The Inter University Bhikkhus’ Federation (IUBF) handed over a letter to the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (25) requesting that all memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed between Sri Lanka and India during the recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi be made public.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, IUBF Convenor Ven. Medirigiriye Issaradhamma Thera said that during Modi’s visit to Colombo in April of this year, several MoUs were signed between the Government representatives of Sri Lanka and India. Although some media outlets reported that seven MoUs were signed and others claimed that the number was 10, he claimed that no official confirmation has been provided thus far regarding their content.

“Despite the signing of these MoUs, the Government has not disclosed them to the public. Various reports in local and foreign media had circulated copies of some agreements relating to security and energy matters, which, according to them, undermine the country’s sovereignty. They contain provisions that threaten national interests, including handing over the biometric data of Sri Lankan citizens to private companies, and plans to evict residents of Mannar and Trincomalee in order to transfer land to Indian firms.”

The monk further said that the current administration, which had previously taken a critical stance on such issues before coming into power, had acted in secrecy without transparency in signing the said MoUs. “We believe that these agreements are not being disclosed because they are not in the best interests of the country. If they don’t contain any such provision, the Government can easily make the MoUs public.”

Presidential Legal Director, attorney J.M. Wijebandara, told The Daily Morning that inquiries regarding the matter should be directed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Attempts to contact Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath proved futile.