• Calls on Government not to politicise issue 
• Claims efforts made by many will be undone 

Criticising the Government's decision to launch a fresh investigation into the 2021 MV X-Press Pearl maritime disaster in Sri Lankan waters, environmental scientist and politician Dr. Ajantha Perera, one of the petitioners seeking compensation through the Supreme Court (SC) for the environmental damage caused, warned that the move would undo all progress made on the matter over the past few years.

Speaking to the media recently, Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Vijitha Herath said that the Government would launch a fresh probe into the damages caused to Sri Lanka’s environment and ocean by the said incident, as well as allegations of financial fraud related to the same.

In response to the announcement by the Government, Dr. Perera, speaking to The Daily Morning, said that they, as petitioners, do not approve of any fresh probe as everything is going well in relation to the matter. "There is a five-Judge bench appointed to hear the cases, and they are looking into every petition. The hearing is coming up again on 5 November. We have written so many documents to be submitted to the Court. Now, we are proceeding in such a way that a positive outcome can be expected despite the fact that the Government has taken this case to Singapore."

She also said that the Government should focus on taking care of the country's economy instead of attempting to gain political advantage with the use of the MV X-Press Pearl disaster. "Just because there is an election coming up, they cannot mislead the people by saying that they are going to do this and that. There is nothing for them (Government) to do now. We don’t want their help at all. We are not trying to find some money for the Government. What we trying is to get the compensation so that the environment can be protected. This is not a chance for the Government to grab money or make sure that they are going to be benefitted."

Noting that there are several cases filed by herself, the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, and the Centre for Environmental Justice, which are being heard before the SC, Dr. Perera said that launching a fresh investigation would hamper all those proceedings. "If and when they launch an investigation anew, everything will be reversed. All our efforts will be a waste. The Government is trying to do something and tell the country that they are the ones who did it. We ask them not to take the country backwards by making this type of decision. We simply don’t need any help from them."

On 20 May 2021, the MV X-Press Pearl caught fire off the coast of Colombo. The vessel was engulfed in flames by 27 May and declared a total loss. It was still afloat, and the fire was thought to be under control by Sri Lankan firefighters by the late hours of 27 May 2021. After burning for 12 days, the vessel sank on 2 June as it was being towed away to deeper waters. The incident was deemed the worst marine ecological disaster in Sri Lankan history for the chemical products that it spilled.