Teacher, husband threatened by disgraced Councillor

By Danapala
Mudiyanse - Pallama

2013-07-24 

Following the recent controversy where school teacher, Priyani Herath, was forced to kneel in front of the students, by the former North-Western Provincial Councillor, Ananda Sarath Kumara, the Navagattegama Police have received a fresh complaint from the teacher’s husband, claiming that Kumara had threatened them.

Kumara has been accused of threatening the couple at a function held near their home. OIC of the Navagattegama Police, IP K. Jaufar, confirmed that investigations into the complaint were underway, while the Anamaduwa District Court will call the case when proceedings begin tomorrow (25).

Meanwhile, teachers unions have warned that all teachers will boycott election duties if Kumara is nominated as a candidate in the upcoming Provincial Council elections. However, Kumara has applied for nomination, and the Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is to decide whether to nominate him or not.

Following Kumara’s arrest on 15 June, after he humiliated Ratnayake in public by making her kneel before him and threatening her, he was released on bail on 11 July by the District Judge, Ranga Dissanayake, under strict terms that he had to adhere to, and also being cautioned against intimidating or victimizing Ratnayake or any other person.

70 SL asylum seekers saved from watery grave

WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY 2013 

At least 70 Sri Lankan asylum seekers who were in distress, 290 nautical miles south east of Sri Lanka were rescued today by a merchant vessel after being informed by the Sri Lanka Navy.

Navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya said the navy sent out messages to several merchant ships in the vicinity to locate the troubled fishing trawler
“The merchant ship located the fishing trawler which was in international waters. So we took steps to inform several merchant ships going through the channel which we believed to be the possible location of the ship,” he said. “A large number of merchant vessels use the route.”

Commander Wanrakulasuriya said the merchant ship was requested to transfer the refugees to the vessel so that our Navy vessels could take them aboard at the International Maritime Boundary Line.

The Navy was informed by the Galle DIG’s office on Tuesday evening about the fishing trawler. Therefore it is believed that they had left Sri Lanka from a location in the Galle area.

The police have taken steps to identify the individuals who had boarded the fishing trawler and a special probe is underway to track down the local facilitators.

Despite Australia — a possible destination or a perceived haven for asylum seekers — introducing several restrictions including the threat of deportation to the country of origin, the attempts to flee Sri Lanka have increased.

Potential asylum seekers have being warned not to fall prey to designing human traffickers but sadly all such warnings go unheeded. (SD)