www.themorning.lk Late City VOL 01 | NO 23 | Rs. 30.00 { WEDNESDAY } WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 THE STORY OF SOMETHING ‘MOST :DIFFERENT COUNTRIES FAILED AFTER GOING TO IMF’ VEHICLE IMPORTERS SAY BRATHWAITE TO SURVIVAL UNTIL END- LEAD WINDIES 2021 UNIMAGINABLE IN TESTS? »SEE PAGE 11 »SEE PAGE 7 »SEE PAGE 16 »SEE PAGE 6 BY THE MORNING NEWS DESK The Presidential EASTER SUNDAY ATTACKS PCOI REPORT Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on the Easter Sunday attack has recommended that legal action be taken against a topmost politician, senior police officers, and senior Action mooted against public officials, over the failure to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks and properly perform their duties. Contd. on page 2 politicos, officials, cops Fmr Prez Sirisena, fmr Defence Failure to prevent Ranil’s lax attitude Confirms Secy Hemasiri, fmr IGP attacks, dereliction of to Islamist Zahran the Pujith, fmr Nat. Intel Chief Sisira duty/negligence, etc. extremism contributed mastermind, inspired Mendis, and fmr SIS Chief Nilantha by Bangladeshi attack Jayawardena named Charges against AG should file Rishad for calls criminal charges Urges ban of Wahhabism, IS, BBS, SLJI, to Army Commander against all SLJISM/SLJSM, Thowheed groups Major vaccine inflow this week BY HIRANYADA DEWASIRI AND MIHI PERERA of Health is expecting a batch of 264,000 doses of the z 500,000 Covishield Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine this week. The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal by Speaking to The Morning yesterday (23), Ministry doses tomorrow Acting Minister of Health Prof. Channa Jayasumana to of Health Epidemiology Unit Consultant purchase 10 million Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield Epidemiologist Dr. Deepa Gamage said that the vaccines for $ 52.5 million from the Serum Institute Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation z COVAX to send of India, while a consignment of 500,000 Covishield (GAVI) COVAX Facility has prioritised Sri Lanka doses from the Serum Institute will be arriving over other countries to supply vaccines through the 264,000 doses tomorrow (25). COVAX Facility. ‘this week’ Meanwhile, The Morning learnt that the Ministry Contd. on page 2 JOINT HEALTH WORKERS’ UNION PROTEST Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena addressing the 46th United Nations Human Rights Council Talks fail (UNHRC) session yesterday (23) Hounding SL hurts after Health fight against terrorism: Ministry siege BY HIRANYADA DEWASIRI Dinesh to UNHRC The discussions held BY PAMODI WARAVITA between the Joint Health He added that the continued targeting of Workers’ Union (JHWU) and Labelling as hypocritical the motives Sri Lanka sends a discouraging message to Secretary to the Ministry of of countries calling for the prosecution sovereign states in the Global South. Health, following yesterday’s of Sri Lanka, Foreign Minister Dinesh Tomorrow (25), United Nations High (23) protest march and Gunawardena stressed to the United Nations Commissioner for the UNHRC Michelle forcible entrance to the Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that the Bachelet’s report on Sri Lanka is scheduled Ministry premises, have been continuous targeting of our nation only to be discussed. The report raised serious unsuccessful. results in a significant loss of morale in the concerns regarding Sri Lanka’s human Demanding that the ongoing fight against terrorism. rights situation, both in the final stage of Government addresses 11 issues Gunawardena made this comment the war in 2009 as well as more recent faced by junior health workers, addressing the 46th United Nations Human incidents such as the mandatory cremation the JHWU marched and forcibly Rights Council (UNHRC) session yesterday policy adopted by the Government. The entered the Suwasiripaya (23) at the sixth meeting of the “High- Government responded to the report by citing Ministry of Health Premises level segment”, where he also called upon inaccuracies in the report and stating that in Colombo 10, before they UNHRC member states to stand by Sri Bachelet went beyond her given mandate. were granted a meeting with Protestors after entering the ministry premises Lanka and reject any adverse resolutions. Contd. on page 2 the Health Ministry Secretary. PHOTO ESHAN DASANAYAKA Contd. on page 3 COVID-19 CASES Two months for human- ACTIVE CASES TOTAL CASES 80,739 elephant master plan BY PAMODI WARAVITA to effectively combat the human- made both yesterday (22) and 9 DEATHS RECOVERED elephant conflict (HEC). December at the COPA meeting,” The Committee on Public Audits “We have given a two-month time COPA Chair Prof. Tissa Vitharana 4,447 453 75,842 (COPA) has allocated a two-month period for the Wildlife Conservation told The Morning yesterday (23) SOURCE: HEALTH PROMOTION BUREAU period for the Department of Wildlife Department to present us with a following the conclusion of the THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE CONFIRMED UP UNTIL 9.45 P.M. ON 23 FEBRUARY 2021 Conservation and other relevant master plan to minimise the HEC meeting. institutions to prepare a proposal based on the recommendations Contd. on page 2 42 www.themorning.lk { NEWS } Wednesday, February 24, 2021 Contd. from page 1 should be enacted against terrorism. The report “When the President is overseas and when the Ministry of Defence. The 46th UNHRC Regular Session, held Action mooted... further recommended that in accordance with the Prime Minister is not the Acting Minister Also, the report said that one of the main virtually this year due to travel restrictions imposed The report concluded that there was a failure the International Convention for the Suppression of Defence, all national security information reasons for the Easter Sunday attack was the by the pandemic, will continue until 23 March. and negligence on the part of the officials and of the Financing of Terrorism, the offence of should be informed to the Prime Minister,” the lack of more attention and priority to national authorities, including former President Maithripala terrorism financing should be further strengthened. report added. security, and that therefore, a national security Sirisena, former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Recommending more amendments to acts, De-radicalisation programmes being launched policy must be approved. Major vaccine... Fernando, former Inspector General of Police the report said that a committee should be was also recommended by the report. The report added: “The one country, one “The GAVI COVAX Facility has prioritised (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara, former National appointed to suggest suitable amendments to Under education, the report stated: “Instead of law concept must be implemented. All locally Sri Lanka and brought it to the top of the list of Intelligence Chief Sisira Mendis, and former the Exchange Control Act. Speaking of the school segregation on the basis of religion, national, recognised terrorist organisations and terrorists countries they are providing vaccines to. We State Intelligence Service (SIS) Chief Nilantha Financial Transactions Reporting Act, the report provincial, and international schools should be must be named under the relevant United Nations are expecting 264,000 Covishield doses within Jayawardena, in preventing a terror attack and recommended granting the Financial Intelligence established, and all schools should have student (UN) regulations. Create a legal mechanism to the week.” taking legal action against the perpetrators. Unit access to the Department of Registration of population representing the country’s religious allow the Police to obtain the Army’s support The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday (22) Charges against them are: failure to detect that Persons, Registrar of Motor Vehicles, Department composition. A new subject called ‘religious without emergency law being declared under also approved a proposal by the acting Health terrorist and extremist activity was taking place of Immigration and Emigration, Land Registrar, education’ should be taught in all schools, and it the Public Security Ordinance to address terrorist Minister to enter into an agreement between the in the country; being negligent to look into such, Criminal Reporting Section, and the International must be made mandatory to learn the basic facts and extremist activities. Wearing clothes covering Astra-Zeneca Institute in the UK and the State and who was responsible for it and also to take Police. The report added: “The unit should be about Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and one’s place in public places must be prohibited. Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) to purchase legal action; and the failure to prevent the 21 allowed to start reports on suspicious transactions, Islam from grade one to 10. It must be looked A social media platform under the Ministry of 3.5 million Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccines April 2019 attack. financial transactions, and electronic fund into that all religious all religious textbooks do Defence should be created to suppress propaganda manufactured in the UK under the said company The PCoI has noted that former Prime Minister exchanges, and also, there must be a dedicated not contain both direct and indirect literature relevant to religious and ethnic extremism. Actions and to sign the Standardised Indemnification Ranil Wickremesinghe displayed a lax approach officer to liaise (between) every commercial pertaining to terrorism. Introduce comparative should be taken to prevent organised criminals, Agreement submitted by the GAVI COVAX towards Islamist extremism during his tenure as bank and the unit.” religion as a subject in the school curriculum. It drugs racketeers, and arms