Ashen sent "Where are the goods?"

A heated discussion has emerged on social media regarding the consignment of aid containers collected by Sri Lankans working in Dubai to provide relief to the people affected by the recent adverse weather conditions in Sri Lanka. Specifically, various parties have accused that in this aid collection process, spearheaded by social media activist Ashen Senaratne, only one container arrived in Sri Lanka instead of four, and that these items are being misused for political purposes.

However, responding to these allegations, the relevant parties state that this consignment of goods, donated by Sri Lankans in Dubai from their hard-earned money, has now been officially cleared through customs and released.

In the face of questions raised about the delay and transparency in distributing this aid, a massive social media campaign titled "Where are the goods?" was launched. Responding to this, Ashen Senaratne stated that despite the smear campaigns against him, the goods were legally released with the full sponsorship and intervention of Royal Cargo. Royal Cargo has transported all four containers to Sri Lanka free of charge, bearing a transportation cost exceeding twenty-five lakhs of rupees, and the goods were released following proper procedures of the Customs Department under the supervision of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), they point out.

However, some Sri Lankans residing in Dubai accuse Ashen Senaratne of forgetting the contributions of other groups like SL Riders and ordinary laborers who contributed to this humanitarian effort, turning it into a personal image-building drama. They also blame Ashen for blocking innocent people working in Dubai on social media when they inquire about the goods they donated, even spending their hard-earned dirhams. This protest has arisen due to factors such as the previous statement that goods would be handed over to the Red Cross, followed by a change in that stance and attempts to distribute goods based on political connections.

Ashen Senaratne strongly refutes these allegations, emphasizing that he is not undertaking this work for any political purpose, and that some individuals attempted to sabotage this program and delay customs clearances through fake accounts. He assures that despite petitions and obstructions to the Port Authority and the Disaster Management Centre, the goods were eventually released legally and will be directed to the affected people, not for his personal use. He states that he will present video evidence of how these biscuits and essential items will be distributed in the coming days, and that critics only need to observe the process.