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“Vishishta Seva Vibhushana” awarded to 77 senior military officers

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that although lives lost during the war cannot be regained, the income lost during the economic war could be regained.

The President also pointed out that the stability of political and territorial integrity of a country is the best factor to win over the economic war.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe made this statement while addressing the ceremony held today (01) at the Presidential Palace in Kandy to present the distinguished service awards “Vishishta Seva Vibhushana” to 77 senior officers of the Tri Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force). The award ceremony was organized in conjunction with the 75th Independence Day celebrations.

The Vishishta Seva Vibhushana is a unique award and is awarded only to officers of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and above in the Army and officers holding similar ranks in the Navy and Air Force who have served at least 25 years of continuous service and holds an unblemished a service record.

In relation to the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 53 Army officers, 17 Navy officers and 7 Air Force officers were awarded medals during today’s ceremony.

The President also presented the 75th Independence Anniversary Commemorative Medals to 20 Tri-Forces personnel.

Expressing his views at the ceremony, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said,

“Today we have awarded the “Vishishta Seva Vibhushana” awards to those who deserve this Medal. Also, these service awards were given on the occasion of the 75th Independence Anniversary. I congratulate all the recipients of these medals today. I also extend my appreciation for your service.

This event is the first event to be held to mark the 75th Anniversary of Sri Lanka’s Independence. There is a reason to hold this event for the armed forces.

National leaders of the past, led by the Hon. D.S. Senanayake gained freedom for our country. Today, some act as though the country automatically gained independence. Freedom was not gained automatically.

There were 2 countries that supported the Allies in Asia during World War II. One was China and the other was Sri Lanka. But, only Sri Lanka had a legislature which was elected by franchise.

After appreciating the support given for the Second World War by the former leader of the council Mr. D.B. Jayathilika and afterwards Hon. D.S. Senanayake, the British Prime Minister Mr. Winston Churchill said that Sri Lanka would be given freedom after the war on one condition, that India were given freedom first. That is how we got this freedom.

During World War II, the Council of State decided to support the allied countries. In addition, Sri Lankan officials volunteered to support World War II.

Mr.D.S. Senanayake appreciated the release and formed three armed forces from those troops. If we supported the Second World War and gained independence, we should also honour the service of our three armed forces during this anniversary celebration.

For the safety of the nation, members of our security forces gave their lives in battle. Our Army was founded during a world war. It protected democracy over the world. The second war was to preserve Sri Lanka’s unity and territorial integrity. Our armed forces sacrificed their lives for that.

We should keep in mind this outstanding contribution performed by our armed forces as we commemorate the nation’s independence as a republic. Therefore, I made the decision to host the first ceremonial event in connection with the 75th Independence Day for the Armed Forces.

Our three armed forces are now not only in Sri Lanka they serve as a UN peacekeepers as well. In the future, we intend to increase the number of recruits for this peacekeeping force.

We commemorated our 50th anniversary of independence while the nation was at war. We are commemorating our 75th Independence Day at a time when there is another conflict. It is not a battle in which we individually take a weapon and engage in combat. A significant economic battle is currently underway.

The country’s economy has now totally collapsed. Our nation’s economic freedom will vanish if we don’t rebuild that economy and rescue ourselves from this debt trap. If the economic freedom of the country is lost, political freedom is of no use. We cannot surrender to the economic powers of the world today. Building this economy should therefore be our priority.

Make means for the people to live, and revive their lost sources of income. I am aware of the fact that many people are facing difficulties today. Some government employees are facing a situation where nothing of their salaries is spared after settling their loan installments and taxes. We all bear this pressure and we will be able to get rid of this pressure.

I met the U.S. Under-Secretary for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland today. She further expressed the US Government’s support for the ongoing recovery efforts in our country. Hence we have been expressed support by many countries.

I believe that during the next two to three months, we would be able to complete this debt restructuring process. The dialogues with India and China have reached the final stage. When we reach the agreement for debt restructuring from the International Monetary Fund, it would be accepted by the rest of the world.

I believe that we would have a better economic situation by the end of this year. At the same time, we would get an opportunity to provide some relief to all government employees. We must drive this program forward and we are not in a position to get out of it. If we are on the right path, we have to be strategic and only then victory could be achieved.

There is only one difference between terrorist war and economic war. Lives were lost those days during the terrorist war. Today we have lost the income. That’s the only difference. We cannot give a new life to those who lost but the lost income can be recovered. As a government, we are all committed to reviving it under this program.

I believe that we can move forward reviving the economic freedom along with the political freedom back then we won while protecting the territorial integrity.

State Minister of Defence Pramitha Bandara Thennakoon, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Mr Sagala Ratnayake, President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, Secretary of Defence General Kamal Gunaratne (retd.) Chief of Defence Staff Shavendra Silva, Army Commander Lieutenant General Wikum Liyanage, Air Force Commander Air Vice Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera and officers of Tri Forces participated in the event.

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Maithri ordered to provide statement before court

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The Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court has ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena to provide a statement to court on April 04, based on the recent comments he had made over the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.

The order was issued today (28) after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had reported the relevant facts to the court, on the instructions of the Attorney General.

Mr. Sirisena had made this statement on March 22 and several factions had subsequently filed complaints with the Criminal Investigation Department in this regard.

The former President had even recorded a statement for around five-hours with the CID on Monday (March 25) over his recent comments.

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Sinopec to commence work on refinery project by June

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Minister of Power and Energy – Kanchana Wijesekera has stated that officials of the Sinopec Overseas Investment Holding Pvt Ltd (SOIHL), led by their vice President, had visited the ministry yesterday (March 27).

Tweeting, the minister added that the delegation updated on the progress of the negotiations with stakeholders for the construction of the proposed new refinery in Hambantota.

Noting that the officials indicated that the management of Sinopec has decided to double the capacity of the refinery from the original proposal and the Investment, he added that they intend to sign the agreements for the project and commence work by June 2024.

Discussions regarding the water supply, power supply, land allocation & BOI facilities will take place today with the relevant authorities, the Minister further noted.

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New online reporting system to combat child sexual abuse, launched

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The launch of an online platform enabling the swift removal of websites, photos, and videos containing or potentially containing instances of child sexual abuse took place today (March 28) at the Presidential secretariat under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.Recognizing the urgency of addressing child abuse in cyberspace, this initiative targets the dissemination of nude photos and indecent videos of children through internet and social media channels. Implemented by the National Child Protection Authority in collaboration with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), renowned for its expertise in internet child safety enforcement, this program receives financial support from Save the Children and Child Fund.

Following the implementation of this online system, individuals can now visit the website of the National Child Protection Authority at www.childprotection.gov.lk to report incidents of indecent photos and videos of children exchanged online. These reports will be handled by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in collaboration with the National Child Protection Authority. Subsequently, the offending videos will be promptly removed from the internet, and legal action will be pursued against the perpetrators.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing this event said;

“For several decades, this sector has been neglected. The government has indeed neglected it, and the attention it warranted has not been provided. The magnitude of the problem now is such that resolving it within a year seems implausible. We lack the capacity to address the issue comprehensively; therefore, we must employ a variety of strategies.

Firstly, short-term recommendations must be promptly implemented. We propose that the existing committee include stakeholders from the government, specifically authorities in child care and probation services, along with representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and the police force. Strengthening police numbers, particularly in women and children’s desks at every police station, is imperative. This effort must be coordinated with measures against drugs.Additionally, we must consider establishing a new structure and enacting new legislation. I advocate for the formation of a Children’s Council to oversee both the promotion of children’s interests and their protection. The management of probation and child care services should be devolved to the nine provinces, as I believe this responsibility does not necessarily belong to the central government.”

He added that immediate action should be taken on short-term recommendations, while the process of enacting new legislation pertaining to children’s rights should also be expedited.

For further information, contact the Law Enforcement Division at 011-2778911 extension (269) or visit the official website www.childprotection.gov.lk.The launch of this online initiative was attended by Minister of State for Women and Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, Ms Geeta Kumarasinghe, Chairman of the National Child Protection Authority, Senior Lecturer Mr Udayakumara Amarasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, Ms Yamuna Perera, and representatives from various organizations dedicated to ensuring child safety.

(President’s Media Division)

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