8chan/8kun QResearch Posts (51)
#17601544 at 2022-09-29 09:17:57 (UTC+1)
Q Reseach General #21581: Anons Are Not Divided by Race, Creed or Religion Edition
Re: Myanmar, Suu Kyi, Sean Turnell conviction/sentencing, Open Society
Suu Kyi convicted again, Australian economist gets 3 years
Suu Kyi received a three-year sentence after being convicted with [Sean] Turnell under the secrets law
She had already been sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment after being convicted of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, violating coronavirus restrictions, sedition, election fraud and five corruption charges.
Suu Kyi is still being tried on seven counts under the country's anti-corruption law, with each count punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine.
Three members of her Cabinet were also found guilty, each receiving sentences of three years.
9/28/22
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/suu-kyi-convicted-again-australian-economist-gets-3-years/ar-AA12nf9C
9:00 AM Arrival of Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the Guests of Honour Mr. George Soros and Prof. Joseph Stiglitz
11:30 AM Panel includes [Sean Turnell]
January 07th & 08th 2016
https://srilankaeconomicforum.org/
Task Force on U.S. Policy toward Burma/Myanmar
Principal Advisor: Sean Turnell
Member: George Soros
March 2010
https://asiasociety.org/files/pdf/ASBurmaMyanmar_TaskForceReport.pdf
The drawn-out show trial of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has once again focused attention on Burma and sparked discussion on how to engage the regime
By Sean Turnell Aug. 6, 2009 3:24 pm ET
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204313604574329181770155154
Open Society Institute convened a panel to revisit the situation in Burma in light of that government's recently announced "roadmap to democracy,"
Speakers (include):
Sean Turnell, Co-Founder and Editorial Board Member, Burma Economic Watch; Professor of Economics, Macquarie University (Australia)
03/25/08
https://asiasociety.org/new-york/crisis-burma-search-unified-international-response
#17483458 at 2022-09-02 17:29:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21430: The Devil Is In The Details Edition
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/deposed-former-president-rajapaksa-set-to-return-to-sri-lank
Deposed former president Rajapaksa set to return to Sri Lanka
A Sri Lankan defense official told AFP that Sri Lanka's deposed former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa is anticipated to return to the nation on Saturday morning. The deposed President fled the country following protests that came in response to the worsening economic crisis.
The disgraced figure fled to the Maldives on July 13 and left there for Singapore a day later. Rajapaksa resigned by email, Indunil Yapa, the parliament speaker's spokesperson said hours after he landed in Singapore following the protesters' storming of his palace over the weekend.
Shortly after, Rajapaksa fled to Thailand since Singapore refused to extend his 28-day visa. In Bangkok, however, security authorities requested he does not leave his hotel residence as his safety remains at risk.
The official, who chose to remain anonymous, told AFP on September 2nd that the deposed former president "has been living in a Thai hotel as a virtual prisoner and was keen to return," adding that "We are told he will return very early on Saturday. We have just created a new security division to protect him after his return on Saturday. The unit comprises elements from the army and police commandos."
According to Sri Lanka's constitution, former presidents are guaranteed bodyguards, a vehicle, and housing.
In a meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe last month, Rajapaksa's younger brother, Basil, a former finance minister, asked for security guarantees to enable the ousted former president's return.
Rajapaksa's political party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), said in a statement that "Basil Rajapaksa requested the president to make arrangements for the former president to return home."
The economy behind the political turmoil
Sri Lanka has been overpowered with months of lack of food, fuel, and medicine, extended power cuts, and inflation following a foreign exchange crisis that left importers unable to pay for vital goods and a turn of events with the island's former President chased from the country and bankruptcy filed with mounting foreign debt.
July witnessed huge protests in the country, and an angry crowd entered the official residence of Rajapaksa, who as a result fled the island and issued his resignation from Singapore.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) board will need to agree on Thursday's staff agreement, which depends on Sri Lanka finalizing a deal to restructure its $51 billion in foreign debt with creditors. The IMF has set a $2.9 billion bailout amount for the revival of the country's economy.
#17476784 at 2022-09-01 15:37:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21422: Daylight Burning Bright, Patriots Fight Edition
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/sri-lanka-under-29-billion-condition-to-remedy-economic-cris
Sri Lanka under $2.9 billion condition to remedy economic crisis
The country has been overpowered with months of lack of food, fuel, and medicine, extended power cuts, and inflation following a foreign exchange crisis that left importers unable to pay for vital goods and a turn of events with the island's President chased from the country and bankruptcy filed with mounting foreign debt.
July witnessed huge protests in the country, and an angry crowd entered the official residence of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who as a result fled the island and issued his resignation from Singapore.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) board will need to agree on Thursday's staff agreement, which depends on Sri Lanka finalizing a deal to restructure its $51 billion in foreign debt with creditors. The IMF has set a $2.9 billion bailout amount for the revival of the country's economy.
In a statement after talks in the capital Colombo, the IMF stated that "Sri Lanka has been facing an acute crisis… disproportionately borne by the poor and vulnerable…. the objectives of Sri Lanka's new Fund-supported program are to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability," adding that a "good faith agreement" with creditors alongside debt sustainability was considered crucial to be met before the lender provides the funds.
The country's biggest bilateral lender, China, which accounts for approximately 10% of borrowings, confirmed it is ready to maintain close contact with Sri Lanka and "meet the challenges together," commenting that "we will together maintain a healthy and stable development of relations under our trade agreement [China-Ceylon Rice Rubber Pact signed in 1952]," according to the Chinese Commerce Ministry Spokesperson Shu Jueting.
According to IMF, Sri Lanka agreed to increase revenue and remove subsidies, while ensuring a flexible exchange rate and rebuilding its foreign reserves, which had hit rock bottom.
Price increases of 64.3%
After his predecessor escaped, President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced additional tax increases and drastic reforms as part of efforts to bring debt under control, as his policies and government had already bumped up prices on fuel and electricity more than thrice and removed energy subsidies, a key pre-condition for the IMF bailout.
Sri Lanka's unforeseen economic crisis began when the country ran out of foreign exchange to buy the goods and services needed to maintain its import-reliant economy running.
Against the greenback this year, the Sri Lankan rupee has also lost more than 45% of its value.
The coronavirus pandemic was a hard hit to the island's tourism industry, drying up foreign remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad who are both considered key foreign exchange earners and producers.
Rajapaksa's former government was condemned for introducing unsustainable tax cuts that bolstered government debt and aggravated the crisis, whereby inflation hit a monthly record in August with the country's main standard showing price average rises of 64.3%.
#17398060 at 2022-08-15 16:18:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21321: Can We Identify any of the Antifa Protestors Edition
>>17398059
Last month, protesters breached the presidential residence and prime minister's office, and it was the one thing that felt good. Along with thousands of ordinary Sri Lankans, I got to see inside these colonial-era fortresses for the first time. It was spontaneous, safe and respectful. Couples went on dates there, parents brought their kids. I saw people singing in the president's house, a mother dancing with her toddler, people swimming in the pool. I walked around a hall lined with plaques bearing the names of British colonizers, which seamlessly became the names of our own presidents.
At the prime minister's office, someone played the piano and a shirtless man draped in a Sri Lankan flag slept on a couch. Four guys had set up a game of carrom and were flicking the discs around. A child joyfully cartwheeled across the lawn outside, and a community kitchen served rice to anyone that was hungry. It was a beautiful sight in a space where elites had nipped on canapes before, surrounded by armed guards. It felt hopeful.
But what had briefly felt like true democracy didn't last. Parliament merely replaced President Rajapaksa with one of his cronies, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has been prime minister a handful of times but lost his parliamentary seat in 2020. He has turned the military on demonstrators and arrested protesters and trade unionists. It's all been "constitutional," eroding faith in the whole liberal democratic system.
Sri Lanka - like so many other countries struggling for solvency - remains a colony with administration outsourced to the International Monetary Fund. We still export cheap labor and resources, and import expensive finished goods - the basic colonial model. The country is still divided and conquered by local elites, while real economic control is held abroad. The I.M.F. has extended loans to Sri Lanka 16 times, always with stringent conditions. They just keep restructuring us for further exploitation by creditors.
And as much as the West blames Chinese predatory lending, only around 10 to 20 percent of Sri Lanka's foreign debt is owed to China. The majority is owed to U.S. and European financial institutions, or Western allies like Japan. We died in a largely Western debt trap.
Other countries face the same peril. Around 60 percent of low-income nations and 30 percent of middle-income ones are in debt distress or at high risk of it. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Ghana, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Sudan - the list of those in trouble is growing rapidly. An estimated 60 percent of the world's workforce has lower real incomes than before the pandemic, and the rich countries offer little to no help.
But big economies are suffering too. Europe faces energy uncertainty, Americans are struggling to fill their tanks, the United States may already be in recession, its asset bubble threatens to pop and British families face food worries.
It's going to get worse: The I.M.F. just warned that the likelihood of a global recession is mounting. As economies collapse, Western loans simply won't get repaid and poor nations will crash out of the dollar system that props up Western lifestyles. Then, even Americans won't be able to money-print their way out of trouble. It's already begun. Sri Lanka has started settling loans in Indian rupees while India is buying Russian oil in rubles. China may buy Saudi oil with yuan.
The Sri Lankan uprising that threw out our leaders is called the Aragalaya. It means "struggle." It's going to be a long one, and it's spreading across the world.
2 of 2
#16810591 at 2022-07-25 22:21:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21197: Spammers attack, what triggered them RUSSIA cbdc or Iran nukes edition
>>16810572
Ranil Wickremesinghe
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Office of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Degree in Law, University of Colombo. 1972, enrolled as Advocate, Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Practised as a lawyer for five years. 1977, elected to Parliament. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Jayewardene. Then appointed to the Cabinet as the Minister of Youth Affairs and Employment. Later on, was given the portfolio of Education. 1989, made Leader of the House under President Premadasa. Also served as Minister of Industries, Science and Technology. 1993-94, 2001-04 and since Jan. 2015, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Leader of the United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka's largest political party. Has written and spoken widely on Sri Lankan history, Buddhism and world politics. Chair, Dhayakasabha of one of Sri Lanka's historic temples, the Kelaniya Vihara. Dhayakaya of Gangaramaya, Walukaramaya and the Weragodalla (Sedawatte) temples. Interests: cutting-edge developments in all fields of knowledge globally and locally; Sinhala music, western classics and opera.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/authors/Ranil-Wickremesinghe
#16810543 at 2022-07-25 22:11:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21197: Spammers attack, what triggered them RUSSIA cbdc or Iran nukes edition
Digital ID QR Code Now Required To Access Gas Pumps In Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's new president Ranil Wickremesinghe is enforcing a QR code digital ID program to access gas in an effort to ration fuel.
Sri Lankans must now comply with the new Fuel Quota policies requiring them to use their National Identity Card Numbers to apply for an assigned QR code to access a gas pump.
The Sri Lankan government is employing the country's armed guards to enforce the QR code requirement.
As Counter Signal reports:
Sri Lankans will then be made to take turns to get fuel based on the last digit of their vehicle registration numbers. However, tourists and foreigners will be given priority to get fuel in Colombo (the largest city in Sri Lanka) - likely to avoid even more damage to Sri Lanka's tourism industry.
Armed guards are reportedly assisting with implementing the QR code digital ID fuel rationing program. They were also previously deployed to gas stations and equipped with military-grade weapons to prevent those with "non-essential vehicles" from purchasing gas.
The policy was introduced by Sri Lankan Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera.
https://thecountersignal.com/sri-lanka-implements-qr-code-digital-id-fuel-rationing/
https://twitter.com/kanchana_wij/status/1551549886729834496/photo/1
#16782133 at 2022-07-22 19:41:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21169: EBake for free
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sri-lanka-security-forces-raid-main-protest-camp-in-colombo
Sri Lanka security forces raid main protest camp in Colombo
Sri Lankan security forces demolished the main anti-government protest camp in the capital, evicting activists in a nighttime raid.
Troops and police Special Task Force commandos with batons and armed with automatic assault rifles raided the camp where protesters blocked the Presidential Secretariat.
Hundreds of soldiers removed the demonstrators' barricades outside the building, while the last remaining protesters on the premises were evicted.
This came hours before the country's new President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, swore in lawmaker Dinesh Gunawardena as the country's new Prime Minister to try to manage the financial crisis that has crippled the economy and triggered months of protests.
9 arrested, 2 injured
Wickremesinghe himself was elected by legislators on Wednesday to replace Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled to Singapore and resigned after demonstrators chased him from his palace.
The remaining protesters have been demanding Wickremesinghe also quit, accusing him of protecting the Rajapaksa regime which has dominated politics for much of the last two decades.
By morning, police commandos and soldiers armed with automatic assault rifles encircled the complex, and the main roads leading to the area remained blocked.
Hundreds of activists demonstrated at a nearby designated protest site against the authorities' actions, demanding Wickremesinghe's resignation and dissolving the parliament to allow for fresh elections, insisting they would continue their struggle.
"Police and security forces acted to clear protesters occupying the Presidential Secretariat, the main gate and the surroundings," police said in a statement.
"Nine people were arrested. Two of them were injured," it added.
Using force against journalists
Amnesty International urged Sri Lankan authorities to respect the right to protest and condemned the use of force against journalists, including a BBC photographer, covering the military action.
The overnight raid came after
Wickremesinghe's swearing-in, and it was condemned by the head of the influential Bar Association of Sri Lanka, Saliya Peiris, who warned it would hurt the new government's international image.
"Unnecessary use of brute force will not help this country and its international image," Peiris pointed out in a brief statement, adding that a lawyer was among those arrested.
Wickremesinghe warned protesters
Wickremesinghe has pledged to set up a unity government to steer the country out of its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.
A foreign exchange crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and exacerbated by mismanagement has left Sri Lanka suffering lengthy power blackouts and record-high inflation.
The country's 22 million people have also endured months of food, fuel, and medicine shortages.
The cabinet is scheduled to be sworn in later Friday and is expected to include opposition legislators.
After Rajapaksa stepped down, six-time Prime minister Wickremesinghe took over the leadership temporarily, until he was confirmed as the new President on Wednesday.
Wickremesinghe had warned protesters that occupying state buildings was illegal and that they would be evicted unless they left on their own.
The day Rajapaksa was forced to flee, protesters also set fire to Wickremesinghe's private home in the capital.
"If you try to topple the government, occupy the president's office and the prime minister's office, that is not democracy, it is against the law," he claimed.
Sweeping powers
Wickremesinghe has also declared a state of emergency that gives sweeping powers to armed forces and allows police to arrest and detain suspects for long periods without being charged.
Protesters have accused Wickremesinghe of being a proxy of the former president's powerful family - a charge he has denied.
"I am not a friend of the Rajapaksas," he told reporters at the Gangaramaya temple. "I am a friend of the people," the new Prime Minister claimed.
#16781797 at 2022-07-22 18:43:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21169: EBake for free
Sri Lankan protest camp raided
The move follows months of turmoil in the country that saw a new president elected
Sri Lankan security forces raided an anti-government protest camp outside the presidential office in Colombo on Friday. It comes amid a months-long political crisis sparked by a financial meltdown.
"A joint operation involving the military, police and police special forces was launched in the early hours to recover the presidential secretariat from the protesters as they have no legal right to hold it," police spokesperson Nalin Thalduwa told Reuters news agency.
According to police, the raid led to nine arrests, two of those detained were injured. The organizers of the protest claim that at least 50 people were injured, including several journalists. They also say they planned to hand over the presidential offices peacefully, an intention the police said they had no knowledge of.
The demonstrators accused authorities of a violent crackdown. "They beat us really cruelly," an activist told Reuters. "Mr Wickremesinghe doesn't know what democracy is," he added.
Media footage from the scene appears to show soldiers in riot gear, armed with rifles, marching towards the camp, known as Gota Go Gama, that had been in place since April. The name of the camp makes an apparent reference to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka's former president, and calls for his resignation.
The move comes after Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as president on Thursday after his predecessor fled the country and resigned. Sri Lanka has faced unrest for several months over severe food and fuel shortages and record inflation.
The crisis has been blamed on the Covid-19 pandemic, which cut tourist revenue for the island, and Rajapaksa's ban on chemical fertilizers, which was a major blow to the agricultural sector.
https://www.rt.com/news/559436-sri-lanka-protest-camp-raid/
#16768175 at 2022-07-20 13:25:44 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21151: bannon trial and us nukes connected to biolabs run by pentagon edition
20 Jul, 2022 08:26
HomeWorld News
Sri Lanka elects new president amid crisis
MPs have backed acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe for the top job
The Sri Lankan parliament has chosen six-time prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the island nation's new president. His predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country last week and resigned after heated protests over the state of the economy.
Wickremesinghe's candidacy was backed by 134 out of 223 MPs during a vote on Wednesday.
The 76-year-old political veteran has been acting president since Rajapaksa's departure.
There are concerns that Wickremesinghe's victory could lead to even more unrest as he's a known ally of the Rajapaksa clan, which most Sri Lankans now blame for their economic woes.
The acting president imposed a state of emergency on Monday, giving himself more powers to crack down on dissent.
Sri Lanka had been "divided on party lines," but now the "time has now come to work together," Wickremesinghe told parliament following the vote.
"It is not necessary to say how hard the condition of the country is economically, we have to embark on a new program to go forward," he insisted.
Wickremesinghe will be faced with a tough task as president. The country's economy collapsed in recent months, leading to shortages of fuel, food, and other essentials. The depletion of foreign reserves forced the authorities in Colombo to engage in bailout talks with the IMF.
The crisis is being blamed on the Covid-19 pandemic, which cut tourist revenue for the island, and Rajapaksa's ban on chemical fertilizers, which was a major blow to agriculture.
https://www.rt.com/news/559292-sri-lanka-president-parliament/
#16763001 at 2022-07-19 16:29:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21144: Do you believe in coincidences? Edition
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sri-lankan-opposition-leader-withdraws-presidential-candidac
Sri Lankan opposition leader withdraws presidential candidacy
The main opposition leader in Sri Lanka, Sajith Premadasa, withdrew from the country's presidential election on Tuesday in favor of a ruling party dissident.
Just a few minutes before nominations formally opened, Premadasa tweeted that his party will support Dullas Alahapperuma, a former media minister, to replace Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who resigned last week, "for the greater good of my country that I love and the people I cherish."
After the withdrawal of main Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Marxist JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Dullas Alahapperuma, and a breakaway SLPP candidate are the three leaders who will run for Sri Lanka's presidential elections.
On Monday, Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency as per a government notice which was released late on Sunday and reported by local media.
It is worth noting that Wickremesinghe has already declared a state of emergency last week after ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country, but it is unclear whether the order was withdrawn or lapsed.
While the current regulation's specifics have yet to be declared, previous emergency powers have been put into force to deploy the military to arrest and detain people, search private property, and quell protests.
Sri Lanka is set to elect a president this week, with parliament members set to hear presidential nominations on Tuesday.
The country has been facing a severe shortage of fuel, medicine, food, as well as record inflation rates.
As a result, the public outpoured rage and resentment toward the political leadership led President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country, submitting his resignation letter to parliament, which accepted it on Friday.
Simultaneously, Wickremesinghe was sworn in as interim president after serving as prime minister.
#16751438 at 2022-07-17 18:21:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21129: Roger, Ball Edition
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sri-lanka-protests-reach-their-100th-day
Sri Lanka protests reach their 100th day
Protests in Sri Lanka have reached their 100th day on Sunday, forcing one President out of his office and now the protestors are after his successor as the economic crisis worsens.
Last weekend, Gotabaya Rajapaksa narrowly escaped his palace just before protesters stormed his residence. Rajapaksa is blamed by the protesters for Sri Lanka's financial turmoil, which has put 22 million people in suffering as they endure food, medicine, and fuel shortages.
Rajapaksa's ousting was organized mainly by Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok posts.
It all began as a two-day protest on April 9, when tens of thousands of people sat in front of Rajapaksa's office.
After Rajapaska's resignation, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe automatically became acting President and is looking for a vote next week to become the next President. However, his popularity among protesters isn't so high.
US eyes Sri Lanka crisis with twisted excitement
Sri Lanka has become the first country to announce default on its foreign debt in the 21st century as its government declared bankruptcy, in addition to living a political crisis that has seen its President announce resignation and an economic crisis which has crippled millions of lives in the country.
Sri Lanka grapples with record inflation rates, medicine, fuel and food shortages which came as a result of multiple factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the country's lifeline, the tourism industry, and energy inflation, which came as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Sri Lanka's debt problem did not come from China as major Western news outlets are trying to portray. In fact, bilateral foreign debt to China only accounts for 10% of the country's outstanding foreign debt. Most of the debt is owed to commercial creditors and multilateral financial institutions from the West - those are largely responsible for the crippling debt, unpayable at this time. On its part, Sri Lanka sold the debt to vulture funds, which "exploited Sri Lanka's every penny."
Will Sri Lanka become a battlefield for exploitation? "Sri Lanka is already scarred and cannot bear the pressure and cost of becoming a geopolitical arena," The Global Times wrote. But, the US looks "at Sri Lanka which is in crisis not with anxiety, but with twisted excitement."
Genuine assistance to Colombo does not seem to be anywhere on the horizon.
#16739408 at 2022-07-15 20:05:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21114: No Baker/Notes Fryday Edition
Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as interim President, vows to restore law and order
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been sworn in as Sri Lanka's interim President until parliament elects a successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who resigned after mass protests over the country's economic collapse forced him from office.
Key points:
Ranil Wickremesinghe says he will initiate steps to curb presidential powers and strengthen parliament
He says he will also restore law and order and take legal action against "insurgents"
The process to elect a new president and prime minister for the country could be done in about seven days
The Speaker of Sri Lanka's parliament said Mr Rajapaksa resigned as president effective on Thursday and politicians would convene on Saturday to choose a new leader.
Their choice would serve out the remainder of Mr Rajapaksa's term ending in 2024, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana said.
He expects the process to be done in seven days.
Mr Wickremesinghe will lead the country in the meantime.
With Mr Rajapaksa forced out, pressure on Mr Wickremesinghe was rising.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-15/sri-lankan-pm-Wickremesinghe-sworn-in-as-interim-president/101243892
#16731092 at 2022-07-14 16:20:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21103: 8Kun - Where Chaos is Comfy Edition
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/rajapaksa-flees-to-maldives-sri-lanka-declares-state-of-emer
Rajapaksa flees to Maldives, Sri Lanka declares state of emergency
Just hours after Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country to the Maldives in a military aircraft, Colombo announced an indefinite nationwide state of emergency on Wednesday, according to the Prime Minister's office.
This comes a day after Rajapaksa's first attempt to leave the country before airport staff foiled his plan and forced him to retreat.
"Since the President is out of the country, an emergency has been declared to deal with the situation in the country," Dinouk Colombage, spokesman for the Prime Minister and current acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, told AFP.
In addition, police revealed that they were imposing an indefinite curfew across the Western Province to contain growing protests, as requested by Wickremesinghe.
Thousands of protesters stormed the prime minister's office, at which police threw tear gas to disperse them, as reported by AFP. The protesters demanded that Wickremesinghe resign along with Rajapaksa.
"There are ongoing protests outside the Prime Minister's office in Colombo and we need the curfew to contain the situation," a senior police officer told AFP. The police contended that they were following orders to suppress the demonstrators due to their role in the dysfunction of the state.
According to the Adaderana news portal, the Prime Minister also ordered arresting protesters who behave "inappropriately" as well as their vehicles.
On Saturday, thousands of men and women stormed Rajapaksa's residence, which drove him out to escape to a military base, later fleeing the country on Wednesday, the day he previously promised to resign on.
In April, all 24 ministers of Sri Lanka's cabinet resigned from their posts amid protests and clashes in the capital, Colombo.
Sri Lanka has been facing a severe shortage of fuel, medicine, food, as well as record inflation rates.
#16724699 at 2022-07-12 19:18:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21095: 8Kun the Most DDOS Site on the Net Edition
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sri-lanka-president-fails-bid-to-flee-country
Sri Lanka President fails bid to flee country
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has attempted to flee the country, which was met with failure after airport staff foiled his plan and forced him to retreat.
Rajapaksa is set to officially resign on Wednesday following months of demonstrations aimed at toppling the government and ending his reign as President. He was reportedly trying to escape to Dubai on Monday night.
The attempt was thwarted after immigration staff denied the president's request to access the VIP area of the airport to stamp his passport, officials said. He would not stand in the other queues out of fear of being among the public in light of the resentment felt toward him.
Due to the two aforementioned factors, Rajapaksa missed four flights to the UAE and he had to return to a nearby military base alongside his wife.
Though unconfirmed, officials told AFP that the president was mulling using a navy patrol craft to leave Sri Lanka in a bid to flee the outrage against him.
As President, Rajapaksa has immunity from arrest, and he reportedly wants to go abroad before resigning from his post to curtail any arrests. He could face charges of corruption and economic mismanagement. His actions bankrupted the country and led to the worst financial crisis in recorded history.
He could also face accusations of war crimes, including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during his time as Sri Lanka's minister of defense when he ended the civil war in 2009 with bloody means. For more than a decade, the allegations against him have not made it to any court of law.
His brother, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, was also prevented from boarding a flight to the United States over accusations of widespread corruption.
Following news of the Rajapsksas attempting to flee Sri Lanka, a motion was filed to the supreme court seeking an order to prohibit the former finance minister, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and several others who served in Rajapaksa's administration from being able to leave the country due to the damage they have done to the population and the economy.
The protests against the Rajapaksa administration culminated in the president fleeing his official residence in the capital as protestors were gathering around the presidential palace. The demonstrators later broke into the palace and have been there since, with security guards and personnel not doing anything to stop them.
In response, Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe summoned an urgent cabinet meeting to discuss a "swift resolution" to a potential power vacuum after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his official residence Saturday.
Wickremesinghe, who is next in line of succession if Rajapaksa resigns, invited political party leaders to join the meeting and also asked for parliament to be convened urgently to discuss the crisis, his office said in a statement.
Sri Lanka went into default on its $51 billion foreign debt in April and is currently negotiating a bailout with the International Monetary Fund.
#16711356 at 2022-07-11 00:42:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21078: Voodoo Chile Ebake Edition
Sri Lanka's Opposition Parties Reportedly Agree to Form Unity Government
Opposition parties in Sri Lanka have agreed to form an interim government of unity after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigns, the Deccan Herald newspaper reports.
Sri Lanka's commercial capital, Colombo, was rocked by major protests on Saturday. President Rajapaksa was evacuated and is expected to resign on July 13. Opposition parties held talks on Sunday to discuss ways of getting Sri Lanka out of the grave political crisis.
"We agreed in principle to form a government of unity with all parties participation for an interim period," Wimal Weerawansa of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party's breakaway group said on Sunday, as quoted by Deccan Herald. "This will be a government where all parties are represented."
In his turn, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, another leader of the breakaway group, said that opposition parties need not wait for Rajapaksa's resignation on July 13.
According to Deccan Herald, party leaders will meet on Monday, July 11, to discuss the convening of the House for the transition of power for a new government, aiming for an interim government of all parties that will function until parliamentary elections.
Parliamentary Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana has already informed Rajapaksa of the decisions made at the Saturday emergency meeting of the party leaders, which was convened in response to the mass protests in Colombo. The letter called for the immediate resignation of President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and provided for convening the parliament within 7 days to appoint an acting president.
Speaker Abeywardana is expected to become the acting president, since both the president and prime minister are resigning.
https://sputniknews.com/20220710/sri-lankas-opposition-parties-reportedly-agree-to-form-unity-government-1097164858.html
#16707371 at 2022-07-10 18:25:59 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21074: The People Against the Banks, Focus on B.I.S & W.E.F. Edition
10 Jul, 2022 12:05
US blames Sri Lankan crisis on Russia
(Twitter posters predicted this exact thing)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has claimed that "Russian aggression" may have contributed to th US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed on Sunday that "Russian aggression" in Ukraine may have been partly to blame for the turmoil in Sri Lanka.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed on Sunday that "Russian aggression" in Ukraine may have been partly to blame for the turmoil in Sri Lanka. The island nation has been in a state of unrest for several months, with food and fuel in short supply and prices skyrocketing. It escalated on Saturday as thousands of protesters stormed the president's residence, forcing him to flee.
"We're seeing the impact of this Russian aggression playing out everywhere. It may have contributed to the situation in Sri Lanka; we're concerned about the implications around the world," Blinken told reporters in Bangkok.
He claimed that "growing food insecurity" around the world "has been significantly exacerbated by the Russian aggression against Ukraine." Blinken reiterated his call on Moscow to allow 20 million tons of grain to leave Ukrainian ports which, in his opinion, Russian forces are blocking as part of their military offensive.
He also added that, in Thailand, fertilizer prices have "gone sky high" due to the alleged blockade.
Russia, meanwhile, denies all accusations of blocking food exports. Moscow says it has been offering safe passage to freighters but that Ukraine is preventing civilian ships from leaving ports, including Odessa. It also says Kiev's placement of sea mines has created a threat to shipping in the area. Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said some countries are trying to use the food security issue "in the worst possible way" by accusing Moscow "of something it is not involved in" and by "whitewashing" Ukraine.
Sri Lanka defaulted on its foreign debt in May for the first time in its history. Fuel rationing was introduced earlier this month, and armed police and troops have been deployed to petrol stations. The crisis has been attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, which deprived the island nation of vital tourism revenue. An increase in government spending, tax cuts, and quantitative easing drove inflation upwards.
Around 100,000 people are believed to have surrounded the Sri Lankan president's residence in Colombo on Saturday. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe both subsequently announced their resignation amid mass unrest.
(It's almost like the DS hates Putin and Russia as much as they hate Trump! Thats why I like Putin and Russia more)
https://www.rt.com/russia/558725-us-russia-sri-lankan/
#16706886 at 2022-07-10 17:15:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21074: The People Against the Banks, Focus on B.I.S & W.E.F. Edition
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sri-lanka:-millions-of-rupees-found-in-presidential-palace
Sri Lanka: Millions of rupees found in Presidential palace
After storming the palace of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Saturday, Sri Lankans found "millions of rupees," according to the local Daily Mirror newspaper.
According to the Daily Mirror, protesters "recovered a large sum of money inside the mansion." Furthermore, the people took control of the palace and used its facilities, and sat in its vicinity. According to what has been reported, "the recovered money was handed over to the security units."
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his official residence in the capital, Colombo, on Saturday, a top defense source told AFP before protesters, who had gathered around the presidential palace, stormed the compound.
"The president was escorted to safety," the source said, revealing that soldiers fired in the air to prevent the crowds from taking over the palace.
Local private broadcaster Sirasa TV showed crowds entering the residence that used to be highly guarded by security and military personnel.
In response, Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe summoned an urgent cabinet meeting to discuss a "swift resolution" to a potential power vacuum after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his official residence Saturday. Protesters then stormed Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's residence which they later set on fire.
Record-high inflation & lengthy power blackouts
The country has faced record-high inflation and lengthy power blackouts, all of which have contributed to months of protests calling on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down.
Last week, all government schools were shut down and state institutions operated with minimum staff to reduce commuting and preserve the oil.
The state sector shutdown was meant to end this week, but it is now being extended till July 10, when Gunawardana promised to restore fuel supplies.
#16698014 at 2022-07-09 17:21:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21062: Where is John Galt? Edition
Sri Lankan president to resign - media
Gotabaya Rajapaksa will leave office amid mass protests and economic turmoil
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will resign, effective next week, local media reported on Saturday. Rajapaksa earlier left his residence in Colombo as thousands of protesters laid siege to the compound.
Rajapaksa's resignation was announced by Sri Lankan news outlet Newsfirst, which cited Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. His resignation came hours after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared that he would also be willing to step down, paving the way for an interim government followed by elections.
Sri Lanka has been rocked by protests for several months, with the unrest driven by soaring inflation and shortages of food, fuel, and medicine. The country defaulted on its foreign debt in May, and fuel rationing was introduced earlier this month, with armed troops deployed to filling stations.
The economic crisis has been blamed partly on the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting fall in tourism revenue for the island nation. However, Rajapaksa's government has been fiercely condemned for its policies of lavish spending and careless tax cuts, while printing money to pay off foreign bonds.
Changes in the country's government did little to allay public anger, and protests continued through May and June after Rajapaksa's brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, stepped down as Prime Minister, handing the job to Wickremesinghe.
A crowd believed to number around 100,000 descended on Rajapaksa's presidential palace earlier on Saturday, as officials told reporters that the president had been "escorted to safety." With his whereabouts unknown, the demonstrators forced their way into the building, where they raided its kitchen and swam in Rajapaksa's private pool.
According to Newsfirst, Rajapaksa will leave office on Wednesday. Parliament will likely choose a caretaker president, and Speaker Abeywardena will likely take over as Prime Minister, local media reported.
https://www.rt.com/news/558708-sri-lanka-president-resigns/
#16697819 at 2022-07-09 16:41:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21062: Where is John Galt? Edition
>>16697777
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sri-lankan-protesters-force-president-to-flee-palace
Sri Lankan protesters force President to flee palace
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his official residence in the capital, Colombo, on Saturday, a top defense source told AFP before protesters, who had gathered around the presidential palace, stormed the compound.
"The president was escorted to safety," the source said, revealing that soldiers fired in the air to prevent the crowds from taking over the palace.
Local private broadcaster Sirasa TV showed crowds entering the residence that used to be highly guarded by security and military personnel.
In response, Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe summoned an urgent cabinet meeting to discuss a "swift resolution" to a potential power vacuum after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his official residence Saturday.
Wickremesinghe, who is next in line of succession if Rajapaksa resigns, invited political party leaders to join the meeting and also asked for parliament to be convened urgently to discuss the crisis, his office said in a statement.
The storming comes as Sri Lanka suffers through months-long food and fuel crises, power blackouts that would go on for the majority of the day, and soaring inflation rates as the country ran out of foreign currency to import key goods.
>> Sri Lanka and Tunisia are moving at the same pace and both are being cleaned up. They are shifting. I keep watch of their news every day and I can see it happening.
Africa is also being cleaned right now. Loads happening there.
#16697732 at 2022-07-09 16:23:59 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21062: Where is John Galt? Edition
>>16697713
>Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
And wouldn't you know it…
#16697713 at 2022-07-09 16:20:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21062: Where is John Galt? Edition
>>16697684
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sri-lankan-pm-resigns-parliament-speaker-becomes-interim
Sri Lankan PM resigns, parliament speaker becomes interim
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign to pave the way for an all-party government, the prime minister's office confirmed on Saturday.
"Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the Party Leaders that he is willing to resign as Prime Minister and make way for an all-Party Government to take over," the prime minister's office said in a statement.
"He says he is taking this decision in view of the fact that island-wide fuel distribution is due to recommence this week, the World Food Program Director is due to visit the country this week and the Debt Sustainability report for the IMF is due to be finalized shortly," the statement indicated.
Wickremesinghe has agreed with the recommendation to resign of the opposition party leaders to ensure the safety of citizens, the statement added.
Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker assigned Interim PM
Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana has been assigned to become the country's interim prime minister by the political party leaders at an emergency meeting called for the resignation of the incumbent prime minister and president, leader of Sri Lanka Congress party Rauff Hakeem said on Saturday.
"At Speaker's Residence urgent Party Leader's meeting. Several other Leaders including PM, AKD and Sumanthiran participated via zoom. Decision to ask both President and PM to resign. Speaker to take over as temporary President according to constitution," Hakeem said on Twitter.
Later, Hakeem said that Abeywardana has called on the country's president and prime minister to step down according to an overwhelming request from the political parties.
"Correction to my earlier tweet on consensus to ask PM and President to resign. No consensus as PM disagrees. Speaker however decided to write to President and PM to resign as per overwhelming request," he tweeted.
Earlier in the day, Colombo was rocked by thousand-strong protests. Crowds tore through the barricades surrounding the residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, climbed over the fence, and took control of the area, Sri Lankan media said, publishing multiple videos from the scene. Rajapaksa is reported to have been evacuated.
#16696762 at 2022-07-09 12:58:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21061: Every day is a great day to celebrate freedom! Edition
https://twitter.com/AP/status/1545752399012306946
The Associated Press
@AP
BREAKING: Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign after parliamentary leaders demanded both he and the embattled president step down on the day protesters stormed the president's residence and office.
apnews.com
Sri Lankan PM agrees to quit in biggest political turmoil
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign after party leaders in Parliament demanded both he and the embattled president step down on the day…
8:51 AM ? Jul 9, 2022?True Anthem
#16652235 at 2022-07-07 00:42:57 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21033: Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone Edition
Sri Lanka is 'bankrupt,' Prime Minister says
Sri Lanka is "bankrupt," Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said, as the country suffers its worst financial crisis in decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine and fuel.
Wickremesinghe told lawmakers that negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to revive the country's "collapsed" economy are "difficult," because the South Asian nation of 22 million has entered the talks as a bankrupt country, rather than a developing one.
"We are now participating in the negotiations as a bankrupt country. Therefore, we have to face a more difficult and complicated situation than previous negotiations," Wickremesinghe said in parliament.
"Due to the state of bankruptcy our country is in, we have to submit a plan on our debt sustainability to (the IMF) separately," he added.
"Only when they are satisfied with that plan can we reach an agreement at the staff level. This is not a straightforward process."
Sri Lanka is in the midst of its worst financial crisis in seven decades, after its foreign exchange reserves plummeted to record lows, with dollars running out to pay for essential imports including food, medicine and fuel.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa tweeted on Wednesday that he had sought assistance from Russian President Vladimir Putin and requested "an offer of credit support to import fuel."
https://www.9news.com.au/world/sri-lanka-bankrupt-Ranil-Wickremesinghe-financial-crisis-imf-debt-south-asia-news/cbe3c233-5ce0-438f-bf77-fa5de6b3525c
#16541236 at 2022-06-28 01:37:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #20928: Ballot Paper and Kinematics Findings RSBN LIVE Edition
Sri Lanka Suspends Fuel Sales Amid Economic Collapse; Asks Russians For Help
A broke and extremely cash-strapped Sri Lanka halted all fuel sales except for essential services in a desperate attempt to manage a severe fuel shortage – allowing the government to buy some time and send two government officials to Russia to negotiate a fuel deal.
"From midnight today, no fuel will be sold except for essential services like the health sector, because we want to conserve the little reserves we have," government spokesman Bandula Gunawardana said in a pre-recorded statement, obtained by AFP News.
The Sri Lankan government announced only essential services would operate and be allowed access to fuel until July 10 because of a fuel shortage
"Sri Lanka has never faced such a severe economic crisis in its history," Gunewardena added.
The move comes less than a week after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the debt-laden economy of the island nation has "completely collapsed:"
"We are now facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity, and food. Our economy has faced a complete collapse.
"It is no easy task to revive a country with a completely collapsed economy, especially one that is dangerously low on foreign reserves," " Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament on June 22.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/sri-lanka-suspends-fuel-sales-amid-economic-collapse-asks-russians-help
#16492528 at 2022-06-23 03:50:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #20865: White Squall movie lessons are live with anons taking the high ground
Sri Lanka's Economy Has 'Completely Collapsed': PM
Sri Lanka's prime minister is increasing efforts to revive the country's "completely collapsed" economy amid a lack of foreign exchange reserves and severe shortages of essential items.
"We are now facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity, and food. Our economy has faced a complete collapse," Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament on June 22.
"It is no easy task to revive a country with a completely collapsed economy, especially one that is dangerously low on foreign reserves," he said.
Sri Lanka will hold a credit aid conference with India, China, and Japan for loan packages. Wickremesinghe said the goal is to reach a "general consensus" on the lending processes as each country has its own system for granting loans.
"However, there have been some conflicts and disagreements between us in the recent past. We are working towards resolving these and fostering friendly relations once again," he added.
The government will also seek help from the United States, with representatives from the U.S. Treasury Department visiting Sri Lanka next week.
Australia said it would provide Sri Lanka with a $50 million development-assistance package following Wickremesinghe's meeting with Australia's Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil on Monday.
Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lanka has received a $4 billion credit line from India and requested additional loan assistance from the neighboring country.
A top-level Indian delegation is expected to meet with Sri Lankan leaders on June 23 to discuss extending an additional $500 million credit line to Sri Lanka for the purchase of oil, local media Daily Mirror reported.
"But even India will not be able to continuously support us in this manner. Even their assistance has its limits. On the other hand, we too must have a plan to repay these loans. These are not charitable donations," he added.
Wickremesinghe said that negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had made progress, with the government expecting to reach an official level agreement with the IMF by the end of July.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/sri-lankas-economy-has-completely-collapsed-pm
Kek begs IMF to save him FFS
#16273577 at 2022-05-14 16:18:24 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #20585: eBake Elon Gets a Discount Edition
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/12/Ranil-Wickremesinghe-former-sri-lanka-pm-lead-unity-government-after-violence>>16273120
>>16273120
#6350823 at 2019-04-28 21:15:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8120: Through Tempest, Storm, And Darkest Night Edition
No Mass for Sri Lanka's Catholics; no veils for Muslim women
AMPARA, Sri Lanka (AP) - The effects of Sri Lanka's Easter suicide bombings reverberated across two faiths Sunday, with Catholics shut out of their churches for fear of new attacks, left with only a televised Mass, and Muslim women ordered to stop wearing veils in public. Many across the nation knelt before their televisions as Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, delivered a homily before members of the clergy and the country's leaders in a small chapel at his residence in the capital.
The closing of all of Sri Lanka's Catholic churches - an extraordinary measure unheard of in the church's centuries on this island off the southern tip of India - came after local officials and the U.S. Embassy in Colombo warned that more militants remained on the loose with explosives a week after bombings claimed by the Islamic State group and aimed at churches and hotels killed more than 250 people.
Before services began, the Islamic State group claimed three militants who blew themselves up Friday night after exchanging fire with police in the country's east. Investigators sifting through that site and others uncovered a bomb-making operation capable of spreading far more destruction. "This is a time our hearts are tested by the great destruction that took place last Sunday," Ranjith told those watching across the nation. "This is a time questions such as, does God truly love us, does he have compassion toward us, can arise in human hearts." Later on Sunday, President Maithripala Sirisena banned all kinds of face coverings that may conceal people's identities. The emergency law, which takes effect Monday, prevents Muslim women from veiling their faces. The decision came after the Cabinet had proposed laws on face veils at a recent meeting. It had deferred the matter until talks with Islamic clerics could be held, on the advice of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
In a rare show of unity, Sirisena, Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa had attended the Mass in person. Their political rivalry and government dysfunction are blamed for a failure to act upon near-specific information received from foreign intelligence agencies that preceded the bombings, which targeted three churches and three luxury hotels. Police said they had arrested 48 suspects over the last 24 hours as checkpoints mounted by all of Sri Lanka's security forces sprung up across this country of 21 million people. Those arrested include two men whom authorities recently appealed to the public to locate. The government also warned that it would crack down on those spreading false information and making inflammatory remarks.
Police, meanwhile, entered the main mosque of National Towheed Jamaat on Sunday afternoon, just a day after authorities declared it and another organization terror groups over the bombings. Police entered the mosque, located in Kattankudy in eastern Sri Lanka, and stopped an interview among foreign journalists and mosque officials. Later, a senior police officer dispersed journalists waiting outside, saying authorities were conducting a "cordon and search operation." Police then left, locking up the mosque just before afternoon prayers were to start.
Authorities banned National Towheed Jamaat over its ties to Mohammed Zahran, the alleged mastermind of the Easter Sunday bombings. Zahran and masked others had pledged their loyalty to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before carrying out the attacks, showing the danger the extremist group poses even after losing all its territory in Iraq and Syria.
https://www.breitbart.com/news/no-mass-for-sri-lankas-catholics-no-veils-for-muslim-women/
#6335703 at 2019-04-27 19:10:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8101: Truth, Transparency, and Equal Justice Under the Law Edition
Nationalist Pols Push Sri Lankan "Patriot Act" on Fearful Populace Following Easter Attacks
Current efforts by top Sri Lankan politicians to exploit the chaos following the Easter attacks will likely spell disaster for Sri Lanka's religious minorities who are themselves the most frequent victims of state-sponsored and religiously motivated terrorism in the island nation.
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA - Still grappling with the fall-out from the deadliest terror attack in its history, Sri Lanka's already dysfunctional government is struggling to come to terms with how the attack came to pass and who exactly is to blame. Since the attacks, for which Daesh (ISIS) has claimed responsibility, Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have been handed their share of the blame, especially since it was revealed that Indian intelligence attempted to warn Sri Lanka on April 4 of an imminent terror attack from an extremist Wahhabi Muslim group. Both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe have denied receiving that intelligence.
As often happens following terror attacks, the aftermath of last Sunday's Easter bombings is being exploited politically by several key players in Sri Lankan politics, with several seeking to score political points by capitalizing off the tragedy prior to the country's upcoming elections.
Equally if not more troubling is the political effort to use the tragedy to push through a controversial "Counter Terrorism" bill that critics argue would criminalize democratic dissent, and independent journalism as well as increase state prosecution and repression of the country's Hindu, Christian and Muslim minorities. This bill - which has inspired numerous protests in recent months, including some just prior to the bombings - may now be pushed through Sri Lanka's legislature, as the fear of terrorism runs high - much as the United States pushed through the liberty-busting Patriot Act following the 9/11 attacks.
https://www.mintpressnews.com/nationalist-pols-push-sri-lanka-patriot-act-on-fearful-populace-following-easter-attacks/257940/
#6329183 at 2019-04-27 02:11:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8093: Friday Nightshift, We In Here Edition
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48074702
Sri Lankan police say they exchanged fire with an armed group in the east of the country as they searched for those linked to last Sunday's bombings.
A military spokesman said there was also an explosion as police conducted a raid in the town of Ampara Sainthamaruthu, near Batticaloa.
In a separate raid nearby, police said explosives and uniforms of the Islamic State (IS) group were seized.
Earlier, Sri Lanka's PM said warnings of the attacks had not been passed on.
Ranil Wickremesinghe told the BBC he had been "out of the loop" and that vital intelligence warnings had not been passed to him.
In Ampara Sainthamaruthu on Friday, police said officers acting on a tip-off had launched a raid and that an armed group had set off an explosion. A gun battle then ensued.
Details were sketchy but Sri Lankan media said one civilian had died as well as several suspected militants.
In another raid in the same town police found IS uniforms, 150 sticks of gelignite, 100,000 metal balls and a drone camera, a military spokesman said.
Police quoted by local media said 10 arrests were made across the country on Friday bringing the number detained since last Sunday to 80.
President Maithripala Sirisena has told reporters that intelligence services believed about 130 suspects linked to IS were in the country and that police were hunting 70 who were still at large.
#6309350 at 2019-04-25 14:53:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8068: Stay Tuned Edition
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - The Latest on the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka (all times local):
7:15 p.m.
The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka has tweeted a warning that people should avoid "places of worship" in the island nation over the weekend because of possible extremist attacks.
The embassy in Colombo sent the tweet Thursday night after security was stepped up in the capital city and elsewhere in the country.
The tweet read: "Sri Lankan authorities are reporting that additional attacks may occur targeting places of worship. Avoid these areas over the weekend, starting tomorrow, April 26th through Sunday, April 28th. Continue to remain vigilant and avoid large crowds."
Police on Thursday appealed to the public for information about three women and one man suspected of involvement in the Easter suicide attacks that killed over 350 people.
___
7 p.m.
The office of Sri Lanka's president says the country's defense secretary has resigned following a failure of security forces to stop the Islamic State-claimed suicide bombings on Easter that killed over 350 people.
The office issued a statement Thursday saying that Hemasiri Fernando would continue to serve until his replacement has been appointed.
President Maithripala Sirisena had announced on television Tuesday that he planned to shake up the security forces. On Wednesday, he asked for the resignations of both the defense secretary and the national police chief.
Government leaders have acknowledged that some intelligence units were aware of possible attacks weeks before the bombings Sunday that struck three churches and three luxury hotels.
Sirisena said he had been kept in the dark on intelligence about the planned attacks and vowed to "take stern action" against officials who failed to share it.
___
6:45 p.m.
Sri Lanka's prime minister has acknowledged to The Associated Press that minority Ahmadi Muslims who are refugees from Pakistan have faced attacks since the Easter bombings.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Thursday that security forces were trying to help the Ahmadis.
Wickremesinghe said that some people "had become suspicious of foreigners, not of Muslims per se. . In the heat of the moment, a few have been attacked."
Sunday's Islamic State-claimed suicide bombings killed over 350 people.
On Thursday, Ahmadis described to the AP how they have faced violence in the time since. About 500 have fled their homes in Negombo and are living some 30 kilometers (20 miles) away under police protection. Others live under police and military protection at the Ahmadi mosque in Negombo….
https://apnews.com/f4ed5cedd5fa4de796b73d4252ee6d04?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP&utm_campaign=SocialFlow
#6287300 at 2019-04-23 20:03:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8040: Nothing to Lose Your Head Over Edition
Death toll from Sri Lanka attacks rises to 321
The death toll from a series of terrorist attacks that took place in Sri Lanka on April 21 has risen to 321, the country's State Minister of Defense and Mass Media Ruwan Wijewardene said, addressing the parliament.
According to the minister, as many as 521 people were wounded in Sunday's explosions. He added that according to preliminary investigation findings, extremists had carried out the attacks by way of revenge for the March 15 shootings at two New Zealand mosques.
Sri Lanka's former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in turn, blamed the April 21 attacks on the country's government. "Sri Lanka became an easy target for terrorists because the government was busy persecuting intelligence officers," he said. "The government has always made it clear that national security is not a priority for intelligence agencies," Rajapaksa added.
Meanwhile, Wijewardene emphasized that the country's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, as well as himself, had not received invitations to participate in the National Security Council's meetings since October 2018.
On April 21, a series of terrorist attacks, unprecedented in the country's history, took place in Sri Lanka. A total of eight explosions occurred in high-end hotels and churches in the cities of Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa during Easter services. The country's authorities confirmed that the explosions had been carried out by suicide bombers who were Sri Lankan nationals. As many as 40 suspects have been arrested in relation to the attacks.
On March 15, shooters opened fire in two mosques in New Zealand's city of Christchurch, killing 50 and leaving another 50 wounded.
http://tass.com/emergencies/1055100
#6285907 at 2019-04-23 17:45:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8038: Extraordinarily Smart People Serving Our Country Edition
This is how the Clowns took over America, too.
Think 911.
————–
Sri Lanka Military Gets Special Powers After Deadly Bombings
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Sri Lanka's president gave the military sweeping police powers starting Tuesday in the wake of the Easter bombings that killed nearly 300 people, while officials disclosed that intelligence agencies had warned weeks ago of the possibility of an attack by the radical Muslim group blamed for the bloodshed.
The suicide bombings struck three churches and three luxury hotels Sunday in the island nation's deadliest violence since a devastating civil war ended in 2009. The government shut down some social media, armed security forces patrolled the largely deserted, central streets in the capital of Colombo, and a curfew went into effect.
The military was given a wider berth to detain and arrest suspects - powers that were used during the civil war but withdrawn when it ended.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he feared the massacre could unleash instability and he vowed to "vest all necessary powers with the defense forces" to act against those responsible.
Adding to the tension, three unexploded bombs blew up Monday inside a van parked near one of the stricken churches as police were trying to defuse them, sending pedestrians fleeing in panic. No injuries were reported. Dozens of detonators were discovered near Colombo's main bus depot, but officials declined to say whether they were linked to the attacks.
https://apnews.com/4cd638f46eb04906819be649163185b7
#6285370 at 2019-04-23 16:48:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8037 POTUS Gonna Free the UK Edition
>>6285304
>Who is in Control of Sri Lanka?
>President or Prime Minister?
President Maithripala Sirisena
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
#6275230 at 2019-04-22 19:22:24 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8024: Immigration, Taxes, Trade Edition
Denmark's Richest Man Loses Three Children In Sri Lanka's Easter Suicide Bombings
The death toll in Sunday's devastating wave of Easter Sunday suicide bombings, which rocked three Catholic Churches and four luxury hotels popular with tourists, has climbed to 290, while more than 500 have been injured, making the assault even deadlier than the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
As the Sri Lankan government scrambles to apprehend anyone who conspired with the at least seven suicide bombers who carried out Sunday's attacks, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe appealed for international help "to find out if there was foreign assistance" to the bombers. Domestically, Sri Lankan police have already arrested two dozen suspects. A state of emergency is expected to be declared starting at midnight on Monday. The Colombo stock exchange has been closed for the foreseeable future as the capital city tries to process the aftermath of the attacks.
Meanwhile, the climbing death toll has established the attacks in Sri Lanka as the deadliest in South Asia in recent memory.
Here's a ranking by death toll:
290 (as of now): Sri Lanka bombings, 2019
257 Mumbai attacks, 1993
189 Mumbai train blasts, 2006 166 Mumbai attacks, 2008
151 APS/Peshawar school attack, 2014
149 Mastung/Balochistan election rally attack, 2018
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-22/international-network-behind-sri-lanka-easter-suicide-attacks-death-toll-climbs-290
#6274512 at 2019-04-22 17:58:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8023: Egg Pharma Edition
>>6274497
shit
misfire
Found this:
NTJ was first made known when Indian Intelligence Agency warned Sri Lanka of possible terrorist attack 10 days before the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings on 21 April 2019. The report read that "the NTJ is planning to carry out suicide attacks targeting prominent churches as well as the Indian high commission in Colombo"[8]. The prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, remarked that government officials did not receive the advisory and that they would "look into why adequate precautions were not taken."[1]
Also states that the group has a boner against Buddhist Monks.
Doesn't mention "Christians" as previous targets.
#6270885 at 2019-04-22 07:45:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8019: Epstein Island Fresh Pics Dropped Edition
>>6270884
Death toll in the Sri Lanka bombings jumps to 290
PAGE 2 of 3
The highly coordinated attacks left the island nation reeling, a crushing blow after almost a decade of peace since the end of the civil war.
In that time, tourism in Sri Lanka had been steadily growing, the country transformed by the apparent end of instability, bloodshed and frequent suicide bombings over the 26-year war.
Police say that Sunday's attacks were caused by suicide bombers who detonated explosives in several locations across the country, including St. Sebastian's Church, six locations in Colombo and a church in Batticaloa on the island's eastern shore.
In Colombo, the three high-end hotels attacked included the Shangri-La and the Cinnamon Grand hotel. An official at the Sri Lankan air force said an explosive was defused close to the city's main airport, the Bandaranaike International Airport, on Sunday night, probably an additional target.
At the Shangri-La Hotel, the blast occurred in a restaurant as guests were having breakfast. Investigators who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press said that two suspects had checked into a room at the hotel earlier in the morning and gave local addresses to hotel staff.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told reporters Sunday that some government officials had prior intelligence about the attacks but didn't act on it. "Information was there," he said at a news conference. "This is a matter we need to look into."
A letter circulating on social media appeared to be a notice issued by a senior police official on April 11, warning of potential attacks on churches by a little-known Islamist extremist group. The letter could not be independently verified.
The security apparatus in Sri Lanka is controlled by the president, Maithripala Sirisena. Relations between him and the prime minister have been at a low point since he tried to oust him from office late last year, launching a political crisis.
Mujibur Rahman, a member of parliament representing the political party affiliated with the prime minister, said Wickremesinghe "had the letter in his hand" when he met with lawmakers Sunday, referring to the notice.
"He told us that the Indian intelligence had conveyed threats of possible attacks, two possible dates were mentioned April 4 and 11," Rahman said. "Part of the problem is since the Oct. 26 coup, the prime minister has not been invited to the security council meetings, so we don't know what is being discussed," he added.
Police arrested 13 people in connection with the bombings, and three police officers were killed during a raid at a suspect's house.
Rahman added that the suspects are "all locals" belonging to a "local network."
"We still don't have information on a foreign link," he said.
Images of splintered pews and bloodstained floors played across local television screens Sunday as the enormity of the attacks, launched on the holiest day of the Christian calendar, became clear.
A view of St. Sebastian's Church, damaged in a blast in Negombo, north of Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday. (Chamila Karunarathne/AP)
Though a majority of the dead were Sri Lankan, at least a dozen were foreigners including from India, Japan, Britain, the United States and Turkey. The unidentified bodies of 25 people believed to be foreigners were at a government mortuary in Colombo.
The dead included "several" Americans, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. He blamed "radical terrorists" for the attacks.
Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist nation, but it's also home to significant Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities. While there has been intermittent conflict between religious groups - including threats to Christians - nothing remotely like Sunday's attacks had occurred.
Blasts ripped through three churches in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa at approximately 8:45 a.m. Sunday as worshipers were gathering for services, police said.
Ruwan Wijewardene, the state defense minister, said the attacks were carried out by suicide bombers. Six of the attacks occurred between 8:45 and 9:30 a.m.
There was a seventh blast at a banquet hall about 2 p.m. and an eighth at the house raided by police around 2:45 p.m.
#6269654 at 2019-04-22 03:43:25 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8017: Re Read Crumbs The Q Edition
Sri Lanka's Intelligence Warned 10 Days Before Easter Attacks
13 Now in Custody
Sri Lanka's prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said late Easter Sunday that the nation's intelligence services had received warnings about possible suicide bombings at "prominent churches" 10 days before the senseless attacks. Wickremesinghe told reporters the morning of April 22 that the warning to Sri Lanka's police by had not been acted upon and that the information had not been passed to him. "We must also look into why adequate precautions were not taken," Wickremesinghe said the previous evening.
The intelligence information had been sent to the country's top officers by Police Chief Pujuth Jayasundara, according to documents cited by AFP. "A foreign intelligence agency has reported that the NTJ (National Thowheeth Jama'ath) is planning to carry out suicide attacks targeting prominent churches as well as the Indian high commission in Colombo," the alert said. The NTJ is a radical Islamic group in Sri Lanka. While no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, Sri Lanka's defense minister, Ruwan Wijewardene, identified the culprits as religious extremists. He said that while they have been identified, their names will not be released to the public for security reasons. Wijewardene confirmed that suicide bombers have been found to be responsible for most of the bombings on April 21, and that a single group is believed to be responsible for the coordinated explosions that all went off around 9 a.m. local time.
Local media have reported that 13 people were arrested in a police raid. Wijewardene said that while those arrested were local names, investigators will be looking into whether the extremists had been supported by any "overseas links." He added that world leaders have offered their assistance for the investigation.
More than 200 people were killed and at least 450 injured in multiple bomb blasts that ripped through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. It is the first major attack in the country since the end of the Sri Lankan civil war between the Marxist Tamil Tigers organization and the government in 2009. Robert Pape, director of the Chicago Project on Suicide Terrorism, said in 2009 that the Tamil Tigers were suicide bomb innovators. "The Tamil Tigers are a purely secular suicide terrorist group. They're not a group that most of the listeners will have heard too much about because even though they're actually the world leader in suicide terrorism from 1980 to 2003, carrying out more suicide attacks than Hamas or Islamic Jihad," he said at the time.
One witness who was near St. Anthony's church when that blast went off told AFP: "I ran inside to help. The priest came out and he was covered in blood. "It was a river of blood." At St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, north of the capital, another blast killed a witness's brother. "We are all in shock. We don't want the country to go back to that dark past where we had to live in fear of suicide blasts all the time," the witness told AFP of the horrors of the civil war.
Government officials said that 32 foreigners were among those killed and another 30 foreigners were injured in the explosions that tore through congregations and gatherings in hotels in Colombo, Negombo, and Batticaloa. They included five British people, two of whom had dual U.S. citizenship, and three Indians, according to officials in those countries. Also among the fatalities were three people from Denmark, two from Turkey, and one from Portugal, Sri Lankan officials said. There were also Chinese and Dutch among the dead, according to media reports. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said U.S. nationals were among those killed, but did not give details.
The government announced a 12-hour nationwide curfew on April 21, banning people from moving locations. The curfew ends on April 22 at 6 a.m. local time. It also shut down social media and messaging services. "Teams from across Facebook have been working to support first responders and law enforcement as well as to identify and remove content which violates our standards," a spokesperson from Facebook said. "We are aware of the government's statement regarding the temporary blocking of social media platforms. People rely on our services to communicate with their loved ones and we are committed to maintaining our services and helping the community and the country during this tragic time."
https://www.theepochtimes.com/sri-lankas-intelligence-warned-10-days-before-easter-attacks-13-now-in-custody_2889237.html
Tamil Tigers: Suicide Bombing Innovators
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104391493
#6269471 at 2019-04-22 03:19:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8017: Re Read Crumbs The Q Edition
>>6269430
And it's moslems….
Sri Lanka intel warned of Muslim attack on churches
Officials warned previously that terror elements, including radical Islamic group NTJ, would carry out suicide attacks at certain churches.
Intelligence officials in Sri Lanka warned that terrorist elements, including the radical Islamic organization NTJ, would carry out a suicide attack in certain churches during Easter.
Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said on Sunday night security services had been "aware of information" of a possible attack. Local intelligence had received warnings 10 days ago that "prominent churches" could be the target of suicide bombers.
The culprits had been identified and were religious extremists. He said suicide bombers were responsible for the majority of the morning's bombings and that the wave of attacks was the work of a single group.
Eight people have been reported to have been arrested so far.
Sri Lanka bombings: officials had 'information' about possible terror attack on churches -
At least 207 people have been killed and 450 more injured in a series of explosions targeting churches holding Easter services and hotels in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said on Sunday night security services had been "aware of information" of a possible attack. Local intelligence had received warnings 10 days ago that "prominent churches" could be the target of suicide bombers.
The culprits had been identified and were religious extremists. He said suicide bombers were responsible for the majority of the morning's bombings and that the wave of attacks was the work of a single group.
Eight people have been reported to have been arrested so far.
Sri Lanka bombings: officials had 'information' about possible terror attack on churches.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/262136
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2019/apr/21/sri-lanka-explosions-dozens-killed-and-hundreds-injured-in-church-and-hotel-blasts
Multiple churches targeted by moslems on Easter & prior to Easter Sunday. No surprise.
Citizens have to start putting the responsibility where it belongs on the damn politicians that let the bastards into their country and letting them destroy it…murdering, raping it's legitimate citizens.
Make Revolutions GREAT AGAIN!
#6269411 at 2019-04-22 03:12:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8017: Re Read Crumbs The Q Edition
>>6268612
[ Reply To This Post ]
France silent about 2K church attacks over 2 yrs.
French police documented 875 attacks in 2018 and 1,045 in 2017, the Sun newspaper of London reported just nine days before the Notre Dame fire
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2019/04/code-of-silence-obscures-surge-of-church-attacks/#tzH2ww0oboFe9TLv.99
"Nearly 2,000 Christian houses of worship in France have been desecrated in the past two years, according to police, [while] in Germany, there were four such incidents in March,
https://onenewsnow.com/persecution/2019/04/18/france-silent-about-2k-church-attacks-over-2-yrs
https://www.wnd.com/2019/04/code-of-silence-obscures-surge-of-church-attacks/
Sri Lanka intel warned of Muslim attack on churches
Officials warned previously that terror elements, including radical Islamic group NTJ, would carry out suicide attacks at certain churches.
Intelligence officials in Sri Lanka warned that terrorist elements, including the radical Islamic organization NTJ, would carry out a suicide attack in certain churches during Easter.
Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said on Sunday night security services had been "aware of information" of a possible attack. Local intelligence had received warnings 10 days ago that "prominent churches" could be the target of suicide bombers.
The culprits had been identified and were religious extremists. He said suicide bombers were responsible for the majority of the morning's bombings and that the wave of attacks was the work of a single group.
Eight people have been reported to have been arrested so far.
Sri Lanka bombings: officials had 'information' about possible terror attack on churches -
At least 207 people have been killed and 450 more injured in a series of explosions targeting churches holding Easter services and hotels in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said on Sunday night security services had been "aware of information" of a possible attack. Local intelligence had received warnings 10 days ago that "prominent churches" could be the target of suicide bombers.
The culprits had been identified and were religious extremists. He said suicide bombers were responsible for the majority of the morning's bombings and that the wave of attacks was the work of a single group.
Eight people have been reported to have been arrested so far.
Sri Lanka bombings: officials had 'information' about possible terror attack on churches.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/262136
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2019/apr/21/sri-lanka-explosions-dozens-killed-and-hundreds-injured-in-church-and-hotel-blasts
Multiple churches targeted by moslems on Easter & prior to Easter Sunday. No surprise.
#6269058 at 2019-04-22 02:37:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8016: We Are The News Now. The QNN Nightly News Edition
Sri Lanka intel warned of Muslim attack on churches
Officials warned previously that terror elements, including radical Islamic group NTJ, would carry out suicide attacks at certain churches.
Intelligence officials in Sri Lanka warned that terrorist elements, including the radical Islamic organization NTJ, would carry out a suicide attack in certain churches during Easter.
Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said on Sunday night security services had been "aware of information" of a possible attack. Local intelligence had received warnings 10 days ago that "prominent churches" could be the target of suicide bombers.
The culprits had been identified and were religious extremists. He said suicide bombers were responsible for the majority of the morning's bombings and that the wave of attacks was the work of a single group.
Eight people have been reported to have been arrested so far.
Sri Lanka bombings: officials had 'information' about possible terror attack on churches -
At least 207 people have been killed and 450 more injured in a series of explosions targeting churches holding Easter services and hotels in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka's prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said on Sunday night security services had been "aware of information" of a possible attack. Local intelligence had received warnings 10 days ago that "prominent churches" could be the target of suicide bombers.
The culprits had been identified and were religious extremists. He said suicide bombers were responsible for the majority of the morning's bombings and that the wave of attacks was the work of a single group.
Eight people have been reported to have been arrested so far.
Sri Lanka bombings: officials had 'information' about possible terror attack on churches.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/262136
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2019/apr/21/sri-lanka-explosions-dozens-killed-and-hundreds-injured-in-church-and-hotel-blasts
Multiple churches targeted by moslems on Easter & prior to Easter Sunday. No surprise.
#6267445 at 2019-04-22 00:00:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8014 Anons May Never Look at Bunnies The Same
What's Behind the Terrorist Attacks in Sri Lanka?
More than 200 people have been killed in simultaneous explosions at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that also injured several hundred victims. The coordinated attacks took place on Sunday morning. According to media reports, there were eight blasts in all, including at churches in Negombo and Kochchikade in the country's west, and Batticaloa in the east. Three luxury hotels in the capital Colombo were also targeted.
It is unclear who carried out the attacks. Sri Lanka's government has declared an indefinite national curfew and blocked social media networks such as Facebook and WhatsApp in order to prevent rumors spreading that might spark intercommunal violence, as happened in March 2018 when Buddhist mobs attacked Muslim mosques, businesses, and homes.
The targets. Sri Lanka has 22 million inhabitants. Of these, about three-fourths are ethnic Sinhalese, most of whom are Buddhist. Nearly a fifth of Sri Lankans identify as Tamil-either of Sri Lankan or Indian extraction-and are mostly Hindu. About 10 percent of the population is Muslim, and 7 percent Christian - a group that includes both Tamil and Sinhalese.
Given that three of the blasts occurred at churches, timed for Easter services, at least part of the attack was aimed at the country's 1.5 million Christians. The almost simultaneous blasts left no time to warn other churchgoers. The ability to launch several attacks all at once suggests a degree of sophistication, planning, funding, and reach.
Reuters cites the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, which represents more than 200 churches, as having recorded 86 incidents of discrimination, threats, and violence against Christians last year. The other main targets seem to be people who would frequent Colombo's hotels-usually a mix of tourists, business people, and wealthy locals. At least 30 of the dead are believed to be foreigners.
While authorities are still piecing together what happened, the blasts bear at least some resemblance to the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai, which simultaneously targeted two luxury hotels, a busy railway terminal, and a Jewish outreach center. According to Indian intelligence, the Mumbai attacks were designed not only to cause the highest possible number of casualties but also to target groups-uch as Western tourists-that would lead to the greatest amount of international media coverage. One of the 2008 attackers was apprehended, and the others successfully identified, leading authorities in India to declare the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group responsible. But there are several differences with Sunday's attacks in Sri Lanka, not least the fact that they were spread out across the country instead of concentrated in a single city, and that unlike Mumbai, no hostages were taken.
Was there any warning?
On April 11, a top Sri Lankan police official reportedly issued an advisory warning of potential suicide attacks on churches. (This letter has not been independently verified by Foreign Policy.) In that letter, deputy inspector general Priyalal Dassanayake wrote that a radical Islamist group called National Thoweeth Jama'ath was planning nationwide attacks.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe acknowledged that some information about a planned attack had been circulating. "We must also look into why adequate precautions were not taken," he said.
Wickremesinghe's comments could be interpreted as a criticism of President Maithripala Sirisena, the commander of the country's security forces.
Sri Lanka's politics has been in turmoil recently. Sirisena became president in 2015 after he won a surprise victory over the strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had controlled the country's politics for more than a decade. Sirisena appointed his ally Wickremesinghe as prime minister, and the two set out to reform the country's economy and seek accountability for atrocities committed during the country's civil war.
But Sirisena and Wickremesinghe fell out in 2018, leading the former to suspend parliament and appoint his one-time rival Rajapaksa as the new prime minister. Weeks later, under pressure from the country's Supreme Court, Sirisena reinstated Wickremesinghe as prime minister. Relations between the two have not recovered, with observers expecting Sirisena to seek a fresh mandate at tThat led to the formation of an armed insurgent group known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamhe polls. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's economy has grown at a tepid 4 percent, the currency has weakened, and Colombo has struggled to repay loans from donors such as the International Monetary Fund. In one case, Sri Lanka lost a major port-as well as 15,000 acres of land-to China after it could not repay funds it had borrowed for infrastructure projects.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/04/21/whats-behind-the-terrorist-attacks-in-sri-lanka/
#6264001 at 2019-04-21 17:06:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8010: Diversionary And Criminal "Muh Russia" Witch Hunt Edition
Samantha Power speech in Sri Lanka was 2/28/19
It's long, but basically about social justice (excerpt below)
Full text of the speech delivered by Ambassador ?Samantha J Power ?at the event to mark 30 years of Parliamentary Politics of Minister Mangala Samaraweera.
Ambassador Samantha Power.
Celebration of Minister Mangala Samaraweera,
Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Gratitudes:
- His Excellency President Maithripala Sirisena
- The Honorable Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
- The Honorable Minister Mangala Samaraweera
http://srilankabrief.org/2019/03/samantha-power-on-celebration-of-mangala-samaraweera-nevertheless-and-strive-to-build-a-better-world/
Excerpt:
When it comes to companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google, which failed for too long to grapple with the dangerous uses and effects of their products, it does now finally seem that they are seized with the abuses that their platforms have enabled. Excellent investigative journalism, public outrage, and the threat of oversight has certainly helped. But these companies need to prioritize contributing to the health of democracy as a goal, right alongside making yet more money.
I was encouraged to hear that Facebook has committed to serving up to 20,000 Sri Lankan children in a digital literacy program to be run this year, and that they are participating in the Information and Communication Technology Agency's SMART Social Circles initiative, which aims to prepare people to better discern, as Mangala puts it, "the good from the bad, and the true from the false."
This is important: the education and leadership of well-rounded, tech-savvy and civic-minded young people is going to be critical to reigning in the negative effects of new technologies. However, given the human consequences, this is a drop in the bucket. We need to think far bigger. In my country, I would like lawmakers and policy leaders to think about a number of approaches:
- Instituting regulations and heavy fines for failing to remove hate speech;
- Greatly restricting the ability of advertisers (or nation states disguised as such!) to micro-target users with messages designed to mislead and enrage;
- Re-thinking the type of anonymity afforded to users so as to cut down on the spreading of lies with impunity;
- And probing seriously whether some of these tech monopolies have become so dangerously big - and so dangerous to open society - that they need to be broken up.
Governments like yours also have an essential role to play. You are going to have to insist that Facebook uphold its "Community Standards" for all of Sri Lanka's national languages, or face serious repercussions. It is simply not acceptable that Facebook has not invested more in equipping itself to monitor posts in languages like Tamil or Sinhala. A platform with this much influence and reach cannot get by just doing the bare minimum- Facebook needs to be far more transparent, so that experts and civil society can guide the company in how to do better in the context of the unique challenges Sri Lanka faces.
#6263621 at 2019-04-21 16:23:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8009: Easter Sunday Morning Edition
>>6263400
Q 138 post has the same bank that has been under investigation of criminal activity that leads directly to the acting prime minister. Ranil is very corrupt and is more of a Sri Lankan DS type character.
https://www.newsfirst.lk/2019/03/24/Ranil-Wickremesinghe-was-the-chief-planner-of-the-bond-scam-anura-kumara/
Also the hotels attacked aren't your average tourist hotels. They are ritz Carlton level hotels used mainly by businessman, foreign officials, and wealthy individuals. High expense, high status, and high security.
It's worth noting that the attacks also happened in the restaurant in Shangri La I think. This is exactly what happened in Nairobi when al Shabaab attacked and emptied the whole clip on 3 businessmen.
#6262348 at 2019-04-21 13:58:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8008: Tip Top Tippy Top Research Edition
Easter Sunday explosions at multiple churches and hotels rock Sri Lanka, death tolls rises past 200
More than 207 people died and hundreds more injured after six nearly simultaneous explosions struck three churches and three luxury hotels in and just outside of Sri Lanka's capital on Easter Sunday. They were followed hours later by two more blasts.
A spokesperson for the Sri Lanka police said 207 people died and 450 injured in the series of blasts - marking the bloodshed as among the worst since the South Asian country's 26-year civil war ended a decade ago.
Multiple fatalities - including nearly a dozen foreigners - resulted among worshipers and hotel guests. With a curfew imposed, police conducted a search operation on the outskirts of Colombo, where that the latest of eight blasts took place.
Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardena, who described the attacks as a terrorist incident and blamed religious extremists, said Sunday evening that seven suspects have been arrested. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he feared the violence could trigger instability in the country and its economy.
The first explosion occurred around 8:45 a.m. local time, with the deadliest appearing to be at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, a city about 20 miles north of Colombo. Other attacks occurred at St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo and Zion Church in the eastern city of Batticaloa. The three hotels - the Shangri La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury Hotel - all in Colombo are frequented by foreign tourists.
The other two blasts occurred in Dematagoda, where the occupants of a safehouse apparently detonated explosives to prevent arrest.
An official told the Associated Press that at least two of the church blasts were believed to have been coordinated attack carried out by suicide bombers.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's blasts.
"The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka," U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted in part early Sunday. "We stand ready to help!"
Photos from the scene showed extensive damage, along with blood and debris inside the targeted churches.
U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina Teplitz offered her condolences over Twitter early Sunday.
"Deeply saddened by the senseless attacks in Sri Lanka today. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand with Sri Lanka's people at this terrible moment," she tweeted. St. Sebastian's pleaded for help on its Facebook page. The explosion ripped the roof off the building and knocked out doors and windows. Churches throughout the country have been placed on alert, with many canceling Easter services.
Foreign tourists on the Classic Sri Lankan tour hurriedly took to their cellphones to text family and loved ones around the world that they were OK after the blasts.
The group was on a 15-day tour of the tropical island nation, seeing sites including huge Buddhist monuments, tea plantations, jungle eco-lodges and famed sandy beaches.
Sri Lankan Member of Parliament Harsha de Silva tweeted Sunday of "many casualties including foreigners."
"Sec Defence and I am at Kochchikade church. Also was at ShangriLa n Kingsbury. PM is on his way from Bentota. Emergency meeting called in a few minutes. Rescue operations underway. Please stay calm and indoors. Many casualties including foreigners," he posted.
"Horrible scenes. I saw many body parts strewn all over. Emergency crews are at all locations in full force. We, at 1990 also have close to 20 units at the various locations. We took multiple casualties to hospital. Hopefully saved many lives," he continued.
The Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, called on Sri Lanka's government to launch a "very impartial strong inquiry" and to punish those found responsible "mercilessly because only animals can behave like that."
There was an outpouring of condemnation from around the world following the attacks.
Pope Francis denounced the "cruel violence" at the end of his traditional Easter Sunday blessing.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/easter-sunday-explosions-at-multiple-churches-and-hotels-rock-sri-lanka-death-tolls-rises
#4129499 at 2018-12-03 16:52:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #5257: Open Your Heart And Your Mind Edition
Sri Lanka court bars Rajapaksa from office, disputed PM to appeal
COLOMBO (Reuters) - A Sri Lankan court issued an order preventing Mahinda Rajapaksa and his disputed cabinet from holding office on Monday, heightening the island's political drama and drawing an immediate vow to appeal from the prime minister.
The South Asian nation has been in crisis since President Maithripala Sirisena replaced Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with Rajapaksa in October, then issued an order dissolving parliament and called for a general election.
Sirisena's decisions have prompted legal challenges and on Friday the Appeal Court began hearing a petition by 122 legislators challenging Rajapaksa's authority to hold office after he lost two no-confidence votes last month.
"The damage that will be posed by temporarily restraining a lawful cabinet of ministers from functioning would be…outweighed by the damage that would be caused by allowing a set of persons who are not entitled in law to function as the prime minister or the cabinet of ministers," judge Preethipadhman Surasena said.
The judge issued the interim order against Rajapaksa and his cabinet, and asked them to appear in court on Dec. 12 to explain on what basis they hold office. The order will be in place until a final judgment, whose date has not been set.
Rajapaksa said in a statement his government would lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The decision puts a further brake on Rajapaksa's disputed government after parliament voted last week to halt payment of ministers' salaries and travel expenses…..
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sri-lanka-politics/sri-lanka-court-bars-rajapaksa-from-office-disputed-pm-to-appeal-idUSKBN1O20Y1?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29
#3912353 at 2018-11-15 13:53:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4975: ebake
Sri Lanka MPs brawl in parliament as new PM contests result of no-confidence vote
A fight broke out among rival MPs in Sri Lanka's parliament on Thursday, one day after it passed a vote of no-confidence in the new prime minister controversially installed by Sri Lanka's president.
The speaker, Karu Jayasuriya, said the country had no government after Wednesday's vote, and no prime minister - neither the newly appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa nor his rival and predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was ousted by the president, Maithripala Sirisena, last month.
Moments later, MPs came to blows next to the speaker's chair in undignified scenes captured on video within the chamber. More than 50 MPs were involved in the fight and some who fell on the floor were kicked by rivals.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/sri-lanka-crisis-parliament-mps-brawl-fight-video-latest-rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe-a8634431.html
#3865423 at 2018-11-12 13:14:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4914 You're a shill! No, you're a shill! Edition
Western diplomats shun meeting with Sri Lanka minister on political crisis
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Eight Western countries stayed away from a meeting with Sri Lanka's government on Monday to register their protest against President Maithripala Sirisena's decision to dissolve parliament, diplomatic and government sources said.
Sri Lanka has been in political turmoil since Sirisena fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last month and appointed a pro-China former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his place.
Western countries led by the United States and the European Union had been urging Sirisena to convene parliament and let the legislature determine who should be prime minister.
Sirisena reconvened parliament on Nov. 14, but on Friday, he dissolved it and ordered a general election for Jan. 5.
Foreign Minister Sarath Amunugama called the heads of 43 foreign missions for a meeting on the political situation on Monday but only a handful turned up, the sources said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sri-lanka-politics/western-diplomats-shun-meeting-with-sri-lanka-minister-on-political-crisis-idUSKCN1NH1FG
#3833253 at 2018-11-10 15:03:44 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4872 Weekends are for Shitposting Edition
Sri Lanka president dissolves Parliament, calls for election
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Sri Lanka's president has dissolved Parliament and called for elections on Jan. 5 in a bid to stave off a deepening political crisis over his dismissal of the prime minister that opponents say is unconstitutional.
An official notification signed by President Maithripala Sirisena announced the dissolution of Parliament effective midnight Friday. It said the names of candidates will be called before Nov. 26 and the new Parliament is to convene Jan. 17.
Sri Lanka has been in a crisis since Oct. 26, when Sirisena fired his prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and replaced him with former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa. Both say they command a majority in Parliament and had been expected to face the 225-member body on Wednesday after it was suspended for about 19 days.
Foreign Minister Sarath Amunugama told The Associated Press on Saturday that the president dissolved Parliament due to the need to go to the people to find a resolution to the crisis.
https://www.timesunion.com/news/world/article/Sri-Lanka-president-dissolves-Parliament-calls-13380085.php
#3637896 at 2018-10-28 13:58:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4617 A Year Ago Today Edition
Shots fired as Sri Lanka political crisis escalates
Three people have been wounded in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, when the bodyguard of a cabinet minister under ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe opened fire at a crowd of protesters.
The shooting on Sunday came amid a constitutional crisis triggered by President Maithripala Sirisena's sacking of the prime minister and his cabinet.
Ruwan Gunasekara, a police spokesman, told reporters that a bodyguard for Arjuna Ranatunga, Wickremesinghe's petroleum minister, fired live rounds at a crowd of people loyal to Sirisena when they attempted to prevent the dismissed minister from entering his office at the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
Police have arrested the guard who opened fire, Gunasekara said, adding that a probe was under way.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/sri-lanka-crisis-deepens-speaker-recognises-sacked-pm-181028091101951.html
#3628323 at 2018-10-27 19:46:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4605: False Flag(s) Edition
Political Upheaval in Sri Lanka Deepens as President Sacks PM, Top Ministers
A political crisis is deepening in the populous island nation on the Laccadive Sea.
On Saturday, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena suspended parliament until November 16, a day after removing Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister and replacing him with opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, who previously served the sixth president of Sri Lanka from 2005-2016.
"The president has prorogued the parliament," Cabinet spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne told reporters, Japan Times reported Saturday. The president suspended all meetings of the 225-member house until mid-November, according to AFP.
However, Wickremesinghe claims that he has a majority in parliament.
"I have the majority in the parliament, convene the parliament to resolve this," Wickremesinghe said during a press conference in the country's capital of Colombo on Saturday.
"As far as the prime ministership is concerned, the person who has the majority support in parliament has to be the prime minister, and I have that majority of support," Wickremesinghe said, according to the Associated Press. "It is not necessary for us to create a crisis. It is not necessary for the people of the country to suffer."
The parliament suspension means, however, that Wickremesinghe will not be able to prove his majority.
On Friday, the South Asian country's Media and Finance Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, referred to Rajapaksa's appointment as "an anti-democratic coup," while a European Union delegation confirmed Saturday that it is closely monitoring the situation in the island nation of some 23 million.
"We urge all parties to fully act in accordance with Sri Lanka's Constitution, to refrain from violence, to follow due institutional process, to respect the independence of institutions, and freedom of media," the delegation announced Saturday, Japan Times reported.
Political tensions in between between Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) and Sirisensa's United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) have been high since Sirisensa recently condemned Wickremesinghe's party for not thoroughly looking into an assassination plot against the president. Sirisena also accused India's intelligence services of being involved in the assassination plot, although that claim has been denied by intelligence members.
Although neighboring India has not yet officially reacted to the events in Sri Lanka, the country has been concerned with Rajapaksa's relationship with China, after Rajapaksa spent billions of dollars helping rebuild China after the end of a 26-year-long civil war against Tamil separatists in 2009.
The investment deeply indebted Sri Lanka and resulted in giving China control of a strategic southern port on the island, a move criticized by both India and the United States.
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201810271069279998-political-upheaval-sri-lanka-prime-ministers/
#3612090 at 2018-10-26 15:21:44 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4583: Whose Fake Bomb Is It Anyway? Edition
Sri Lanka President sacks Prime Minister: official
President Maithripala Sirisena Friday sacked his Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former president Mahinda Rajapakse as the new premier, the president's office said.
A private television network loyal to Rajapakse televised him being sworn in as the new prime minister, replacing Wickremesinghe.
There was no immediate word from Wickremesinghe, who helped Sirisena win the January 2015 elections against Rajapakse.
The surprise move comes after disagreements between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe over economic policy and day-to-day administration of the government.
The pair were reported to have clashed in cabinet last week over government plans to lease a port terminal to neighbouring India.
Wickremesinghe's government came to power promising economic reforms and accountability for atrocities committed in Sri Lanka's bloody civil war during Rajapakse's presidency.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/sri-lanka-president-sacks-prime-minister-official-150642593.html?guccounter=1
8chan/8kun QRB Posts (2)
#143306 at 2022-07-20 15:01:34 (UTC+1)
QRB General #970: Guess Whose Linked To Ukrainian Bio Labs? Edition
Get in...'negotiate' and get doze resources committed to a "loan" that will never be able to be repaid thus fugging them further
IMF hopes to complete Sri Lanka aid talks 'as quickly as possible'
The IMF hopes to complete the negotiations with Sri Lanka on a bailout package "as quickly as possible" and the "moment there is a government" in the country, its Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday, hours after the crisis-hit island nation elected a new president.
Sri Lanka has been gripped by severe shortages of fuel, food and other essentials after its foreign reserves dried up. Citizens have turned their anger on the government and forced once-powerful President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign last week. On Wednesday, the Sri Lankan Parliament elected Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe as his replacement. "IMF hopes to complete negotiations with Sri Lanka "as quickly as possible, & the moment there is a govt we can continue our discussions & our team will be there," Georgieva said, Hiru News reported. Wickremesinghe in his previous capacity as prime minister and finance minister has been involved in the negotiations with the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Sri Lanka's large creditors include Japan, China and India.
https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/rest-of-the-world-news/imf-chief-georgieva-hopes-to-complete-sri-lanka-aid-talks-as-quickly-as-possible-articleshow.html
#140800 at 2022-06-28 01:48:45 (UTC+1)
QRB General #953: Did You Catch the Red Waves? Edition
Sri Lanka Suspends Fuel Sales Amid Economic Collapse; Asks Russians For Help
A broke and extremely cash-strapped Sri Lanka halted all fuel sales except for essential services in a desperate attempt to manage a severe fuel shortage - allowing the government to buy some time and send two government officials to Russia to negotiate a fuel deal.
"From midnight today, no fuel will be sold except for essential services like the health sector, because we want to conserve the little reserves we have," government spokesman Bandula Gunawardana said in a pre-recorded statement, obtained by AFP News.
The Sri Lankan government announced only essential services would operate and be allowed access to fuel until July 10 because of a fuel shortage
"Sri Lanka has never faced such a severe economic crisis in its history," Gunewardena added.
The move comes less than a week after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the debt-laden economy of the island nation has "completely collapsed:"
"We are now facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity, and food. Our economy has faced a complete collapse.
"It is no easy task to revive a country with a completely collapsed economy, especially one that is dangerously low on foreign reserves," " Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament on June 22.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/sri-lanka-suspends-fuel-sales-amid-economic-collapse-asks-russians-help
8chan/8kun QResearch AUSTRALIA Posts (1)
#16481839 at 2022-06-21 10:30:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition
Sri Lanka commits to fighting asylum-seeker boat surge as Clare O'Neil meets leaders
AMANDA HODGE and SUSITHA FERNANDO - JUNE 20, 2022
Sri Lanka's most senior officials have assured Australia that their administration remains committed to battling people smuggling following a fresh wave of asylum boats trying to reach Australia spurred by the economic meltdown in the Indian Ocean country.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil met with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and, separately, with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister G L Peiris in Colombo on Monday where she announced $50m in aid for the South Asian nation now facing its worst economic crisis since independence, and reasserted Australia's commitment to help the government tackle transnational crime, including people smuggling and drug smuggling.
Ms O'Neil also promised Australian government help to promote Sri Lanka to Australian investors and tourists at a time when the country is in desperate need of foreign currency and economic stimulus.
On Tuesday she will open a new fisheries monitoring centre, to provide maritime surveillance of the country's multi-day fishing trawler fleet - the boat of choice for people smugglers attempting to ferry Sri Lankans to Australia.
Australia has intercepted at least four Sri Lankan asylum boats in recent weeks while Sri Lankan naval authorities say they have intercepted at least 400 asylum seekers in their own waters.
Ms O'Neil told Mr Rajapaksa that her new Labor government remained committed to the previous administration's Operation Sovereign Borders and would continue its "Zero Chance" advertising campaign to dissuade illegal migration, a statement issued by the President's office said.
The Sri Lankan leader - who is under intense pressure to quit over the catastrophic situation in the country, which many Sri Lankans blame on his former government's mismanagement - said he understood "Australia is on high alert for security in the Indian Ocean".
"President Rajapaksa stated that the Sri Lankan government would extend its fullest support to maintain the Indian Ocean as a security zone," the statement added.
Some 50 Sri Lankan navy personnel are in Australia on a specialist training program.
The two governments will hold an eighth round of the Sri Lankan Australian joint working group on countering people smuggling and other transnational crimes "when conditions permit".
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/50m-sri-lanka-aid-linked-to-asylum-boat-surge/news-story/cf8910bff816161f36840cb1308f2a49
endchan qrbunker Posts (2)
#136150 at 2024-01-17 11:40:00 (UTC+1)
QR Bunker General #418 Monuments to the American Revolution Edition
>>136147
>>136148
>>136149
January 17, 2024
3:00 AM EST
The Tokenization Economy - Public Speakers: Matt Turner, Lieve Mostrey, Jeremy Allaire, Denelle Dixon, Bosun Tijani
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/the-tokenization-economy
January 17, 2024
3:00 AM EST
Pulling Debt back from the Brink - Public Speakers: Vera Songwe, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Laura Alfaro
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/pulling-debt-back-from-the-brink
January 17, 2024
3:00 AM EST
Mapping Solutions for: Extreme Weather - Public Speakers: Naomi Oreskes, Al Gore
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/mapping-solutions-for-extreme-weather
January 17, 2024
3:30 AM EST
Open Forum: Speaking Truth to Power - Public Speakers: Jane Goodall, Fareed Zakaria
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/open-forum-speaking-truth-to-power
January 17, 2024
3:30 AM EST
Unlocking New Investment: Labour's Approach to Funding UK Growth
Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF)
https://www.omfif.org/meetings/unlocking-a-new-wave-of-investment-labours-approach-to-funding-the-uks-future-growth/
January 17, 2024
3:30 AM EST
Welcome remarks by Mr Piero Cipollone at meeting of Euro Cyber Resilience Board for pan-European Financial Infrastructures in Frankfurt, Germany
European Central Bank
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/calendars/weekly/html/index.en.html
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/paym/groups/euro-cyber-board/html/index.en.html
January 17, 2024
4:00 AM EST
A Conversation with William Samoei Ruto, President of Kenya - Public Speakers: William Samoei Ruto, B?rge Brende
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/a-conversation-with-william-samoei-ruto-president-of-kenya
January 17, 2024
4:00 AM EST
A Conversation with Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/a-conversation-with-antony-blinken-us-secretary-of-state
-
January 17, 2024
4:00 AM EST
Secretary Antony J. Blinken participates in a moderated conversation with Tom Friedman at the World Economic Forum
Davos, Switzerland
https://www.state.gov/public-schedule-january-17-2024/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7hytpQiuSw
== 4 ==
#136128 at 2024-01-16 13:50:00 (UTC+1)
QR Bunker General #418 Monuments to the American Revolution Edition
>>136109
>>136110
>>136111
>>136112
>>136113
>>136114
>>136115
>>136116
>>136117
>>136118
>>136119
>>136120
>>136121
>>136122
>>136123
>>136124
>>136125
>>136126
>>136127
January 17, 2024
3:00 AM EST
Defending Europe's United Front - Public Speakers: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Roula Khalaf, Katalin Nov?k, Dmytro Kuleba, Andrzej Duda, Andrej Plenkovi?
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/defending-europes-united-front
January 17, 2024
3:00 AM EST
The Tokenization Economy - Public Speakers: Matt Turner, Lieve Mostrey, Jeremy Allaire, Denelle Dixon, Bosun Tijani
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/the-tokenization-economy
January 17, 2024
3:00 AM EST
Pulling Debt back from the Brink - Public Speakers: Vera Songwe, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Laura Alfaro
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/pulling-debt-back-from-the-brink
January 17, 2024
3:00 AM EST
Mapping Solutions for: Extreme Weather - Public Speakers: Naomi Oreskes, Al Gore
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/mapping-solutions-for-extreme-weather
January 17, 2024
3:30 AM EST
Open Forum: Speaking Truth to Power - Public Speakers: Jane Goodall, Fareed Zakaria
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/open-forum-speaking-truth-to-power
January 17, 2024
4:00 AM EST
A Conversation with William Samoei Ruto, President of Kenya - Public Speakers: William Samoei Ruto, B?rge Brende
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/a-conversation-with-william-samoei-ruto-president-of-kenya
January 17, 2024
4:00 AM EST
A Conversation with Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/a-conversation-with-antony-blinken-us-secretary-of-state
January 17, 2024
4:15 AM EST
Middle East Conflict: What Is the Endgame? - Public Speakers: Sayyid Badr Bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Masrour Barzani, Lolwah AlKhater, Karin von Hippel, Anwar Gargash
World Economic Forum (WEF) "Rebuilding Trust" The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland #WEF24
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/programme
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/middle-east-conflict-what-is-the-endgame
== 20 ==