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Butterfly thieves handed $200,000 fine

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An Italian father and his son have been fined 60 million Sri Lankan rupees ($200,000; £150,000) for trying to smuggle hundreds of endemic insects – including 92 species of butterflies – out of a safari park.

Rangers at Yala National Park arrested Luigi Ferrari, 68, and his 28-year-old son Mattia on 8 May this year after they were found with jars containing the insects.

The men had lured the insects with animal attractants and planned on using wax sachets to chemically preserve them, investigations show.

They were convicted in early September of illegal collection, possession and transportation of the insects, and handed the highest-ever fine for wildlife crime in the country.

One of the park rangers, K Sujeewa Nishantha, told BBC Sinhala that on the day of the incident, a safari jeep driver had informed his team of rangers that a “suspicious car” was parked along the road, and that the two men who were in it had ventured into the forest with insect nets.

The rangers located the car and found hundreds of jars containing the insects in its trunk.

“All the insects were dead when we found them. They put a chemical in the bottles,” Mr Nishantha said. “There were more than three hundred animals.”

The men were initially slapped with 810 charges, but these were later reduced to 304. They could face two years in jail if they fail to pay the fine by 24 September.

Italian news reports say the men were on vacation in Sri Lanka at the time and have been held in the country since the incident.

Yala National Park, located in the country’s south-east, is one of Sri Lanka’s most popular wildlife parks, home to a high concentration of leopards, elephants and buffalos, among other animals.

Luigi Ferrari, an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in treating foot and ankle injuries, was described by his friends as an insect enthusiast, reports say. He is also a member of an entomology association in Modena, a city in the north of Italy.

His friends and colleagues in Italy have pleaded for leniency on his behalf. Some suggested that the butterflies found in his possession have no commercial value, Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported.

Dr. Jagath Gunawardena, an expert on environmental law, told the BBC Sinhala that the $200,000 fine was a warning to criminals as well as a good precedent.

(BBC News)

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Petition filed against barring women from ‘Station Master’ posts

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The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka today (July 11) granted leave to proceed with a Fundamental Rights petition filed by two women challenging the gender-based restriction preventing women from applying for the position of Station Master in Sri Lanka Railways.

The petition was taken up before a three-judge bench comprising Justices A.H.M.D. Nawaz, Priyantha Fernando, and Sampath Wijeratne.

Appearing on behalf of the petitioners, Attorney-at-Law Nuwan Bopage submitted that the Railways Department had issued a gazette notification dated June 13, calling for applications to fill 106 vacant Station Master positions.

However, the notification stipulated that only male applicants were eligible to apply.

The counsel for the petitioners argued that this constituted a violation of the petitioners’ fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 12(1) and 12(2) of the Constitution, which ensure equality before the law and prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender.

He further contended that the restriction also infringed upon the petitioners’ right to engage in employment of their choice.

Accordingly, the petitioners sought a declaration from the court that their fundamental rights had been violated and requested an order to remove the discriminatory provision in the said gazette notification, which limits eligibility to only male candidates.

After considering the facts presented, the Supreme Court granted leave to proceed with the petition and scheduled the plaint for hearing on August 27.

(adaderana.lk)

(This story, originally published by adaderana.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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Chemmani mass grave : ITAK urges President AKD to take urgent measures

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The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake urging to take immediate action to ensure truth, justice, with regard to the ongoing Chemmani mass grave investigation.

The letter emphasized that over 65 skeletons, including those of infants, have been recovered so far, affirming the scale of atrocities allegedly committed in the region.

ITAK also called for the public release of all forensic reports and DNA findings and warned that symbolic reconciliation would remain hollow without legal accountability.

Signed by senior ITAK leaders C.V.K. Sivagnanam and M.A. Sumanthiran, the letter urge the President to implement the following without delay :

  1. Consolidate the legal cases related to the 1999 and 2025 exhumations into a single judicial and forensic inquiry under the Colombo and Jaffna Magistrate’s Courts.
  2. Engage independent, internationally respected forensic experts to oversee all stages of the investigation, ensuring forensic integrity and public trust.
  3. Publicize all interim and final forensic reports, DNA profiles and identification results, and facilitate access for victims’ families, civil society and international observers.
  4. ⁠Repatriate the remains excavated in 1999, currently believed to be held in Glasgow, so they may be examined under the same protocols and returned to their families with dignity.
  5. ⁠Allocate significantly enhanced financial and logistical resources to ensure that the current excavation is completed under international standards; hundreds of families continue searching for missing loved ones, and without truth and accountability, reconciliation remains a facade.Concurrently, take steps to prosecute those responsible for these heinous crimes, which is essential for national healing.

The ITAK’s letter is as follows :

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Let’s build a nation rooted in historical heritage (Pics)

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that a society cannot progress without a meaningful connection to its historic heritage and that the nation’s development path must be chosen accordingly.

The President made these remarks while addressing a ceremonial gathering yesterday (July 10) afternoon at the historic Ruhunu Kataragama sacred site.  

Earlier in the day, President Dissanayake visited the sacred grounds of Kataragama, participated in religious observances and later paid a courtesy call on the Venerable Kobawaka Dhamminda Nayaka Thera, the Chief Incumbent of the historic Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya, inquiring about his well-being and engaging in a brief discussion.

The President also attended the final Randoli Maha Perahera (Golden Chariot Grand Procession) of the annual Esala Festival at the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya, where he witnessed the ceremonial placement of the sacred relic casket upon the relic bearing tusker.  

Addressing the gathering, President Dissanayake further emphasised that a nation can only move forward by maintaining continuity with its historic heritage. He noted that every developed country in the world has achieved progress by preserving its historical legacy and building upon it, stressing that Sri Lanka, too, must choose a development path anchored in its heritage.

The President highlighted that Buddhism played a pivotal role in transforming our society into a cultured civilisation and that cultural festivals like this help revive and strengthen the moral and social values of a society often preoccupied with material pursuits.  

He pointed out that the Ruhunu Kataragama Perahera has been held continuously for 2,186 years, spanning nearly a hundred generations and that its survival has been possible due to the deep connection between this cultural ceremony and the lives of the people. The President extended his gratitude to all those, including the Chief Incumbent, who contributed to the success of this year’s procession.  

Among those present at the occasion were Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, R.M. Jayawardena, Governor of the Uva Province, Attorney-at-Law Kapila Jayasekara, Member of Parliament Ruwan Wijeweera, Chairman of the Kataragama Pradeshiya Sabha, Dharmapala Herath and Monaragala District Secretary Pasan Ratnayake.

(President’s Media Division)

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