Vaccine switched in 'milestone' towards ending polio

A child is given vaccine in an Afghanistan hospital

17 April 2016

More than 150 countries have begun switching to a different polio vaccine - an important milestone towards polio eradication, health campaigners say.

The new vaccine will target the two remaining strains of the virus under a switchover 18 months in the planning.

There were just 74 cases of the paralysing disease in 2015 and there have been 10 so far this year.

All of the cases were in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Africa has been free of polio for more than a year.

Switching the vaccine from one successfully used to fight polio for more than 30 years is a huge logistical exercise.

Thousands of monitors

Thousands of people will monitor the changeover in 155 countries during the next fortnight.

It is taking effect mainly in developing countries, but also in richer ones such as Russia and Mexico.

The new vaccine will still be given as drops in the mouth, so healthcare workers will not need fresh training.

It will no longer include a weakened version of type 2 polio virus, which was eradicated in 1999.

'Rare mutations'

Dr Stephen Cochi, from the US-based Centers for Disease Control (CDC), said: "The current vaccine contains live weakened virus relating to three types of polio.

"But we don't need the type 2 component, as it's not in the world any longer.

"And in very rare cases it can mutate and lead to polio, through what's called circulating vaccine-derived virus.

"So removing type 2 from the vaccine takes away that risk - and ensures we have a vaccine which will work better dose by dose."

What is polio?

• Polio, or poliomyelitis, mainly affects children aged under five
• It is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours
• Initial symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness of the neck and pains in the limbs
• One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralysed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilised
• Today, only two countries - Afghanistan and Pakistan - remain polio-endemic, down from more than 125 in 1988

Source: World Health Organisation

The history of polio

Global stockpile

The planning involved in the switchover has included dealing with a global stockpile of 100 million doses of vaccine targeting just type 2, built up as an insurance policy in case of any outbreak.

The World Health Organization denied some media reports that "millions" of doses of the old vaccine would need to be destroyed, by incineration or other approved means.

Mike Ray, who contracted polio when he was six, said he was "delighted" at the latest news

Its director of polio eradication, Michel Zaffran, said: "Some will need to be destroyed - but this will be a few vials, not trucks full of vaccine.

"This has been carefully planned because of the huge amount of resources, so countries have been using up the old vaccine, to minimise leftover quantities.

"We're closer than ever to ending polio worldwide, which is why we are able to move forward with the largest and fastest globally synchronised vaccine switchover."

Mike Ray, who contracted polio when he was six years old and has been affected for decades afterwards, told BBC Breakfast he was "absolutely delighted" at the latest news.

He said he was "exceedingly lucky" that he had never had calipers and has been able to get around using crutches and walking sticks.

"I'm not happy it's taken this long [to get close to eradicating the disease] because it has affected so many other people but more power to their elbow. [It is] great news."

By 1988, polio had disappeared from the US, UK, Australia and much of Europe but remained prevalent in more than 125 countries. The same year, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution to eradicate the disease completely by the year 2000.

In 2015, polio remained endemic in only two countries - Pakistan and Afghanistan. There have been only 10 cases reported so far in 2016, all of which were in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Africa has been free of polio for more than a year.

GoSL unable, not disposed to making progress

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan in Toronto, Canada-2016-04-17

MP - Garry Anandasangaree with Prime Minister

A popular Tamil Canadian lawyer, politician elected to represent the riding of Scarborough—Rouge Park in the House of Commons in the 2015 federal election of Canada, MP Gary Anandasangaree speaks to Ceylon Today exclusively expressing that the Government of Sri Lanka is backtracking on its promises on the national issue and the ICC is the last option if they fail.

?: How are your political activities in Canada in relation to Sri Lanka's national issue?
A: I am an MP representing Scarborough, and an MP in the Canadian Parliament. So, my primary focus is obviously to make sure that the issues in my constituency are represented in Parliament fairly, and the issues of regional and national interest to Canada are also represented. There are a number of files I am particularly interested in, namely the national issues and general areas of human rights, both within Canada and internationally. That is my primary focus. But, with my obvious background and links with Sri Lanka, I follow the GoSL quite closely.

GoSL Unable, Not Disposed to Making Progress by Thavam Ratna

Sri Lanka’s National Security Fearmongers

Image Credit: Rashevskyi Viacheslav via Shutterstock.com

By Taylor Dibbert-April 15, 2016

Sri Lankan police have recently uncovered ammunition, a suicide vest, and explosives in Chavakachcheri, a town in the country’s north. It’s widely (and realistically) believed that this is an old arms cache. Let’s keep in mind that from 1983-2009 a brutal civil war raged in this South Asian island nation. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were fighting for a separate Tamil state in the country’s Northern and Eastern Provinces.

In May 2009, the Sri Lankan government – under the leadership of former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa – militarily crushed the LTTE. However, Sinhala nationalism and the idea (however remote) of the LTTE regrouping within the country can still be used for domestic political gain, especially by Rajapaksa. After all, in the eyes of many Sinhala people, Sri Lanka’s overwhelming ethnic majority, Rajapaksa remains a war hero who defeated a ruthless separatist organization.

Though Rajapaksa unexpectedly lost the country’s January 2015 presidential election, he is currently a member of parliament. Given the wide-ranging corruption allegations against him and his family, he has no incentive to leave public life. In that context, it’s unsurprising that the former president has chosen to weigh in regarding the recent arms discovery. According to Rajapaksa, the weapons that the police found weren’t old, the implication being that the country should be concerned about a return to Tamil militancy in the Tamil-dominated north.

Other members of the country’s “joint opposition” (which Rajapaksa currently leads) have been unhelpful too – claiming that the explosives were meant to be transferred to a Tamil neighborhood in Colombo, the capital.

To be clear, Rajapaksa – who ruled the country from 2005-2015 – was terrible for Tamils. Eventually, he was bad for Muslims too. And, by the time many Sinhala went to vote for him, they cast their ballots in favor of Maithripala Sirisena as well.

Unfortunately, the current administration hasn’t been great for minority communities either and, more generally, is off to a rather unimpressive start. Nonetheless, the insinuation that the discovery of these weapons augurs a return to Tamil militancy is utterly baseless. To complicate matters, Sirisena’s coalition government is comprised of an awkward alliance between the two main political parties that have historically been rivals, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP). What’s more, the possibility of a Rajapaksa resurgence remains real and the SLFP is still divided.

But let’s not forget that Sri Lanka held presidential and parliamentary elections in 2015. On both occasions, the people voted for change and to turn the page on the corruption, nepotism and authoritarianism that had become Rajapaksa’s trademark.

The best way for the Sirisena administration to weaken the former president’s hand is through a careful explanation its wide-ranging reform agenda, improved governance and connecting rhetoric with reality. When Sirisena ran for the presidency, he garnered support from a diverse coalition and took control of the narrative; he, quite unpredictably, shook up Sri Lanka’s political scene. It’s time for him to rise to the occasion anew.

MITTAL’S 65,000 STEEL HOUSES FOR IDPS UNDER FIRE FROM SRI LANKA EXPERTS

By Namini Wijedasa.-17/04/2016

The proposed steel houses for the war-affected have inadequate foundations, insufficient roof support, are at risk of corrosion, are poorly ventilated and have no hearth and chimney, Moratuwa Universtiy experts have found after a detailed technical study.

The controversial dwellings — erected by the Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal — also have poor or non-existent capacity for extension or repair, a much shorter life span than block wall houses, are unlikely to create a sense of ownership, unlikely to foster the local economy and generate employment and are at least double the cost of a block wall house, the experts have warned.

These conclusions were published in the preliminary report of Prof. Priyan Dias and Dr Rangika Halwatura (both engineers) and Architect Varuna de Silva. They spent two days in the Jaffna Peninsula comparing the model steel houses erected by ArcelorMittal with block wall houses of which more than 50,000 houses have been constructed over the past five years.

The Ministry of Resettlement proposes to hand over the US$1 billion contract to build 65,000 steel houses throughout the North and East to ArcelorMittal despite widespread protest from local civil society organisations and others. The Sunday Times has a copy of the expert group’s preliminary report. The inspection focused mainly on technical aspects. The report states that the steel houses are founded on a 150mm thick reinforced concrete slab which is placed on the ground, in one case raised above existing ground level by around 450mm.

“This will be unsuitable for flood conditions or even heavy rains that could erode the soil under the foundations,” the experts warn. “In comparison, the block wall houses are founded on random rubble masonry around 450mm deep with a 300mm plinth; this foundation depth and plinth height will be much more stable, especially under flood conditions.”

The corrugated steel sheets are prone to corrosion, especially in environments close to the sea, if the coating is compromised by cutting, drilling, punching, riveting or even scratching, the experts warn. Such corrosion could take place in less than 10 years, their report states. In contrast, the block wall houses have few materials that are subject to corrosion.

“The fixing of the door frames to the panels in the steel houses appear to be quite flimsy,” the report says. “Parts of it have been fixed to wall panels with double sided tape. In one case the jointing to the panels had not been carried out properly. Electrical fittings (plug sockets and external conduits) were found to have been dislodged already in one of the houses. The door hinges are also very small and appear quite fragile.”

By comparison, the block wall houses do not suffer from such defects because the walls and fixtures are quite sturdy. In the steel houses, there are no openings such as grills between the tops off doors and windows and the roof. “This is poor design for hot climates because it does not allow hot air to rise and escape; such a design is better for cold climates or for air conditioned spaces in hot climates,” the experts explain.

Grills are routinely provided in the block wall houses. “In addition, there is always a gap between wall plate and roof covering, allowing hot air to escape and making these houses much more comfortable thermally.”

The experts say the windows in the steel houses are small in size and “may not satisfy standard ventilation requirements”.

“Also, only half the window can be opened because of the sliding action,” they state. “They have also not been provided bars, thus posing security issues (especially for vulnerable recipients), since windows would need to be opened for better ventilation. Such bars are provided in many of the block houses, where in any case the need to have windows opened is not as great because of the better ventilation at roof level.”

The steel houses have not been provided with a hearth and chimney, required because most recipients would be using firewood for cooking (and unable to afford cooking by gas). “The steel house concept does not appear able to accommodate such an arrangement, because in one of the houses, a separate kitchen was being envisaged outside the house,” the experts say.

Block wall houses have long been constructed with hearths and chimneys that appear to be working well. The use of the prefabricated panels appears to make future extensions in plan area infeasible for the steel houses, because of the specialist jointing techniques required, the experts say. On the other hand, there were a number of examples where block wall houses (including the roof) had been extended in plan.

“The unfamiliar technology of the steel houses would also make repairs difficult if not infeasible,” the experts warn. “Where block wall houses are concerned, materials and operatives are readily available for repairs.”

The stated guarantee period of a steel house is 30 years, whereas a block wall house would probably have a life of 50-60 years. The block wall houses are capable of being handed down for at least one generation.

The experts admit that the erection time of a steel house would be much less than for a block wall house, “although the proposed four years for constructing 65,000 steel houses is not very different to the 50,000 block wall ones constructed also over four years.”

The experts also admit that the steel houses would require much less sand and hardly any timber for construction, thus helping to reduce the demand for natural resources. But they observe that such requirements “appear to have been met without much difficulty in the construction of the 50,000 houses over the past four years”.

“Despite furniture and other features being incorporated in the steel houses, they are still around at least double the cost of a block wall house of the same area,” the experts say. The steel houses are supposed to have a financing arrangement; however, that has not been matched by any proponent of block wall houses.

The experts conclude that the way forward is to construct block wall houses while finding ways to overcome any disadvantages they may have such as finding new sources of natural resources and alternative technologies to reduce natural resource usage.
Sunday Times

Gratitude: An Interesting Concept

By Emil van der Poorten –April 17, 2016

Emil van der Poorten

What follows is not an attempt at some intellectual exercise but some random thoughts that have arisen thanks to public perceptions and applications of the term gratitude and, on a more personal level, the practice of “gratitude,” in a variety of ways without any reference to what the sum total of cause and effect amounts to in the matter.

It has now become, thanks to a shallow and irresponsible media, graven into the granite of Sri Lankan history that the Rajapaksas, particularly Mahinda and his ultra-militaristic younger sibling whose arrogance appears to know no limit, were responsible for “saving the Sinhala Buddhists” from total decimation by the Dravidians (now followed by those practicing Islam) both of whom and even collectively happen to belong to minorities which would be considered small by any standards.

This “saving” has achieved mythic proportions ranging from Dutgemunu, in the prime of life, slaying the Dravidian devil incarnate, Elara, when the latter was something like 80 years old, to the butchery of Nanthikadal, the likes of which has never been recorded in the history of Sri Lanka.

Out of the “saving” which, given all the evidence should point to, at least, dilution of that grandiose term, what it has spawned, in the Mahavamsa tradition, is a grandiose history which seeks to diminish the reality of people other than the small chauvinistic rump that dictates public policy in this country. When they are not loudly espousing the cause of this religiosity, as do outfits such as the Bodu Bala Sena, they claim custodianship of even the Buddhist clergy whose “independence” they proclaim it is their bounden duty to “protect.” That Buddhism and its Buddhist clergy have survived more than a millennium of persecution and marginalization without the endeavours of those such as Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe seems to escape these defenders of all things they designate to be of any cultural/religious significance. Incidentally, the two terms I have just used have become interchangeable because those wielding the authority to make it so have chosen precisely that route.

The condemnation I make is not directed only at the Mahinda Rajapaksa dispensation (MR1) but at the Maithri/Ranil (MR2) horde as well. What these people have chosen to do is to distort Sri Lanka social and political history in such a manner that future generations of every ethnicity in this country are, at best, going to be seen as a bunch of Idi Amin acolytes or, at worst, the South Asian equivalent of ISIS.

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With rabies, avoid stray dogs; with malaria, avoid all Indians

Sunday, April 17, 2016

No one has the foggiest as to what the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) to be signed by Sri Lanka and India really is for the simple reason that no details as to its exact terms and clauses have so far been revealed.

But this has been no impediment for the Government doctors union, the GMOA, from launching a no-holds-barred campaign against its signing and subsequent implementation based on what has trickled down the grapevine. The possibility raised by some that Indians will be allowed to enter the Lanka job market has sent the doctors’ union up the gum tree, like it has done no other professional body.

GMOA General Secretary Dr Nalinda Herath addressing Monday's news conference

Fearing an Indian medical invasion by an army of Indian doctors will commandeer Lankan doctors’ employment, the GMOA has raised the red flag and threatened to launch nationwide strikes if ETCA is implemented, the same tactic they adopted to protest against the Government’s decision to withdraw the vehicle permit for doctors recently. More and more the GMOA has shown all the signs of turning from a professional body into a ragamuffin group of political activists whose sole interest had been to further their financial benefits.

They have abandoned their duty to demand of the Government better medical facilities for their patients, to fight for sufficient drugs to be available at government hospitals and at the Maharagama Cancer hospital, to call for better monitoring of the activities of private hospitals and private teaching hospitals and to act to advance the cause of their patients. Instead they have taken patients hostage and held their lives to ransom to win demands for themselves. In their quest to fill their coffers, they have had no qualms in using patients to fill coffins, if need be.

But now their anti-ETCA protest has taken a bizarre turn and shown that, in the depths to which they have sunk to achieve their aims, they have found a deeper still to stoop. The GMOA General Secretary Dr Nalinda Herath has thought it fit to pounce on an isolated case of an Indian national working in a construction site in Nuwara Eliya who has contracted malaria in the first week of this month and to hold his illness as a warning to the Lankan public as to what will happen if the ETCA agreement goes ahead and opens the floodgates for Indian doctors to come to Lanka and work here on a long term basis.

On Monday, the GMOA General Secretary held a media conference. The subject that hung heavy on his mind was this Indian who had taken ill. His concern, however, was not how the patient was faring and what steps have been taken to alleviate his medical condition or how he had come to acquire the mosquito borne disease. His motive was pure and simple: to use this case as evidence to brand a billion Indians as foul disease carriers who should not be touched with a barge pole. His aim was to cause widespread alarm amongst the public that if ETCA is signed by the Lankan Government, the nation will be embroiled in a malarial epidemic again.

“After 2012 there have been no cases of malaria been contracted in Lanka,” the GMOA’s Secretary Dr. Herath declared at the media conference. “But there have been cases where locals returning from Africa or India with malaria. There have also been cases where Indian tourists and other foreigners have come to Lanka with malaria. This case is one such instance. But in this case there is a difference. Though this man had come on a tourist visa he had not come to tour the land. For several months he had been working as a carpenter in Nuwara Eliya. This must not be taken lightly. Merely because malaria is not there today in Lanka if we allow people to come from epidemic ridden countries and allow them to stay here freely, then once more there will be a malaria epidemic in this country.

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New Year With My Veddah Friends

2016-04-17

By Jeewana PahanThilina

A Pandol has been constructed by the Veddah tribe under the massive canopy of the blooming Heen Boviti and Bolidda trees in their jungle enclave.

Nature had conspired to add a touch of glory with a carpet of Mee Mora petals, three inches deep, welcoming any passers-by.Erabadu buds peep out of their luscious leafy stems awaiting the arrival of the Prince of New Year. They waft invitingly in the breeze. Mango and cashew branches are laden with tender fruits, jostling merrily against their flowered friends.
It's the New Year in the jungles too

In other years, bee hives dripped with honey in these jungles, the aroma wafting everywhere. They were filled with an excess of honey. But this year, the scorching heat waves killed the flowers depriving the bees of their pollen. But the villages celebrated the New Year as they did in years gone by.

We thought of looking for a different New Year. It is not wrong to say it is the New Year of the indigenous people. They call it 'Konang Mangalle' in their language.

The venue for celebrating the New Year is decided upon after a village leaders' discussion. The Veddahs of every Veddah community take part in the preparations and eagerly await the dawn of the New Year.

Early morning, grandparents, parents and kids get together in the New Year festival venue.
The Veddah tribes celebrate New Year with observances which differ from the norms of the Sinhala and Tamil people.. Birds sing perched on the branches of flowering trees. Butterflies and bees draw pollen honey from the flowers. Wild animals, large and small, amble among the shrubs. Flower laden branches swing to and from in the now cool breezes which bring the promise of rain. This has a soothing effect on mind and body.

The loudspeaker is an old shell of a Labu nut. The leader of the community welcomed all saying 'Mamakachchak Kondamai.'
The competitions in the Veddah New Year festival are strange. One is Pariya Pore or the bear fight. The denizens of any jungle always come into direct confrontation with bears, especially when they go in search of bee hives to find that the bears have got there first. That's when trouble begins. Bears are also fond of bee honey and challenge men when they approach the trees within which the Bees build their hives.

In this competition, one is man and the other is the bear. They fight for the precious honey comb. Man must know how to tame the bees and trick the bear. That is essential knowledge for the Veddah. Ones who cannot do it is considered a weakling.
'Bambara Kepilla' or cutting the big bee hives hanging from tall tree branches or in rock crevices is another competition. It is a very dangerous experience. The competitor has to sing the Bambara Kavi, climb the tall trees, follow the customs, smoke the hive, sprinkle water and cut the combs. This is reserved for those considered clever.

Hunting is another competition highlight in the Veddah's New Year festival. There are traditions, customs and laws to follow. Archery skills are highly important. The winner is actually declared to be the best hunter.
The Veddah community New Year festival has a competition similar to the Grease Tree. But the tree here is not an areca tree but a really big and tall tree. The competitor who reaches the top of the tree first is declared the winner.
There is a real archery competition in which Veddah people of both sexes and all ages compete. It is a basic skill for survival in the jungle...and may the best man win !

The best beard is also picked by the Veddah leader. It's the custom among Veddah's that the men grow their beards. One competition decides on who the fastest eater in the tribe is. Gingili porridge is the main staple food of the Veddah people and the winner must finish a good portion of it.

Lighting a fire by striking stones together is another essential art that features as one of their New Year competitions too.The one who lights a fire first by this traditional art is the winner.
A Tug-of-war is another competition. While the "Beauty Pageant' chooses the Prince and Princess.
It was a marvelous New Year festival. I was accompanied to view this New Year festival by Heen Banda, Sanduna, Guna Banda and Ajith.

Economic crisis management: Consensual logical and consistent policy package is need of the day

18 April 2016

Taking a completely contradictory view to the wisdom pronounced by IMF Mission, Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran is reported to have dismissed the need for monetary policy tightening

An economic crisis hidden from the public’s view

Sri Lanka’s current economic crisis is no more a secret today. In a previous article in this series, this writer drew the attention of economic policy makers to its threefold manifestation (available at: 

http://www.ft.lk/article/515521/Looming-economic-crisis--policy-approaches-are-too-short-and-too-late-while-some-are-unproductive). It was manifested on the foreign exchange front, fiscal front and the money and credit front which all led to slow down the economic growth. 

The article under reference warned the policymakers that their response to the crisis was too short and too late. The crisis was hidden by both the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance in their respective annual reports for 2014 released in mid-2015. 

The Bank’s Annual Report for 2014 has expressed satisfaction about the present state of the economy in its opening sentence as follows: “In 2014, the Sri Lankan economy showed the resilience in the face of domestic as well as external challenges. Real GDP grew by 7.4 per cent in 2014, in comparison to the growth of 7.2 per cent in 2013.”

The Ministry of Finance, in its annual report for 2014 released two months after the release of the Central Bank Annual Report, reaffirmed the Central Bank’s claim that the economy grew at a higher pace. In fact, the Ministry of Finance took pride in the high growth – at 7.4% on average – the country had maintained during the last five year period from 2010. 

Present Government cannot continue to blame previous administration and remain doing nothing

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At The Last Gasp Sirima Chose UNP & Family Over Her Own Party

By Uvindu Kurukulasuriya –April 17, 2016 

Uvindu Kurukulasuriya

Sunethra rang me. I was in the middle of something. She asked me ‘what is your prediction?’

A conversation ensued, but before we come to it, let me briefly state the historical context.

Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was born on the 17th of April, 1916, exactly 100 years ago. As the world’s first female Prime Minister, a woman who served three terms as the Prime Minister of the country, the longest serving leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the wife of a Prime Minister and the mother of an Executive President with credentials as a strong and resourceful leader, her place in the history of post-Independence Sri Lanka is well-established. Her achievements and failures, the good and the bad, have been extensively written about and will probably be the subject of political commentary well into the future. This is not an article of that nature. It is essentially a report of her last political act which can be taken as symptomatic of the overall political culture of the country. That assessment we shall leave to the reader.

What I am about to relate took place over two days, the first being the day before the 2005 Presidential Election and the second being election day itself.

I was at the time working for the Ravaya newspaper. On the evening of the day before the election, the editor of Ravaya, Victor Ivan, and I were considering possible outcomes based on our assessment of the numbers that the two main candidates, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mahinda Rajapaksa, were likely to poll in different provinces and districts. It was in the midst of these calculations that Sunethra Bandaranaike called me.

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How China is gaining ground in Lanka with ‘pro-India’ Ranil government

Present Sri Lanka government goes back on poll promises, decides to resume stalled Chinese projects.

R S Vasan-April 15, 2016,

When Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe took over the government in Sri Lanka, their main claim was to undo the wrongs done by the previous Mahinda Rajapakse regime to the national economy and foreign policy. There was widespread apprehension in Sri Lanka that Mahinda was selling out the national interests of Sri Lanka to China on all counts. So when Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was about to visit China, there was a high expectation. But the recently concluded visit turned out to be a mixed bag and had economic and strategic connotations of mammoth proportions for all the players in the coming decades.One of the most significant discussions was on the Colombo Port development which was to be built at a cost of more than $1.4 billion but had been put on hold. This project had meant reclamation of at least 233 hectares from the sea of which 88 hectares would be given to the Chinese on a lease for 99 years and another 20 hectares on perpetual lease where Chinese law would apply in a special zone. The project was earlier stalled after the negative experience of some African countries where China had invested and due to environmental concerns. It turned out that in these projects undertaken by the Chinese, there was no benefit to the host country in terms of business or employment generation as the Chinese brought in their prisoners to work. 

But one year down the line, bogged by economic slowdown and by the weight of loans (about $8 billion) staring at the present government in the face, Ranil had no choice but to go back to China. The visit was preceded by discussions between Chinese and Sri Lankan ministers early this year and China was only too happy to cash in on the opportunity.

 China does have a firm grip on Sri Lanka with a sagging economy , mounting debt repayment servicing, and the plunging of the rupee against the US dollar. Thus Sri Lanka had to mend fences with China.

Without going into specific details of the memorandum of understanding signed by the delegation led by Ranil, it is suffice to say that the areas of cooperation included economy , investments, technology , sports, tourism, financial services, water supply and science. Sri Lanka in any case was already on board for the Maritime Silk Road project (MSR) for facilitating regional economic integration and connectivity in Asia, Africa and beyond.

As far as China is concerned, the visit of Ranil went according to the script which allowed the Colombo port project to be taken up again along with other infrastructural investments and the development of Hambanthota and the Mattala airport.

China obviously was pleased as it was not just looking at economic investments but at long-term opportunities for engagement with the island to serve its own future strategic needs in the Indian Ocean. From a strategic viewpoint, the state owned Global Times let the cat out of the bag when on the day of Ranil’s visit it said, “Currently, the China funded constructions in Pakistan cannot serve as a strong foothold for China, given the calamitous state of Pakistan’s security. Sri Lanka can be of great importance for China in the security strategic layout in the Indian Ocean. It will not only provide security assurances for nearby navigation channels, but will also promote the 21st Maritime Silk Road.”

At the end of the Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s visit, it is clear that the relations between the two countries are back to where they were during Rajapaksa’s regime. Ranil was seen as going back on his pre-election promises where he asserted that the environmentally damaging Chinese projects would not be allowed and Sri Lanka would build bridges with India. From the point of view of India, with the change of government in India, the new NDA led government was seen as trying to regain its influence in the neighbourhood by engaging the SAARC countries including Pakistan. The “neighbourhood first” initiative of the present government is yet to pay dividends as it has to come out of decades of mishandling of the border is sues. India has to recalibrate its own neighbourhood policies to ensure that it does not concede strategic space to China which is pulling out all stops to achieve its long term objectives. India should work on Ranil’s proposal in the early 2000s about building a land bridge to connect the two nations in addition to proactive measures to connect the people and integrate the economy of the two countries.

To balance its initiatives with China, Sri Lanka is moving forward on the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ECTA) with India which has been pending for some time. There is a need to resolve the vexed fishing disputes in the Palk Straits. The trilateral defence agreement between Sri Lanka, Maldives and India also needs to be strengthened for promoting maritime stability and safety . The issue related to handling Chinese advances in the Indian Ocean which has the potential of changing geo-strategic contours needs to be dealt with.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Panama Papers revelations: Call for verifying parliamentarians’ asset declarations

by Shamindra Ferdinando--April 17, 2016, 7:34 pm 

Attorney-at-law Chrishmal Warnasuriya yesterday stressed the pivotal importance of having asset declarations furnished by all members of parliament to the Election Commission/National Elections Commission (NEC) thoroughly investigated.

The NEC comprises Mahinda Deshapriya, Dr. Nalin Abeysekera and Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole.

Asset declarations made to Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya or his predecessors before the establishment of the NEC late last year in accordance with the 19th Amendment to the Constitution could shed light on irregularities, Warnasuriya said.

The senior lawyer was responding to a query by The Island pertaining to the responsibility for inquiring into Sri Lankans allegedly involved in recently released Panama Papers as well as those named in a document released in June 2013.

Of those who had been named in June 2013 leaked document, Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka’s advisor Vidya Amarapala, quit pending investigations. The list contained about 40 buisinessmen including those in leisure, tourism promotion, travel industry, health care, capital market promotion, power generation for the state sector, state procurement, and major automobile importer

The country lacked an independent cohesive mechanism to verify asset declarations furnished by those who had been nominated by various political parties to contest parliamentary polls, Warnasuriya, who was included in the JVP National List at August 2015 general election said. The JVP left both Warnasuriya and former Auditor General S.C. Mayadunne out of its nominated list. The JVP opted for two defeated candidates.

Warnasuriya said that it would be necessary to examine all declarations without restricting examination of documents belonging to those under investigation.

Head of NEC Deshapriya told The Island yesterday that the Election Commissioner/NEC always cooperated with relevant institutions with judicial powers. According to Deshapriya, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), the police, courts as well as specialized units like Financial Crimes Investigating Division (FCID) sought information.

Warnasuriya said that it would be essential to look into the suitability of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) inquire into politicians due to it being ultimately coming under the purview of the Finance Minister.

Asked whether special courts were required to deal with mega corrupt cases, Warnasuriya asserted that unless tangible measures could be taken to expedite the overall legal process, there was no harm in having special courts. However, every effort should be made to expedite the legal process before resorting to special courts, Warnasuriya said. The attorney-at-law insisted that all political parties and civil society should be concerned about the deterioration of financial discipline in every sector.

Recently leaked Panama Papers as well as June 2013 revelations in respect of those having offshore accounts underscored the urgent need to establish an effective mechanism to undertake high profile investigations. Explaining an opportunity given by the US to him recently to study systems in place to fight corruption, Warnasuriya said that Sri Lanka should also develop a method to scrutinize funding received by various political parties.

Three Sri Lankan companies and 22 shareholders named in Panama Papers are yet to be revealed.

Warnasuriya said that recent fiasco in Dubai highlighted the need to review strategies. The Yahapalana government inquiring into funds allegedly deposited in Dubai during the previous administration suffered a serious setback. The government couldn’t ignore the need to take remedial measures, Warnasuriya said.

In the run-up to last presidential and parliamentary polls, in January and August, 2015, respectively, those who campaigned against President Mahinda Rajapaksa as well as his candidature as the UPFA prime ministerial candidate, repeatedly alleged the Rajapaksas having USD 18 bn in offshore accounts.

Warnasuriya asserted that the government efforts could have succeeded if proper consideration was given to relevant factors before seeking Dubai intervention to have an account belonging to a Sri Lankan politician frozen in late last year. Warnasuriya alleged that the government hadn’t been able to bring to book anyone of those who were accused of amassing wealth at the expense of the national economy.

Responding to another query, Warnasuriya said that the government hadn’t so far contradicted reports that Dubai court rejected Sri Lanka’s request to freeze funds on the basis that the holder of the account/s was not convicted in Sri Lanka, nor a case filed against him in any court.

Warnasuriya warned of dire consequences unless remedial measures were taken soon. The attorney-at-law urged the powers that be not to wait till the next national election to rush into ill-advised and hurried actions ignoring proper counsel and advise. The electorate would continue to pursue the matter in the absence of effective parliamentary opposition to what was going on much to the disappointment of those who wanted a genuine change, Warnasuriya said.

Sri Lanka hopeful of IMF bailout facility within two weeks

Apr 17, 2016

Sri Lanka is hopeful of receiving the International Monetary Fund’s economic bailout facility within the next two weeks following ongoing talks between a high-powered Sri Lankan delegation and IMF officials in Washington DC, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said.

He told the Sunday Times he was highly optimistic on the outcome of the talks and Sri Lanka would get the necessary financial assistance of around US$ 1 billion to US$ 2 billion from the IMF to sail over the current economic tide.

Minister Karunanayake, in Washington for annual IMF/World Bank meetings along with Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and other senior officials, noted that the 36-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) would have no strings attached. But the Government would have to make some commitments towards achieving medium-term growth and reserve objectives, in addition to building greater resilience to external shocks and improving revenue administration and tax policy.

The programme discussions were being conducted on the sidelines of the Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank, with the objective of concluding a staff-level agreement with the authorities, subject to approval by the IMF Management and the Executive Board in the next two weeks. An IMF team was in Colombo from March 31 to April 11 to hold consultations on the Government’s request for an IMF -supported arrangement.

Treasury Secretary R H S Samaratunga told the Sunday Times that these talks were continuing in Washington as there were several matters that needed to be finalised with the IMF before reaching agreement. The facility would be subjected to approval by the IMF management and its Executive Board soon, he said adding that Sri Lanka needed this assistance urgently as the country’s external financial situation was weak.

He disclosed that the IMF team was of the view that further measures were needed to increase the efficiency of trade facilitation, remove barriers to foreign investment entry and establishment, enhance access to finance, and strengthen financial market infrastructure.

The IMF mission welcomed the recent tightening of monetary policy, given the steady increase in core inflation and high private credit growth. It also recommended that the Central Bank should take active steps to rebuild non-borrowed reserve buffers.
(Please also see the [olitical commentary on Pages 14 and 15, and Business Times on earlier reports of Colombo discussions between the IMF and the government continuing in Washington)
- http://www.sundaytimes.lk-