UpFront special: Noam Chomsky on the new Trump era

"The most predictable aspect of Trump is unpredictability. I think it's dangerous, very dangerous," says Noam Chomsky.

26 Nov 2016

In a special UpFront interview, renowned US academic and public intellectual Noam Chomsky sits down with Mehdi Hasan to discuss the implications of a Donald Trump presidency, on both domestic and global issues.

"He certainly is off the spectrum. There's never been anything like him," says Chomsky, an award-winning author, who is witnessing the 16th president over the course of his lifetime.

"He has no background at all in any political activities. Never held office, been interested in office. He has no known political positions," says Chomsky. "He's basically a showman."

Chomsky, who has spent decades critiquing US presidents, calls Trump an "ignorant, thin-skinned megalomaniac" and a "greater evil" than Hillary Clinton.

"Do you vote against the greater evil if you don't happen to like the other candidate? The answer to that is yes," says Chomsky, on Americans who cast their votes for third party candidates or simply stayed home on election day.

"If you have any moral understanding, you want to keep the greater evil out," says Chomsky. "I didn't like Clinton at all, but her positions are much better than Trump's on every issue I can think of."

In this interview, Mehdi Hasan and Chomsky talk Trump.

Reality Check - Did racism Trump economic anxiety in US election?

Before people took to the polls to elect a new president, analysts predicted that Hillary Clinton would win by a landslide. But in a shocking turn of events, Donald Trump nabbed the top spot.

How did Trump manage to win? Was it a boost from the economically "left-behind", as many seem to think, or did racism play a larger role?

In this week's Reality Check, Mehdi Hasan shows how it wasn't just economic concerns that drove voters into Trump's hands, but mostly racial resentment.

Follow UpFront on Twitter @AJUpFront and Facebook. 

Source: Al Jazeera News

Transition adviser’s tweets add intrigue to Trump aide Jason Miller’s sudden resignation

Jason Miller, one of President-elect Donald Trump's top campaign advisers, said Saturday he would not take a job overseeing White House communications strategy. (Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)

By Lenny Bernstein and Philip Rucker December 25

Twitter messages apparently posted by one of President-elect Donald Trump’s aides have added some intrigue to the sudden resignation of Jason Miller, Trump’s choice for communications director.

A tweet from the account of A.J. Delgado, an adviser to Trump’s campaign and a member of the transition team, appeared Thursday with the message: “Congratulations to the baby-daddy on being named WH ­Comms Director!” Delgado also appeared to call Miller “The 2016 version of John Edwards,” a reference to the former U.S. senator and Democratic presidential candidate who carried on an extramarital affair with his campaign videographer. Two other tweets called on Miller to resign — which he did.

“When people need to resign graciously and refuse to, it’s a bit . . . spooky,” one tweet read. It was followed by another saying Miller “needed to resign . . . yesterday.”

Delgado deactivated her Twitter account Saturday and could not be reached for comment ­Sunday.

Miller, who had been named Thursday to the high-level post of overseeing White House communications strategy, unexpectedly announced Christmas Eve that the West Wing job would be too demanding and he wanted to focus on his family.

The men and women the president-elect has selected for his Cabinet and White House team.

The departure of Miller, one of Trump’s top campaign advisers and a leading spokesman for his transition efforts, has been an unwelcome distraction for the transition team as it assembles a government.

“After spending this past week with my family, the most amount of time I have been able to spend with them since March 2015, it is clear they need to be my top priority right now and this is not the right time to start a new job as demanding as White House Communications Director,” Miller said in a statement.

He added: “My wife and I are also excited about the arrival of our second daughter in January, and I need to put them in front of my career. I look forward to continuing to support the President-elect from outside after my work on the Transition concludes.”

Contacted on Sunday about the Twitter messages, Miller said in an email that “I’ll let my previous statement stand at this time.”

Delgado, an attorney, is a former columnist for Mediaite and was one of Trump’s staunchest defenders during the campaign. In early October, as some Republicans abandoned Trump after a videotape 

revealed lewd talk years earlier by the GOP nominee, Delgado tweeted: “Trump’s talk has zero impact on how his policies would affect Americans. But sure, let’s waste a day in the Ivory Tower feigning outrage.” 

She frequently defended him in TV appearances during the campaign.

Sean Spicer, a veteran GOP operative who was named White House press secretary, will take over what were expected to be Miller’s duties and will also have the title of communications director, Miller said in the statement.

According to the New York Post, Delgado, Miller and another Trump aide were seen in a Las Vegas Strip club on the night before the final presidential debate in October with three employees from CNN, NBC and ABC.

The gold elevators in Trump Tower have been the center of attention since Donald Trump won the presidential election Nov. 8. Here’s a look back at some of the most interesting people who've met with Trump to date. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post)

The gold elevators in Trump Tower have been the center of attention since Donald Trump won the presidential election Nov. 8. Here’s a look back at some of the most interesting people who've met with Trump to date. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post)

Miller, who has worked as a political consultant at Jamestown Associates, has a long history in GOP politics.

Miller joined Trump’s campaign as senior communications adviser shortly before the ­Republican National Convention, after serving as a top communications aide for the presidential campaign of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). He oversaw the Trump ­campaign’s communications throughout the general election. 

He continued in that role during the transition, sharing lead spokesman duties with Spicer.

Successes & Failures of 2016 U.S. Elections — Part 3

Failure of Policies Influenced The 2016 Election Outcome

by Sunil J. Wimalawansa-Dec 27, 2016

It’s the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us the freedom of the press.

It’s the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us the freedom of speech.

It’s the Soldier, not the politicians that ensures
Our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

It’s the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag.  ~Author Unknown~

---

Read previous parts of this series: Part One  & Part Two 

---

( December 27, 2016, Washington DC, Sri Lanka Guardian) During the past 8-years, Obama administration made some useful contributions in domestic arena, such as Wall Street reform, saving/turning around the U.S. auto industry, and the virtuous “intentions” of the Obama healthcare plan, and others, as well as the global climate change agreement in Paris.

Others however, most Republicans disagree with many of these as Obama accomplishments.  Unfortunately, the recession that Mr. Obama administration inherited, did not facilitate the economic progress; it was continued until recently.  Nevertheless, key policy failures of Obama administration piled up, especially during his second term.  Let’s look at some of the key policy failures during the past 8-years.

FAILURE OF POLICIES OF OBAMA ADMINISTRATION:  

A). Obamacare, unemployment and national debt:

Obama administration policy fiascos includes the problematic Obama healthcare law.  It was not thought through properly; so, as its mode of executive implementation, segregated within the state boundaries, escalating cost and the associated job losses.  This strain was added to the stagnant economy and high unemployment rate, doubling the national debt, and failures of foreign policies.

In addition to the flawed statistical modal used for reporting unemployment rates that account for only about 45% of those who are truly unemployed deceived the national and the international community with inaccurate U.S. unemployment statistics.  In fact, those who drop out of the labor force has been continues to increase over the past decade.  We hope the news administration would not misinform the public with fake statistics.  These alone accounted for approximately, two-thirds of failures of the current administration.

Other examples of failed policies include, foreign affairs, near zero interest rates (perhaps stagflation) and associated stagnant growth, record low labor participation rates, low home ownerships, close to $20 trillion of budget deficit; doubling of the national debt during the Obama’s tenure.  The later amounts to adding more than two-billion dollars of deficit each day, to the national debt.

B). Foreign policy failures:

United States missed several opportunities in the international arena, where it could have demonstrated the unique U.S. leadership in a non-partisan manner.  In addition to the lack of progress of (failed) Palestinian¾Israeli negotiations; the policy failures in the Middle-East have led to turmoil, ruining the peace, economic base, destruction, hindrance of development and prosperity in the entire region.  Failure of US policies and indecisions have escalated sector-based fighting and amplified the refugee crisis in the region.  In addition, the failure to act and keeping the promises, and the lack of commitment to international situations and peace, such as in Ukraine, Palestine and in Syria, have pave the path to Russian, global domination.

In another scenario, the president announced warnings and redlines against foreign governments and unscrupulous terrorist groups who were using chemical weapons against innocent civilians, but failed to take actions when these adversaries crossed these redlines (failed resets).  These inactions and inability to stick to mandates not only weaken the bearings but also affected the credibility of the U.S. government.

United Stated should never have taken or declare such half-hearted claims and declarations, unless it is ready to take actions.  To make such strategic threats (to avoid war), one need to have courage, overwhelming military strength, and the leadership.  The lack of well-thought decisive actions taken by the United States, with little common-sense and balanced leaderships over the past two decades have dramatically worsen both national and international situations and the international credibility of U.S.

More recently, secret Iran nuclear deal (quid for pro) was made irrespective of the ‘cost and consequences’ to the Unites States and its allies.  This was pushed through quietly, but swiftly and firmly.  Apparently with the goals of demonstrating great ‘achievements’ and reaching a difficult milestone.  However, the Iranian government is apparently not abiding the agreement already.  It seems, that this is an expensive road build to nowhere.

C). Immigration havoc: 

What about the calamities of smuggling of people, drugs, and weapons to the United States, particularly though U.S. southern border?  Most people agree that, major lapses of implementing border control and immigration policies as important issues.  Failure of taking decisive actions to control multiple immigration related problems continue to harm the country.  Moreover, the new administration should consider revoking the “falsely and/or mistakenly” granted citizenships to thousands of illegal aliens over the past couple of years.  Not taking such actions is grossly unfair for the law-abiding citizens.

Travelling to USA to deliver babies to get US citizenship¾“birth tourism” is an expanding industry.  Apparently, mostly Chinese and Mexicans pregnant mothers (failed to declare that they are pregnant) are exploiting this loophole in the U.S. law.  United States is perhaps the only country, where pregnant mothers from other nations make ‘special pilgrimages’ to deliver, to obtain United States citizenships for their babies.

This calculated and deliberate violation is not only to exploit the high-quality U.S. healthcare virtually at no cost, but more importantly to obtain US citizenship (birthright citizenship) for the baby!  The new U.S. administration needs to enact a clear legislation to stop this gross abuse of good will of the United States and the associated injustice to those who are waiting years to obtain their legal citizenships.

D). Over-use of executive powers and deviation from policies: 

Obama-driven policies left the Democrats with ideological and political disarray.  Despite the clear mandate, Mr. Obama had, when he first came to power, he entered a grid-lock with the Congress; thus, unable to move forward with meaningful legislations.  Thus, he opted to became one-person show by resorting to the use of excessive executive power in handling domestic and foreign affairs, especially during his second term in office.

On multiple issues, Obama policies and executive orders went too far to the left, which alienated the majority in the country, including Democrats.  Some of these include but not limited to are, distuption of social issues and beliefs, redistribution of wealth, re-opening divisions within the society (e.g., clashes between the Police and African American), allow bypassing citizenship lines in favor of illegal aliens, amnesty, propagation and funding of sanctuary cities violating federal statues and enhancing violence and crimes, promote large government, over-regulations and Washington control that prevented economic and job growth, unlimited spending, and escalating debt.

Many of these executive orders that President Obama executed but failed to become laws of the country are likely to be reverse by the new president.  As per the constitution, many of these mandates can be quickly revoke without the need for going through a cumbersome rout of Congressional approvals.

E). Increase gaps between sectors and enhancing public anger:

Many of the above-mentioned acts increased the gap between various “sectors” in the society and led to resentments and enhanced divisions within the country.  However, these did not go well with the ordinary American public, especially when these were not directed for betterment of the people, economy, or job growth, but directed to gain popularity for self, the party, and minority groups, while alienating others.

F). Erosion of the public trust and the credibility;

Cumulation of these miscalculations and failures have eroded the public trust, credibility of the president and the Democratic Party policies.  Many of these were also exposed by WikiLeaks during 2016.  In general, the overall situation has become worse during the past two-decades, due to mishandling of policies and false promises given to the public by the successive U.S. Politicians / governments.  These have led to public frustration, anger, and helplessness.

Collectively, the failure of appropriate actions by the Obama administration, and outdated Democratic Party policies, corruptions, derogatory comments made by Secretary Clinton during the election campaign, and issues highlighted by the WikiLeaks, led to the downfall of the Secretary Clinton and the Democratic Party, and success of Mr. Trump and the Republican Party.  The next article will analyze the 2016, political revolution.

---

Professor Sunil J. Wimalawansa MD, PhD, MBA, DSc, is a Physician-Scientist, Social Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, and Educator with strategic long-term vision.  Author can be reached via wimalawansa.org

Bangladesh garment factories sack hundreds after pay protests

Dozens have been arrested amid clashes with police as impoverished workers demand a trebling of pay

 Garment factory workers protest in Dhaka on 23 December. A week-long shutdown at 50 factories ended on Tuesday. Photograph: Abir Abdullah/EPA

Michael Safi and agencies in Dhaka-Tuesday 27 December 2016

At least 1,500 workers have been sacked from Bangladesh garment factories after protests forced a week-long shutdown at dozens of sites supplying top European and American brands.

Tens of thousands of workers walked out of factories this month in the manufacturing hub of Ashulia which make clothes for top western brands such as Gap, Zara and H&M, prompting concerns over supply during the holiday season.

The protests were sparked by the sacking of 121 workers, but soon evolved into a demand for the trebling of workers’ pay from the current monthly minimum of 5,300 taka (£54).

More than 50 factories were closed last week to try to contain the protests, which escalated after police fired rubber bullets that injured 10 demonstrators, according to labour leader Taslima Akhter.

Police have branded the protests illegal and said they had arrested 30 workers including seven union leaders, as well as a television reporter covering the unrest.

On Tuesday, they said factory owners had sacked around 1,500 workers and resumed operations.

“All the factories have resumed their operations. Some 90% of the workers have joined work,” said Nur Nabi, assistant superintendent of police.

“Around 1,500 workers have been sacked [by the owners]. The owners have filed five cases against the unruly workers,” he told AFP.

Many of the sacked workers discovered their fate only after arriving at work to see a list of those affected posted on factory gates.

The monthly minimum wage for Bangladeshi textile workers was raised in 2013 after the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory complex which killed 1,134 people. It triggered massive protests and international scrutiny of the industry.

But it remains one of the lowest wages in the world, less than one-fifth of what some campaigners estimate to be the country’s living wage.

The Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation said the number of sacked workers was actually far higher, about 3,500, with dozens more labour organisers forced into hiding.

The head of the federation, Babul Akhter, said authorities had shut down the protests by using a controversial wartime-era law intended to deal with threats to state security.

“They used [the] Special Powers Act to detain union leaders and workers,” he said. “Up to 3,500 workers have been sacked and 50 leaders have gone into hiding.”

The Ashulia police chief said only those involved in violent protests had been arrested.

“When a worker is suspended or sacked by a factory owner, they don’t easily get a job again,” Taslima Akhter said.

“The owners make a list of those workers and distribute their names and photos close to the particular factory. They never get jobs again in that area.”

She said the 5,300 taka workers were paid each month was supposed to cover healthcare, transport, rent and food. But the wage had not increased since 2013 and was “not enough to survive on”.

“If workers need to rent a room, they have to pay between 2,500 and 4,500 taka,” she said. “And the price of daily products is very high. If they want to go to a good doctor, they also have to pay more.”

Shawkat Ali, a worker at the Rose Dresses factory in Ashulia, was among those who lost his job. He said he needed a pay increase because so much of his wage each month was spent on rent.

“I can’t buy food with 1,500 Bangladeshi taka each month,” he said. “I am ill, but I can’t buy medicine.”

He estimated around 250 workers had been sacked from his factory and another 13 were facing criminal charges.

Taslima Akhter said workers had returned to their shifts for the moment, and that labour leaders were trying to free those arrested.

“Factory owners and the government have tried to stop these protests by force, by police … and by sacking workers,” she said.

“The situation is not good, workers are living in fear, but workers’ organisations will keep protesting and demanding the unconditional release of arrested leaders and workers.”

On Friday, Nazmul Huda, a TV journalist covering the demonstrations was also arrested for allegedly “spread[ing] false and provocative news ”, Indian media reported.

The protests were the latest blow to the impoverished country’s $30bn garment industry after a series of attacks on foreigners and religious minorities in Bangladesh.

Garment manufacturing makes up 80% of Bangladesh’s exports and a prolonged interruption would have a major impact on the economy.

Bangladesh’s 4,500 garment factories have a woeful history of poor pay and conditions for their four million workers, and protests occur frequently.

The Rana Plaza tragedy triggered international outrage, forcing US and European clothing brands to improve deplorable safety conditions at their supplier factories.

Mushfique Wadud contributed to this report

South Korea: 29 lawmakers leave ruling party over Park scandal

A group of lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party attends a press conference to announce to leave the party at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016. The sign in the background reads: "Open politics and fair society." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

27th December 2016

DOZENS of lawmakers left South Korea’s ruling Saenuri Party on Tuesday following factional fighting over the corruption scandal surrounding impeached President Park Geun-hye.

According to Yonhap, the 29 anti-Park lawmakers will register their own parliamentary negotiation group and establish a new party on Jan 24 in order to prepare for the coming presidential election.

“Park loyalists have forgotten the true values of conservatism and as a result lost the people’s trust,” the news agency quoted the group as saying. They criticised Park’s allies for ignoring the people’s wishes in their defence of the president embroiled in the corruption and influence-peddling scandal.

The group’s departure has reduced the governing party to the second largest in Parliament with 99 seats, behind the main opposition Democratic Party with 121 lawmakers. The People’s Party is third with 38 seats.

The group initially claimed 35 lawmakers will leave, with around 30 members expected to tender their resignation from the conservative party on Tuesday, while others were to join in January.

Lawmakers voted to impeach Park on Dec 9 over allegations that she colluded with longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil to extort money and favours from companies, and allowed the latter to manipulate state affairs.

Speculation is rife that the party, tentatively named the New Conservation Party for Reform, will likely try to lure outgoing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as its presidential candidate in hopes of winning back the Blue House after Park’s fall from grace complicated the party’s politics.

This comes after the news agency reported on Monday that South Korea’s Constitutional Court will start the official review of Park’s impeachment next week.

SEE ALSO: South Korea: Top court to start official impeachment review next week

The top court said its preparation procedure will be complete this week once it receives the outcome of the prosecution’s investigations into the case.

Meanwhile, Yonhap also reported that South Korean lawmakers were able to question Park’s friend, Choi, on Monday at a detention center despite her repeated refusal to appear at a parliamentary hearing.

Choi Soon-sil, a long-time friend of South Korean President Park Geun-hye who is at the center of the South Korean political scandal involving Park, arrives for her first court hearing in Seoul, South Korea, December 19, 2016. Korea Pool/via REUTERS

Members of a special parliamentary committee who visited the detention center on the outskirts of Seoul had originally planned to air the question session but decided to carry out the interrogation in private after hours of arguing with the correctional office.

Lawmakers claim Choi denied most of the allegations raised against her during the two and a half-hour-long questioning.

Some members of the committee also visited two of Park’s former presidential aides, who had refused to attend a hearing at the National Assembly, at another detention center.

Choi and the two aides claim that their testimonies could affect an ongoing investigation by independent prosecutors.

Additional reporting from Associated Press.

Hip pain may be 'hangover from evolution'

Bones from the skeleton of the 3.2m-year-old hominid Lucy-SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARYImage caption

By Smitha Mundasad-27 December 2016

Scientists at the University of Oxford say a hangover from evolution could help explain why humans get so much shoulder, hip and knee pain.

And if current trends continue they predict the humans of the future could be at even greater risk.

They studied 300 specimens from different species spanning 400 million years to see how bones changed subtly over millennia.

The changes came as man began standing up straight on two legs.

Other researchers have noticed similar evolutionary quirks in humans. Some people prone to lower back problems, for example, could have spines closer in shape to those of our nearest ape relative - the chimpanzee.

'Bizarre arrangement'

Dr Paul Monk, who led the research at the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, was interested to explore why patients in his clinic came in with similar orthopaedic problems.

"We see certain things very commonly in hospital clinics - pain in the shoulder with reaching overhead, pain in the front of the knee, arthritis of the hip, and in younger people we see some joints that have a tendency to pop out.

"We wondered how on earth we have ended up with this bizarre arrangement of bones and joints that allows people to have these problems.

"And it struck us that the way to answer that is to look backwards through evolution."

The team took detailed CT scans of 300 ancient specimens housed at the Natural History Museum in London, in Oxford, and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

Bringing the data together, they were able to create a library of 3D models, and spot changes to the shapes of single bones over millions of years.

The thigh bone changing over time

As species evolved from moving around on four legs to standing up on two, for example, researchers say the so-called neck of the thigh bone grew broader to support the extra weight.

And studies show that the thicker the neck of the thigh bone, the more likely it is that arthritis will develop.

Scientists say this is one potential reason why humans are susceptible to so much hip pain.

The team then used their data to hazard a guess at the shape of human bones 4,000 years in the future - although they admit there are many uncertainties in future times that could not be accounted for.

Dr Monk said: "What is interesting is if we try and move these trends forward, the shape that is coming has an even broader neck and we are trending to more and more arthritis."

In the shoulder, scientists found that a natural gap - which tendons and blood vessels normally pass through - got narrower over time.

The narrower space makes it more difficult for tendons to move and might help explain why some people experience pain when they reach overhead, say the scientists.

The shape of the shoulder changing over time.

Using these predictions, the researchers suggest joint replacements of the future will have to be re-designed to accommodate the evolving shapes.

But they say it is not all bad news - the right physiotherapy and working on maintaining a good posture can help mitigate some of the downsides of our design.

Refugee Jesus: Christmas & Refugees in Sri Lanka

Photo by Jessica Sallabank, from IRIN

RUKI FERNANDO on 12/25/2016

Jesus was born as a refugee child. When Mary, the pregnant mother on the move couldn’t find a place to give birth, it was poor shepherds that welcomed them to their stable. Immediately after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph had to flee, to save the baby Jesus’s life from assassination attempt of a cruel King. This is the story of Christmas.

This story of Refugee Jesus, the stable and poor but generous shepherds and fleeing parents had a huge resonance for me during Christmas 2008 in when babies were born in refugee camps and later in bunkers amidst showers of bombs and shells, in Northern Sri Lanka. Last week, when I attended a Christmas gathering of Pakistani refugees in Sri Lanka, I was again stuck by the story of this original Christmas.

Compared to grand Christmas parties and Christmas Carols in luxurious hotels, decorated and lighted up Christmas trees on streets, malls and churches in Colombo, the refugee’s Christmas party was a simple event. A few Catholic priests and sisters were present and helped to organize the event. But otherwise, it was attended and run only by refugee families including children. More than the Christmas Carols, I remember them singing “we shall overcome some day…we shall live in peace some day…we shall be free some day”.

Refugees from Sri Lanka and Refugees in Sri Lanka

More than a million Sri Lankans are estimated to have fled the country as refugees to India and western countries during the war and afterwards. Even this year, those subjected to abductions and inhumane torture in Sri Lanka have fled to England. Many activists and journalists who had criticized and challenged the Rajapakse’s dictatorial and corrupt family rule were also compelled to flee Sri Lanka. Some years ago, I also left Sri Lanka due to imminent threats. I and many others have benefitted from the care and support from our friends and strangers in foreign countries.

At the same time, a small number of people facing persecution in their own countries have come to Sri Lanka seeking refuge here. Christians, Ahmadi Muslims and Atheists as well as activists, journalists, bloggers and gay persons from Pakistan and Bangladesh have been amongst those who had come to Sri Lanka seeking refuge in the last few years. I have become friends and gotten to know some of them a bit better during this time. On one hand, I feel proud that they have trusted us and come to us, hoping that we would care for them in their time of need and desperation. But my predominant feeling is of sadness and shame, that we as peoples and our government has not been able to welcome them warmly and care for them.

UNHCR, Refugees and Asylum seekers in Sri Lanka

Through an agreement in 2005, the Sri Lankan government has agreed to facilitate the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) mandate to determine refugee status of those from other countries who come to Sri Lanka and apply for refugee status.

According to UNHCR[1], there are 576 refugee claimants (asylum seekers) in Sri Lanka as of 31st August 2016, whose refugee applications are pending. These include 35 who registered in August. 439 are from Pakistan and 106 from Afghanistan, while others are from Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen. The decisions on the refugee applications by UNHCR in Sri Lanka can take several years, with a longer process for those who have to appeal against rejections. In August, 10 persons were rejected refugee status by UNHCR, including 4 after an appeal.

According to the same UNHCR report, there were 649 persons in Sri Lanka who have been accepted as refugees as of 31st August 2016, including 23 recognized in August 2016.  529 were from Pakistan and 73 from Afghanistan, with others coming from Bangladesh, Iran, Maldives, Palestine, Somalia, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.

Sri Lankan Government and Refugees in Sri Lanka

Despite the 2005 agreement, several refugee claimants were arrested, detained and deported in 2014. Although the new government has been more tolerant of refugees and refugee claimants, they continue to live a miserable and uncertain life in Sri Lanka. Most Sri Lankan politicians, activists and journalists are focused on issues considered “Sri Lankan”, such as economy, corruption, new constitution, transitional justice etc. We are of course quick to seek international assistance from abroad in relation to these. But sadly, our government doesn’t permit refugees recognized as needing international protection to stay in Sri Lanka, despite the number of refugees in Sri Lanka being around 0.003% of the population. This is indeed a sad indictment of our religiosity, culture, laws, policies and practice.

Hence, those recognized as refugees have to wait several years even after being recognized as refugees before a third country accepts them for permanent resettlement. According to UNHCR, 272 persons have left for USA, 11 to Canada and 1 to Sweden under UNHCR resettlement process between January to August 2016. Separately, 14 persons had left for Canada under Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR), a program separate to UNHCR, where private individuals and organizations in Canada can sponsor the resettlement of refugees. The waiting period for this too can be about 3 and half years[2].

Challenges facing Refugees in Sri Lanka

Refugee claimants in Sri Lanka don’t get any support from the government in terms of housing, food and other living expenses. UNHCR doesn’t provide any assistance to them either until and unless they are granted refugee status. Thus, they are totally depended on any of their own savings, support from relatives and friends, or other well-wishers such as NGOs and church groups. In Sri Lanka, there is hardly any such well-wishers, despite the extensive support hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankan refugees and internally displaced persons have received from foreign organizations.

For those who are accepted as refugees, UNHCR provides an all inclusive amount of Rs. 10,000 (approximately USD 67) per person for a month, for accommodation, food, communication, transport etc. Families with up to one child receive Rs. 16,000 (approximately USD 107) and families with two or more children receive Rs. 22,000 (approximately USD 148). It is almost impossible to survive in Sri Lanka with such meagre amounts. There are very few groups who have shown interest to support refugees in Sri Lanka.

The government prohibits refugee claimants and refugees from engaging in employment. But in desperation, some work illegally. One refugee told me that he works as a construction worker a few days a week, earning Rs. 1,000 (approximately USD 6.70) per day. He explained difficulties in language and also due to the fact that he had never done such work in his home country. The inability to work legally has made them extremely vulnerable, with no recourse to legal remedies if they are abused by employers. Recently, an Australian volunteer initiated a livelihood project for two refugee woman and had managed to sell most of the initial products. But sustaining sales and marketing their products in Sri Lanka remains a major challenge.

Education for children is another major challenge. UNHCR covers school expenses of children between the age of 6 to 10 years. But this means that children are unable to attend school or pre-school until they are 6 and after 10. As a result, many refugee children are unable to attend school. Although some initiatives were taken in the past to organize teachers within the community, these were difficult to sustain and could not become a viable replacement for a formal school system.

Refugees have sought and received primary health care through hospitals, but when more serious health care is needed, and when external medication and medical tests are required, refugees are unable to access such services due to lack of money. Persecutions suffered in home country, prolonged periods of stay as refugee claimant / refugee, lack of basic needs and uncertainty about future has resulted in trauma for many refugees and their families, but a refugee told me recently that mental healthcare and counselling is not easily available for them.

According to the government[3], 78 (69 males and 9 females) refugees/refugee claimants are presently in detention, with the largest number of 36 being from Bangladesh. Last week, one lady told me her son had been in detention for around two years and another lady told me her husband has been in detention also around two years.

Refugees in Sri Lanka & Legal protections 

Sri Lanka is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention. Although Sri Lanka is a party to the UN Convention Against Torture[4] there are no specific legislative provisions in Sri Lanka to give effect to article 3 (1) of the convention, to prevent the state from returning or extraditing a person to another state when there are substantial grounds for believing that such persons would be in danger of being subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, despite this also being a well-established principle of Customary International Law.

In the Constitution, article 12(2) dealing with prohibition of discrimination excludes non-citizens. And protections from arbitrary arrest, detention and punishment provided for in article 13(1-6) in the constitution has been denied to persons arrested, detained and deported under immigration related laws under article 13 (7).

Thinking about refugees in Sri Lanka during Christmas & beyond

Reflections about a giant Christmas tree and millions of rupees being spent on Christmas celebrations and inspiration from Refugee Jesus could hopefully enable Christians to offer more care and support to refugees in coming years. Beyond Christmas, the constitutional reform process in 2017 offers Sri Lankans a good opportunity to do away with legal provisions that are discriminatory and unjust towards refugees. And to enable a more welcoming and supportive environment for refugees where their rights, dignity and wellbeing are guaranteed through our constitution, laws, policies and practice.

[1] Monthly report of Asylum Seekers & refugees by UNHCR Colombo, August 2016

[2] http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/index.asp

[3] Written Additional Information submitted by the Government of Sri Lanka on the 5^th Periodic Report to the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT), Nov. / Dec.2016, available at http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1085&Lang=en

[4] Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

The Role Of Civil Society In Developing A Future Strategy For The Well Being Of The Nation

Dr. Siri Gamage

December 26, 2016

Frustrations among civil society activists, journalists and others who expected a yahapalanaya and a change in the style of politics from the current government are starting to appear in the news media in various forms. For example, in a recent article by Sarath de Alwis following comment appears:

‘This government has failed. Speed is essential for meaningful reform. If reforms do not follow immediately after change, the movement loses its momentum. The change of 8th January 2015 failed to dislodge the entrenched elite. All they needed was a small window of opportunity to hijack the movement for reform by raising concerns of national security.

People who yearned for good governance now demand it. The demand is directed to a regime that has reneged on its promise. The political success of a reform movement pivots on the consistency with which it correlates vision with process. Proof of the pudding is transparency of process’ (CT 25.12.2016).

If there is no credible vision and a process theoretically initiated by the Yahapalana government, what should the civil society organisations do?

In an article I wrote on Crossover Politics, Political Class And The Craving For Positions on December 26th 2014, I raised following questions:

‘The crucial question to ask is whether the political culture promoted by the political class that has been constructed from political families and the system within the system will change with the next Presidential election? Which coalition will change it and how? Will the ‘official’ system become prominent over the ‘unofficial’ and the ‘personal’?’

In the face of any meaningful action from the current government on some issues, e.g. corruption, and ‘the burden of governance system’ exemplified by the continuing privileges enjoyed by the ruling political class in its current configuration, and the debt ridden nature of the economy, it is no surprise that frustrations of the civil society activists and more enlightened sections of the society are yet again filtering into the media this way. What is the role of civil society organisations in this context? What is the way forward for civil society activists and non-mainstream political parties to bring about desired changes in the governance structure and remove the grip held by the political class and political families away for a better future? In this article, I examine a few options.

Firstly, civil society organisations that are focused on social justice, non discrimination, racial reconciliation, human rights, gender equality, education for all and poverty alleviation have a continuing role to play in terms of articulating the current issues facing the population. Irrespective of the stand they took in the previous elections for electing the President and the members of parliament, they have a duty to do so in good faith for devising a way forward. In a situation where there is no ‘effective’ opposition party in the parliament, such a role exercised by the civil society organisations, the media and enlightened individuals in society is very much required. The issues to ponder can be not only the day-to-day mundane matters such as the Hambantota Fiasco, new road rules, the bond issue or the import of luxury cars for the MPs. They could be issues of long term interest such as those of the country’s dependence or independence on foreign powers for economic development (along the growth model), environmental sustainability, sustainable development, unemployed youths, foreign debts, rights of citizens irrespective of ethnicity or gender, cost of government, indigenous vs Western dominated knowledge construction, education suitable for the country, and how to divide powers between the centre and provinces. People from all walks of life can and should have a view about these issues and express them in various fora rather than being victims of the consumerist culture and living for the sake of living according to the designs mapped out by the corporate sector.

Secondly, articulating views individually or collectively in groups is not enough in itself. There has to be a critique about the existing policies and strategies that need to be made public. If the existing policies and strategies for resolving national issues are not adequate, the reasons need to be explained as to why? If the current government is not following a rational path to achieve required goals in various fields, this needs to be highlighted. For such achievements, leadership is a necessary quality. Are individuals who have been appointed to roles of leadership sleeping at the Wheel? Are there some who are trying to make a difference? Who is in the way of such individuals preventing their agendas and programs designed for public good? These need to be examined, discussed and exposed.

Thirdly, a future strategy has to be developed by the civil society organisations, concerned journalists, academics, professionals and minor parties to achieve the goal of a socially just society and a yahapalanaya. This is the most important and difficult task to address but one that could not be avoided in the current context. Without a clear strategy developed in consultation with each other and the public at large, no amount of expressions of frustration and critique will suffice. I am referring to minor parties here because I believe there needs to be a third political force in the country now that the public seems to be fed up with the two party system of governance –in terms of various coalitions (yet rule by political families). In developing such a strategy, several factors need to be taken into consideration:

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