‘Teachers, students hit by tug-of-war’

June 1, 2017, 10:15 pm 

Teachers and students were at the receiving end of a tug-of-war between the line and provincial ministries of education over the issue of number of days schools closed owing to the last week’s disasters, the Ceylon Teachers’ Union stated in a media release.

The release signed by General Secretary of the union, Joseph Stalin said the Ministry of Education had announced that the schools in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Kegalle, Ratnapura and Hambantota districts would be closed till June 02 in view of the current disaster situation.

However, on May 31, the Secretary to the Western Provincial Ministry of Education announced through the media that schools in the Kalutara, Gampaha and Colombo districts of the Western Province would re-open from June 01. "On the same day the line min istry stated that the provincial ministry could not take such a decision and its own previous circular would be in effect and the schools of the aforementioned eight districts would be kept closed. These contradictory statements have been published in newspapers of June 01 too. Students and teachers of the Western province are in difficulty while the Provincial Education Secretary getting Zonal and Divisional Education directors to force principals of the schools in the province to open their schools. This tug of war between the line ministry and the provincial ministry shows that there is no proper procedure in those ministries on how to act during a national disaster situation.

The CSU called on President Maithripala Sirisena to intervene immediately in this situation to prevent the disaster hit students and teachers being further harassed by a tug of war between the line and provincial ministries of education, the release added.

Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, contacted for comment, said: "We as the line ministry make policy decisions. We decided to reopen schools on June 2nd due to several reasons. As for the Western province one could say that only several schools in Avissawella, Colombo and Kalutara have been affected by disaster and others could be opened. That is wrong. Many schools in Colombo are now being used as relief coordinating centres providing assistance to the disaster hit people.

"We cannot upset that process. In addition, I have taken action to send engineers to check buildings of all affected schools. Before making them open for children we have to assess whether they would be safe. Further, this is not a decision I took on my own. I consulted the President before making this decision and got his approval."

Horses To Water

By Ranil Senanayake -MAY 31, 2017

Dr Ranil Senanayake

All of our experience after events catastrophic events point to the inability of the bureaucracy to adapt to changing times and be abreast of current information. If they did, they would know that tunneling in the fractured rocks of the Poonagala range could lead to disasters like the massive landslide experienced Meeriyabadde the drying up of wells around Bandarawela. The environmental Impact Report that cleared the infamous Uma Oya diversion project has not addressed any of these possibilities. If the bureaucrat or so-called ‘scientist’ who wrote this, does not have an education sufficient to understand these needs for national security, it will be easy for him to approve projects in the interest of the ‘investor’. The investor has become somewhat of a holy figure. One, whom we should not frighten away or criticize. One, without whose investment, we will slide into economic darkness. So these people would sacrifice the wellbeing of our motherland in the service of their ‘investment’ gods, telling us that if they do not do so, we are doomed to an economic hell.

Another amazing piece of public effrontery are the recent advertisements calling for designs for the Port City. While it is public knowledge that a phase 2 EIA MUST be submitted for approval before any construction begins. The businessmen are laying the foundations. There has been no outcry from the bureaucrats charged with the duty of obtaining such an EIA and approving it before any activity begins on the filled land. That silly lopsided argument that “we are contractually bound’ can only have validity if the contract did not break the laws of the land. In the case f the ‘port city’, the operators have flouted the laws of this land over and over again. Yet the voice boxes of the businessmen, the politicians, tell us, ‘oh, we have contractual obligation’. To add insult to injury, the operators are pumping toxic marine sediment with their landfill, without any assurance as to the effect of the dust created thereby. The mere fact that activity is allowed before any of these lapses in law have been addressed is a slap in the face of the Sri Lankan public and an indictment of our legal system.

And have course the floods! At one time about three years ago, when I was requested to suggest and advise on the proposed mega urban constructions. I suggested that: it should be ‘A cadenza of urban centers joined by a high-speed efficient, non-fossil transportation system. Each urban center located and identified within a watershed. The maximal sustainable yield of ecosystem services of each watershed will be the defining parameters of growth for each center. Each center will strive to develop the primary production of that watershed to its highest value. Each center will pay the producers of the ecosystem services within their particular watershed.’

1. The most efficient high-speed transport is the electrically driven rail or monorail systems. Fast and efficient, the only drawback is the number of users to make its operation cost effective. Thus transporting between major urban centers would seem to fulfill this need in Sri Lanka. Once a transport backbone has been built using this system, the second level need or transport local should be handled by electrically driven taxis, three wheelers etc. The current technology will enable the construction of solar collectors along the line and at the urban hubs. As much of the transport is active during the day, these collecting units could feed the grid and/or set up charging capacity at the docking sites where the passengers change to local transport.

2. Sri Lanka being an island with a radial drainage system has well identified watersheds, many of which have been studied extensively. The collection of baseline data for each watershed in which an urban center will be developed will crate a definable boundary for each center, where the center will be responsible for the development of the total watershed and the percentage of impervious surfaces allowed.

3. As each watershed has a set amount of water discharge and as a set quantity of water will be required for production and conservation in the rural sector. A maximal extractable limit should be established, a similar study and limits set for impervious surfaces, air quality and biomass.

4. Each center will often be located in areas that produce unique primary products with future high value applications. It could be mineral as in the case of Mineral sands or Graphite, or agricultural, as in the case of spices and high value phytochemicals. The value adding industries should be encouraged and supported to begin r&d and identify the center as a center of excellence
The health and well being of all persons living within a watershed depends on the volume of ecosystem services being produced in the watershed. Thus it is just to pay for the ecosystem services the center enjoys. With the current drive to give a value for ecosystem services globally and with the statements that are being made in this regard by the President. Computing an ES payment based on ESP’s could bring in the rural segment of the watershed as a full partner of the center.

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A balance sheet of true Lankan poverty

• 15.2% – National poverty index excluding militant controlled areas in 2006
• 8.9% – One year after the end of the civil war in 2009
• 6.8% – 2016?
• Promising excerpts for any analyst on its face value, these figures masquerade a true political coupe to libel Sri Lanka in the global marketplace

Friday, 2 June 2017

In February 2016, a report from the World Bank (WB) stated that a staggering 40% of the Lankan population are already in or are in risk of poverty. The coalition responded to this by enacting the WBA bill which consolidated 39 welfare programs, while its very own Ravi Karunanayake belittled these claims, going as far as criticising those in this State as “…a barrier in the economy which disrupts the smooth operation of the free markets”.  For a man educated at Oxford, the birthplace of modern humanism, I say, shame on you sir.

Furthering our understanding into the problem, it is undoubted that the civil war and its aftermath would always be the beginning for cause. Factors such as rural isolation, debasing and meddling economic exploitation, and in-access to micro-financing can be traced back to the war. Circumventing it, is the naive looting of corrupt politicians, as per the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), which clearly articulated that “certain social intervention benefits (Samurdhi) were being misappropriated to undeserving people unlike agri workers who actually needed it”. It is unquestionable that 90% of the poor live in rural areas, while 80% of the national population call it home as well. Due to the war and its aftermath, rural areas are isolated from social economic infrastructure, cities and markets, limiting income earned from non-farming activities. Moreover, 40% of the rural poor are small farmers; where their fragmented holdings, poor economies of scale, low investment levels and limited technology, continually drives these individuals into the poverty portfolio.

Mora and disaster reporting disaster

• It is a mad haste, to be the first to post stories from  disaster zones
• The Editors’ Guild could initiate a discourse 

2017-06-02

We have been witnessing painful Screaming of the State machinery at times of tragedy and disaster. It is now far worse than what it was over 12 years ago in December 2004, when the Tsunami swept the Southern and Eastern coasts.   

Mora and disaster reporting disaster.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

Why So Much of Flooding and Natural Disasters?

Who is Responsible?  

by Laksiri Fernando-Jun 2, 2017

( June 1, 2017, Sydney, Sri Lanka Guardian) Why so much of flooding and natural disasters? Already one ‘answer’ is given by Galagoda Atte Gnanasara of the BBS. He has said “disasters occur in a country when the rulers are unrighteous and wicked,” clearly aiming at the Yahapalana government (Ceylon Today, 29 May). Even Karu Jayasuriya said a similar thing in June 2014 during the landslides in Ratnapura and Matara areas (Ada Derana, 6 June 2014). Gnanasara is undoubtedly irked by the orders given to the police to arrest him for anti-Muslim provocations, whether those orders would properly be implemented or not. He is trying to circumvent the ‘rule of law’ with his crooked rhetoric, ‘abusing’ Buddhist philosophy; abusing in the sense of misusing.

Although the government is burdened with responsibility and extra-work, the actual victims are not the government, but the unfortunate poor people. Even the funds used for flood relief would be tax-payers’ money, local donations and foreign aid. Only the JVP Members of Parliament have sacrificed their monthly salary, while it might be soon followed by the others in embarrassment. Just one minister’s house was flooded. On the other hand, nearly 200 people are dead, many still considered disappeared; houses, businesses, properties of ordinary citizens are destroyed.

Different Reasoning

Even one can argue (just for the sake of argument) that ‘this is a curse that is bestowed by the gods or nature, because of anti-Muslim activities conducted by the BBS in the country.’ Some of the areas affected are the areas where the Muslims were attacked. This kind of an argument or counter argument should not have any footing in contemporary Sri Lanka. These were for the archaic days. No Muslim has done so, although they could have argued such against Gnanasara.

This reminds me of what some of the conservative nationalist leaders allegedly claimed that ‘people must be suffering for their Karma’ during the Malaria epidemic in the 1930s (see ‘Revolt in the Temple’). The Left movement and the other rationalists those days had to counter these arguments both in assisting the malaria victims and also pressurising the government to extend health and other social facilities in the country. That is how the Welfare-State largely emerged in Sri Lanka. The welfare-state is nearly destroyed today because of the mad rush for money, competitive profits and the unmindful or otherwise so-called ‘liberalization’ of the economy. Sri Lanka after all and still is a poor country, although it has marginally got a middle-income status because of lopsided factors. Even the poor people have become victims or part of this mad rush under unmindful liberalization.

‘Liberalization’ is a good word, but in its actual practice it neglects not only the ‘labour,’ to here mean primarily the poor people, but also the Nature and climate change. The neglect of the nature must have been there in different proportions almost from the beginning of human civilization, but climate change or its aggravation is a recent phenomenon. There is a clear correlation between the rapid climate change and the advent of particularly the neoliberalism. Andrian Parr calls it the wrath of capital (‘The Wrath of Capital: Neoliberalism and Climate Change Politics,’ Columbia University Press, 2014). It is this wrath that we are seeing in Sri Lanka today. The old and new advocates of neoliberalism, and ‘unbridled free market’ are usually the climate sceptics.

Deficit in Government Policies

On the surface, the government policies on climate change or its mitigation do not appear wrong, judging by the international conventions. In this sense, our leaders are better than Donald Trump. It must be noted, however, that these international conventions are for overall mitigation of climate change. For example, the revised version of the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2011-2016 (NCCAS) submitted to the Paris Convention in 2015 by Sri Lanka could be considered sufficient for those purposes. I am not an expert on these matters, but basing myself on reliable information and other people, expressing myself as (still) a citizen. Public policies are my concerns or expertise. There were 5 Thrusts in the Strategy, but none of those clearly address the increased flooding and earth-slips, to mean the natural disasters under climate change.

One can of course argue that increased flooding and earth-slips are matters for disaster management. Yet there should be coordination between the two and the climate change strategy should take the initiative. Uncoordinated efforts are one of the debacles in Sri Lanka.

After taking over the climate challenge under the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment by the President, there has been much progress in the overall climate change management, indicated in the Progress Report 2015 and Action Plan 2016. However, while there is much progress in the areas of conservation (forest and coastal) and environmental protection (marine and major irrigation projects), there is no clear planning or implementation in the field of climate-change-effects.

Among the 11 divisions in the Ministry, Climate Change Division appears to be the weakest. In terms of future planning and functions, there are 30 areas or functions identified, but no clear mentioning of the climate-change-effect mitigation or on the increased flooding and earth-slips. Even among the climate change advocates, the attention is usually paid on gas emissions (CO 2), rising temperatures and rising seas. While these are crucial, and Sri Lanka should mitigate them, there are so much of other nitty-gritties that must be addressed.

Before rising sea levels, there are rising river levels during torrential monsoon rains because of excessive soil deposits. In addition, the river basins are clogged due to unauthorized constructions, land fillings and obstructing natural water flows from higher lands. This is common sense.

At a personal note, I do remember my young days, looking at the Lunawa Lake (Moratuwa) during the school lunch time, sitting behind our class room with friends (at Prince of Wales College), even imagining how it could be converted to a grand fishery. Because we could see one or two fishermen on makeshift canoes irking out a living by catching Lula or Pethiya. Lunawa Lake today is like a big filthy pond; in most places garbage dumped. Whose responsibility is this? It is the responsibility of the Municipal Council. The local government system has much to do with environmental protection.

Closer Reasons

As quoted by Rashmin De Silva (Daily Mirror, 30 November 2015), Margaret Gardner, an international environmental activist, had expressed an early warning after the Tsunami experience. As she has stated,

“In the next 55 years the greatest threat to Sri Lanka will be not from war, but from climate change. Sri Lanka is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and weather-related disasters have the potential to set back any gains made in agriculture, fisheries and even services such as tourism.”

This is plainly true. What the country has experienced today is a ‘weather related disaster.’ This is one reason why all communities and political parties should unite for a common cause, rather than quarrelling each other.

This is not only the knowledge from outside. De Silva had interviewed Buddika Hemashantha, and had asked among other questions: “What are the current effects of climate change on Sri Lanka? I am quoting this in appreciation of local knowledge and perception. Hemashantha had been the CEO of the Sri Lanka Carbon Fund, a private-public partnership company. That was in 2015 and I don’t know what is he doing now. His reply was the following.

“The tourism and agriculture sectors are those that are the most affected currently. There are also several effects of climate change that all Sri Lankans are experiencing as of now in terms of floods and heavy rain. The University of Peradeniya Agricultural Unit has also found in its research that the temperature of the country is increasing. The temperature rise will also cause an increase in mosquitos in the colder parts of the country such as Nuwara Eliya which may lead to the spread of mosquito borne diseases. With regards to tourism there will also be negative effects that will have to be faced by the sector since tourists will be less willing to come to the island when there is more rain and the temperature is rising. There is also the treat of landslides that they will take into account.”

Yes, floods and heavy rains. Not only that, the spread of mosquito borne diseases as the country has experienced in recent times. Also, the landslides. When it comes to increased flooding, landslides or even in the case of spreading of diseases, much responsibility is placed on the local government institutions. The reason is that the control of buildings (including approvals), drains and water ways are under the control of local government institutions, unless the building approval and control directly come under the Urban Development Authority. If you take the Pradeshiya Sabhas Act (No. 15 of 1987), as an example, it is very clear. The overall purview to be to “charged with the regulation, control and administration of all matters relating to public health, public utility services and public thoroughfares and generally with the protection and promotion of the comfort, convenience and welfare of the people and all amenities within such area.”

The above undoubtedly is a broad spectrum. But more concretely, the Act specifies the powers and functions related to “measures for the relief of distress caused by rain, floods, gales, fire, earthquake, famine or epidemics.” This is under Section 19. It is about the cure and not prevention. One may also ask the question; ‘how can those be undertaken today as the local governments are dissolved and elections not yet held? But in terms of prevention, it is mainly the PS officers who are very clearly assigned the tasks of laying and maintaining “drains, watercourses, trunks, tunnels, plats, or bridges” (Sec. 45). Of course, they must do these tasks in coordination with the Divisional Secretariats. There are other relevant sections in the Act, which are not quoted here to be brief.

Neglected Responsibilities

Why the responsibilities are neglected? There can be several answers, both at the local and the national level. My answers also can be partial or limited. This does not mean that increased flooding or even landslides can be completely prevented. Because the climate change is a global calamity not limited to Sri Lanka. Even in Australia there had been extreme flooding in recent times. However, the death toll is minimal to one or two. There are no major landslides as the building constructions and mountainous landscapes are well regulated.

In recent flooding in Queensland, for example, there were advanced early warnings given by the meteorological authorities. The police, the red cross and even the army assisted the timely evacuations. It was not left for the people to evacuate themselves or blame them thereafter as our ministers do (see The Island report ‘Met Dept. can be closed down,’ 1 May). Of course, the affected populations were sparsely, unlike in Sri Lanka. Given the thick populations and socio-economic conditions in our country, there can be an element of unruliness or neglect in evacuations. This is why the governments are there to assist.

Broadly speaking, at the national level, it appears that the prevention of climate-change-effects are neglected for more fashionable or trendy issues of global warming. There is no coordination between the macro strategies and micro implementation in cooperation with both the provincial councils and the local government institutions. Why, for example, the local governments have neglected their responsibilities? This has much to do with the economic thinking, apart from the local politicians allowing their families, friends and benefactors to do whatever they want: haphazard building, garbage dumping, land encroachment, sand mining, landfilling etc.

There are no major housing projects for the poor, ‘thanks’ to the unmindful neo-liberalism. Therefore, they have to construct their huts and dwellings in dangerous places. For the slightest natural calamities, they collapse and the people often get drowned. Most vulnerable are the children. In this instance, 44 school children have died in vain.

Of course, unnecessary bureaucracy or regulation can hamper business and economic development, but the neglect of environmental protection or people’s welfare in the process of deregulation can cause environmental disasters and social dislocations. The state-sector responsibilities are neglected because the engine of growth is declared solely as the private sector. This is an easy excuse for the politicians to laze, do their own businesses, gratify family, friends and benefactors, and preach ‘bana’ to the people, not to speak of corruption. This has happened before and this is happening even today.

Postscript

I have just received a poem ‘From a Tamil youth in the North to a Sinhala youth in the South’ on the flood disaster, courtesy of Yahapalanaya (network). It is long. So, I reproduce its first three verses only.

I want to cry for you.
But I have no tears to shed!

I could have rushed to save you
But I couldn’t,

I couldn’t come to save you as it is in this month you severed my legs
You may have forgotten.

Total death toll climbs to about 300

by Maheesha Mudugamuwa-June 1, 2017, 10:13 pm 

The total death toll from last week’s disasters is thought to be around 300 with the government deciding to consider 95 persons who have gone missing also as dead, State Minister of Public Enterprise Development Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene says.

Minister Abeywardene was addressing the SLFP weekly media briefing at party headquarters in Colombo.

Rescue workers had combed through mud and rubble left by devastating floods and landslides, looking for survivors till yesterday, but in vain, the minister said.

Minister Abeywardena from Matara, one of the worst affected districts, said about his own experience, "The whole area was flooded within 20 minutes and we were helpless. I can’t even imagine how the others faced the situation. We were all stranded for hours.

"I experienced the floods in 1969 and 2003 but the worst was this year’s."The government placed the number of affected people at 629,695 from to 163,740 families with 1,540 houses destroyed and 7,714 others damaged. More than 72,105 people from 18, 707 families are still at 355 safe locations.

Minister Abeywardena said the government would give Rs. 100,000 each to families whose members had perished in disasters.

So far the government had spent Rs. 126 million to look after the affected people, Minister Abeywardene said.

Valuation officers had been sent to flood affected areas to assess the damage caused by the recent disaster, Abeywardena said.

The government has taken measures to prepare a cabinet paper to provide land to the people living in disaster prone areas, the Minister said, adding that the President had highlighted a disaster management plan for flood prone areas in 1968.

President Maithripala Sirisena had given the instructions to revive the former disaster management plan, Minister Abeywardene added.

The illegal constructions in Ratnapura District and around the Gin Ganga, Nilwala and Kalu Ganga areas would be removed, he said.

The Meteorological Department yesterday predicted showery conditions in the south-western part of the country today. The showers are expected in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central and North-Western provinces while heavy rain falls of about 75 mm are expected in Colombo, Kalutara, Gampaha, Ratnapura and Kegalle Districts.

Showers or thunder showers are like to occur in the Eastern, Uva, North Central Provinces and in the Vavuniya Districts, particularly in the afternoon. Strong winds of about 50kmph are also expected during showers.

The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) extended the landslide warnings for Ratnapura, Kegalle, Galle, Matara, Nuwara Eliya, Kalutara and Hambantota.

The Southern Expressway (E01), which was closed for motorists due to the floods, was opened last afternoon after the flood water had receded, Police said. The Kadawatha to Kokmaduwa stretch was earlier cleared for use by motorist. However, the stretch between Kokmaduwa and Godagama had been closed until yesterday.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident yesterday, three people including a 14-year-old child drowned when their raft capsised at Aththudawa in Matara. The victims were identified as members of the same family––father, mother and son.

650,000 still marooned after floods: DMC

2017-06-01

Almost 650,000 people belonging to 170,486 families in 15 districts are still affected by the floods as of last afternoon, the Disaster Management Centre said today.

The 15 districts still affected are Ratnapura, Hambantota, Kalutara, Matara, Matale, Gampaha, Colombo, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya, Vaviniya, Mullaitivu, Colombo and Galle.

While the death toll rose to 206 by today, 92 persons were still reported missing. The highest number of deaths was reported from Ratnapura and it stood at 84 while 63 had died in Kalurata, 31 in Matara, 15 in Galle and 4 in Kegalle.

Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorology predicted showers in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central, North Central and North Western provinces with occasional showers expected to exceed 75mm while the seas could be rough.

The landslide warnings were still effective in Ratnapura, Kegalle, Galle, Kalutara, Hambantota and Nuwara Eliya Districts.

People in some areas including Bulathsinhala in Kalutara District were still without electricity. At least 25,000 school children are said to be left without school books and stationery in the affected areas.

It is anticipated that risk of diseases such as Dengue and diarrhea could start spreading soon as the post flood era is approaching gradually

Sri Lankans’ livelihood: Past, present and future of work 

Thursday, 1 June 2017

The purpose of this article is to examine and understand as to how the Sri Lankans earned their living and dealt with their career aspirations over the seven decades since independence, and to assess the future of work in the global and local context.

(a) Period since Independence to early 1990s in a nutshell

Sri Lankans’ livelihood Past, present and future of work.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

Mel Gunasekara Murder case Fixed for judgement

Friday, June 2, 2017

The case filed against a home painter for committing the murder of journalist Mel Gunasekera was yesterday fixed for judgement by Colombo High Court.

Colombo High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe hearing the murder case informed that the judgement regarding the case would be delivered on July 5.

Deputy Solicitor General Shanil Kularatne appearing on behalf of the Attorney General.

Shanil Kularatne explained the strong circumstantial evidence placed during the course of the trial. The Attorney General had filed indictments against accused Anthony Russan George, a home painter by profession for committing the murder of senior business journalist Mel Gunasekara. Senior business journalist Mel Gunasekera was found dead with cut injuries caused by a sharp weapon at her residence in Battaramulla on February 2, 2014. Deputy Solicitor General Kularatne appeared for the Attorney General. Counsel Saumya Hettiarachchi appeared for the accused.

Terrorist monk Gnanassara evades court again ; IGP and minister Sagala aiding and abetting the terrorist

(Lanka-e-News - 02.June.2017, 8.15AM)  The terrorist  hooligan monk Gnanassara who has by now without any sense of shame become notorious despite wearing the saffron robe   as the scourge of the Buddhist country  despite being a so called Buddhist monk ,again evaded courts day before yesterday (31 st May) .

 

It is significant to note that it is no less a person than a former magistrate of Homagama court who filed the petition in the appeal court against this demented hooligan monk  Gnanassara based on charges of forcibly entering the Homagama court and obstructing the magistrate , as well as insulting a woman who had come to court .

 

On the first occasion when he kept away from courts citing the grounds he was sick , the case was postponed to 31 st May . Gnanassara yesterday too evaded courts after  forwarding a medical certificate. Consequently the case was postponed by judge  Kumudini Wickrmesinghe again until the 12 th June. Lawyer Manohara De Silva appeared on behalf of Gnanasssara .

 

Gnanassara has not only gained notoriety for his demented and sacrilegious behavior, but now with his keeping away from courts regularly he has proved he has the ability despite his insanity to  fool the courts too . We say he fooled the courts because though he claimed he was sick , in a live interview with  a newspaper at the place where he was hiding , he never spoke about his sickness . Instead ,  only bragged like an underworld criminal let loose that  , if he wishes he can plunge the country into anarchy within an hour thereby openly threatening to cause a breach  of the peace creating murder and mayhem among the peace loving people of the country.

 

Meanwhile it is none other than IGP poojitha Jayasundara who averted the arrest of Gnanassara recently when the STF team was in the ready to take him into custody.

 

The actions  of the IGP and minister Sagala which are aiding and abetting a criminal like Gnanassara to  circumvent the laws and avoid courts  are most rudely shocking and reprehensible.

 

Gnanassara who is trapped well and truly for committing contempt of court is certainly bound to get punished.  Gnanassara who is therefore in mortal fear exclaimed ‘if he is going to jail , he will drag along with him others too - seven or eight of them.’

 

Now the latest ploy of Gnanassara is , there are several criminals in jail  trying to kill him, and  create  religious unrest and  tension . Citing this ground he has through his sidekick Dilantha Vitharnage lodged a complaint with the IGP.

 

The IGP who averted the arrest of Gnanassara the scourge of the country and the century when he was in Kurunegala , has treated this spurious complaint seriously , and instructed to conduct an investigation through the organized  crimes prevention division .

 

This IGP best known for his worst eccentricity and rackets,  who did not entrust the investigation of  the Narcotics division involved murder to the CID or the STF , has however ordered an immediate probe into the bogus complaint of this terrorist monk Gnanassara who is openly claiming he can unleash anarchy in the country within an hour. This action of the IGP (Imbecile General of Police) is in keeping with his own dementia  , and most ludicrous.

 

The Prevention of organized crimes division had forwarded a B report to the Colombo chief magistrate yesterday .

 

The minister Sagala Ratnayake too remaining deaf and dumb amidst the villainy and treachery of the IGP while a terrorist (Gnanassara)  is dangerously inciting and stoking extremism across the country openly , has certainly completely undermined  the faith and confidence reposed in him  by the good governance masses  .

 

It is a pity the minister seems to be ignorant of his prime and paramount duties – that is,  he is appointed to protect the rule of law , and maintain law and order in the country, and not to protect scoundrels and rascals  like terrorist Gnanassara who are unleashing violence and stoking religious hatred across the country openly.

 

Even the M.P.’s lodged complaints that Gnanassara is directly responsible for these attacks and violence .Yet the minister in charge of law and order, and the chief of law enforcement – the IGP instead of safeguarding the laws of the country and protecting the citizens , are wasting time on investigating the bogus complaint of Gnanassara , meaning that in this country law abiding citizens are not given adequate legal protection. In other words  the very so called law enforcement authorities are encouraging the victims to take the law into their hands   by aiding and abetting terrorist Gnanassara  in his horrendous aims and ambitions to plunge the country into anarchy.

 

The list of religious places , properties and business places owned by  Muslims that were attacked following the terror and violence  unleashed  by mad monk Gnanassara from 16 th April to 24 th May 2017 is given below …(this includes instances of intimidation)

 

16th April, 2017   Petrol Bombs thrown at Four shops owned by Muslims in Godapitiya, Pooruva.  Even after a month, the police have still not apprehended the perpetrators.

 

17.04.2017  The fences/walls of the Sheik Salih Waliyulla Shrine, in Galle Fort near the naval base were broken by unidentified persons.

 

20.04.2017  Two and a half acre land in Mayakkalli, Irakkamam, Ampara was forcefully acquired by a group led by Buddhist monks and construction of a Buddhist vihara commenced which lead to tension in the area. 

 

25.04.2017  Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera visited the above area and he verbally abused Muslims in the presence of GA. 

 

08.05.2017  GnanasaraThero requested government to deport all the ‘Rohingya Muslims’ arrested off Sri Lankan coast, while attempting to flee Myanmar, stating that these refugees are not welcome in Sri Lanka.

 

10.05.2017 Buddhist religious activities conducted on Vesak Day at Mayakkalli, Irakkamam with Police Protection

 

14.05.2017 BBS delegation including GnanasaraThero threatened Muslims, damaged their cow sheds and used derogatory and abusive language against Allah during their visit to Onegama in Polonnaruwa. Hiru TV publicized this incident.

 

15.05.2017 Unidentified persons attacked a mosque in Panadura old bazaar area with petrol bombs around 3.00 am. Interior of the mosques was damaged in the attack. No suspects have been arrested.  

 

16.05.2017 Al Ibraheemiya Jummah mosque in Kohilawatta, Wellampitiya, Colombo was attacked by a group of 8 persons around 1.45am. Mosque was damaged. No suspects arrested. 

 

16. 05. 2017 Around 200 persons attacked 16 houses in Neenakkani, Thoppur and a large number of people left the area.

 

16. 05. 2017  At a press conference at BBS HQ, GnanasaraThero once again used hate language against Muslims and insulted Allah.

 

17. 05. 2017 In Oluvil, Panadura a bakery and a communication centre that belonged to a Muslim were petrol bombed

 

18. 05. 2017 Last Chance electrical shop in Chilaw was attacked at around 2 a.m.

 

21. 05. 2017 Jumma Mosque in Mallawapitiya was petrol bombed. However Police have not arrested anyone.

 

21. 05. 2017 Lovers Bug, a shop in Elpitiya, Galle was destroyed. Police has not arrested anyone so far.

 

22. 05. 2017 A carpet shop owned by a Muslim, in Wijerama, Maharagama was set fire to.

 

23. 05. 2017 A Muslim owned shop in Kahawatte, Ratnapura was set fire to.

 

24. 05. 2017 Harcourts Pharmacy in Navinna was attacked.

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by     (2017-06-02 02:54:47)

Lankan company rewards for seized Chinese cigarettes

Jun 01, 2017

Customs sources say a local company notorious for cigarettes is rewarding officers of the Customs and law enforcement agencies who seize cigarettes that are being imported illegally from China.

According to the sources, even as the officers are officially rewarded a certain percentage of the fine imposed on the guilty parties, this company is rewarding them thus with the intention of maintaining its cigarette market monopoly in the country.

When contacted, several Customs investigations officers confirmed this and said Chinese cigarettes were increasingly making their way into the island. Chinese-made cigarettes are being smuggled into Sri Lanka because Chinese nationals in the country do not like the locally-available cigarettes.

Kusal Jayampathy

On top of the food chain?

Wednesday, 31 May 2017

I was recently watching a documentary about New Zealand and its amazing wildlife. As many know, New Zealand was only discovered around 700 years ago by Polynesians who settled there and established a Maori culture. It is one of the last discovered large land masses globally. 

In 1642 a Dutch explorer was the first European to sight the islands when in the late 18th century the country was regularly visited by explorers, sailors, missionaries, traders and other adventurers; predominantly from Europe.

In the 19th century the British signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the Maori chiefs of New Zealand which seemed a good deal, however subsequently an extensive British settlement led to an imposition of a European economic and legal system as well as most of the land passing from Maori to European ownership; many Maori subsequently became impoverished. After the World War II a welfare state was developed and many Maori began moving into the cities, establishing also a protest movement. In turn the Treaty of Waitangi received greater recognition. 

Another sort of development

While New Zealand’s history is undeniable interesting, what caught my attention was another sort of development which took place once the islands were discovered. The settlers from Polynesia more or less assimilated to the bio-diverse country and lived in close relationship with nature. They also left murals in different caves across the country confirming the existence of extremely large birds, such as the Waitaha Penguin, the Giant Moa or the Haast’s eagle (which could reach a size of 230kg), which went extinct soon after the first Polynesian settlers arrived in the 14th century.

Another area of extinction took place during the European settlement period in the 19th century. Where the first settlers were hunting the ancient animals towards their extinction, the second group of settlers caused various influences on the natural habitat, not only through hunting. It is believed that the pacific rat was already introduced by the Maori, the large numbers of ships departing from Europe had several animals and pests coming to New Zealand “illegally”, such as the common house mouse and European rats for example.

Others were imported for different purposes: Possums were brought from Australia for fur, salmon was released into the rivers to be later hunted by sports fishermen, marten were released for pest control, stoats and cats were brought from England to control rabbits and the rats on the ships, pigs and goats were introduced to the farmers and deer was introduced for hobby hunters.

These animals were not only competition for the native animals, they often did not only fulfil their primary purpose however created other problems and killed other native animals to their extinction. One such example is the kakapo, or owl parrot, who was once common in New Zealand but has been hunted and almost eradicated by settlers and the foreign predators which they brought along with them.

Only the Kakapo Recovery Plan established in the 1980s helped the bird to survive. Today there are ca. 150 birds which are monitored and the Government of New Zealand has established recovery zones where researchers from all over are investing intensive time and money to help the bird survive.

Consciously

destroying nature

Why all of this about New Zealand? Well, this is only one example of referring to a human habit which unfortunately continues to persist since centuries. We more or less consciously destroy nature including our own habitat, and only once the situation is severely bad do we consider changing. Now I am really wondering, why is that?

We consider ourselves on top of the food chain, we dominate nature and animals and soon it seems even parts of the universe. However observing other species, I have never heard of anything which would destroy its own habitat to such an extreme. Elephants are said to destroy their own food as they uproot the trees they eat, however they also do not eat more than they need to be full. Animals don’t kill for fun, they are dedicated to their own survival and they won’t wait until it is too late. A bear would go and rob honey from the bees, but once it is full it would leave and not destroy the rest of the honeycomb or the entire tree.

So if we consider ourselves on top of creation or evolution, on top of this planet, why are we not smart enough to protect our own habitat? There are numerous examples where the ecosystem worked perfectly well until human activity started. One might argue we need to compromise nature to create human-like living and cities and comfort and development. To a certain extent this seems logical, however we take it to a different extreme. We create cities where we can’t breathe, we can’t drink the water and we have poisonous food. We create living circumstances which actually kill us instead of giving us the desired wellbeing. Once we recognise that our model does not work, we try to find solutions. Many times these solutions however do not include changing our own behaviour, they include the most creative options to remain in the same, damaging behaviour. 

Moving an iceberg

to the UAE

Recently another example worth to be mentioned is the plan of UAE to bring an iceberg from Antarctica to their coast to help with their drinking water shortage as well as droughts. The hope is to create a mini climate in the region which brings rain to these dry areas. Behind the idea is National Advisor Bureau Ltd., which is based in Masdar city, a fully sustainable city in UAE. They estimate it takes a year to bring the iceberg to their shores and they can harvest fresh water for one million people over five years. Furthermore, the iceberg could be a tourist attraction.

Where one might think this is a joke, it is not. They plan to start operations in 2018. It seems incredible that apparently countries can “just” drive to Antarctica to harvest icebergs and pull them to their shores, but not only that… Looking at UAE water consumption data, the country has a per capita consumption of 500 litres a day, which is 82% above the global average (reported by Emirates News and The National). Water consumption is three times more than the per capita consumption in the EU and this in a country which is basically only desert and sea.

The low awareness among individuals about the value of water has been highlighted by experts as one cause of the problem. However countries like the UAE have leadership which actually quite easily could implement laws and regulations to change the current waste of water. At the same time the iceberg project was announced, The National, a newspaper of the UAE, published an article explaining that half of the per capita water consumption could be a result of residents’ insistence on having gardens with lawns which requires 1,600 litres of water each year per square meter. The indigenous plant species however consume less water and still look green and lush.

The Manager of the Natural Resources Policy at the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi explains that prices currently do not reflect the resource scarcity. Residents are under the impression that water can be used with disregard. “We published a report where the UAE has the third-highest water consumption in the world. Look around you, we are in a desert, so these things really don’t add up,” said Tanzeed Alam, the Climate and Energy Director at the Emirates Wildlife Society.

Now how can the citizens not be aware of the water shortage when at the same time the country tries to pull an iceberg from Antarctica to its shores?

In both examples, humans first destroy the resource and then try to find a solution for their problem. In New Zealand’s case, the researchers linked to the conservation program put enormous effort to help this bird survive. So much of effort and financial means to now assure, the bird won’t go extinct. Then why kill it in the first place? If the UAE leadership prioritised the preservation of water in their dessert country, there is no need to pull an iceberg from far away, neither would they need to exploit desalination possibilities which lead to an increase in global warming given their intense usage of fossil fuels for the plants.

Sri Lanka

Where these are examples from outside Sri Lanka, we unfortunately also see such incidents inside the country where decisions are made to solve problems, which however in turn create bigger problems.

Sri Lanka is blessed with fresh water and various resources, however we also have water shortages, drought, flood, animals which are close to extinction… Still the focus is on new and even larger development projects compromising large areas of land and habitats. Not only do we need to think of where the water will come from to supply those living in these new urban centres, where does the waste go? How much electricity will be needed to supply these developments?

Wouldn’t it be a better first step to supply all those in remote areas of the country with these resources first and find a way to balance droughts and floods, establish proper conservation areas which have to remain untouched to assure that the diverse Sri Lankan wildlife will be preserved?

Shouldn’t it be the logical first priority to solve the current challenges to establish a flourishing country where there is no human-elephant conflict, sustainable tourism achieves substantial income for the country and citizens can enjoy the basic needs? Where no garbage dumps are collapsing and the country can profit from a comprehensive waste management system?

The dugong was native in Sri Lanka and enjoyed its habitat, since years it was eradicated nearly to extinction. Lately conservation efforts try to help the animal survive. How much could Sri Lanka profit from sustainable tourism including whales, sharks and other marine life, leopards, elephants, dugongs, birds and so much more. Above 20 ethnic minorities with their individual culture and food, amazing country side… Sri Lanka could harvest the benefits by solely smartly preserving what it already has. 

Costa Rica 

Costa Rica, one of the eco-friendliest destinations in the world, enjoyed 2.6 million tourists in 2015 (with a population of about 4.8 million people). The sector grew by 9% and according to the Costa Rican Tourism Board it was responsible for more than $ 2.8 billion in revenue during 2015. The sector employs about 600,000 people and strongly contributes to poverty reduction.

Its main competitive advantage is its well-established system of national parts and protected areas covering about 24% of the country – it is the largest in the world compared to the country’s territory. It has 0.03% of the world’s landmass and contains 5% of the world’s biodiversity; 47% of the tourists visiting the country are engaged in activities related to eco-tourism where these tourists are described as well-educated and financially better off.

Sri Lanka in direct comparison has much more to offer than Costa Rica. I do not need to outline the benefits of proper sustainable tourism for Sri Lanka, we all know the potential of this country, and therefore we also know that it could be on top of the list for eco-tourism.

So again, the question remains, why are humans destroying their own habitat first, only to recognise almost too late about the harm of their own activities, and then only to again chose unsustainable solutions? Why is it so hard for us to change ourselves? We go out of our way to invest in unsustainable solutions, however we find it so hard to step back and behave a little humbler towards our own habitat. Not out of sentimental reasons, actually simply to assure our own survival. It would be nothing else than smart. A small group of individuals assured the survival of the kakapo, the effort of each single person can make a change into the right direction.

Who is going to have the most competitive advantage in the future? Those countries which can adapt best to climate change and the consequences of our own unsustainable behaviour. I believe humans have the potential to create an amazing livelihood on this planet, however considering our behaviour so far, I find it hard to believe that we are on top of the food chain; at least not yet.