In a fiery press conference at the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna headquarters, Hambantota District MP D.V. Chanaka claimed that key topics like containers, solar panels, and wind power have effectively become forbidden words within Sri Lanka’s Parliament.
“Today, if you say ‘containers’ in Parliament, the ruling party immediately says, ‘That’s not today’s topic.’ Say ‘solar panels’ or ‘wind power,’ and again, they shut it down. These terms have practically become taboo,” Chanaka charged.
The MP didn’t mince words as he referenced the controversial shipment of 323 containers, each reportedly bearing red labels and suspected by customs officials to contain unauthorized materials. “There were concerns that these might even contain weapons. Now Arjuna MP claims they were Prabhakaran’s arms. When you look at how the pieces fit, it’s chilling,” he said.
Despite months of public pressure, the government has yet to disclose what was actually inside these containers. Chanaka accused authorities of stonewalling investigations, noting that repeated calls for transparency have gone unanswered.
“What did they do instead?” he asked rhetorically. “They dragged in MP Dayasiri Jayasekara—the very person who raised the alarm. This is like shooting the messenger. If there’s nothing to hide, why hasn’t the minister, deputy minister, or any responsible official been summoned and questioned?”
Chanaka also sounded the alarm over a lesser-known but critical crisis in the aviation and tourism sectors. According to him, the government has failed to supply aerosol fuel—used in small aircraft—for more than six weeks, causing major disruptions in pilot training schools across the country.
“This shortage is not just grounding aircraft—it’s damaging the tourism industry,” he warned. “Is this negligence or just pure incompetence?”
The parliamentarian’s comments paint a stark picture of alleged suppression and inaction at the highest levels, as Sri Lanka continues to grapple with transparency, energy policy debates, and industrial disruptions in a fragile post-crisis economy.
