WORLD VIEW: Populism and income inequality

By Jonathan Power-March 28, 2017

THE ASIAN economies are picking up speed again. After the big hit from Wall Street when, Lehman Brothers, collapsed in a heap in 2008, sending shock waves everywhere, a recovery is now in the works.

How many child deaths in the Third World did these bankers cause? Another question is will future growth be like the past- fast but severely inequitable? The same growth before 2008 that reduced absolute poverty created a widening gulf between the haves and have-nots.

But isn’t that sufficient for the day, many ask? Absolute poverty must be the key mark of progress- raising incomes, giving people more money to seek education for their children or medical care or filling the coffers for the state so that it can fund bore holes in the countryside and sewers in the urban slums.

After all in the period of rapid growth from 1990 to 2008 the number of people living in extreme poverty was almost halved, from more than 1.5 billion to 850 million. China’s poverty fell dramatically from when 85% of the population lived on less than $1.25 a day to when only 13% lived in poverty. India has also reduced poverty rapidly, particularly under the last Congress government of Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, but the voters still fell for the opportunistic populism of the BJP and voted Congress out.

Of course there are good arguments why the progress made has not been seen as enough, not just because of rising inequality but because India and China between them have two-thirds of the world’s poor.

Escaping poverty is not enough. In all parts of the world the poor want a larger slice of the cake when the cake is getting bigger. It is a natural instinct and to reject the urge for more equality when there are still massive slums and not enough schools and health clinics is to make the proletariat and peasantry dissatisfied at the least and angry at the worse. All major religions suggest this is wrong.

No trickle downDeclining income equality is not good for political stability as we saw with the American election when poorer whites rallied to the banner of the populist, Donald Trump. “Trickle down” from the progress of the well-to-do had not happened.

In the Third World there are a good number of these populists. In the end, voters invariably find the simple mix of remedies of the populists don’t work.

An article in the International Monetary Fund’s magazine “Finance and Development” reports that “income disparities are associated with worse economic outcomes, including lower growth and greater volatility. Income inequality is now thought to retard growth and development for such reasons as limiting the accumulation of human capital in a society.”

Inequality in Asia has risen faster than any other part of the world, especially so in China and east Asia – in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan, but not including Japan. In contrast, countries in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa have bucked the global trend and have on average reduced inequality. Indeed in Latin America the incomes of the poorer 20% have risen by more than other sectors of the population.

Maybe globalization is partly the fault of growing inequality. Technological change in another. But this doesn’t account for income distribution being so much worse in Asia. It must be other factors: fiscal policies, the structure of labor markets and access to banking and other financial services. Added to that is insufficient spending on education, health services and the too-low wages.

Tax policies in Asia are way off the mark. There can’t be much redistribution of incomes when the ratio of tax to national income averages half of that in the developed countries. Because taxes are light on income tax and heavy on indirect taxes on goods and services the poor end up paying a disproportionate percentage of taxes. These items have to be rapidly reformed and improved and grow at a faster rate than GDP.

Perhaps the only good things one can say is that the world has seen in recent years the biggest decrease in inequality between nations since the Industrial Revolution.

And, according to World Bank figures, with the exception of Asia, inequality within countries has decreased since the 2008 crisis.

During these past nine years of economic crisis the Asian countries have concentrated on economic reforms in the banking and financial sectors, in working on the impediments to more trade and smoothing labor relations.

But diminishing inequality has to be given equal time. The better off have to be educated by governments and the press to realize this is in their own interest too. Inequality at the bottom is a drag on the whole society.

You Might Be Surprised Where the Leading Areas of Drug Overdose Are in the U.S.

By Sarah Lazare / AlterNet-March 31, 2017

The number of premature deaths due to drug overdoses has skyrocketed in large suburban counties in the United States, which went from having the lowest to the highest rate over the past 10 years, according to a new study.

Released Wednesday morning by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health, the report draws the conclusion that premature deaths—caused by far more factors than just drug overdoses—are on the rise across urban and rural communities, as well as racial and ethnic groups.

The researchers note that “Premature death has consistently been highest in rural counties and among American Indian/Alaskan Native and black populations.” Young people aged 15 to 44 have seen the greatest spike in premature deaths in recent years.

“Drug overdose was by far the single leading cause of premature death by injury in 2015 and contributed to the accelerated rise in premature death from 2014 to 2015,” the study determines. “Large suburban metro counties went from having the lowest to the highest rate of premature death due to drug overdose within the past decade.”

Titled the “2017 Health County Rankings,” the report concludes that, in addition to large suburbs, “smaller metro and rural counties” also suffer the highest rates of lethal drug overdoses.

The annual study states that a key driver of premature death is “youth disconnection,” defined as young people “not working or in school” who are “disconnected from opportunities to live long and healthy lives.” This category correlates with profound disparities across race and class lines.

“Rates of youth disconnection are higher in rural counties (21.6 percent) than in urban counties (13.7 percent), particularly rural counties in the South and West,” the study notes. “Places with high levels of youth disconnection have higher rates of unemployment, child poverty, children in single-parent households, teen births, and lower educational attainment.”

"The main storyline here is that it’s happening across the country,” Jan O’Neill, an associate researcher and community coach at County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, told AlterNet. “It’s an equal opportunity crisis, but the accelerated rate is in suburban and smaller metro counties.”

“The contributors have to do with different community types,” she continued. “Drug overdoses are highest among certain demographics: white and American Indian/Alaskan Native populations. This is also rising because of an increase among 15- to 44-year-olds. For this younger generation, we’re also seeing an increase in car crashes, suicides and homicides, not just drugs. We can treat this as a public health crisis and not something that we need to punish.”

The findings are consistent with a rise in what some researchers refer to as “deaths of despair.” A separate paper recently released by Princeton economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton determined that premature deaths due to drug overdoses, suicides, alcoholism and other factors are on the rise for middle-aged white people with a high-school education or less. By contrast, mortality rates are falling for white Americans with college degrees. The scholars identify a number of socioeconomic factors behind this trend, including an overall decline in the working class.

Sarah Lazare is a staff writer for AlterNet. A former staff writer for Common Dreams, she coedited the book About Face: Military Resisters Turn Against War. Follow her on Twitter at @sarahlazare.

Rain-triggered landslide buries at least 27 in Indonesia’s Java

People look at a car damaged and partially buried under a collapsed house after a landslide triggered by heavy rain at Banaran village in Ponorogo, Indonesia East Java province, April 1, 2017 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Pic: Reuters

2nd April 2017

AT least 27 people were reported missing and believed to be buried after a landslide, triggered by torrential rain, struck a village on Indonesia’s main island of Java.

According to the Associated Press, spokesman for Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said the landslide hit dozens of homes and farmers harvesting ginger on a hillside in Banaran village in East Java province’s Ponorogo district

27 people were reported buried, while a local army chief put the number of missing at 38, based on reports from villagers, the local mitigation agency said

Nugroho said rescuers, soldiers, police officers and volunteers were deployed to search for the missing.

SEE ALSO: Landslides, flash floods claim 47 lives in central Indonesia

The landslide overturned vehicles, shattered and buried buildings, and left a massive scar on a hillside where lush vegetation had been torn away.

Seasonal rains cause frequent floods in Indonesia. Many of the country’s 256 million people live in mountainous areas or fertile, flood-prone plains near rivers.

Rescue efforts were also hampered by people flocking to the area to see the landslide and causing traffic jams, he said.

The local disaster mitigation agency had warned of the risk of a landslide due to recent rain, and some people had only returned to the village on Saturday after staying the night in a shelter, said the official.

Additional reporting by Reuters

More than 20 million Britons 'physically inactive'

Harriet Mulvaney says she thought she was active before her heart attack but she was really "just busy"

Harriet went into cardiac rehab after her heart attack and was helped to get more active and build her confidence

2 April 2017

More than 20 million people in the UK are physically inactive, according to a report by the British Heart Foundation.

The charity warns that inactivity increases the risk of heart disease and costs the NHS around £1.2bn each year.

Harriet Mulvaney experienced a heart attack at 44 and decided to make changes to her lifestyle.

"Looking back on it now I would say I was very inactive. I thought I was active but actually I think I was just busy," she says.

Women are 36% more likely than men to be classified as physically inactive - 11.8 million women compared with 8.3 million men.

The report defines "inactive" as not achieving the government guidelines for physical activity of 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week and strength activities on at least two days a week.

Harriet had a busy life as an HR consultant, driving an hour to work and then sitting at a desk for eight to 10 hours a day.

She would then be busy with family life but didn't make time for activity or exercise.

"I just thought it was one of those things I'd get to in another point in time," she says.

The BHF analysis found that the average man in the UK spends a fifth of his lifetime sitting - equivalent to 78 days a year. For women, it is around 74 days a year.

Image copyrightBBC/BHF

Harriet had no symptoms or warning signs before her heart attack.

"I was climbing the stairs to go and brush my teeth and get ready for bed when I suddenly had the onset of severe chest pain which went down my left arm and into my upper jaw - it was at that point that I realised it was fairly serious.

'Crashing halt'

"We called an ambulance - which was exactly the right thing to do as the sooner you get help on a heart issue, the better your outcome is going to be."

Harriet had suffered from spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a rare but dangerous condition which often strikes out of the blue and in people with few or no risk factors. It mainly affects young women.

"It was like the having the rug pulled from under your feet," she says.

"You feel your life is going in a certain direction, you have a certain plan, you feel very confident about the way that your life is.

"I didn't have any long-term health conditions and then to suddenly be struck by such a traumatic incident was very difficult.

"It brought everything to a crashing halt for a short period of time while I collected myself and found myself again."

In the UK, physical inactivity contributes to almost one in 10 premature deaths from coronary heart disease, and one in six deaths from any cause.

Marathon woman

Harriet's heart attack prompted an immediate lifestyle change.

"I had to think about the job that I did and the life I was leading - and start generally looking after myself better."

She admits getting active has been "a very slow and steady process".

She took part in the BHF MyMarathon challenge that involves running or walking the equivalent of a marathon across a whole month.

The charity is hoping more people take up the challenge this year to kickstart a more active lifestyle.

They found that three-quarters of people in England (76%), when referred for rehabilitation after suffering a heart attack or having heart surgery, are considered physically inactive.

They warn that more than 5 million deaths worldwide can be attributed to physical inactivity, making it one of the top 10 leading causes of death.

Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Levels of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour in the UK remain stubbornly high, and, combined, these two risk factors present a substantial threat to our cardiovascular health and risk of early death.

"Evidence shows keeping physically active can reduce the risk of heart and circulatory disease by as much as 35% and risk of early death by as much as 30%."

The charity also found regional variations, with the North West of England having 47%, or 2.7 million adults that are insufficiently active.

The South East had the lowest rate at 34%.

In Northern Ireland, almost half (46%) of the adult population - that's around 650,000 people - are deemed to be physically inactive.

In Wales, 42% of the population, more than one million people are physically inactive.

While in Scotland, 37% of the adult population, around 1.6 million people - are physically inactive.

A Question of Political Will: Unpacking de Silva’s Comments on Foreign Judges

Featured image courtesy Reuters

RAISA WICKREMATUNGE on 04/01/2017

Recently, Groundviews compiled a timeline of all the statements made by the Government in terms of the participation of foreign judges in a judicial mechanism.

The timeline shows that over the past two years, there have been contradictory statements from within the same Government on this score. The inclusion of foreign judges has become an increasingly contentious topic, particularly following the recent UNHRC session in Geneva, which saw Sri Lanka co-sponsoring a resolution amounting to a technical rollover, allowing two more years to fulfill the provisions laid out in the UNHRC resolution.

A Question of Political Will.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

What just happened in Geneva (2.0)?

LYING

Mar 31, 2017

Last week, members of the UN Human Rights Council adopted another resolution on Sri Lanka – Resolution 34/1 – renewing the government’s pledges to deliver a meaningful process of justice and reconciliation.  In this post, we briefly explain how and why the resolution came about, and what it means for Sri Lanka’s future.

Why another resolution on Sri Lanka?

What just happened in Geneva.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

Musings on a terrifyingly familiar counter-terror draft

COC appreciates the President Sirisena’s decision about not defending armed forces who committed disappearance and killing of civilians.

Sunday, April 02, 2017

Assessed even with the kindest eye, the potential of the proposed (and revised) new Counter-Terror Act (CTA) to legally validate intrusive acts of state officers is most worrying.If this version has been sent to the Legal Draftsman’s Department for conversion into the form of a Bill as we are informed, one can only hope for intervention of a peculiarly divine kind to prevent this draft being passed into law.

Old and worrying language continues

As analysed last week in these column spaces,terrifyingly familiar language echoes in the CTA’s classification of ‘terrorism related offences.’ This prohibits ‘words either spoken or intended to be read or by signs’ etc which ‘causes or intends to cause the commission of acts of violence between different communities or racial or religious groups. The prohibition is coupled with intent to cause harm to the ‘unity, territorial integrity or sovereignty of Sri Lanka or the peaceful coexistence of the people.’

Journalists and dissenters were imprisoned in the past precisely under these very same provisions in the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Its proposed replacement CTA continues this trend with the importation of additional references to ‘unity’ and ‘peaceful coexistence.’ These prohibitions are contrary to the Johannesburg Principles on National Security, Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.

And it is not only the extraordinarily vague definitions of what constitutes terrorism as well as associated and related offences that are problematic. The original draft leaked to the public last year as well as this revised version confers extremely wide powers on police officers during their investigations to ‘prevent and counter ‘terrorism.’ These not only include powers in existing laws such as the Police Ordinance, the Criminal Procedure Code and other such statutes.

Wide powers given to police officers

For example, the revised draft continues to permit police officers to obtain information from banks and other financial institutions without adequate safeguards in place and sans judicial oversight. Information that must be given includes any financial service provided to any person, any financial transaction carried out by such person, details of bank accounts, fixed deposits, remittances, withdrawals and certified statements thereto.

Equally repulsive are the provisions permitting the obtaining of information from service providers which a police officer not below the rank of Superintendant of Police can call for from any telecommunications, digital or satellite providers again without adequate judicial oversight.

The information that may be called for includes any information pertaining to services that may be provided or used to/by any person, information or data, documents or records that may be stored, archived or otherwise kept by such provider. Notably, it also includes uploading or downloading of data by such service provider.It is indeed wondrous that vociferous online activists and social media pundits who hold forth on freedom of expression have not yet seen this provision in the draft CTA.

Potentially high risk dangers

Then again, the draft CTA allows for the police to obtain information from Government departments and statutory institutions in a manner that sets alarm bells ringing loudly. A police officer not below the rank of a Deputy Inspector General of Police (IGO) is empowered to call for and receive information from senior public officials including Secretaries to Ministries, the Secretary General of Parliament (where is the interaction of parliamentary privilege with this, pray?), the Commissioner General, Department of Inland Revenue, the Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Controller of Exchange, the Controller General, Department of Immigration and Emigration and so on.

Sri Lanka’s draft CTA confers these powers on police officers of varying seniority without adequate judicial oversight. These conjure up nightmare visions. In this country, police officers have converted even the simple task of imposing minor fines in regard to mundane traffic violations into a fine art of extracting money illegally from unfortunate citizens.

The very high incidence of corruption within the police force is well documented.In this scenario, conferring such appallingly extensive magnitude of powers on law enforcement officers without sufficient safeguards to prevent abuse is a potentially high risk danger that we would not wish upon our worst enemies.

‘Cutting and pasting’ provisions from elsewhere

The CTA has been revised to take out the previous provision that confessions made to police officers are admissible. But ambiguity remains in relation to the provision of immediate legal counsel to suspects. It is now stipulated that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) shall be notified when there is temporary impeding of the movement or the stopping, searching and questioning any person. Duties in regard to the notification of arrests to the NHRC have also been sharpened.

But if our history teaches us one thing, it is that the State is remarkably skilful in subverting these obligations. In any event, these sops cannot cure other fundamentally vexed aspects of the revised CTA. These pose a potentially ferocious danger to freedoms of life and liberty. And the revised CTA still retains an offence of ‘espionage’ in regard to ‘confidential information’ relating to vaguely defined offences of ‘terrorism’ and what constitutes ‘confidential information.’

The problem with ‘cutting and pasting’ provisions from international models of anti-terrorism laws is that the environments are vastly different. The very concept of professional policing has been severely undermined for many decades in Sri Lanka not only as a result of failures by the police themselves but also through the pressures brought to bear by politicians. This is why the command structure of the police has collapsed and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) is reduced to crying in public and asking his officers to meditate.

Recognising a ghastly paradox

Purported international ‘experts’ on counter terrorism and policing of the United Nations or otherwise who the Government insists was consulted initially and during the revisions but who fail to recognize Sri Lanka’s manifestly harsh realities in this respect are not worth the salt of their labels.

It is profoundly disturbing that the secretive process by which this draft came about was condoned by all and sundry.

It is also even more disturbing that the horrendous over-breadth of the offences apparently escaped scrutiny. And it is an unpalatable truth that while ‘experts’ will consult and leave the shores of this country, Sri Lankans will be left to cope with the ravages brought about by experimentation of this kind.

This is a ghastly paradox that should arouse concern in no small measure.

SRI LANKA GOVNMENT CONFIRMS “SRILANKA BRIEF” STORY ON ENACTING A MEDIA REGULATION ACT

01/04/2017

Deputy Minister for  Mass Media and Parliamentary ReformsKarunarathna Paranavithana has confirmed that the government is working towards  establishing a  Press Commission under the leadership of Wijayananda Jayaweera.

Sri Lanka Brief was the first to publish the draft prepared by Jayaweera for enacting a ‘Independent Council for News Media Standards Act’.

Read:  SRI LANKA: INDEPENDENT COUNCIL FOR NEWS MEDIA STANDARDS ACT – FULL TEXT (1ST DISCUSSION DRAFT) 

Deputy Minister has used the same words in the draft SLB published:  New legislation would be titled ‘Independent Council for News Media Standards Act’, he has told state controlled Daily News.

He has further said that  said several roundtable discussions with media owners, journalists and journalists’ associations would be held shortly to come to an agreement on the legislation, prior to making the official draft.

The Media Ministry would soon establish a separate section called ‘Social Media Development Section’ to deal with social media related issues, according the Paranavithana.

In an interview with Ceylon Today  Director-General of Government Information Dr. Ranga Kalansooriya too has confirmed that the government will soon establish a Media Commission, which will come into effect by June this year.

“The aim of the proposed Media Commission, while protecting journalists and Editors, would also be to regulate the social media and subjects such as hate speech, defamation and other criteria, which are perceived to be preventing ethnic harmony, Dr. Kalansooriya has  told Ceylon Today.

He has made it clear the intention is to regulate socail media: “There is an alarming trend, even internationally, of people using instruments such as Facebook to publish false propaganda for which they get paid for publishing malicious information which will be defamatory and that was what we are trying to guard against.”

Religious places, schools , post offices etc. declared as reserve zone ! - protestors demand withdrawal of Wilpattu gazette notification

(Lanka-e-News -01.April.2017, 11.30PM) A large group of Muslim residents of Mannar went on a protest march  along the main road from the Marichchakattu Mosque on 31st March (noon) .

Their woe was , because the forest  land of the Wilpattu sanctuary belonging to the Northern province  was declared as reserve  zone by the president , the residents are being deprived of their lands. 

The homes where they lived, religious places , schools,  post offices and many other Institutions are within the area which has been declared  as reserve zone . Hence , the demonstrators urged that the gazette notification issued by the president shall be withdrawn .

The Muslims who were displaced owing to the war in 1990,  left for  Puttalam , and returned in 2011 for re settlement . But now because of the latest gazette notification about 100, 000 acres of land belonging to the Muslim residents are being taken away, the protestors pointed out .

Meanwhile, the protests commenced four days ago  by the residents in front of the Marichchakattu mosque , Mannar against the gazette notification issued by the president is continuing uninterrupted.  

Photos and report by Dinasena Rathugamage
Translated by Jeff 

---------------------------
by     (2017-04-02 00:15:23)

Ugly Governance Undressed

By Sarath De Alwis –April 1, 2017

Sarath de Alwis

‘Better to leave clothes here and go naked to sign this’. This statement made news in the 27th month of the government of the Sirisena/Wickremesinghe duumvirate. Why are clothes so important? The question is daft, nutty and wacky.

But then, we live in wacky times, in a nutty land. Being daft seems a state of bliss!

Why do humans cover themselves, their genitals in particular? In these transformational times of good governance, the issue of covering or uncovering genitals gathers immediate, present time relevance.

Giving evidence before the Special Presidential Commission probing the Central Bank Bond controversy, an Assistant Governor of the Central Bank has explained how he expressed his categorical dissatisfaction with decisions made by the tender board or committee that evaluated the bids, selected one and sent the new government in to a tailspin. He had made his objections clear, with an authentic Sinhala idiom. ‘Better to leave clothes here and go naked to sign this’.

This statement brings to focus an aspect that the UNP administration has steadfastly refused to acknowledge, ever since the so called bond scam captured public imagination.

It totally undermined the good governance initiative that held so much promise in the first four weeks after 8th January 2015.

No doubt, the Presidential Commission will report on its findings and the public anger will be appeased or so we hope. This sorry spectacle dragging on for two years and more, has demonstrated that the UNP is a party that has no sense of shame. It does not by any means imply that other parties do! They are as shameless as the present lot, but having caught with their pants down and now in opposition, they are content to wallow in their soulless shame .

The focus is currently on the Brahmins who gravitate around 5th Lane Colombo 7. It is a modern version of the Gita. In the original, Krishna is duty centric and Arjun worries about the consequences if goes in to battle. In the new version Krishna is laughing all the way to the Central Bank. Poor Arjun brought down for the purpose from Sinhapura seems to have done his duty and is now grappling with the consequence. Others in the pantheon of small gods- Malik, Ravi, Paski and Charitha are hell bent on keeping the gravy chariot afloat.

There are two aspects of shame. There is the anticipated sense of shame, and the experienced sense of shame. By its stubborn refusal to allow an open, transparent investigation, precipitating the dissolution of parliament before the DEW Gunasekera committee report could be tabled, the attempted sweep under the carpet by what this writer once described as the ‘Pana Yana Report’ of the Pitipana committee the UNP has shown that it has no sense of shame.

Then we come to the experienced sense of shame. The UNP and its leader in particular have demonstrated that our Serendib has more Rhino hides than in Serengeti Park.

Both, anticipated and experienced sense of shame intrinsically hold a deep desire to cover what is exposed. But that was not the case with Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake. When told that his fly was open, instead of zipping up, he got in to combat mode and more keener in unzipping Niward Cabraal.

‘Redi Andagenada Me Wadey Karanne’ is a Sinhala remonstration of unethical conduct. ‘Redda Palley Berenawa’ is a picturesquely expressive way of stressing the telltale exposure of an indiscretion. ‘Thamusege Redda’ is a decisive dismissal of a counter narrative with a subtle hint linking dress with the need cover genitalia. Then there is the all-encompassing omnibus dictum ‘Lajja Nathikama Maha Mudali Kamatath Wada Loukiy’. Shamelessness surpasses the haughtiness of the feudal grandee.

When asked by one of the commissioners if there were other members of the tender committee present when he made that trenchant comment, the Assistant Governor answered in the affirmative. He said that three others were present. He named them – two ladies and a gentleman. The thin thread that holds human dignity together is the assumption that, being unclothed in public is an act of shame. This sense of shame is deeply ingrained in the normal human psyche. That seems to change when humans start politicking!

This writer was recently treated for a medical condition called pathologic phimosis that required surgical intervention in the genital area. It was an excruciatingly painful and maddeningly inconvenient business. The most disagreeable and nerve-racking concern was fear of an inappropriate excitement in the presence of female nurses. As it turned out, fear and pain canceled out any descent to excitement, inappropriate or otherwise.

In sharp contrast, governance practices of the UNP are not inhibited with fears of inappropriate excitement. What is inappropriate in general seems to excite the UNP more. This was amply demonstrated by parliamentarian Sujeewa Senasinghe in the debate on the Bond scam.

Read More

Constitutional committee report to be out this month

April 1, 2017 
A key report to formulate Sri Lanka’s new Constitution will be released this month, which could deliberate among other things on a political solution to the Tamil minority issue through devolution of power. 

The main Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) senior MA Sumanthiran while addressing a gathering in Jaffna yesterday said the political party leaders represented in Parliament have agreed to present the report this month. 

The decision was made at a meeting presided by President Maithripala Sirisena, Sumanthiran said. The committee has deliberated on a political solution to the Tamil minority issue by way of devolution of power, abolishing of the executive presidency, and electoral reforms, he said.

 The Steering Committee will meet again on April 4 and 5 and the interim report will be submitted before the end of this month. 

The Joint Opposition group have quit the Steering Committee to protest against the government. They accuse the government and TNA of trying to carve out a federal system to the north and east. 

The Constitution-making is expected to generate a lot of political tensions in the months ahead, the analysts say. 

Sri Lanka will witness a series of elections this year including the local elections which had been postponed for over two years and elections for three of the nine provincial councils. 

There might be a national referendum on the new Lankan Constitution if the parties agreed on the final draft of it. 

The Steering Committee, which was formed last year, consists of the Prime Minister (Chairman), Leader of the Opposition, Leader of the House, the Minister of Justice, and not more than 11 other Members of the Constitutional Assembly.

 -PTI -Agencies 

INTERNATIONAL JUDGES: READ THE UNHRC RESOLUTION, SAYS SUMANTHIRAN.

01/04/2017

‘Internationals are not mentioned in the said Resolution in the capacity of consultants or as those providing technical assistance. If the latter was the case, the Resolution would state such. The roles are instead specified. Any intelligent person can read and understand it. Sri Lanka co-sponsored the said Resolution not once, but twice’, says TNA spokesperson M. A. Sumanthiran while speaking on the issue of participation on international judges in Sri Lanka’s proposed justice mechanism .

By M.A. Sumanthiran.

I am a member of the TNA. The TNA has chartered a particular course towards seeking a lasting, permanent solution to the national issue and obtaining relief for our people. I am in the Constitutional Assembly’s Steering Committee along with Leader of the TNA and Leader of the Opposition, R. Sampanthan. This requires quite a lot of attention. I also co-chair the management committee of the said Steering Committee. This work requires attention in terms of coordinating experts and research teams. Aside to this, there is work involving the constituencies and day-to- day affairs which require immediate attention. These are my responsibilities within the Party.

We issued two statements with regard to the UNHRC sessions. One was the Parliamentary Group’s unanimous view. The second statement involved MPs and the members of the Provincial Councils. We had a full day’s meeting after which we arrived at a consensus and adjusted he wording to appease all present.

M.A. Sumanthiran, MP

With regard to addressing the burning day-to-day issues and basic needs faced by the families of the missing persons, ex-cadres and female headed households we have quite a bit of involvement. On the issue of the disappeared, it was upon our insistence that the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) law was enacted. We objected to the first draft of the said law. It was then changed. We are disappointed that the Office is not in operation yet. We are working on their livelihood issues and the ex-cadres. We are not part of the Government. We however encourage the Diaspora to help vulnerable groups. We have suggested that the Government implement a special scheme providing opportunities for them. Regarding the ex-cadres, we met with President Maithripala Sirisena to put in place a special programme for their livelihoods as they don’t integrate into society that easily. With regard to women, a project to provide assistance to them should be implemented instead of sending them out to work. The Government should pay something like a social security payment as women engage in care-related work with regard to their disabled husbands, aging parents, and their children. They also have to work to earn a living. The Government must take steps in this regard. We are constantly engaging in order to find relief for them.

TNA deals with both of the President and the Prime Minster . In general, we deal with Wickremesinghe on specific problems.

Like in the case of the OMP, TNA has  made significant contributions. In the case of the first draft of the proposed Counter Terrorism Act, we said that it was worse than the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Since then, a new draft is being made. All our efforts will be to fully participate to ensure effective mechanisms for the people’s lives of today. Certain statutes are not in place and the people haven’t tasted the benefits of the statutes that are in place. That is the reason for making that statement. We will fully cooperate and work with the Government. The programme involves not merely bringing in laws but also seeing to their implementation.

On the question of foreign judges, the wording in the UNHRC Resolution 30/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka adopted on 2015 October 1, is very clear. It has separate categories including judges, prosecutors, lawyers including defence counsels and investigators.

Internationals are not mentioned in the said Resolution in the capacity of consultants or as those providing technical assistance. If the latter was the case, the Resolution would state such. The roles are instead specified. Any intelligent person can read and understand it. Sri Lanka co-sponsored the said Resolution not once, but twice. The second time involves the UNHRC Resolution 34/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. Both contain the same words. Whatever that is said by anyone to the contrary, outside the process, elsewhere, the two Resolutions, commitments are given to the world. We insist and we will continue to insist that it will be kept to the letter. This will however not happen tomorrow or day after. The accountability and judicial mechanism will come at the tail end of the processes. There are many processes to come before it such as the OMP, the truth seeking commission and the office of reparations. In addition, laws must be passed to criminalize some of these crimes. Only a Bill for the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances has been brought. These crimes must be declared and made official by way of laws. This aspect of the process will take up quite a bit of time.

Thus, there is no point in arguing or debating at this juncture as to what form the judicial mechanism with a special counsel, will take. We will ensure that the Government keeps to its promises.

Sexually abusing females in the North  is a very serious issue. It is often not very publicly articulated. But anybody who works with these people at the ground level and grassroots level knows that it is a reality. It is not just military personnel, or public officials among whom are also Tamils, but shop owners who also engage in such. Everybody takes advantage of these women and females. The military environment contributes to and is conducive to such. Demilitarization is the answer. The military must remain in the North and the East to meet the just security demands, however anything beyond what is required is unnecessary. The military presence at present is highly excessive.

This debate on the question of whether or not to go for a referendum with regard to constitutional reforms is not necessary. All one has to do is to read the motion for the appointment of a Constitutional Assembly, the resolution for which was adopted unanimously on 2016 March 9, including with the participation of the Joint Opposition (JO). The Constitutional Assembly was set up to draft a constitution, the process for approving which involves obtaining a two thirds majority in/of Parliament and a referendum before the people. These steps are clearly mentioned. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party or the JO, none of them can talk differently. They cannot responsibly say so. This was negotiated for two full months. No responsible political party or Parliamentarian can change their position. How can they do so?

Edited version of an interview published in the OnlineNation