'Instant' blood test for heart attacks

27 September 2017

A blood test that could rule out a heart attack in under 20 minutes should be used routinely, say UK researchers.

A team from King's College London have tested it on patients and say the cMyC test could be rolled out on the NHS within five years.

They claim it would save the health service millions of pounds each year by freeing up beds and sending well patients home.

About two-thirds of patients with chest pain will not have had a heart attack.

A heart trace, called an ECG, can quickly show up major heart attacks, but it is not very good at excluding more common, smaller ones that can still be life-threatening.

Currently, patients with suspect chest pain and a clear ECG can have a different heart-attack blood test, called troponin, when they arrive at A&E. But it needs to be repeated three hours later to pick up signs of heart muscle damage.

Alison Fullingham ended up having coronary bypass surgery-BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION

Alison Fullingham, 49 and from Bolton, did not realise she was having a heart attack when she experienced pain in her upper chest, neck and jaw.

Despite a small change in her ECG, doctors initially suspected she was having a simple panic attack.

It was only hours later when her troponin tests came back that the correct diagnosis was reached.

Rapid diagnosis

Levels of cMyC (cardiac myosin-binding protein C) in the blood rise more rapidly and to a higher extent after a heart attack than troponin proteins, studies suggest.

That means doctors can use the new test to rule out a heart attack in a higher proportion of patients straightaway, according to the researchers who report their trial findings in the journal Circulation.

They carried out troponin and cMyC blood tests on nearly 2,000 people admitted to hospitals in Switzerland, Italy and Spain with acute chest pain.

The new test was better at giving patients the all-clear within the first three hours of presenting with chest pain.

Dr Tom Kaier, one of the lead researchers, funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) at St Thomas' Hospital, London, said: "Our research shows that the new test has the potential to reassure many thousands more patients with a single test, improving their experience and freeing up valuable hospital beds in A&E departments and wards across the country."

He says if the test were to be used routinely, it could provide doctors with reliable results within 15 to 30 minutes. It is only being used for research at the moment, however.

Dr Kaier's hospital carries out around 7,800 troponin blood tests each year. By his calculations, switching to cMyC would save his hospital £800,000 through reduced admissions. Extrapolate that to other NHS hospitals and the savings could be millions of pounds, he says.

Prof Simon Ray, from the British Cardiovascular Society, said more research was needed before the new test could replace the troponin test.

"Unlike currently available blood tests which need to be repeated at least three hours after pain it looks as though a single test is enough to make a confident decision on whether a patient has or has not suffered a heart attack. Not only can it be done earlier after the onset of symptoms but it also seems to be better at discriminating between heart attacks and other causes of chest pains. This is very important."

Sri Lanka: Are We Trailing Behind the Belt and Road?

Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is one of their newest development strategies launched in 2013, although economic cooperation goes back to several years or decades.

by Laksiri Fernando- Sep 25, 2017

( September 25, 2017, Sydney, Sri Lanka Guardian) When the new government came to office in January 2015, followed by August elections, it had misgivings about the previous regime having dubious connections with some Chinese companies. On that premise, all Chinese projects, investments and loans were suspected. During the heated election campaign, there were promises given to review, halt or overturn some of the major projects; Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port being the main ones. It is also true that some sections of the new government was utilizing the opportunity to change the foreign policy more towards the West.

One valid reason for this orientation was the concern about democracy, reconciliation and human rights. However, that cannot be the whole concern in a developing country like Sri Lanka. Economic development itself should be a major priority. Unless the economy and living standards develop; democracy, reconciliation or human rights cannot be achieved or sustained.

A Lacunae  

One main defect in Sri Lanka’s economic strategy or external relations is the lack of broad national policies on key issues. It is true that in a democratic party system, one cannot expect all or even the main parties to follow the same policy. That is not necessary and in fact unhealthy. However, there should be broad ‘national policies’ particularly in respect of external relations, both in politics and economics. Sri Lanka today ostensibly is in a better position to achieve that given the UNP and the official SLFP are in the same government. Yet, do we have such a framework? Or do we have other external constraints to achieve such?

Sri Lanka of course should not emulate China in politics, although China is changing. Sri Lanka has inherited and followed the ‘Western’ democratic institutions and those should be considered ‘universal,’ as products of human civilization. However, not following China in politics should not be a constraint to follow or benefit out of China’s economic progress. This should not be an opportunistic venture, but a genuine effort to economically cooperate. This is also not a restriction to cooperate with other countries particularly with India. A Chindia (China-India) policy might be the best.

China does not demand or has not demanded, any country to cooperate economically only with her. Their offers are open ended, while it is understandable that they would try naturally to safeguard their interests. It is up to the cooperating countries, and Sri Lanka in this case, to bargain for our own interests. However, given their enormous external resources, they could be magnanimous, particularly to developing and small countries. China is increasingly using common international vocabulary in their statements such as ‘win-win solutions,’ ‘democracy,’ ‘rule of law’ and ‘reconciliation.’ They often refer to the ‘international community.’ NGOs are a newest addition. They may have their own interpretations on some of them, but emphasis on ‘harmony,’ instead of ‘confrontation,’ is one of their traditional civilizational goals.

Belt and Road

Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is one of their newest development strategies launched in 2013, although economic cooperation goes back to several years or decades. China has become the world champion of economic globalization today while many of the Western countries are now retreating from their own initiatives. This is one reason why a country like Sri Lanka cannot rely too much on FDI (foreign direct investments) from the West any longer. Of course the possibilities are there from India, however BRI is completely a different initiative, strategically important to Sri Lanka. The following is what a former Ambassador to China, Nihal Rodrigo, said well before the BRI, in 2009 at a conference.

“Sri Lanka has, for centuries, been a major mid-point in the Silk Route of the Sea which linked it with the East and the West – links which continues to develop.”

Therefore, for our own benefit, BRI is strategically important. Obviously, it is not so much of the Belt that is important to Sri Lanka but the Road. While the Belt is a land route with several corridors, the Road is several maritime trade routes, the main one being via or near Sri Lanka. Map 1 gives a rough idea about the BRI.

Map 1

China is well known in the world history for its Great Wall. I think I came to know about it in grade three. That was built several centuries ago to prevent invasions from cavalry nomads from central Asia. Later on, China invented the Silk Route to promote trade, instead of war, even with those nomadic communities. It was the same idea that was extended as the maritime Silk Road connecting China, through Southeast and South Asia to the Gulf. On our part, it was also called the Spice Road, towards the West. Tamil Nadu also played a major role in this route. However, this was abandoned due to both internal and external reasons, but the route existed benefitting (or harming) Sri Lanka. Many counties in this route, on the Eastern side, were of rice eating people like us.

Those days, the main trading product of China was silk. While men tilled the land, women raised mulberry trees and extracted silk fibre from the mulberry worm in the cocoon. Silk textile was a major product. Today, China is into many other merchandises (not always so perfect) and it is a large market for other countries, although Sri Lanka has not yet utilized the potential. It is in 1952, sixty five years ago, that Sri Lanka entered into the famous Rubber-Rice Pact, favourable to our country, although trade did not expand satisfactorily thereafter. Trading and commercial skills are something Sri Lankans are terribly lacking, much to be learn from the Chinese.

Despite John Kotalawala’s snub against Zhou Enlai during the Bandung conference (1955), China has maintained a favourable disposition towards Sri Lanka continuously. Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to recognize China after the revolution, along with India. It was Jawaharlal Nehru who was on Zhou Enlai’s side when that uncivilized snub happened. A few years back, I met a Chinese academic at the University of Sydney, who said she was a small girl to give a bouquet to Sirimavo Bandaranaike at an official reception when the latter visited China in 1972. She was fascinated about Sirimavo’s saree!

BRI Deliverables  

Colombo Port City or Hambantota is not all about the Belt and Road initiative. The vision and the strategy are much more profound. Some critics have argued that it is too ambitious; but that is pure speculation and should not be our present concern. It was unfortunate that after the government change in 2015, many Chinese projects became temporarily halted, even affecting the growth rate adversely. This was due to the absence of common national policies, and/or agreed standards in undertaking such projects. In a bizarre turn, when the new government wanted to proceed with them, the supporters of the last government violently protested.

There can’t be much doubt that some people in the last government profited out of these projects allegedly taking commissions from Chinese companies. The China connection also was utilized for political purposes. This can happen under any government. What is necessary is to have strict standards on our part, making known them to the Chinese partners. A distinction also should be made between Chinese companies and the Chinese government.

My main point is about the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) held in Beijing on 14-15 May this year, and whether we have utilized the opportunity for the maximum benefit. At the Forum, China has pledged $ 40 billion for both Belt and Road; $25 billion being for the Road. I am quoting from the Council on Foreign Relations. China has also identified 270 deliverables, under five key areas, and 68 countries and international organizations have signed different agreements under them. It was unfortunate that India could not or did not participate at the Forum because of the controversial China-Pakistan Corridor which supposed to run through the disputed Kashmir. This might be sorted out amicably in the future, and that should not be a reason for Sri Lanka to become hesitant on the BRI. Sri Lanka even could play a role in sorting it out like what Mrs Bandaranaike attempted in 1962.

The five key areas of the BRI at present are as follows: (1) Connectivity of Development Policies and Strategies. (2) Project Cooperation for Infrastructure Connectivity. (3) Industrial Investment and Trade Connectivity. (4) Financial Cooperation and Financial Connectivity. (5) Peoples Livelihood and People to People Exchange.

There are countries who have signed agreements in all these areas, and some more than one in a single area. It is not only Asian governments who have signed agreements. The prominent others include many of the Eastern European countries, Russia, EU and countries like Greece, Netherlands and Switzerland. Of course signing agreements is not the most important, unless those are with deliverable capacity. For example, during President CBK’s visit in September 2005 to Beijing, there was an agreement to set up Confucius Institute/s, however the first one was inaugurated only in 2007 (University of Kelaniya) and the second last year at the University of Colombo. Those days the emphasis was more on cultural cooperation.

Are We Lagging Behind?  

XinhuaNet (15 May) has listed all 270 agreements as deliverables with monies earmarked in some cases, in general terms. Some however should be understood as credit and loans. Sri Lanka has signed 5 of them: 1 under Project Cooperation for Infrastructure Connectivity; 3 under Industrial Investment and Trade Connectivity; and 1 under Financial Cooperation and Financial Connectivity. These are undoubtedly important, but most of them appear formalization of what have already agreed upon i.e. Hambantota. Sri Lanka has also signed an additional Concessionary Agreement in July to develop Hambantota.

What might be significantly absent is a MOU on BRI itself, under the first category. The government to government MOUs in this category are with Mongolia, Pakistan, Nepal, Croatia, Montenegro, Hungary, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Timor-Leste, Singapore, Myanmar and Malaysia. Sri Lanka is missing here. The Chinese government also has signed cooperate documents under this category with most of the multilateral organizations such as UNDP, WHO, WIPO, UNPF etc.

Two agreements that Sri Lanka has signed with the Chinese government on (1) Economic and Trade Cooperation and (2) Promotion of Investment and Economic Cooperation, under category three, can be considered the most important, if they are followed up properly. Other three are ministry to ministry or institution to institution agreements.

Another area Sri Lanka has apparently missed out is on ‘Peoples Livelihood and People to People Exchange.’ The declared objectives of ‘peoples livelihood’ are quite broad from emergency to poverty alleviation, and basic needs. The funds allocated are also not small, and not loans. Many of the offers in this area could have been utilized for rehabilitation and reconstruction in the North and the East.

China’s BRI does not limit to governments or investment projects. There has also been a non-governmental (NGO) area emphasized at the Forum. With 80 member organizations, China NGO Network for International Exchange has sought ‘people to people’ exchange and networking. China appears to emulate some Western countries in this respect, and it is a welcome move. Sri Lanka or its NGO sector also seems to have missed out in this initiative.

Thieves & hoodlums in cabinet delay presenting Audit Bill in Parliament

September 26, 2017 by

He said this speaking at a press conference held at the head office of the JVP at Pelawatta yesterday (25th).

Speaking further Mr Dissanayaka said, “This government is delaying adopting the Audit Bill. This government, just like it was with the previous regime, is accused of misappropriation, waste, fraud of public funds and corruption. Misappropriation of public money, fraud, corruption and waste have become cancers of the economic structure of the country. A legal provision is necessary to minimize this menace. However, it would not be possible to consider that adopting of the Audit Bill would stop all corruption and frauds. However, a legal covering is necessary against misappropriation, waste, fraud and corruption.

The Expressway to be built by this government from Pothuhera to Galagedera is 32.5 kilometres. It is expected to spend Rs. 135 billion for this project. Construction of one kilometre would cost Rs.4150 million. The cabinet has presented this project to a company that had been rejected earlier. Do the people in our country have to spend Rs. 4150 million for a kilometre of the road? Also, an agreement had been signed with a French company during the previous regime to buy four A350 planes. The agreement was not only a very unfavourable one but also involved a large transaction. The present government cancelled this agreement and had to pay US$108 million to the company and also agreed to buy an A330 plane and to extend the lease of a plane for 10 years. As such, this administration too is one that misuses people’s money, commit frauds, corruption and waste of public funds.

The cabinet, the Prime Minister and the President hinder the move to present audit Bill in Parliament. The Audit Department in our country is 200 years old. However, the country doesn’t have an Audit Bill. Sri Lanka is one of the few countries in the world that doesn’t have an Audit Bill.

In 1987 then Chairman of COPE presenting a report said an Audit Bill was essential as public funds were being misused. Also, in a report of a research carried out with the assistance of several foreign countries in 2003 it was stated that an Audit Bill was necessary for the country. Accordingly, a draft of an Audit Bill was compiled in 2013. 14 years have gone by but the Bill has not been adopted. If it is the people in this country that have to adopt the Bill a large majority would vote for it. However, it is the cabinet that has to pass the Bill. It is the cabinet with fraudsters, thieves and squanderers that has to pass the Bill to stop misappropriation of public funds, fraud, corruption and waste. These thieves, fraudsters and plunderers in the cabinet continuously obstruct the adoption of the Bill in Parliament.

In the 100 day programme of Maithri – Ranil government it is clearly stated that the Audit Bill would be presented to parliament on 19th February 2015 and get it adopted on 19th March 2015. On 20th April 2015, the Prime Minister presented it to the cabinet. 30 months have gone by since then. During this period the cabinet has met about 120 times. However, the Bill has not been approved. The Bill was amended on several instances. The Constitution in the country has been amended only 19 times.

However, the Audit Bill has been amended 22 times. The amended draft was presented to parliament again on 9th August 2017. However, ministers want more time saying they want to study it. Why is it so? They want to see whether their stealing, frauds would be exposed if the Bill is adopted.
As such, we decided to present the Bill to Parliament as a private member’s bill through Comrade Sunil Handunneththi.

The audit process in our country is similar to a postmortem. The FCID investigates only financial crimes that have been already committed.  The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption investigates only after frauds and bribery that have been committed. The CID investigates after a crime has been committed. The Audit Department carries out investigations after transactions have been completed. As such, what is being carried out now is, instead of taking measures to minimize the harm being done, the auditing process is carried out only after the harm has been already done.

As such, it is necessary to have a pre-audit process. Isn’t it justifiable to have a pre-audit carried out on the Pothuhera – Galagedera Expressway project? Isn’t it necessary to audit why the Minister had handed over the project to a company that had been rejected earlier? There should not only financial audits in connection with this project there should also be a technical audit. There are provisions for such audits in the Audit Bill. Isn’t it necessary to audit the Pothuheera – Galagedera project when the contract was given to a company that bid Rs.135000 despite the estimate of the Engineering Corporation was only Rs.123000 million?

There is a lot of provisions in the Bill to protect independence. The officials appointed to the Audit Service Commission are to be removed from Public Service Commission and are attached to Audit Service Commission. Also, it is the Treasury that finances the Audit Department. This would allow the Ministry of Finance to have its influence. However, according to Audit Bill finances to the Audit Department should be allocated from Parliament. Then the Ministry of Finance would not have any influence over it. Also, according to this Bill all financial matters, administration and other matters are carried out independently. It would be a hindrance against thieving, frauds, corruption and waste. Despite this, the rulers are postponing passing the Bill.

An Audit Service Commission was established through the 19th amendment to the Constitution 20 months ago. However, the Bill that would allow the Audit service commission to function has not been adopted yet. Now, a new situation has surfaced. It is to audit the Audit Service Commission.

For, a staff has been appointed; they have been paid, provided facilities but no action has been carried out by the commission which is a waste of public money. As such, this institute should be audited. A gang of thieves and hoodlums in the Parliament attempt not to present the Audit Bill in Parliament. We, as the JVP, would take all the possible measures to get the Audit Bill passed in Parliament.”

Economics of devolution and the new constitution

Introduction

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

The interim report of the steering committee was presented to the Constitutional Assembly on 21 September. One can argue that when drafting the new constitution, there is more emphasis and prominence given to the concept of ‘devolution of power’. There is hardly any focus on ‘sustainable development’ as a goal in drafting the new constitution.

As for the constitution-making process, the President Maithripala Sirisena has told the Constitutional Assembly that people were fearful of the words federal, devolution and ‘unitary,’ etc. A constitution should not be a document that people should fear. Let us therefore, discuss the meanings of key words such as federalism, devolution and unitary in detail to understand whether these concepts are relevant and important in terms of attaining economic development and maintaining ethnic and religious harmony whilst preserving territorial integrity and sovereignty of the people.

Are these concepts relevant and important for governance in Sri Lanka?

By definition, federalism is a mode of political organisation that unites separate states within a political system in such a way as to allow each to maintain its own fundamental political integrity. Federal systems do this by requiring that basic policies implemented through negotiation, so that all the members can share in decision making. Therefore, the concept of federalism is not relevant and doesn’t apply to a small country like Sri Lanka.

Devolution on the other hand means the transfer of power from a central government to regional or local authorities. Devolution usually occurs through conventional statutes rather than through a change in a country’s constitution. Thus, some unitary systems of government that have devolved powers in this manner are still considered unitary rather than federal systems, because the powers of the regional authorities can be withdrawn by the central government at any time.

However, Sri Lanka has devolved power through the constitutional process by bringing the 13th Amendment in 1986. The said constitutional amendment and the consequent provincial council system were enforced by the Indian Government as a solution to the problems faced by the country, in particular the people in the north and east due to increased terrorist activities committed by LTTE. It was expected that LTTE would enter the main stream of politics by joining the provincial councils, but it never happened. The circumstances are somewhat different today.

With regard to the well- established concept of ‘unitary state’, the interim report has deliberated in the following manner. (Refer page 1 of the interim report)

Quote:

Sentence 1: The classical definition of the English term “unitary state” has undergone change.

Sentence 2: In the United Kingdom, it is now possible for Northern Ireland and Scotland to move away from the union.

Sentence 3: Therefore, the English term “Unitary State” will not be appropriate for Sri Lanka.

Sentence 4: The Sinhala term “aekiya raajyaya” best describes an undivided and indivisible country. The Tamil language equivalent of this is ‘orumiththa nadu’.

Unquote.

Unitary, aekiya and orumiththa nadu

I fail to understand any logical sequence of the above sentences (the entire para) in the interim report, in particular the third sentence: “Therefore, the English term “Unitary State” will not be appropriate for Sri Lanka.”

Prof. Chandre Dharma-wardana from Canada has apparently done a search and told the writer: “If you look at the Madras University Tamil Lexicon, or the Cologne University Tamil English dictionary, you find that there are no entries for ‘unitary’. Mr. Aruna Laksiri, a human rights lawyer has questioned as to why the constitutional experts of the Government have changed the Tamil word for ‘unitary’ from ‘octrayanchichi’ to ‘orumiththa nadu’.”

The lynchpin of the unitary state is the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty elaborated by ‘Blackstone’; “Unitarianism, in short, means the concentration of the strength of the State in the hands of one visible sovereign power, be that Parliament or Czar”. In the 1998 (hence post-devolution) edition of Coxall and Robins’ Contemporary British Politics, it says, “although the national sub-divisions of the British Isles lend themselves in theory to a federal constitution, the United Kingdom has become—and remains—a unitary state.” The word ‘remains’ is stated here, because the authors are writing after the passing of the body of devolution legislation.

As can be seen from the above, it is clear that the UK as ‘unitary state’ is still defined essentially in opposition to the federal state. Therefore, in my view, the word ‘unitary’ must remain in the English version of the new constitution without replacing it and inserting the word “aekiya”. Due to these manipulations, the majority of the people have already noted the collapse in public confidence in the constitution making process.

Economic (in)efficiency of devolution

The proponents of the devolution school tend to claim that the ‘economic growth’ is always associated with the devolution and/or decentralisation of authority and resources. The capacity of such devolved administrations with greater autonomous powers to implement policies is supposed to deliver greater economic efficiency. There is however little empirical evidence to substantiate these claims.

According to London School of Economics study undertaken in 2003, contrary to the expectations of devolutionists, the degree of devolution is in most cases irrelevant for economic growth and, when it matters – as in the cases of Mexico and the US – it is linked to lower rather than greater economic efficiency. (Reference: Thesis by Andrés Rodríguez-Pose and Adala Bwire Published: August 2003 ISBN: 0 7530 1661) In their paper, they assessed the horizontal link between devolution and regional economic growth in six national contexts (Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and the US).

Prof. Chandre Dharma-wardana in his recent article published in local newspapers argued that a devolved system makes matters more expensive and more inefficient. And that is why countries make Unions, e.g., European Union, NFTA, etc. “Today, Sri Lanka is a global village linked with Internet, Facebook and Twitter, served by TV and radio channels, with many coming from outside,” he said.

Sri Lanka has adopted ‘decentralisation of power’ which has resulted in devolving power to PCs and PSs across the country. After nearly 30 years of (mal)functioning of these institutions at regional level, it has now become clear that there are many issues identified such as; misallocation of resources, incurring wasteful expenditure without corresponding economic or social benefits to the people, abuse of power and corrupt practices, etc.

This is partly due to the lack of knowledge and capacity on the part of the local politicians to understand the role and functions of PCs and local government authorities. Most of the members of provincial councils/local government authorities have failed to exercise their legitimate authority in order to maintain law and order and provide service for the benefit of the people. There were many reported cases of policy incongruences at macro level as well as how powers are being misused (especially police and land powers used by the chairmen of the PSs and chief ministers of PCs) at grass root level.

It is relevant to mention here that in terms of the PS Act, chairmen appointed for the PS become the CEOs and Section 43 of the PS Act No. 15 of 1987 says the CEO has the power to cut trees within the Pradeshiya Sabha area. As we are well aware, there is another parallel ‘public administration system’ functioning under the ‘Government Agents’ at district level and the top officials at Divisional Secretariat level.

Unfortunately, the powerful local politicians invariably exert pressure on the honest public servants at these offices. As a result, they find it difficult to carry out duties entrusted to them under the administrative regulations (ARs, FRs) laid down.

In addition, a lack of sufficient fund allocation from the central government to undertake development projects at grass root level would have aggravated the problem. This also leads to duplication of work and provides room for more misunderstanding and misallocation of financial and other valuable resources. The conclusion is that the present unit of devolution, ‘Provincial Councils’ are too large administrative establishments thus negating the very purpose of the principle of devolution with the objective of getting closer to the people.

Overall trust should be economic and environment sustainability and social well-being

My own view is that administrative power could be decentralised back to 24 ‘District Councils’ as stipulated in the constitution instead of having larger units of devolution, namely the PCs, some of which have become white elephants and/or corrupt establishments. However, a legal provision could be made to permit any two or more district councils within the same province to amalgamate and operate as a provincial administration. This is to accommodate any request that may come from the districts in the north to manage their own affairs as people living in the entire province is predominantly Tamil speaking population.

Therefore, any proposal to devolve power to District Councils instead of Provincial Councils cannot be construed as a dilution of the powers vested under 13th Amendment.

What is therefore, required now is to devise an efficient legal and administrative system for proper decentralisation of authority to be exercised at “grass root level” and the power is vested in the ordinary citizens of this country to manage their own affairs. This is the spirit of effective devolution as universally accepted. This will enable the Government to undertake all the economic and social development programmes efficiently and effectively thus improving the economic well-being of the people. There seems to be a general consensus on this matter.

Two years ago, the 193 governments of the United Nations adopted the Paris Climate Agreement on the concept of sustainability. The Constitution of the United States in the preamble itself states the six goals which includes social well-being of the American people.

We don’t emphasise enough on social wellbeing or environment sustainability in our constitution. Our country’s greatest challenge is sustainable development, meaning a nation that is economically prosperous, environmentally sustainable and continuously focusing on social wellbeing of people of this country. Therefore, the new constitution must provide a legal and administrative framework with a view to achieving our sustainable development goals.

Registration of Persons, Immigration & Emigration Depts. are dens full of thieves

Sep 26, 2017

Massive tender fraud and corruption are reportedly taking place in the Departments of Registration of Persons and Immigration and Emigration. Controller of the latter has taken both institutions under his grip and is responsible for the wrongdoing, say workers of the Departments of Registration of Persons.

For the past 12 years, Epic Lanka has been getting the tender for the printing of air tickets, as its owner Nayana Dehigama is a friend of Controller of the latter. Raising the printing price every year, the duo shares the profit together with ex immigration and emigration controller Viani Gunatilake who is now commissioner of registration of persons.

 

Dehigama gives foreign trips once or twice a year and all the worldy pleasures for the two officials and keep them under his grip. They are being assisted in the racket by the ministry secretary and assistant secretary Bandara, and are laying the foundation to make sure that Epic Lanka gets all the major tenders in the future.

 

They have given the tender for the supply of cards to the Department of Registration of Persons to a company friendly with them that has not provided the quality reports, by ignoring the companies that have the required qualifications. That company has referred the department to a foreign company recommended by it and that prepares the reports according their wishes. The result will be that many problems will arise in the printing of the cards. The ministry secretary, Bandara and Gunatileke have been given a five-day tour of Hungary although they have no understanding of observing the printing institutions.

 

Gunatileke is plotting to grant new tenders of his department to Epic Lanka too, with Controller of the latter masterminding it. That company has borne all expenses for the funeral of Gunatileke.

 

The ‘Yahapaalana’ government took power with a promise of eliminating swindling, fraud and corruption. But, no good governance can be expected by filling institutions with the corrupt who swindle public property and lead super luxury lives. No one will know until the very foundation of the government is demolished by the new thieves, as the government keeps on talking about old thieves.

Video: Mangala Condemns Attacks On Rohingya Refugees

SEPTEMBER 27, 201

Minister of Finance and Media Mangala Samaraweera has today condemned the attack carried out on Rohingya refugees, yesterday (26) in Mount Lavinia, while they were under the care of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“I strongly condemn the attack on Rohingya refugees by thugs in robes,” Mangala Samaraweera said. Minister Samaraweera also urged police to take action against the perpetrators.

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Rohingya and Refugee Law in Sri Lanka Rumours spread on social media

BY FAIZER SHAHEID[-2017-09-27

The Rohingya crisis has reached unprecedented proportions and the Rohingya are beginning to flee the country they call home. While Bangladesh and Pakistan have been their most sought destinations for refuge, India, Sri Lanka and other countries too have had a few encounters with the Rohingya. Sri Lanka in particular has received only a very small number of refugees belonging to the Rohingya community, yet the agitations have been aplenty from a re-emerging extremist lot.

Very recently, a group of extremists rallied around Dan Priyasad, who was arrested recently for his open threats to run roughshod on the Muslim population of Sri Lanka. They had gathered to raise a voice to protest any Rohingya refugee entering Sri Lanka.

The Aftermath

Enduring a risk of yet another extremist crisis, the Sri Lankan Government announced that Myanmar Nationals would be refused Visas for the fear of seeking refuge in the country. The Department of Immigration and Emigration later clarified that Visas will be issued to Myanmar Nationals, but not to Rohingya asylum seekers seeking refugee status.

Soon after this, the Ministry of Internal Affairs clarified their stance in respect of refugees. A written statement dated 18 September 2017 issued by the Secretary of Internal Affairs, D. Swarnapala, read that in 2008, the Sri Lankan Navy had rescued 55 Rohingya asylum seekers and handed them to the UNHRC, and that those refugees left Sri Lanka in 2012.

Again in 2012, the Sri Lankan Navy had rescued two boats carrying 138 asylum seekers and 170 asylum seekers respectively, and they too had been handed over to the UNHRC. They had left the country in 2012.

Again on 30 April this year, a further 30 Rohingya asylum seekers had been rescued by the Navy, which included seven women and 17 children. While the statement reads UNHRC in two places and UNHCR in one place, it is believed that Swarnapala had made a mistake in referring to the UNHRC which is the United Nations Human Rights Commission. On all three occasions, the asylum seekers were handed to the UNHCR which is the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

While the extremists continued to make noise regarding the Rohingya entering Sri Lanka and creating ethnic divisions in the country, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen complained to the CID that a rumour was being circulated on social media suggesting that he was planning to resettle Rohingya asylum seekers in Sri Lanka. He refuted the allegations and expressed hope that the CID would find the culprits who were spreading such rumours.
Rohingya are they refugees?

The tedious process of receiving asylum seekers was comprehensively covered in my research paper titled, "International Protection of Refugees: A case study of the 2014 Deportation of Pakistani Asylum Seekers in Sri Lanka".

First and foremost, it is important to distinguish between an 'Asylum Seeker' and a 'Refugee'. Refugees represent a portion of migrants throughout the World who are recognized as persons who are escaping persecution. An asylum seeker is the status granted to a person who is pending refugee status determination. They represent two different stages of the same process, and therefore an asylum seeker may not be afforded the same rights as that of a refugee.

The Rohingya that arrived in Sri Lanka can be classified only as asylum seekers until such time the process has been followed to determine their status as refugees.

Domestic mechanisms

While Sri Lanka has received people escaping persecution in the past, Sri Lanka does not have a proper domestic structure to deal with the issue of asylum seekers. Sri Lanka has neither ratified the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951 nor its 1967 Protocol. As such, there is no regulation of how asylum seekers ought to be treated when they arrive in the country.

The only piece of legislation in Sri Lankan law that deals with the issue of refugees and asylum seekers is the Immigrants and Emigrants Act of 1949. Part III of the Act discusses how immigration is controlled at the point of entry. This part attempts to impose strict border control policies and prevent persons from illegally entering the country or overstaying their Visas.

Section 28 (2) of the Act empowers the Minister-in-charge to arrest and detain any person who is not a citizen of Sri Lanka if he has overstayed the period allotted in the Visa. Section 31 (1) (iv) (d) also empowers the Minister-in-charge, to deport any person, whom he deems to be relevant, in the public interest.

Therefore, in most instances, the Sri Lankan Government views asylum seekers and refugees as people who had overstayed their visas in Sri Lanka.Being so, Sri Lanka had entered into a Working Agreement with the UNHCR in 1987. The UNHCR was mandated to assist with asylum seekers and refugees, and also extend services to assist with Internally Displaced Persons (IDP).

The problem faced when determining refugee status is that there are many persons who can be classified as economic migrants, who travel from underdeveloped countries to a better developed country. Economic migrants are persons who have left their homes in search of greener pastures, or have fled their countries to escape punishment in law or to escape repayment of massive debts.

Therefore it is important to distinguish between a legitimate asylum seeker and an economic migrant.

There are also issues of migrant smuggling, which has grown to become a massive problem around the World. Persons fleeing their homes pay smugglers enormous sums of money to help them flee to better developed countries. The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNCTOC) prohibits migrant smuggling, yet it happens.

Escaping persecution

The most likely mode of transport of those escaping persecution in underdeveloped countries is by boat. The asylum seekers leave all their belongings at home, only carrying with them essential food items and water, with the hope that another Government elsewhere would accommodate them. They risk life and limb, and travel only with a glimpse of hope of survival knowing very well that remaining behind will spell imminent doom for them. If their entry is not consented to, they resort to illegal channels of crossing the border and then seek protection from the UNHCR.

However, it is not uncommon for asylum seekers to travel through more opulent channels. Most asylum seekers arrange for Passports and Visas before submitting themselves before the UNHCR. They remain legally within the country until such time the UN can process their applications.

Especially because Sri Lanka is an island nation that shares no border with a different country, most asylum seekers find it much easier to enter the country legally before seeking asylum.

However, the problem for the Rohingya is that they have been rendered stateless within their own country, and are therefore unable to utilize legitimate documents to flee over longer distances using legal mechanisms. They are most often compelled to cross borders illegally, and when they choose to cross the seas, they are most often limited to boats.

Refugee Status Determination

When asylum seekers such as the Rohingya arrive in Sri Lanka, they must register with the UNHCR. It is their only chance of seeking asylum. The Working Agreement signed between Sri Lanka and the UNHCR compels the Government to cooperate with the UNHCR when receiving asylum seekers. The UNHCR thereafter evaluates, investigates and determines if the asylum seeker or group of asylum seekers prove a legitimate case to deserve refugee status. This is done through a process known as Refugee Status Determination (RSD).

RSD is a tedious process where each application is thoroughly scrutinized and verified. The UNHCR adopts all of the core standards and practices, particularly the Procedural Standards for RSD as mandated by the UNHCR. There can be delays due to the recent rise in the number of applications for refugee status in Sri Lanka following the conclusion of the war. Therefore, until the process is complete, the Government accommodates them in the Boossa Immigration Detention Centre or the Mirihana Immigration Detention Centre.

If the application for asylum is found to be flawed, refugee status would not be granted. In such circumstances, the asylum seeker would possess the right of appeal and have the case reconsidered. However, if the process fails again, the individual would no longer be an asylum seeker under the purview of the UNHCR and cease to be of concern to them. They can be repatriated thereafter at the discretion of the Government.

Under the Working Agreement, the UNHCR is required to inform the Government of every step that has been taken regarding each of the refugees. For the purpose of identification, the UNHCR would grant such asylum seekers necessary identification cards and certifications.
After refugee status

Once an asylum seeker has been recognized as a refugee, the Sri Lankan Government entitles them to certain rights. Refugees in Sri Lanka are entitled to healthcare rights and schooling for children. The adults are also provided vocational training and other English language courses in order to enable them to communicate in a language familiar to Sri Lankans.

However, refugees are prohibited from working in Sri Lanka and therefore have no means of an income. They must depend on foreign donors and welfare organizations in order to survive.

Under the Working Agreement, the Sri Lankan Government enables the UNHCR to accommodate up to 2000 refugees each year.

This is very nominal in comparison to the number of refugees being accommodated in other countries.Particularly the Middle Eastern countries which host almost half the World's refugee population. For example, Jordan hosts over 2.7 million refugees, while Turkey hosts over 2.5 million refugees. Pakistan and Lebanon also host over a million refugees.

Once the asylum seekers have attained refugee status, they are entitled to three options:

They can choose to be repatriated.

They can integrate into the Sri Lankan society temporarily.

They can request to be resettled in a different country.

The Sri Lankan Government does not permit refugees to reside in Sri Lanka, permanently, and there is insufficient legislation to permit proper integration. Therefore, the refugees will have to move out eventually, or the Government will eventually take measures to remove them from the country.

The refugees are therefore only left with two options, of which, the first option is usually refused outright by the refugees.

Repatriation must only happen with the discretion of the refugee. Forced repatriation to their home countries will result in a violation of Customary International Law under the concept of 'non-refoulement'.

Therefore, the only available option is to relocate the refugees in a third country. Negotiating a process of resettlement is performed by the UNHCR, and until such time, the Sri Lankan Government will provide accommodation, protection and grant adequate access for refugees to acquire their essential needs.

Will the Rohingya be a threat?

These procedural limitations ensure that the refugee population in the country is always going to be a bare minimal. They will not have the right to become citizens in the country, and they would not be capable of surviving in the country for long without the right to work. Therefore, it is almost impossible for the Rohingya to pose a threat in Sri Lanka.

The only way the Rohingya can become citizens of Sri Lanka is by marrying the locals. However, this is a longshot considering that they will have plenty of problems communicating, and even bigger problems providing for their Sri Lankan families. Even if they do, it may take centuries before the Rohingya could build a big enough community to pose a threat.

Conclusion

It is therefore quite evident that extremist forces are merely attempting to stir racism and instigate communal violence once again among the peaceful people of Sri Lanka. They keep drawing the names of politicians in the hope of inciting any small act that can be used as an excuse to create communal disharmony, and even riots similar to the Aluthgama riots in 2014.

The Rohingya do not, and will not pose a threat even if they are accepted as refugees into the country. They are merely seeking temporary shelter and food with the hope they can survive another day with their families without being torched and raped by the violent forces in Myanmar. It is therefore my belief, that Sri Lanka being among the most generous and hospitable people in the World should accommodate the Rohingya and feed them, whenever the opportunity is presented, until such time they can be relocated.

(The writer is a Political Analyst and an independent researcher of laws. He holds a postgraduate degree in the field of Human Rights and Democratization from the University of Colombo and an undergraduate degree in Law from the University of Northumbria, United Kingdom)
(faizer@live.com)

EXTREMIST SRI LANKA BUDDHIST MONKS ATTACK UN-PROTECTED ROHINGYA REFUGEE HOUSES

27/09/2017

(newsin.asia): A small group of Buddhist monks belonging to an extremist Sri Lankan nationalist organization on Tuesday attacked houses of Rohingya Muslim refugees in the outskirts of the capital, forcing the police to arrest the “illegal immigrants”.

The 31 refugees, including women and children, were sent away to the detention camp at Boosa in South Sri Lanka, because the Migrants’’ Detention Center at Mirihana near Colombo, was full, reliable reports said.

A police official said the refugees were taken into “protective custody” and had been brought back to their safe house when the mob returned and started pelting stones.

“We have pushed back the mob and the refugees will be relocated in a safer place,” the AFP quoted the unnamed police official as saying.

A monk, who stormed the walled mutli-storey compound, was filmed by his radical Sinhale Jathika Balamuluwa or Sinhalese National Force, according to AFP.

He was urging others to join him in smashing the premises.

“These are Rohingya terrorists who killed Buddhist monks in Myanmar,” he said in his live commentary on Facebook

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the cooperation of which was sought, was assured that the sojourn of the refugees in Boosa, primarily meant for terror suspects, would only be temporary. The UNHCR accepted the arrangement, sources said.

The government and the UNHCR are working together to ensure the refugees’ “safety” and that the Detention Center is in “good condition,” reliable sources said.

The UNHCR has called for a meeting with stakeholders in the government. The meeting could take place either on Wednesday or Thursday. The diplomatic community in Colombo will also be briefed about the action taken.

Navy Rescued Refugees

In May this year, 32 Rohingyas, including women and children, were rescued off Kankesanthurai in the northern district of Jaffna by the Sri Lankan Navy and detained. They had been transported by two Indian nationals.

The refugees were living in Mount Lavinia about 10 km south of Colombo with the assistance of the UNHCR.

This month, Muslim MPs and organizations asked the government to accept Rohingyas fleeing from a fresh round of violence in Rakhine State in North Western Myanmar.

But Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe categorically stated that government has no intention whatsoever of allowing them in as they would be “illegal” immigrants.

He said that no foreigner can be allowed to enter Sri Lanka except with a valid visa. And since the Rohingyas are moving in groups, there are obviously racketeers involved in the movement. The government cannot encourage that, the Prime Minister said.

One of the first steps that the Sri Lankan government took when the present troubles in Myanmar started on August 25, was to deny visas to Myanmar citizens.

On September 18, a group of seven monks from Myanmar were refused visas at the Colombo airport. The Sri Lankan embassy in Yangon has been instructed to issue visas only to Myanmar’s officials. Others would have to go through a thorough screening.

Public Opposition to Rohingyas

Tuesday’s attack by Buddhist monks did not take observers by surprise as there were demonstrations against the Rohingya Muslims in the recent past after it was suspected that government might accommodate them on humanitarian grounds giving them refugee status.

Buddhist radical organizations have expressed opposition to allowing the Rohingyas in, on the grounds that they are foreign Muslims and “radicalized” at that.

“ Having had a conflict with the Buddhists in Myanmar, they will have hatred in their hearts for Buddhists in Sri Lanka. This will create a communal conflict here,” said Opposition Member of Parliament, Udaya Prabhath Gammanpila of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya.

(The featured picture at the top shows Sri Lankan Buddhists demonstrating in favor of fellow Buddhists in Myanmar)

Genocide of Rohingya Muslims : Sri Lanka in shocking silence while civilized world condemned

Written by Latheef Farook-SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Sri Lanka’s indifference to the ongoing genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, described as the most terrifying calamity in Asia, stinks of racist politics on a burning humanitarian issue that the world excluding Israel, India and China had condemned.

Sri Lanka and its Foreign Ministry had never failed to promptly condemn explosions and bombings in far-away Western capitals but terrorizing a half million men, women and children into fleeing their generational places of birth, closer home in our Asian neighborhood, has not struck the conscience of good governance, the professionals, the academics, the civil society and women’s organizations in Sri Lanka.

Even as Sheikh Hasina disgracefully sought to avoid initially Bangladesh being further burdened with the Rohingyas fleeing death, rape and destruction, the Buddhists of Bangladesh came out laudably, distinguishing Buddhism from fascist- terrorism.

The Convener of Bangladesh Sammilito Boudhho Samaj, Suddhananda Maha Thero articulated the feelings of all Bangladesh Buddhists when he appealed to the Myanmar government to stop the genocide of the Rohingyas. The way Rohingyas are being subjected to torture in Buddhist majority Myanmar is completely against the teachings of Gautama Buddha, he said.

As a token of protest against the persecution of Rohingya Muslims, the Buddhists of Bangladesh will not use sky lanterns during this year’s ‘Probarona Purnima’the second largest festival of Buddhists observed on October 5th and instead donate the funds to the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.

 Throughout the past month, the world vehemently condemned the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims by the ruling military junta and its murderous thugs inspired by the anti-Buddhist hate speeches  of Ashin Wirathu described in its cover page of TIME magazine as the “Face of Buddhist Terror”.
As if to confirm the point, a group of Buddhist extremists led by a Buddhist monk invaded a facility in Mt. Lavinia housing a group of 26 Rohingya Refugees in Sri Lanka under UNHCR care, extensively damaging the UNHCR rented building on September 26th and violently demanding their immediate expulsion from the country.

The terrorized Rohingyas, 15 adults and 11 children ,were moved out to Boossa by the Police. Good governance will not arrest or prosecute the gang whose violent extremist acts, in violation of the law, led to the Rohingyas being compelled to move out to a far-away location in less safe surroundings.

 With another bout of extremist violence, following the absence of arrests, the law enforcement agencies may claim that Rohingyas will be deported for ‘their own safety’ back to Myanmar, a place where they could face death.

Defense Ministry seminars must not fight shy to discuss the rising tide of violent extremism in Sri Lanka, without heeding foreign advice for hunting of grounds to blame the Rohingyas or the Sri Lankan Muslims. From day one the international media, especially the western media, integral part of US led western war machine and hostile to Islam and Muslims post 9/11 , began providing vivid details, despite strict restriction by Myanmar authorities.

 A Rohingya woman grieves for her infant son, who died when their boat capsized off Bangladesh on Sept. 14.

 In the international scene the first to condemn  was Pope Francis . Indian Nobel Amartya Sen     who described the atrocity in Burma on the Rohingyas as so intolerably – and so uniquely – barbaric” joined dozens of globally eminent citizens who have written an open letter to UN Security Council for intervention to end the human crisis in Rakhine.

“Though most governments and people worldwide were quick to condemn the atrocities with strongest possible terms, here in Sri Lanka, the government remains indifferent while local mainstream media has confined to a few paras in their coverage of Myanmar brutality. It is noteworthy that the media had never failed to give prominence to incidents allegedly caused by persons with Muslim names while atrocities against Muslims do not earn that level of coverage.

First to call to end violence against Rohingya Muslims was Pope Francis. Within 72 hours the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Myanmar to grant access to humanitarian agencies and expressed his deep concern at civilians being killed. Top UN human rights chief, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein who described the systematic attacks against the Rohingya Muslims as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” pointed out that “this was predicted and could have been prevented,"

The European Rohingya Council spokeswoman Anita Schug described this as a "slow-burning genocide" and accused Myanmar's military of being behind the deaths. Respected Buddhist leader Nobel Laureate Dalai Lama spoke out against the violence. He wrote to Aung San Suu Kyi urging her to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.

"Questions that are put to me suggest that many people have difficulty reconciling what appears to be happening to Muslims there with Myanmar as a Buddhist country," said Dalai Lama.

In a letter to Suu Kyi shortly after the latest fighting broke out Dalai Lama said "I appeal to you and your fellow leaders to reach out to all sections of society to try to restore friendly relations throughout the population in a spirit of peace and reconciliation.
Buddha would have helped the Rohingya Muslims who are fleeing violence in Buddhist-majority Burma, the Dalai Lama has said. The world’s most well-known Buddhist icon said the plight of the minority group made him “very sad”. 

 Later Dalai Lama had joined fellow Nobel peace laureates and Archbishop Desmond Tutu in urging Suu Kyi to intervene and speak out.  Whether sincere or not US President Donald Trump wants the UN Security Council to take "strong and swift action" to end violence against Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims.

US Vice President Mike Pence accused the Myanmar military of terrible savagery, burning villages, driving the Rohingya from their homes". He told the UN Security Council that “Images of violence and refugees from Myanmar’s Rakhine state have “shocked the American people and decent people all over the world,” “We see heartbreak and assaults on human rights and innocent civilians that's ultimately endangering the sovereignty and security of the entire region,” Mr. Pence said during the ongoing UN General Assembly (UNGA).

 Earlier US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on Aung San Suu Kyi to urge the Myanmar military to facilitate humanitarian aid and confront allegations of human rights abuses. The Security Council has met twice behind closed doors since the crisis began on August 25 and last week issued an informal   statement to the press condemning the situation and urging Myanmar authorities to end the violence.

On Wednesday September 20 French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with the French TV channel TMC, that he would work with other members of the UN Security Council for a condemnation of “this genocide which is unfolding, this ethnic cleansing,” Macron’s use of the word “genocide” marks his strongest verbal attack yet on the military drive against the Rohingya.
To date more than 480,000 members of the Muslim minority have fled Myanmar for the safety of neighboring Bangladesh. “We must condemn the ethnic purification which is under way and act,” said Macron.

 Suu Kyi's stance has disheartened human rights groups who had campaigned for her freedom during the Nobel Peace Prize winner's 15 years under house arrest by the ruling junta.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in the forefront defending Rohingya Muslims who he said are facing genocide. Indonesia promptly sent its Foreign Minister to Myanmar and urged the government to stop the violence.

However the politically castrated dictators in the Middle East, secular puppets of US and Israel, were rather quiet. Shameful state of affairs in the Muslim world is such that Saudi Arabia spent $ 120 billion to buy weapons, perhaps to kill Muslims as it is doing in Syria, Yemen and other countries ,but allocated a mere $ 15 million only on the Rohingyas.  Ends

Caught between phony patriots and Colombo cockroaches

2017-09-27

Fonseka’s flaw- not yet fatal- seems to be timing and not following through with his critiques and sustaining them

The greatest enemy of clear language is insincerity ~George Orwell   

The separation occurred soon after the cessation of the war. In the immediate aftermath of the end of the war, the Rajapaksas had nothing short of praise and flattery for General Sarath Fonseka, the man who led his forces to a victorious end of the most destructive conflict between the Government forces and the LTTE militants.

Caught between phony patriots and Colombo cockroaches.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd