Friday, January 27, 2017

UN torture report a wakeup call to SL Govt.: Sooka

2017-01-27

A UN report which was published yesterday describing a ‘culture of torture’ in Sri Lanka is a wakeup call to President Maithripala Sirisena’s Government to comply with its obligations under international law and to the international community to put torture prevention at the core of its engagement with the new Government, the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) yesterday said.

The UN report by Special Rapporteur Juan Mendez was published yesterday following his mission to Sri Lanka last year as UN Special Rapporteur on torture.

The Special Rapporteur said he received credible reports to show “white van abductions” have taken place under the Sirisena government in 2015 and 2016. ITJP’s executive director Yasmin Sooka said this ‘devastating’ report rightly calls for an office which is independent of the Attorney General’s office to investigate and prosecute allegations of torture in Sri Lanka.

“We have already offered to assist both the Foreign Minister and the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission in identifying international experts to help set up such an investigative team. If they are serious about justice this should have been done two years ago,” she said.

Ms. Sooka said there has been a deep seated reluctance to accept the evidence on the on-going violations but without security sector reform these sorts of violations will inevitably continue.

“Denying the evidence of ongoing abductions because they are politically inconvenient is an unforgivable affront to the scores of victims whose cases have been painstakingly documented by ITJP, our medical colleagues and other human rights groups,” she said.

The report says Sri Lanka’s progress in implementing UN Resolution 30/1 has been slow and transitional justice paralyzed. It stresses the need for a participatory process that earns the trust of victims, including those living outside the country.

“The prevention of ongoing abduction, torture and sexual violence – including the rape of young men – must be the focus of the transitional justice process in Sri Lanka. Two years on there’s been no structural reform to tackle systemic failures of the justice machinery,” said Ms. Sooka.

Sri Lanka’s Future – Three Scenarios

By Razeen Sally –January 27, 2017

We have to ask ourselves some very hard, direct questions. One is this: Sinhala society is very hierarchical. There is historically been a yearning for the “big man” in sinhala society, a dutugamunu character. The political conditions may be right for someone who pretends to be that kind of man. Sinhala habits of the heart as it were. It’s not that long ago that Sinhala mobs not only burnt Tamil shops but also Tamil people. And disgustingly mutilated other Sinhalese in coastal roads and the hill country. It is not that long ago that atrocities equally, if not more worse were committed by the LTTE and other Tamil terrorist groups. Is that really behind us? I’m not that persuaded. I would like to say that it is. But I think Sri Lanka’s foundations are too brittle.

A public lecture by Prof. Razeen Sally in Colombo on the broad theme of “Sri Lanka’s future – Three scenarios” to educate people on Take off the Sri Lankan economy, Drift & Stagnation and the Reversal of Sri Lankan economy organised by Advocata Institute in last December:

I just want to make three points before I get into the hard content of my talk. The first is to reinforce the points that Advocata Institute COO Dhananath made about Advocata.

The time is definitely right for a Think Tank forum to promote limited government, free markets in a genuinely open society here in Sri Lanka. This combination has been very weakly represented. It is a set of beliefs that scattered individuals hold, but it’s time that they were represented collectively; and also to appeal to the young, the dynamic, the aspirational, not just here in Colombo but beyond, in the second tier cities, in the small towns and in particular, among those whose mother tongues are Sinhala and Tamil.

I would hope as Advocata grows, that it does things genuinely differently. There are far too many organizations, including think tanks here in Sri Lanka that are very hierarchical, very stuffy, very bureaucratic, very cautious and which seem to be unable and unwilling to communicate with the public out there in straight plain-talking language. So I’m counting on Advocata people to do things differently to be un- hierarchical, un- stuffy, un- bureaucratic, to speak in plainly and to show that collectively things can be done differently in Sri Lanka to appeal to the kind of audience that I mentioned before — the young, dynamic and the aspirational.

The ideas that people have been faced with in the past have clearly not worked.

It begins with a romantic socialism which still attracts some thinking people. Sri Lanka has had its fair share of revolutionary utopias. They have been refuted by history. We now know the reality of how Russia and China really worked rather than the romantic visions of them going back a generation or two. There are still some people in Sri Lanka who eulogized Fidel Castro when he died just a couple of weeks ago. Well we know, it is documented, that Fidel Castro was a crook, a thug and a murderer on a not insignificant scale. Well he was a saint of course when compared to Stalin and Mao who between them and among them killed scores more than even Hitler. So we should say goodbye to those revolutionary utopians.

I have a quote here from the German poet Friedrich Holderlin who said, “What has always made the state a hell on earth has been precisely that man has tried to make it heaven” and we should not try to make heaven on earth because we may end up making a living hell out of it.

Sri Lanka is also seduced by communal socialism of the Tamil variety, and the Sinhala variety and they have torn this country apart. It has been seduced by the crony socialism of the SLFP and who has that benefited? The Bandaranayake’s, then the Rajapaksas and their bootlickers of course. Finally, not least not least Sri Lanka has been seduced by the crony capitalism of the UNP and who has that benefited? a Colombo oligarchy of course, but not nearly enough Sri Lankans outside that circle.

Media Statement from the People’s Movement against the Port City.

27/01/2017

People’s movement against the port city at its meeting held on the 22nd of January at No. 64 Chilaw Rd, Negombo decided to vehemently protest the continued mining of sand less than 10km from shore by the CHEC with flagrant disregard to the undertaking by the Deputy Minister of Megapolis Mr. Alagiyawanna in October, 2016. Deputy Minister Alagiyawanna made this promise to fasting fishermen in Negombo who taking the GoSL at their word ceased their strike after five days.

Image courtesy of colombofortcity.lk.

The promise was made in the presence of the fishermen and the Catholic Church authorities and was shown on national television. The website www.marinetracking.com provides 24 hours updates of the locations of the two dredgers, (JUN YANG 1 & WAN QING SHA) currently in operation and any person is able to see that dredging is being carried out less than 6-7 km off the coast. The visual observations of the fishermen confirm the website data and the fishermen have GPS located photographs of the dredger in operation.

However, the inaction of Mr. Champika Ranawaka the Minister in charge of the Megapolis and his deputy Mr. Alagiywanna indicates the undertaking was a cynical misdirection designed to hoodwink the fisher folk and the Church authorities.

Our position as the People’s Movement against the Port City from its very inception has been that the land fill is unnecessary, unwarranted and hazardous not just to the livelihood of the fisher folk (as clearly stated in the SEIA) but also potentially to the whole Western seaboard as claimed by the incumbent Prime Minister when he sought the public’s mandate to cease the whole project.

The destruction already caused to the Western coast at several places from sand mining activities prove beyond doubt that the project is harmful to the physical and social environment.

Therefore, while reiterating the same position once again, we demand the President and the Prime Minister to cease this project forthwith.

People’s Movement against the Port City

Conveners

Fr. Sherard Jayawardene. 071 4259133
Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda 0714 315124
Mr. Aruna Roshantha 071 534 4570

Switzerland ordered to pay €30,000 to deported ex-LTTEr

2017-01-27

The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Switzerland to pay 30,000 euros as compensation to a Sri Lankan who was deported from Switzerland and subsequently arrested and allegedly beaten in Colombo, The Local reported yesterday.

The unnamed man, a Tamil who had fought with the Tamil Tigers against the Sri Lankan government, requested asylum in Switzerland in 2009, telling the Swiss authorities he had been persecuted in his own country.

The request was rejected and, following an unsuccessful appeal, the man, his wife and children were deported in 2013.

On arrival at Colombo airport they were stopped and questioned, before the man was taken into custody where he was beaten and ill-treated.

He was visited by a representative of the Swiss ambassador who said the man was too frightened to speak freely, found the court.

After that visit the man’s wife and children returned to live in Switzerland.

He was finally released in 2015 and requested a Swiss visa on humanitarian grounds, which was accepted by the Swiss migration office.

In its judgement on Thursday, the ECHR decided that Switzerland must have been aware that the man risked persecution when it deported him to Sri Lanka.

The court judged that Switzerland had therefore violated article three of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits torture or degrading treatment and the extradition of a person to a foreign state if they are likely to be subjected to torture there.

Switzerland must now pay the man 30,000 euros in damages and 4,770 euros in costs.

Info Dept. DG Ignorant About The Very RTI Act That He Boast About !

January 28, 2017

Even as Sri Lanka’s RTI Act is supposed to be implemented in regard to all public authorities from February 3rd 2017, Director General of the Information Department, Ranga Kalansooriya’s basic ignorance about even the Act’s time limits in which information must be given, has been exposed.

Ranga Kalansooriya

In a newspaper interview given to a daily newspaper on Thursday, Kalansooriya claimed that ‘They have to place the request in writing and the request, if it is possible would be given in 14 days. So, all information sought could be provided within 14 days. If more time is needed then it could go up to 45 days. But, the process has to be finished within 45 days. 14 days is the minimum to say whether the information could be given. But the entire process should be completed in a maximum of 45 days.’

A quick look at the Act by Colombo Telegraph reveals that under Section 25, an information officer shall, as quickly as possible and in any event, decide to provide information or not within a maximum of (14) fourteen working days. If a decision is made to provide the information requested for, access to such information needs to be given within a further fourteen days of arriving at such decision.

So in all, the maximum time that an information officer can take is 28 days (fourteen plus fourteen), if not earlier. In two situations, where the request is for a large number of records or if the records are in some other city completely, then an extension of a further twenty one (21) days can be asked for. In all instances, if there is unjustified delay, the citizen can appeal to the RTI Commission against the information officer.

Kalansooriya’s obvious mistake about the time limits was not corrected by the journalist interviewing him in a ‘puff piece’ written to boost the Info DG.

After discovering this mistake, Colombo Telegraph spoke to a RTI activist who had prominently supported the yahapalanaya Government to come into power but was now a strong critic on television and in public. His response was that this was just one of many lies uttered by Kalansooriya.

‘From where has the DG got this number of 45 days? The Act does not even mention 45 days. May the devas help us if this DG is involved in the implementation of the RTI Act!’

He pointed out that the Info DG had sought to take credit for the RTI Act when he had nothing at all to do with the drafting of it. The RTI law was drafted by a committee of expert lawyers, editors and public servants who brought in good principles. ‘Kalansooriya was seeking for a job from the new yahapalanaya Government. He grabbed RTI as a useful vehicle to get prominence for himself after he became Info DG. He was shifted away from RTI at some point but has got back into the game. Now he is trying to use the proposed government regulation of the media for that same reason. Both are political ‘tricks’ by him.’ he said.

Even in regard to the RTI Commission, the RTI activist explained that what he had said was wrong as the independent Commission was suffering from the lack of financial resources, despite four months having passed since it was established.

By P.K.Balachandran | Express News Service | Published: 26th January 2017 06:54 PM

COLOMBO: The chief minister of Sri Lanka’s Tamil-majority Northern Province, C.V.Wigneswaran, has appealed to the government to de-proscribe all the Tamil Diaspora organisations and stringently scrutinize only select individuals.

Wigneswaran was speaking at a function in Jaffna on Thursday to inaugurate a consular section of the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry there.

“Let me suggest not to embark on selective de-proscription but to de-proscribe all organizations and have a process of very stringent vetting of individuals coming over,” he said.

“Having been a lawyer for over 50 years and half that period as a Judge, I am quite conscious of the security concerns of the State. But we must stop looking at our people through a terrorist mindset. We must wean the diaspora to help our government which is cash strapped, grant them dual citizenship, and make use of their talents and wealth for our betterment,” the chief minister added.

Foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera and deputy foreign minister Dr.Harsha de Silva were present at the occasion.

Pointing to the selective de-proscription of persons and organisations, on the advice of certain interest groups, Wigneswaran said: “It would have been better if an independent official investigation had been conducted with prior criteria in place. Many feel that some of the proscribed persons and organisations still unreleased are victims of political bias and prejudice.”

Wigneswaran further said that during his recent visits to the UK, US and recently Canada, he met the Tamil Diaspora and found that they were all keen to involve themselves in capacity development, investment promotion and cultural exchanges in Sri Lanka.

“Most of them wish to do so within the integrity of the island. But they are reluctant to embark on a visit to Sri Lanka on account of the lingering concerns the government and its officials have regarding the Tamil Diaspora,” the chief minister pointed out.

Towards a cultural critique of Sri Lankan politics – Part 2

The best exemplars of unity in the political sphere have of course been the Western countries. It might be even true to say that they have had something like an obsession about unity.

Read the part one of this series

by Izeth Hussain-Jan 28, 2017
Jan 27, 2017

( January 27, 2017, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) It does not seem difficult to understand how cultural factors could come to determine economic aptitudes. The characteristics that lead to high levels of economic achievement can be established more or less along the following lines: application and hard work rather than a laid-back indolence; thrift and investment for the future rather than a self-indulgent hedonism; a focus on making money after the manner of George Soros rather than on scientific enquiry after the manner of Einstein; not to have too many ethical scruples about making your rivals come a cropper, and so on. It is not difficult to relate those characteristics – except maybe for the last one – to the tenets of Calvin and Confucius.

The next question that has to be addressed is this: What are the cultural factors that determine political aptitudes? I must clarify at this point that what I have in mind is not the impact of culture on politics as a whole but more narrowly on political aptitudes. I would first ask what drives politicians to become politicians. I believe that there are basically four drives: the drive for social prominence, for riches, for power over others, and to serve the public interest. Let me comment on each of these drives. Lewis Namier’s great study of English politics in the eighteenth century began with the declaration that enquiries had revealed that the most important reason why most Englishmen went into Parliament was “to cut a figure”, to become socially prominent. The drive for riches has to be expected under modernity which places a high value on affluence. Unlike the innocuous drive to “cut a figure” the drive for riches can of course lead to corruption on a colossal scale, as in Sri Lanka. The drive to exercise power over others is a perennial one and is beyond dispute certainly the most dangerous of all the political drives – the main reason why many intelligent humans all over the world believe that politicians and others wielding power ought to be frequently executed. As for the fourth drive – the drive to serve the public interest – many readers might say that I am being rather naïve because there is no such drive except among a very few wielders of power, and among them only to a very marginal extent, so that that drive is hardly worth mentioning at all. That is an overly cynical view. Anyway it is on that drive that political aptitude, as distinct from economic and other aptitudes, has to be judged. Basically the politician has to be able to persuade people that though he may want prominence, wealth, and to kick people about, he can be trusted to serve the public interest at least to some extent. (At this point a further clarification is required: by public interest I mean here of course group interests because in Sri Lanka there is no public, no nation, only ethnic and other groups).

The reader will have noticed that the characteristics that I have mentioned in the two preceding paragraphs as requisite for good economic and political performance are rather unamiable ones, because they are self-regarding ones. The wealthy and the politically powerful tend to be rather unpleasant fellows because they are selfish fellows, in general though not always. Consequently, all over South East Asia the Chinese are heartily disliked. They are selfish, true, but their selfishness has conduced to the public good in a huge way, as shown by the fact that the generality of the people in the South East Asian countries are much better off than in the South Asian ones. How has their private vice conduced to the public good?

Adam Smith in his great eighteenth century classic The Wealth of Nations addressed this enigma and came up with the answer that it was “the hidden hand” that transformed private vice into public good. He postulated an automatic self-correcting process in the market that was installed at the very heart of laissez-faire capitalism. But the recent upsurge of populism in the US and other Western countries shows that Smith was surely wrong: the hidden hand is so well-hidden that it is in effect absent and it has become evident that the evils of capitalism can be corrected not through the market but only through an interventionist state. We are witnessing the failure of neo-liberal economics. In what way has it failed? I don’t think that it can be doubted that the majority of Americans have benefited from the market-oriented neo-liberal economics that has reigned in the US since the time of Reagan. Otherwise we cannot explain why Hilary Clinton got three million more of the popular vote – a very considerable majority indeed – than Trump did. All the same, a very considerable proportion of Americans have been left behind in the rat race of liberal economics. Otherwise we cannot explain the very powerful populist thrust that propelled Trump into power. We come now to a crucially important question: How are we to explain the fact that the majority of the Americans who have done well under the prevailing economic dispensation cannot ignore the economic misery of the minority of the Americans who have been left behind in the rat race of liberal economics? I can think of only one answer. Despite all the divisions, the very serious divisions, that have to be expected in so complex a society as that of America, there is a strong sense of an underlying unity among the American people as a whole.

I believe that it is the sense of unity that is the most important factor behind the success of a country in both the economic and the political spheres. Consider first the East Asian countries whose economic performance has been outstanding – China, the Taiwan and Hong Kong parts of China, South Korea, and Japan. They have predominantly Confucian cultures and also they are ethnically far more homogeneous than most other countries. China has the Tibet problem and its Muslim minorities may be restive, but ninety five per cent of China’s population consists of the Han Chinese. Besides, there are evidently features in the Confucian culture that promote group solidarity. It is known that the Chinese in South East Asia have a greater sense of group solidarity than the other successful immigrants in that area, the Indians, and accordingly the Chinese economic performance outshines that of the Indians. Very probably other ethnic groups that shine in economic performance, such as the Marwari and the Borahs, will exhibit the same predominant characteristics as the Chinese: a concentration on making money and group solidarity. So, individuals who shine in making money could pursue their selfish ends but benefit their groups all the same. A hidden hand could come into operation. It is not the market, as Adam Smith thought, but the sense of unity.

The best exemplars of unity in the political sphere have of course been the Western countries. It might be even true to say that they have had something like an obsession about unity. Their sense of unity has been at its greatest after the establishment of the nation state, a form of the state that has enabled a greater sense of unity than any other. Western achievements since the sixteenth century and Western domination over the rest of the globe owe much to the sense of unity within the Western states. Most of them are now multicultural and multiethnic as a result of immigration after 1945, and what is most impressive is their determination to forge a new unity out of their new heterogeneity. In the rest of the globe the countries with the highest sense of unity seem to be the East Asian ones. Their politics show in general a high degree of stability, and their economic and other achievement levels are very high. Is that accidental?

(To be continued)

Citizens’ Groups demand right to protest

Jan 27, 2017

Few hours after arrested the Inter University Students’ Federation Convener Lahiru Weerasekara today, Citizens Groups and Academics demanded government to restore right to protest and expression in the country at a press conference organized by ‘Campaign for Democracy’ Movement held at CSR in Cololmbo.

“Government has been violated the peoples’ right to protest,” said Political bureau member of the frontline Socialist Party, Lawyer Pubudu Jagoda
“Although the Constitution states that people have a right to expression and protest it has been limited for the Constitution. Government not allows labors and students to practice their right to protest.”
He added, “Government has been arrested the Inter University Students’ Federation Convener Lahiru Weerasekara due to his participation to the protest which held on Jan. 19.”
“Government has been taken the peoples’ right to protest,” Lawyer Srinath Perera, organizer of United Socialist party.

Lawrence Ferdinando -Colombo.

Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief

Saturday, 28 January 2017

The combination of the two titles of Irvin Shaw’s novel is depictive of the troubled but hopeful times we live in. The liberal-minded souls are gasping for breath in the Diyawanna swamp, grappling with facts and alternative facts. We too, have our supply of Trumpists.

The day after the much-awaited debate on the COPE report on Central Bank bonds, the Sinhala national daily Ada reported that the President has decisively rejected the proposal by the Minister of Finance to increase the price of lottery tickets. The President had told his ministers that the move by the Minister of Finance to increase it to Rs. 30 has provoked even those who were not critical of the Government. They too were now chastising the Government.

A senior journalist friend told this writer that the President’s response had been far more picturesque. Now only beggars spare us. With this, even they will not spare us. [‘Hinganno vitharai dan apata baninne neththe. Meken eegolloth patanganiy.’]

Decisive turning point

The debate on the COPE report moved as an adjournment motion called for no vote. Yet it was a decisive turning point. The findings of the report together with its recommendations received the full endorsement of the Opposition and all SLFP members. The UNP members swallowed it with ill-concealed discomfort.

It served as a powerful spotlight on the nonchalance of an arrogant Prime Minister and the cynicism of a Finance Minister who resorts to nod and wink gerrymandering of figures. They must now read the writing on the wall. The largest-circulating Sinhala daily Lankadeepa reported the debate next day with a four-column banner headline ‘Punish the Bond Cheats’.

The debate saw a brilliant exercise of forensic accounting by two JVP Parliamentarians. JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Bimal Rathnayake conclusively demonstrated the orchestrated plunder that caused massive losses to the Employees’ Provident Fund. Despite puerile interruptions by UNP Parliamentarian Sujeewa Senasinghe, MP Bimal Rathnayake tabled the report of the Auditor General on all bond issues from 2008 to 2015. A scam is a con or trick. Commandeering an institution for one’s advantage is a hijack.

The debate did more than exposing a corrupt scam. It was a virtual hijacking of the national monetary authority by a Government-backed oligarchy that enabled primary dealer Perpetual Treasuries to make runaway profits to the tune of Rs. 13,000 million in the short span of 21 months.

It was a damning condemnation of a Prime Mister who at the early stages of the scandal adopted a haughty disdain that issues of sovereign bonds were too cerebral for the average Parliamentarian to comprehend. He was ably assisted in the futile attempt to deflect public opinion by a heedless Minister of Finance. His attempts to explain it as a rational ordinary transaction by intimidating the Auditor General to comply with his wink and nod accounting stood totally exposed.

Elitist dinosaurs

In the aftermath of the debate on the COPE report on bonds, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake and Minister of Development Strategies Malik Samarawickrama have decided to raise the drawbridge and counter the siege by citing the risk of full public disclosure of sensitive information.

Both Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe and Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake are elitist dinosaurs lost in the chaotic democracy of post 8 January 2015.

The two Royal College alumni belong to that strange minority in this age of liberal populism who are stratified in the conviction that they are destined to rule. They are not constrained by legal, constitutional and ethical rules and practices. They are not shy of claiming an autonomy to interpret laws, modify them to suit their purpose and refashion public responsibility in a manner that protects their own interests.

There was a time before 8 January 2015 when the State deployed its formidable coercive machinery to intimidate mass media, influence public perceptions by payoffs to discontented groups. For 10 long years, they did manage to overcome threats to their vital interests.

The Chancellor of the Colombo University, Chief Incumbent of Bellanvilla Raja Maha Viharaya Bellanwilla Wimalarathne Thero, is an eminent Buddhist prelate of undoubted eminence. He fearlessly confronted President Sirisena on the issue of bonds.

Before proceeding any further, we must recall the days when his ability to call a spade a spade was not so pronounced. There have been plenty of past instances when the revered monk was ready to a call a spade by different names – a silver spoon or a gold ladle or whatever that Mahinda Rajapaksa desired.

It was another land and another time. The king has gone. This is the deluge after. The new topsy-turvy republic is a disorderly democracy. Nonetheless a vibrant democracy. Okay, if the revered monk thinks that homosexuality is unheard of in this chosen land, so be it. That is for another time.

President’s stance

Confronting the President, he asked if the proposed commission of inquiry was a veiled attempt of sweeping the scandal under a carpet of legal jigamajig. In response, the President was forthright. Discovery of the virtue of transparency is better late than never.

“It is I who removed Arjun Mahendran. It is I who appointed the internationally-renowned Indrajit Coomaraswamy as Governor,” responded the President. He unequivocally praised the Auditor General as an officer of unimpeachable integrity.

Where does that leave the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance? They are both up the creek without a paddle. The President’s unreserved and much deserved praise of the Auditor General is a distinctly damning rebuke of the Minister of Finance.

The President has clearly embarked on a new trajectory. The choice of venue – Abhayaramaya – may have been coincidental, the provocative speech that spurred presidential outpouring could have been accidental. However what transpired then was a definite outflanking of two inconvenient protagonists – the former President who he dislodged and the current Prime Minister to whom he was a puppet dangling on the strings of promised good governance.

Thieves are thieves, whether they were from the earlier or current regime, he declared. Once the past two years are probed, I will deal with the earlier periods as well, he promised. In the last two years he was guided by the simple maxim, “Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view, is silence about truth.” We hope that he will remain on track.

There is an old Latin saying ‘corvus oculum corvi non eruit’ – “a crow will not pull out the eye of another crow”. It is a substitute for “honour amongst thieves”. It explains the stoical solidarity amongst likeminded people who go about their business of subterfuge, regardless of consequences or condemnation of actions which they know to be wrong.

Both Nivard Cabraal and Arjun Mahendran are likeminded people. By enlisting Arjun Mahendran for Cabraal’s job, the UNP oligarchs thought that the bond business was a State-owned mechanism in perpetual motion for personal profit.

One year ago, in the columns of the Daily FT in February 2016, this writer described the predicament of the Prime Minister defending the indefensible.

It was captioned ‘Up the creek without a paddle’. My concluding lines one year ago has a predictive reverberation. I quote: “I recall a conversation I had with Dr. S.A Wickramasinghe when he differed from his colleague Pieter Keuneman on the Communist party remaining in the United Front Government in 1975. He said gravely, ‘It is not about pragmatic politics. It is a matter of class.’ Do Maithri and Ranil belong to the same class?”

Now we know. Or do we?

Drought In Sri Lanka

By Ratnam Nadarajah –January 27, 2017

Ratnam Nadarajah

Water is the most precious commodity in the world

In a world dominated by scarcity, climate change and population growth, water is no longer being taken for granted. Bitter disputes between nations and states have been a frequent issue in the recent past.

Drought in Sri Lanka seems to be very frequent phenomena in the recent years. According the latest headlines in the media the drought is upon us once again with devastating effects.

It has been affecting not only the dry zones per se but all other areas such as Kandy, Bandarawela to name a few due to scarcity of water both for drinking and other domestic use.

Drought is natural phenomenon in that land dries up due lack of precipitation (normal rainfall), rising temperatures, climate change, over use of water and lack of proper management of water and its resources. This is a major issue for water management and environmental protection. Unsustainable water management, including water over-consumption and water pollution, as well as predicted climate change effects in droughts, could result in severe impacts on nature and society.

Inefficient management of drought and water resources is a major issue for planners. The lack of adequate water use planning leads to heavy overexploitation of rivers and reservoirs in case of drought, which jeopardises the survival of associated fauna and flora. It is therefore essential to establish and develop measures to minimise socioeconomic and environmental impacts, of drought

From crisis management to drought planning

Analysis of the drought management policies in many countries including Sri Lanka indicates that decision makers have react to drought episodes mainly through a crisis-management(firefighting) approach by declaring a national or regional drought emergency programme to alleviate drought impacts, rather than on developing comprehensive, long-term drought preparedness policies and plans of actions that may significantly reduce the risks and vulnerabilities to extreme weather events. Although in the last few years’ drought seems to been a common occurrence in Sri Lanka, each time the disaster management team are ill prepared and ill equipped to manage the aftermath. The long-term impact of recurrent droughts has on land degradation is another major issue for planner to think about.

Does the Disaster Management Committee (DMC) has a comprehensive drought plan; which would provide a dynamic framework for an ongoing set of actions to prepare for, and effectively respond to drought, including: periodic reviews of the achievements and priorities; readjustment of goals, means and resources; as well as strengthening institutional arrangements, planning, and policy-making mechanisms for drought mitigation.

It is a matter of concern that despite being a country with abundant rainfall and many rivers we are facing water scarcity. Some our rivers are facing extinction because pollution, diversions, and unregulated sand-mining. The eco-system is being tampered with by filling up of wet lands. The water policy should be that water is a natural resource and public asset. Its use should be regulated for optimal use. The principle of ‘polluter pays’ will definitely be a deterrent. However, it is more important to focus on preventing pollution rather than going after the polluters after the damage is been done. It should be mandatory for industries to invest in pollution control measures. In recent times, we are being made aware of the detrimental effects of pesticides and other chemical fertilisers getting into food chain as well as penetrating into water table.

There have been recent initiatives instigated by the President Maithripala Sirisena prohibiting the use of chemical pesticides and championing for sustainable development in the nation. One wonders how much of this is pure rhetoric to keep the masses at bay and how much is borne out of real concern for the environment; that is the question for the electorate to decide when it matters!

When I visited the US Virgin Islands St Thomas in 1988, I was amazed to find that domestic (roof) rain water harvesting amounts to eighty percent of the water consumption in the tiny island.

Rainwater harvesting in Sri Lanka is a potential source of water at low cost. Our neighboring countries are ahead of us in this regard. I believe that there is a pilot project in hand to harvest household rain water in the north by an Indian outfit.

Israel is the best soil mechanics and water conservationists in the world. There is no doubt about it, when you see their record of accomplishments. I can very vividly remember visiting the Colombo Industrial exhibition in 1965, which was dominated by the East Germans, with the building of the iconic Planetarium. Israel on its part had a massive exhibition stall in the old Colombo race course. Here they exhibited the then available technology to preserve water and efficiently irrigate to get the best yield.

Here we are over half a century later, what have we learnt? Not much considering recurrent droughts in recent times.

The modern day “Drip feed” irrigation is an Israeli invention (Simcha Blass by a fate of luck) which is changing the world of agriculture as we know. Over 150 countries use this method of watering and saving water usage tenfold.

Overcoming the challenges of an arid climate and scarce natural water reserves has always been a vital necessity for the growth of Israel’s population and economy since the founding of the state. This has led to continuous improvements in Israel’s water sector, through innovations in technologies and long-term plans. The Israel, NewTech Programme promotes the country as a global water technology leader by investing in human capital, research and development, marketing, and start-up growth and international activity. This programme achieved great success in the local development and global export of Israel’s innovative water technologies.

(Lanka-e-News -27.Jan.2017, 7.15AM) The incumbent president Maithripala Sirisena was elected two years ago by 6.2 million people of Sri Lanka not for a presidency through him, but clearly to abolish the abominable executive presidency , and that too within 100 days of his taking office as president .

It is very unfortunate however the incumbent president yesterday(26) demonstrated to the whole world, he is still living in the stone age and not among modern civilized society.

Maithripala the president of good governance demonstrated his baser qualities and barbaric nature without any trace of doubt when he attended the birth anniversary of Muruththetuwe Ananda Thera an ace pro Rajapakse barbaric robed monk , which was celebrated in Colombo, by the so called Abayarama Rajapakse conspirators and villains .

The president speaking with great pride on that occasion said , he was the one who was responsible for the ‘throwing out’ of the section pertaining to homosexuality rights in the five year action plan in Sri Lanka for the protection of human rights. Not only that , even the legalization of prostitution was ‘thrown out’ by him he said with peacock pride.

It is a universally accepted truth that homosexuality is no longer a question of morality , but something to do with the biological aspect of one’s life and is inborn. This truth has been acknowledged by the modern world.

The present holy Pope publicly announced homosexual rights shall be granted in Christian people because of this. In modern society the homosexuals are treated not only as normal but are even provided with special facilities. Prostitution too is being considered similarly.

In the modern society they are not identified by the term prostitutes , but rather as sex workers. Instead of saying prostitution the oldest profession in the world is going to be legalized , and permitting intercourse wherever and whenever, a separate zone shall be allocated for the sex workers to carry out their business while providing adequate health protection and welfare to them.

It is only to uneducated fools with uncivilized habits and customs this has become an issue of morality today.

President Maithripala’s revelations made today in his speech , only go to confirm to the world openly that he is also such a barbaric fool possessed of uncivilized traits , traditions and habits.

In addition , the president while belonging to the consensual government made several statements placing all the blame squarely at the doorstep of the constituent UNP party , while moving heaven and earth to display that ‘ I am clean’. That is , he claimed , it is who removed ex Central bank governor Arjun Mahendran , and in his place appointed Dr. Coomarswamy , and that he appointed the Auditor General.

It is to be noted that the Central bank governor was not removed by anyone , and he remained until his term was over. It is only thereafter Coomaraswamy was appointed. That task was not carried out by Maithri alone as president , but that was a proposal to be implemented in the first round of the 100 days program of the government. Moreover , that was an appointment which had to be made officially by the president , and cannot be made by anyone else. Therefore the president ‘s claim that he made those appointments to score cheap plus points is most shameful and self degrading. This is degrading all the more because , while making all these announcements most pompously and proudly , he did not utter a word about the countless corrupt confirmed crooks he has appointed so far .

It is significant to note that it was no less a person than president Maithripala Sirisena who appointed corrupt Karunasena Hettiarachi (president’s ’game miniha’ -village folk’ ) as the defense secretary ; Kudu Lansa the heroin dealer as a minister , who was with the Rajapakse regime ; gave diplomatic envoy post to infamous A.S.P. Liyanage who was in handcuffs at one time and a most discarded and disdained individual; Hemantha Warnakulasuriya , a notorious scoundrel who earned the wrath of the entire country, as a Director , to name but a few . The list is too long to include here.

It is with deep regret we report that the pro good governance masses who propelled Maithripala Sirisena to the president post are thoroughly disillusioned and disappointed with him over the uncivilized and unsavory speech of the president after visiting the temple of the most barbaric robed wheeler dealer monk Muruththetuwe Ananda Thera , a Rajapakse stooge and protector , who is notorious for always espousing the cause of the corrupt , crooks and criminals .

The president continuously making speeches to please the discarded and defeated group which the people have clearly rejected , and expressing views which are in favor of the rascals , surely is not going to be condoned or tolerated by the victorious masses all the time.

If only Maithripala Sirisena will always remember that on 2015-01-08 he was elected as president not for a presidency through him but to abolish the much abhorred executive presidency within 100 days through him , he would not commit such mistakes and indiscretions. Besides his political future too will be bright.

On the other hand , if he persists in his foolhardy conduct , and goes on indulging in silly and stupid utterances to please those villains ( the defeated , discarded and disdained crooks and criminals ) whom he should not based on the people’s mandate , he is sure going to be a loser irrespective of whichever side of the coin he chooses in the toss - whether it is the obverse or the reverse . May be ,he can even be tossed overboard before he can stoop to pick up the coin.

Hereunder is the video footage of president’ s perturbing and puzzling speech ( what was expressed and not expressed) made at Abayarama

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by (2017-01-27 02:00:44)

Blind devotees meet their LORD at the rally at Nugegoda – Chameera Perera

Jan 27, 2017

Ahead of the Joint Opposition rally at Nugegoda, Citizens’ Organizations called for a press conference today at CSR expressed that Citizens who have conscience never attend for the Mahinda Rajapalse’s rally.

“The henchmen of Mhainda Rajapakse’s will attend the rally today,” said Chameera Perera, co-convener of Left Centre.

“Mahinda never come to the stage for the benefit of the people. He wanted to protect his family members and henchmen who guilty for malpractices.”

Perera pointed out that what were reasons for Pesident Rajapakse needs to come to the power again
He added, “Over 6.2 million voters not ready to appoint losers at January 8th political transformation again. “
“Former President Mahinda Rajapakse created lunpen culture in country and helped their henchmen to do malpractices. People defeated that culture and appointed President Maitripala Sirisena to rebuild the country according good governance policies and restore the democracy.”

Akalana Hettiarachchi and Chamara Nakandala also spoke out about the rally at Nugegoda.

“We have some critisim about this government but we never work for topple this government. Therefore we urge President Maitripala Sirisena to follow the January 8th mandate,” said Co-convener of Left Circle.
Meanwhile addressing recent media briefing UNP Lawmaker Mujibur Rahman the aim of the Nugegoda rally organized by the Joint Opposition is to arouse the people towards aggressive and violent behavior with the aim of building a wall of defense for the protection of individuals responsible for fraud, racketeering, embezzlement and various malpractices during the previous regime.

“Thanking to the government former President Mahinda Rajapakse did not sit on the electric chair,” said Chamara Nakandala.

Lawrence Ferdinando- Colombo.