GSP PLUS AND SRI LANKA: ENSURING HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLIANCE IS KEY

Image: May day 2017 in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka, Credit: Garikaalan.

03/05/2017

As EU Parliament Considers Preferential Trade Status to Sri Lanka, Ensuring Human Rights Compliance Is Key.

By Shreen Abdul Saroor

You see a shirt. The price is right: you buy it. “Made in Sri Lanka,” it says.

What you probably don’t think about is the real cost of that shirt, or how a preferential trade scheme called GSP+ brings that shirt to European markets and implicates human rights in Sri Lanka. On 27th April the European Parliament voted to defeat a resolution to deny returning this preferential trade status to Sri Lanka.

In 2010, the EU withdrew GSP+ status for Sri Lanka due to its bleak human rights landscape. The Sri Lankan armed forces had just defeated the Tamil Tigers, bringing an end to a 26-year civil war. U.N. experts estimated that 40,000 or more died in the final months alone. The government that won the war held onto power tightly, amidst international alarm at widespread human rights violations against journalists, civil society groups, war-affected Tamils, and religious minorities. The EU told Sri Lanka that to maintain preferential GSP+, it would have to comply with the 27 international conventions covered by the GSP+ scheme, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention Against Torture (CAT). It told Sri Lanka that several sections of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which facilitated the country’s thousands of enforced disappearances, were incompatible with the ICCPR and needed to be repealed. When the previous government doubled down on its intransigence instead of complying, the EU withdrew Sri Lanka’s GSP+ status.

In 2015, a new Sri Lankan government took over. It reapplied for GSP+ membership and co-sponsored U.N. Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 to commit to creating four transitional justice mechanisms to comprehensively deal with the past and prevent future violations. Among other commitments, the government promised the EU and the Human Rights Council that it would repeal the PTA and enact new counter-terrorism legislation.

Despite promises, there has been little action. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights recently described Sri Lanka’s transitional justice measures since 2015 as “worryingly slow” and “inadequate to ensure real progress,” with government officials giving “unclear and often contradictory messages.” Of the four promised transitional justice mechanisms, only the Office of Missing Persons has legislation in place, but it remains inoperative and moves are underway to eliminate a core provision allowing foreign technical assistance. Officials have dismissed the report of public consultations task force the government itself set up, despite over 7,300 participants from all ethnic communities weighing in on the best way forward. Notably the PTA has yet to be repealed. The government claims it will be replaced with a new Counter Terrorism Act (CTA), but that legislation is being developed in secret without any consultation with the Sri Lankan public, or even its National Human Rights Commission. On 24th April Cabinet of ministers have apparently hastily endorsed the draft CTA just to placate EU members and secure GSP+. 

The draft CTA reportedly contains an overboard definition of terrorism-related offences, excessive powers of detention by police, and restricted legal access during the initial stages of detention – all falling well below acceptable international standards and the EU’s expectations for reinstating GSP+. Besides this draft that was approved on 24th April is substantially worse than a draft that had been presented to cabinet previously and it reintroduces offences relating to gathering confidential information, and makes speech that causes communal disharmony an offence. Meanwhile, the government is dragging its feet on constitutional reforms, causing moderate Tamil politicians to lose support against those hold hardline position and oppose engaging with the government. War-affected women are conducting street protests and hunger strikes to demand answers on disappearances and release of lands held by the military.

Hence, despite promises made, too little has changed in Sri Lanka’s human rights landscape since 2010. Nevertheless, on 11 January, the European Commission proposed granting Sri Lanka GSP+ membership. On 18 January, the Commission commended the Sri Lankan government for “committing to address historic and long-standing problems that have caused conflict and negatively affected the lives and living standards of all Sri Lankans.”

The war-affected community in Sri Lanka has voiced concerns over reinstating GSP+. When the root causes for GSP+ revocation have not been addressed, it seems counterproductive to reward the current government for mere promises made. Nevertheless, realistically speaking, GSP+ is now a virtual certainty. A majority of European Parliament would have to oppose the measure, an outcome that seems all but impossible, particularly given the decision to grant GSP+ status to countries with poor human rights records like Pakistan.

Accordingly, my colleagues and I must now reluctantly shift our focus to getting the most out of GSP+. The European Commission stated that, “as is the case for all GSP+ countries, the removal of customs duties for Sri Lanka would be accompanied with rigorous monitoring of the country’s progress in the area of sustainable development, human rights, and good governance.” If GSP+ is to return to Sri Lanka, the question becomes how to design a rigorous monitoring system to help Sri Lanka deliver on its human rights commitments, including repeal of the PTA, compliance with the ICCPR and CAT, and full implementation of U.N. Human Rights Council resolution 30/1.

Under the GSP Regulation, GSP+ beneficiaries must ratify and implement 27 international conventions and comply with reporting and monitoring requirements under each of those conventions. Beneficiary countries must also comply with the European Commission’s monitoring process, known as the GSP+ “scorecard.” When a country joins GSP+, the Commission lists its shortcomings under the 27 conventions and tracks annual progress in those areas. As part of its monitoring process, the Commission engages with a “wide range of stakeholders”—“not just the central government, but local or regional authorities, civil society (e.g., social partners, non-governmental organisations), business associations, and local offices of international organisations.” By reaching out to “local stakeholders, particularly during GSP+ monitoring visits” the Commission’s monitoring system helps local actors “play a constructive role in assisting local, regional, and central authorities to meet their commitments under the conventions.”

In principle, this framework could help advance human rights in Sri Lanka. In designing a monitoring system for Sri Lanka, the European Commission should insist on engagement with actors outside Colombo—including war-affected communities in Sri Lanka’s north and east. Each review period, in preparing Sri Lanka’s GSP+ scorecard, the Commission should send a team to a field visit to the former war affected areas. The Commission should track the government’s progress on U.N. Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 and on its implementation of recommendations made by its own consultation task force on transitional justice. The Commission should actively seek input from the National Human Rights Commission, civil society, war-affected women, and human rights groups on the ground and elevate their concerns in order to press the Sri Lankan government for compliance with its human rights obligations. The Commission can also help the government explore pragmatic options to connect trade benefits with human rights. For example, the Commission could work with the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to help Sri Lanka fund a reparations scheme through some of the tax savings from GSP+ membership.

Ultimately, if the goal of GSP+ is to promote sustainable development, human rights, and good governance, the European Commission must undertake rigorous monitoring with local stakeholders to ensure that Sri Lanka stays on the right track.

It must realize that transitional justice and full implementation of the ICCPR, CAT, CERD, CEDAW and other human rights treaties covered by the GSP+ scheme go hand-in-hand. Human rights conventions recognize that victims have a right to remedy; Sri Lanka must likewise deliver on its promises to provide its many victims with truth, justice, guaranteed non-recurrence and reparations.

This brings me back to where I started. That shirt—“Made in Sri Lanka”—what’s the true cost in terms of human rights? How can the EU make sure it sees the benefit of the bargain if it restores GSP+ status to Sri Lanka? The last two years should make the EU wary of mere promises from government officials. Unless the EU demands an effective monitoring system that engages with civil society and war-affected communities, there is little reason to believe that Sri Lanka will deliver on its human rights commitments if it is awarded GSP+.

Tackling Chronic Undernutrition in Sri Lanka’s Plantations

Story Highlights

• In Sri Lanka, undernutrition among mothers and children under five, especially those living on plantations, remains a chronic development issue.

• Poor dietary practices result from high-priced nutritious foods, inadequate dietary information and traditional beliefs.

• On plantations, nutrition awareness programs are inadequate and should be reshaped to include a comprehensive behavior change communication strategy.

Time stands still at the Tea Plantation Workers’ Museum & Archive in Gampola. Located in a row of traditional line rooms that are over a century old, the museum attempts to convey what life was like for Sri Lanka’s plantation—also known as estate sector—workers not so long ago.

The first room—approximately 100 square feet—recreates an entire home, complete with clay walls and pots and pans hanging above the basic fire hearth.

While the quality of housing for estate workers is  still a contentious issue, much has changed for this community over time.

Poverty on plantations fell from 30 to 10.9 percent between 2002 and 2013. Today, some families living in line rooms typically have access to cable TV and cell phones.

However, unlike declining poverty rates, malnutrition is still prevalent.

A new World Bank report brings the spotlight on these undernutrition and health issues that affect populations living on plantations in 12 districts spread across the Western, Central, Uva, Sabaragamuwa, and Southern provinces.

Key Findings

Poor nutrition in Sri Lanka’s estate sector drives up national malnutrition rates

In Sri Lanka, undernutrition among mothers and children under five remains a chronic development challenge.

Families living on plantation estates remain markedly disadvantaged, and districts with a high percentage of tea estates have the highest rate of stunting among children under five.

Sri Lanka’s Demographic and Health Survey 2007 finds that the rate of stunted children and underweight adult women in estates was respectively 2.9 and 3.4 times higher than in cities.

Similarly, low birth weight rates in the estate sector were 2.4 times higher.

Children and women’s malnutrition rates persist and call for urgent action

Although Sri Lanka surpassed most of the targets set out in the Millennium Development Goals, progress in improving nutrition has stalled, especially in the estate sector.

The stunting rate of 36 percent in Sri Lanka’s estate sector shows a ‘high’ public health significance while the wasting (16%) and underweight rates (36%) show a ‘very high’ public health significance. These rates require urgent action.

Undernutrition is a behavioral and cultural problem, not just an economic one

Mothers in the estate sector were either unsure how to introduce complementary foods (fish, meat and eggs) to their children’s diets or ignored the importance of introducing them at six-months of age.

The influence of traditional beliefs was strong.  For instance, eggs, which are affordable and available in the estates, were believed to generate “phlegm” in children.  Fresh milk was suspected of causing allergies and triggering symptoms like skin rashes and shortness of breath.

The scope and quality of key nutrition programs is inadequate

Nutrition awareness programs implemented by the Ministry of Health or other ministries do not always reach targeted populations, lack adequate supplies, and are not always properly monitored or coordinated.

The report also highlights the inadequacy of communication methods or channels that do not meet the specific needs of a largely illiterate and Tamil-speaking population.

Tackling undernutrition in Sri Lanka’s estate sector will require a multi-pronged approach

There is a pressing need to improve the effectiveness of existing programs for children and women and girls before and during their pregnancies, and improve performance monitoring and coordination between various ministries in charge of these programs.

The Ministry of Health and relevant stakeholders are encouraged to develop new and complementary models of nutrition service delivery to better target and reach  underserved populations.

The report also recommends using a comprehensive behaviour change communication strategy to reach mothers and childcare providers in the estate sector as well as policy makers to raise awareness about the long-term health and economic impacts of stunting during the first 1,000 days of life.

Part 3: Indian Plantation Workers Overseas – Fiji, The Caribbean

By Charles Ponnuthurai Sarvan –May 3, 2017

Prof. Charles Sarvan

In Fiji, the racial divide between Indians and Fijians, the suspicion, fear and hostility, led to the military coup of 1987 which prompted many Indians to emigrate. They, like their parents and grandparents, had been born in Fiji; had believed and felt it to be home, but suddenly home was no longer home. This imperial legacy is similar to that experienced by descendants of indentured labour in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. In Satendra Nandan’s The Wounded Sea (1991), Fijian Indians are like Rama in the Indian epic TheRamayana who, on the eve of his coronation, in an abrupt reversal, is sent into exile. But to Rama and his wife there was a triumphant return; to the Indians, a dispersal, insecurity and unease. By law, most of the land is reserved for Fijians, and though the first batch of indentured workers reached Fiji in 1879, their children cannot own land; cannot have the claims and the feelings which flow from such rights. “Coolies” do not make history: they merely suffer it. As Nandan shows, suffering without hope, many degenerate into alcoholism, crudity and violence (77). Satendra Nandan is a contemporary writer (born 1939), and for an account of the earlier experience of indenture in Fiji, one must turn to Totaram Sanadhya’s My Twenty-One Years in the Fiji Islands and The Story of the Haunted Line, both now in one volume. Sanadhya arrived in Fiji in 1893, at the age of seventeen, returned to India in 1914, and published these works which were subsequently translated into several Indian languages. Even as an adult, the remembrance of the poverty his parents endured in India brought “clouds of sorrow” (32) to him. He ran away from his widowed mother (because he was unable to be of help, and didn’t want to be an additional burden on her) and met up with an arkati or recruiter. The arkati trained their victims to answer “Yes” to all questions, and the latter found they had “voluntarily” bound themselves to go to Fiji, a land whose very name they had not heard before. Those recruited were known as grimitiyas because they had signed a grimit, an Indianisation of “agreement.” The trapped grimitiyas, prior to embarkation (Sanadhya’s voyage took three months and twelve days) were forbidden to speak to each other, in case information was exchanged and the true nature of things discovered. The food given was so hard it first had to be soaked in water. On arrival, they were immediately surrounded by police, indicating their captive status. They woke at four in the morning, and were working by five. An impossible amount of work was set, and failure to fulfil the quota meant a fine. This last reduced the grimitya’s pay and set him down the road into inextricable debt. The government inspectors who came round were “White”; they stayed with the planters, were their guests and wrote positive reports. Women suffered the most, getting up at three-thirty in the morning to prepare food for the day; working ten hours, and retuning home to cook for the night and to clean. There was “a corpse-like shading to their faces” (61). A woman desired by a man with power was assigned work in a lonely place so that she could be raped. One woman, forced back to work only three days after giving birth and being unable to cope, was so badly beaten that she ended up mentally deranged. Brij Lal records cases such as an English overseer pouring acid on the penis of a grimitya; of a woman who just after giving birth was put to work breaking stones, and when unable to complete the task, being beaten senseless (41). Since the ratio of women was about thirty to every hundred men, prostitution, infidelity, suspicion and violence were rife. In The Story of the Haunted Line, women lament their fate, comfort each other and resume work (119): work was both destroyer and distraction. The author himself was tempted to commit suicide but was stopped by thoughts of his mother’s love for him, and of his love for, and duty towards, her.

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Caribbean. If the ancestors are texts waiting to be written (Dabydeen 1988, 12) then it is the children of those who went West, to the Caribbean and to Guyana – who have done the most to commemorate, to indict, to celebrate: I have already referred to several works from this region. The “coolie” mother in Dabydeen’s work, Coolie Odyssey, has incredible courage; is iron-like in her determination that her son will have a better life, and so, though her feet and hands are cracked, though she’s coughing blood, she continues to labour.

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MMDA: Angry Civil Society Demanding Radical Changes To ACJU

Written by Latheef Farook, Colombo Telegraph

About five years ago in an article I emphasized the need to reorganize the All Ceylon Jamiathul Ulema, ACJU, to suit the need of the time. As expected the clueless community remained indifferent.

However following the Colombo Telegraph article last month on ACJU’s statement that women are not equal to men and defending marriage before puberty has triggered a campaign calling for complete overhauling of ACJU with genuine scholars.

MMDA Angry Civil Society Demanding Radical Changes To ACJU.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

Ravi Blasts CB Governor at the Cabinet Sub Ccommitte

May 03, 2017

A heated argument had erupted between the Governor of the Central Bank Coomaraswamy and the Minister of Finance about borrowings, interest rates and the state of the economy at the Cabinet Sub Committee on Economic Affairs. The Finance minister had accused the governor of playing a double game. 

A minister present at the meeting told us the Prime Minister watched the verbal duel with interest and the minister felt  the Finance Minister had said what the Prime Minister has been yearning tell the governor for months, but could not say so because of the Govornor's friendship with Minister Malik Samarawickrama.

The Prime Minster has been told by many Ministers the Govornor is underperforming and has lost control of the Central bank, as a result the economy is sliding down fast and the CB is run by Nivard Cabral through his cronies.The Minister further said the Govornor was a close associate of the previous regime and Nivard Cabral, we have shamelessly gone and appointed him as Govornor when the UNP could have appointed a person who was independent of all parties. It is a well known fact the governor is canvassing hard to get rid of Ravi Karunanayake from the finance ministry, one of the key architects of the january election victory, when Commoraswamy was canvassing for Mahinda Rajapakse.

According to CB sources the Governor has been encouraging people to write against the Finance Minister. He and Minister Malik Samarawickrama are working round the clock to get the Finance Minister removed using a Former President to influence the current President. The Prime Minister had said no to the suggestion we understand.

Rationale of financial regulation: Facts vs. myths

Thursday, 4 May 2017

The financial tsunami that occurred during 2008-2009 washed away gigantic financial institutions mercilessly from the shores of financial systems. In fact the meltdown proved the fact that financial crises have more severe impact on output and employment than business downturn.

Rationale of financial regulation Facts vs. myths.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

Settle SAITM Deadlock To Avoid Breakdown

By Somapala Gunadheera –May 3, 2017 

Somapala Gunadheera

The threatened strike by the GMOA with the participation of several other TUs that have a debilitating grip on public life is likely to have a devastating effort on the common people. If the strike is extended, poor patients who cannot afford private medical attention will be groaning helplessly to their end on OPD benches. The damage to be caused by the other unions joining the strike goes without saying. The President and his Government should intervene without delay to avoid that calamity.

The solution proposed by the Medical Deans’ Association appears to be an amicable approach to the problem. According to papers they have made the following proposals at a meeting with the President, which had been attended by all parties that have a stake in the matter. Briefly the proposals are:-

1. Stop admissions to SAITM with immediate effect
2. Stop SAITM from granting an MBBS degree forthwith
3. Legalise the minimum standards required for medical education
4. Appoint a committee to bring about a fair solution for all the students who have got trapped in the SAITM
5. The Health Minister should act on the technical report which was submitted on SAITM by a team from the Sri Lanka Medical Council
6.  The Higher Education Minister should make it clear that SAITM has not obtained a compliance certificate from the SLMC

It is heartening to hear that the GMOA had no objections to these proposals. Meanwhile the Association of Medical Specialists has pointed out that the SAITM issue has created many “unfavourable” outcomes to the national health system, the AMS has submitted a set of mal effects arising from this dilemma. They are.

1. All state medical faculties are not functioning due to students boycotting lectures, clinical training and examinations, This can cause a delay in starting internship appointments
2. A delay is caused to post internship appointments and admission of new students to state medical faculties.
3. The CA judgment has exposed major weaknesses and lapses in the monitoring of medical education in our country. All these can give rise to long term and irrevocable losses to the national health system.
4. Students who are already in SAITM with acceptable entry qualifications should be given an opportunity to complete their clinical training in SLMC-approved hospitals, until the SLMC is satisfied with the standards of clinical training in SAITM
5. The ‘compliance certificate’ should be an essential pre-requisite to granting provisional registration for SAITM graduates
6.  The Advanced Level results of all students at SAITM should be scrutinised and those without the minimum entry qualifications asked to leave SAITM with compensation.

It would be kinder to give a chance to the students under-qualified in their basic education to refurbish themselves. In their reply to the above statements the SAITM has made a positive response stating,

1. SAITM notes the progressive and constructive sentiments expressed in the Joint Statement of the Panel of Deans of State Medical Faculties
2. SAITM fully endorses the Panel’s recommendations, for strong regulations to be enacted and implemented by the State, to supervise and regulate all Public and Private High Education Programmes.
3. SAITM has at all times been amenable to supervision of their Medical Degree Programme by the State.
4. Principles of Natural Justice had not been observed in not giving SAITM an opportunity to be heard prior to issuing the Joint Statement of the Panel of Deans.
5. At the time SAITM was awarded its Degree Awarding status in 2011, there was no legal requirement to obtain a Compliance Certificate from SLMC or any specified Professional Body.
6. SAITM responded to UGC on the recommendations to be “duly satisfied” after which the Degree awarding status was granted to SAITM in August 2011.
7. The Panel has concluded that the Memorandum of Understanding dated 27/04/2011 with the Provincial Director of Health Services of the Western Province to provide Clinical, Surgical and other in house practical training and experience to its students to train in Government Hospitals was never implemented

It appears from the above statement of SAITM that they had had no resistance from the previous regime and the new dispensation has taken them by surprise in reading the Riot Act to them. Contrary to the position taken by the authorities that the GMOA had no status to intervene, it may be argued that they have an obligation to ensure the quality of their future members. All in all, a reading of the above statements does not reveal any insurmountable difference among the respective parties. SAITM has welcomed the main demand to broad base the venture.

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Sri Lankan Army Chief lauds Pakistan Army’s role in fighting terrorism

May 4, 2017

Sri Lanka’s Army Chief Lieutenant General AWJC De Silva, during a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, lauded the Pakistan Army’s efforts against terrorism.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Sri Lankan army chief after his arrival in Pakistan laid a floral wreath at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada. The visiting army chief was also briefed about the Pakistan Army’s continuing campaign against terrorist and banned organisations.

Expressing his full confidence in Pakistan’s ability to completely overcome the menace of militancy in the near future, Gen De Silva appreciated the Pakistan Army’s achievements and contributions towards national and regional security. 

He also appreciated the army’s assistance to his country in its fight against terrorism.

Gen Qamar thanked his Sri Lankan counterpart for visiting the country and acknowledging the Pakistan Army’s sacrifices and efforts.

The two army chiefs also reaffirmed their determination to work together for enhancing regional security and continuing existing military-to-military cooperation.

Meanwhile the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army also called on Pakistani PrimeMinister Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad on Wednesday.

The PM stressed upon further enhancement of cooperation between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in various fields.

At the occasion, the prime minister professed that both Pakistan and Sri Lanka should work jointly in order to achieve regional peace and stability.

PM Nawaz also expressed his satisfaction over the present level cooperation between both the countries during the meeting, Pakistani media reported.

Geetha Kumarasinghe loses her M.P. post ! Piyasena Gamage replaces her : UPFA loses one more M.P.!

(Lanka-e-News - 03.April.2017, 11.00PM ) The appeal court delivered a verdict  revoking the parliamentary member post of Geetha Kumarasinghe , Galle district M.P. of Rajapakse’s UPFA group. The court decided that Geetha has no legal  right to hold the post of M.P. (member of parliament) .

While the 19 th amendment to the constitution clearly stipulates that a dual citizen cannot be a people ‘s representative in Sri Lanka’s (SL)  parliament , Geetha who is a citizen of SL as well as a citizen of Switzerland yet contested the parliamentary elections in August 2015 unlawfully. 

Following the exposure of the racket , a petition was filed in the appeal court . The latter which heard the petition today (03) , delivered its verdict . 

After the petition was filed Geetha withdrew her Switzerland citizenship , but because at the time she contested elections she was a dual citizen , the M.P. post was revoked. 

Geetha was elected to parliament for the first time polling 63,955 votes. Under  the law, her vacancy must be filled by the candidate who polled the next highest preferential votes . That is by  Piyasena Gamage who polled 47,247 votes . Since Gamage is of Maithri’s  camp , the UPFA loses one more  M.P. 

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by     (2017-05-03 23:02:14)

Ex-President’s security reduced-MR: ‘My life is in danger’

42 policemen removed with immediate effect

By Norman Palihawadena and Harischandra Gunaratne-May 3, 2017, 12:00 pm 

The government has reduced former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security with immediate effect. About 42 police personnel including an Assistant Superintendent of Police attached to his security contingent have been withdrawn.

Rajapaksa, asked for comment, confirmed that 42 police personnel detailed to protect him had been removed. He said he had threats to his life as the wartime president with many hardcore LTTE carders being still at large. "My life is in danger," he said, "some government members have also threatened to hang me," he said.

Asked why his security had been reduced, the former President said he thought the government had sought to curtail his movements in the wake of the Joint Opposition’s successful May Day rally. "The government is mistaken if it thinks it can frighten me into submission by exposing me to danger," Rajapaksa said. "Having realised that the days of their government are numbered, they are all out to stop me and the JO even by exposing my life to danger."

Asked what he was planning to do, the former President said he saw no point in complaining to anyone in authority as the government controlled all state institutions and officials. He said the issue would be raised in Parliament.

All our efforts to contact Police Spokesman DIG Priyantha Jayakody were in vain last night as he did not answer his phone.

Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi, when he was asked whether he was aware that the former President’s had been further reduced, answered in the affirmative. However, he said the provision of VIP security came under the purview of the Law and Order Ministry.

Dayasiri feels sorry for ex-president

May 03, 2017

Sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekara says he feels sorry for ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa after he attended the joint opposition May Day rally, despite being a member of the SLFP. He was speaking to the media at the SLFP headquarters today (03).

Although it is called the JO rally, in actual fact, it had been organized by the new political party formed by Basil Rajapaksa, said Jayasekara. It is questionable as to how a former party chairman could attend that rally. If he remains a SLFP member, he should work according to the policies of that party, or else he could leave the party, he said. Just like the persons who had been expelled for having acted outside party policies, the ex-president and others too, should be expelled from the party, he added.

Colombo garbage: The smell of death and the despair of inaction! 

Thursday, 4 May 2017

Colombo woke up to a rude reality when on Aluth Avurudu day at around 2.45 p.m. the accumulated heap of garbage at Meethotamulla gave way, resulting in the death of 33 with more than eight missing.

The number of households affected totalled more than 150.

Astrologers may have scampered to check whether a new planet has appeared in their particular planetary system as none had succeeded in prediction! This heap of garbage, a creation of ours, from the discards of the process of urbanised living became the death knell for some of our fellow citizens and further created a significant number of environmental refugees.

Many have surely kept bags full of garbage outside their homes to be taken away to this place. The city’s centre and other parts of it were dutifully cleaned and at some stage even received global recognition for advancement with the collections finding its way to Meethotamulla. What was happening was not a process of solid waste management but a well-supported process of removal and piling it up at one location.

The issue had received attention over the decades, starting with the landfill study at Walisara and then the more infamous Salawa.  If the Salawa study materialised we really should be in a different position today but that was not to be – Sri Lanka never lacks opposition and scientific assessment is never the refuge for anyone.

Thereafter in the period around 2006, Colombo also managed to have a 300 MT/d composting facility in operation. It even managed to win a global accolade. That too is no more. I am convinced that if we pile up all the studies, project reports and case reports the net height surely will rival the heaps of solid waste and my usual choice for height, the Bloemendhal site.

Unfortunately, the Meethotamulla dump kept increasing in height which incidentally was the preferred site post-Bloemendhal. The court order simply led to the closure of one dump and pressurised another site to follow suit. Our decision-making and planning simply demonstrated that when it comes to solid waste even if we are in the 21st Century and we appear to extol knowledge-based innovation to lead the economy, ‘kunu’ does not receive any such considerations other than putting it out of sight and out of mind!

The tragedy, which snuffed out many a life, again brought to light the ever-festering issue of Colombo’s solid waste and earned the resulting attention of the first citizen and the Prime Minister, while forever changing the New Year.

If someone was to think this is the first time that this type of situation has occurred then he is wrong.  The Meethotamulla incident unfortunately will now enter into history as the fifth-worst disaster of its kind behind the recent Ethiopian waste slide.

It is quite sad to hear and witness fellow citizens both young and the old succumbing to the collective fury of a waste pile contributed to by all citizens who inhabit Colombo plus those who commute daily to work. Can we distribute the guilt across the masses and feel lighter subsequently as obviously the individual contribution is then surely quite small. There is no way the collective ignorance and apathy in realising a solution and in providing support with good practices will weigh heavily on all.

Scientific solution

Piled up against the recommendation of scientists, it was the bottom that slipped and heaved, moving houses like pieces on a monopoly board.  As with the game, money had been exchanged but no solutions were seen.  Who in our system ever work hand-in-hand with scientific establishments, being mindful of scientific views and recommendations? Let this at least be an eye-opener.

The primary reason for this failure is due to the fact that we as planners have never factored in solid waste management as a service which needs to be considered and supported in a city. We are ready to give space to the transport board, water board, electricity board, telecom, sports ground, etc. but the residue of our stay in town gets shoddy treatment.

The people who had to handle waste sadly have to occupy very low strata in society. While society boasts of three-phase electricity, clean water, etc. the only waste that is incapable of flowing or moving finds itself neglected in planning. It was in ancient Athens that one decreed that waste should be more than a mile away from the city wall. We have encouraged plans to send Colombo’s waste more than 170 km away to be managed.  

The Athens concept not being valid today, there is no excuse for even thinking of movements of this magnitude in an attempt to keep the city clean. You can keep the city clean and allow the city to benefit too if we make use of the knowledge that we have today. To those Greeks then their idea was state-of-the-art!  Unfortunately for Sri Lanka our idea is light years behind in today’s terms. While we can discuss in detail a luxury car with all nuances, even the basics of the science of solid waste management appear to be unknown.

There is so much to be done. So little has happened and am I to think that the stench of corruption is stronger than the resultant smell of death?  I think in snuffing out corruption – there is so much said but so little evidence provided – citizens can kill two birds with one stone.

Understand that Colombo is throwing out 700-800 MT of waste per day. This quantity when analysed indicates that the water content is around 60- 70% usually. The solid waste also indicates 70% of waste to be organic and mainly biodegradable. It is this fraction that contains most of the moisture.  The balance portion is non-biodegradable and usually quite suitable to be recycled.

Therein emerges a citizen’s opportunity. If one takes care of the organic fraction within one’s premises, the tonnage can be reduced drastically. Separating recyclables again will mean no waste to dispose. Then when the disposal drops down to maybe even less than 100 MT/day the projects are not as exciting as 800 MT/day.

Hence instead of pointing fingers and shouting about corruption, individual steps will solve many an issue. The Government will be richer too as all this unnecessary solid waste is transported and even if the final operation is dumping, the costs incurred are saved.

At this juncture the best a citizen of Colombo can do, and I rather say should do, is to take a very close look at one’s own waste. A little investment in a compost bin or better still, provided that one has some space, a biogas unit, can revolutionise Colombo city.  

Unchanged approach

Yes there will be some waste that an individual may not be able to handle comfortably and it is for this minimised quantity along with household hazardous wastes (medicines, batteries, etc.) that the CMC will be called into service as well as the State in ensuring the availability of processing space.

We have spent too much time and energy always asking for or either looking forward to finding the next plot to dump waste. After the Meethotamulla incident, the approach has not been much different.   Having ignored that dumps are relics of outdated mindsets, it is simply not possible to do the right thing the day after. If nobody is willing to reduce their waste, the usual generation needs to be placed somewhere and we witnessed someone’s desperate desire to part with their waste and the strident opposition of the recipients. This is where enlightened decision-making is vital to ensure that all win.

Colombo city needs to improve its recycling network and related infrastructure. Processes for reverse logistics need to come in. One should have access to recyclable collecting centres.

The current system needs a definite upgrade and hopefully some of the existing shops and centres will rise up to the challenge of becoming better. Recycling has spun billionaires and in China there are many examples. This must be true for Sri Lanka as well though many of these details are not available and national census may not have the ability to elicit such data. A Sri Lankan Green Pages is much awaited for the benefit of all citizens.

In the months before the tragedy, some excellent steps were taken by the UDA and Ministry of Megapolis and projects too had been awarded. These projects should have catered to almost all the stated waste quantities of Colombo. All these projects however will take a minimum of around two to three years to complete.

With the disaster and the site becoming unavailable for traditional disposal, a crisis was inevitable.  However, the responsibility of the State is now to change the mindsets, explain the situation, be amenable to listen and to realise the steps which result in a disciplined urban community.

The crisis can only deepen if the emphasis is only in finding places to dump and adopting weak practices.  Can one rise up to the challenge and once and for all transform the place, giving that substantive makeover to Colombo? We have discussed these opportunities for Colombo with direct suggestions in earlier columns.

In an era where sustainable cities, liveable cities, smart cities and green cities are talked about, assessed and awarded, the templates for action and ideas are plenty. We should have the learning mind and the courage to source solutions from within.  There is also the need to be aware of ‘solutions’ that flow in unabated and in substantial volumes under current conditions with perhaps only one motif.