Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Punish perpetrators of war crimes, atrocities - NGO pack

By Shamindra Ferdinando-April 19, 2017, 10:16 pm

The Collective of Civil Society Organizations has urged the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration to inquire into war crimes allegations in accordance with Geneva Resolution 30/1 co-sponsored by the government.

Addressing the media at the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR), Maradana on Tuesday (April 18), Akalanka Hettiarachchi (Aluth Parapura) emphasized that all those who had perpetrated crimes during the war and post-conflict should be dealt forthwith.

The military brought the war to a successful conclusion in May 2009. Sri Lanka co-sponsored Geneva Resolution in Oct 2015. Last month, Sri Lanka co-sponsored another resolution reiterating her commitment to the 2015 resolution. On the basis of Sri Lanka’s commitment, Geneva granted time till March 2019 to fully implement the 2015 resolution.

Hettiarachchi accused National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa and Pivuthuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammampila of shielding those in uniform allegedly responsible for atrocities.

The NGO activist warned of dire consequences unless the country addressed accountability issues.

Referring to international media reports pertaining to allegations directed at Sri Lankan troops deployed in the Caribbean island Haiti, Hettiarachchi emphasized that it was the responsibility of the government to protect Sri Lanka’s image by probing those who had been accused of human rights violations here or during overseas deployment under UN command. Hettiarachchi alleged that some members of the Sri Lankan contingent had been also accused of child abuse during Haiti deployment.

Hettiarachchi dismissed nationalist groups’ assertions excesses hadn’t been committed during the conflict therefore there was no basis for both local and international calls for investigations.

The activist pointed out that media personality Prageeth Ekneligoda had been missing since January 2010. Commenting on a spate of high profile investigations undertaken by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) since the change of government in January 2015, Hettiarachchi underscored that scores of Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) personnel had been arrested, remanded and released on bail.

The Aluth Parapura spokesperson said that the civil society had been demanding proper investigation into war crimes accusations. Hettiarachchi expressed concern over the failure on the part of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government to address accountability issues, swiftly and decisively.

The NGO insisted that those who had been accused of excesses couldn’t be given impunity on the basis of military victory over the LTTE.

Right to Information and Batticaloa women : Hypothesis vs Reality

2017-04-20

Yet, it is still questionable whether citizens from all corners felt the importance of such a law. Amidst all this drama, a unique incident reported from Batticaloa where 13 brave women marched their way to find the information they longed for. They walked up to five authorities seeking information of their loved ones who went missing during the internal conflict. On February 3, from dawn to dusk these daring women walked the dusty roads in Jaffna, Batticaloa, Vavuniya towns and to several police stations under the scorching sun tirelessly waiting to meet the relevant authorities.

They questioned the law enforcement agencies on the remains of the complaints they made at the time their family members went missing. They demanded the police to give them evidence on the whereabouts of their missing family members or at least let them know whether they are still alive. The one thousand odd questions from these women could have definitely given a shock to the public servants.

They searched information in the Jaffna District Secretariat, regional offices of the Human Rights Commission, Batticaloa DIG Office, Batticaloa prison and several other police stations.
The information officer was absent in the Jaffna District Secretariat. According to the Right to Information Act Section - 5 Subsection 23 (1) (a), Every public service department (Public Authority) must appoint an Information Officer within three months of enactment. At the time these women went searching for information, six months had passed.

According to the Act, the head of the institute or the second in command can accept information requests and provide information as the alternative solution in the absence of an Information Officer. Despite this provision the Jaffna District Secretary, being the head of the institute, had been reluctant to accept requests made by these women. On accepting the public requests, the Act clearly states the institute must issue a receipt as the acknowledgement. Instead of a receipt these women were told to return in three days to inquire about the progress.

“We still have not received any information and the three days they mentioned passed weeks ago,” they said.

Their experience at the Human Rights Commission’s regional office in Batticaloa had been different. Despite the fact that the office did not have an Information Officer, the Human Rights Commission welcomed the requests of the women and were responsible enough to issue photo copies of their request letters signed. “We respect their understanding,” they said. The disappointment came later. The head office of Human Rights Commission based in Colombo has instructed the Batticaloa officers to direct the information to Colombo as the Information Officers are appointed there. Even at the time this article goes to print the relevant information these women requested for has not been issued.

The other instance a debacle these women faced was at the Sri Lanka Police Deputy Inspector General’s Office in Batticaloa. As they reached the office three Police officers stopped them at the entrance and questioned what their inquiry was about. The women spoke in Tamil, as they decided to speak only in their mother tongue. Officers had to search for another Police officer who understood Tamil and had been quite stressful for them. Eventually it appeared that these Police Officers had no idea about a Right To Information Act existing!

The officers had told two of the women to meet a senior Police officer. These brave women, very humbly but firmly refused saying this is a collective effort. Then the senior Police officer came down to meet the all women team. Despite his lack of knowledge in Tamil he patiently listened to the request of these women. The communication continued to happen through interpreters. The women even explained the content of the Right to Information Act that was written in English. With great patience the women informed the senior Police officer that they came to meet the Information Officer. The question still remains. Did these Police Officers understand that these women reached their office searching for information based on their rights empowered through the RTI Act? Even the senior Police officer did not know how to respond to the request.

“Two of you can come and meet the DIG,” replied the Police Officer.

The request was decently rejected by the women.

“Alright then. You all can meet the DIG,” said the Police officer who got totally lost directions in this case.

These women managed to reverse the common norms of power and bureaucracy with their soft and subtle negotiations. The usual practice is, the authority directs and the common person surrenders. In this incident the vice versa happened. These women were successful in creating a conducive environment without triggering any agitation. There were no threats from either side. As they met the DIG, their request was accepted, receipt in Tamil was issued, and photocopies were taken. And still the communications were through interpreters. Despite the fact that acceptance of requests of these women happened, the question is whether the Police followed the protocol stated in the Act.
On February 16, Police officers started visiting houses of these women to inquire about the complaint! The women asked for information and there were no complaints!
Does this mean the Police were misinformed about the Right to Information Act and how to react? Is this is a problem with disseminating right knowledge to the ground level officers from the Police Headquarters?

“But the Police acted with respect to our inquiry and were concerned,” women said.
The Prisons Department in Batticaloa has refused to accept their request. As of to date, the Prisons Department has one Information officer who again is based in Colombo. For requests coming from rural areas such as Batticaloa, the Department only has a complicated process operating from a distance. Clearly many weeks have passed beyond the deadlines stipulated by the authorities to issue information to these women. Surprisingly these women still remain patient.
On one side this story depicts the attempt of victims to achieve justice for their loved ones went missing. On the other hand it also shows the real situation of how the RTI Act operate at the grass root level. For these women, after years of struggle over blood, tears and toil, the RTI Act may be the strongest tool found to seek justice in a country where the right to live is not even cleared stated in the brief paragraph of the country’s constitution that set up conditions for
fundamental rights.

These 13 women are still waiting. They are awake all times to see a positive action to happen and so are we. And so should be the civil society. The awakening rising from pain, anger and injustice never dies.

59 days and Kilinochchi families of the disappeared continue protest

19 Apr 2017

Families of the disappeared have continued their protest in Kilinochchi, on what is now the 59th day. (Photographs Tamil Guardian)

Featured image by Ami Vitale/National Geographic

TAYLOR DIBBERT on 04/19/2017

When you tell people in Washington that you’re following Sri Lanka, you might get a strange look. You might get something worse than that.

But you never really know.

Please keep in mind that there are plenty of people in Washington who have some idea about what they are talking about (though less than you’d imagine). And yet, there are undoubtedly more who know very little. More broadly, Washington is the capital of both genuine experts and people masquerading as experts who don’t have a clue.

Additionally, there are people with all kinds of world views focusing on countries that most Americans hardly know exist. Everyone has interests. Everyone has personal issues. That’s just how things work.

No big deal.

So, let’s return to the important stuff. Let’s go back to Sri Lanka.

I frequently get asked why I care about a specific South Asian island nation. I frequently get asked why Sri Lanka matters.

After I run through the war-related, geopolitical and human rights stuff, I usually mention that I lived there and have maintained an interest in the country.

Yet there’s so much more, although I’m reluctant to elaborate that much in front of people I don’t know. To be clear, I’m very interested in talking about journeys and stories and emotions. However, you just never know what you’re going to get.

Those early days in Colombo were tough: couldn’t find a place to live; no one in my office seemed to like me; I wasn’t getting along with my boss; I was doomed.

In the beginning, I hardly slept. I was worried, afraid even – of failure.

Then I decided to dig in, really. I worked hard to build relationships because I cared about the work that they were doing and wanted to be a part of it. Because I have always wanted to be in the arena. Living it, even if it was from the perspective of an outsider.

Though initially, I was a mess, a complete mess.

Ultimately, I became a part of the team because other people let me. And because they knew that – even though I was different – I was no pretender. To be clear, nothing I did was ever spectacular, far from it. Nonetheless, I collaborated with people who had more courage than I ever will. I had the privilege of working with people – during the darkest hours of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s reign – who are colleagues, friends and role models. With few exceptions, these individuals got no public recognition for the work they did. They were not invited to fancy diplomatic events. Their names did not appear in the papers. These quiet heroes are the main reason why I’m still interested in human rights.

I loved working on issues that were (and still are) truly important. And that was happening because people were generous enough to let me be a part of it. Because if you spend time with people, you build trust. Because you have never been that good at covering up emotions, and things got emotional on the island.

Let’s not forget other matters, like America. We, obviously, have a lot of problems in the U.S. We have many issues to deal with – in terms of race, inequality, rising authoritarianism and more. Right now, the U.S. is a mess, though it remains a democracy. Just as Sri Lanka, in arguably different flavours, has remained a democracy since its inception.

Of course, this article isn’t meant to be a comprehensive piece in any way. This article, in a general, flawed way, is what I talk about when I talk about Sri Lanka. Frankly, I’d talk about a lot more, but it would depend upon who would be willing to listen.

For an outsider, the world’s most interesting island is a bolt of lightning. And everyone gets struck. It’s where you go after that – and who you keep close – that matters.

VC Election At Jaffna University: Mockery Of Democracy And University Autonomy

April 19, 2017

Colombo Telegraph has come to know that the professor of Mathematics at the University of Jaffna who topped the VC’s election held recently has a questionable track record as academic administrator and public figure. Members of the University Council, as electors of Vice Chancellors, are obligated to search for and elect leaders with inclusive social vision for the highest administrative seat in the public university. If a candidate with a narrow social vision and proven history of sectarianism was able to secure the support of 17 out of the 23 Council members who cast their votes, it is a sad reflection of how these members appointed to the University Councils on the basis of their academic eminence, administrative experience and contribution to social progress evaluate the candidates, the political and ideological affiliations and preferences of the council members and their understanding of the role of the public university and its relationship to the marginalized segments of the country’s polity.

Jaffna University Council

We reliably learn that this professor of Mathematics, who received the highest number of votes, attempted to block the publication of an article that was scathing in its critique of casteism in Jaffna society two years ago. This well-researched article was written by an academic attached to the University of Peradeniya, for a felicitation volume for the Late Mr. Thangavadivel, a Left-wing activist who was involved in people’s struggles against caste discrimination in Jaffna and a well-known teacher at Udupiddy American Mission College. Both the writer of the article and the professor of Mathematics are alumni of Udupiddy American Mission College.

The article (click here to read the article), as it was submitted by the author for publication in the felicitation volume, appeared in a magazine called Aakkaaddi in 2015 with prefatory notes by the author about the attempts made by the said professor to block its publication. Academics and researchers who have contributed to academic conversations on caste and participated in public campaigns against caste-based discrimination wonder how this professor of Mathematics who tried to suppress freedom of expression in a public forum will ensure academic freedom at University of Jaffna, if he is appointed as the VC of the University by the President of the country. Some even questioned the wisdom and politics of the members of the University Council who voted for this professor of Mathematics in the VC’s election. They note that most members of the University Council are either deliberately blind to and complicit in practices of social exclusion that happen along lines of ethnicity, religion and caste in the University or out of touch with the realities on the ground.

The said professor of Mathematics also took efforts to move the university’s main entrance to face the Parameswaran temple inside the campus with a view to giving the University a Hindu character. Moreover, when he was the Dean of the Faculty of Science last year, he gave in to the demand made by the Tamil students to not include Kandyan Dancing in the procession held at the welcome event for the freshers though he initially supported the Sinhala students’ demand. When the Sinhala students defied this decision, and tried to perform Kandyan Dancing during the welcome procession, they were attacked by the Tamil students and the University was temporarily shut down. Colombo Telegraph reliably learns that some members of the Tamil People’s Council, a Tamil nationalist body that includes representatives of political parties and civil groups, actively campaigned for this professor’s victory. Even as the academic community in Jaffna is awaiting the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor, some newspapers in Jaffna have already declared that the UGC would soon announce the appointment of this professor as the University’s new Vice Chancellor and a letter in this regard had already been sent to the UGC by the President. He is also described as the next Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna at public events that he attends in the peninsula.

(Lanka-e-News -19.April.2017, 9.50PM) It is an unequivocal fact that among the Institutions which came in for heavy flak from the pro good governance government supporters who elected the present government , it was Lake House that was most leading , for it was misleading the nation on its devious and dubious policies. The main reason for this was : the Lake House officials were acting in a manner to drive a wedge between the president and the prime minister (P.M.) , while portraying a wrong picture of whatever good the government did. Moreover it was misleading the people without giving due publicity to the Government’s progressive activities.

The present chairman of Lake House is Kavan Ratnayake the brother of minister Sagala Ratnayake.The Director of the editorial board is Saman Wagaarachi , while the director (operations) and director (finance) are Lakshman Hewapanna and Emerick Fernando respectively .The Director (Legal ) is Sirimevan Piyasena.

It was since June 2016 , petitions after petitions were received by the president and P.M. that the Board of Directors of Lake House is neglecting the development of the Institution and are only serving their selfish self serving interests.

The president based on those petitions was to appoint a presidential committee to conduct an investigation in this regard. The members of that committee were Nimal Dissanayake , Raja Premadasa, V.D. Dahanayake and Chandrasiri Seneviratne .

It was the view of many, under the circumstances the Director board including the chairman shall be replaced by new members. Based on informed sources of the president’s office , the new members have already been decided.

A bilingual media personnel , an expert on enterprises, and Krishantha Cooray as chairman are to be appointed to the Lake House Board. Names have already been proposed for the director board , while Lakshman Gunasekera’s name has been proposed as the director ,editorial board. Palitha Pelpola and Chandrasiri Seneviratne have been named as Director (operations) and Director (Legal) respectively.

It is also learnt that the present chairman Kavan Ratnayake is to be appointed as additional secretary to the P.M. or as secretary of ministry of national policy and economic affairs.

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by (2017-04-19 16:32:26)

Over 50,000 acres of Maduru Oya National Park given to China?

Apr 19, 2017

Residents around the Maduru Oya National Park area allege that steps are being taken to give an area of 54,250 acres of the Park to China.

The residents have reportedly claimed that the land will be given to China to boost local industry. They stated that 43,250 acres of sugarcane would be planted and the balance land was to be used for cattle rearing.

Residents have also said that the National Wildlife Department prohibited farmers to graze cattle within the Park and added that the Department was not trying to prevent the land from being given to China because of the Government’s intervention.

Under the Right to Information Act, 172 questions have been submitted to the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment. The Ministry has requested time to answer all the questions and till now have provided answer to only 15 of the questions. The residents of the area claim that a programme to destroy the country’s ecological forests is now underway.

The residents have claimed that destruction of the local ecological system and their way of life was imminent and they have filed a case to prevent this destruction. Courts have fixed the hearing for the 27th of April and the residents have called for the support of the environmentalists.
- http://srilankaedition.com-

PPP in H’tota Port and purported economic crisis

Thursday, 20 April 2017

The proposed Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the Hambantota Port is under heavy criticism in the media as means to ward off the purported economic crisis; referring to the increase in the public debt stock during the last two years.

This comparison of the increase in public debt stock is misleading, as the increase in the debt stock during 2015 was largely due to the revaluation of foreign loans – it has no economic meaning since foreign loans are serviced at different points in time at the prevailing exchange rates.

Foreign loans are repaid using foreign currency proceeds available during the year of payment and conversion to local currency is only for record keeping purposes. Hence, the accounting valuation of foreign debt stock is meaningless since those figures are compared internationally in USD terms.

According to the provisional data, the public debt stock of Sri Lanka was Rs. 9,387 billion on 31 December 2016. The public debt stock has grown by Rs. 1,996 billion during the last two years. However, nearly Rs. 500 billion of the above increase was a result of the revaluation of foreign debt stock.

If the depreciation component of the exchange rate is adjusted, the increase in borrowings during 2015 and 2016 was Rs. 1,490 billion. This compares to Rs. 1,391 billion increase in public debt during 2013 and 2014. Corresponding total Government expenditure had increased by nearly Rs. 1,033 billion during the past two years.

Government expenditure during the past two years contained interest payments of Rs. 1,121 billion for the loans taken by successive governments in the past. In addition, the Budget includes a large debt service cost of State agencies which remains out of the GoSL balance sheet.

Due to an ever-growing public debt stock and gradual expiry of grace periods on loans, the interest cost of the Government is on the rise. There is no unusual increase in the interest rates which could increase debt service costs during 2015 and 2016 as illustrated in the graph, which shows the behaviour of key interest rates in post war Sri Lanka.

The GoSL is making every possible attempt to deleverage without compromising the required investments into basic infrastructure such as roads, power, water and sanitation. Public-Private Partnerships which have been successfully implemented elsewhere in the developing world, including neighbouring India, are a good alternative mechanism for funding infrastructure.

The PPP modalities such as concessionary agreements, Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) and Build-Own-Operate (BOO) are used for new infrastructure developments. Management agreements, long-term leasing, concessionary agreements, and Takeover-Operate-Transfer (TOT) are utilised to cash-out existing infrastructure assets to raise further funding for new developments. These modalities help attract long term Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in to the country.

A national liability

In its current form, the Hambantota Port cannot be considered as a national asset and it is only a national liability without any real business operation or plans for such business operations in the future. Taxpayers take the burden of the maintenance of the port and service loans, hence it is not wrong to term it as a national liability.

The operation of the port was largely confined to RORO (Roll-On/Roll-Off) and revenue of the port was Rs. 2.4 billion in 2015. The construction of the port was apparently not based on proper evaluation of commercial feasibility and has no proper business plan to run a profitable port operation. The loans ($ 1.27 billion), obtained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) for the construction of the port, are still within their grace periods and the SLPA will find it extremely difficult to service the debt when those loans become due for repayment.

The Government has chosen the best option to revive the operation of the Hambantota Port and allied infrastructure. The port requires a credible and internationally reputed port operator to attract regional transhipment cargo. Furthermore, it requires a large amount of FDI to set up manufacturing businesses in the surrounding area of the port to generate a sizeable load of local cargo. There are abundant examples in the region for such successful ports (i.e. Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia).

[The writer is a CFA charterholder with local and international capital market experience and a former Fund Manager at the Employees’ Provident Fund (of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka).]

Under the Radar: Are Sri Lanka’s ports the next Great Game for China, India and Japan?

by Jeremy Luedi , April 17, 2017

Increased international interest in the Indian Ocean comes at a convenient time for Sri Lanka, as the country continues to recoup after the end of its decades-long civil war which ended in 2009. The island nation is being courted (and courting in turn) by various major powers, each seeking a stake in developing Sri Lanka’s strategic location midway between the Middle East and the Straits of Malacca. While opportunities present themselves, all this attention also comes with its own set of complications.

International actors, notably India and Japan have become increasingly concerned about the level of Chinese investment and influence in Sri Lanka. This has in turn set off a flurry of activity among all parties to secure Sri Lanka’s favours. On April 12th, Prime Ministers Abe and Wickremesinghe met to discuss furthering bilateral cooperation. This is PM Wickremesinghe’s second visit to Japan since coming to power in 2015, and his ninth overall. The meeting resulted in $410 million in Japanese loans for Sri Lankan infrastructure projects, as well as $9.2 million in grant aid for the development of the Trincomalee port.

Other recent developments include Japan’s decision to appoint a special representative to coordinate development in Sri Lanka, as well as a code sharing agreement between Sri Lankan Airlines and JAL which will help facilitate six new routes between Japan and South Asia, aiding trade and tourism ties between Colombo and Tokyo.

Japan looks to boost ties, counter China

Speaking during the meeting, PM Abe stated that “without a free and open Indian Ocean, there cannot be real prosperity in the region. This is why it is essential for Sri Lanka to achieve sustainable growth as a hub and develop ports that are open to everyone.” These comments came in the wake of Sri Lanka’s assurance of its commitment to free navigation and the authority of the United Nations Convention of the Sea (UNCLOS). These statements bolster Japan’s own focus on these issues, as well as mark out China, which has refused to abide by UNCLOS arbitration over the contested South China Sea.

This also ties into greater Japanese concerns about China’s increasing presence in the Indian Ocean, the main conduit for vital energy shipments from the Middle East to Japan. These fears had been heightened by the previous Sri Lankan administration’s close ties to China. In his latest visit, PM Wickremesinghe is pitching Sri Lanka as a trade and finance hub, halfway between Doha and Singapore. To this end, Wickremesinghe wants “Japan to use Sri Lanka as a hub for trade. We expect to deepen our existing FTA with India through the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement, expect to sign a FTA with Singapore and another with China. We also hope to talk to Japan, Indonesia and other ASEAN countries with regards to FTAs.”

Sri Lanka’s efforts to seal an FTA with China were on display a week prior to PM Wickremesinghe’s Japan visit, as China hastily sent high ranking officials to balance the Prime Minister’s visit to Tokyo. Chinese officials pledged to speed up negotiations on a bilateral FTA, as well as praised Sri Lanka as a key partner in China’s 21st Century Maritime Silk Road efforts. Due to the aforementioned plan, Sri Lanka is benefitting from increased Chinese attention, as well as from Abe’s ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy’, and India’s ‘Look East’ policy.

Vying for military influence in Sri Lanka

This competition can be seen in Sri Lanka’s recent joint training mission with India, as well as an ongoing joint hydrographic survey to update maritime navigation charts of the increasingly busy nearby shipping lanes. Moreover, Sri Lanka’s effort to acquire 12 JF-17 fighter aircraft built in Pakistan in collaboration with China saw India quickly offer its new Tejas fighter, still in its trial period, as an alternative. China also provided Sri Lanka with a $11 million loan to buy an offshore patrol vessel in 2016, a purchase yet to be completed. In return, Japan has offered to provide two patrol vessels.

Efforts to vye for Sri Lankan military and geopolitical influence sees Japan, India and the US worried that China will use its foothold in the country to establish a military base, and /or use its majority owned port facilities for military purposes. These concerns have in turn led PM Wickremesinghe to state that “we want to ensure that we develop all our ports, and all these ports are used for commercial activity, transparent activity, and will not be available to anyone for any military activity.”

While this stance appears to be a victory for China hawks fearing Beijing’s growing reach, the reality is more complex. Firstly, if Sri Lanka actually implements such a policy it cannot make exceptions for the likes of the US without drawing the ire of other parties, notably China, especially given the economic clout which Beijing wields in the country. Consequently, even if no one can use Sri Lankan facilities, it means that China has still benefitted by preventing access for potential rivals. As the regional newcomer, China has less to lose from such an arrangement than existing Indian Ocean powers such as the US and India, and to a lesser extent Japan. This effectively makes Sri Lanka a demilitarized zone, in turn negating the regional superiority enjoyed by the US and India.

Mounting unrest over mega project terms

This competition has also led each of these countries to invest in various Sri Lankan port facilities, with China focusing on Hambantota, India and Japan on Trincomalee, and the US in Jaffna. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa even went so far as to publically state that Sri Lanka plans to divvy up control of these ports accordingly. With economic growth the lowest in three years at 4.4% in 2016, Sri Lanka sorely needs foreign investment to boost its growth, yet this very scramble for Sri Lankan assets has created domestic problems of its own.

Sri Lankans have protested what they consider to be unfair concessions by their government to foreign partners, especially with regards to infrastructure projects. One of these flashpoints are plans for majority Indian control over a jointly operated oil storage facility in Trincomalee. Another sticking point are efforts to extend Colombo Port by eight to ten miles, making it the largest in the Indian Ocean, at the expense of surrounding land. The main focus of domestic anger however are Chinese plans for the extensive expansion of the Hambantota port and 15,000 acre Southern Industrial Zone special economic zone.

The $1.4 billion project is the single largest foreign direct investment in Sri Lanka, with an additional $13 billion expected from subsequent real estate development in the area. Part port, part new planned financial city, the project promises 83,000 jobs, yet has been delayed by violent protests and disagreements about share allocation. Specifically, the new development spares existing developed land and nature reserves, leaving only the surrounding villages and farms to bear the burden. This has incited the local population to action, who in turn are calling the endeavour a blatant land grab.

The planned Hambantota port city and prospective world financial hub

The project is also stoking unrest in the country as a whole, as the terms initially agreed to by the Sri Lankan government are widely seen as undermining national sovereignty. Specifically, the plan was to provide China with an 80% share in the industrial zone and port, as well as control of the project’s land for the next 99 years in exchange for $1.2 billion in debt relief. The fact that a Chinese-backed, Chinese built project is being given majority Chinese ownership and a 99 year lease in return for a reduction in Chinese debt shows how Beijing has cornered all aspects of this deal; its obvious lopsidedness in turn angering many Sri Lankans.

Sri Lanka has a substantial foreign debt problem, of which some $8 billion is owed to China. It is interesting to note that these billions of dollars in debt accumulated under the previous Rajapaksa administration of 2005-2015, as China pumped mountains of money into a country shunned by Western investors due to the ongoing civil war and the government’s human rights record. Indeed, it is reported that Chinese support was critical in the government’s victory over the Tamil Tigers, with some $1 billion in arms flowing from Beijing to Colombo during the civil war.

The project was even an election issue in 2015, with Wickremesinghe’s campaign pledging to scrap the Chinese-funded project, only to approve in its first month in office. This flip flop and the terms of the deal have fuelled claims of neo-colonialism (the 99 year lease ironically harks back to the UK’s deal regarding Hong Kong’s New Territories that expired in 1997). Local politician DK Chanaka argues that “when you give away such a vast area of land you can’t stop the area becoming a Chinese colony.”

Public indignation has in turn forced yet another flip flop from the Sri Lankan government, with Colombo now seeking a 40% stake in the venture, a demand that has not met with Chinese approval, stalling the project, but otherwise not overly impacting Sri Lankan-Chinese relations. That said, the ongoing controversy surrounding the Hambantota project brings into question other mega projects and undermines business confidence, something that the government’s repeated U-turns on the issue have not helped. In any case Chinese interest in Sri Lanka remains strong, and if Colombo plays its hand well, it can benefit from playing off competing foreign powers to extract better terms for itself and its citizens going forward.

Sri Lanka to offer India port development to balance out China

Apr 19, 2017

NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka may find it difficult to wriggle out of China's clutches because of the massive debt it owes to Beijing but to balance things out, it is now set to allow India to jointly develop the Trincomalee port in northeastern part of the country.

Diplomatic sources said Sri Lanka has readied an MoU for joint development of the project and that it's likely to be signed during PM Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Colombo. Official sources also confirmed that Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe would visit India this month to review bilateral ties.

India has in the past not been particularly enthused about developing the Trincomalee port as the project did not appear economically feasible. As former Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa claims, the island nation under him had first approached India for developing the Hambantota port in south and allowed China to come in only after India refused the offer.

India had the same fear about Hambantota as it felt developing the port there was not going to be financially viable. While India was vindicated in the sense that the port failed to generate enough traffic, it now has to contend with a heavy Chinese presence there. Sri Lanka has now allowed China to build a special economic zone in Hambantota and also to further expand the Mattala airport.

The commercial aspect aside, Sri Lanka's decision to jointly develop the Trincomalee port with India is being seen as a good sign by the government and independent strategic affairs experts.

According to strategic thinker Brahma Chellaney, ensnared in a Chinese debt trap, Sri Lanka is increasingly cognizant of and concerned about the growing implications that this situation holds for its strategic autonomy.

"For example, from a Chinese-financed Sri Lankan project, Hambantota is becoming a Chinese-owned and Chinese-run enclave in the Indian Ocean," says Chellaney.

"Jointly developing the Trincomalee port with India cannot counterbalance the Chinese leverage over Sri Lanka but it can help Colombo build countervailing influence. A Trincomalee port joint project with India also makes sense in terms of Sri Lanka's domestic ethnic considerations," he adds.

The MoU which the two sides have agreed to sign includes plans to set up a petroleum refinery at Trincomalee.

With Sri Lanka owing most of its external debt to China, it has been hard-pressed to not be seen as acting against India's security interests while working around its economic reliance on Beijing. Official sources here said they greatly appreciate Wickremesinghe's remarks in Tokyo this week that his country, as it sought to become the regional hub in Indian Ocean, was not going to allow any military activity at Lankan ports.

"We want to ensure that we develop all our ports, and all these ports are used for commercial activity, transparent activity, and will not be available to anyone for any military activity,'' he said after his meeting with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe.

Sri Lanka, however, has backed China's 'One Belt, One Road' initiative about which India has serious reservations. After Wickremesinghe's visit to China last year, the two sides said in a joint statement that they would use the development of China's Maritime Silk Road as an opportunity to further advance infrastructure development.

Crucial Expose` : Who demanded Rs. 450 Million from Canadian Co. and Rs. 520 Million from German Co. under the counter ? -Aren’t they the true killers in Meethotamulla tragedy ?

By Anubhawananda

(Lanka-e-News -19.April.2017, 9.45PM) Garbage collection , recycling and re use of it are a science. There are hundreds of research papers written on this science and its findings . In the modern world garbage is not a waste but is something that is convertible for human use. In plain language garbage constitutes a source of income. Yet , unfortunately Sri Lankans look at it as something that is foul smelling and as unworthy disposable dirt .

It is because of this ‘dirty’ mindset, one throws one’s garbage secretly into the vicinity of a neighbor’s house. It is specially noteworthy , it is among a majority of the middle class who identify themselves as educated city folks this ‘dirty’ mental attitude prevails.

There was a report recently , a family in England ran an ordinary livestock farm . The solid and liquid excreta of the animals of the farm served to produce electricity which met the needs of the homes of 40 families in that village. The payment of bills for the electricity supply were made to the family owning the farm.

Sadly , in SL the Institutions , the chiefs of those Institutions and politicos responsible for the waste management are possessed of a ‘filthy ’ mentality . They are only obsessed with making a fast buck even from filth so much so they only look for avenues to achieve that ‘filthy’ goal , and not to resolve the country’s garbage disposal issues.

In such a country where such self seeking filthy ‘garbage rascals’ thrive compromising national interests , about 60 people dying following the collapse of a neglected garbage dump is unsurprising . Why a much worse disaster didn’t strike the hapless helpless people owing to these irresponsible rascals who are only chasing after filthy lucre is only a matter for surprise, and not the other way around. Thankfully , because the land at Meetotamulla was marshy the disaster was minimal , otherwise the tragedy would have been of most alarming proportions.

Though the world has advanced tremendously in relation to waste management , SL , the Island once called the pearl of the orient is still in the stone age. If SL is to manage the waste, and venture on recycling ,it must venture out from its stone age. It will need modern technologies , methodologies and huge capital .However , since SL is wanting in those spheres ,SL certainly needs foreign investment for waste management.

Indeed , several honest attempts were made in that direction , but because of the crooked and corrupt politicos whose gaze are fixed only on selfish gains - illicit commissions , several opportunities went begging .

It is Europe environmental Green Co. of North America that is leading in waste management in the world. Though this Co. is profit motivated , its policy and principle are mostly driven by social and democratic values.

A similar Canadian Green environmental Co. (let us not reveal the name) did an exhaustive research regarding our garbage disposal issue and handed over a project report to the Western provincial council about a year after the good governance government was installed in power. It was proposed in that report to burn the garbage collection in Colombo city , in order to generate Pyrolysis electricity . Further , based on a feasibility report , a ten acre land in Karadeniya , Piliyandala was identified by the company as suitable for the project .This solution is the most superior technological access now employed world wide. In all probability this was an environment friendly project , and the residual carbon is a by product . This carbon is specially used in countries with cold climates for the construction of roads. It was the aim of that company to export that by -product to Europe and North America .

There is about 85% moisture in the garbage collected in Colombo, Gampaha ad Kalutara districts because of the rainfall in those areas.. Such a moisture composition is most conducive to generation of electricity , according to the Co. Based on the Canadian company’s research 10 MW of electricity can be produced from 500 metric tons garbage.

It was their view there is a collection of 450-500 metric tons of garbage in Dehiwala- Mt. Lavinia area for a day. Out of the quantity of the total garbage collected in Colombo , 240 MW electricity can be generated per day was the opinion of that Canadian Co. based on their assessment. In fact , the garbage collected in Colombo is not adequate to meet the full capacity targeted by their project. In other words ,that Co. found an eco friendly total solution to the garbage disposal issue in Colombo !

In addition , the Co. had a solution to the wood residue that were being diverted to the Bolgoda Lake by the timber factories daily . They agreed to purchase the wood residue from the factory owners as a solution to the wood residue issue. The proposed initial investment of the Canadian Co. in this project was SL Rs. 4500 million (US dollars 50 million) .

Three rounds of discussions too were held between the representatives of the Canadian Co. and officials of Western P.C. and both parties agreed to commence the garbage disposal management project in Karadiyana , Piliyandala , and even the media reported it.

Illicit Commission demanded by Isuru Devapriya’s wife...

Interestingly and intriguingly , after the final round of discussion lasting several hours , it was the wife of Isuru Devapriya the chief minister of Western PC , cum his private secretary who gave a phone call to the chief representative of the Canadian Company’s delegation . She told the chief representative that she needed to talk to him. When her request was granted , she told at the discussion , if the approval is to be given a sum of US dollars 3 million (Rs. 450 million approximately !) was required.

The Candian representative replied , as a matter of policy their Co. does not pay bribes, because under the laws of the Canadian government such payments would render them liable to punishment in jail. However , if a bribe is indeed necessary , a donation can be made considering it as a community project . Giving bribes to politicians or officials is out of the question , the Canadian representative has told Isuru’s wife ( Isuru’s bribery representative !) . Thereafter , the entire project came to a grinding halt.

During this period , Champika Ranawake took over the ministerial portfolio of mega police .Somewhere in February 2016 , he itched to bring the garbage disposal under the Urban development authority . When tenders were called , 50 companies made bids . Finally a German Co. was selected for the project. (Let us not reveal the name of the Co.)

Isuru Devapriya who met with the president expressed his deep disappointment over the project of the Western PC being taken over by the Central government . Isuru being a lapdog of the president , the latter had melted when his lapdog was ‘sobbing.’ The president then appointed an officer (female) of his secretariat to probe into this issue and report back.

This officer ( yet another of the misfits appointed by the president) who realized there is a gold mine in the ‘garbage business’ , put her own fingers in the succulent pie. Instead of studying the reports of the Canadian and German companies , she got herself involved, and through her personal intervention and initiative made moves to grant this project to a South Korean Co. After receiving air tickets from the South Korean Co. she went on a family holiday to Singapore . All the expenses of that tour was met by that Co. The president who more often than not realizes his mistakes only after committing , immediately withdrew her from that task when he got wind of her rackets. Yet , no action was taken to resolve the garbage disposal issue . As always , finally bribery and rackets overrode national interests and the abysmally suffering people were neglected and left in the lurch .

When Western PC chief minister Isuru’s wife (Isuru’s bribery representative) was requesting a bribe from the Canadian Co. the officials of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) from the other side , also sought to get a share from the loot. The electricity produced by the Canada Co. shall be purchased by the CEB, they said. The CEB informed the Canadian Co. that it is possible to purchase the electricity at Rs. 23.10 per kilowatt for 20 long years.

But the Canadian Co. insisted there must be a price revision every 5 years. It was their proposal that the price shall be increased by 5 % vis a vis the rupee depreciation. The ‘Electricity mafia’ on the other hand demanded a specified amount as bribe if it is to comply with the request of the Canadian Co. The mafia made it clear if the electricity generated by the new Co. is to be purchased by them , the electricity purchased from the present Co .has to be curtailed . Therefore they will have to necessarily collect from the new Co. , the illicit commissions that are being paid to them at present.

Champika Ranawake employs his subordinates to collect illicit commission..

Meanwhile , the subordinates of Champika Ranawake demanded a sum of US dollars 3.5 million (Rs. 520 million) from the German Co. selected by the UDA of Champika as bribe if that Co. is to be permitted to commence this project. The German Co . was not prepared to pay that amount . Finally , following a tug o war , that project foundered on the rocks .

Another American Co. of repute which wished to inaugurate a waste recycling project in SL , inquired from the US Embassy in SL in that regard before its launch. The Embassy gave a most startling advice to that Co.

Three American companies during the whole of the last decade came forth in connection with that project but all of them wasted their time and money only. Therefore if it is the desire of the latest Co. too to waste its time and money , then it can try its hand, the US Embassy informed the prospective investor.

To the Colombo refuse bin politicos ,’garbage business’ is a money spinner because their best policy is, where there is muck there is money.

As we are still living in the stone age ,we collect thrown away food, cardboard, paper , glass, metal and plastic because the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) calls for tenders to segregate those items found among the garbage .

Who secures the tender bids ? It is the Municipal councilors .The equipments and machinery deployed at the garbage dumping grounds at Meethotamulla and Wattala too are those of the Municipal Councilors. What’s more , the payments for those are made by the CMC , and those too are collected by the Councilors.

It is therefore clear , while the people are living amidst garbage , these politicos and officials are thriving on the ‘garbage income’ and fattening themselves on the death and despair of the suffering people.

It s because of our illicit commission craving ‘ravenous crows’ that the Canadian Co. which came forward to invest in Sri Lanka using the latest technologies had to abandon their idea. Thereby , the country lost the golden opportunity of increasing its national grid capacity by about 240 megawatts electricity per day through power generation from the 650 metric tons (approximately) garbage collected from Meethotamulla; 80 metric tons from Colombo city ; and the garbage collected from the environs .

It is the same commission craving ‘ravenous garbage digging crows’ of the Central government, after grabbing the project from the Western PC , drove out a German Co. too that came to transform refuse into electricity via most advanced technology .

It is most unfortunate even after the Meethotamulla tragedy ,we still have no recycling of waste solution. All what is talked about is creating again garbage dumps , now in Dompe and ‘ Romey’ after removing the garbage dump from Meethotamulla. Even today , no preparations have been made to make use of the many metric tons of garbage that are accumulating daily. They only want that to remain useless and worthless in much the same way as themselves are to the country.

The only country in the whole world where there was a report of people dying following a garbage dump collapse before our own , was Ethiopia . There the people were forcibly made to take up residence in that area by the government .

Indeed , Sri Lanka is Asia’s model in the making !