Asela Kuruluwansha.

Asela Kuruluwansha.

Asela Kuruluwansha is a veteran Kandy-based investigative journalist known for his reporting on environmental and public-interest issues.

Senior Buddhist Monk Welcomes U.S. Tariff Cut in Meeting With New Ambassador

Senior Buddhist Monk Welcomes U.S. Tariff Cut in Meeting With New Ambassador

KANDY, Sri Lanka — A senior Buddhist leader in Sri Lanka on Wednesday welcomed a United States decision to lower tariffs on Sri Lankan goods, telling the new American ambassador that the country had received favorable treatment at a time when Washington has raised tariffs on many of its trading partners. The Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera, the Mahanayake, or chief prelate, of the Malwathu Chapter, one of the most influential Buddhist orders in the country, spoke duri
September 2026
Asela Kuruluwansha.

Asela Kuruluwansha.
Sri Lanka Cannot Outrun Its Human Rights Past, Tamil MP Warns Government

Sri Lanka Cannot Outrun Its Human Rights Past, Tamil MP Warns Government

By Asela Kuruluwansha KANDY, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s new political leadership cannot distance itself from the country’s unresolved human rights record simply because the abuses occurred under previous governments, Tamil lawmaker Shanakiyan Rasamanickam said, warning that international scrutiny would persist until the underlying issues were addressed. Changes in the presidency, Cabinet or governing party do not erase the state’s responsibility to confront past violations or act on international
September 2026 Monitor Memo
Asela Kuruluwansha.

Asela Kuruluwansha.
China ‘Fully Agrees’ With Sri Lanka Government’s Policies, Departing Ambassador Says

China ‘Fully Agrees’ With Sri Lanka Government’s Policies, Departing Ambassador Says

By: Asela Kuruluwansha KANDY, Sri Lanka — China’s outgoing ambassador to Sri Lanka said Beijing was in full agreement with the policies of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government and would continue supporting the country’s development, as he prepared to leave the island after a six-year diplomatic posting. The ambassador, Qi Zhenhong, made the remarks during farewell visits on Friday to the chief Buddhist prelates of the Malwathu and Asgiri chapters in Kandy. Speaking to reporters a
July 2026 Monitor Memo
Asela Kuruluwansha.

Asela Kuruluwansha.
Mahinda Rajapaksa Rules Out Automatic Presidential Nomination for Namal

Mahinda Rajapaksa Rules Out Automatic Presidential Nomination for Namal

By: Asela Kuruluwansha COLOMBO — Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Saturday that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) would choose its next presidential candidate based on public demand, adding that the party would not nominate his son, Namal Rajapaksa, unless the people wanted him to contest. "If the people do not ask for Namal, we are not prepared to make him the presidential candidate," Mr. Rajapaksa told reporters after paying homage at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Ka
July 2026 Monitor Memo
Asela Kuruluwansha.

Asela Kuruluwansha.