30% tax on EPF is unjust as members end up paying more than corporate sector: (Daily FT) Main Opposition SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne on Wednesday alleged that the 30% tax on EPF was unjust as members end up paying  more than some in the corporate sector.

Speaking in Parliament on the debate to increase taxation on EPF/ETF from its current 14% to 30%, Wickramaratne said that it was discriminatory, given that even the current 14% tax on EPF… https://srilankabrief.org/30-tax-on-epf-is-unjust-as-members-end-up-paying-more-than-corporate-sector/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

Arrest organized groups that are unleashing violence on the leaders of farming communities at Mayurapura, Walawa – Monlar: Image courtesy of News First.

The farming communities of the entire Mayurapura area have been adversely affected by water shortages following the delay in releasing water for farming for the yala season. There are 5,300 farmer families in Mayurapura which is a part of the Mahaweli Zone. The leaders of 86 farmer… https://srilankabrief.org/arrest-organized-groups-that-are-unleashing-violence-on-the-leaders-of-farming-communities-at-mayurapura-walawa-monlar/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

85 pct of grade 3 children in Sri Lanka poor in literacy, numeracy: UNICEF: ECONOMYNEXT – Eighty-five percent of grade 3 children in Sri Lanka are not achieving minimum proficiency in literacy and numeracy, UNICEF said also noting that the country ranks the lowest in South Asia in education spending.

Citing a ministry of education-led national assessment, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on Wednesday August 16… https://srilankabrief.org/85-pct-of-grade-3-children-in-sri-lanka-poor-in-literacy-numeracy-unicef/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

Sri Lanka: ‘Teachers are the worst treated public sector officials’: Educationist Dr. Tara De Mel sheds light on much-needed educational policy reforms  

(TM) In the wake of many parties related to the education sector, including the Ministry of Education, working on introducing new educational reforms to the system, The Daily Morning spoke to education policy expert who served as the Secretary to the Ministry of Education and… https://srilankabrief.org/sri-lanka-teachers-are-the-worst-treated-public-sector-officials/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #Features #Democraticgovernance

The story of upcountry Tamils: Two hundred years of humiliation and exploitation – Shirley Candappa: Image: Hands that pluck tea leaves by Selvaraja Rajasegar @SRajasegar

As the month of July has ended, the minds of many a citizen are drawn to the sad events of July 1983. A time the then government permitted thugs and hooligans to attack members of the# Tamil community, killing hundreds, burning and looting their residences and… https://srilankabrief.org/the-story-of-upcountry-tamils-two-hundred-years-of-humiliation-and-exploitation-shirley-candappa/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #Features #Democraticgovernance

Activists blame punitive measures for prison overcrowding crisis; call for reforms: Image courtesy of Sunday Times.

Prisoner rights activists say a focus on punitive rather than preventative measures is mainly to blame for the overcrowding of prisons.

Prisons Department said this week that the country’s prison population had grown rapidly since the start of 2023. While there is room for only 13,241 inmates within the prison system,… https://srilankabrief.org/activists-blame-punitive-measures-for-prison-overcrowding-crisis-call-for-reforms/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #Features #Democraticgovernance

The incumbent elections commission is ready to hold LG elections if the funds released.: When FR petition against postponing local Government elections was taken up by the SC    Saliya Peiris PC, appearing for the Elections Commission, said that he was ashamed to see the laughable arguments by the Attorney General’s Department. He said that the members of both the previous and incumbent elections commissions have instructed him that they were… https://srilankabrief.org/the-incumbent-elections-commission-is-ready-to-hold-lg-elections-if-the-funds-released/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

Sri Lankan police arrest, beat journalist Tharindu Uduwaragedara – CPJ: July 28, 2023. New York, July 28, 2023—Sri Lankan authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Tharindu Uduwaragedara and investigate allegations that he was beaten by police, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

At around 3 p.m. on Friday, July 28, police arrested Uduwaragedara after he covered a trade union protest in Borella, a… https://srilankabrief.org/sri-lankan-police-arrest-beat-journalist-tharindu-uduwaragedara-cpj/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

So I'm working on starting a #Fediverse instance and I have some very cool expressions of interest, but let me tell you, this outlandish, hyperbolic #FediDrama is very discouraging. I would not be able to handle getting caught up in this type of stuff without major support.

Anyway, I feel like the only thing approaching a solution is real #DemocraticGovernance for instances big, small, and medium-sized.

What are some (technical, social) frameworks that have been tried so far?

Sri Lanka: Police fire tear gas to disperse TU protest: File photo.

The police have fired water and tear gas to disperse a protest march in Borella Vanathamulla area.

It is reported that this attack was carried out on a protest organized by the Workers’ Struggle Centre.(කම්කරු අරගල මධ්‍යස්ථානය). The Centre is affliated to the FrontLine Socialist Party.

Meanwhile, the Magistrate of Maligakanda has issued a prohibition order for the… https://srilankabrief.org/sri-lanka-police-fire-tear-gas-to-disperse-worker-protest/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis sparks exodus of thousands | DW News (Video): As Sri Lanka struggles to recover from its worst economic crisis in decades, its people are leaving for better opportunities abroad. Government figures suggest some 122,000 people have left the country till May this year – the same number that left the country in all of 2021! Faced with rising prices and growing poverty, their reasons for leaving are quite evident.… https://srilankabrief.org/sri-lankas-economic-crisis-sparks-exodus-of-thousands-dw-news/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

Muslim MPs betray MMDA Reforms: Justice for Sri Lankan Muslim women under threat : In a letter dated 8 June 2023, 18 Muslim Members of Parliament (MPs) submitted recommendations in response to the Draft Bill on MMDA Reforms to Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. The MPs’ recommendations categorically oppose all progressive reform reflected in the draft Bill presented by the Ministry of Justice based on the recent report of the 2021… https://srilankabrief.org/muslim-mps-betray-mmda-reforms-justice-for-sri-lankan-muslim-women-under-threat/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

Sri Lanka: Labour reforms threaten to worsen the situation of the working classes -Joint Statement by 106 Academics: Image: Leader of the Ceylon Teachers Union, Joseph Stalin at a protest.

Sri Lanka is in the middle of a dire economic crisis. We are witness to the new depths of misery that the people have been plunged into. Working people are the hardest hit, who have had to grapple with precarious wages, job insecurity and the devastation… https://srilankabrief.org/sri-lanka-labour-reforms-threaten-to-worsen-the-situation-of-the-working-classes-joint-statement-by-106-academics/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

Making arrests when protesting against killing of George Floyd; SC grants leave to proceed against Deshabandu and others: The Supreme Court has granted leave to proceed against Western Province Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon and other police officers over the arrest made in respect of protesters at Lipton Circus and Colpetty in 2020, while they were staging a protest over the US police murder of George Floyd.

Supreme Court… https://srilankabrief.org/making-arrests-when-protesting-against-killing-of-george-floyd-sc-grants-leave-to-proceed-against-deshabandu-and-others/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

Sri Lanka: A long journey in tea dotted with nothing but stains: Image: Land issue is one of the main problems faced by Hill Country Tamil Community. 

By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe.

200 years later Sri Lanka’s estate workers remain subjugated like leftover tea leaves.

Some veteran workers in the estate haven’t received their pensions or the social security allowances at the time of retirement.

There are individuals who received… https://srilankabrief.org/sri-lanka-a-long-journey-in-tea-dotted-with-nothing-but-stains/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #Features #Democraticgovernance

LfD Submission on Labour reforms in Sri Lanka: Extraordinary times cannot determine laws for ordinary times: Image: Workers rights are part of any democratic society.

In its submission on labour reforms in Sri Lanka  Lawyers for Democracy has called on the government to Refrain from the hasty formulation of labour law reforms given the context and also the extremely vulnerable condition of the worker in the given context. Do not make… https://srilankabrief.org/lfd-submission-on-labour-reforms-in-sri-lanka-extraordinary-times-cannot-determine-laws-for-ordinary-times/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

Sri Lanka: Freedom of expression is being restricted and threatened by administrative and criminal sanctions – BASL: Sri Lankan citizens’ freedom of expression is being restricted and threatened by administrative and criminal sanctions, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has said.The BASL has in a media statement said it believes that the right to protest, as manifested in the freedom of assembly, association, and expression, is an… https://srilankabrief.org/sri-lanka-freedom-of-expression-is-being-restricted-and-threatened-by-administrative-and-criminal-sanctions-basl/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

Gajendrakumar, )MP) claims his rights have been violated; Minister defends  police action: All Ceylon Tamil Congress leader MP Ganjendrakumar Ponnambalam told Parliament yesterday (08) that his rights had been violated by the police.

 Raising a privilege issue the MP said that the police had been making several false statements to the media regarding a recent incident of confrontation between him and some policemen.

 The MP… https://srilankabrief.org/gajendrakumar-mp-claims-his-rights-have-been-violated-minister-defends-police-action/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

Police obtains court order to block JVP/NPP protest opposite Election Commission: Image@ NPP protest ( File)

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Police said that a court order was obtained against Jathika Jana Balavegaya Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and several others, preventing them from protesting along roads leading to the National Election Commission in Rajagiriya.

Police Spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that the Colombo Chief… https://srilankabrief.org/police-obtains-court-order-to-block-jvp-npp-protest-opposite-election-commission/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance

Nathasha Edirisooriya and Bruno Divakara further remanded: Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court has ordered the stand-up comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya and the owner of the YouTube channel ‘SL VLOG’ Bruno Divakara to be remanded in custody until June 21, 2023.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ‘SL VLOG’ owner on May 31, after grilling him for more than 08 hours over the recent controversial comments of the stand-up… https://srilankabrief.org/nathasha-edirisooriya-and-bruno-divakara-further-remanded/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #News #Democraticgovernance