Fighting together against the common enemy

MAR 19 2016

The struggle against racism and violent reaction, leads to collaboration of many organizations. They may oppose the said reaction in many different ways but combine force may give a resultant that could be devastating. This is common for all countries that face the threat of transformation and racist violence. Trotsky said such tactical steps are possible even with the devils mother.

In 1965 Lanka Sama Samajists led by Dr. NM Perera decided to collaborate with the SLFP, assuming such a coalition could lead to a socialist transformation. Other leftists followed. That cannot be considered a tactical arrangement as in the case of common struggle against chauvinist fascistic form of reaction. Latter is a tactical arrangement. In the other case, two parties with different aims and motivations get together to implement an agreed programme. That is a more serious combination with many dangers to the smaller or oppressed people party.

Socialist revolution

NM and others assumed that a movement such as the SLFP, PLO, BENBELA tendency, and Sukarno movement indicate a new phenomenon in the third world. Based on oppressed people, these populist organizations would naturally gravitate towards socialism. Some accused Michal Pablo for developing this empirical formula without analyzing the movements using Marxist tools. However, in that period the victory of Mao and Castro gave a new impetus to the social revolutionary view that claims rural peasantry could motivate a socialist revolution.

It is in this background that Sama Samajist participated in a coalition with Sirimavo, expecting Castro type leadership from her. There expectations were high because of the rise of Russia and China claiming themselves communist countries. As in Cuba they expected international socialist support will help them to consolidate the economic and social transformation. Events showed that SLFP to be a populist Sinhala based bourgeoisie party with political clashes with the United National Party. Let apart socialism, SLFP failed to address fundamental democratic problems in the society: Village level autonomy, Tamil national problem, fundamental and human rights, corruption in the state sector.

Even on this democratic issue Sama Samajist clashed with the SLFP leadership and finally Sama Samajist were thrown out of the government. UNP came to power and started on neo liberal economics, clashing with the left and the trade unions. After number of struggles UNP leader seek assistance to grant devolution of power, equality of languages and the citizenship rights to plantation workers. Left had to work with the UNP and face the racist insurgency of the JVP. It was a civil war to decide whether Tamils should be granted those three rights or not.

Left parties

While seeking political support from Left parties to fight against patriotic chauvinist forces; UNP leader got Indian army to release Sinhala army from Tamil areas. NSSP with other Left parties agreed to fight against the patriotic insurgency that attacked all that stood for devolution, parity of languages and citizenship to plantation workers.

JR supplied arms but the Left had their own camps and trained security groups. To implement minority rights we fought together but with our own camps and security centres. In this period UNP lost over 7,000 militant members while we lost over 1,000 committed socialist. In the last period we participated in the protest of the Opposition, which finally brought Maithri / Ranil to power. We are still pressing the government to implement, the democratic programme while facing the attacks of Mahinda group. This programme includes equality, autonomy and the right of self determination.

That was in 88/89. Vijaya Kumaranatunga, the first leader of the newly formed United Socialistic Alliance, was the first person to be killed from our alliance. JVP was the dominating group within the so-called Patriotic Front that was responsible for the assassinations. They publicly announced that anybody helping devolution, equality, and rights of Tamils will be killed; and ruthlessly carried out this policy.

Human rights violations

Was it wrong to fight together with the UNP to defend and implement the rights of minorities? Devolution, equality of languages and citizenship was implemented with the sacrifice of thousands of lives of Leftists and UNPers. That is the truth to be written in the next chapters of Mahavamsa. With the rise of Mahinda regime with atrocities and human rights violations, we had to open another chapter of common struggle.

Defeat of the LTTE was used to mobilize chauvinist forces and develop a fascistic regime base on vicious terror. Dictatorial presidential powers were enhanced with the draconian prevention of terrorism act to make people helpless. We had to fight together with the liberals led by Ranil. We were able to go on that path to mobilize all democratic forces to overthrow the ruthless regime.

We are continuing this struggle for democracy without any strategical alliance with any party. Clearly we march separately though we fight together against the common enemy of racialism which uses methods of fascism. This has been endorsed by the International Marxist Movement. 

SRI LANKA: PARANAGAMA COMMISSION TO PROBE OVER 1,600 MISSING PERSONS CASES

21/03/2016

Investigations into all complaints of missing persons in three districts – Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu – will be concluded before the end of March, according to a top official from the President-appointed commission to probe missing persons.

The five-member investigative team of the Presidential Commission Investigating Cases of Missing Persons (PCICMP) will commence its probe into over 1,600 cases of missing persons in the three districts from 25 March.

The commissioners, who are now conducting their investigations in Jaffna, will commence their six-day visit to Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu from 26 March.

Confronted by over 23,000 complaints of enforced disappearances, of which over 18,000 complaints were lodged by civilians and over 5,000 by relatives of security force personnel, the PCICMP is mandated to investigate cases of missing persons from 1983 to 2009.

Five highly experienced police officers will carry out their investigations under the supervision of a retired High Court judge.

Investigations into missing persons in the remaining districts – Kilinochchi, Baticoloa and Ampara – are scheduled to be completed before the end of June. “We will be able to complete investigations into cases of missing persons in the three districts during May to June,” he said.

He said that with the conclusion of investigations of missing persons in these three districts, the investigations into missing persons in the entire North and East will be completed before the end of June.

The PCICMP, which is also known as the ‘Paranagama Missing Persons Commission’, is headed by retired High Court Judge Maxwell Paranagama and comprises Suranjana Vidyaratne, Mano Ramanathan and two other additional commissioners – retired High Court Judge Tillekeratne Ratnayake and retired Ministry Secretary H. Sumanapala- who have been appointed by President Sirisena to expedite the investigation process.

By Shanika Sriyananda
FT

Rally marks World Water Day in Jaffna

 21 March 2016

A rally was held in Jaffna today to mark World Water Day and highlight the importance of clean water.

The rally saw hundreds of people march through the streets with placards calling for the preservation of clean water.
Participants also held a street performance, with a play on the importance of saving water.

See more on World Water Day here.

The rally comes amidst protests by Tamils in Jaffna in recent months demanding the Sri Lankan government provide safe drinking water. Contamination of drinking water continues to be an issue in the North-East, with schoolchildren hospitalised after water poisoning last year.

The crisis has also affected hospitals in the region, with the head of Poonakari hospital having to seek permission from the Sri Lankan military in order to access drinking water, from the previous hospital grounds which are now being occupied by the military.
See our earlier posts:

Sri Lankan military permission needed to access hospital drinking water (21 Mar 2016)
Tamils protest against Sri Lanka government inaction on groundwater contamination in Jaffna (07 Apr 2015)

Tamil schoolchildren admitted to Jaffna hospital after water poisoning (19 Mar 2015)
Protests continue in Chunnakam over water contamination  (05 Feb 2015)
Hunger strike continues against water contamination by Chunnakam power plant in Jaffna(22 Jan 2015)

Hill-country Tamils don’t want to be called ‘Indian Tamils’

Making use of the ongoing process of constitutional reforms, the Hill-country Tamils in Sri Lanka want the issue of identity to be resolved. File photo: Meera Srinivasan

The community has suggested that it be called Indian-Origin Malayaha Thamilar group

T. RAMAKRISHNAN-




March 20, 2016
• 
  

Hill-country Tamils in Sri Lanka do not want to be called “Indian Tamils” anymore. This nomenclature of theirs has been “a source of political and administrative discrimination and social antipathy”, besides carrying a “historical baggage.”

Making use of the ongoing process of constitutional reforms, the community wants the issue of identity to be resolved. It is particular that its identity should refer, wholly or partially, to a territory in Sri Lanka, even though certain sections of the community are not in favour of disowning their roots completely.

Issue of identity

Highlighting the issue of identity, a report prepared by experts on the initiative of the Tamil Progressive Alliance, a coalition of three parties representing the hill=country Tamils, has suggested that the community be called “Indian-Origin Malayaha Thamilar (IOMT).” The experts, who include P. Muthulingam, the head of the Kandy-based Institute for Social Development, also talk of creating a district by re-organising the existing district of Nuwera Eliya (Central Province) and linking it with other contiguously-located areas of other districts where IOMTs have higher concentration. [Throughout Sri Lanka, these Tamils constitute 4.1 per cent, a figure disputed in certain quarters].

The report also suggests the establishment of non-territorial council for IOMTs, consisting of elected and nominated representatives of the community.

On the contentious issue of merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces, the document is for retaining the present structure of nine Provinces, which means that it does not favour the merger. As for the adoption of federalism, another long-standing demand of Tamils in the North and the East, the document describes Sri Lanka as “a union of Provinces/regions”, while seeking maximum devolution.

Meanwhile, the Kandy Forum, a body of Muslim intellectuals, has also expressed its opposition to the merger of the two Provinces.

At the same time, it has also termed the demand for a non-contiguous separate Muslim territory in the East as “politically and pragmatically not suitable” to the needs of the community. Such a demand would only “further complicate the existing ethnic problem”.

President Maithri to pay compensation to journalists and media Institutions that suffered during ‘uncouth decade’ of bestial Rajapakses

(Lanka-e-News- 20.March.2016, 5.40PM) It is the consensus among all that the  decade ,that is the period between 2005 and 2015 , was the worst ‘uncouth decade’ in the history of Sri Lanka (SL)  when the Medamulana family of brutes held sway over the  nation while cruelly oppressing  the people  and keeping them  trampled under the Medamulana family  despotic boots.  During  this bestial and brutal rule ,without any trace of doubt , journalists and media Institutions underwent untold hardships and abysmal sufferings. 

In contradistinction the present government of good governance in order to prove its  civilized , progressive and democratic character under president Maithripala Sirisena has decided to pay compensation to all of them who fell victims under the previous barbaric despotic regime. 

The additional secretary to the president S.P. Kodikara has been apoointed to collect data and information in respect of all journalists and media Institutions that were victimised. Kodikara is these days  busy with gathering information in this regard , and those data and details collected will be submitted before a presidential committee for evaluation. 

Based on reports of media organizations during that period , 14 journalists were killed (confirmed) and five media Institutions have been set on fire. Some media Institutions have been burnt down more than once. Besides, several journalists were  attacked and their limbs broken, while several media Institutions were banned. 

Speaking to Lanka e news , the president’s additional secretary S.P Kodikara requested   that an application be made   supported by evidence giving details of the injustice and losses faced .
 
His postal address is as follows :

S.P. Kodikara
Additional secretary to the president
Presidential secretariat
Colombo. 

Those abroad can contact him at e mail address : addlcsd@presidentsoffice.lk 

His official phone number is 0112 441608

---------------------------
by     (2016-03-20 12:19:17)

Single minded leadership necessary for national reconciliation 

By Jehan Perera-March 21, 2016

One of the positive features of the present time is the unity of the top leadership of the mainstream political parties. This was demonstrated in the eastern district of Ampara last week when the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) held its annual convention under the leadership of Minister Rauf Hakeem. The event was attended by President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition and Tamil National Alliance leader R Sampanthan, and Minister Mano Ganesan of the Democratic People’s Front representing the Indian-origin Tamils. Each of these leaders represents the mainstream of each of the ethnic communities that together constitute the Sri Lankan nation. There was a visible manifestation of goodwill and partnership between the respective party leaders on this occasion which was evident by the speeches they made.

The situation today is far removed from that described soul searchingly by Neville Jayaweera in his memoirs titled "Exorcising The Past And Holding The Vision" published in 2014. In that book the former civil servant recounts how government leaders in the 1960s considered those of the Tamil ethnicity to be potential enemies of the state. When he was sent as a young man to head the administrative service in Jaffna as the Government Agent, he was instructed to be tough on any requests or demands made to him by the Tamil political parties and their leaders. The orders he received from his superiors were that, he "should be unrelenting towards Tamil demands, and wherever possible, force confrontations with them and establish the government’s undisputed ascendancy." In his memoirs he also refers to the petty manner in which the government leaders of those years turned down opportunities to visit the north.

There was a relapse to that way of thinking and behaving during the post-war period under the previous Rajapaksa led government when triumphalism and a national security mindset held sway. The election of President Sirisena and the formation of the new government under Prime Minister Wickremesinghe in 2015 changed the situation at the top, but not yet down the line. The problem today is that although the situation is greatly transformed at the higher levels of the polity, this consciousness has yet to seep down to the lower levels. Even as I was writing this column I received a telephone call from a staff member of my organization who had taken a group of women on an exchange visit to the east of the country saying that the police were questioning her and asking her about the programme. In the context of being questioned by the police, and the fear it automatically generates after years of national security-centered governance and impunity, my colleague said she felt her group was intimidated.

SLOW MOVEMENT

The slow movement when it comes to releasing of Tamil prisoners, suspected of having links with the LTTE, but against whom no charges have been framed despite the passage of many years, is another indication of the reluctance to give up the old ways of thinking on the part of the state authorities. A civil society colleague of mine Ruki Fernando who was arrested two years ago on trumped up charges of conniving in the revival of the LTTE along with a Tamil Catholic priest, continues to remain under investigation by the state authorities. Both of them were released from detention a few days after their arrest, but the case against them continues. There is either inertia in the governmental system that prevents wrongs being righted in a fast track manner or else the government is not of single mind to enforce the ideals it stands for.

Under these circumstances, the sense of alienation of sections of the people, particularly those from the ethnic and religious minorities, and even civil society, continues to fester in relation to the Sri Lankan state, even though at the highest levels of the polity there has been a remarkable change. The danger inherent in this situation is that a change at the top that is not supported by a similar change at the bottom can become unsustainable. There is a continuing and active effort on the part of a section of the polity that is influenced by the so-called Joint Opposition to bring in nationalist issues and to fan the flames of communal discord. The rally they held in Colombo last week demonstrated that they continue to muster a degree of popular support and their messages of narrow ethno-religious nationalism continue to possess resonance.

So far the government has not taken the ideological battle to the people. The government committed itself to constitutional reform to bring good governance to the country when it campaigned at the last presidential and general elections. It has also committed itself to the transitional justice process of reconciliation when it signed up to the UN Human Rights Council resolution. But after doing that it has been non-committal on what sorts of solutions and institutions it intends to set up to vindicate its promises. Instead of directly championing the causes it believes in, and leading from the front, it has appointed two civil society-led bodies to engage in consultations with the people. One is the Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reforms while the other is the Consultation Task Force on reconciliation. In all likelihood, the two public consultations that the government has set in motion are likely to show that the people also have two or more perspectives on all issues of controversy.

EXCLUSION PROBLEM

The problem faced by the government is that it is not formed by one single party or even dominated by one party, but is a National Unity government that is composed of two parties that are sharing power. The advantage of this arrangement is that the government is able to enjoy a 2/3 majority in Parliament so long as the respective leaders of the two parties are in agreement. However, even when there is broad agreement on the direction in which the two parties would like the government to go, such as in relation to the Rule of Law, there is no agreement on the details. This is why new laws such as the Right to Information Act are not getting passed in the manner that was expected. In the circumstances of two parties and two leaders, there is the likelihood of the government not being able to give clear messages to the people.

Although parliamentarians unanimously approved the constitutional resolution on converting parliament into a constitutional assembly, there is still no clarity on the extent to which they agree on the three main constitutional reform issues of the executive presidency, electoral reform and the devolution of power. The absence of consensus can also be clearly seen in the President’s repeated assertion that foreign judges are not necessary for Sri Lanka’s accountability process whereas the UNHRC resolution that the government has co-signed specifies the reverse. In the absence of clear messages from the government, the people’s confidence in the government is likely to be eroded. There is no alternative to the government getting its act together and giving the political leadership to the reforms that are needed.

However, there is a healing and trust building role for the civil society-led public consultations to play. At two of the consultations I attended I heard members of the ethnic and religious minorities express their concerns about being left out. They mentioned that the issues of Muslim displacement from the North and the Muslim resettlement in Wilpattu had never been fairly represented and needed to be. These Muslims wished that someone other than Muslims would take up their cause. And there were Tamils who said that they doubted that they would get justice in the end. Both these opinions were expressed privately as those who appreciate the improvement over the past do not wish to be seen as grumblers and spoilers. Therefore even as the political leaders all communities come together as they did at the SLMC annual convention it is important that at other levels of society, and of the state, they give the necessary single minded leadership so that those who currently feel excluded are made to feel included.

Enough Already!

By Emil van der Poorten –March 21, 2016 

Emil van der Poorten

It has been a considerable time since I’ve had occasion to use the expression that constitutes the title of this piece. However, better late than never!

That said, what is the “enough” in this instance.

The “enough” is the acceptance of those who were guilty of monumental corruption of a varieties of brands ranging from the simply fiscal – theft from the public purse – to depravity and the support of depravity as part of the policy of the late unlamented Rajapaksa rabble.

I am as, I am sure, are people of this country very tired of the specious excuse trotted out that some of what went before needs to be overlooked or, at least, punishment for such put on the back burner until the larger mess is dealt with. Unfortunately, that “back burner” is beginning to look like some cozy fireside on a cold, wintry night in the Arctic.

I have, previously, referred to the fact that there has been at least one instance of a major Rajapaksapandankaraya being elevated to the upper echelons of a Major medical institution. That was no mere “foot soldier.” That was one of the “movers and shakers” during what is going to prove to be the darkest time in this nation’s recent history. We are talking here about an active participant in an attempt to distort part of this country’s recent history and assist in the concealment of what could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. And, please, dear god, don’t tell me that people of his ilk were “doing their job!”

Now I keep hearing consistent rumours of appointments being made by the Ohey Palayang government which are akin to putting Colonel Sanders in charge of some Sri Lankan chicken house, the inhabitants of which are, guess who? Us, the citizenry of this country!

With little effort these people who supped, lavishly, at the Rajapaksa table of pomp and privilege are being placed in positions where they are expected to be moral arbiters for the rest of us! This is nothing short of obscene.

I have, in columns past, made reference to personal and “old school” affiliations kicking in despite track records that leave something to be desired. That particular bandwagon continues to accept more and more of the same. Where is it going to end and when is it going to end?

The people of this country are sick and tired of the repetition of the manthram that we have to tolerate some of the less-than-lily-white in the interests of the greater good of this blessed land. Hogwash! This has become an exercise in looking after the same privileged group irrespective of their political affiliations of the past that were based not on any adherence to political theory or belief system, but on simple greed.

Read More

A Rudderless Government

Featured image courtesy Colombo Gazette

by Kusal Perera 

- on 03/21/2016 

Almost 15 months under the present Sirisena-Wickremesinghe rule, the economy is in no good state. Defeating Rajapaksa at the 2015 January 08 presidential polls was not meant to merely abolish the Executive Presidency (which wasn’t done) but also to lift the country out of the economic abyss. In the Maithripala Sirisena manifesto for the presidential elections, he therefore promised

I will put right development priorities that are now upside down. I will suspend all wasteful expenses and establish a National Economic Planning Council comprising learned personnel, who would act not on pecuniary considerations but out of love for the country…. [; No.2 Development Economy – page / 20]

While that is yet to see daylight, the economy during the Rajapaksa era wasn’t limp, though it certainly needed serious repair despite Rajapaksa bragging and propping up by China. A lopsided economy, it nevertheless had heavy infrastructure projects running with huge Chinese funding and was also pepped up by India, Russia and Iran. This economy was providing space for a new middle class to emerge, especially in an increasingly urbanised Colombo centric society. The rest of the society, the majority, was  undoubtedly left behind. But there were no accusations the economy was in shambles or collapsing. Mega corruption and massive frauds were however accepted as the norm, at every level in society.

Those advocates for “change” who backed Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena wished to call the ousting of Rajapaksa the “Rainbow Revolution”. Stepping into the 15th month after the “Rainbow Revolution”, the Sri Lankan economy is identified as a collapsing economy. On March 03 this year (2015) the Island newspaper had a write up by a Special Correspondent titled “Government should get its act together to avert economic collapse”. The caption itself was very revealing. The article said, “The Fitch Rating Agency has stated that the 2016 Budget has done little to address government revenue concerns and predicted continued fiscal slippage over 2016 and 2017. It explained that Sri Lanka’s government debt has increased to more than 75 percent of GDP by end 2015 up from 71 percent at the end of 2014.“(emphasis added). Put in a nutshell what it means is, this “Yahapalana” leadership had completely failed in managing the economy. During the whole of 2015 when the 100 Day program was released and then with a compromised government in power, this “Rainbow Revolution” wasn’t able to manage the economy, having got its “Interim Budget” adopted in February 2015.

Continue Reading →

All ambulance jobs to Sri Lankans – Indian High Commissioner

Mar 21, 2016

Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Y.K.Sinha said the proposed mobile ambulance service going to be started in Sri Lanka would consists of Sri Lankan staffs and would be managed under the health ministry.

 

The high commissioner visited Kandy on the 19th and made these comments joining for a media communiqué following the meeting held with the Malwatta and Asgiriya prelates.

High commissioner Y.K.Sinha made his comments regarding the Indian sponsored proposed mobile ambulance service and the Economic Cooperation and Technical Agreement (ECTA)

When journalists questioned him the high commissioner initially answered about the mobile ambulance service which has become the obstruction of many organizations.

Local staff
The high commissioner said the mobile ambulance service was a project implemented by the request of the Prime Minister Ranil Wicramasinghe and initially the service would be rendered free for the southern and western province patients.

High commissioner Y.K.Sinha who briefed about the enrollment of staffs, training and the administration, said the drivers, nurses and all additional medical staffs would be Sri Lankans.

The enrolled Sri Lankan staffs would be trained in Hyderabad and deployed in service and the Indian staff joined would be limited to monitoring and reviewing the nursing homes, said the high commissioner.

Free service
The high commissioner said this mobile ambulance service which is successfully implemented in 17 states in India has been praised by the Harvard University. He also said as a first step, the service would be rendered free of charge for the southern and western provinces.

High commissioner Y.K. Singha said the Indian government would donate Rs. 7.5 million US dollars to Sri Lanka for this ambulance service.

When questions were raised from the journalists about the ECTA agreement, the high commissioner said that India would like its neighboring countries to join the development road map with India which is currently developing fast.

ECTA agreement
The high commissioner said that India is reviewing the primary plan given by the Sri Lankan government about the proposed ECTA agreement urged by Prime Minister Ranil Wicramasinghe scheduled to be signed between the two countries.

He said both the countries have not started discussion about the proposed agreement because we are still in the preliminary stage. He said both the countries are mutually working together regarding this.

He said, whatever the agreement, would provide facilities for the public of both countries.

Why proposed ETCA ‘framework’ should never be signed

By C. A. Chandraprema
March 20, 2016, 7:55 pm 

The UNP’s rally at Lipton Circus last Tuesday was supposed to be a public show of strength in favour of the proposed ETCA with India. The Prime Minister announced that they would be bringing people onto the streets on 15 March to counter those who had been opposing ETCA and this was the show he promised. The UNP even took the unusual step of having the rally at Lipton Circus without having it at Hyde Park. This may have been the first time in the UNP’s history that they took over Lipton Circus which had always been the exclusive preserve of radicals. It was a good show as far as the attendance went though it was certainly not a Nugegoda-like event. We know that the UNP is not a party like the JVP which can get the better part of its membership to turn up for rallies. It also took the form not really of a rally of the UNP proper, but a youth rally against efforts to scuttle ETCA. However we did not see any banners or slogans explicitly promoting ETCA.

Instead what we saw were slogans demanding that plans for a ‘new Sri Lanka’ should not be blocked by anyone and that no one should oppose the plan to create ‘one million jobs’. The message was far from explicit. We did not hear any of the speakers at the Lipton Circus saying that the ETCA with India would be signed and that this was the way forward for Sri Lanka. Instead we heard Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam saying that there was a conspiracy to deprive the UNP of its hard won victory and Minister Harin Fernando saying that the Rajapaksas were somehow responsible for the blackouts affecting the country. What is the message they were supposed to convey to the public? Even after that rally nobody is any the wiser about ETCA.

If the Joint Opposition is opposing ETCA, there are some very cogent reasons to back up that stand. Foremost among the figures in the Joint Opposition opposing ETCA is Prof. G.L.Peiris a one-time minister of export development and international trade in the Rajapaksa government. The stand that he has been advocating is that before signing any pact to take the trade relationship between India and Sri Lanka to a higher level, the outstanding issues in the existing free trade agreement with India should be ironed out. Among the issues that stand against Sri Lanka’s inability to derive the due benefit from the FTA with India are issues such as the ports of entry into India assigned for Sri Lankan exports, the non acceptance of product certifications and standards between the two nations, the limits imposed on the importation into India of some of Sri Lanka’s key exports, the licensing arrangements for Indian importers of Sri Lankan goods, and various taxes imposed by Indian states on imported goods all of which have prevented Sri Lanka from achieving its full potential in exports to India.

After 15 years of the operation of an FTA with India, the total Sri Lankan exports to India stood at 645 million USD in 2015 as against over four billion USD worth of Indian exports to Sri Lanka. Prof. Peiris points out that Sri Lanka is awash with Indian produced vehicles of every description, yet less than 1% of Sri Lankan tea and apparel exports goes to India under the FTA. The rest of Sri Lanka’s exports of tea and apparel goes to the rest of the world on normal trade arrangements – which brings into question the value of the existing FTA with India. After 15 years of operation, our main export to India is arecanut said Peiris, pointing out that we export 67 million USD worth of arecanut to India. Adding insult to injury, we exported only 34 million USD worth of apparel to India while importing 94 million worth of apparel related products from India! Exports of tea to India is just 17 million USD. Even though there has been much hype about the expanding middle class in India, Sri Lanka’s main exports have not been reaching that middle class.

Getting the Indians to open up these sectors is just one part of the problem. Even if Sri Lankan goods are allowed to be exported to India without limit on paper, what actually happens on the ground in India is that there are various non-tariff impediments to exporting goods from Sri Lanka. Many Sri Lankan exporters say that the existing FTA is ‘free’ only for the Indian side not the Sri Lankan side. Prof Peiris says that at the level of bilateral discussions, the Indian side fully recognises the ‘asymmetries’ between Sri Lanka and India and are more than happy to agree that the agreements should be structured in such a way as to be fair by Sri Lanka. However nothing has happened to change things at the ground level.

Peiris says that that there must be some clarity in what the government intends signing with India. The proposed Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement ETCA is being negotiated behind everyone’s back while at the same time they are surreptitiously implementing some very critical features of the proposed agreement. At one level they are trying to allay fears among the public and in particular among professionals by saying that nothing has been decided yet and that we are still negotiating a framework agreement and that everyone will be fully consulted. They say that they will be opening up the services sector to India only in two sectors - shipbuilding and IT.

But they are implementing on the ground agreements in other sectors such as the health sector. Take for instance the proposed Indian ambulance service which has been introduced to Sri Lanka through a cabinet paper and is already in the process of implementation. As far as the opening of the Sri Lankan services sector is concerned, the people are going to be presented with a fait accompli and the actual ETCA agreement will largely be irrelevant – they will be able to do everything they want under cover of the ‘framework’ of the ETCA which they now intend signing.

In introducing this Indian ambulance service the prime Minister’s cabinet paper on the subject does not explain why there is a need to give an Indian company the right to operate these ambulances instead of giving that opportunity to one of the private companies operating ambulances in Sri Lanka or even setting up a separate unit under Sri Lanka’s own health service. Each Indian ambulance will have a paramedical team and a right to establish health centres for which the Sri Lankan government will provide land and buildings. Furthermore, there is no regulation of the number of health centres that the Indians will be encouraged to establish in Sri Lanka.

The advertisement that has been published in the local press by this Indian company for ambulance drivers offers Rs. 25,000 per month for drivers for a 12 hour shift. Obviously there are not going to be that many Sri Lankan applicants. If Indians are recruited to these positions, Sri Lankan job opportunities will be taken away. An agreement for the trade in goods is more straightforward than an agreement for the trade in services. By opening up the IT sector you are essentially opening up every sector in which IT is used to a greater or lesser extent. In allowing an Indian ambulance and pre-hospitalisation care service to set up operations in Sri Lanka, you are essentially opening up the Sri Lankan health sector to Indian paramedics, nurses and indeed even doctors as what is going to be offered is a pre-hospitalisation service with medical centres and the like.

The intimidatory tactics adopted by the Prime Minister to push through this proposal clearly indicates that none of this is really going to be of benefit to Sri Lanka and the government knows it. The Prime Minister says the GMOA does not have any business to get involved in the debate about ETCA and he threatens journalists who write negatively about ETCA. If this proposed economic cooperation pact is really going to benefit Sri Lanka, the government has been extraordinarily unsuccessful in showing the public how this country will benefit from such an arrangement. Where the Sri Lankan government failed, the Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka stepped in to see whether he could do a better job at a recent workshop for exporters to Sri Lanka. He seemed to suggest that we should be satisfied with our less than 650 million worth of exports of Sri Lanka, and that Prof G.L.Peiris who has been leading the charge on behalf of the Joint Opposition against ETCA should have stuck to law instead of getting into politics.

None of this has helped the Sri Lankan public to feel that there would be some advantage for Sri Lanka to be derived from this proposed ETCA with India. So long as the outstanding problems in the existing FTA with India remains, there will be no question of being able to convince the Sri Lankan public that the ETCA will be beneficial to Sri Lanka. Hence the most rational course of action would be that suggested by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa – you first iron out the issue of various bureaucratic impediments that prevent Sri Lankan exports from entering the Indian market in the agreed quantitities, and ensure the proper functioning of the FTA to the extent that Sri Lankan stakeholders feel that everything that can practically be exported to India is moving smoothly without any impediments. After operating the FTA in that manner for some years, you then go onto the next step of working out the details of an ETCA with India.

Exclusive: UK Strongly Snubs Sri Lanka Over Visa Requests For Daham Sirisena Whilst President Orders News Blackout

President and his son Daham |File photo

March 21, 2016

Sri Lanka demanded an explanation from the United Kingdom government why the request of President Maithripala Sirisena’s son Daham and his three friends to travel to UK was subject to long delays. This unusual protest received a right royal snub and a strong telling off from UK officials.

This is while PresidentSirisena, who speaks of press freedom, telephoned newspaper editors and proprietors to request them not to print any news report in this regard. Like the power blackout, there is also news blackout in the Sirisena era that is ordered by him. His explanation was that he was unaware about the son’s matter. The same President Sirisena told a meeting of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress in Kalmunai this week that there was media freedom in Sri Lanka now and the media could report on anything without fear or favour.

Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chitranganee Wagiswara summoned Laura Davies, Deputy UK High Commissioner in Sri Lanka to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to lodge a strong protest on behalf of the government and the President. Davies has been told in strong terms this should not have been done.

Davies has challenged the Sri Lanka government’s claim and emphasised the proper procedures have not been followed. At first, Daham Sirisena’s application together with the ones from his friends have been sent to the British High Commission with only a request note by the Chief of Protocol M.R. Hassen. It was only after they asked for documentation some were forwarded.

The female diplomat has said thereafter Daham’s visa was issued. However, Davies has declared other applications had to be processed in the normal course and revealed something shocking. One applicant had been debarred from entering the United Kingdom five years ago for forwarding false documentation. The British diplomat has said it was not the right of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to demand visas for third parties without proper documentation in keeping with UK laws. The issue of visas were at the sole discretion of the UK government.

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where cut throat infighting is the order of the day, the story had been leaked to the media by one faction. On finding this out, Chief of Protocol M.R. Hassen, who worked earlier at the Presidential Secretariat (before becoming protocol chief), had conveyed to President Sirisena that the story embarrassing him and his son was going to appear in all the media. This is why Sirisena made the urgent calls to Sinhala, Tamil and English newspapers.

Read More

Does the electricity breakdown occur due to an electricity mafia?

 Mar 21, 2016

Everybody was aware there was electricity breakdown recently in the island and no institution or the power and energy ministry failed to announce the real cause behind the scene. When a problem like this arises, the relevant institution usually forms a committee and later nobody comes forward to question what happens to the committee and who made the committee report? Finally the only step taken is forming the committee and everybody forgets about the whole matter amid other problems.

Although there were many electricity breakdowns occurred before, none of the time it was revealed what was the cause.

In 2008 during the Sinhala New Year period there was a similar breakdown and the then chairman Udaya Sri Kariyawasam formed a three person committee headed by Professor Kumar David. The committee investigated the breakdown and none of them knew what happened to the report. The results of the committee caused the chairman to lose his post.

When we investigated into the matter we found a large mafia inside the electricity board conspiring the functions. This mafia is such a strong one that neither the relevant minister nor the electricity board chairman cannot control. One such instance is that eleven chairman’s has been appointed from the year 2005 to 2008. This mafia does not allow the chairman to independently conduct his duties but to surrender to this mafia in order to exist in service.

This mafia is started from taking electricity from the small and medium scale power plants to the electricity board. More than hundred such power plants are registered under the electricity board. Although 10 Mega Watt of power is supplied to the national electricity grid, it is impossible to function the national grid without this. Due to this reason the mafia has become powerful.

A group of engineers of the electricity board too has been attached to this mafia which has taken control of the authority in certain sections of the electricity board. For example although a human resource specialist is in charge of the section an electrical engineer has taken control of the department.

This mafia from the very outset hindered the committee appointed in 2008 headed by Kumar David. The report which was compiled amid the hindrance was not disclosed and finally the chairman had to leave his post. If the report was released the public had the opportunity to identify how the emergency breakdowns occur, what was the real cause behind the breakdown and who was responsible.

Reports reaching us confirm that the release of the report was obstructed by the stealthy mafia operating underneath.

Pitiful plight of the ‘three racketeers’ who visited Japan to collect funds to cover up money laundering -A damp squib (photo)

(Lanka-e-News -21.March.2016, 10.00AM) Lanka e news on the 11 th revealed to the world a conspiracy hatched by Rajapakses and their unlimited crooks to get down their hidden black monies from the foreign countries (money laundering) . The plan was for the crooks and cronies of Rajapakses to go overseas , and send those hidden monies to Sri Lanka ostensibly as  donations received from Sri Lankans abroad. 

In pursuance of this plot and plan , the inaugural meeting was held yesterday (20) by these touring notorious crooks in Sukuba city , Japan . Sadly, to their utter dismay and bitter  disappointment the response was extremely poor, according to what was revealed by a Lanka e news special correspondent in Japan.

Though it was hugely publicised well ahead that Gotabaya Rajapakse , Wimal Weerawansa , and Rohitha Abeygunawardena alias Raththarang (the three racketeers) that they will be holding the meeting  at 12.30 p.m. yesterday  at the Thoyosatho Hall , Gotabaya however kept away; he  spoke  via  the Skype ( There is a ban on foreign travel on Gotabaya . However after producing a surety in court he could  go abroad , if necessary)

An extremely smalll group of about 30 individuals were present at  the meeting, and they were only the organizers and their  family members . It was very unfortunate that the ‘three racketeers’  in spite of their monumental efforts and laborious arrangements could  not draw crowds in Japan in the way they did at  the Hyde park rally in Sri Lanka (SL) after giving each in the crowd  a bottle of arrack and a lunch packet. 

It is learnt Wimal Weerawansa who was frustrated and infuriated over the fiasco had bitterly berated the organizer ‘Japan Saman’ who wanted to make this event  a most unexpected success.

It is a well and widely known fact by now , Weerawansa with inflated hopes who did not have the wherewithal to own a bicycle with even a deflated tyre , has  after selling ‘socialism’ his hobby horse transferred a land worth Rs. 306 million !  on the sly to his wife via a deed of gift. FCID investigations into this colossal fraud is now  concluded , and the file is with the Attorney General’s (AG) department for institution of legal action.

Ratthtarang and Gotabaya the other two accomplished rogues are no better. They are ace crooks involved in robbery of public funds.  Might we recall, earlier on a Sri Lankan in Japan when speaking to Lanka e news said  , Sri Lankans in Japan must be suffering from incurable scabies to give as donation to these three notorious crooks that  little money  they have in their possession.

The photograph herein depicts Gotabaya addressing the sparse  audience in an almost empty hall in Sukuba city via Skype yesterday, before dispatching the  two notorious crooks  to the cities , Nagoya, Chiba, Ashigaka, Saithama, Kumagaya and Tokyo to address  similar sparse audiences . In the photograph are also Wimal Weerawansa and Rohitha Abeygunawardena in deep sorrow , nonplussed and clueless not knowing what to do over the unbelievable paucity of participants at the meeting despite spending so  much energy and time to organize it.

Photograph and report by a special correpndent of Lanka e news in  Japan
Translated by Jeff

---------------------------
by     (2016-03-21 04:38:18)