Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and National List MP Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne will leave for Geneva today (26), to urge the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to give Sri Lanka an extension of a further 18 to 24 months to implement the co-sponsored resolution. They will also call for financial support for the processes of this implementation.

Reliable sources said, the government which is alleged to have not 'drafted' an action plan for the US co-sponsored resolution, would face a fresh resolution sponsored by the Core Group (US, UK and Montenegro) pressuring Sri Lanka to implement the existing resolution with close international monitoring. The text of this new resolution has however, not been revealed so far. Ceylon Today learns that several Civil Society groups are also expected to urge the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein to concede the extension sought by the Lankan Government as well as accommodate its financial aid appeal for implementation of the resolution.

Speculation was also rife that several members of the Consultation Task Force established by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will also leave for Geneva within the next few days to engage in human rights advocacy initiatives at the UNHRC. Minister Samaraweera will attend the high-level segment of the 34th session in Geneva which will be followed by the consultation segment that will consider the report. The Report on Sri Lanka is to be presented by the UNHRC High Commissioner on 22 March for debate. The civil society groups have already circulated a detailed letter to the countries which co-sponsored the resolution detailing the Lankan Government's lack of financial support to implement the resolution. The letter was copied to the UN Rights High Commissioner three weeks ago.

The Government has addressed many of the teething issues and is facing stiff opposition against attempts to pass some of the toughest new laws through Parliament by way of amending legislation. The government has hence urged the UNHRC to afford it much more time to get the new Constitution on the rails and running. In the meantime, TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran who rushed to Geneva last week has informed the international body not to grant the Lankan Government this additional time unless the government gives an undertaking to implement the resolution with international monitoring in the process. He also hinted that if the government tries to introduce any changes to the existing resolution, the TNA would vehemently reject such attempts.

He had said the TNA does not want the Government to backtrack on the UNHRC resolution. He has also stressed that there is a need for international judges and investigators in the alleged war crimes probe. The Human Rights Council which is already lacking funds to support its member countries has revealed that their estimated budget for work in Sri Lanka is USD 648,000.

Also, several Tamil Diaspora organizations have been holding serious talks in the UK and in Geneva with the international community urging them 'not to grant' Sri Lanka the two-year extension because the political setup in the country is unpredictable having a Local Government Election also at hand that will take up more time. A crucial lobby is in progress in Geneva against Sri Lanka's attempt to 'buy time' from the UN body, Ceylon Today learns. There are 13 secondary events scheduled for the 34th Session of the Human Rights Council on the situation in Sri Lanka. The 34th Session of the HRC will begin on 27 February and end on 24 March.

Ahead of the presidential election scheduled for October this year, the foreign powers have ramped up their efforts in the assessment of ground political developments as was in the case of vital elections in the past.

Refuting reports that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa avoided meeting visiting Iranian President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi, SJB MP Nalin Bandara said today that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa did not get an appointment from the Iranian Embassy to meet the Iranian President.

A soldier was killed and nine others injured when a lorry collided with an army cab at Vasanthanagar in Mankulam early this morning. Police said the lorry travelling from Mankulam to Kilinochchi, crashed onto the cab ahead of it. The injured soldiers were rushed to Kilinochchi Hospital, where one of them succumbed to injuries upon admission.

While condemning the media reports, the Milk Powder Importers’ Association said today that they had not taken any decision to reduce the retail prices of the milk powder packets in the local market. The association media spokesman, Asoka Bandara, said the statement circulated on media platforms is incorrect.

Management of Sri Lanka’s southern Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport has been awarded to a Russia and India joint venture, cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said.

Public Security Minister Tiran Alles told the police today that eliminating criminals from the country is not a sin and not to be afraid to use weapons. He made these remarks while participating in the passing out parade at Katukurunda STF Training camp.

The Election Commission (EC) stated that several recognised political parties have had to be set aside from the relevant list due to internal crises within the said parties. According to the official website of the EC, there are 84 recognised political parties in Sri Lanka.

In a scathing rebuttal of allegations by Malcom Cardinal Ranjith regarding the Easter Sunday attacks, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said Cardinal Ranjith either glosses over the responsibility of, or expressly absolves the two parties actually involved in the terrorist strikes.

In its first move for the formation of a broad political alliance, President Ranil Wickremesinghe had a meeting with Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) stalwart Basil Rajapaksa and representatives of other parties and groups, and decided to accelerate political work in view of the presidential election after May Day.

The rice distributed among schools said to be unsuitable for children's co consumption was provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) and not by the government, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha assured today.

Opposition Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara has raised concerns about a growing trend where Sri Lankan retired military personnel are allegedly being exploited in a scheme to send them to serve in the Russian and Ukrainian Armies.

The main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), queried about the actions taken against certain officers in the State Intelligence Service (SIS), who, in certain instances, allegedly blocked the investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) into the Easter Sunday attacks that took place in 2019.

Sri Lanka took minimal steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses, the 2023 report issued by the US State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour on Sri Lanka's Human Rights Practices has alleged.

A top delegation of the Chinese Communist Party headed by Vice Minister of the International Department, Sun Haiyan met National People's Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the JVP head office today. The delegation included head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party Liu Jianchao and Political Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka Chen Xiang Yuan.

The head of one of Canada’s largest police forces met with a Sri Lankan inspector general of police who two weeks earlier had been found by the South Asian country’s highest court to have “participated in the torture” of an arrested man.

The Colombo District Court issued an interim injunction preventing former President Maithripala Sirisena from functioning as the chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Ebrahim Raisi and President Ranil Wickremesinghe jointly inaugurated the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project (UOMDP) a short while ago. This project is one of the largest irrigation projects in Sri Lanka following the Mahaweli Development Project

The three-day adournment debate on the Easter Sunday attacks commenced in Parliament today. The adournment debate was moved by SJB MP Niroshan Perera and seconded by SJB MP Kavinda Jayawardane. The debate will be held for three days.

The Sri Lanka Army has decided to appoint a special investigation committee consisting of 07 senior officers chaired by a Major General to probe the accident that occurred during the Diyatalawa Fox Hill Supercross.

Vice Minister of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, Sun Haiyan, is set to arrive in Sri Lanka today for a two-day official visit, as reported by The Thinakaran Newspaper.