Sunday, March 17, 2013

2013-03-17

The controversial Buddhist group, Sinhala Ravaya on Friday and Saturday, laid siege to two Catholic religious centres in Nawala, a suburb in Colombo, and Kahatagahapitiya in Galle, threatening to storm the two places of worship. The mob alleged that the two centres were ‘defaming Buddhism’ and demanded that they be shut down.

In Batapola, Kahatagahapitiya, more than 100 monks and a large number of area residents surrounded a Catholic religious centre on Saturday morning, demanding removal of the centre. Protestors obstructed the main road from Batapola to Baddegama for several hours, bringing traffic to a standstill.

In another incident on Friday (15) night, a group of protestors affiliated with the Sinhala Ravaya surrounded a house, used as a religion centre in Koswatte, Nawala. The protestors alleged that the centre was ‘defaming Buddhism.’

Police said the protestors tried to storm the centre, leading to a tense situation.

Sinhala Ravaya, the controversial Buddhist group, is alleged to be headed by a former Member of Parliament of the Jathika Hela Urumaya. The group had recently held demonstrations against places of worship of other faiths as well. (BS)

Haunted By Mahawamsa

By Tisaranee Gunasekara -March 17, 2013

“Hatred of one group can lead to hatred of others” Amartya Sen (The Argumentative Indian).

In Sri Lanka the boundary line between myth and history is dangerously amorphous. And this twilight world often plays a decisive role in Lankan politics.

Sinhala school children are taught that they belong to a race which began when an Indian-Aryan princess eloped with a lion. They learn this tale not in the story-hour but during the history lesson.

The lion myth is from the Mahawamsa, venerated by most Sinhala-Buddhists as a history book cum sacred text. It is the grandson of the lion and the princess the Mahawamsa embraces as the originator of the Sinhala race. According to Mahawamsa itself, Vijaya ‘was of evil conduct’; he and his followers committed so many crimes of such horrific nature that his father was eventually compelled to exile them[i]’.

Vijaya’s enforced sea-journey supposedly coincided with the death of the Gautama Buddha. According to Mahawamsa the Buddha, on his deathbed, told the Chief among deities, Sakka, “Vijaya, son of king Sihabahu, is come to Lanka….. In Lanka, O lord of gods, will my religion be established; therefore carefully protect him with his followers and Lanka”.

So the Mahawamsa created the myth of the ‘Chosenrace’ with its ‘sacred space’. This myth became the foundation for what I call the ‘Hosts and Guests’ concept of Lanka. According to this, the island belongs to Sinhala-Buddhists, who are its sole real owners. This ‘sacred bequest’ must be protected by whatever means necessary, including the use of violence.

In the teaching of Gautama Buddha there is no concept of holy war, no space for the use of force/violence in the protection of either the Dhamma or those who practice it. Given the absolute taboo against the taking of any life in Buddhism, killing human beings to ‘protect Buddhism’ could not be justified without adding a major new chapter to Buddhist teaching. This is precisely what the author of Mahawamsa did by depicting the conflict between the Buddhist Dutugemunu and the Hindu Elara for political supremacy as a Sinless/Meritorious War.

Elara, according to Mahawamsa, was regarded by men and gods alike as a just ruler[ii]. He was no invader bent on rampage and pillage, no tyrant crushing the people under his royal feet, but a good man and a fair ruler. But Elara’s admirable qualities were irrelevant and immaterial because he was an ‘unbeliever’. Therefore he had to be deposed and killed, as an integral part of a divinely sanctioned enterprise to save Sinhala-Buddhism and its chosen country, Lanka, from enemy aliens.

Dutugemunu is the star of Mahawamsa, the hero-king of Sinhala Buddhism, the standard against which all subsequent rulers were measured. His life-story, as Mahawamsa narrates, contains the same combination of natural and supernatural, human and divine that passes off as history even in modern day Sri Lanka. He was said to have been conceived immaculately[iii] and with a divine mandate to restore Buddhist rule over the island. If the apocryphal tale of Buddha’s Bequest provides the ideological basis of the Hosts and Guests concept, the Dutugemunu story details the manner in which ‘guests’ who violate the ‘rules’ should be dealt with.

Prince Gemunu’s reply to his mother’s query about his foetal sleeping posture identifies the problem as one of territory and Lebensraum: “Over there beyond the Ganga are the Damilas, here on this side is the Gotha-ocean, how can I lie with outstretched limbs?” The story of the three cravings of Queen Vihara Maha Devi, when pregnant with Prince Gemunu, identifies the enemy: “She craved to drink, while trampling on his very head, the water in which was washed the sword that beheaded the chief warrior among the Elara soldiers…. The queen informed the King and the Lord of the earth asked the soothsayers. Hearing it they said, ‘The queen’s son will vanquish the Damilas…’”. The response of the Sangha to King Dutugemunu’s anguish over enemy deaths introduces the concept of sinless/meritorious war: “By this act of yours there is no hindrance in the way to heaven…. only one and a half men were killed here. One was established in the refuge and the other only in the five precepts. The heretical and evil others who died were like animals…”

That was the moment Buddhism of Siddhartha Gautama was transformed into Sinhala-Buddhism, a new religion of the book, the Mahavamsa. The war against unbelievers was consecrated as sinless and meritorious; a straight path to heavenly bliss, akin to Crusades and Jihads. Not only was Dutugemunu reborn in the highest heaven, according to the Mahawamsa; he “will be the first disciple of the sublime Metteyya, the king’s father (will be) his father and the mother his mother. The younger brother, Saddhatissa will be his second disciple, but Salirajakumara, the king’s son will be the son of the sublime Metteyya”. The Mahawamsa clinches the argument of the meritorious nature of waging war for Buddhism by demonstrating that it will benefit not just the holy warrior but his entire family.

The Mahawamsa was written around seven centuries after the Dutugemunu-Elara war, by a Buddhist monk with a political agenda. Even a passing knowledge of the teachings of Gautama Buddha would suffice to know that shedding all attachments is a sine-qua-non for the attaining of Arhathood. A man or woman with attachments, however understandable or justifiable, is bound to the samsara by those very bonds. Those who have attained Arhathood have no attachments, including to country, race or religion. Nor can they condone any killing. The claim by Bhikku Mahanama that monks who had attained Arhathood justified mass murder in the name of religion was an obvious and an evil lie. Yet this lie has triumphed over the First Precept.

Constantine and his heirs had to remake Jesus from a man of peace to a prince of war; they were aided in this re-make by the vengeful God of the Old Testament. Mahanama had to do the job by himself, without any doctrinal help. He, and not the Buddha, is the true teacher and leader of the likes of the JHU and the BBS.

Myth as Destiny

The Mahawamsa stories are not just popular myths retold in an ancient chronicle. They have determined the trajectory of Ceylon/Sri Lanka in modern times.

The anti-minority nature of the 19th Century Buddhist renaissance, under the tutelage of Anagarika Dharmapala, was fuelled by the Mahawamsa myths. Distorted and enslaved by the Mahawamsa myths, Sinhala-Buddhism lost the ability to appeal to Tamils or to create a Lankan Dr. Ambedkar. Had there been a significant segment of Buddhist Tamils, with a voice within the Sangha, our post-Independence history may have taken a less destructive path. But to be able to appeal to Tamils, Buddhism has to cease being the identity-badge of Sinhala supremacism and reclaim its pre-Mahawamsa universalist potential.

“Our challenge is to devise some arrangement which enables us to coexist if not in amity then at least in forbearance” Jawaharlal Nehru told Andre Malraux (Anti-Memoir). That is the challenge facing any pluralist nation.Sri Lanka will fail to win this challenge, so long as we remain in thrall to Mahawamsa myths.

[i] He “caused Vijaya and his followers, seven hundred men, to be shaven over half the head and put them on a ship and sent them forth upon the sea….”

[ii] He was so just, that gods intervened to end a drought, at his pleading, according to Mahawamsa

[iii] King Kawantissa and his queen were childless for many years. The Queen sought the advice of a sage and was told to obtain the consent of dying monk to be reincarnated in her womb as her son. The queen attended the monk on his death bed and obtained his consent to her wish. While she was on her way to inform her husband of the felicitous tidings, the monk died and “he returned to a new life in the womb of the queen while she was yet upon her journey; when she perceived this she halted. She sent that message to the king….”

Arsenic Kills Thousands While Health Ministry Slumbers

Some symptoms of arsenic toxicity

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Although the Health Ministry denies that the Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) slowly killing thousands in the North Central, Eastern, Wayamba, Ruhuna and Uva Provinces is due to pesticides and fertilisers containing arsenic being used for agriculture, studies now confirm that the use of fertilizer has contaminated the tanks and ground water in the area with Arsenic and Cadmium.

The study has found that at least two persons die daily due to kidney failure, while over 200,000 patients suffer from CKD, while thousands more are at risk.

Secretary of the Patriotic National Front Dr. Wasantha Bandara accused the registrar of pesticides of defending the pesticide and fertiliser importers and denying that there was any link between CKD, pesticides and fertilisers.

“The registrar in spite of being aware of the high levels of arsenic and cadmium found in samples of fertilizer and pesticides used in the Raja Rata area, which was proved to be the cause of the increasing number of patients with CKD, blatantly denied the report findings. These officials are in the pockets of these multi-national companies that import huge amounts of fertiliser and pesticides to the country,” he said adding that studies carried out in the areas clearly confirms the link between the pesticides and fertilisers and CKD.
However, according to Bandara the fertiliser and pesticides that are imported to the country do not contain high levels of arsenic. “Tests have been conducted on the various types of pesticides and fertilisers that confirm this. However when the samples of the same brand of pesticides and fertilisers that were distributed to various areas were tested individually, it was found that these samples contained arsenic and cadmium in extremely high doses. This proves beyond doubt that these pesticides once brought into the country are adulterated with arsenic to make additional profits. These samples clearly indicated that the amount of arsenic found in the adulterated pesticides and fertilisers were thousand times higher than when it was imported.”

He accused the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) of maintaining silence in this issue while innocent people are dying of CKD due to arsenic poisoning. “The GMOA who strikes for the most trivial reasons has not spoken a word about the whole issue that is affecting thousands of people’s lives. Most people are afraid to address this issue as these are multinational companies and they all have benefits, or are anticipating benefits. Most of the higher-ups of the health sector are afraid to bring up this issue due to fear of losing their privileges, and are silently ignoring the catastrophe that is slowly killing our farmers,” he said. He pointed out that the authorities are hoodwinking the people by claiming to appoint committees to investigate the issue. “The president appointed a committee to investigate the arsenic issue, who in turn had appointed a subcommittee. However it is ironic that this sub committee comprised representatives of the very companies that import fertilisers and pesticides,” he added.

Even Children As Young As 10 Affected

CKD unidentified which has mainly affected the people of the North Central, Eastern province, Wayamba and Uva province, had been detected in these areas around 20 years ago, but it has spread progressively in the Ruhuna region as well and the situation has reached catastrophic proportions. Today, even children as young as 10 years have been found affected by the disease, while by the age of 40 they reach the critical conditions.

Studies have found that in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Badulla districts around 15% of the total population (around 200,000) between the ages of 15 to 70 are suffering from CKD, while it is still rapidly spreading.

According to Prof. Priyani Paranagama of the Kelaniya University, extensive research on this issue commenced in mid December 2010. “The danger of arsenic is that it has no smell, taste or colour, making it difficult for people to even know that they are consuming water and other substances contaminated with arsenic.”

She added that she began her research at the Padaviya hospital where over 50% of the patients who had come for treatment had shown symptoms of arsenic poisoning. “The most distinct characteristic of chronic arsenic toxicity is the classical skin lesions including hyper pigmentation and kerotosis in the palms and soles of the patients. Even those who were found healthy in these affected areas were found to have doubled the amount of arsenic and cadmium in their urine samples, in comparison to people outside the affected areas. This increased levels of arsenic and cadmium not only puts them at risk of falling victim to CKD but there is also an increasing prevalence of cancer and diabetes with the biological gradient of arsenic, cadmium, mercury and uranium levels in drinking water,” she said.

The study had also found that the majority of those diagnosed with CKD and are facing imminent death are males between the ages of 40 to 60 and they are the breadwinners of families. She added that in addition a large sum of money has to be spent on medication needed for the treatment of such patients. “Not only in the most vulnerable areas, the entire population of this country is believed to have higher levels of arsenic and cadmium in their bodies. We have also found higher than stipulated levels of arsenic and cadmium in vegetables, lotus yams, fresh water fish and tobacco. In addition vegetables were found to contain dangerous levels of led and mercury as well,” she added.

According to the study it was revealed that the arsenic, cadmium and led levels in phosphate fertilisers for sale in the affected areas were higher than the fertiliser sold in non affected areas. “Therefore it has been clearly established that there is a direct link to the high rate of CKD, cancer, and diabetes with the fertilisers and pesticides being used in the Rajarata area. This is a bigger predicament than the 30 year long war that the people are facing today, as arsenic poisoning is slowly but surely killing our people,” she said.

Urine and hair samples of people in these areas were used for the study, while body parts of those who had died due to CKD were also tested to gather information and confirm the link between fertilisers and pesticides, she said.

The final report by the World Health Organization (WHO) titled Investigation and Evaluation of ‘Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Aetiology in Sri Lanka’ prepared for the Ministry of Health, which was released recently highlighted that Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Aetiology (CKDU) is being identified as slowly progressive, probably starting in the second decade of life, and asymptomatic until very advanced.

The research scientists headed by Dr. Shanthi Mendis, Senior Advisor and Co-ordinator, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, WHO in Switzerland and was supported by a group of reputed scientists concluded that there is a CKDU prevalence of 15.3% with a higher prevalence among females (16.8%) than males (13.3%) though more severe condition of CKDU were seen more frequently in males.

The WHO permissible limit of Arsenic for drinking water is 0.01 mg/L and the FAO permissible limit of Arsenic for irrigation water is 0.10 mg/L. However in most of the water samples taken from the affected areas the detected level of arsenic was 20 – 100 μg/L.

North Central Province – High Risk Region

Meanwhile, in addition to the study conducted by the team from the Kelaniya University, a separate study has also been conducted by the Institute of Research of Indigenous Medicine. The research study covered high risk areas of the North Central Province.

Speaking to The Sunday Leader Dr. Parakrama who was part of the team that conducted the research said that the group found most vulnerable to the disease is people who are between 45 to 69 years. He said that they had found that 87.8 % in Anuradhapura and 90% in Polonnaruwa had been those who had consumed water-based plants, freshwater fish and consumed either water from tanks or well water, which had recorded high levels of arsenic and cadmium.

He added that 98.5% of the persons affected were farmers while only 11% of those with CKD were found to be persons not engaged in farming.

He pointed out that due to the adverse effects of arsenic many countries had banned the use of pesticides and fertilisers containing arsenic. However he said that estimates indicated that more than 500,000 MT of arsenic containing pesticides were in stock at the time of it being banned.

A previous study conducted by Dr. Channa Jayasumana revealed that 95% of patients complained of generalised body weakness, 91% headache, 84% burning eyes, 74% anaemia and 76% complained of nausea, while 55% showed mild to moderate hepatomegaly and spleinomegaly (Hepatomegaly is swelling of the liver beyond its normal size, while Splenomegaly is a larger-than-normal spleen.) and 63% had epigastric pain.

According to Dr. Jayasumana’s study rice was found to be more susceptible to arsenic accumulation compared to other cereals. It was discovered that baseline levels of arsenic was 10 folds higher in rice than in other cereals. In a study conducted in 2010 by Tilak Abeysekera it was revealed that 90 – 260 μg/kg of arsenic was found in rice.

Meanwhile Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero of the JHU stated during a forum in Colombo recently that the authorities were reluctant to admit that these pesticides and fertilisers were the cause for CKD, due to financial gains.

Highlighting one such incident he said “a container load of fertiliser that was imported was found to be containing high levels of arsenic by the customs. However although the customs seized this container for not conforming to stipulated standards, a directive was issued by the ministry of finance for the release of this container to its importer. The customs officer who made the detection had to leave the country for fear of losing his life,” he added.

Ven. Rathana Thero accused the registrar of pesticides should be removed from his position for failing to implement the stipulated regulations, accusing him of being in the pocket of these pesticide and fertiliser companies. “He had the audacity to even mention in a program on a state radio station that arsenic was vital for the human body, which is such a foolish statement,” he charged.

The Medical Health Officer (MOH) of the Kebithigollewa hospital told The Sunday Leader that they only do the follow-up treatment while the patients suspected of having CKD are sent to Anuradhapura for diagnosis. According to him, 63 patients diagnosed with CKD in the Kebithigollewa area were registered at his hospital while so far this year 21 patients have been diagnosed with CKD.

“In total around 200 patients diagnosed with CKD in the Kebithigollewa area are receiving follow-up treatment. In most instances these patients have lost the function of both kidneys and are sure to die of the disease. Therefore it is pointless to perform transplants, or dialysis, and we generally only provide them follow-up treatment,” he said.

CKD – Mysterious Disease

He further added that having served in the area hospital for the past five years he has seen a rapid rise in the number of patients being diagnosed with CKD. However in spite of the numerous studies that have been conducted in these areas regarding CKD and the direct link to the use of pesticides and fertilisers, the health ministry still claims that there is no link between the two.
Commenting on the issue the health ministry spokesman W.A.D. Wanninayake said that CKD still remains a mysterious disease, where the cause for it is yet unclear.

“Even in Scandinavian countries over the past 15 years many CKD cases had been discovered. Using the information gathered from various areas that the disease is most prevalent, we drew up a map to study the pattern of the spread of the disease. From that information we gathered we found that even in vulnerable provinces, the disease was found only in certain areas,” he said pointing out that this disease could be due to the long term use of medication, consumption of alcohol and various other factors. However CKDU was only prevalent in certain areas.

He said that although fertiliser is being used in many farming areas, the disease has been mostly widespread in just a few areas, adding that if the condition was due to the use of fertiliser, then the disease should have mainly affected areas such as Nuwara Eliya, ‑ an area where the most amount of fertiliser is being used.

He said however that people need to be educated on the proper safety measures to be adhered to when using pesticides.

“In most instances farmers mix two to three different types of pesticides to enable easier spraying. The mixing of these pesticides could create adverse chemical reactions. Another observation was that since the fertiliser is given to the farmers free, they spray these fertilisers on their crops repeatedly with the hope of raking in a bumper harvest,” he pointed out.

However while the health ministry attempts to put the blame on the farmers and safeguard the fertiliser and pesticide importers the WHO report is a clear indication that there is a link between the use of these chemicals and CKD. Hence, the Health Ministry should take up the matter seriously and set proper standards for the pesticides and fertilisers that are brought in to this country, to prevent the entire population of this country from suffering a slow and painful death due to CKD.

Chandra writes to CA Sri Lanka on CEB

Sunday, 17 March 2013

Chartered Accountant, Chandra Jayaratne has suddenly woken up writing to the Chartered Accountants Institute querying what action is being taken against Members of the Institute who are Directors, Accountants and Auditors of Companies ?

On the other hand, what action had Chandra Jayaratne taken on the following matters or choose to ignore them ?

Disciplinary Committee Inquiry by CA Institute against Partners of PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young on Complaints made by one Amrit Mutukumaru on the privatization of Sri Lanka Insurance ? Why was Chandra silent on this important matter, where the CA Institute had failed to act ?

Why was Chandra also silent when the above famous firms of Chartered Accountants, his colleagues, had carried out the Sri Lanka Insurance transaction, which was cancelled by the Supreme Court as fraudulent ? How was this acceptable ?

Sri Lanka Insurance Accounts had been doctored by these Chartered Accountants to defraud the Government. Why was Chandra silent then, and why only CEB now ? Is it because CEB is a soft target or because of political objective ?

Large Chamber of Commerce Members of the private sector were involved in the Sri Lanka Insurance privatization, which now reveals money laundering in Gibraltar as disclosed by the Sunday Leader of 10th March. Why was Chandra silent having been a former Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce ? Was it a case of covering up close buddies ?

Another large corporate of the Chamber of Commerce had fraudulently taken over the bunkering monopoly of the Colombo Port, which also was cancelled by the Supreme Court as fraudulent. Chandra was silent on this as well. Was it because of frauds by friends cannot be questioned ?

Chamber of Commerce appointed a key player in the above fraudulent deal as its Chairman. Why did Chandra not condemn such appointment ? Was it because of close friendship ?

Why did not Chandra question the role and accountability of the Directors and Accountants of the above large corporates of the Chamber of Commerce of which he was once Chairman ? Why only the CEB now ?

How does Chandra talk of Directors’ Duties, when Chandra as a Director avoided disclosure of acquiring a property of a public company, without disclosure to the Shareholders, against legal opinion given by highly reputed President’s Counsel, K. Kanag-Isvaran ?

Why does Chandra only act against government institutions, and not against the fraudulent private sector corporates ? Is it because they are his colleagues in the Chamber of Commerce ?

The above scandalous deals and professional misconduct by Directors, Accountants and Auditors happened several years ago, but Chandra was silent on these proven matters, and Chandra has suddenly woken up to query on the CEB on allegations ? Should not first things be dealt with first ?

Good governance and accountability must first be by the private sector to set an example. But the private sector has set a rotten example and people like Chandra do not query, but query only public institutions, why? Is it a political agenda ?

The British Tourist Is ‘Shocked And Upset’ After Being Deported From Sri Lanka For Displaying A Buddha Tattoo

By Colombo Telegraph -March 17, 2013

A British tourist is “shocked and upset” after being deported from Sri Lanka for displaying a Buddha tattoo on his arm, the BBC reports.

Ratcliffe got the tattoo in Burma, and says it was not something he took lightly | Photo BBC

According to the BBC, Antony Ratcliffe, 42, from Nottingham, was turned back at Colombo’s main airport on Friday for allegedly showing a lack of respect for Buddhism.

The authorities are tough on perceived insults to Buddhism – the religion of the island’s majority ethnic Sinhalese. But Ratcliffe says the “inoffensive” body art was meant as a tribute.

“As soon as he saw it the chief officer went crazy. You could see it on his face, he looked really angry and said I would have to go back to London.They took my passport and held me there for an hour and a half. All the time they were bringing people in to look at my arm, and they were shaking their heads. I was explaining my case, pleading basically, and the chief officer just told me to ‘shut up, shut up’ and he refused to talk to me.” Ratcliffe told the BBC.

“I like the artwork in tattoos obviously and, due to my belief in Buddhist philosophy which I have followed for many years, I thought a quality tattoo of the Buddha was rather apt.” he further said.

According to the BBC, more than 100,000 British citizens visited Sri Lanka in 2012, accounting for 10% of the total number of tourists. The UK is also the country’s second-largest trading partner after India.

DMK’s final warning to UPA over UNHRC Lanka resolution

B. KOLAPPAN-March 17, 2013

DMK President M. Karunanidhi on Sunday issued a final warning to Congress-led UPA Government saying that the DMK would certainly leave the alliance if India fails to take steps to incorporate suitable amendments to the draft resolution to be placed before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

“I said our continuation in the alliance would be meaningless if the amendments are not incorporated. Now I say we will certainly not remain in the alliance”, he told reporters while releasing a copy of the letter sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

In the letter, he wanted amendments to declare that genocide and war crimes had been committed and inflicted on Eelam Tamils by the Sri Lankan Army and administrators.He also urged the establishment of a suitable and independent International commission of investigation in a time bound manner into the allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, violence of international humanitarian law and the crime of genocide against Tamil people.

Mr. Karunanidhi said that he was writing this letter with immense mental agony and feeling of having been let down by the Government of India.

This article has been corrected for an editing error.

Mahinda Rajapaksa: The Sick Leader & His Airport

Article 123 & 148 of the Constitution & Treasury Act’s doesn’t allow Mahinda Rajapaksa to Name Projects Constructed with Public Funds in his Name.

| by Upasiri de Silva-Sunday, March 17, 2013

History of Naming Public Buildings

( March 17, 2013. Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) For the first time in Sri Lanka a Public a building was named after the late Leader SWRD Bandaranayake of Sri Lanka, as it was the wish of the donor country, agreed by the then Sri Lankan Government. That Building was the Canadians Constructed Katunayaka International Air Port, with 100% Canadian Aid with local Technical services provided by then PWD. In 1970 Chinese government donated the BMICH named after the late PM Bandaranayake.

Bandaranayake International Air Port Katunayaka

In 1964, then Canadian Prime Minister as a gesture of friendship extended by the late Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Hon S.W.R.D. Bandaranayake, offered to construct an International Air Port to replace the only International Air Port at Ratmalana. Condition of the Aid Package was, if the government of Mrs. Bandaranayake agreed to name the Air Port in the name of Late Mr. Bandaranayake. The Sri Lankan government agreed to the proposal after a long deliberation, and selected Katunayaka to be the hub of that International Air Port. Engineering duties were entrusted to the then Public Works Department (P.W.D) and a special office under a Chief Construction Engineer ( Katunayaka Air Port) was established with several Engineers to undertake the initial work of Land acquisitions, establishment of the runway and the approach roads to the Katunayaka International Airport with a temporary site office at the Katunayaka Air Force Base. I was fortunate enough to be in the initial team to establish all these work, operating from the temporary office at Katunayaka. We selected the Air Force Runway and decided to extend it up to Minuwangoda, after acquiring all the land necessary for the work.

As Public Funds were not used to construct this Air Port, violating Article 148, Parliamentary Control over Public Finance and as such was named as the . Bandaranayake International Air Port with the approval of all opposition members of the parliament at that time (UNP) as well as the general public. Opposition parties at the time thanked the Canadian government for funding the much needed International Air Port to increase the Air Traffic between Sri Lanka and other countries. As such, It was unanimously agreed to name the Air Port, “Bandaranayake International Air Port, Katunayaka”.

Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH)

.In 1970, Chinese government under then Premier Cho-En-Lai, donated a building, to be named after the late Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranayke.

For the construction of the International Conference Hall, Chinese government provided Technical Officers, Trade people and all the materials including white goods up to the value of Rs.3.5 million. Only materials brought locally were timber, sand cement, bricks, rubble, iron bars for reinforcement and shuttering materials. The Conference hall which can accommodate 95 countries with their delegates was fully furnished with the top quality furniture, curtains, cutlery and cookery imported from China. In total 70 (seventy) ship loads of materials were received from China..

Thanks to the 495 Chinese and 495 Sri Lankan Technical and Trade people the BMICH we completed this project three (3) months prior to the schedule completion date, with a saving of Rs.0.5 million out of the estimated cost yo be used for future maintenance work.

I was selected by the then PM, Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranayake to be one of the Engineers of Sri Lankan team for this massive project. I was, responsible for Security of the site, Harbour Clearance and the Construction work. The project was behind the proposed programme due to the failure of clearing of the goods imported from China for the works and security concerns of the workers and the materials. The delays caused by all these acute problems were cleared and as mentioned in this letter in a previous paragraph, the project was completed THREE months prior to the proposed completion date and the building was ceremoniously opened by the then Chinese PM in 1972 and named as the Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall..

This was the second public building to be named after a leader of Sri Lanka with the approval of the then government of Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranayake and the opposition headed by late JR Jayawardena of the UNP.

Jayawardena Pura – Kotte

President J.R.Jayawardena, knowing well the implications of his own Constitution and the Treasury Acts, used the name Sri Jayawardena Pura to name Kotte.. During days of Sri Lankan’ Kings Kotte was known as Sri Jayawardena Pura. Any person looking at the above name may form an opinion that JR Jayawardena established his name Jayawardena (Pura) after using Public Funds to construct the Kotte Parliament house and all other public buildings. But JRJ never violated the Public trust and the Parliamentary Control over Public Finance

As JRJ was known as the “tricky dicky” he used the old name of Kotte from the days of Sinhala Kings to re-rename Kotte as the Sri Jayawardena Pura, and the public hospital constructed by Japanese as Sri Jayawardena Pura Hospital. If we consider the Article 123, 148 and the Treasury Acts, President Jayawardena has not committed any financial irregularities, in naming these Public Buildings or buildings constructed with public funds, as Sri Jayawardena Pura Hospital or Sri Jayawardena pura Parliament.

Naming of Hambantota Harbor

Mahinda Rajapaksa while assuming the responsibilities of the Presidency, took his oaths in 2005, stating that he is holding the position temporally and will act according to the constitution to uphold the Sri Lankan Constitution for the benefit of the people of Sri Lanka. Since 2005 Novembers, President Rajapaksa has forgotten his, much appreciated speech, and now moving in a direction of destruction, trying to demolish the constitution as well as the democracy of the country. he promised to maintain after eradicating terrorism.

Hambantota Port was first planned during President Chandrika Bandaranayke Kumaratunga’s time and a feasibility report was prepared by consultants to construct the new Port in the open sea. Even during Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranayke’s time Chinese were very much interested in constructing this Port in Hambantota but it never materialised, as most Tenderers were sympathisers of the LTTE who tendered very low and then withdrew the tender at a later stage. LTTE feared a Harbour in the Southern Ocean, as it will be a .disadvantage for their activities.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, as the President negotiate a loan from the Chinese EXIM Bank to construct the much needed Port, but committed a very grave mistake, by engaging the Chinese Consultants as well as the Contractors, on their own terms while borrowing this large sum of money at very high interest rates. President as well as the Chairman of the SLPC agreed to the terms of the Consultants as well as the Contractors, due to some ulterior motive, to construct an Island Port without any consideration for the feasibility report or the rock formation and the dangerous currents carrying sand to block the entry to the Harbour.

Chinese Bank gave a Loan of US $ 386 million for Stage 1 and US $ 840 for the stage 2 and the harbour was constructed, without adhering to many international requirements in constructing such a Port. This may be the main problem SLPA is having to get international ships berthing at this Port. As the entrance to the Port was blocked by a HUGE rock formation, the use of this Port even today needs further blasting of this rock formation at an additional cost. of US $ 45 million.

If President Rajapaksa appointed a very capable and experience Firm of Consultants to oversee the Chinese consultants and the contractors most of these short comings should have avoided and the Harbour may be in use today bringing good revenue to pay certain part of the loan without drawing funds from other loans to pay the interest on these loans.

This Harbour Constructed with Public Funds (any Funds borrowed by the Government with Sovereign Guarantees become Public Funds, according to Treasury Acts and Article 123 & 148 of the Constitution). This Harbour or the Port was named as the Mahinda Rajapaksa Port in Hambantota violating the Treasury Acts and Article 123 & 148 of the Constitution. President Rajapaksa never even got the approval of the Parliament, where he is having a majority to use his name in this public project constructed with public Funds.

Naming of Mattala Airport

Mattala Air Port is a much needed second Air Port for the country constructed at the wrong end of the country and the wrong place as Mahinda Rajapaksa was not consulted the correct Construction Managers to advice him, for the good of the country. Environmental reports projected a very gloomy outlook and the farmers in the Mattala Area (mainly farmers supporting the UNP candidate Premadasa protested for acquiring their good farm land). The Elephant corridor and the nearby Bird sanctuary was demolish in planning this Air Port, without considering the constructive criticism of the Environmentalists and Development Economists. Now, this Air Port constructed with a very mammoth loan from the Exim Bank is to be opened in few days time and will be known as the Rajapaksa Airport Mattala.

As naming all these projects constructed using public funds ( borrowed on sovereign guarantees), President Rajapaksa has violated the Article 123, 148 and the Treasury Acts in using Public funds and naming them in his name without consulting the general public or the Parliament of Sri Lanka is a violation of the doctrine of public trust..

President Rajapaksa may have borrowed these funds from China and taken his share of commission, according to many. But as these funds are borrowed by the GOSL he headed as the President, the people of Sri lanka are bound to pay these funds at a later stage. Under the Financial regulations of the country which was violated by the President, in borrowing these funds has created a big betrayal of the public trust, will another government replacing Rajapaksa government is bound to pay these loans. As none of these loans were properly acquired according to the opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe as President Rajapaksa has betrayed the doctrine of public trust(Comments by Ranil Wickramasinghe –Sunday Times February 24, 2013).who will be responsible to pay back these loans?

I can still remember the words of President Rajapaksa on that 19th day of November 2009, when he delivered his maiden speech as the President. I jump with jubilation thinking Sri Lanka has got the best President after many decades. But today I feel frustrated as a born Sri Lankan to watch how Mahinda Rajapaksa retract his own words and in doing so he is demolishing the moral of the Sri Lankan people, as his main interest is to name each and every project constructed using public funds in his name while robbing the country poor.

Bird attack on SriLankan flight to Mattala

Sunday, 17 March 2013

A test flight of SriLankan Airlines from Colombo to Mattala on the 14th has come under attack by birds near the Mattala airport. The flight had been surrounded by massive group of birds, but the senior, experienced pilot, Keminda Yahampath had managed to land the flight amidst difficulty. Had the flight been flown by a young pilot, the aircraft would have crash landed at the Mattala airport. A large number of birds had died after knocking on the front windscreen of the aircraft.

The Rajapaksa International Airport in Mattala has been constructed in a bird and wildlife sanctuary and is faced with many difficulties as a result. A person was killed by a wild elephant near the fourth mile post on the road to the Mattala airport on the 13th.

An elephant fence is now being set up around the airport areas at a massive additional cost.

People in the area say that the animals have been badly affected by the sudden change to their environment and are responding in different ways. People add the government has taken measures to hunt down animals and are now in the process of gradually destroying the sanctuary.

The initial report on the airport had discussed at length of the possible environment impact, but the authorities had ignored all concerns raised.

The government authorities are hiding the fact that the airport had not yet received the international certification on security standards.

Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport opens tomorrow with pomp and pageantry

Tourist hotspots easily accessible from Hambantota, says SriLankan CEO�
By Chandani Kirinde

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Sri Lanka’s second aerial gateway to the outside world, built at a staggering 26 billion rupees, will be opened with pomp and pageantry tomorrow.�Built with Chinese assistance, the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) is situated close to an elephant infested jungle stretch. It is 43 kilometres from Hambantota.

At the auspicious time of 9 a.m, President Mahinda Rajapaksa will declare open the airport in the presence of dignitaries from China as well as members of the diplomatic corps based in Colombo.�Among the flights scheduled to arrive and depart on the first day of the opening of Sri Lanka’s second international airport are a specially chartered aircraft carrying passengers from the USA as well as an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah and a Fly Dubai flight from Dubai, Airport and Aviation Services (AAS) Chairman Prasanna Wickramasuriya said.

SriLankan Airlines has scheduled flights to four destinations to operate from the MRIA. Mihin Air will also operate a weekly flight to Buddha Gaya from MRIA starting this week.SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kapila Chandrasena told the Sunday Times that SriLankan flights to and from Beijing, Shanghai via Bangkok, Riyadh and Male will operate from the MRIA.

Training in progress for airline traffic controllers and airline hostesses. Pix by Hiran Priyankara and Deepa Adikari

“We have done our market valuation and found that flights to and from these destinations are viable,” Mr.Chandrasena said.�He said the two Chinese destinations had been picked as 90 per cent of passages from China are headed for Male and hence transiting at Mattala would be a more convenient option.

The Middle East flight is to attract Sri Lankan workers, particularly from the Southern and Eastern Provinces who go to Saudi Arabia for employment, while the Mihin Air flight is for the convenience of Buddhist pilgrims who visit the city of Buddha Gaya in northern India.

Initially eight SriLankan flights will operate from Mattala, twice weekly to all four destinations.�Over 530 members of the AAS have been transferred to Mattala to man the new airport but the entire staff members to be recruited to Mattala Airport will exceed 2,000, the AAS Chairman said.

The airport has been built in an environment-friendly manner incorporating the natural beauty of the area while the interiors are based on local architecture, he said. It is expected to be popular with foreign tourists.�“Some of the tourist’s hotspots such as Nuwara Eliya, Arugam Bay and other areas in the Eastern Province and Yala are all easily accessible from Hambantota,” he said.

The other groups the airport hopes to attract are Sri Lankans leaving for employment in the Middle East. “More than 90 per cent of Lankans who go to the Middle East come from the Southern, Eastern, Uva and Sabaragamuwa Province and for them departing from and arriving at Mattala will save on travel time to their homes,” Mr.Wickramasuriya added.
SriLankan Airlines flights to several destinations including Shanghai, Riyadh, Beijing and Male will be stopping over in Matala while Fly Dubai and Air Arabia will also operate flight to and from (BIA) through Mattala.

However Mr.Wickramasuriya denied there are any moves to close down BIA. “We are nearing the completion of the Katunayaka –Colombo expressway and once that is done, it will take only 33 minutes to get to the airport from Colombo,” he said. The long term plan, Mr. Wickramasuriya said, is to link BIA to MRIA by road via the expressway and once this as done, the travel time between the two international airports would be three and half hours.

Meanwhile Civil Aviation Director General H. M. C. Nimalasiri has notified that every aircraft operating into and out of MRIA should conform to the applicable national laws, regulations, rules and implementing standards and also the established procedures relating to entry and departure of aircraft, entry and departure of persons as well as baggage.
The applicable screening processes will be performed by the respective Government authorities in charge of Customs, immigration and emigration, aviation security, public health and plant and animal quarantine.

Discount for airlines using MRIA
International airlines operating in and out of the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) will be given up to 50 per cent discounts on landing and parking charges for one year, Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratna has said.
He said the discount would be reduced to 25 per cent next year and this rate would continue till 2017.Airlines using the new airport would also be offered a 60 per cent discount on ground handling charges this year. In 2014, they would get a 50 per cent discount and from 2015-2017 a 40 per cent discount.

Sinister plan to paralyse BIA, says UNP

SUNDAY, 17 MARCH 2013

The main opposition UNP today charged that a sinister plan was under way to paralyse the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), by shifting the high-tech machinery and skilled staff to the Mattala International Airport which would be declared opened tomorrow.

United National Party (UNP) Gampaha District MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene told a news conference today that this action by the government to shift the staff and the machinery to Mattala would paralyse the BIA which has been Sri Lanka’s premier international airport.

The UNP MP said jobs in the Katunayake Free trade zone would also be in jeopardy through this move. He made this allegation by recalling that the Free Trade Zone was set up in its present location because it was a strategic point with the airport in the vicinity, therefore, there would be a negative effect on the country’s economy, he said.(Yohan Perera)