Could These Vesak Lanterns Bring Light To Life Of Political Prisoners? 

By Ratna Bala –May 10, 2017

Dr Ratna Bala

During this period of Vesak day celebrations my heart calls me to do something for those suffering in anguish without any hope of help. Few years ago, I wrote many appeal letters to our political and spiritual leaders to consider releasing all political prisoners soon. The very demoralising plight of political prisoners shouldn’t continue any longer in Srilanka. For some reason, I strongly believe our leaders can show courage and compassion during this auspicious time and give pardon or amnesty to all political prisoners. This act of empathy, kindness, compassion and love with a very clear and beautiful message of forgiveness will encourage all our communities to come closer, united with hope, to celebrate these very special Vesak days.  What could be a better time to engage in this magnanimous endeavour?

However much we call these prisoners terrorists or criminals, we can’t deny that they were arrested under PTA for various reasons, while they were engaged in such alleged (or proven) activities merely following the orders of their leader. They were acting in the belief that they were following their orders for the benefit of their people. In their eyes, they were taking part in a selfless act and not acting to attain any personal gain or revenge. It’s very likely they wouldn’t be alive now had they refused to obey those orders. With a little empathy, it is not hard to realise that they are not bad people filled with selfishness and greed for power and wealth. They must be much better people than normal average person, wanting to do something or dedicate their life for their peoples’ future. Hence, it would be the right thing to do to recognise them as political prisoners and consider forgiveness for their crime, to give pardon or amnesty, and release them. This will also give hope to those political prisoners and their family. This could be a major step towards reconciliation, helping heal the wounds, and promoting healthy dialogue for cooperation and coexistence. 

Inmates of the Magazine Prison, Welikada get ready for Vesak [2014] .Pic by Rukshan Abeywansha

One can argue they all (or a few) may be a threat to national security and peace in the country. But history in other countries has proven that the release of political prisoners can be the driving force for promoting peace and stability. In countries like Ireland and South Africa many political prisoners (after release) actively promoted peace, positively contributed to reconciliation and led the peace process to a successful conclusion. I have no doubt that these political prisoners could also constructively contribute towards peace and reconciliation in our country.  Maybe the release of political prisoners is an essential initial step in initiating a genuine reconciliation process.

Vesak days play an important role in Sri Lanka. While we celebrate the Buddha’s birthday, we also reflect on his teachings and promise ourselves to strive to follow them. In the Buddha’s teaching empathy, compassion, forgiveness, kindness and love in relationships are constantly repeated to stress their importance in life. They definitely play a significant role in conflict resolution and reconciliation too.

In his teaching about communication the Buddha said “ … Better than a collection of a thousand meaningless words is one word full of meaning, on hearing which one becomes peaceful..”. In talking about reconciliation we may have uttered few thousand words without any use. Let us make this release of political prisoners into words of useful impact to make peace. Let these words, as the part of Right Speech of our leaders during these Vesak days have the qualities of truthfulness, kindness, usefulness and promoting concord.

Even for an unrepentant criminal person, one cannot justify torment caused to that individual and his family by keeping him in prison for many years without proper judicial proceeding under rule of law, so it is inconceivable for political prisoners. Every day they and their family wake up and spend the day not knowing their future. This kind of life in Kafka-esque limbo is the worst life one can get in modern society. Many of these political prisoners and their families have been living this unbearable life for many years now. I would humbly request our leaders to show courage and compassion by granting amnesty to all political prisoners and release them to join their families without further delay.

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Enforced disappearances: UN expert group to review more than 600 cases from 29 countries

GENEVA (4 May 2017) – The United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances will meet in Geneva from 8 to 17 May to examine more than 600 cases of disappearances from 29 countries.

During its 112th session, the Group of five independent human rights experts* will also meet relatives of those who have disappeared, civil society representatives and State authorities from different countries to exchange information on individual cases and the situation of this heinous crime.

The expert panel will discuss, among other issues, the problem of enforced disappearances in the context of migration, which will be the topic of a thematic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council in September 2017.

The Working Group will also adopt during the session its annual report as well as the report related to the country visit to Albania, which took place in December 2016. It will also discuss the follow-up reports to the recommendations made upon the visits to Chile (2012) and Spain (2013).
In addition, the group of experts will examine general allegations received regarding obstacles encountered in the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Protection of All Persons From Enforced Disappearance.

The Working Group’s 112th session is held in private.

(*) The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances is comprised of five independent experts from all regions of the world. The Chair-Rapporteur is Ms. Houria Es-Slami (Morocco) and the Vice-Chair is Mr. Bernard Duhaime (Canada); other members are Mr. Tae-Ung Baik (Republic of Korea), Mr. Luciano Hazan (Argentina) and Mr. Henrikas Mickevicius (Lithuania).

The Working Group was established by the UN Commission on Human Rights in 1980 to assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of disappeared relatives. It endeavours to establish a channel of communication between the families and the Governments concerned, to ensure that individual cases are investigated, with the objective of clarifying the whereabouts of persons who, having disappeared, are placed outside the protection of the law. It also provides assistance in the implementation by States of the UN Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

The Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms. Special Procedures mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. They are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.

 For more information and media requests, please contact Mr. Ugo Cedrangolo (ucedrangolo@ohchr.org) or write to wgeid@ohchr.org

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:

Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
Tag and share - Twitter: @UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights

 - See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21579&LangID=E#sthash.KSRU9VVg.dpuf

RTI: Rocky road to Sri Lanka’s new transparency culture 

2017-05-09

It has been three months since the implementation of the Right To Information (RTI) Act and it hasn’t been a smooth ride. Many issues have cropped up, such as the lack of public awareness, people not being able to access the necessary officers to give in their requests, inadequately trained officers, confusion with the application process etc. With the RTI Act citizens can receive information from all public authorities. According to officials the road to Sri Lanka’s new transparency culture will be long and hard, but in order to achieve the end goal, people need to put in the work and effort to incorporate this new culture into our system.   

RTI Rocky road to Sri Lanka’s new transparency culture.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

'Time is ripe for you to resign' - Dr. Sarath Gamini De Silva’s letter advises Dr. Padeniya the cause of total loss of prestige and dignity of the doctors !

(Lanka-e-News -10.May.2017, 8.45PM)  Dr. Padeniya , the president of the GMOA has been organizing  unnecessary strikes , as a result of which the prestige and dignity the GMOA  and the doctors in general commanded among the people  have been completely torn into shreds .Therefore  the  GMOA members should not be permitted to meet with political party leaders . In the circumstances the time is now ripe for Dr. Padeniya to resign from his post of GMOA president , Dr. Sarath Gamini De Silva (Physician), a member of the GMOA has strongly advised  in a letter sent to Dr. Padeniya. 

The  full  text of the letter of Dr. Gamini De Silva addressed to Dr.Padeniya   is hereunder … 

Dr. A Padeniya,
President,
Government Medical Officers’ Association,
Colombo.

Dear Dr. Padeniya,

Having observed the various developments in the health sector and in medical education in the past few years, I thought of writing to you on my appraisal of the current situation. I hope it is not too late in the day to write to you.

I write as a senior physician, a medical teacher, a past member of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) for ten years, and a former vice president and a long serving committee member of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA). I have been in the fore front of many GMOA trade union activities, occasional strikes, and was a  part of the public face of the GMOA in TV discussions, press conferences etc. I argued then that a union having to resort to strikes to win its demands was actually a sign of its weakness rather than its strength, as it is an admission that the union has failed in its negotiations.

You were considered a great asset by all in the GMOA as a man who studied the issues in depth and knew his facts before coming for any discussions. I still remember how in our negotiations over salary issues, you had at your finger tips all details of the comparative salary scales of all categories in the health sector. I remember congratulating you when you were elected the president on the first two occasions, but did not approve when you continued to hold office later.

Let me clarify my position regarding SAITM at the very outset. I do so as a member of the SLMC who took part in the initial discussions with Dr. Neville Fernando on the establishment of SAITM, took part in many relevant discussions in the SLMC until 2012 and also was also part of the UGC team inspecting the medical school.

I have no doubt that the SAITM authorities ignored all advice and guidance given by the SLMC on numerous occasions. Instead they have relied on political patronage to get the approval in a surreptitious way. How three cabinet ministers keep agitating for the sake of this private enterprise raises many questions as to what their obligations are.

 I have little sympathy for the students and their parents as they have been adequately warned regularly by the SLMC over the years on the fact that this institution was not recognized by the medical council. I fail to understand why even some senior members of the medical profession took the risk of admitting their children to a medical school lacking SLMC approval.

That being said, I accept that any solution to the current crisis should recognize the necessity of allowing those students to continue their medical studies. Once that is done, this fraudulent medical school should be closed down. It is not practical for the state to take over every private medical school getting into difficulties. With plans in the pipeline for establishing state medical schools elsewhere in the country, there is no necessity for one in Malabe at state expense. I accept that there is room for a properly constituted private medical school in Sri Lanka, guided and recognized by the SLMC. 

Let me now examine the role of the GMOA in the SAITM affair. It has expressed its opposition to the existence of SAITM in no uncertain terms. However I feel there is no justification for repeated strike action to achieve its aims. The hardship caused to the public is really saddening.  I would not hesitate to label these strikes as a crime against society.

Perhaps you may remember that we had definite guidelines in undertaking harsh trade union action in the past. It was generally accepted that strike action should not be used for salary issues and others of a more personal nature. Any suggestion for going on strike demanding good schools for our own children would have been unthinkable then.

We considered strike action as a last resort to protest against irregular transfers and appointments to keep the health service out of political interference. We succeeded in achieving the latter aim to a great extent. We had regional strikes if a member of ours was obstructed by any one during work and police did not apprehend the offenders. I feel all those short lasting actions were justified as they were inevitable. 

We also had a general understanding that we should not seek the support of trade unions in other fields for any reason. That would have made us under obligation to join them in their struggles. This was considered unacceptable as our service of caring for the sick cannot be mixed up with or compromised by any of their fields of activity.

What happens now is totally unacceptable. GMOA officials publicly calling general strikes is a bad trend.  Doctors going on strike for general political issues like the ICTA are also unwarranted. For the first time in the history, you have allowed a political party leader to address the GMOA membership. As I already indicated to you personally, this should never have happened.

The net result of all this is that in the public eye, the GMOA has become equivalent to any other trouble making union in the public sector. The public has lost all respect for the GMOA and the medical profession in general. It is inevitable that many suspect that your actions are a part of a larger campaign to create political instability.

I know you are a very caring paediatric neurologist and a medical teacher doing your duty properly in the health service. You are respected by the GMOA members for the service rendered in getting their emoluments and other benefits on par with other comparable services.

The fact that, as president of the GMOA, you have done much work including publishing booklets and conducting workshops guiding doctors to better professional standards, is little known to many in the society.

Yet I believe that you have been the president of the GMOA for too long. You now lack new thinking and when in “power” you tend to ignore the general feelings of the membership. This is why even in the field of politics, I believe no one, however good he may appear, should be allowed to remain in power for more than two terms.

You should plan to step down when your current term expires. You can render a much greater service to society if you now devote full time for your clinical work. After all, paediatric neurology is a relatively new field that needs people like you with energy, imagination and leadership qualities for further development.

I sincerely hope that you will take my advice in the same spirit that I give them.

Thank you.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr. Sarath Gamini De Silva

Try again, Mr. President!

Ranjan-Padeniya iron out differences

May 10, 2017, 8:39 pm 

I am disappointed that the President did not re-convene the concerned parties to resolve the SAITM issue. Such an attempt on his part is an imperative in a democracy, particularly, under a threat by many TUs to bring public life to a halt. I earnestly hope the President is not waiting to solve the problem by neglect in the JR style or use force to suppress it. Both such methods have proved to be failures in the past.

It is presumptuous to presume that all aspects of the issue had been solved conclusively at the first attempt. There can be some overlooked loopholes that are waiting for resolution. One such problem that I can think of is the fear of disparity that might exist under a dual system. As I pointed out in one of my early submissions, Government doctors might be apprehensive of higher pay and perks in the private medical schools as they multiply, as a means of attracting talent in the public sector. A decision to equalize pay and perks in both sectors may help to bring the dissenting parties together.

Another problem that looms large in the debate is that of the qualified have-nots that fail to secure places in a state medical college, while the haves buy places over them in private medical schools. Even though I was one of the first to win a scholarship under the Kannangara Free Education Scheme, later I had to earn my fees for my higher education that led me to the Ceylon Civil Service. If I started quarrelling that free education was insufficient to do my higher studies, I would not have achieved my target. It is silly to make free education a political demand and make it exclusive in an open economy. We have come a long way from the Kannangara days and the additions the FES has made to the upper middle class, can afford to pay for their education and it is silly to debar them from buying higher education for their children. When private education is freely available in other sectors like Accountancy, Management and Engineering, why restrict it only in the Medical?

There are other ways in which the State can help qualified poor students who have just missed Medical College. As I suggested in an earlier piece, one such way would be to stipulate that for each paying student taken in by a private medical college, they should give a free place to a student in the waiting list. If that is not practicable, we might use the banks to finance needy students to underwrite their studies under a scheme similar to the HELP of Australia.

All these provisions can make the SAITM problem disappear faster than by neglect and despotic action, which may lead to collapse of the regime in the long run. I pray that the President be pleased to talk to the warring parties one more time with a view to tying up the loose ends. In the meantime, it is hoped that the Unions would not use their power to dislodge the even flow of public life, causing misery to the man in the street.

Somapala Gunadheera

Chinese Buyers Behind Surging Demand For Sri Lanka's Latest Bonds

by 

Narae Kim

 and 

Carrie Hong-

May 10, 2017

• Chinese buyers help diversify investor base and boost orders
• Shrinking emerging-market premiums give Standard Life pause

A surge in demand for Sri Lanka’s latest dollar bond is putting a spotlight on the appetite for emerging-market securities, even amid the Federal Reserve’s tightening campaign.

The small South Asian country garnered more than $11 billion of orders for the $1.5 billion of 10-year notes it sold last week, marking a quadrupling in demand compared with its dollar-debt issuance in 2015 and 2016. Chinese banks participated in arranging the sale for the first time, underscoring Sri Lanka’s deepening ties with Asia’s biggest economy.

Strategically located along the maritime Silk Road route championed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Sri Lanka is also benefiting from Chinese thirst for investments linked to their government’s Belt and Road development initiative. Three people involved in the bond sale noted the presence of Chinese buyers in the allocation.

“This was the first time that Chinese banks were among the joint lead managers,” Indrajit Coomaraswamy, governor of the central bank of Sri Lanka, said by e-mail, confirming the bond allocations. “There was encouraging support from the Chinese investors.”

Since Xi introduced the Silk Road initiative in 2013, China has invested more than $50 billion in Belt and Road countries to develop new land and sea trade links with Asia, Europe and Africa, according to a report by the official Xinhua News Agency. Credit Suisse Group AG analysts expect China to pour more than half a trillion dollars into the efforts.

China is hosting a summit on the Belt and Road project May 14-15, read more here.

Other Asia-Pacific nations have also sought to tap the dollar bond market, with Mongolia issuing in March and a debut issue from Papua New Guinea mooted for this year.

Emerging-market bonds have continued to thrive even after the Fed began accelerating the pace of rate hikes over the past half year, lifting its benchmark by a quarter percentage point in December and March. The central bank is expected to move again in June.

Flows to emerging-market bond funds rose to more than $2.5 billion in the week to May 3, a 14th week of net gains, according to data compiled by consultancy EPFR Global. Inflows to hard-currency developing-nation debt funds total $16.7 billion in 2017.

Chinese demand “is certainly positive if it means that these frontier countries can tap into a more diversified investor base,” said Mark Baker, investment director for emerging-market fixed income at Standard Life Investments Ltd. in Hong Kong. He was, however, concerned about Sri Lanka’s “lackluster” exports and expensive currency.

“We are surprised by how tight credit spreads have now reached relative to its fundamentals,” said Baker, who stayed out of the Sri Lanka issue. He already had some of the country’s outstanding dollar bonds and is now “reassessing” his holdings, he said.

Galle Face blues: Rajapaksa’s May Day force jolts Govt.

Sunday, May 07, 2017

• Crowd at JO rally bigger than both UNP and SLFP rallies
• President, PM taking action to stop internal battles; joint meeting of parliamentary groups proposed
• High-powered committee of ministers and officials to prevent disruption of  essential services

By Our Political Editor

Neither leaders of the ruling coalition nor those in Opposition envisaged last Monday’s main ‘Joint Opposition’ (JO) May Day rally at Colombo’s popular public promenade, the Galle Face Green, would turn out to be significant in the country’s political history.
Believing there would be a poor turn-out, not enough to fill the vast space, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared the vast expanse by the sea close to the Colombo Fort area should be given to the ‘Joint Opposition’. Even more, he wanted former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security ensured by the Police.

Galle Face blues Rajapaksa’s May Day force jolts Govt..docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

Weerawansa’s Indianisation Indigestion At May Day 2017

By Arun Kumaresan –May 10, 2017

Arun Kumaresan – Air Vice Marshal (Ret’d)

Duplicity at its best – ‘Hanuman’ bridge was approved by ex President Mahinda Rajapaksa

Mr Wimal Weerawansa currently on bail over investigations related financial misappropriation had sufficiently recovered from the VIP remand sickness to address the Joint Opposition Mayday rally at Galle Face green. A fire brand speaker took a deep nudge alleging present government’s effort to build the “Hanuman Bridge” and was of the strong view the upcoming Indian Prime Minister’s visit to mark the UN celebration of “Vesak” is beginning of the ‘indianisation’ and vomiting his gut out of an apparent doomsday scenario in Sri Lanka. He made a clarion call for hoisting of black flags during Vesak in the presence of the former President MR as a mark of protest to the Indian PM’s visit.

However, Mr Wimal Weerawansa in 2011 was the Minister of Construction, Engineering Housing and Common Amenities. He spearheaded a NATIONAL PHYSICAL PLANNING POLICY AND KEY PROJECTS. The depth of his study needs accolades!!! He published his vision based on a detailed study thro’ a government gazette notification. As stated in the second para of the gazette authenticated by J M L Jayasekara Director General National Physical Planning Division quote “was recommended by the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating committee on 09/112010 and approved by the National Planning Council chaired by H.E the President on 13/01/2011 as per section 4© 0f the act”. Hence, it has been with the full blessings of the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his ministerial colleagues. The preamble and the relevant content of the said gazette as follows:

The relevant portions of the gazette relating to Weerawansa Hanuman Bridge and planned road/rail links with are great neighbor India is reproduced and depicted below (Please read the full gazette notification, which is attached,  to get an insight of this great visionary Weerawansa with specific reference to the map indicating the link off Manner pier)

(3) Projects in the International and Asian Context

3.1 Transport and Access

3.1.1 Asian Highway

Proposals to link Sri Lanka with the South Asian mainland by road and rail, such as the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway would drastically change Sri Lanka’s trade and exchange with India and other South Asian neighbors.

3.1.2 Trans-Asian Railway

A railway bridge crossing appears to be the least cost mode of direct connection based on available data. Initially a single-line railway may be installed which could be converted to a double line later. The advantage of a railway crossing over the ship crossing is the continuity of passage without the need for transfer of modes.

Proposed Sri Lanka/India Connection

1. Palk Strait

           It is undisputed that due to the close proximity to the Indian Subcontinent, setting up of the proposed Asian Highway link between Sri Lanka and India would benefit Sri Lanka immensely. Some benefits that could accrue are stated as follows:

1. Promotion of international transport and regional integration
2. ….

5. Major cargo input to ports at Colombo and Hambanthota from and to Indian Subcontinent.

3.5 List of International and Asian Context Projects:

Mannar City Development:

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May Day responses and the responsibility of our intelligentsia 

The crowds phenomenon

Wednesday, 10 May 2017

Can any rational bystander make any sense about these cries of “Hurrah! We are winning!” while pointing out to relative crowd strengths at political meetings?

We have seen this phenomenon occurring with regularity in Sri Lanka for a long time. We never learn lessons. Supporters of rival sides go into euphoria. That is the purpose in political parties gathering crowds. It is to create a false perception about winning in order to set up a bandwagon effect on the population at large.

On the other hand, we have known many a time in the past that crowds at meetings do not necessarily translate into votes. Crowds gather for different reasons and your guess is as fair as mine. This is not to speak of the fact that crowds are by nature fickle.

During the last presidential election huge crowds were drawn to Mahinda’s meetings and the Government-owned television media relayed that ad nauseam. The result said something else. One has to make the important distinction between spontaneous crowds and manipulated and organised crowds.

What we have seen in political rallies in Sri Lanka for many decades are organised crowds. They are being brought in provided transport from faraway places. They are given a kind of payment in kind or cash or both for coming. Left to themselves, these poor folk would not have come all the way to fill a ground in Colombo. Two in the crowd died the other day.

Soothsaying from crowd attendance

Just imagine well-known writer Sarath de Alwis writing to the Daily FT and Colombo Telegraph pointing to the conclusion that “Mahinda is returning,” after looking at the Galle Face attendance last May Day. His fellow-mate Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka rushes to Sarath’s side by lauding him for a “lucid analysis”. For heavens’ sake don’t lean on my assessment; but you yourself judge and let me know if there is anything but the opposite of being lucid in such reasoning. It is a totally illogical.

I do not have an accurate assessment of the relative attendances. But for the sake of argument, let us say that Mahinda’s rally was more impressive than the other three rallies. Sarath de Alwis’ reasoning isn’t lucid even then. That is not merely due to the obvious truth that one cannot jump from the premise of crowd attendance in one spot on one day to the inference that Mahinda has already won even the momentary concurrence of over 12 million voters spread out all over the length and breadth of Sri Lanka. It is also because the voting time is still over two years away.

Furthermore, Sarath de Alwis has not even bothered to recognise the simple maths that the totality of the crowds of the other three meetings would have far exceeded Mahinda’s rally. The UNP rally, from all accounts had been huge. The JVP’s was impressive, too and the SLFP rally even in the countryside at Getambe was not far away despite the heavy rain. All those are, presumably, anti-Mahinda voices. Then, what about the votes of our Tamil and Muslim brethren? The net result is obviously negative for Mahinda. Logically Mahinda has no chance on this line of reasoning. 

Fanciful thinking

It is clear. This is all fanciful wishful thinking by the two prominent writers. DJ has been in the fancy La La Land for a while now and there isn’t any sign of his waking. He experienced delusion years ago at the famous Nugegoda meeting when the ‘Mahinda Sulanga started.’ He, or another like him, coined the term “Nugegoda Man”.

DJ was thrilled he got a place on the podium and he could not outlive that excitement. He wrote that the meeting signified Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second rising. But, like any politician, DJ wouldn’t care repeating fiascos.

The basic assumption of politicians in Sri Lanka is that masses can be fooled; that they suffer from memory loss. DJ is by now a scholar muted into a politician. He is on record (I have the video), during a Mahinda Sulanga meeting, rhetorically asking the audience: “Do you like a son of yours becoming like a Mahinda Rajapaksa or a Ranil Wickremesinghe?” Would you call a person like that a scholar or political analyst?

Positives from May Day crowd dragging

I can see one good thing in having public meetings like the May Day. It is an occasion when politicians distribute their black money among poverty-stricken people. It is a great moment of income distribution. Masses jump to the side that give them most cash in return. Mahinda and his men, in particular, have a mountain of cash with them.

Another positive thing happened this time on May Day. It was that the CTB made Rs. 69 million just on one day – hiring its buses for rallies. This is a sign of Yahapalanaya because previously Mahinda and his men ordered the buses but never paid for them; the State had to bear the cost. This time all parties including those of the Government paid for the hire. Even enemies of the YP Government should congratulate President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for this record.

Our intelligentsia has a responsibility

Responsible writers, media and the intelligentsia in our country should get away from this kind of squad-cheering and think larger about the country. What we now see is that writers like DJ and Sarath de Alwis and so many others of their ilk regard themselves as spectators in a big game of cricket. Each of them pitch on to sides of their choice and keep cheering. Considering the plight that Sri Lanka faces this is not a responsible move on the part of the intelligentsia.

I keep constantly pointing out that Sri Lanka’s academics and general intelligentsia have let the country down. From this point of view, I applaud the movement for Yahapalanaya headed by the late Ven. Maduluwave Sobitha Thera and well supported by a few academics and intelligentsia like Professor Sarath Wijesooriya, Gamini Viyangoda, Victor Ivan and so on.

This is not satisfactory. More educated people must come forward and form a strong critical mass of non-sectarian influencers. We all have to realise one serious fact, namely that our country is in poor economic shape. On the other hand, lots of sectors-health, education, housing, infrastructure, etc. need State help and intervention. But that role can be played by the State only if the economy grows to afford it. The common-sense line is that we cannot live above our means; we will eventually collapse.

What we see now is that Sri Lanka is in the grasp of a severe debt trap. We have to extricate ourselves from this pathetic situation. Since the year 1977, we have not had a single year of trade surplus. It has been a case of recurring deficit trade balances. We have been living far above our means. We managed our Balance of Payments largely because of foreign remittances and that simply means that our economy has been sustained by the slavery of our housemaids.

We have boastfully shown “growth,” but that growth is built on debt. We fool the people and the media by concealing that fact. We speak in hyperbole to deceive the masses asserting we are a nation in lower middle-income status. The current Finance Minister recently went on record saying we are going to reach high middle-income status in 2019! This is all a joke. The urgent need is to restructure our economy from an import -dependent one to an export-led one. This means we must create an environment for foreign and domestic investment.

If we do not do this and instead help in the process of creating instability in the country for political gain all Sri Lankans are doomed to a tragic plight. Some of the intelligentsia who act as spectators and cheer squads will find a way out for their families and themselves. So will politicians with dual citizenship. They will join the shouting diaspora. The powerless will stay behind and reap the havoc of populist policies. 

Enough of populism

Sri Lanka has had enough of populism. Populism was dramatised many years ago when Sirima Bandaranaike offered to bring rice from the moon. Our past socialist programs were plainly populist and they ran down our national economy. Everything was taken over by the State and everything so taken went broke. We were number one tea exporters in the world but now we have dropped to number three with Kenya taking the lead.

Opposition political parties are most irresponsible opposing as they do any new economic thinking shown by the Prime Minister and his Government. They don’t realise we have to get out of inbox -thinking and planning. Trade Agreements with other countries will sell our land, they say. Joint investments with richer countries are a sell off, they say. Privatisation of uneconomic ventures are a crime, they say. Reconciliation attempts with our Tamil brethren are another sell-off, they say.

Sri Lanka has to change the basic rules of the game of governance and this can be done only by changing our present dysfunctional constitution. We have to get better quality political representatives to Parliament. A different constitution can go a long way to facilitate that. On the other hand, the Opposition says the proposed constitution is another sell-off.

This is the Opposition refrain. May Day antics are another public manifestation of populism. We must stop this crowd dragging. May Day is a day for workers and not for politicians. It is interesting to note how writer Sarath de Alwis is impressed by Mahinda being a ‘master of emotional politics,’ and how he deprecates Ranil Wickremesinghe for his appeal to rationalism. I like to tell Sarath that what Sri Lanka needs is precisely an appeal to reason. Emotional politics is the pursuit of the dishonest and selfish.

(The writer can be reached via sjturaus@optusnet.com.au.)

Navy erects solar powered electric fence in Sooriyawewa

May 10, 2017

A solar powered electric fence devised by the Sri Lanka Navy, erected and bestowed on the community in Sooriyawewa. Going by a concept of the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, the project was implemented by the Navy’s Research and Development Unit which is operated under the able guidance of Captain Priyankara Dissanayake, the Navy said.

This magnanimous effort is considered as yet another community development and social responsibility project carried out by the navy in a bid to resolve pressing issues of the general public.

Taking the elephant menace prevailing in the area into serious consideration, the Navy’s Research and Development Unit devised this cost effective electric fence utilizing their expertise and technical know-how. 

The prime motive of this 4 km long electric fence is to avert any form of danger posed on human lives and their properties by the wild elephants. The navy is determined to carry out their community service efforts in full swing in the future as well.

Police silence over Akkarayan sand mafia?

May 10, 2017

A sand-mining mafia is destroying the paddy fields and the entire environment at Akkarayan village in Kilinochch district. According to reports reaching us, the racketeers are mainly those who are connected a rural development society, and they earn between Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 30,000 a  day, by this racket which destroys the natural resources in the area. The biggest question here is the silence of the police and the armed forces in the face of this destruction.

Akkarayan police received a complaint yesterday against the sand mining racket. Recording the complaint was delayed, as the OIC was said to be busy for two days, making arrangements for the Vesak festival to be held in Kilinochchi.

 

We question as to whether those who mine the sand at Akkarayan have any legal backing. We know that they do not have any sand-mining permit. This clearly is an illegal activity. So, why do the police and the military fail to intervene to stop it? This racket had been going on for some time now.

 

In addition to the Akkarayan police station, three military camps are located within 3.5 km, six km and 10 km distances of each other. Think for a while. Such a racket is going on in an area with such a high level of security. If the police and the military cannot catch these racketeers, how can they catch terrorists? Is this the service they render to the people, who pay for their salaries and maintenance through paying taxes?

 

On this day of Vesak that marks the birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Lord Buddha, who had highly valued the environment, what do the authorities in this Sinhala Buddhist country have to say about the destruction at Akkarayan?

 

By a special correspondent