PARLIAMENT WATCH – SRI LANKA*

2009 REPORT

_____________________________________________________________
* Conceptualised, implemented and funded by South Asians for Human Rights; Research carried out and
assistance provided by Transparency International, Sri Lanka
A Report on the proceedings of the Sixth Parliament of Sri Lanka

Background

The report covers the period from January to December 2009. The period under review
was significant for Sri Lanka as it marked the end of the armed struggle that spanned over 26
years. The war was officially declared over by the Sri Lankan government on May 19, 2009
generating much hope at the end of a protracted war.

Public expectations were high with regard to the restoration of civil liberties which were long
compromised to enable the execution of the war to an end. However, Sri Lanka was also left to
deal with grave issues such as the 300, 000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), a war-battered
economy and the lack of investment and industrial development, in addition to dealing with
allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses.

This report looks at the conduct of the Sri Lankan Legislature during the year 2009 and how
Parliament dealt with issues related to transparency, accountability, good governance and
human rights during the last phase of Eelam War IV and its immediate conclusion.

Significant attention is also paid to the area of human rights, given its extreme importance in
times of war, and the immediate aftermath when countries tend to experience more violations
of rights that are constitutionally guaranteed. In addition, the report covers a range of topics
including the specific issue of IDPs and freedom of expression concerns in Sri Lanka.

Period under review

This report expressly covers the final year of the Sixth Parliament of the Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka. The Sixth Parliament was dissolved on February 09, 2010 through the
promulgation of Gazette No. 1640/16 of 09.02.2010.

Objectives
The objectives of the Parliament Watch project jointly initiated by Transparency International Sri
Lanka (TISL) and South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) include the examination of the
Legislature’s conduct with regard to the country’s human rights sphere, transparency and
accountability in governance as well as its focus assessed through the legislative debates, follow
up action and the practice of proactively legislating in furtherance of the above ideals. It is also a
tool to assess public access to the Legislature.
Highlights

The national highlight during the period under review is the end of the Eelam War IV with the Sri
Lankan government forces defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The period is
also significant as one during which there were public expectations of a speedy return to
normalcy, resettlement of the displaced people, economic growth and investment. There were
also high hopes of a quick return to normalcy by all communities with a systematic
reintroduction of the basic civil liberties of the people.

The above freedoms, long denied to a population of nearly 20 million are yet to be enjoyed in
full measure by the citizenry. The report captures some of the key debates held in Parliament in
2009 and identifies issues that underpinned the debates on democracy.

Legislative process: Introduction

Despite the military crushing of the LTTE, the government during the seven months that
followed, failed to demonstrate a strong commitment to human rights and accountable and
transparent governance.

The continuation of the state of emergency post war also formed a strong basis of discussion in
the Legislature. During the year, the opposition continued to flag serious concerns with regard
to the denial of civil liberties which was met by the government’s stoic defence of the need to
continue with the state of emergency for the maintenance of law and order. 1

The role of the legislature as a platform to raise awareness and spark off public debate on
human rights and governance became all the more significant with the conclusion of the Eelam
War IV. With over 300, 000 IDPs confined to displaced camps in the North with special
emphasis being laid on Vavuniya, the year’s debates were dominated by the alleged war crimes
and whether the end justified the process. 2

The past year also witnessed the silencing of the island’s key dissenting voices. Many prominent
media personnel and civil society actors came under severe suppression. The year also recorded
the murder of The Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, a recipient of the Integrity
Award for his commitment to fighting corruption through the newspaper’s pages. The privately
owned Maharaja Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) suffered a devastating attack and prominent
journalists came under severe attack while reputed columnist J. S. Tissainayagam was kept in
legal custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). In 2009, many well known
journalists/activists fled the country seeking safety in other countries as exiled
journalists/activists.

1
Hansard June 09, 2009
2 th
Wikipedia article on Sri Lankan IDP camps. Retrieved April 18 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_IDP_camps
The repeated calls by the international community and the civil society to urgently address the
human rights issues, growing corruption and specific good governance issues largely went
unaddressed. The lapsed year recorded scant respect for rights and liberties of citizens. This
factor was reflected in the parliamentary debates that were largely divided between patriotic
and unpatriotic lines, reflecting the political divisions created in society and sustained post war.

Continuation of Emergency Regulations

To understand Sri Lanka’s approach to human rights and the current political positioning on this
contentious topic, it is important to understand the country’s existing legislative framework. Sri
Lanka has resorted to the continued application of repressive pieces of legislation to effectively
limit civil liberties during the period under review, a trend that had prevailed for well over a
decade and employed at different times to curb and control uprisings both in the south as well
as in the North. But the ferocity of the full application of these laws was perhaps manifested
when the regulations were used during the final phase of the Eelam War IV to completely
eliminate any form of dissent.

Among the arsenal of repressive legislation a key piece of legislation is the Prevention of
Terrorism Act (PTA) introduced in 1979 with subsequent amendments that added to its strongly
oppressive application. The Act provides for the holding of suspects indefinitely without charge-
sheeting. In addition, the laws empower the security forces to deny such detainees access to
attorneys or the opportunity to notify their relatives of their arrests.

The single voice against the extension of emergency regulations in Parliament emanated from
the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in April 2009. The North Eastern based Tamil political group
has continuously voted against this law and in 2009 also consistently resisted its extension.

The TNA has constantly alleged that the emergency regulations were not used for the purported
use of maintaining law and order, but used as an effective tool at the disposal of the
incumbency to detain Tamil youth in the Northern Province and to bar opposition legislators,
rights activists and journalists from accessing the displaced camps scattered within the
Province.3 The application of emergency regulations which curb and control citizenry was also
opposed for the first time in Parliamentary history by the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
(JVP). The JVP had consistently voted in favour of the extension of the emergency and the shift
in thinking was strongly articulated in Parliament by JVP legislator from Kurunegala, Bimal
Ratnayake.4

Despite public expectation that the emergency regulations would be relaxed in the aftermath of
the war, its application continued uninterrupted. It is noteworthy that the motion was carried

3
Hansard Volume 181 No. 06 April 07, 2009, 1112-1118. Access at
http://www.parliament.lk/news/ViewPublication.do?published=Y&documentID=PUB2111
4
Hansard Volume 181 No. 06 April 07, 2009, 1101-1107. Access the document on
http://www.parliament.lk/news/ViewPublication.do?published=Y&documentID=PUB2111
with a significant majority in Parliament, demonstrating the legislators willingness to trust the
maintenance and law to a process that was created initially only to deal with exceptional
situations. It is also a clear indication that the possibility of lawlessness is feared by the ruling
coalition in the absence of authoritarian laws.

The justification for the continuation of a state of emergency in Sri Lanka was offered officially
by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickemanayake. Speaking during the debate to extend the state of
emergency after the conclusion of Eelam War IV, Wickremanayake said, “The embers of
terrorism continue to burn.” 5

The main Opposition United National Party (UNP), despite publicly stated opposition with regard
to the use of emergency regulations to suppress civil liberties, continued to support the same in
the House throughout 2009. With the induction of former Sri Lanka Army Commander Gen.
Sarath Fonseka into the political firmament led both the UNP and the JVP to adopt a uniform
stance with regard to the extension of the state of emergency. With Fonseka being politically
launched as the common opposition candidate at the January 26 Presidential Election, both
parties declared their resistance to a state of emergency in Sri Lanka with allegations being
levelled against the Government for the suppression of opposition political parties. 6

Despite the objections raised by the joint opposition throughout 2009, the Government used its
majority in Parliament to extend the state of emergency. The emergency regulations also
intensified the use of power to detain individuals without evidence resulting in the arrest and
detention of many opposition supporters.

Media muzzled
In 2009, the Government of Sri Lanka came under serious attack from civil rights groups and the
international community for the alleged use of strong arm tactics to restrict freedom of
expression by exerting continued pressure on the media and harassing and punishing dissenting
journalists and activists.

The arson attack on MTV/MBC television station on January 6, 2009 was followed by the murder
of the Editor of The Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge within a high security zone on
January 8, just two days later, caused significant harm to the country’s image as a democratic
nation able to respect the rights and freedoms of those who hold dissenting views.

Both the MTV/MBC network and Wickrematunge were openly critical of the government’s
administrative policies and played key roles in exposing corruption at the highest levels of
Government. Throughout 2008, The Sunday Leader published articles that were critical of

5
Hansard Volume 182 - No. 3 June 09, 2009, 194-196.
http://www.parliament.lk/news/ViewPublication.do?published=Y&documentID=PUB2178

6
Hansard December 08th, 1610- 1614
http://www.parliament.lk/news/ViewPublication.do?published=Y&documentID=PUB2468
Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse and Sri Lanka Army Commander Gen. Sarath Fonseka.
The two events marked the beginning of 2009 and amidst the climate of oppression, critical and
dissenting media practitioners were left with the choice of self censorship or self-exile.

In January 2009, UNP parliamentarians highlighted these incidents inside the Legislature by
staging a protest in the Well of the House. The ‘black arm bands and back shawls’ protests were
viewed by most as mere tokenism during a year when freedom of expression violations were
the rule than the exception. The main Opposition UNP failed to garner public support in
defence of civil liberties when such freedoms were placed under a strong iron fist.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament that the individuals behind the attacks
belonged to the military intelligence and they pose a threat not only to the opposition and the
media, but to the Government itself. “These forces are beyond the control of the Government
and pose a threat to democracy,” he told Parliament. 7

The response of the Government members to the oppression that prevailed was also reflective
of the political apathy towards the declining standards in democracy. The response to the
Opposition allegations about muzzling the media through strong arm tactics by the ruling party
was met with initial silence followed by the singing of a patriotic Sinhala song clearly indicating
not just the refusal to deal with the issue of human rights and freedom of expression violations
but also scant respect for the same. No senior Government member condemned
Wickrematunge’s killing and the issues raised by the Opposition were drowned in the euphoria
of a military victory that was imminent.

The continued muzzling of the media dominated the legislative debates throughout 2009 and of
particular worth is the adjournment question raised in Parliament by UNP legislator Ravi
Karunanayake on January 21 on the murder of Sri Lankan journalists. Chief Government Whip
Dinesh Gunawardena informed the House that nine journalists have been killed and another 27
assaulted since January 1, 2006, a record that does not speak well of Sri Lanka, a country now
ranking among the worst places in the world for journalists to live in. 8

The attack on the Editor of the Rivira newspaper Upali Tennakoon by unidentified goons on
motorcycles attracted Parliament’s attention on January 23 highlighting the increasing hostility
towards media personnel. Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe told Parliament that if
editors were threatened and intimidated in this manner, there was no point holding debates in
the House as the vehicles for disseminating what is debated in the Legislature, namely the
media, would not be able to function in the same manner. Wickremasinghe noted that this was
a reflection of the low depths the country had sunk to and diversity of opinion was not
something Sri Lanka advocated in.

7
Hansard, January 9th, 533
http://www.parliament.lk/news/ViewPublication.do?published=Y&documentID=PUB2178

8
Hansard, January 21st, 2009, 725-726
A further reflection on lack of State commitment to upholding justice and defending democratic
space for dissent is manifested through the fact that despite the appointment of several
qualified police teams to investigate the various incidents, it has not yielded any results.

In September 2009, the curtailment of media freedom became topical yet again in the
Legislature. On September 2, 2009 the Irida Lanka journalists Shalika Wimalasena, Ravindra
Pushpakumara and Daya Tennakoon were arrested by the Deniyaya Police and subsequently
attempted to prosecute them under charges of conspiracy to assassinate the President.

It was reported in the September 4, 2009 issue of Irida Lanka that the journalists were arrested
"for entering the premises belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Ranawaka, brother-in-law and sister of
President Mahinda Rajapakse.” 9

Among the key media debates captured by the Legislature in 2009 was the controversial arrest
of senior journalist J.S. Tissainayagam. He was arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division
(TID) of the Sri Lanka Police on March 7, 2008 and indicted five months later under the
Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Tissainayagam was sentenced to 20 years rigorous
imprisonment for the two articles he wrote.

In formally charging him, it was stated that the journalist through his writing aroused
"communal feelings”, criticized the government's treatment of Sri Lankan Tamil civilians
affected by the Eelam War IV and for alleged involvement in fund raising to finance a publication
that purportedly promoted the cause of terrorism. The plight of Tissainayagam and the use of
the PTA to punish a journalist for exercising his freedom of expression came under severe
criticism at the local, legislative and international level.

A clear result of the atmosphere of oppression that prevailed was the absence of critical
journalism in the country. Independent journalism suffered significantly, as recorded in the
many media freedom indices, and self censorship increased as a survival strategy, in turn
depriving Sri Lankans diverse and independent information. In contrast, the population was
bombarded by news from the state-controlled print and electronic media which dispensed with
government- approved official versions on a variety of issues.

Though little was achieved by flagging media freedom-related concern at the legislative
assembly, the freedom of expression violations continuously formed the basis of parliamentary
discussions. However, championing the cause of journalists turned out to be an arduous task
before the Sri Lankan people as the country slid further down in the international media
freedom indices indicating that the war victory was achieved at the expense of civil liberties and
the guillotining of the freedom of expression.

9
International Press Institute news story on the bleak prospects faced by Sri Lankan journalists.
http://www.freemedia.at/site-services/singleview-master/4533/
Reactivation of draconian media laws

The Sri Lankan Press Council Act of 1973 contains harsh stipulations including the power to
prosecute for contempt and sentence journalists to extended periods in prison and to prohibit
the publication of certain kinds of content by the media, including:

1. Internal communications of the government and the decisions of the Cabinet;

2. Matters relating to the armed services that may be deemed prejudicial to national security;
and
3. Matters of economic policy that could lead to artificial shortages and speculative price rises.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decision to reactivate the now defunct Sri Lanka Press Council on
July 9, 2009 was viewed by many as an attempt to further control the Sri Lankan media,
compelling journalists to rigorously practice self censorship as a defence mechanism. Opposition
and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe made a special statement in Parliament on July 22, 2009
calling for its abolition. “According to clause 9 (5) of the Act, the decisions of the Council cannot
be re-evaluated by the Court of Appeal and this was the reason the Act was suspended on
October 14, 1994.” 10

Eelam War IV and the IDPs

The final stages of the Eelam War IV rendered nearly 300, 000 people of the North displaced and
forced to live in transit relief centres. The living conditions inside the camps as well as the slow
progress of the resettlement process drew much criticism, specially as the monsoons began
flooding the displaced camps drawing international attention to the appalling conditions that
prevailed. The criticism intensified with the worldwide release of the Channel Four news footage
of the camps.

"Are the people living in the IDP camps breathing freely?” asked Joseph Michael Perera. “Is that
possible when there is no freedom for the media, political opponents or even for an astrologer
to make a prediction in the South," 11

Concerns relating to the internally displaced were raised again in Parliament when Rishad
Bathiudeen, the Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services presented a

10
Hansard, July 22nd, 2009, 209 – 211
http://www.parliament.lk/news/ViewPublication.do?published=Y&documentID=PUB2275

11
Hansard July 7, 2009 1474
http://www.parliament.lk/news/ViewPublication.do?published=Y&documentID=PUB2238
Supplementary Estimate in Parliament on September 22, 2009 to provide basic welfare facilities
to the IDPS totalling Rs. 350 000 000.12

As the plight of the war displaced came up for debate repeatedly, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
(SLFP) (M) Leader and Matara District Member of Parliament (MP) Mangala Samaraweera made
some seriously critical comments on the government’s failure to treat the displaced as people
with human dignity enjoying the same rights and privileges as others.

He claimed that more than 280, 000 people incarcerated in IDP camps should be appropriately
called FDDPs (Forcibly Displaced and Detained Persons) as they were denied basic rights of Sri
Lankan citizens. “Nearly 300, 000 people were uprooted and displaced from the conflict zone.
Four months after, the Government officially announced the defeat of the LTTE in May. Over
280, 000 people, we believe, are still held in closed camps which are one of the most serious
human rights crises in the 21st Century Asia.” 13

In October the Government made a public announcement that over 160, 000 IDPs have been
issued with identity cards and the completion of registration of all IDPs over 12 years of age had
taken place.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama making a statement in Parliament expressed confidence

that the targets set for clearance of 58, 000 displaced by the end of October for resettlement
would be met. “On de-mining, which is a prerequisite for resettlement of IDPs, we have
articulated Sri Lanka’s commitment to an intensified de-mining process. We have made the
international community aware that it is the Government of Sri Lanka, through the expertise of
the Sri Lanka Army that had carried out over 70% of de-mining.”14

Despite the slow progress in the early stages, the Government accelerated the resettlement
process by December 2009. To some extent, the Government could have felt egged on by an
electoral pledge made by the Common Opposition Presidential Candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka
that, if elected, the resettlement of the IDPs would be treated as a key priority.

On December 1st, the camps were opened up, providing the IDPs limited freedom in which IDPs
would have to return to camps within 15 days or report to the police regularly. On December 30,

12
Hansard September 22nd pg 2688.
http://www.parliament.lk/news/ViewPublication.do?published=Y&documentID=PUB2364
13
Hansard September 22nd pg 2692.
http://www.parliament.lk/news/ViewPublication.do?published=Y&documentID=PUB2364
14
Hansard October 21st 636-637
http://www.parliament.lk/news/ViewPublication.do?published=Y&documentID=PUB2416
2009 the Sri Lankan government declared that there was no deadline for the resettlement of the
IDPs but added that over 60% of the IDPs have been already resettled. 15

Conclusion

At the conclusion of a decisive year that marked the end of a protracted war, it was evident that
the military success had come at the price of civilian liberties, suppression of the media and
concentration of power by practice.

The year also witnessed the disintegration of communities with the battle lines being extended
to decisively keep communities divided.

The issues of vital relevance including human rights abuses, persecution of political opponents,
to one of the worst records in silencing the mass media received “limited and controlled
coverage”.

The war, successes notwithstanding, was largely a war without witnesses. Sri Lanka’s human
rights record became a matter for debate at the United Nations for perceived lack of respect for
rules of combat including civilian safety.

The November 2009 announcement of a Presidential Election was a predictable political move
and the date was fixed for January 26, 2010 in one of the most expensive elections to be
conducted post independence Sri Lanka. It was reported that over Rs. 400 million was spent on
publicity alone by President Mahinda Rajapakse in furtherance of his candidature. 16

In 2009, the vital political debate of sharing power in a bid to prevent any further militant
uprisings simply disappeared from the radar amidst majority euphoria over the defeat of the
Liberation Tigers. The twin issues of development in the once war battered areas and the
speedy resettlement of the war-displaced received only partial attention denoting that political
priorities were given priority and prominence as opposed to the national priorities once the war
was consigned to history.

15 th
Wikipedia article on Sri Lankan IDP camps. Retrieved April 18 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_IDP_camps

16
TISL/PPPR Special Report on the Election expenditure, 24-01-2010. http://www.tisrilanka.org/pppr/?p=452
Annex A: List of Bills/motions/ adjournment debates related to Human
Rights and Governance passed in the Ninth Parliament

January 6
Local Authorities (Special Provisions) Bill: Presented by Janaka Bandara Tennakoon,
Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils

January 8
Grant of Citizenship to Persons of Indian Origin (Amendment) Bill: Prime Minister
Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka proposed the second reading which was passed in Parliament

Grant of Citizenship to Stateless Persons (Special Provisions) (Amendment) Bill: Prime

Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka proposed the second reading which was passed in
Parliament.

January 9
Privilege: Death Threats through anonymous telephone calls (Raised by UNP MP
Dayasiri Jayasekara)

January 20

Progress Report of the Investigations carried out by the Commission to Investigate

Allegations of Bribery or Corruption regarding the First and Second Reports of the
Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) tabled in Parliament. Speaker W. J. M.
Lokubandra told parliament that he has received the said report.

Privilege:
Harassment and disrespectful treatment at security checkpoints (Raised by UNP MP Dr.
Jayalath Jayawardane)

Resolutions: Under the Constitution by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka:

Remunerations and allowances of the Chairman and Members of the Public Service
Commission and allowances of Chairman and Members of National Police Commission
Commission to Investigate Bribery and Corruption

February, 5
Privilege: Sabotage of Proceedings of Committee on Public Enterprises (by JVP MPs
Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Sunil Handunneththi, UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara,
UPFA Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera and Jagath Pushpakumara)

Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Bill: Withdrawn: Presented by Janaka Bandara

Tennakoon, Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils
Local Authorities (Special Provisions) Bill: Presented by Janaka Bandara Tennakoon,
Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils: Withdrawn

February 18

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Bill: Read the first time only

March 17
Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill: read the first time only: Presented by Minister Dinesh
Gunawardena on behalf of the Prime Minister; to be read a Second time upon April 7,
2009 and to be printed.

Local Authorities (Special Provisions) (Amendment) Bill: Read the first time only:
Presented by Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, Minister of Local Government and Provincial
Councils; to be read a Second time upon April 7, 2009 and to be printed.

March 19
Widows’ and Orphans’ Pension Scheme (Armed Forces) (Amendment) Bill: Passed in
Parliament: Presented by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake

March 25
Adjournment Motion: Eviction of Residents of Certain Villages in Trincomalee District
moved by TNA MP R. Sampanthan

April 7
Question by private notice: Non-establishment of the Constitutional Council: by Ranil
Wickremasinghe - Leader of the Opposition

April 20
Unfair Promotions at Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation: Report of Parliamentary
Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman) presented to Parliament: Speaker W. J.
M. Lokubandra told parliament that he received the Ombudsman’s report.

Local Authorities (Special Provisions) (Amendment) Bill: presented by Janaka Bandara

Tennakoon - Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils. Second reading –
debate adjourned

Nation Building Tax (Amendment) Bill: Second reading - debate adjourned: Minister
Chamal Rajapaksa proposed the reading of the bill
April 21
Privilege: Curtailment of Security on the directive of Hon. Prime Minister causing
Obstruction in attending Parliament (Raised by UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera)

Privilege: death threats on MP Palitha Range Bandara

May 7
Privilege: Telecast of Distorted Version of Part of Speech made in Parliament
(Ramalingam Chandrasekar—Deputy Chairman of Committees complained that state
owned ITN/Channel EYE/Nethra television channels had distorted a statement he made
on the problems faced by Tamil people)

Privilege motions:
Detainment at Checkpoint (UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera raised this issue on behalf of
MP Ananalei Nadesu)
Death Threats on MP Palitha Range Bandara
Threats by an armed gang (TNA MP C Chandranehru)

June 9
Chief of Defence Staff,— Bill to provide for the appointment of a person to be the Chief
of Defence Staff who shall be responsible for the co-ordination of activities as between
the armed forces and the Ministry of Defence; for the establishment of the Committee
of the Chief of Defence Staff; to provide for the functions of the Chief of Defence Staff;
and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

Employees’ Provident Fund (Special Provisions) (Amendment) — Bill to Amend the

Employees’ Provident Fund (Special Provisions) Law

Indian Immigrant Labour (Repeal) — Bill to repeal the Indian Immigrant Labour
Ordinance (Chapter 132).

Consultative Committee report on Election Reforms: Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told
parliament that the committee was not able to present its report on time, (December,
31, 2008) and asked for an extension till December, 31, 2009.

June 10
Question by private notice: Appointment of a Select Committee to look into serious
threats to journalists (Moved by UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera)

June 11
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Bill: Second reading moved by
Minister Athauda Seneviratne
Adjournment motion: Protection of Industries and Enterprises and Relief to Employees
moved by JVP MP Lakshman Nipunaarachchi

June 24
Interim Report of the Select Committee to Amend Act No. 35 of 2003 in order to grant
Sri Lankan Citizenship to the persons of Indian origin who are in refugee camps in Tamil
Nadu and to provide other facilities to them: Presented by Ramalingam Chandrasekar -
Deputy Chairman of Committees. Minister Dinesh Gunawardena proposed to publish
the report.

June 25
Chief of Defence Staff Bill: Passed in Parliament with amendments to the proposed bill.

July 16
Universities (Amendment) Bill: Read the First time, Presented by D. E. W. Gunasekara,
Minister of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration on behalf of the Minister of
Higher Education

July 21
Question by private notice: Safeguarding Independence of Lawyers and Judiciary and
the Rule of Law, by UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera

July 22
Question by private notice: Problems emerging with the Reactivation of Press Council by
Ranil Wickremasinghe - Leader of the Opposition

Adjournment motion: Strategy to Solve Problems of Displaced People. (Moved by JVP

MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake

July 23
Question by private notice: Safeguarding of Rights Guaranteed by Article 13(3) of the
Constitution: Problems of Unemployed Graduates (Question by private notice by JVP
MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake)

August 6
Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill: Read the first time only

August 18
Question by private notice: Terrorism in Operation in the South (Moved by UNP MP
Joseph Michael Perera)

Deplorable Condition in Relief Camps due to Heavy Rain (D. E. W. Gunasekara -Minister
of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration)
August 19
Report of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) presented to Parliament.

Adjournment motion:
Situation in IDP Camps in Vavuniya (moved by TNA MP Mavai S. Senathirajah)

September 8
Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (Amendment) Bill: (Presented by Keheliya
Rambukwella, Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare. Read the First
time

Universities (Amendment) Bill: By W. A. Wiswa Warnapala - Minister of Higher

Education. Read the second and third time and passed

September 9
Question for oral answers: Deaths of Suspects in Police Custody: Details moved by JVP
MP Lakshman Nipunaarachchi

Privilege: Obstruction of Freedom of Expression in Parliament moved by UNP MP

Dayasiri Jayasekara

September 10
Adjournment motion: Bogus Video Footage Aired by Channel 4 moved by UPFA MP
Lalith Dissanayake.

September, 22
Report on the Progress of Investigations Carried Out by the Commission to Investigate
Allegations of Bribery or Corruption on the First Report of the Committee on Public
Enterprises. One report

Privilege: Problems Emerging with the Reactivation of the Press Council Law by UNP MP
Ravi Karunanayake

Supplementary Estimate: Basic and Welfare Facilities to Internally Displaced Persons (By
Rishad Badhiutheen - Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services)

October 22
Adjournment motion: Abolition of Executive Presidency (Moved by JVP MP Vijitha
Herath)

October 23
Question by private notice: GSP Plus Concession (UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera)
Access Facilities for Disabled Citizens into Government Buildings (By JVP MP Anura
Kumara Dissanayake)

November 5
GSP Plus Concession: Statement by Minister of Export Development and International
Trade Prof. G L Peiris

November 17
Select Committee to Inquire and Report on Strengthening the Independent Character of
The Parliamentary System: Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva asked the speaker to extend
the deadline for the report till March 31, 2010.

Supplementary Supply: Basic Facilities and Welfare Measures to Internally Displaced

Persons: Presented by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva for Rishad Badhiutheen - Minister
of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services

December 8
National Commission on Women Bill: Read the First time: Presented by Sumedha G.
Jayasena, Minister of Child Development and Women's Empowerment. To be read a
Second time upon Tuesday, 5th January 2010 and to be printed.

National Institute of Labour Studies Bill: Read the First time: Presented by Athauda
Seneviratne, Minister of Labour Relations and Manpower; to be read a Second time
upon Tuesday, 05th January 2010 and printed.