Two Iranian naval ships – IRINS Bushehr and IRINS Tonb – docked at the Colombo Port on Friday morning (Feb.16) on a formal visit. The visiting ships were welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy, in compliance with naval traditions.

IRINS Bushehr is a 107-meter-long ship manned by 270 crew members and it is commanded by Commander MAHDI BALVARDI. IRINS Tonb is a 95-meter-long platform with a crew of 250. It is commanded by Commander MOHAMMAD HAJI ZADEH.

Meanwhile, the Commanding Officers of the ships are scheduled to call on Commander Western Naval Area and Director General Operations of the Navy, during their stay in the country.

Sri Lanka Navy said both sides will be participating in various programmes aimed at fostering cooperation, adding that the crew members of the Iranian ships will have the opportunity to visit several tourist attractions on the island nation.

Moreover, Officer Cadets and personnel from the Sri Lanka Navy will be able to visit Iranian Naval Ships in Colombo, and reciprocally, Officer Cadets and personnel from the Iranian ships will visit Sri Lanka Naval Ships. The duo of Iranian Naval Ships are scheduled to depart the island on Monday (Feb.19).

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US Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Elizabeth Allen met with Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane on Saturday (17 Feb.), and discussed several recent positive developments between Sri Lanka and the US in the 75th anniversary year of diplomatic relations.

During their meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Under Secretary assured the continuous US assistance to the Government of Sri Lanka towards realizing economic stability, and discussed ways to strengthen people-to-people ties and Diaspora outreach.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Wijewardane welcomed the development assistance extended by the US International Development Finance Corporation in November 2023 to the Colombo West International Terminal Private Limited and appreciated the humanitarian and emergency aid extended to Sri Lanka to overcome the economic challenges of the country.

She also welcomed the US assistance in securing the Extended Fund Facility Programme (EFF) under IMF. Foreign Secretary Wijewardane apprised Under Secretary Allen on the developments in the economic and reconciliation fronts, and Sri Lanka’s priorities as Chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association.

US Under Secretary Allen was accompanied by the Ambassador of the US to Sri Lanka Julie Chung, officials from the Department of State, and the US Embassy in Colombo. Senior officials of the Foreign Ministry were associated with the Foreign Secretary at the meeting.

She arrived in Sri Lanka earlier today, and was cordially welcomed by the US Ambassador.

During her stay here, Allen will meet with government officials, media representatives, digital content creators and youth leaders to discuss the partnership between the two nations and the safeguarding of Sri Lanka’s information and media space, and to explore ways to work together to promote prosperity on the island nation, Chung said further.

Following her Sri Lanka tour, Allen will embark on a visit to India.

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Sri Lanka’s Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva has stated that the recent increase in the number of ship arrivals at the Colombo Port is likely due to the Red Sea crisis.

Accordingly, the Minister revealed that the number of ships docking at the Colombo Port has increased by 35% within the month of January, while container operations at the port have also increased by 72%.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva made these remarks while attending a special inspection of the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).

Commenting on the increase in ship arrivals recorded at the Colombo Port, however, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya claimed that he remains dissatisfied that this increase is likely attributed to the Red Sea crisis.

A Sri Lankan multi-day fishing trawler, with 6 crew members aboard, has reportedly been abducted by Somali pirates, the Department of Fisheries confirmed.

According to a spokesperson from the department, the fishing trawler, along with several Sri Lankan fishermen, had been kidnapped by the pirates in the Arabian Sea.

The “Lorenzo Putha – 4” multi-day fishing trawler had set sail from Dikowita fishing harbor in Chilaw on January 12.

The abduction has happened approximately 1,160 nautical miles away from the Sri Lankan maritime boundary.

The authorities stated that necessary measures are being taken to rescue the abducted fishermen.

The Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, attended an event of Indian Oil’s subsidiary in Sri Lanka, Lanka IOC (Indian Oil Corporation), on Saturday to extend the ‘Group term assurance plan’ through LIC Lanka.

He lauded LIOC’s contribution to the economy and its service to society through various CSR activities.

“High Commissioner @santjha attended the LIOC event to extend the ‘Group term assurance plan’ through LIC Lanka to its 1500 customer attendants across the island,” the High Commission of India in Colombo wrote on X.

Lanka IOC is the only private oil company that operates retail petrol and diesel stations in Sri Lanka.

On December 22, 2023, the Indian envoy to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, presented credentials to Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. He assumed the charge of the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka on December 22.

Earlier in September, Santosh Jha was appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.

The economic crisis in Sri Lanka has adverseky affected food security, agriculture, livelihoods, and access to health services.

Ahead of Sri Lanka’s presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled this year, Eastern Province Governor Senthil Thondaman affirmed support for sitting premier Ranil Wickremesinghe and backed him to be re-elected, saying that he stabilised the country and lifted the economy from dire straits.

On the ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for securing the third tranche of loans for the economic bailout and recovery, the Lankan leader said the President was working with the world body to obtain the necessary funding and support and the country was well and truly on the road to recovery.

Sri Lanka has been reeling under a severe economic crisis in the recent past, with COVID-induced lockdowns wrecking the country’s economic backbone–tourism.

Mounting bad loans also added to nation’s woes, putting the economy under severe stress and on the verge of bankruptcy.

In addition, a foreign exchange crisis, heavy Chinese debts, and a failed move to shift the country’s agriculture to 100 per cent organic had intensified the country’s troubles.

However, at a time when the country, also known as the Emerald Isle, was staring at an economic abyss, with riots breaking out and the previous Rajapaksa government collapsing in the face of mounting public anger, India came out in its support and extended a helping hand to its southern neighbour.

New Delhi not only opened a line of credit for the embattled nation but also extended timely assistance on various fronts to help the island nation recover from the crippling economic crisis.

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Amnesty International says the Online Safety Bill, freshly passed in Sri Lanka parliament on Wednesday (Jan.24), is a ‘major blow’ to human rights in the country.

Commenting in this regard, Thyagi Ruwanpathirana, Regional Researcher for South Asia at the international rights organisation said this legislation is the ‘newest weapon in the government’s arsenal of tools’ that could be used to undermine freedom of expression and suppress dissent.

She urged the Sri Lankan authorities to immediately withdraw the Online Safety Bill and ensure respect for the human rights of everyone in the country.

The Online Safety Bill, which seeks to regulate online content, received the parliamentary majority on Wednesday evening, amidst objections from opposition politicians and activists who raised alarm that the new law would muzzle free speech.

The Second Reading of the Online Safety Bill was also passed in Parliament by a majority of 46 votes. A total of 108 MPs had voted in favour, while 62 had voted against the Bill. The division was followed by a committee stage debate, during which a contentious situation ensued as opposition MPs objected to certain amendments brought by the ruling party, accusing them of being unconstitutional and in violation of the Supreme Court determination.

The Online Safety Bill proposes jail terms for content that a five-member commission considers illegal and makes social media platforms such as Google, Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter), liable for those posted on their platforms.

Dismissing the accusations, the government has defended the Bill, saying that it is aimed at battling cybercrimes including child abuse, data theft and online fraud.

Yet, many rights organizations, activists and civil society members, including the Asian Internet Coalition (AIC), International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), and Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) have voiced deep concerns about the problematic aspects of certain provisions of the Bill.

Commenting further on the passing of the new law to regulate online content, Ruwanpathirana said many parts of the Bill do not meet international human rights standards including overbroad provisions that would restrict the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of expression and privacy online, and vaguely worded, subjective offences such as ‘prohibited statements’ as determined and declared by a powerful ‘Online Safety Commission’.

“As people grapple with and voice their concerns amid hardships during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis and the impact of government’s austerity measures, this legislation will be ripe for misuse by authorities and will be used to further restrict civic space, and crackdown on critics and opposition.

“In a year of elections, with a long history of cracking down on protests, the Sri Lankan authorities must demonstrate the political will to uphold their international human rights obligations and commitments by guaranteeing and ensuring respect for human rights before, during and after elections,” Ruwanpathirana added.

The Maldives has granted permission for a controversial Chinese vessel to make a resupply call, but it will not undertake any “research”, the Indian Ocean archipelago nation’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

China’s Xiang Yang Hong 3, which has been reportedly turned down port entry by Sri Lanka, is due to call at Male in early February, according to ship monitoring website MarineTraffic.

The vessel will “not be conducting any research while in the Maldivian waters”, the foreign ministry said, following media reports from neighbouring India accusing Beijing of using the ship for “surveillance”.

The Maldives said the vessel would stop only for “a port call, for rotation of personnel and replenishment”. There was no immediate comment from China.

India is suspicious of China’s increasing presence in the Indian Ocean and its influence in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, which are strategically placed halfway along key east-west international shipping routes.

Relations between Male and New Delhi have plummeted since pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu won elections last year.

Muizzu has asked India to withdraw the 89 security personnel deployed to the Maldives to operate three reconnaissance aircraft by March 15.

However, Muizzu insists he does not want to upend ties with New Delhi by replacing Indian troops with Chinese forces.

Bollywood actors and some of India’s cricket greats responded with calls for compatriots to boycott their southern neighbour – a popular tourist destination – and instead book their next holidays closer to home.

Muizzu said the Maldives will also slash reliance on India for healthcare and medicine, adding more countries where citizens needing government-paid health treatment abroad can go.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has reportedly told China that the Xiang Yang Hong 3 will not be allowed access to its ports after two similar visits since 2022 raised objections from India, according to media reports on the island.

The Chinese vessel, Shi Yan 6, was allowed port access in Colombo in October, and Sri Lankan authorities later granted it 48 hours to carry out marine research following diplomatic pressure from Beijing.

Another Chinese vessel, Yuan Wang 5, which specialises in spacecraft tracking and which New Delhi described as a spy ship, visited Sri Lanka in 2022.

A pair of Chinese submarines docked in Sri Lanka in 2014, raising protests from India. Since then, Sri Lanka has not allowed Chinese submarines to enter its ports.

scmp.com