Supporting Sustainable Development: Bangladesh Bank Governor’s bold attempt at promoting green financing

February 23, 2015

Tendency to hail faster economic growth
Countries, both rich and poor, have been long pursuing long policies for fast-growing the volume of material goods and services available to their citizens. When growth rates of close to double-digit levels have been recorded, it has been customary to brand such countries as fast-growing nations.
There is validity in such branding since it makes available to the present-day citizens a bigger basket of consumable goods and services. Since bigger is considered better, it has been presumed that the living conditions of people in such countries have also improved.
The objective of any society is to offer better living conditions to its members. Thus, countries that attain higher economic growth rates year after year have been hailed as “achievers” and all other countries have been encouraged to join the club of such achievers.

Supporting Sustainable Development Bangladesh Bank Governor’s Bold Attempt at Promoting Green Financing by Thavam Ratna

Turkey's Erdogan says relocation of tomb in Syria not a retreat

BY TULAY KARADENIZ-Mon Feb 23, 2015

(Reuters) - Turkey's military incursion into Syria to relocate a tomb surrounded by Islamic State militants and evacuate the soldiers guarding it was a temporary move to safeguard their lives and not a retreat, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

The action, which involved tanks, drones and reconnaissance planes as well as several hundred ground troops, was the first of its kind by the Turkish army into Syria since the start of the civil war there nearly four years ago.

"The Suleyman Shah tomb operation is not a retreat, it is a temporary move in order not to risk soldiers' lives," Erdogan said in a speech in the capital Ankara.

"The game of those who tried to use the tomb and our soldiers to blackmail Turkey has been disrupted," he said.

The Syrian government described the operation as an act of "flagrant aggression", a response dismissed by Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, who said the Syrian authorities had lost all legitimacy.

The 38 soldiers who had been guarding the tomb of Suleyman Shah, grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, were brought safely home in Saturday's night's operation.

Normally, the detachment is rotated every six months but the last one was trapped for eight months by Islamic State fighters.

The tomb, on a site within Syria that Ankara considers sovereign territory as agreed in a 1921 treaty, is being relocated close to the Turkish border. Suleyman Shah's remains were taken to Turkey in the meantime.

At a news conference in Ankara, Kalin also said Turkey was working intensively with the British authorities to trace three London schoolgirls who travelled to Turkey last week and are believed to be making their way to Syria.

Thousands of foreigners from more than 80 nations including Britain, other parts of Europe, China and the United States have already joined the ranks of Islamic State and other radical groups in Syria and Iraq, many crossing through Turkey.

Turkey has said it needs more information from Western intelligence agencies to intercept them. Kalin said Turkey had already deported a total of 1,400 people suspected of seeking to join extremist groups.

(Additional reporting by Asli Kandemir and Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by Nick Tattersall, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

'Syria-bound' teenagers were not radicalised at school, says principal

Bethnal Green academy head says police spoke to trio after friend absconded in December and there was no evidence they were at risk of them doing the same

 Police CCTV footage shows (from left) British teenagers Amira Abase, Kadiza Sultana and Shamina Begum at Gatwick airport last week. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Alexandra Topping, Aisha Gani and Peter Walker-Monday 23 February 2015

Airlines and internet companies need to do more to prevent radicalised British teenagers travelling to the Middle East to join Islamic State militants, David Cameron the prime minister has said.

Cameron told MPs he was “horrified” by the case of three London girls believed to be on their way to Syria to join IS after being indoctrinated by extremists online.

He announced that Theresa May, the home secretary, and Patrick McLoughlin, the transport secretary, would be talking with airlines on new “proportionate” arrangements to ensure that children who are at risk are properly identified and questioned. He added that border police should be alerted of any concerns so they can stop individuals from travelling.

Internet companies must live up to their “social responsibility”, Cameron said, by taking down extremist content and improving cooperation with the authorities over contacts between extremists and young people vulnerable to radicalisation.

The school attended by three teenage girls who are feared to have run away from London to join Islamic State militants in Syria has insisted they were not radicalised there.

Mark Keary, the principal of Bethnal Green academy in Tower Hamlets, said the school had an “outstanding system of pastoral care and personal support” and impressed on students the need to respect British values.

 The principal of Bethnal Green academy says there is no evidence that the three girls were radicalised at school
In the first statement by the school since it emerged that Amira Abase, 15, Shamina Begum, 15 and Kadiza Sultana, 16, had flown from Gatwick to Istanbul in Turkey, from where they are believed to be heading towards Isis-held territory, Keary said the east London school was “shocked and deeply saddened”.

He reiterated that police spoke to the trio after one of their friends, aged 15, made the same journey in December, and that officers were satisfied none of the girls had become radicalised.

In a statement released to reporters on Monday, Keary said: “The police spoke to that student’s friends at the time and, further to this, they indicated that there was no evidence that the girls were at risk of being radicalised or absconding.

“We are fully supporting the police with their investigations. As you know, today is the first day back following the half-term holiday and there is a full programme of briefing sessions and support available to students, parents and staff.”

Part of this, he said, would be “an opportunity for any concerned academy parents or carers to talk to senior staff members in person. Representatives from the police and Tower Hamlets’ Prevent team will also be in attendance.”

The principal said the school was “extremely proud of the exceptional learning experience we provide to our students”. He added: “A core aspect of our ethos is to promote the British values of democracy, tolerance and respect for other cultures, taught through a wide variety of curriculum topics and learning programmes.”

As well as having an “outstanding system of pastoral care and personal support”, students were not able to use Twitter or Facebook on school computers. Keary said: “With such measures in place, police have advised us that there is no evidence that radicalisation of the missing students took place at the academy.”

Police had, he said, asked the school not to make any further comment given the active investigation.

He added: “On behalf of the trust, all staff and governors at Bethnal Green academy, I would like to say once again that our thoughts are with the families of the missing girls as we await news and hope for their safe return to their homes and families.”

The Metropolitan police confirmed on Monday that they had officers in Turkey, while declining to confirm that they were involved in looking for the girls. A spokesman said: “Officers are working closely with the Turkish authorities who are providing a great deal of assistance and support to our investigation.”

schoolfriend of three missing teenagers who are thought to have travelled to Syria to join Isis says she never heard them discuss their plans
Earlier, students and parents at the school expressed shock at the news. Parents received a letter on Friday from the east London school, which has been rated outstanding by Ofsted, telling them what had happened and assuring them it was doing everything possible to tackle the situation.

Parents and pupils were hurried through the school gates on Monday morning while police in high-vis clothing kept guard.

A parent of two daughters in year nine said the girls’ disappearance had had a damaging impact on the community. “The girls feel terrible. Parents aren’t letting their kids out. It’s devastating.” 

A mother of another student said: “It is so unexpected, it’s really sad I can’t imagine what the families of those girls are going through. As a mum I really feel for them. This is the type of thing you read about but you can’t imagine it is happening at your school.”

One sixth-form student, who asked not to be named, said he had never heard the subject of joining Isis talked about among pupils at the school.

“I’m a Muslim, my friends are Muslims [but] people don’t really talk about that stuff,” he said. “It’s not like school’s full of girls talking about going to join Isis.”

He did not know the missing girls, but added that “everyone” was talking about it. Another young man, who gave his name as Mohammed, said: “It’s crazy. I was proper shocked. People don’t really expect to go on holiday then come back and find out that all these girls have gone to Syria.”

Another parent, who also did not want to be named, defended the school. “It is a fantastic school. I’ve seen derogatory comments about the school but this is not their fault,” he said. “What has happened is terrible but I know the school will be working hard – they are very proactive.

“I don’t understand, knowing the kids here, knowing this school – it doesn’t make sense.”

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, the trustee of the East London mosque in Whitechapel and a former teacher in the borough, said there was a sense of shock in the Tower Hamlets community.

“It’s every parent’s nightmare that their teenage children would go like this – disappear from their parents, families and schools. They are very intelligent girls and they had the ability to hide,” he said.

“They hid their intentions from everyone and the only thing we know is one girl had a connection with Aqsa Mahmood from Scotland. They were definitely convinced by the slick [Isis] media. I think it was online radicalisation.”

Bari said he objected to the use of the phrase “jihadi brides”. He said: “It’s a misogynistic word. These girls, like young boys, have probably gone for idealistic reasons.”

Ukrainian currency slumps as fraying peace deal raises economic fears

By Karoun Demirjian and Michael Birnbaum February 23 at 10:49 AM People march in downtown Kiev on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. In Kiev, thousands participated in a march on Sunday commemorating the events of a year ago and honoring the more than 100 protesters who died during them. President Petro Poroshenko led the ceremony, joined by foreign representatives including the presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Germany, Georgia and the European Union. (Sergei Chuzavkov/AP)

KIEV — Ukraine’s currency touched record lows on Monday as fears of continued violence in the rebel-held east fueled pessimism about the country’s economic future.
Ukrainian Currency Slumps as Fraying Peace Deal Raises Economic Fears by Thavam Ratna

US wants to hack your phone because it doesn’t have real spies it needs

By Patrick G. Eddington-

February 23, 2015

As Google’s Android smartphone operating system was coming under attack in fall 2012 from malware with the colorful names of “Loozfon” and “FinFisher,” the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center issued an alert to help defend against the threat. “Depending on the type of phone,” the FBI said, “the operating system may have encryption available. This can be used to protect the user’s personal data.”

How times have changed.
US wants to hack your phone because it doesn’t have real spies it needs.odt by Thavam Ratna

Greece: A debt colony with a bit of ‘home rule’

Monday 23 Feb 2015

On Friday night the Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, averted total surrender to a German led demand for Greece to implement the total austerity programme of its former conservative government. He did so by signing up immediately to a compromise that, in his mind, retained about 20 per cent of the programme Syriza was elected on.

But the entire deal depends on the Greek government submitting a list of proposed reforms to EU finance ministers today, and it being approved tomorrow by teleconference.

But the timing is appalling. By late Friday, I and other journalists were aware of a rapid uptick in Greek deposit withdrawals. The ECB, which effectively controls the Greek banks, told Varoufakis he would have to limit both ATM withdrawals and movement of money abroad on Tuesday morning, after today’s bank holiday in Greece.

That’s why the substantive deal was designed to be done tonight. When I asked Varoufakis, at a late night press conference, if the banks would open Tuesday he said: “Tuesday, Wednesday and ad infinitem”.

If Friday’s deal holds then Greece – which Varoufakis describes as a “debt colony” will effectively be a debt colony with a bit more “home rule” – and, to continue the analogy, minus what development theorists used to call the “comprador bourgeoisie”.

Syriza revolt

But two factors could destabilise that. First the revolt within Syriza at the scale of the climbdown. Syriza’s veteran MEP, war resistance hero Manolis Glezos, who tore down the Swastika from the Acropolis in 1941, called for mass mobilisations to resist the agreement.

But Mr Glezos is not as crucial as the organised Left Platform within Syriza, led by the economy minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, and backed by London SOAS professor, turned MP, Costas Lapavitsas. If the Left Platform were to formally oppose the deal in the Greek parliament, Syriza would have to rely on centrist votes to get it through – and Lafazanis (and possibly some junior ministers) would have to leave the government.

Over the weekend there were reports that Greece is seeking leeway to enact around €8bn of anti-austerity measures, paid for by a crackdown on tax evasion, a new tax on ship owners, and the collection of tax arrears.

If the eurozone’s finance ministers OK this, I would expect there to be a four month grace period, in which Syriza will remain in office to implement the non-fiscal aspects of its programme, which are a mystery to financial journalists clustered in Brussels but very close to the hearts of the 42 per cent of Greeks who backed Syriza and, to its left, the communist KKE.

Sea change

However, there is a sea change going on within Syriza. In the past 48 hours I’ve heard people who were staunch believers in the “good euro” – a euro that can accommodate by negotiation a radical left government – say, effectively, they were wrong.

I would expect the cost of a non-rebellion by left MPs in Syriza to be a rapid and overt move towards a “friendly default and exit” strategy. The “New Drachma” notes circulated as spoofs three weeks ago look more and more like becoming reality – though as with all economic shocks, it may take weeks for ordinary people to understand what is happening.

Though it’s happening to a stricken country, on the edge of Europe, the choices presented to Greece are being understood throughout Europe – and will resonate with the British electorate. What Germany did to Greece on Friday can be done to any country: obey or leave. And it can apply not just to the eurozone but to the European Union itself, or to the Schengen and Dublin Treaties on migration, or to Court of Human Rights.

To stick with the “debt colony” analogy: the old British empire, faced with successful revolts, was adept at saying “you’ve won, now let’s manage the path to independence smoothly”. We’re about to find out what a Europe dominated by Germany, backed by Finland, Slovakia and Latvia, can muster by way of diplomatic largesse.

 Follow Paul Mason on Twitter and Facebook

Rights group slams jailing of 2 Thai students for insulting monarchy

By Asian Correspondent Staff Feb 23, 2015

Rights group Amnesty International has called on Thailand’s junta to overturn Tuesday’s guilty verdict against two students accused of insulting the Southeast Asian nation’s revered monarchy in a 2013 theatre production.

A criminal court in Bangkok found the two university students, Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23 and Pornthip Munkong, 26, guilty of violating Thailand’s draconian ‘lèse-majesté’ law Monday, which criminalises insults against the monarchy.  Both of the accused, who have been in jail since last August, pleaded guilty to “damaging the monarchy” December and were each sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.

“This is an assault on freedom of expression. It is appalling that Patiwat Saraiyaem and Pornthip Munkong have been jailed just for staging a play,” said Rupert Abbott, Amnesty’s research director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

(MORE: Lèse majesté cases pile up under Thailand’s junta)

“Since taking power last year, Thailand’s military authorities have made unprecedented use of the lèse-majesté law to silence and target critics who are simply peacefully exercising their human rights.”

The conviction relates to their involvement in staging a play about a fictional monarch and his adviser, the ‘Wolf Bride’, at Thammasat University in October 2013.

“The pair should never have had to stand trial in the first place and the verdict should be overturned and sentences expunged. Their guilty plea should not be considered as an admission of criminal responsibility as the courts regularly reduce sentences for defendants who have pleaded guilty,” added Abbott.

Young People Have the Power to Rally Others to Create Positive Change

At the 2014 People's Climate March in New York City. (Photo: Light Brigading/flickr/cc)

by

David Suzuki-

by

EcoWatch-

Thursday, February 19, 2015

When she was just 12 years old, my daughter Severn gave a speech at the 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. She spoke with such conviction that delegates were moved to tears. It was one of my proudest moments as a father. More than 20 years later, Severn is the mother of two young children, and the video of her speech is still making the rounds, inspiring people around the world. Its popularity speaks to the power the young have to affect the world’s most pressing issues.

More than half the world’s population is under 30, a demographic now at the forefront of international decision-making and some of Canada’s most powerful environmental changes. Across the nation, youth are thinking critically about how we can become better stewards of our vast landscapes and spectacular wildlife and protect the air, water, soil and diversity of nature that keep us healthy and alive. They’re standing up for strong environmental protection and a saner approach to resource management in their own communities.

Take Halifax resident Stephen Thomas, an engineer in his 20s. He’s been recognized as a driving force for our nation’s clean energy future. If You Build It, a project he co-founded, mobilizes volunteers to construct renewable energy projects, including wind turbines and solar-powered generators. He’s also catalyzed large-scale, community-owned wind projects in Nova Scotia and spearheaded Dalhousie University’s student campaign for fossil fuel divestment.

Vanessa Gray, a 22-year-old member of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, mobilized other young people to campaign against Enbridge’s Line 9 pipeline proposal to transport oilsands bitumen through Sarnia, Ontario, to Montreal for export. She continues to speak out about refinery pollution and host “toxic tours” of Canada’s Chemical Valley, where 63 petrochemical plants surround her community.

Some young leaders are taking up the David Suzuki Foundation’s call to support the right to a healthy environment in their towns. In December, after attending a Foundation Blue Dot Tour event, 10-year-old Victoria resident Rupert Yakelashek led a successful charge to have his city adopt a declaration giving citizens the right to clean air, water and food, and to participate in decisions that affect their environment.

Ta’Kaiya Blaney, a 13-year-old from B.C.’s Tla’Amin First Nation, followed a path similar to my daughter’s, speaking at the UN Rio +20 conference in 2012 when she was just 11. She’s also gaining recognition as the visionary behind the Salish Sea Youth Foundation and for speaking, writing and singing in defense of a healthy future for animals, humans, plants and ecosystems. She incorporates environmental messages into her songs, as she did on the Blue Dot Tour. “In my culture it’s a fact, and an understanding of life, that everything is connected, and we were put on this earth to be stewards and caretakers of the environment,” she writes.

Young leaders are also at the forefront of Idle No More, one of the largest Indigenous mass movements in Canadian history. What began in 2012 as teach-ins in Saskatchewan to protest parliamentary bills that would erode Indigenous sovereignty and environmental protections has changed the social and political landscape of Canada.

These young environmental champions share a commitment to their communities and to the world. They know that young people have the power to rally others to create positive change. And when people gather around a common cause, magic happens.

Although many young leaders aren’t yet old enough to vote, they’ll be left to clean up messes from decisions made today. We owe it to them to think more carefully about the world we want to leave to their generation.

National non-profit The Starfish Canada, co-founded by David Suzuki Foundation public engagement specialist Kyle Empringham, celebrates young people with its Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25 program. Every year, 25 youth are recognized for their efforts to create environmental change. The group recognized is diverse, from community gardeners and outdoor recreationists to scientists and advocates. Thanks to them, the program continues to showcase positive change across the country.

If you know a young leader who deserves national recognition, nominate him or her for The Starfish Canada’s Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25. It could help inspire others to change the world.

Why Does American Culture Tip-Toe Around Talking About STDs?

Eighty percent of sexually active adults have had HPV infections. So why is no one talking about it?

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

By Carrie Weisman / AlterNet-February 20, 2015

Newton’s Third Law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. And in the world of physics, that’s true. But society has a tendency to drag that idea into spaces it doesn’t belong. Like if you eat too much cake, you’re going to have a heart attack. If you smoke too much pot, your brain will atrophy. And if you have too much sex, you’re going to contract a big bad sexually transmitted disease.

Why Does American Culture Tip-Toe Around Talking About STDs by Thavam Ratna

Sri Lanka has history of broken promises - CM Wigneswaran

22 February 2015

Northern Province Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran fears Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has not released Tamil political prisoners as he does not want to anger the Sinhalese majority ahead of elections later this year.

Speaking to the 

New York Times, the chief minister said dozens of political prisoners could be released immediately but expressed doubts over the government's pledges to release detainees.

“I’m talking of a history of not living up to promises in the past,” Mr. Wigneswaran said. “The prime minister wants to play for time because the elections are coming.”

The prime minister dismissed widely-held views that thousands of Tamil political detainees are being held in Sri Lanka's prisons.

“There are a few hundreds, I think, not thousands,” he said to the NYT.

“There are people who are missing whose names are not found anywhere,” which means they either “are not among the living or they left the country. That’s all.”

Mr Wickremesinghe said an initial list has already been drawn up.

“I just want it to be verified twice over from my end before we say here’s the final list,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said. “We should have it by March. And if there is any secret camps, you can close it down and get these people.” 

Tamils in Jaffna demand justice for loved ones disappeared by Sri Lankan state (21 Feb 2015) Batticaloa mothers demand Sri Lanka govt releases detained children (16 Feb 2015) Tamil protesters sign petition demanding release of political prisoners and disappeared(15 Feb 2015) Tamils across North-East Sri Lanka demand release of disappeared in new wave of protests (09 Feb 2015) Tamils in Mullaitivu demand new Sri Lanka govt returns disappeared loved ones (08 Feb 2015) Protesters across North-East call on government to return detained relatives (03 Feb 2015) Tamil mothers demand new Sri Lanka govt returns missing children (02 Feb 2015) Relatives of disappeared protest in Batticaloa (30 Jan 2015) Tamils in Mannar urge international community to investigate war crimes in Sri Lanka (26 Jan 2015)

Achieving National Reconciliation, Peace & The 13A

By Varatharaja Perumal -February 21, 2015

Varatharaja Perumal

Removing the impediments in the 13th amendment is imperative to achieve national reconciliation and peace

Territorial integration may be achieved by the armed forces, but national unity of communities can be achieved only by the appropriate political process. Absence of war here indicates only the silence of guns and not the attainment of sustainable peace. De-communalized nation, democratized political system and demilitarized State are imperative to rightly put Sri Lankan political economy in a progressive path through which Sri Lanka can achieve true independence and sustainable development. Majoritarian arrogance and ambitions have thrown this country into the orbit of political vicious circle that persistently enlarges the crisis, chaos and conflicts. Sri Lanka is a multi-national country which has been divided ethnically, religiously and regionally not by the actions of the common people but by the power hungry politicians. Divisive and destructive political leaders endangered and alienated the minority nationalities and deceived the majority nationality by promoting the politics of Sinhala hegemony versus Tamil sectarianism. Unity of Sri Lanka cannot be achieved by the compulsions of All Powerful hegemonic leadership but by honest compassion, true conciliation and mutual consensus.

It is well known that the Constitution of Sri Lanka of 1978 was made by Mr. JR Jeyewardane with the sole purpose of making himself His Majesty of All Powerful. Accordingly, he inserted effective provisions and protections for him to act freely with full immunities, converted all governmental institutions in order to direct in support of his whims and fancies and facilitated himself to use all the resources of the State at his personal will. To democratize the existing Constitution, the proposed amendments should be made with clear objectives that every amendment to the Constitution would completely remove the Authoritarianism- based-structures of the Constitution.Read More

Army in the North: Contesting the views of Prof. Rohan Gunaratna

• by Muttukrishna Sarvananthan 
• - on 02/22/2015 

This is in response to the views expressed by “International Terrorism Expert” Prof. Rohan Gunaratna to Zahrah Imtiaz in the article titled “Don’t Withdraw Army from North: Prof. Rohan Gunaratna” published in theCeylon Today of Sunday 15 February 2015, page 10.

Security

I do agree with Prof. Rohan Gunaratna that “Without security there is no freedom and development”, but I would argue that vice versa is true as well; that is, without freedom and development there is no security. While Prof. Rohan Gunaratna opines that “Security is first”, I would argue that human security should be first. If there is human security, securing national security (against domestic armed opposition) would be easier.

Misplaced Analogy

The analogy that this venerable “International Terrorism Expert” draws from the experiences of Afghanistan and Iraq, viz. “After their defeat most insurgent and terrorist campaigns worldwide resumed within a decade. After the US military declared victory in Afghanistan and Iraq the insurgency and terrorist campaigns recommenced”, is inappropriate for the context of Sri Lanka. There is ample evidence in the academic literature on insurgencies and terrorism to show that an outright victory for either side of an armed conflict results in stability in terms of security (but not necessarily in terms of political stability).

In the case of Afghanistan and Iraq it was an external military power that dubiously declared victory in order to withdraw its ground troops and avoid a quagmire and political backlash at home. Neither the Afghan or Iraqi governments ever declared victory over the armed groups opposed to them. On the other hand, in Sri Lanka the security forces were fortunate to completely eliminate the LTTE militarily. There is no comparable evidence in Sri Lanka of the phenomenon of “Real IRA” in Northern Ireland or the Maoists in Nepal where they are yet to surrender their arms.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

I also have serious doubt about the claim made by Prof. Rohan Gunaratna that Sri Lankan armed forces do not suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Several counselling centres operated by the armed forces throughout the country could dispute the claim by Prof. Gunaratna.

Proportionality

One of the cardinal principles of warfare is proportionality. I do not propose the total withdrawal of the armed forces from the North. I only would like the armed forces in the North as well as in the country as a whole to be down-sized or right-sized. The total number of armed forces (Air Force, Army, and Navy) should be proportionate to the total population of the country and the Northern Province. I would suggest that the total number of armed forces personnel should not exceed one percent of the total population of the country or the Northern Province. The Northern Province is the least populous province in the country (out of nine provinces in the country) with little over one million people. Therefore, I would propose that the total number of armed forces personnel in the North should be around ten thousand personnel the most. As a corollary, since the total population of Sri Lanka is less than twenty-one million, I would argue that the total number of armed forces personnel should not exceed 210,000 (which include air force, army and naval personnel).

Quantity versus Quality

I do not believe that the total number of armed forces personnel would necessarily boost national security; in contrast I would argue that the quality of armed forces personnel (in terms of their combat skills and more importantly commitment to fight) is a better determinant of the effectiveness and efficiency of the armed forces personnel in any country. Therefore, I would urge the security authorities to lay greater emphasis on quality rather than quantity.

Defence Expenditures

Furthermore, what national security purposes do the navy-run fishing and tourist resorts, military-run farms, hotels, restaurants, and other business ventures serve? Is it justifiable to arbitrarily confiscate private civilian lands and properties to operate military business ventures either in the North or South? If any armed forces personnel would like to do business on their own-accord, then they should be discharged from the armed forces. If indeed the armed forces personnel are earning revenue to the state coffers, why is that every single year since the end of the civil war in May 2009 the defence budget has increased considerably.

Higher defence expenditures or very high number of armed forces personnel do not necessarily buy national security; the collapse of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (or Soviet Union in short) is the best example. Should not Sri Lanka learn lesson/s from the experience of other countries?

Misplaced Nexus between LTTE and TNA

Prof. Rohan Gunaratna’s claim that TNA is a proxy of the LTTE reveals his parochial mind unbecoming of an academic. There is no doubt that the TNA had played a proxy political role on behest of the LTTE from about 2001 to 2009, but not beyond. The reason why the TNA is still popular in the North and East of Sri Lanka is because, although the Sri Lankan security forces have successfully defeated secessionism militarily, Sri Lankan politicians have failed to address the political grievances of the Tamil minority community to date. In fact, the recent past government of Sri Lanka has even fuelled the political grievances of the other major minority community, viz. the Muslim community, which is amply reflected in the results of the recent Presidential election.

Credibility of the “International Terrorism Expert”

The prophecy of the anti-terrorism pundit Prof. Rohan Gunaratna could be judged by his public claim even as late as early-2009 that the LTTE could not be ever defeated. Should I say more?

Muttukrishna Sarvananthan (Ph.D. Wales, M.Sc. Bristol, M.Sc. Salford, and B.A. Hons Delhi) hails from Point Pedro (Northern Sri Lanka) and a Development Economist by profession and the Principal Researcher of the Point Pedro Institute of Development, Point Pedro, Northern Province, Sri Lanka, established in 2004. He has been a Fulbright Visiting Research Scholar at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, Washington D.C, USA (October 2008 – July 2009), and an Endeavour Research Fellow at the Global Terrorism Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. (September 2011 – February 2012) He is the author of “In Pursuit of a Mythical State of Tamil Eelam: a rejoinder to Kristian Stokke”, Third World Quarterly, Vol.28 No.6, September 2007, pp1185-95, sarvi@pointpedro.org