ to pressure Sri Lanka”…reports Asian Lite News

    Despite pressure from Beijing, Sri Lanka is continuing to defer the arrival of controversial Chinese vessel ‘Yuang Wang’ 5 to its southern port run by China.

    On Saturday, following concerns raised by India, Sri Lanka urged China to indefinitely delay the entry for the tracking and survey vessel to the south Indian Ocean island nation.

    In a letter written to the Chinese Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said: “The Ministry wishes to request that the arrival date of the vessel Yuan Wang 5 in
    Hambantota to be deferred until further consultation are made on this matter.”

    On Monday, the Foreign Ministry stated: “In light of the need for further consultations, the Ministry has communicated to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Colombo to defer the visit of the said vessel to the Hambantota port.”

    It said that diplomatic clearance for the Chinese vessel to make a port call at the Hambantota August 11-17 for replenishment purposes was conveyed by the Ministry to the Chinese Embassy on July 12.

    However, the Foreign Ministry also reaffirmed the enduring friendship and excellent
    relations between Sri Lanka and China and referred to Sri Lanka’s firm commitment to the one-China policy which has been a consistent principle in the country’s foreign policy.

    Beijing raised strong protest against the Indian move.

    China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin told reporters on Monday that it “is completely unjustified for certain countries to cite the so-called ‘security concerns’ to pressure Sri Lanka”.

    “We urge the relevant parties to see China’s marine scientific research activities in a rational light and stop disrupting normal exchange and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka,” Wang, who didn’t mention the name of India, stated.

    “Sri Lanka is a sovereign country. It has the right to develop relations with other countries based on its development interests. To have normal cooperation is the independent choice made by our two countries. It serves the shared interests of both sides and does not target any third party.”

    Soon after Sri Lanka announced that the Chinese ship has been asked not to enter its port, Chinese diplomats had rushed to meet President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

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