A third participant in the ongoing hunger strike by School Development Officers has been hospitalised this morning (Jan. 30) after his health deteriorated.

The fast unto death protest, launched by the School Development Officers’ Association began on Jan. 26 following a Satyagraha campaign urging the government to absorb officers into the teaching service.

The officers claim they have worked in schools for seven years without formal recognition.

With no response from education officials, the protest escalated to a hunger strike later that evening.

Of the four individuals who began the fast, two — including one woman — were previously admitted to hospital.

The remaining two continued the hunger strike until this morning, when one more was taken for medical treatment due to worsening health. The protest enters its fifth consecutive day today. (Newswire)

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A relay hunger strike by relatives of the disappeared was held in Thambilluvil, Ampara, entering its final stage in the North and East.

Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam today participated in the final leg of the hunger strike. 

The protest was organised by the Association of Relatives of the Forcibly Disappeared.

According to the MP, they demand international justice for enforced disappearances, mass graves, and other atrocities, rejecting Sri Lanka’s domestic mechanisms as cover-ups. (Newswire)

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The strike launched by representatives of the Union Collective of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) against attempts to privatize the CPC continues for the second consecutive day today.

According to the Chairman of the Collective Jagath Wijegunawardena, a discussion will be held today on the future course of action.

He further said that it was regrettable that Cabinet approval has been granted to hand over state-owned fuel stations to foreign entities.

The representatives of the Union Collective of the CPC launched a strike from 07.00 am yesterday (27) against the privatization of the CPC.

“The CPC is a profit-making state enterprise at present. However, there are attempts to sell the organization which owns over 600 fuel stations to a foreign private company,” Jagath Wijegunawardena alleged.

Meanwhile, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera yesterday announced that Cabinet approval has been granted for three foreign entities to enter the fuel retail market in Sri Lanka.

Minister Wijesekera said that approval was granted to award licenses to China’s Sinopec, United Petroleum of Australia and RM Parks of USA in a collaboration with Shell Plc to enter the Fuel Retail market in Sri Lanka.

He further stated that the three companies will be allocated 150 dealer-operated fuel stations, each of which is currently operated by the CPC and that they will be granted a license to operate for 20 years to import, store, distribute and sell petroleum products in Sri Lanka.

Minister Kanchana Wijesekera added that a further 50 fuel stations at new locations will be established by each selected company. (NewsWire)

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