After CHOGM Ecstasy, Preparing For Geneva Agony

By Rajan Philips -December 1, 2013 

Rajan Philips

 After CHOGM Ecstasy, Preparing for Geneva Agony: The Right Way and the Wrong Way  

CHOGM may not have been unblemished ecstasy, but Geneva will be every bit an agony unless the government gets its act together in time for the UNHRCsessions in March next year.  Three months are not enough to resolve the contradictions of a thirty year war.  The government could possibly make that argument, but it would be a hard sell coming 56 months, after the war ended, of political indifference and inaction towards the Tamils, and inexplicably orchestrated harassment of the Muslims.  Still, the government can make a reasonable case for more time and against another censure by: (a) declaring that its honest and sincere intention is to effectively work with the new Northern Provincial Council; (b) indicating immediate measures to address the humanitarian issues in war affected areas; and (c) producing a reasonable timetable to implement the LLRC recommendations.  Three months are more than enough to prepare along these lines before the Geneva meeting.  In fact the government could work with the NPC Administration and put together a joint plan of action for presentation in Geneva.  That would be the right way to respond to what is now a predictable and periodical interrogation in Geneva.

That would also be the right way to respond to the challenge thrown by British Prime Minister David Cameron that Britain would pursue the matter vigourously at the UNHRC if Sri Lanka does not complete before March its own investigation of what happened during the final stages of the war.  President Rajapaksa offered a plausible rejoinder that these issues that are the fallouts from 30 years of war cannot be resolved in three months, even though the political origins of the war go back another 30 years before the war started.  Further, whether the reply was honest is a different matter given that the government has done nothing for 56 months.  Nor could it be considered sincere without a commitment to a plan of action and a firm timeline.  Significantly, however, the President did not reject out of hand the British Prime Minister’s call for an inquiry, and is reported to have shown some interest in the experience of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa.

But as we have seen time and again during his presidency, President Rajapaksa gives all the indication that he would be doing the right thing but ends up doing the opposite wrong thing.  It is as if he is under some compulsion to ignore good advice and allow himself to be swayed by bad advice and make wrong decisions.  The incarceration of Sarath Fonseka and the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake were instances where President Rajapaksa appears to have gone along with wrong advice after expressing initial reservations.  May be it is more difficult to manage a cabinet of extended family members than a cabinet of political ministers.  Not that the Sri Lankan formal Cabinet is the ideal forum for objective debate and disinterested advice.  The few good ministers in the bloated cabinet are only seenRead More

Probe war crimes against Tamils

DAVID CAMERON

Saturday 30 November 2013
IT’S now over a week since I returned from Jaffna and the images still both haunt and inspire me. The visit I made to the north of Sri Lanka was fascinating — you can get all the briefings you like but nothing can replace seeing the situation for yourself.

There were those who said I should stay away from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka. They said that by going I was giving legitimacy to what has happened in the north of the country. I couldn’t disagree more. By going we were able to shine a light on what more needs to be done.
The end of the civil war in Sri Lanka is a massive opportunity but the issues now need to be grasped. This isn’t about imposing a Westminster view of the world. It’s about standing up for the values that all Commonwealth countries have signed up to. In turn, the rest of the world should recognize political leaders when they get things right.
So what needs to happen? First of all, there should be a transparent, credible investigation into alleged war crimes. No one wants to go back to the days of the Tamil Tigers, a brutal terrorist organization. But equally, the Sri Lankan government cannot look the other way. When I met President Rajapaska I pressed for an investigation to take place — and I made clear that if those investigations were not begun properly by next March, we would call for an international inquiry through the United Nations.
Second, there needs to be greater progress on human rights across the board in Sri Lanka: Genuine freedom of expression and a free media, an end to the intimidation of journalists and human rights defenders and action to stamp out torture.
Finally, there needs to a genuine reconciliation between communities. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with enormous potential in the years ahead. But for too long it has been blighted by conflict. If Sri Lanka takes the opportunity to heal these old wounds then there is the prospect of a much brighter future for all its people.
I know that for many readers the situation in Sri Lanka is deeply personal. It’s not about faceless diplomacy — it’s about your families, friends and their future. So believe me when I say it that we will do everything in our power to help. I’m determined that we play our part in building a brighter future for the people of Sri Lanka and laying the ghosts of the past to rest.

The Dragon Wakes Up To Human Rights Record In Sri Lanka

( November 28, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) China is waking up. Having been elected to power President Xi Xinpin has so far enjoyed a honeymoon of silence on human rights and corruption for the past one year.

He has now become serious about making his presence effectively felt. To coincide with the election of China to the United Nations Human Rights Council the Chinese leadership is saying enough is enough to the glaring human rights abuses in Sri Lanka which stand out.

Resonating with the calls from India, Britain and other powers, Qin Gang the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, reflecting the views of the general secretary of the Chinese Communist party Xi Xinpin, has told Sri Lanka to “make efforts to protect and promote human rights” and to address allegations of rights abuses against the country’s minority Tamils, further stating “Due to the differences in the economic and social development of different countries, there could be differences on human rights protection.” It is no coincidence that this statement came during the CHOGM, making it opportune for universal consideration. Though not a member of the Commonwealth, China provided most of its infrastructure. China’s current stand is undoubtedly not the work of the LTTE rump or the Tamil Diaspora although the support and the closeness to the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese culture amongst the Tamil people during the fifties to the nineties are worthy of note.

Xi is an outstanding and resolute leader bent on action. His integrity is unquestioned and his family is also reputed for being above corruption. At a time when he is wooing the western powers especially the European Union and the US he cannot be seen flirting with Sri Lanka riddled with corruption and enmeshed in grave human rights abuses. However, unlike Europe, China also refuses to be intimidated by the US.

Unfortunately for China the matter of corruption and to a lesser extent human rights are seen as its Achilles’ heal and they cannot at this juncture be seen to be hamstrung with the horrendous crimes against humanity obtaining in Sri Lanka. Qin apparently echoing the views of Xi has further stated: “I believe that on the human rights issue, dialogue and communication should be enhanced among countries.” Qin has further said: “We always maintained that on the human rights issues, countries around the world should enhance mutual understanding through dialogue and communication and take constructive means to promote the development of the international human rights cause.” This comes at a time when the Rajapaksas have been counting on China and Russia to bail them out from the US resolutions of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the next human rights sessions in March 2014 in Geneva.

From Xi’s firm stand against corruption and his urging the Chinese administrators to respect its Constitution have encouraged the Chinese liberals. In one of his recent speeches Xi has emphasised that “all citizens are equal before the law”, that “freedom should be guaranteed” and that “no one should be allowed to be above the constitution.” This has been interpreted by some observers as his manifesto to usher in a new era of liberalism and the rule of law. The position of China being a secular State is the better for it.

Most recently President Rajapaksa went to the ridiculous extent of rewarding a parliamentarian, promoting him to the rank of a cabinet minister. His only claim to such elevation was that he was responsible for organising protests and blockades, during the CHOGM, against foreign human rights activists moving freely and meeting with victims of human rights abuses.

It was during the time of Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike as prime minister that close relations with China came to be forged much to the mutual advantage of both countries. This relationship was not tainted with even the slightest semblance of corruption for Mrs. Bandaranike for whom enriching herself and the members of her family was the furthest in her thinking. Despite her other failings she was indeed above corruption. Today in Sri Lanka while its human record is in tatters its effective leadership concentrated in just one family has also to account for the enormous corruption also in connection with the Chinese aid and loans. More loans that the Rajapaksas ask for more commissions they are paid finding their way into their pockets.

With Xi Xinpin’s warning and the serious concerns of western powers, it is becoming increasingly evident that the noose is tightening around the necks of Mahinda Rajapaksa, now taking cover under the fact that he is the Chair of the Commonwealth, his brothers and the other war criminals who are getting around with impunity.

( The writer is the editor of the Eelam Nation)

CHOGM Balance Sheet

By Bandu de Silva -November 30, 2013 |

Bandu De Silva

One might say it is too early to draw up the balance sheet of the CHOGMheld in Colombo between 15^th and 17^th November 2013 and other events which were associated with it which the Government of Sri Lanka claimed were all part of the CHOGM programmme. This is because the results of some of the extraneous events like Commonwealth Investors’ [Business] Forum might take time to gestate and produce results. Many wheels would have to turn before the Investment Forum could bring results. What would have happened at the Forum is mere exploratory talk as usual with such events. One is familiar with BOI’s past claims and performance. If what was said by it all true this country would now be flooded with foreign investments. For example, how many investors’ forums have we had with the major investor country Japan in Asia but not a single full scale investment is yet to materialize from that country.

It is then just as well that with available information that one tries to draw up at least a tentative balance -sheet to see if the grandiose spectacle for whose success the government placed all its aces in recent times was not what our small time businessman would call “Jaan bera-gattha” or, on the contrary,  “Athatath Paadu-una” affair, but one with rewarding results as the government might wont to present it. As some say, it has been very rewarding to a few. Let’s not talk about that here. For the risk taking business community, big or small ones, such risk-taking experiences are not unusual. They consider the risks are worth taking, “Giyoth Satha pahay: Aavoth JP Pattamay”, as our erudite scholar Late Prof G.P Malalasekera often repeated. In this case, of course, the ‘going” (giyoth) stakes were not “satha-paha” for the postage -stamp but billions of Rupees, enough to build two more sea ports or such big ventures, not forgetting the closed-down over hundreds of schools for lack of funds to maintain them; and “coming” (Avoth) is the far more prestigious Chair of CHOGM for two years. Cannot one see the accolades coming from the provincial politicos with their “maharajaneni” posters and full page newspaper advertisements, of course, done with tongue in cheek, hoping for a betterpattama for them next time, like a promotion to central politics with a deputy Ministerial post at least, to start with. Such is the greed for power and climbing in the country.  Remember the Sinhalese adage “Vaedi Aacharaya Hora”. That helps to understand the poster people today with their own picture (stamp size) down below that of the larger portraiture of the President leaving much climbing space in the means while, both literary and metopherically speaking.

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Diaspora group 'sceptical' about Sri Lanka census

A Tamil Australian community group says it is sceptical about a Sri Lankan government survey into the death toll from a decades-long civil war in the country.

By Michael Kenny

A Tamil Australian community group says it is somewhat sceptical about a Sri Lankan government survey into the death toll from a decades-long civil war in the country.

Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse says a six month census will see some 16,000 officials travel across the island to conduct a survey in more than 14,000 villages.

However, despite the resources being poured into the survey, a spokeswoman for the National Tamil Congress, Dr Sam Pari, is questioning the motives of the Sri Lankan government.

“The Sri Lankan government and Sri Lankan officials are known to be corrupt. They are known to swindle a lot of money and they are known to manipulate numbers and statistics to serve their own purpose,” she said.

Dr Pari believes the results of the census will not be trustworthy unless it is monitored by an independent body. 

“Sri Lanka has a history of saying a lot of things and even doing a few things just for a bit of a show. But whether it is genuine, whether the intention behind it is actually to bring perpetrators to justice, is yet to be seen,” she said.

“At the end of the day we have to look at Sri Lanka’s track record, we need to look at who is really in charge of this and whether there is an independent body monitoring it.” 

The United Nations estimates more than 100,000 people were killed during the civil war which ended in 2009, but the Sri Lankan government believes the death toll has been exaggerated.

 (Click on the audio tab above to hear the full interview)

Heroes Day in homeland, Diaspora, Tamil Nadu gains more significance than previous years

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 November 2013, 16:22 GMT]
The Indian prejudice and the global injustice, committed on the nation of Eezham Tamils by the various powers, enabled the Sri Lankan State to wage its genocidal war on Eezham Tamils to its end. But, the Tamil Heroes together with their steadfast people, who had no support from any State party in the world, achieved a superior moral victory. This is a unique case in modern human civilisation. This year, the remembrance of Tamil Heroes gained far more significance than the previous years after 2009, as Eezham Tamils in their homeland defied the ‘gag order’ by the occupying SL military, Diaspora Tamils marked the day without giving room for divisions engineered by the intelligence outfits of the Establishments and in Tamil Nadu, the Tamil national grassroots and political movements marked both LTTE leader Pirapaharan's birthday on 26 November and Maaveerar Day on 27 November. 

Tamil Nadu activists gave expression to the significance of the philosophical emancipation represented by the supreme sacrifice of thousands of Eezham Tamils. For the Tamils who have faces oppression for several decades, the political emancipation for the future liberation stems from the philosophical understanding of the sacrifices made in the Eezham struggle. 

It is the national question of Eezham Tamils that would be the defining factor of Tamil Nadu's continued commitment to the Indian sovereignty, was the message coming from Tamil Nadu. 

The most symbolic message touching the emotions of Tamils across the world came this year from Mullaiththeevu in Vanni, from an elected member of the Northern Provincial Council, Mr Thurairasa Ravikaran: “The waves of thoughts by Maaveerar are still highly prevalent in this Universe. We as a people would always be attracted to these thoughts. Our people are inseparable from their Heroes,” he said. 

Eezham Tamils masses paid their tribute to Tamil Heroes in unified events organised in the cities and towns of various countries. In London alone, more than 30,000 Tamils attended the Maaveerar Day event. There was no factional division causing confusion among the Tamil diaspora this year in marking Heroes Day. A sharp message has been delivered to the intelligence outfits of different Establishments. 

The Tamil diaspora has proved the need for UN referendum by democratically expressing the aspiration of Eezham Tamils as the independence of a sovereign state of Tamil Eelam. 

Eezham Tamils expressed this in the self-organised, independently monitored, referendums held in 10 countries in the Diaspora, in 2009 and 2010. 

Tamil Nadu has fully backed the demand for UN referendum and the demand has been democratically established since 2013 Assembly Resolution in Tamil Nadu State Assembly. 

Having demonstrated the democratic aspiration of Eezham Tamils to those Establishments that rejected the claim, the Tamils have been firm in demanding remedial justice for the genocide committed upon them and continue to voice against the structural genocide taking place in their occupied country.

Even the attempt by the International Community of Establishments to showcase a different ‘demand’ through Sampanthan-Sumanthiran-Wigneswaran trio stands exposed.

The reality is that the people on the ground formulate their mandate themselves. An artificial manifesto cannot be thrust upon them through a Colombo centric elite. The people on the ground have conveyed the message that nobody can attempt to artificially de-legitimise the Tamil claim, to the ICE on this Heroes Day. 

Manipulating the elitists groups in the Tamil Diaspora or manipulating the ranks of the Tamil polity in the Tamil homeland is not going to ‘change the Tamil claim’ in the geopolitical game of ‘changing the regime’. 

Kumaratungas, Fonsekas, Wickramasinghes and Rajapaksas will stand rejected in the Tamil homeland until they are prepared to concede the nationhood of Eezham Tamils in its truest sense. 

Likewise will be the ‘engagement’ of Eezham Tamils towards the Establishments of Washington, London, New Delhi and Beijing. 

“In our Universe, the rules are different. If you want to continue to play the geopolitical game anymore, be prepared for a genuine engagement without deceptions,” is the message to the ICE by the global Tamils in 2013, when the Tamil geopolitics is becoming a reality, four years after the genocidal onslaught in 2009. 

The immediate message to the ICE from Eezham Tamils is that it cannot achieve anything by keeping the matter under the carpet of Human Rights Council in Geneva anymore. 

The question of Eezham Tamils nationhood, the burning matter of territorial integrity of Eezham Tamil homeland vis-à-vis the continued global guarantee of the territorial integrity of the Sri Lankan State sovereignty, are the matters that need to be reassessed in their moral sense by those seeking engagement with the Tamils. 

Talking about freedom of expression in the island is a sham if those wishing to ‘engage Sri Lanka’ refrain from talking against the 6th Amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution.

North CM on War Path With Sri Lankan Government

By P K Balachandran - COLOMBO

Published: 30th November 2013 03:07 PM

Last Updated: 30th November 2013 03:07 PM

After a month of cooperation with the Mahinda Rajapaksa government, the Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Tamil-speaking Northern Province, C V Wigneswaran, has switched to confrontation. 

On Thursday, Wigneswaran tried to inspect the Hindu temples and houses allegedly damaged by the Sri Lankan army in the Weligamam North High Security Zone (HSZ) knowing full well that no one could enter the HSZ without prior permission. When Lankan troops told him that he ought to get prior permission from the Ministry of Defence in Colombo, Wigneswaran argued that, as CM, he had the right to visit any part of his province and that he was accompanied in this case by the priests of the damaged temples. But the troops would not budge.

On Wednesday, Wigneswaran and his Tamil National Alliance (TNA) observed the LTTE’s Great Heroes’ Day (Maaveerar Naal) defying the army’s warning that anyone observing the day dedicated to the dead of the terrorist LTTE, would be arrested. While Wigneswaran and his colleagues planted samplings symbolizing “renewal”, the students of Jaffna University lit torches symbolizing “resurgence”. The common people lit lamps in their houses.

On Monday and Tuesday, leaflets saying: “We will commemorate those who laid down their lives for freedom. We will remember them till the last breath,” were distributed at the main bus stand in Jaffna. For the first time after the 2006-2009 war, a Tamil MP praised Prabhakaran in Parliament. TNA MP S Sritharan had hailed him as a “hero”, drawing the ire of the Treasury Benches.

Earlier, Chief Minister Wigneswaran refused to co-chair two District Development Council meetings, as the Chair was a pro-government rival, Central minister Douglas Devananda.

Wigneswaran had also declared that he would not implement the “Mahinda Chinthanaya”  which every Lankan government department is expected to implement.

In Colombo on Thursday, TNA’s chief R Sampanthan reiterated his party’s resolve not to participate in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on constitutional reforms. Sampanthan said the Tamils were not ready for another rigmarole but expected the government to talk to the TNA to thrash out a political settlement of the ethnic question.

Gota and Khurshid in key talks

November 30, 2013

In an extremely low-profile visit, defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was in Delhi for a short visit this week, which was largely kept under wraps by the two governments, the New Indian Express reported.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa called on Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid yesterday, before he left for Colombo at the end of his trip. He met with his defence ministry counterparts on Thursday.

This was a significant visit, as it was the first high-level bilateral meeting following the Commonwealth Summit, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not attend due to pressure from Tamil Nadu over the lack of accountability for war crimes towards the ends of the civil war in the island nation, the New Indian Express reported.

As a very influential member of the Lankan government, Gotabaya is one of the key voices calling for dilution of the powers of the provincial councils, as stipulated under the Indo-Lanka accord and enacted through the 13th amendment.

India had managed to stave off such efforts before the commonwealth summit, but there are fears that the parliamentary select committee to look into ways to amend the constitution to dilute 13A may be revived, now that the international scrutiny has been removed.

‘Anti-13 A’ And ‘Anti-Indian’ Gota’s India Visit Kept Under Wraps By Both Governments

December 1, 2013 

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa who has repeatedly criticised India over its responsibility in the Sri Lankan war and the 13th Amendment, is in India again.

Gotabaya

In an extremely low-profile visit, Sri Lankan defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, brother of Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was in Delhi for a short visit this week, which was largely kept under wraps by the two governments, an Indian media report says.

The News Indian Express last night said; Gotabaya Rajapaksa called on Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid on Friday morning, before he left for Colombo at the end of his trip. He met with his defence ministry counterparts on Thursday.

The newspaper said; “This was a significant visit, as it was the first high-level bilateral meeting following the Commonwealth Summit, which Prime MinisterManmohan Singh did not attend due to pressure from Tamil Nadu over the lack of accountability for war crimes towards the ends of the civil war in the island nation.

“As a very influential member of the Lankan government, Gotabaya is one of the key voices calling for dilution of the powers of the provincial councils, as stipulated under the Indo-Lanka accord and enacted through the13th amendment.

India had managed to stave off such efforts before the commonwealth summit, but there are fears that the parliamentary select committee to look into ways to amend the constitution to dilute 13A may be revived, now that the international scrutiny has been removed.”

Before leaving to India, he said; “India Is Our Largest Neighbour And The Most Important Country In The Region”

Murali Is Transparent, Accountable And Reconciled

By Malinda Seneviratne -December 1, 2013 |

Malinda Seneviratne

It was the 22^nd day of the month of July in the year 2010.  Galle was the venue of the first test between Sri Lanka and India.  India had avoided innings defeat but was ahead only marginally with 9 wickets down. For fifteen overs and 2 deliveries, much of the cricketing world waited and watched with rising anticipation.  Muttiah Muralitharan had already taken 799 test wickets.  It was his last test.  He had one shot at achieving the numerically satisfying ‘800’ to end an illustrious test cricket career.

Murali

Few who watched would forget the 4^th delivery of the 116^th over.  This is how it was described by the cricinfo commentator: ‘Muralitharan to Ojha, OUT, 800 it is! The wait and the tension is finally over! Tossed up outside off and the four men around the bat wait in anticipation! Ojha lunges forward, edges it and Mahela falls to his left and takes the catch at first slip! No need to look anywhere for confirmation, straightforward and Murali is ecstatic.’Read More

A lacklustre budget debate

Editorial-November 30, 2013, 4:43 pm 

Given the government’s comfortable parliamentary majority, the passage of the second reading of the 2014 budget on Friday after a lackluster debate surprised nobody. There is no doubt that the Mahinda Rajapaksa government, with Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera responsible for all its budgets since 2005, has retained policy consistency. Massive infrastructure expenditure continues despite unanswered questions on whether the country is getting the best prices for such projects as well as whether some deserve the priority that have been accorded to them. The Economist Intelligence Unit has seen the budget as a ``mix of small-scale concessions to key voters’’ including the rural majority and the bloated public sector. UNP MP Eran Wickremaratne was not wrong when he said in the course of the debate that the government’s solution to unemployment is providing state sector jobs for its supporters and `exporting’ citizen to work abroad.

There is no serious argument that the state sector is over crowded and many of those paid from the public purse are not doing any productive work. In a country with a population of about 20 million, there are 1.4 million government employees according to Wickremaratne’s count. About a third of them are with the police and the security services, he said in his budget speech. There was an expectation that the armed services will be downsized after the end of the war; but that has not happened possibly for good reason. Demobilizing men trained to fight without suitable alternative employment can obviously lead to problems such as those Bangladesh faced after its liberation war. Here in Sri Lanka too we have seen military deserters who have stolen service weapons engaging in criminal activity. There has been a serious effort to deploy servicemen for civilian duties facilitated in part by the Ministries of Defence and Urban Development being brought together. Whether this has resulted in a cost: benefit advantage to the taxpayer has not been demonstrated.

The size of the cabinet and the multiplicity of ministries have resulted in weakened parliamentary control of public expenditure. Quite apart from too little notice being taken to COPE and PAC reports, for the first time in our post-Independence history we saw the government adopting a device of getting a clutch of ministries to have their votes discussed and approved by an all-party standing committee rather than parliament itself as has been hitherto done. Parliament will merely debate the report of this standing committee. Given the number of ministries loaded on the backs of the taxpayer to accommodate UNP defectors and UPFA loyalists, there was insufficient parliamentary time for the budget debate to be concluded in the usual manner. It is a pity that the opposition permitted this to happen without audible protest. Now that the precedent has been set, the chances are that succeeding governments of whatever political complexion will continue to follow the bad example of jumbo cabinets and multiplicity of ministries. CHOGM possibly ate into some parliamentary time this year compelling resort to the standing committee device. But the opposition, as far as we are aware, did not demand or obtain an assurance that this would not be regular practice.

Sri Lanka’s present ranking as a middle income country has shut the door to concessional funding it received in the past for development purposes. This compelled the government to resort to expensive commercial borrowing abroad and this has naturally raised concern in recent years with many critics regarding foreign debt levels particularly as way too high. Servicing and repaying such debt require further borrowing at higher rates of interest. These rollovers, as they are termed, inevitably become progressively more expensive as we have seen. In fact, the question has been raised why our banks pay only a fraction of the interest paid on dollar bonds to local holdings of foreign exchange in resident and non-resident foreign currency accounts (NRFCs and RFCs) in Sri Lankan banks. The answer to that question is fairly obvious. NRFC and RFC account holders are captive lenders whose interest payments are determined at rates fixed through limited competition between local banks. Attractive rates, far higher than those prevailing in overseas markets, must be offered to sell our dollar bonds. This has been done and the various bond issues have been comfortably subscribed. We have thankfully never defaulted on our debt obligations, either local or foreign, and the government’s intention of raising a further USD 1.5 billion overseas was announced in the budget. Ideally export earnings should generate a substantial proportion of our foreign debt service and repayment obligations. This, unfortunately, has not been happening in recent years.

It is doubtful that the opposition collectively, and the UNP in particular, has the gumption to undermine the government even on issues such as the lack of good governance, financial profligacy and its various acts of omission and commission. As Minister Basil Rajapaksa was to say in his speech winding-up the second reading debate on Friday, in 2007 the government risked being toppled on the budget but ``thanks to some UNP MPs’’ (read defectors rewarded with cabinet office), that was not to be. The country is very well aware that President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brothers, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa controls nearly 50 percent of the budget. This has been repeated often enough but not evoked the kind of angry response among ordinary people that the opposition would hope to provoke. The man in the street concerned about making ends meet in the context of the ever rising cost of living does not bother about familial rule and who controls budgeted expenditure. He’s more concerned about the price of dried haalmessas (sprats) and parippu that MP Sudharshini Fernandopulle (Mrs. Jeyaraj) spoke about from the government benches. She appealed for relief from price increases for these essential protein providers for the poor man. The UNP’s Rosy Senanayake pointedly raised the question of increasing the price of sanitary napkins while reducing the duty (why oh why?) on men’s neckties.

While making dhal more expensive was probably to support an import substitution strategy by encouraging people to switch to alternatives like locally grown cowpea, green gram and other pulses, sprats are another matter. Local production would never match demand and the chances are that people will perforce have to switch to another imported product – canned fish. Hiking duty on imported sanitary napkins would also have been intended to give a fillip to local manufacturers. With Christmas round the corner, it is likely that a consumer concession on dhal and sprats will probably be announced in the third reading stage of the budget debate same way duty on imported potatoes and onions were reduced pre-budget. But these are hardly concessions that would enable the poor to eat better.

Fearless Jaffna daily 'Uthayan' wins prestigious press freedom award

29 NOVEMBER 2013

BY ATHULA WITHANAGE

Well-known for its courageous journalism, Jaffna-based Tamil tabloid daily, Uthayan, has won the prestigious international Press Freedom Award for 2013 from the France-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Uthayan Editor Vallipuram Kaanamylnaathan and its proprietor Eswarapatham Saravanapavan received the award from the RSF at the award ceremony held in Strasbourg, France on Wednesday (Nov 27).

Uzbek journalist Muhammad Bekjanov, who is imprisoned for 14-long years, was announced as the joint winner of the award. Notably, Sri Lanka is ranked 162nd while Uzbekistan is ranked 164th out of 179 countries in the RSF press freedom index.

Uthayan newspaper coincidentally received this international award on its 28th birthday. The newspaper has faced 37 brutal attacks by pro-government paramilitary and other government forces during its historic journey. At least half a dozen of journalists and other staff had been killed during these attacks, while several journalists and editors have been forced to leave the country to safety. The perpetrators, however, still remain at large under the prevailing culture of impunity.

Standing tall for reporting matters that are usually shunned by other news organisations elsewhere in the country despite threats and attacks, Uthayan is the only Tamil newspaper which has not ceased publication in the war-ravaged northern Jaffna peninsula during the three-decade long bloody civil war.

War on Uthayan not over yet

Speaking at the award ceremony, Director-General of the RSF Christophe Deloire said that the war “in Sri Lanka is not yet over for Uthayan”, highlighting the ongoing threat, intimidations and harassment on journalists and media workers in the Northern Jaffna peninsula.

“If this newspaper were to succumb to the constant harassment to which it is exposed to, the abuses by the security forces against the population in the north would continue with complete impunity, without being brought to the attention of Sri Lankans and the international community. The courage and persistence of Uthayan’s staff in reporting what happens in this embattled country demands our respect and our full solidarity,” he said.

Receiving the award Uthayan Editor, Kanamylnathan said although the government of Sri Lanka has officially declared the end of the war, “nothing has changed as far as the media is concerned”.

“Each and every journalist has to toe the government line, regardless of their political beliefs and convictions. Apart from the fear factor that compels them to do so, there is a material aspect as well. If you play by the rules set by the authorities, you will not only be spared, but will also be rewarded. In Jaffna, Media Resource And Training Centre is involved in training new journalists, but there is no environment to practise what you learn,” the Uthayan Editor said.

People’s plight keeps us going

“Uthayan has won at least 10 awards so far. Many journalists, media workers attached to Uthayan have been murdered, abducted, assaulted and intimidated. Our office was attacked and printing machines were destroyed. There is nothing on the ground that encourages us to do our job, except the plight of our people. Therefore, in moments like this, we feel happy and proud, because such moments convince us that we have done our job properly,” he said. 

Coming hard on the Colombo-based mainstream media for grossly ignoring the plight of the war-ravaged Tamils in the Northern peninsula, Uthayan proprietor Saravanapavan said that his newspaper often came under the ‘vicious attack’ of the state-run and pro-government media outfits for bravely reporting on the happenings in Jaffna.

“In Tamil areas, people cannot move freely, without being stopped, questioned and searched at check points unless they have political or diplomatic privileges. The military intelligence personnel roam everywhere and keep an eye on everyone. The prevailing situation is extremely scary. Uthayan has paid a huge price for exposing what is happening in Jaffna,” Mr. Saravanapavan, who is also a parliamentarian of the Tamil National Alliance, said.

RSF in a statement said that it has been awarding an international prize to a journalist and a news organization every year since 1992. In partnership with Le Monde and TV5Monde, its aim is to encourage, support and publicize the work of journalists and media that have contributed significantly to the defence or promotion of media freedom.

“More than 30 men, women, news organizations and NGOs have received this prize in the past 20 years. Some who were in jail at the time subsequently recovered their freedom. Others who were in danger received a form of protection as a result of this international recognition,” the RSF statement said.

Hambantota: A Capital In Waiting In Sri Lanka?

by A Special correspondent

( November 30, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) This article is written objectively in the national interest of Sri Lanka. I do not endorse any regionalism or village-mania at all. All regions in Sri Lanka should be equally developed and equally treated with fair development projects and programmes. That is the true expression of national patriotism. Developing one region at the expense of other regions is not the true expression of national patriotism rather such attitudes and mindsets are pure expression of regionalism. When politicians with excessive executive powers engage in such activities of regionalism that would deprive all other regions and what exactly happening in Sri Lanka is President and His Brothers are keen to develop their place of birth than any other part of the country. All recent development programmes are mostly concentrated in this district of Hambantota. Why is this favouritism to this district? Is it this President and his family hail from a remote village in this part Island? Consider for example how many mega projects have been constructed in Hambantota alone in recent time.

Hambantota Harbour, Mattala Air port, International Convention Centre, Newly built Cricket ground, a number of hotels complexes and many more projects are constructed recently in this distinct alone. All these mega projects are constructed as if Hambantota is the new capital of Sri Lanka. As if millions of Sri Lankans live in this remote part of Sri Lanka. I would argue that money barrowed with high interest rates for these projects would unquestionably put Sri Lanka into unimaginable economic crises. If these projects are not successful it would be an economic suicidal for Sri Lanka. It is not MR and his Brothers who are going to repay loans borrowed for these projects rather it is Sri Lankan public bear the burden of repaying all loans with high interests.

I wonder why opposition parties cannot object these political blunders. These are not mere mistakes rather these are deliberately and intentionally done political incorrectness. These are mere abuse of political powers and these are mere politics of arrogance. Even a child with a Credit in Economics would know the economic consequences of these unviable and unsustainable projects. It is true that Anura Dissanayake of JVP did try to expose some of these political blunders. I think that it is moral duty of politicians to expose all these political mistakes of this government. 

Hambantota is situated in a remote part of Sri Lanka and it is believed Hambantota is one of the less populated districts of Sri Lanka. It is a humble postulate of this essay to argue that Public money spent in all mega projects in this part of Sri Lanka could have been wisely and appropriately spent in many viable projects. Sri Lanka may need some of these projects and yet to construct these mega projects in this part of Island is not commercially wise and appropriate. These projects may have been constructed in appropriate places with maximum national benefits. Some of the projects should have been built as and when necessary with the phase of development and progress. Public money spent on these projects should have been used in many more useful projects.

It is a natural instinct that everyone loves their place of birth. Yet, Sri Lankan President MR has got special love and attachment to his birth place at the expense of billion rupees of public money. He has taken every step to make his birth place a future capital of Sri Lanka. Why on earth this remote district of Sri Lanka gets a special provision? Why most of developments of projects are done in this remote district of Sri Lanka at the expense of all other districts? Look how mega development projects have been constructed at this district alone in with last 9 years of MR presidency? This is done at the expense of billions of public money in Sri Lanka? Some of these developments are done with loans borrowed in high interest rates. Who is going to pay back all these loans? It is the hardworking people of this country will bear brunt of these long term loans?

It is well known fact that Hambantota is one of less populated districts in SL. It is situated geographically in a remote part of Sri Lanka and most of parts of geographical landscape of this district is forest and only suitable for agriculture and wildlife. Changing the landscape of this district would be an ecological and environmental disaster for Sri Lanka in long terms and yet, with the political powers MR and Brothers ventured into these mega developments without any second thought on ecological and economic consequences of these projects. No doubt like all other countries Sri Lanka needs some mega development projects and yet, these should be sustainable developments projects. These developments projects should be done in appreciate time and appropriate regions with professional advice of all stakeholders. Public should have been consulted in all these projects and properly these issues should have been debated in the parliament as well.

A cursory look at some of recent mega development projects in his birth place would reveal some shocking statistics. Recently, an artificial port was developed in Hambantota at the expense of billions and yet, what return Sri Lanka expects from this port? What are the economic benefits of such port? It is reported even some international shipping companies do not want to come near to this Harbour for fear of ship wreckage? What a waste of public money is this? What an economic disaster is this? Who take responsibility for this political blunder? If this disaster is not enough then comes Air port project. Mattala Air port is one more political blunder of MR and co. 

Sri Lanka is a small island. Sri Lanka is not a Singapore. Only a limited numbers of flights are landing in Sri Lanka daily. During night one fight lands every one hour or less than that? Why do we need one more Air port in this remote corner of Sri Lanka at this time? What are the economic benefits of such air port? Do you think people from the other part of Island will be willing to travel through this airport in their air travel journeys? It was reported that this Air port is built is unsuitable and unfitting geographical location for many reasons. It was an ecological and environmental disaster as well. It has destroyed a large numbers of wildlife. It was reported that elephants and snakes are coming to near sides of the air port.

Air ports mainly depend on flight arrivals for their financial survivals. The more flights land the more profits Air ports make. Otherwise, government will have to spend a lot of money for day to day expenses of air port as well as wages for its employees. It is reported that only a few flights are landing in this air port right now. How long government could spend money to maintain Mattala Air port if enough flight arrivals are not materialised in coming years? Consider for instance if this Air port is built and developed in Jaffa or any part of Northern Province, it would have been commercially more profitable and more appropriate.

Why do I say this? Because today more 2 Million Tamils live abroad and most of them live in European countries. They would love to come to Sri Lanka if there is an Air Port in the Northern Province. It would make their travel back home easy and convenient. Moreover, it could have attracted more tourists from India particularly from Tamil Nadu. More inter-connections would have been made between such an Air port in Northern Province and South Indian Air port. It is physiological fear of Singhalese politicians that does not permit them to develop any mega projects in North. They all fear that if they develop Jaffna that would pave the way for Tamil EELAM.

I think that Singhalese should think broadly and diplomatically on the subject of Northern development programmes. It is a undeniable reality that Sri Lankan Tamil community have got money and they are ready to invest in the northern part of Island. Government should encourage them to invest in Jaffna for that government should expedite some mega development programmes in Jaffna. Constructing an international Air port in Jaffna would have been more appropriate than Hambantota from this perspective. Constructing Northern Express way into Jaffna would have been more profitable than Southern Express way to Hambantota. …. (To be continued)