Monday, November 11, 2013

Foreign Media accredited to cover CHOGM related events only: Ministry Secretary

By Chandani Kirinde-Sunday, November 10, 2013
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Foreign journalists arriving here to cover the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), will be accredited only to cover CHOGM related events, Secretary to the Ministry of Media and Information Charitha Herath said.
“There will be no restrictions on travel within Sri Lanka for foreign media personnel who arrive in the country for CHOGM, but only as tourists,” he said.

The new media centre at the BMICH (above ) and (top) shows the area which will be used for news conferences. Pic by Indika Handuwala

“However, those who come as part of the official delegations of various countries, can carry out media related activities and will get accreditation to cover only CHOGM related events,” he said. Journalists requiring to cover non-CHOGM events will have to apply for a separate accreditation.

A total of 530 Sri Lankan journalists and over 300 foreign journalists have been accredited to cover the events which will commence today with the Youth Forum and People’s Forum in Hambantota and Galle respectively. “We are aware that some of the foreign journalists want to portray a negative image of Sri Lanka, but this is a democratic country and we have nothing to hide,” Mr Herath said.

He said a media desk set up at the Colombo International Airport will assist journalists and also handle their transport to the designated “Media” hotels in Colombo. “In keeping with the Commonwealth Secretariat’s media guidelines, a pooling system has been put in place, as all accredited media personnel cannot be accommodated at all the conference venues, while live satellite feeds of the main events will be telecast locally as well as across all five continents,” Mr Herath said.

“We believe in positive engagement with the foreign media. We are a country that has suffered from terrorism for 30 years, and we want to show the progress the country has made since the war ended,” he said. All journalists, both local and foreign, can operate from a Media Centre set up at the BMICH, which is equipped with computers, Wi-Fi facilities and other media requirements.

Regulations on foreign media

November 10, 2013

The Commonwealth Secretariat Task Force in Sri Lanka operating under the Ministry of External Affairs says foreign media looking to do non Commonwealth related coverage in Sri Lanka while in the country for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), will need to obtain clearance.

The announcement comes following fears raised by some quarters in the government that some foreign journalists may attempt to use the opportunity while in Sri Lanka to travel to the North and produce documentaries against the government.

The Task Force said that while it welcomes foreign media to explore non CHOGM related activities and stories, those journalists will need to follow the regular procedures outlined by the government information department.

Yesterday (Saturday) Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella had said he hopes controversial producer Callum Macrae will get a different picture about Sri Lanka following his visit to the country for the Commonwealth summit.

He said that Macrae will be visiting the country together with some 30 other British journalists and they are likely to accompany British Prime Minister David Cameron to the North.

The Minister had said that despite India refusing to grant Callum Macrae a visa to attend the premier of a Sri Lanka war crimes video, the Sri Lankan government had no issues on granting him the visa despite having reservations about him.

“Our stand on him has not changed but we hope by coming to Sri Lanka he will see the real picture and have a change of opinion,” the Minister said.

The Minister however noted that the government is ready to face the possibility of Macrae and Channel 4 using the opportunity to arrive in Sri Lanka for the summit and produce another video negative towards the government.(Colombo Gazette)

A Guide to Colombo for CHOGM 2013

Image courtesy AP, via Gulf News

by Anonymous
- on 11/11/2013

Potemkin City, with a difference: A Guide to Colombo for CHOGM 2013

Your Excellency, Distinguished Delegate, Dear Visitor,

Ayubowan! Vanakkam! Welcome to Colombo!

You may have heard of how General Potemkin primed Crimea for the pleasure of Catherine the Great and her foreign ambassadors on their southern trip in 1787. Likewise, our own Potemkin, Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapakse, presidential sibling and Secretary Defence and Urban Development, has personally overseen the makeover of Colombo for your pleasure. And we do hope you will enjoy it.

A Guide to Colombo for CHOGM 2013 by nelvely

Angry Rajapaksa trying to hit back at India

Monday, 11 November 2013

Angered by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s decision not to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo this week, the Mahinda Rajapaksa government has hardened its stance on leasing the Trincomalee oil tank farm to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).

The Press Trust of India (PTI) has reported that Sri Lanka has refused to sign a decade old agreement to lease the Trincomalee strategic oil storages to a unit of IOC and is blocking the Indian firm’s plans to set up a bitumen plant in the island nation.

In 2003, Lanka IOC - a subsidiary of state-owned IOC - bought one-third share in Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd which operates the China Bay tank farm.

The Ceylon Petroleum Corp (CPC) and Colombo entered into an MoU with Lanka IOC to grant a long-term lease to the Indian firm for operating the 99 storage tanks at Trincomalee for 35 years for an annual fee of USD 100,000.
Industry sources have said that the 35-year lease finalisation dragged on and now Colombo has reservations on leasing out ‘state asset’ to Lanka IOC.

Since commencing operations, Lanka IOC has invested close to USD 15 million at regular intervals in creating facilities like additional storage tanks, lube blending facilities and refurbishing of jetty.

It also wants to invest another USD 17 million in creating bitumen handling facilities at the tank farm and had applied to the Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka, they said adding BOI has told Lanka IOC that approval can be given only after settlement of lease issue.

Sources said with Sri Lanka government having reservations on leasing the facilities to Lanka IOC, the entire project is stuck.

Petroleum Secretary Vivek Rae has written to Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh to take up the issue at the diplomatic level.

Lanka IOC, at the instance of Sri Lankan government, had in May submitted a proposal to operate the tank farms in a joint venture with CPC but there has been no response so far.

The 99 storage tanks and ancillary facilities are divided into ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ farms. The lower tank farm with 15 tanks is currently being utilised by Lanka IOC for storing and distribution of petroleum products. The upper tank farm consists of 84 tanks in an area of about 800 acres and is not being utilised presently except for storage of water in four tanks.

Criminal Complaint Against James Packer

November 11, 2013

The UNP today filed a police complaint against Australian casino king James Packer who arrived in Sri Lanka today.

UNP MP Harsha De Silva together with colleagues Ruwan Wijewardane and Ajith Perera filed the complaint at police headquarters in Colombo alleging that Packer was in Sri Lanka to promote a casino project in the country when casinos were illegal.

“He is said to be plotting with some local businessmen to establish a large scale casino in Colombo,” de Silva told reporters in Colombo after he made the complaint.

The UNP MP said that they told the police that they appreciated that the law was implemented with regard to a small time casino at Town Hall recently. “But the law must apply with the same force on the big time casinos operating in Colombo as well,” De Silva explained.

Packer is in Colombo to address the Commonwealth Business Forum and to hold discussions with the Government and other stakeholders to get his joint venture project to build a mega resort with gaming facilities on the Beira Lake. Packer’s Crown Sri Lanka project has been granted unprecedented tax breaks by the Rajapaksa Government.

A costly mistake?

By Gagani Weerakoon-Monday, 11 Nov 2013

While the government has been attracting much criticism over its excessive loan taking for various development projects, it has now come under flak from the opposition for ‘incorrectly’ renegotiating with China to increase a previously agreed upon interest rate of 1.3% to 6.3% on a loan of US$ 306.7 million taken for the Hambantota Port Project.

The main opposition United National Party (UNP), bringing the matter to Parliament, questioned why the government had renegotiated with the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China, to increase the rate of interest from 1.3% to 6.3%, an increase of 5%, on the loan of US$ 306.7 million, which it had obtained to construct the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa International Harbour, Hambantota.

UNP MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, raising an oral question in Parliament, asked Project Minister of Ports and Highways, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, why such a move was made, when in practice, re-negotiations are held to reduce bank loans or interest rates, and not to increase rates.

On being further questioned by de Silva whether the minister was aware about the government taking an additional loan of US$ 153 million from China for the Hambantota Port Project in January 2013, Minister Abeygunawradena responded, saying: “We did not obtain a loan from China in January 2013, but we took an additional loan of US$ 147 million for the Hambantota Port Development Project at 2% interest from Exim Bank of China. Altogether, we have received US$ 306.7 million from China for the harbour project. Though we had earlier decided to pay 1.3% interest, consequent to negotiations between the two parties, the government had agreed to pay 6.3% interest per annum.”

MP de Silva, then questioned why such a decision was taken, to which Minister Abeygunawardena said, the responsibility lies with the Finance Ministry as it was that ministry that had negotiated the funding from the Chinese bank.

Failed expectations

The Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port (MMRP), opened two years ago with the aim of increasing the number of cargo ships berthing at the Port, and rejuvenating bunkering, which at this point in time has proved to be a failure as claimed by the opposition.

It is said the MMRP, built on 1,750 hectares of land in the Rajapaksa constituency in Hambantota at a massive cost of US$ 1,300 million, lies forlorn with occasional ships calling at its docks. The Port, which has the capacity to handle over 30 vessels at any given time, has ships only occasionally dropping anchor. Sources say that ships dock at the MMRP because they are compelled to do so by the government in its endeavour to generate traffic at the new seaport.

The Opposition had, from the inception, been critical of the project. They have questioned the need for a second Port for a country as small as Sri Lanka. The argument centred on the adequacy of the Colombo Port, which could efficiently handle all ships that call in on the island. It is estimated that around 4,000 vessels call at the Colombo Port, annually.

Moreover, the bunkering facility of the MMRP, which was built on the lines of Singapore’s mega Port, remains desolate for want of ships calling over at the Port. It is said that MMRP is able to feed 220,000 MT of fuel supply each year. Singapore’s hub Port lifts 30 million tonnes of bunker, annually, and is the most sought-after Port in Asia. It has around 130,000 ships calling at its port annually, and over one million visitors cruise into Singapore, every year.

The MMRP was built by obtaining loans from the Exim Bank in China, in two instalments. The first phase of the building was estimated at US$ 306 million, which was borrowed at an exorbitant 6.3% rate of interest. The second phase cost a massive US$ 800 million, also at the same rate of interest. Other expenses, including the cost of blasting rocks, cost US$ 202 million. The total cost according to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is US$ 1,308 million. The loan has to be repaid in 11 years, in biannual instalments.

Repaying massive loans

With no ships calling at the Port, the question that arises is how can Sri Lanka repay the massive loan it had obtained? The MMRP has to generate at least Rs 8 billion a year to pay its annual instalment of Rs 6 billion, thereby honouring its commitment to repay the loan. But, with no business being generated, due mainly to ships not docking at the MMRP, sources said the burden is on the management of the Colombo Port to honour the financial commitments of the MMRP by generating sufficient funds to meet all costs. “The MMRP is a burden on the Colombo Port. The Colombo Port is paying back the capital and the interest on the monies borrowed,” the opposition said.

According to Minister Abeygunawardena, who submitted an answer on the loans obtained for the MMRP, the US$ 306.7 million was initially obtained on +0.9% interest according to interest rates on LIBOR rates. Later, based on a request by China, the government has agreed upon 6.3% fixed interest rate as the interest rates in the market started falling.

"The government would incur a loss of
Rs 2 billion due to this ill-timed decision, whereas the recorded income of the MMRP so far is only Rs 341 million,” Dr. de Silva noted.

However, when contacted, Director General of the External Resources Department, A. Kumarasiri, said the agreement was reached on the directives of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka after taking into consideration the conditions at the time in the world market.

"The interest rates in the market fell and LIBOR rates were constantly fluctuating. Taking the prevailing situation into consideration we did the best thing available. I do not believe this would incur any losses for the government," he said.

A common candidate?

Editorial-November 10, 2013, 8:13 pm

It has been reported that the UNP is mulling over fielding a common candidate at the next presidential election. Why it is doing so is understandable. The recent appointment of a leadership council is tantamount to an admission that it is currently without a charismatic leader equal to the task of reviving it, much less steering it to victory at a vital election. Its incumbent leader avoided the last presidential election, having lost two previously.

At the last presidential election, the joint Opposition backed Gen. Sarath Fonseka. But, the UNP and the JVP will not be able to have him as the common candidate again. All chances are that legal barriers that prevent him from contesting elections are likely to be cleared by the government in time for the next presidential election as his entry into the fray will pose a formidable challenge not so much to President Rajapaksa but the main Opposition candidate owing to a split in the anti-government vote.

It is also doubtful whether the TNA, the SLMC and the JVP will make common cause with the UNP to field a common candidate again and they, except the SLMC, are likely to enter the race separately.

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has checkmated Sajith Premadasa in style with the leadership council move and foiled attempts to oust him. He has drawn heavy flak for the party’s ignominious defeats all these years and even been ridiculed as a jinx of sorts, but hereafter it is the LC which will have to take the blame for the UNP’s electoral setbacks. However, Ranil will have his work cut out as regards the next presidential election. He won’t be able to avoid it and retain party leadership unless someone like Karu Jayasuriya gladly puts his head on the block.

The UNP’s strategy to defeat President Rajapaksa will require a formidable spoiler candidate capable of eating into President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s vote bank substantially. That person will have to be influential enough to cause a rift in the SLFP as well as the ruling UPFA. It is being argued in some quarters that some senior SLFPers within the government ranks are rather disgruntled, but they are not likely to go so far as to break ranks and throw in their lot with the Opposition in disarray.

However, a family member of the late Bertie Premalal Dissanayake, one of the unhappy SLFP heavyweights, went on record as saying that the terminally ill former North-Central Province Chief Minister had even tried to rise from his sickbed when former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga visited him. This nuanced statement reflects thinking of a section of the SLFP old guard, especially ministers who grumble about not having adequate budgetary allocations, job quotas etc and, above all, are jealous of turncoats and Johnnies-come-lately going places.

Resentful SLFP stalwarts may not be apoplectic and obstreperous like the UNP rebels at present, but, they have the potential to rock the boat. The late President Ranasinghe Premadasa, it may be recalled, made the mistake of ignoring his MPs’ disgruntlement and faced a mutiny. President Kumaratunga, who chose to ride roughshod over some of her party seniors after being re-elected in 1999, had a rude shock about one year later when more than a dozen of them crossed over to the UNP, bringing down her government. The recent appointment of several deputy ministers is indicative of the fact that, alive to the situation, President Rajapaksa is apparently trying to keep his parliamentary group happy. Whether such measures will help tackle the problem remains to be seen. The UNP’s intraparty crises, unless resolved soon, are likely to stand President Rajapaksa in good stead at the next presidential polls though there are bound to be unforeseen problems down the road and everything won’t be hunky-dory.

Meanwhile, the UNP’s talk of a common candidate is counterproductive in that it has betrayed the fact that it is not confident of making a comeback and being in a position to contest the next presidential election on its own in spite of the appointment of its much-touted leadership council.

Colombo spends funds from military budget for wedging North from East

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 November 2013, 01:24 GMT]

Aiming to increase the number of Sinhala settlers in the newly created division of Ma’nalaa’ru in Mulliath-theevu, which has been Sinhalicised into ‘Weli-oya’, the occupying Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has made hurried arrangements for bringing in 2,000 new Sinhala families, informed sources in Mullaith-theevu told TamilNet. Colombo government has allocated funds for the Sinhalicisation scheme under the Sri Lankan ‘defence expenditure’, the sources further said adding that large tracts of forest reserves have also been cleared for the colonization scheme.

2,000 Sinhala families are being brought from Bandarawela, Moneragala, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts and are being provided huts with the promise of a permanent housing scheme to be constructed through the funds allocated to the SL military.

Each family is assigned a Sinhala Army soldier as contact person during the colonization process.

One year ago, the number of Sinhalese in Weli-oya division stood at 11,1789 persons in 19 Sinhalicised villages, which were divided into 9 GS divisions.

The ‘All-Sinhala’ Weli-oya division has now wedged the Tamil contiguity of the Northern Province and the Eastern Province, while it established contiguity with the Sinhala district Anuradhapura in the North Central Province.

Earlier, the Mullaith-theevu district didn’t have a common boundary with Anuradhapura. Providing common boundary for Sinhala-colonised Weli-oya of Mullaith-theevu with the Sinhala North Central province became possible only by wedging the contiguity of the Tamil districts of Vavuniyaa and Trincomalee.

Colombo is also planning to carve out a new electoral division combining Mullaiththeevu’s Weli-oya with the villages of Trincomalee and Anuradhapura, the sources further said.

Patients in danger. No radioactive iodine at the Maharagama hospital

Monday, 11 November 2013

'It is revealed that the non availability of radioactive iodine at the Maharagama Cancer Institute has endangered the lives of around 1,200 patients who has undergone thyroid cancer surgery. ' said by ‘Samagi Balawegaya’ today.

Samagi Balawegaya condemns the conduct of the government in its’ failure to take action to save the lives of such a large number of patients. and emphasizes 'this incident shows the utter callousness and disregard to the lives of the people, specially those who are sick and those who are unable to lead a normal life due to the high cost of living. This brings to light the complete breakdown of the free health services of our country'

See full details below

Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has confirmed that the Medical Supplies Division has failed to supply the necessary drugs and that the lives of patients are in danger. President of the GMOA Dr. Padeniya has confirmed that around 1200 patients had been unable to obtain the radioactive iodine treatment even 7 months after the operation.

We condemn the conduct of the government in its’ failure to take action to save the lives of such a large number of patients. This incident shows the utter callousness and disregard to the lives of the people, specially those who are sick and those who are unable to lead a normal life due to the high cost of living. This brings to light the complete breakdown of the free health services of our country.

It is a pathetic situation to see the utter wastage of resources on celebrations, receptions, billboards, posters, etc., while those in need are dying due to the lack of basic necessities such as medicine and food.

We call upon the government to stop the criminal wastage of the country’s resources and to take immediate steps at least to save the sick from dying.

Homosexuality illegal in 41 out of 53 Commonwealth countries – report

Anti-gay discrimination not on the agenda of this month's heads of government meeting in Sri Lanka

A gay rights activist at a march in New Delhi. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Helen Davidson-Sunday 10 November 2013

Homosexuality is illegal in 41 out of the 53 Commonwealth countries, a report released on Monday reveals.

Homosexuality illegal in 41 out of 53 Commonwealth countries – report by nelvely

Iranian deputy industry minister shot dead in Tehran

BY MARCUS GEORGE-DUBAI Sun Nov 10, 2013

(Reuters) - An unidentified attacker shot dead an Iranian deputy minister of industry in Tehran on Sunday, the state news agency IRNA reported, in what appeared the first reported killing of a senior central government official in years.

Safdar Rahmat Abadi was shot in the head and chest as he got into his car in the east of the capital, IRNA said, quoting witnesses as saying the attack occurred at about 7:50 p.m. (1620 GMT).

"Investigations show that two shots were fired from inside the vehicle," the agency quoted a police official as saying.

"That two shells were found inside the car shows a strong likelihood that the assailant was inside the car and in conversation with Mr Abadi. There was no sign of struggle at the scene of the killing."

The student news agency ISNA said a special homicide investigator and criminal prosecutor were at the scene. It cited a judiciary source as saying no arrests had yet been made.

There has been a surge of attacks against Iranian military and provincial officials in recent weeks, but Abadi's killing appeared to be the first reported fatal shooting of a senior central government official in years.

Iranian Sunni Islamists claimed responsibility for the killing of an Iranian prosecutor in Sistan Baluchistan province last week. They said it was revenge for the hanging of 16 prisoners carried out by judiciary officials after an attack by the Jaish ul-Adl group of Sunni Islamist militants in which 14 border guards were killed.

In Washington, a State Department spokesman said of Abadi's killing: "We've seen the media reports and have no further information or comment at this time."

There was no immediate indication that the killing had anything to do with Iran's nuclear dispute with the West.

Authorities in the capital have accused Israel and its Western allies of carrying out the assassinations of five Iranian nuclear scientists since 2007. The last such attack happened in January 2012 when one man was killed by a car bomb.

The United States has denied any role in these killings. Israel has not commented.

On October 3, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they were investigating the death of an officer in what they called an horrific incident, but denied media reports it was an assassination.

Alborz, an Iranian website, had reported that Mojtaba Ahmadi, an officer in the Guards, was found shot dead in late September near Karaj, a town northwest of Tehran.

Israel sees Iran's nuclear activities as a threat to its existence and has urged the West to force Tehran to curb them. Iran says its atomic work has only peaceful purposes.

(Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Reporting by Marcus George; Writing by Kevin Liffey and William Maclean; Editing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

Forced to sell themselves to survive

By Dinouk Colombage-Monday, 11 Nov 2013

On the streets of Pettah, once the hustle and bustle of the day market is over, with the back roads relatively deserted, prostitutes, an unspoken side of Sri Lanka's society comes forth, take up their trade. Women who have been abandoned by their families, financially desperate or simply forced into the business, walk the streets looking for clients and in the process risk their own safety.

With prostitution being illegal in Sri Lanka, many of the prostitutes refused to give their real names when spoken to fearing that they would be arrested.

Sumaya, a thirty-four-year-old woman, was loitering outside a small tea kiosk frequented by truck drivers and workers in the Pettah market. After initially refusing to speak she admitted that she was a prostitute.

Abandoned by family

"It is not a career that I would have ever chosen if I had any other options. I used to work in a garment factory in the Free Trade Zone, I moved to the city over ten years ago with the possibility of work in these factories. However, when working there many girls were assaulted by their male supervisors. It happened to me more than once and I used to avoid reporting it for fear of repercussions. I was finally convinced to report it to the management at the factory. They did not believe me and instead fired me from the job," she said.

Scared of attempting to take any further action against her unfair dismissal from the factory, Sumaya tried to return to her home village in the Central Province. However, upon learning why she had been forced to leave Colombo her family and friends in the village abandoned her, refusing to let her live with them. "I had no choice but to stay in Colombo and getting work in another factory was not possible. Once you are dismissed from one, other places will not hire you, and there certainly is no shortage of girls willing to work there," Sumaya explained.

With her options limited she started working at a 'hotel' in Pettah which played host to numerous truck drivers who had come from other areas. "Working at the hotel ensures I have a roof over my head and also some safety, what I earn from the truck drivers and other men is enough to cover the cost of food and clothes," she said, adding that if given the opportunity she would certainly find other work.

Having seen Sumaya openly speaking another woman started explaining her story, introducing herself as Amanthi she said that she was forced to turn to prostitution after her husband abandoned her and her three-year-old son. "My husband walked out on us a year ago leaving me with no money to bring up my son. I could not find work anywhere else and have since turned to prostitution,"she said.

Amanthi said that in the nights she is forced to leave her son with a friend while she works, "he does not know what I do for a living and I never would want him to know. Every night, I frequent the restaurants that cater all night to the workers of the area. It is safest here as the owners know us and do not alert the police about our presence; in turn I give them a percentage of my earnings." While refusing to show where she takes her clients, she explained that it was a reliable place which provided protection in case they got violent. Her earnings are not much and because of that she has been forced into debt, "I earn no more than Rs 5,000 from a client and I do not get work every night. Because I have borrowed from people I need to keep working to pay off those debts, I see no real exit from this industry."

Doesn't want son to know

With prostitution being illegal in the country many of these prostitutes are fearful of being arrested. Kumari, a 29-year-old prostitute, explained that she has been forced to seek protection from local three-wheeler drivers while working. "I have done this for over a year now and have been assaulted once or twice by the clients refusing to pay me. Now there is a three-wheeler driver who will be nearby in case I get into trouble", she explained.

However, Kumari said that she is also forced to be on the lookout for the police as well, "the police will often arrest us and charge us heavy fines. I cannot afford to pay those fines, and afterwards we have to find a new place to work because they are watching those areas." She accused some police officers of demanding sex in return for not arresting them. "If I refuse they would arrest me and make things even more difficult; sometimes other prostitutes pay the police off but I do not earn enough to do so," she said.

Despite the police having denied these accusations, insisting that they uphold the law and arrest anyone found to be offering sex for money, Kumari was not the only prostitute to claim that the police were doing this.

Many of the prostitutes in Pettah work on their own with a male companion as a source of protection when needed. While they have admitted that working in groups would be a safer option, it is still not something that is commonly practised.

The social stigma that accompanies such a profession has led to unsafe working conditions, increasing incidence of AIDS among the women and increased drug abuse. Sandra Fernando, a social worker dealing with prostitutes, explained that the greatest threat faced by the prostitutes is their desire to keep their profession secret. "The lack of legal protection and the social black-mark that is associated with the profession has meant they are forced to work in conditions that are less than acceptable," she said.

Fernando explained that they were petitioning the government to legalize prostitution, "It is one of the oldest professions in the world. Women will keep resorting to it as long as they are desperate and there is a demand. If there are legal guidelines in place the women will have protection from abuse and will be educated on the need for safe sex. Unfortunately the authorities do not want to address this."

Despite the unwillingness of the people to acknowledge the situation, prostitution in Sri Lanka is prevalent and does not appear to be on the decline.

(The names have been changed to protect the identity of the women)

The Unloved Drug Industry: Will The Current War With Industry Force Atlas To Shrug?

By W.A Wijewardena -November 11, 2013

Dr. W.A. Wijewardena

The world at war with drug industry

It appears that Society has not been kind to drug industry though it holds the entire world on its shoulders like the Giant Atlas in Greek mythology. Patients accuse it of charging beyond what their purse can buy. The governmental regulators charge it of violating drug regulations which have been imposed to protect the helpless consumers. Social action groups criticise it for undertaking unethical promotional and marketing practices. Some physicians in the curative branch of the healthcare industry bring out charges of bribery committed by those companies in order to have the drugs manufactured by them prescribed to patients. Thus, it appears that it is a war waged by the whole world against the drug industry.

Without Big Pharmas, life is unthinkable

To be fair by drug industry, if it weren’t there, the life of both patients and healthcare workers would not have been so comfortable. The pharmaceutical companies known as ‘big pharmas’ not only do new research on new drugs but also manufacture drugs and deliver them in neatly packed retail packages to patients located in every corner of the globe. Some two hundred years ago, before the onset of pharmaceutical firms in the market place, it was the responsibility of the chemists attached to pharmacies to prepare mixtures of medicine prescribed by physicians and provide to patients. If there are only a small number of patients in the whole world, this practice can be continued without a hassle. But when the number of patients treated every day runs into billions, the lonely chemists cannot accomplish their duty without getting the patients to stand in queues for long hours before they get the needed drug preparations. Since most of these cases are emergencies, such a long wait for medicines will definitely be fatal to the patients. But today when the patient walks out of the physician’s consultation room with a prescription in hand, the nearby pharmacy is ready to supply him with pre-prepared medicines – in tablets, capsules, mixtures, creams or ready-to-inject serums – cutting down the waiting period practically to nothing. If it is not available locally, courier services do the handy job of delivering essential medicines to patients in time globally. A doctor or a patient has to only pick up a phone and order the required medicine from a nearby country.

Such is the efficiency of the drug industry – not only in researching and manufacturing but also in storing, marketing and delivering.

Society’s Love and Hate approach to drug industry Read More

Learning To Work Together

By Rajiva Wijesinha -November 11, 2013

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

Two weeks ago I was at a seminar in Rio de Janeiro, arranged by the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, on the topic of responses to the emergence of bipolarity, in terms of the United States and China. I was there when I got details of this discussion, and it struck me that the different ways in which the topic, essentially the same topic, was phrased represented two different views of the world, or rather of how we relate to each other in the same world.

This factor was indeed the subject of my presentation at that seminar, the difference between the oppositional view of the world, in terms of Western philosophy, and the more inclusive Eastern one. That first perspective, discussed by Tagore a century ago, when he advised Japan against adopting the Western ‘selfish separation of exclusiveness…in the name of false patriotism, it engenders hatred against other countries at times leading to conquest by war’ was conceptualized by Nirmal Verma when he spoke of ‘the European notion of the “other”, an inalienable entity external to oneself, which was both a source of terror and an object of desire’.

The alternative view of the world is one based on circles, concentric and overlapping, which encourages inclusive perspectives. That is the view which should inform our discussions, given their basis in our shared visions of and for Asia and Europe, those large and heterogeneous entities. We should be seeking what we have in common, and how we can expand areas of shared objectives rather than seeing things in terms of absolutes and of zero sum situations. Read More

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Sri Lanka’s hidden genocide

Four years after the Tamil Tigers were routed in Sri Lanka, the catalogue of government atrocities is just beginning.

A general view of the abandoned conflict zone where Tamil Tigers separatists made their last stand before their defeat by the Sri Lankan army is seen in northeastern Sri Lanka on May 23, 2009.

A general view of the abandoned conflict zone where Tamil Tigers separatists made their last stand before their defeat by the Sri Lankan army is seen in northeastern Sri Lanka on May 23, 2009