9 years today – More than 3,200 killed overnight

Marking 9 years since the Sri Lankan military onslaught that massacred tens of thousands of Tamils, we revisit the final days leading up to the 18th of May 2009 – a date remembered around the world as ‘Tamil Genocide Day’.  The total number of Tamil civilians killed during the final months is widely contested. After providing an initial death toll of 40,000, the UN found evidence suggesting that 70,000 were killed. Local census records indicate that at least 146,679 people are unaccounted for and presumed to have been killed during the Sri Lankan military offensive.

 11May 2018

11th May 2009

More than 3,200 killed overnight

The carnage continued in the No Fire Zone with more than 3,200 people killed overnight according to Lawrence Christy, the head of Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) Field Office.

He called on the international community “to intervene to stop the genocide and to provide food and medicine to the besieged civilians”.

The SLA offensive formations were firing using cannons, 50 calibre machine guns, artilleries, mortar and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) guns reported TamilNet.

The then LTTE head of international relations Selvarasa Pathmanathan released a statement saying,

"The recent developments in Vanni are very disturbing because they express so vividly a deliberate intention on the part of Sri Lanka and its partners in this war to subject an entire human community to life-endangering conditions of utmost cruelty."

"We are convinced that this pattern of conduct is a holocaust-in-the making and appeal to the governments of the world and to international public opinion to prevail upon the Sri Lankan Government so as to prevent these current genocidal tendencies from culminating in a collective tragedy."

The United Nation’s OISL reports that there was only one health facility for all the civilians in the area”. It adds,

“Between 8 and 12 May the facility was shelled on several occasions as the NFZ3 came under intense daily bombardment by SLA artillery, the air force and the navy.”

The UN spokesman at the time Gordon Weiss said the shelling over the weekend had caused a “bloodbath”, stating,

“The U.N. has consistently warned against the bloodbath scenario as we’ve watched the steady increase in civilian deaths over the last few months... The large-scale killing of civilians over the weekend, including the deaths of more than 100 children, shows that that bloodbath has become a reality.”

Meanwhile Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary, Palitha Kohona, said the government took "serious offence" at the remarks by Mr Weiss and had lodged a formal protest. "It is not the role of the UN office to say anything in public to embarrass the host government," Mr Kohona said.

Security Council continues to take no action

The then British Foreign Minister David Miliband said he was “appalled by the reports that have come out of Sri Lanka over the weekend of mass civilian casualties”, at a press conference at the Untied Nations in New York.

“No-one can be in any doubt that this is an issue that deserves the international community's attention,” he added, saying that “Our message is a simple one which is that the killing must stop”.

However, Mr Miliband claimed that there were only “up to 50,000” people trapped in the final conflict zone. Later estimates revealed the actual number to be as many as three times that.

He went on to state,

“As you know, the issue [Sri Lanka] has not yet been allowed onto the formal UN Security Council agenda. That's why we will be having a range of meetings either side of today's formal meeting on the Middle East.”

“I believe very very strongly that the civilian situation in the North East of Sri Lanka merits the attention of the United Nations at all levels.”

A leaked US embassy cable says that Mr Miliband referred to the government in Sri Lanka as "liars".

Steve Crawshaw of Human Rights Watch commented,

“If the Security Council stays silent on this issue any longer, it will be a failure of historic proportions… It is already late, but lives can still be saved”.

A leaked US embassy cable highlights notes of the meeting, hosted by the UK and French Foreign Ministers with like-minded Security Council members. The UN Secretary-General and Council members discussed Sri Lanka during their monthly lunch, it adds.

"The Foreign Ministers of the UK, France, Austria and Costa Rica, as well as the U.S. and Mexico all strongly supported SC action, with Russian FM Lavrov on the defensive. Lavrov said the situation in Sri Lanka is a humanitarian disaster, but not a threat to peace and security. He said other fora in the UN were better suited to address this issue. He added that there were plenty of similar instances when the Security Council did not act. China said that the Security Council's informal meetings on Sri Lanka had made a difference.

Ambassador Rice disagreed, and said the meetings had not yet made a difference; displaced persons were not receiving help, and the shelling continued despite government assurances to the contrary. On the margins of the meeting, the French said they intend to bring Sri Lanka to the Security Council this week, and would push for a product."

See the full text of the cable here.

Joint Letter to Japanese Prime Minister on Sri Lanka

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, International Crisis Group and the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect wrote a joint letter to Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso calling on his government “to support efforts for the [United Nations] Security Council to keep the situation in Sri Lanka under close and regular review and to consider the situation in Sri Lanka formally at the Security Council.”

Extracts reproduced below.

"If the world continues to look away from the suffering of civilians in Sri Lanka, as it has largely done until now, it will be a failure of historic proportions. We believe that Japan, a powerful player on the humanitarian stage and the largest international donor to Sri Lanka, has an important role to play in saving countless civilian lives, as well as to implement aid policies that ensure sustainable peace, human rights and development in Sri Lanka. It is time for Japan to show that it is prepared to shoulder its responsibilities." 

"Meetings in recent weeks have been held only informally in basement rooms, deliberately kept out of the Council’s main chamber, because of the reluctance of some member states. We believe this must change and formal meetings of the Security Council must be held urgently so that the Council can take the necessary measures to address the humanitarian and human rights crisis." 

"The Council should make clear that both the government and LTTE would be held accountable for their actions, and create a UN commission of inquiry to examine violations of international humanitarian law by both sides." 

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More awareness on RTI necessary

MAY 11 2018

Despite living in an age where there is no shortage of information, Sri Lanka’s citizens are confused over the lack of key information pertaining to aspects that have a considerable impact on their lives.

The Right to Information Act has been in place for quite some time and there have been people of various walks of life who have filed for information pertaining to issues ranging from missing persons in the North to the development projects in the South.

However, there are certain lapses in the manner in which the RTI is implemented, which is the case probably due to the fact that it is still in its initial stages.

However, there are instances where those who have filed several RTI requests are yet to obtain the information they require.

People file RTI requests because they need certain information for various reasons. The information they require could be for their work, studies, or even their day-to-day lives.

The Government could make things easier by being proactive in providing information regarding matters that are important to people.

For instance, a certain development project in a coastal area could affect the lives of the people living adjacent to the site. Their livelihoods could be affected, or they could be compelled to shift base to a different location.
Such projects would definitely trigger negative reactions from people who are likely to be directly affected. On the other hand, the confusion among the people will also fuel the negative reactions even if the move does not impact the people.

In such situations, the government, or the relevant authorities could be proactive in providing the necessary information so that the people or the particular segment of the community which is expected to be affected have a clear understanding of the situation.

Such measures could be taken on the basis of public interest.

The effectiveness of the RTI Act depends on how it is used. Unlike other Acts passed by the Legislature, the RTI would be deemed effective only if the people start using it. Therefore, an active participation of the general public is essential if the RTI needs to be effective.

However, this could be ensured only if the people are aware of how it works. In fact, the Government has recognized this necessity and has worked towards including the RTI in the school curriculum.

The Ministry of Finance and Mass Media has said that it intended to introduce the RTI Act into the Sri Lankan educational curricula.

Additional Secretary (Development and Planning) of the Ministry, Thilaka Jayasundara had revealed this at the International Conference on RTI.
Another area that needs to change is the mindset of the officials who provide the information.

The above seminar saw discussions pertaining to this issue where it was agreed that there needs to be change in the thinking and attitude among Government officials.

Jayasundara admitted that there were officers in the Government service who were still under the impression that the public had no right to access Government information.

They appear to think that disseminating such information could be detrimental for the particular institution or for the department if the information is misused.

But, such confusions could be overcome if the Government is transparent. Recently a Minister admitted that much of the positive work that had been done by the Government had not been communicated to the public properly owing to the lack of a proper communication system within the Government.

In a way, the RTI would help the Government and State institutions to streamline the line of communication and send across accurate information to the people.

Such small changes in the attitude of the officials coupled with an effective awareness campaign among the general public on the RTI is necessary if the Act is to be utilized for the benefit of the people and the country.

New Judicature Act gives fresh hope for justice

2018-05-11 

History tells us that in a democratic society, justice delayed is justice denied. We also know that justice hurried could turn out to be justice miscarried or buried. Therefore, as in so many vital areas, a reasonable solution lies in the middle path. 

Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill to set up Special High Courts through which the government says it hopes to expedite cases involving large-scale bribery, corruption, fraud or other political crimes.   

The “Judicature (Amendment)” Bill was passed with amendments as recommended by the Supreme Court which had ruled that if those amendments were not made the passage of the bill would require a two-thirds majority which the coalition government may not be able to get because of the recent crossovers. After the second reading, the bill received 119 votes in favour and 52 against. That means a majority of 67 votes. The vote was conducted electronically. Thereafter, the third reading or the committee stage debate took place and the Bill was passed without a vote being taken.   

In terms of the Act, permanent High Courts at Bar will be set up to try, hear and determine the trials of the offences specified in the Sixth Schedule of the Act.   
The Act is expected to expedite the judicial process of cases regarding serious frauds, corruption and other high profile crimes.   

The sixth schedule includes dishonest misappropriation of Property, criminal breach of trust by public servants in respect of money, forgery for the purpose of cheating, falsification of accounts, conspiracy and Abeitment to commit the offences of the Penal Code set out in this Schedule, offence of money laundering, conspiracy and abeitment to commit the offences under the prevention of Money Laundering Act, bribery of Judicial Officers and Members of Parliament, acceptance of gratification by Members of Parliament for interviewing public officers. 

The schedule also includes bribery of police officers, peace officers and other public officers, bribery for giving assistance or using influence in regard to contracts, bribery for procuring withdrawal of tenders, bribery in respect of government business, bribery in connection with payment of claims, appointments, employments, grants, leases, and other benefits, bribery of public officers by persons having dealings with the government, bribery of a member of local authority, or of a scheduled institution, or of a governing body of a scheduled institution, and bribery of officer or employee of local authority or such institution, to own or to have owned property deemed under this section to be property acquired by bribery or property to which property acquired by bribery has or had been converted, accept of gratification, any act constituting an offence under Foreign Exchange Act or the Banking Act, any act constituting an offence under Registered Stocks and Securities Ordinance, any act constituting an offence under Local Treasury Bills Act, any act constituting an offence under Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka Act,any act constituting an offence under Regulation of Insurance Industry Act.   

Joint opposition members opposed the Bill on the basis that it was meant to take revenge on the former regime’s top politicians and officials. But Justice Minister Thalatha Athukorala and other government front liners pointed out that in terms of the prevailing justice system the completion of trials took up to two decades. They said the coalition government during the campaign for the January 8, 2015 Presidential Election had assured the people that the system would be speeded up to bring to justice the former regime’s top politicians and officials who are alleged to have plundered billions of dollars from public funds. Government leaders said that even politicians now in public office and public servants would be brought to trial before the Special High Courts with the three-judge benches being named by the Chief Justice. The cases would be filed by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the Financial Crimes Investigations Department (FCID) and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).   

 Hopefully with the three-judge benches meeting daily, morning and afternoon, for a particular trial, most trials could be concluded in one to three months.   
The people’s hope would be that those who betrayed them and plundered public money would be brought to justice and also that the billions of plundered dollars would be recovered and used for the sustainable and all inclusive development process that would pave the way for a just society.   

ACJU: In The Way Of Co-Existence

By Farweez Imamudeen –MAY 12, 2018

Farweez Imamudeen

One aspect of the electronic, postmodern world is that there has been a reinforcement of the stereotypes by which the Orient is viewed. Television, the films, and all the media’s resources have forced information into more and more standardized molds. So far as the Orient is concerned, standardization and cultural stereotyping have intensified the hold of the nineteenth-century academic and imaginative demonology of “the mysterious Orient.” –  Edward Said (Orientalism)

That the media shapes public opinion is an overt secret.

Shakespeare had the perfect example in Antony in his Julius Caesar; the same people who passionately chanted, “Give him a statue with his ancestors” when Brutus spoke, turned against him; the same man whom they declared as the next Caesar, and his friends, almost instantly. It only took Antony; Caesar’s right hand man, to ascend the stage and speak; and speak he did with words that were chosen to pierce their hearts and stir their deepest, darkest and deadliest emotions; the mission then was complete; the mob had been created, and so Antony said. 

“Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt.”

Times have changed. The method seems ancient. Antony is no more, yet his apparition roams in what we now today call, the media. 

Thus, public opinion can be molded, standardized and tamed to suit the interests and agendas of an elite few; when opinions are tamed thus, they can be unleashed to accomplish the private agendas for which they were created; when that happens, when the media proclaims, “Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt” Nazis will kill Jews, Hutus Tutsis, Sunnis Shias, Hindus Muslims, brothers brothers, and neighbours neighbours. Brutality will know no bounds, neither child nor sick, neither innocent nor guilty, and it will not cease until it runs out its fuel of wrath. 

After a 30 year bloody conflict, Sri Lanka is yet again venturing into the dangerous territory of racial unrest; it was in the making; internationally the experts were brewing public opinion against Muslims; eventually and inevitably it crept into the local social psyche; history though had prepared the local context for its reception; The Media had only to play its Antonian role and propagandize; Mass opinion then, was formed; a new enemy was begot; and the Sinhala Buddhist saviors were called to purge the Muslim vermin and save their race. Thus, begins the war against a perceived enemy. The recent anti Muslim riots set the precedent for a new history; a new era of violence, slaughter and blood spill. 

However the media is not alone. Among the various elements that are at work in actualizing the agenda of anti-Muslim public opinion, of brewing social opinion against Muslims, All Ceylon Jammiyathul Ulama (ACJU) is also one; this organization is not a resisting but enabling force. In fact this organization is more dangerous and threatening, for it works within the Muslim community; it exploits their blind trust over them to exercise their authority and construct a society that gradually moves towards a polarity, isolating itself from the larger society; in doing so it leads the Muslim community towards isolation. Thus, the Muslims of Sri Lanka are pushing themselves away from the mainstream and becoming more and more closed and isolated; they’re forming a new extreme identity; unawares they’re gradually losing their Sri Lankan identity, and if this phenomena persists then eventually Muslims would pave the way for Sinhala Buddhist extremism to destroy them.

But how does ACJU carry anti-Muslim propaganda? How do they stand in the way of co-existence? First we need to understand their foundations.

The crisis in Madrasa education

The Muslim religious leadership of Sri Lanka, alias ACJU, is the largest Islamic religious organization in Sri Lanka. It currently has 6000 members and 150 branches across Sri Lanka.The majority of member consist of graduates from local Madrasas. These are students who have spent nearly seven years in a local Madrasa learning the various sciences related to Islam – Qur’an, Hadith, Arabic language, Islamic law, History, and Tharbiyya. The basic qualification that is required to gain membership is a simple pass in Al Alim examination, which is conducted and regulated by the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural affairs, and the Department of Examination Sri Lanka. 

The question is; what knowledge do these future Islamic leaders attain through these Madrasas? 

Since the students who graduate from these Madrasas are granted the leadership of an entire community; assigned positions of great responsibility such as financial advisers, marriage counsellors, psychologists, legislators, social scientists and judges that require an in-depth knowledge in various sciences, including psychology, anthropology, sociology, economics, medicine, banking and law, it would be expected that they receive a holistic education that encompasses all these sciences.

Reality though, is different.

Following are some of the text books taught in the Madrasas

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Media Reforms: the Present and Beyond

A number of those who are responsible for silencing the media by killings and abducting journalist and media workers are yet be held accountable for their acts.

by M.J.R.David-May 10, 2018

Following article based on the key Note address – Delivered by MR.M.J.R.David, at the World Press Freedom Day event, held on May 02 2018, instead of World Press Freedom day marked on May 03,   organized by Free Media Movement at SLPI No 96, Bernard Soysa Mawatha, Colombo 05.

Media Reforms the Present and Beyond.docx by Thavam on Scribd

Good times, uncertain times: A time to prepare

 Friday, 11 May 2018

The IMF has just released its Regional Economic Outlook (REO). According to the report the Asia-Pacific region remains the main engine of the global economy, and near-term prospects have improved since our last regional economic report, in October 2017.

But risks lurk on the horizon, including a tightening of global financial conditions, a shift toward protectionist policies, and an increase in geopolitical tensions. In addition, over the longer run, Asian economies continue to face major challenges from population aging and slowing productivity growth, as well as the rise of the digital economy, which could yield huge benefits but also bring major disruptions.

Given the many uncertainties, macroeconomic policies should remain prudent and aimed at building buffers and increasing resilience, while taking advantage of strong economic conditions to implement structural reforms to promote sustainable and inclusive growth.

Regional growth is expected to remain strong at 5.6% in 2018 and 2019—up by about 0.1 percentage points from our previous forecast—supported by strong global demand and favourable financial conditions.

Asia

As in other regions, inflation in Asia has largely remained subdued despite the pickup in growth. We project that inflation will remain at 1.4% on average in advanced economies and 3.3% on average in emerging markets. Among the larger economies, China’s growth for 2018 is projected to ease to 6.6% from 6.9% in 2017, as financial, housing, and fiscal tightening measures take effect.

Growth in Japan has been above potential for since spring 2016 and is expected to remain strong this year at 1.2%. And in India, after temporary disruptions caused by the currency exchange initiative and the rollout of the new Good and Services Tax, growth is expected to recover to 7.4%, making it once again the region’s fastest growing economy.

Risks to near-term growth are balanced, but downside risks prevail over the medium term. On the upside, the global recovery could again prove stronger than expected. New multi-lateral trade agreements and successful implementation of China’s Belt and Road Initiative—assuming debt sustainability and project quality are maintained—could support trade, investment, and growth.

Asia, however, remains vulnerable to a sudden and sharp tightening in global financial conditions, while extended periods of easy financial conditions could risk a buildup of leverage and financial vulnerabilities.

More inward-looking policies in major global economies, as highlighted by recent tariff actions and announcements, could disrupt international trade and financial markets and have a substantial impact on Asia, which has benefited so much from economic integration. Finally, geopolitical tensions could have serious financial and economic repercussions.

Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, following subdued growth in 2017 due to the lingering effects of weather-related shocks, a recovery is also underway as agriculture has started to rebound and growth in exports, notably in seafood and textiles, remains robust.

Real GDP growth is expected to reach 4% and inflation to remain below 5% in 2018. However, the economy remains vulnerable to adverse domestic and external shocks, given the still sizable public debt, large refinancing needs, and low external buffers.

Over the longer run, growth prospects for Asia will be heavily affected by demographics, slowing productivity growth, and the rise of the digital economy. Population ageing is an important challenge, as many economies face the risk of “growing old before they grow rich,” and the adverse effect of ageing on growth and fiscal positions could be substantial. A second challenge is slowing productivity growth.

Finally, the global economy is becoming increasingly digitalised, and while some recent advances could be truly transformative, they also bring challenges, including those related to the future of work. Asia is embracing the digital revolution, albeit with significant heterogeneity across the region.

Strong

economic outlook

The current strong economic outlook offers an opportunity to focus on building buffers, increasing resilience, and ensuring sustainability. In many countries in the region, continued fiscal support is less urgent given strong economic performance, and policymakers should focus on ensuring that debt remains under control. Some countries should also focus on revenue mobilisation to create space for infrastructure and social spending and to support structural reforms.

Sri Lanka has achieved major milestones in this area, including with the implementation of the new Inland Revenue Act. Further revenue mobilisation can make space for social and infrastructure spending while reducing the country’s still high public debt. Reforms of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), including progress with energy pricing reforms, are also critical to minimise fiscal risks, while greater exchange rate flexibility and reserve buffers would strengthen resilience against external shocks.

Monetary policy

As for monetary policy, in much of the region, the policy stance can remain accommodative given that inflation is generally still muted. Nonetheless, central banks should be vigilant, since our analysis suggests that much of the undershooting of inflation targets in Asia can be explained by temporary, global factors, such as commodity prices and imported inflation, which could reverse. In the case of Sri Lanka, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka should continue to monitor closely risks arising from global economic developments and the domestic fiscal front, and adjust as needed the monetary stance to reflect evolving macroeconomic conditions.

Finally, tailored measures are needed to boost productivity and investment; narrow gender gaps in labour force participation; deal with the demographic transition; address climate change; and support those affected by shifts in technology and trade. And to reap the full benefits of the digital revolution, Asia will need a comprehensive and integrated policy strategy covering information and communications technology, infrastructure, trade, labour markets, and education.

Keeping the reform momentum is key

In Sri Lanka, the authorities have recently developed their ‘Vision 2025,’ a three-year economic delivery program to promote Sri Lanka’s transition to a higher income status.

The authorities should push ahead with their ‘Vision 2025’ objectives, by further advancing fiscal consolidation through stronger fiscal rules and SOE governance; modernising monetary and exchange rate frameworks; accelerating their inclusive growth reform agenda, through trade liberalisation, climate budgeting, and greater female labour force participation, as well as better-targeted social protection programs.

Keeping the reform momentum is key to increase Sri Lanka’s resilience to external shocks and lay the foundation for more sustainable and inclusive growth.

(Manuela Goretti is Deputy Division Chief in the Asia and Pacific Department of the International Monetary Fund. Since February 2018, she is the IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka. Before assuming this position, she was Advisor to the First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF. She had previously worked as Deputy Unit Chief in the Risk Management Unit, as well as in the European and Strategy, Policy, and Review Departments of the IMF, with several surveillance and program assignments in emerging markets and the Euro Area. Prior to joining the Fund, she was a visiting scholar at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has a Ph.D. in Economics from Warwick University, UK.)

The Triumvirate And Us

By Helasingha Bandara –MAY 11, 2018

The writing on the wall of the post 2020 destiny of Sri Lanka is almost visible unless some divine intervention can erase it. The learned voters of the country have already concluded which way the political wind blows this time and fear it. Although they are the majority, the triumvirate, advertently or inadvertently has managed to nullify the unified say of the majority. Until the presidential election of 2015 in which people sent Mahinda packing, this writer used “fools Paradise” for Sri Lanka quite regularly being frustrated by the perceived poor intelligence of the voter. The unexpected voter turnout and behaviour that brought the incredible result of the presidential election changed that view and replaced it with a much more respectful view that people who think clearly, in fact, are the majority.

Maithripala Sirisena became the president certainly not for his political skills or for that matter any other skills but because of the burning desire in people to see off the existing despot. One of his pledges was that he would not contest a second term. On this pledge people had to risk between ‘he may do good for having nothing to lose’ and ‘he would destroy everything for the same reason’. (Yana Yaka Korahath Bindagena Yanawa). Having nothing to lose is an ideal platform for a leader to take drastic measures to bring a country to the right path. Drastic measures are exactly the need of the hour for our country, if we are to entertain any hopes for a better country in the future. The leaders who are vying to be elected next term cannot do this. It was fair on the part of people to expect M. Sirisena to be Kannasami who Pilimathalawe thought naïve and inexperienced and could be manipulated but turned out to be Sri Wickrama the incorrigible. Sadly, he did not take either path but became docile or rather inanimate. M. Sirisena does not have the charisma or other personal attributes that a leader should have. His leadership style does not fall within any accepted leadership styles. He does not have the desired knowledge about the globe and its modern trends, nor does he have the required level of education to fashion his thinking. He has no vision, no plan, neither the competitive instinct to survive as a politician or to lead a country on the right path. Sadly, for the people who wished him good luck and hoped for the best he turned out to be a sleeper (kumbakarna) and ended up as a puppet (Don Juan Dharmapala).

Ranil Wickramasinghe, despite the elitism and the western sophistication that his acolytes heap upon him is no different to Sirisena. He is snail-paced and is not conscious of time. Three and a half years passed even before he realised things are moving fast and against him. Some believe that the recent no confidence motion was a wakeup call for him. People who are lumbering in slumber do not wake up. They do not know how to wake up or for them there is no need to wake up. Besides, he has run out of time to wake up and make a radical change in his policies, plans and activities and to make a sudden u- turn from the direction that people are moving now. The serious lack of competitive edge in Ranil (no wickrama at all) makes him cannon fodder in a political battle field.

Mahinda Rajapaksha has everything that a political leader must have in a South Asian political context which is not always necessarily positive. Indeed, his achievements such as bringing the war to a close and the construction of an excellent road network and so on can be glossier in the absence of any credible and visible achievements of the current government. Despite all that, the majority that I talked about earlier in this essay does not trust Mahinda and are weary of his wild ways. So, what choice do we have? Can we vote Sirisena-Ranil coalition in again and wait another five years for them to deliver? Is there a third alternative emerging? In this light the resurgence of Mahinda is inevitable just because something is better than nothing.

However, in line with what Emil van der Poorten has said, “Is there no one in this self-righteous Yahapalanaya government that realizes that there has to be a return to considerations of ethics, principles and morality of some description if the very (economic) survival of this country is to be assured?”

I must add, isn’t there a single member of this coalition who is intelligent, skilled, foresighted and bold enough to devise a strategy to reverse this trend?

If there is anyone to pick up the pieces, here is some food for thought. People desire and deserve some visible and tangible change for them to believe that this regime needs more time to deliver. Given the limitation of time, the regime can still achieve the following that would be clearly visible if achieved and the impact would be felt:

a. Establish highway discipline
b. Establish conscientious discharge of duty
c. Reduce crime rate

People in Sri Lanka, be they drivers or pedestrians, use Sri Lanka’s roads in the most barbaric manner with scant respect or care for the rights of other people, let alone safety. When the subject is brought up for discussion at the family home, at a community gathering, at a bar or even on a political stage, everyone admits that highway discipline in Sri Lanka is at its lowest ebb and it needs attention. This is something that can be achieved within a short time if the right person is given the authority and autonomy to consult those who have got it right, learn from them and implement. People will see and notice the difference and will feel the impact.

In this country, particularly in the state sector, people do not have any sense of conscientious discharge of duty. There is hardly any accountability. The mechanisms that have been put in place to monitor and evaluate qualitative and quantitative progress are more or less dormant. The sad reality of political interference has brought most good practice to a standstill. In this environment, whether duty is performed conscientiously or not, those who receive political favours are not subject to any physical or monetary penalties. So, such members of our society carry on the way most profitable to them regardless of conscientious discharge of duty.

In 2000, I needed a deed for a piece of land and had to wait 15 years to get it. I applied to get a survey plan approved before applying for a building permit in November 2017. Until today I haven’t heard anything. I have now given up the idea of building.

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On Paradigm Shifts: Sri Lanka Must Forge a New Way Forward

SORAYA DEEN-05/11/2018

From a No Confidence Motion to oust the Prime Minister, to a deep-rooted rift between President and Prime Minister, the swearing in of a new cabinet of ministers, religious and ethnic conflict, impunity, corruption and scores of other existent and possibly non-existent allegations, mistrust between the government and its people are at an all-time high in Sri Lanka.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, following the recent Cabinet reshuffle, Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake said, “I have not been engaged in corruption and had got only a deputy minister’s post, but I wonder whether the main qualification needed to get cabinet portfolios is engaging in corruption.”

The people have expectations. And such expectations rooted in desire and belief have always been shattered and abused by successive governments. Today the citizenry have very little or no confidence. Public trust is in the gutter.

Carrying Thoughts To Action

Of politics has Groucho Marx said, “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.” Sadly today it seems like Sri Lankan politics is inundated by such diagnoses and remedies.

The agitation of the masses in Sri Lanka is not without cause. If there is anything that can go wrong, it does, despite the valiant efforts of many who to this day give their best for the country. Some have shunned politics. Others have left for greener pastures. Yet despite many citizens who appear to be in a perpetual state of disengagement and disenfranchisement, Sri Lanka has bounced back time and again.

If we had only paid heed to the words of Plato, “The common man must know that one of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors,” perhaps we would have all considered a new possibility in entering the arena of political life. This certainly would have given us greater insights and a deeper understanding of the trials and turbulence of political life and all that is political as well.

Whatever the outcome, the current status quo is untenable. There is no bond, trust or credible relationship between the people and the government. Most initiatives by the government are ridiculed and reduced as irrelevant by the vast majority of people. The cycle continues. This compromises the wellbeing of our nation. Between violence and vitriol, rancour and rebuttals, the universal energies of prosperity and good will are diminished and discounted.

My personal philosophy is that we must fight the good fight to ensure that the candidates who support our visions and values are elected. Once the election process is concluded, as citizens we must give our best to support the elected officials, irrespective of whether it is your preferred candidate or not.

It is true that not much progress has been made by the government on solving issues of corruption, impunity, misdeeds, the restoration of law and order and minority wellbeing. But the question we must ask as citizens is whether it has become a vocation or a pastime for us to blame and shame the government for everything? Or can we cultivate a healthy partnership with our government?

Your Current Reality Does Not Determine Your Future 

Most of the time we tend to judge our current reality from where we are. This is a huge mistake and shortcoming. Our current reality is that which has come to be as a result of what we have already created in the past. Our future realities will be that which we are creating in the present.

If you ask the questions as to what you want to create in the future and how you want to envision that world you are creating, you will know that we must become deliberate creators now. It is imperative therefore that we all go beyond articulating issues to seeing a problem and taking personal responsibility for fixing it.

Last month I was at a training for Public Leadership. Mary Gonzalez, now 78, who had trained US President Barack Obama as a community organiser referred to people who only articulated issues as those with Neutral Attitudes. She likened them to killers, casket makers and the burial directors. They she said, “Are not prepared to do a damn thing.”

I believe that just as much as we demand change and huge shifts from our government and leadership, we the citizenry must also do the same. In order to do that we must first be willing and able to change our paradigms.

Paradigms are patterns or assumptions as to the way things are. A repeated well-practiced thought becomes an assumption. The assumptions we focus on longest become the strongest.

Our ability to shift our way of thinking before the government can shift its way of doing is a paradigm shift. Our constant view is that “Let the government prove itself, then we will support it.” Can we shift our paradigms to “I will support the government and then enable the government to prove itself?”

Stephen Covey in his #1 National Bestseller – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, teaches us that “Almost every significant breakthrough in society, in business, in scientific endeavour, and in progress is first a break with tradition, with old ways of thinking and with old paradigms.

A paradigm is our “map” of the “territory” formed through all in influences around us and in our lives – our conditioning. These paradigms are also the source of our attitudes and behaviour; we tend to think we see the world objectively, but we actually see the world not as it is, but as we are – or as we are conditioned to see it.

I remember vividly a specific moment were my paradigm took a significant shift and I began to see an old way of thought through a new lens. It was a very awakening moment for me.

As a professional speaker, I deliver highly interactive School Assembly programs on nonviolent communication as a means to create a Bully Free zone in schools. I became dissatisfied and overwhelmed with some of the public schools I spoke at, where the students would be disruptive and did not exhibit manners and respect. I found at the private schools I spoke at there was order and discipline. As a result of this I was stricter and less friendly with the students at the public schools I spoke at. I wanted them to sit and learn and not waste time and money.

As my stance was not in full alignment with my values in teaching youth, I began to inquire into the background and situations of the students at some of the public schools I presented at. I later found out that most of the students were immigrants and had suffered some level of trauma.

After learning this, I began my programmes with a strong emphasis on Meditation, Deep Listening and Empathy. I shifted my own paradigms from “How can I get these children to behave and learn?” to “What can I teach them that can transform their lives?”

On Language

Our language matters. We must speak kindly to one another and of one another. As a practitioner, teacher and a student of nonviolent communication I have experienced huge shifts in relationship when we learn to observe without judging. Rather than saying, “You are greedy” (a judgment), we learn to say, “You have eaten the last three slices of the Pizza.” (an observation).

Instead of calling out names at our leaders, that are utterly derogatory and dehumanising, even though their actions and behaviour make life difficult for us, we must learn to describe behaviour and actions. Labelling people is disabling.

Nonviolent communication I have come to realise is not about manipulating the other or trying to please the other, but it is about being a better person, taking the high road. Language and communication is at the heart of everything we do. It can make or break a relationship. Mark Twain reminds us that, “The difference between the right word and the wrong one is like lightning and a thunderbolt.”

You are not the controller of conditions, but you do have the capacity to change them. Your knee-jerk reactions, though they might seem justified in the short term are harmful in the long term. They can divide the country. In reality no one around you, not even your government can buck the current of your expectation of them. Nor will you ever be able to meet the expectations others have of you. Because the bottom line is that people keep expecting more and more. Divert your energies into being creative. We can’t all do everything, but we can do something. Realise that you can play an active and a positive role in societal development. If you are already doing it, do better, do more. Create strong alliances and partnerships with likeminded deliberate creators.

You are not an outside entity. In fact position yourself as one that is working in partnership with the government. The government might not admit it, but it needs you. You might not know this but you are, “watchdogs, ethical guardians and advocates of the marginalised or under-represented. You have an important role in holding all stakeholders, including government, to the highest levels of accountability.”

Every one of us have the capacity and therefore must work to address the issues of poverty, health, education, and environment, protect rights of minorities, promote law and order, and develop community. You have incredible opportunity to strengthen the common and collective good and be a constructive challenger. Let us never underestimate the truth that if our government fails our country fails as well.

As we navigate these challenging times, it is our calmer, deeper insights that can enlighten us and the people around us. It is those insights that can pave the way for better solutions. We live in a world where we seek quick-fixes and resolutions. Every problem that has arisen is dependent on another to thrive. We must cultivate the ability to have deeper insights, understand these truths, take the right action, and make the right effort in the service of our country and her people.

I want to conclude by saying that, as we navigate through these spiritual truths that will promote, ensure and enhance our wellbeing and that of our country, it is also important for us to know that it is a duty and responsibility of every citizen to question his government. It is also important and an undeniable responsibility of every citizen to reflect about the issues that he or she is hollering about.

Editor’s Note: Also read “A Superiority Complex: Why the Government Needs to Communicate with the People” and “Democracy, Nationalism and the Nation State, with Reference to Sri Lanka“

Give poor strength to help themselves

 MAY 08 2018

Speaking at the May Day Rally of the United National Party on 6 May, the Deputy Leader and Housing Minister Sajith Premadasa said a mouthful.
He said that economic growth that does not benefit the poor has no meaning. “On this day I have to tell you that the poor in this country enjoy only four per cent of its wealth. While there is rapid development and economic growth it has served only to make the rich richer”.
He also observed that the gap between rich and poor was increasing alarmingly.

Last week Ceylon Today reported that the Department of Census and Statistics has found that 60 per cent of the country’s districts remained in poverty for the 27th consecutive month as of March this year, while 40 per cent were above the national poverty line of Rs 4,528.

It said that 15 districts recorded a ‘minimum expenditure per person per month to fulfil basic needs’ below Rs 4,528, while nine were above it.
The State statistics office pointed out that Ratnapura, Moneragala, Badulla, Anuradhapura, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Trincomalee, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna, Galle, Matara and Hambantota were the needy districts.
These statistics shows that poverty persists despite the growth in the post-war period.

Economists have also said that the poverty line at Rs. 4,598 is too low and for a country at the stage of development Sri Lanka is in the line should be drawn at double the current figure. This would add several hundred thousand people living on the margins to those considered poor and thence would receive assistance from the State.

Meanwhile, the economy on the macro-level is doing well.
 Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera reported last week that this country had attracted the highest ever foreign direct investment US$ 1.9 billion and highest ever exports US$ 11.3 billion  in the history of the country in 2017, while unemployment was at 4.2 per cent. This trend continues into this year as the country attracted US$ 465 million in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the first quarter of 2018 (1Q18), exceeding the Board of Investment (BOI) target of US$ 378 million.

Speaking at the annual sessions of the Asian Development Bank in Manila, the Minister said the Government expects the “economy to accelerate growth driven by private enterprise and exports.

He added that Sri Lanka is “at the doorstep of becoming an upper-middle income country and your continued support to accommodate the desired transition without any hindrance to our national development agenda would be immensely appreciated”.

Although the economy has grown at a lower speed in this year, mostly due to the current political instability, there is still expansion of the economy. But it appears that the beneficiaries of this growth are the economically advantaged classes.

Writing on the “Talking Economics” website, the former head of the Statistics Department Wimal Nanayakkara notes that income disparity has always been a major issue in Sri Lanka. According to statistics available until 2013, it shows that the poorest ten per cent of the country’s population hold only two per cent of the wealth while the top ten per cent hold 38 per cent. There is also little difference in the amount of wealth held between the lowest thirty per cent.

In order that there is a more equitable distribution of wealth, the economic growth rate of the bottom thirty percent of the population has to be significantly higher than the country’s growth rate.

One of the factors identified by planners as well as the international lending agencies is the unfair tax system where the wealthy are able to retain much of their earnings while the poor have to spend whatever they earn just to survive. This is because we pay most of our taxes for consumption. So, a person earning Rs 100,000 pays the same amount of tax on a loaf of bread as someone earning a lot less. The new taxation system attempts to fix that.

But the important matter at hand for the Government is to ensure that the lower thirty per cent are provided with the wherewithal to increase their economic capacity.

Going back to the Housing Minister’s comment, Premadasa, who we believe wants to lead this country some-day, should take a leaf from his father’s policies and seek out the poor and give them the strength to help themselves.
Until then, income disparity will continue to grow.

Central Bank told to reduce lending interest by at least 2% - Minister

Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrema, Youth Affairs, State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe and Sri Lanka Export Development Board officials at the meeting in Matara. Pictu

Priyan de Silva-Saturday, May 12, 2018

The Central Bank has been informed to take action to reduce the current lending rates by at least 2% as soon as possible as the current lending rates are far too high, Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera said yesterday.

He was addressing Southern Province entrepreneurs who attended an awareness programme on the national programme to establish 2000 new exporters by 2020, yesterday. The national programme to encourage new exporters is being implemented by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board.

“Hundreds of years ago Sri Lanka was known as a trading center and an entrepreneur’s paradise. Artifacts and coins found at archaeological diggings prove that our ancestors have traded with the most powerful trading nations of that era. It is our vision to regain our lost status an entrepreneur’s paradise through ‘Enterprise Sri Lanka’.

"We will be introducing eighteen new low interest loan schemes under the Enterprise Sri Lanka theme in June. Females and Physically disabled persons will be offered loans at even a lesser interest rate. We will be opening up an ‘Enterprise Sri Lanka’ customer service counter at every bank.The staff are being trained to provide services with a more positive approach and support innovative projects and ideas”

“We have decided to act against and also dissuade people from falling prey to high interest loans offered by Micro Finance companies by offering female entrepreneurs with low interest loan schemes. It is mostly females in the Northern, North Central and Eastern Provinces who have fallen prey to these micro finance schemes and there are instances that a few have taken their own lives or have had to even agree to provide sexual favours.We have also decided to ensure that interest on loans below Rs 150,000 obtained from under such schemes be waived,” the minister said.

“Sri Lanka’s highest export earnings was in 2017 and the EDB’s target is to increase it by another 34% by 2025. Considering the progress being made, I believe that they will surpass this figure before that. Today, our economy is strong and moving forward. Although our forecast national income for the next year is Rs 2.5 trillion we have to repay debts totalling Rs 1.9 trillion,” the minister said.

Financial institutions very traditional in way they manage and protect data 

Friday, 11 May 2018

The financial sector is under increasing pressure from many stakeholders to manage regulatory compliance and the associated risk more effectively. With the advent of the Basel lll regime, as well as restrictions laid down by regulators, the process of correctly identifying as well as utilising the right data for controlling risk and doing business has become a critical one.

To comply with regulatory requirements, financial institutions will need to increase their governance in ways which conform with the new compliance requirements, improve the quality of data, the protection of that data and optimise the accumulation of new risk data. The assessment of risk depends mostly on properly validated data: data on counterparties, default history, peer data, local and overseas markets and internal operations. According to research, managing data and the infrastructure required to manage the data takes up to 7-10% of a bank’s operating income.

Data quality

For most institutions data quality and protection of that data have been low on boards’ priorities. The new emphasis on regulatory risk management means that the governance and the integrity of the reference data utilised for holistic risk calculations has now become a critical issue.

Regulators are also forced to focus more closely on data collection, management and systems. They understand that management’s ability to control the business, and quantify and manage risk, depends entirely on the quality of relevant data available -and they are, with some reason, becoming more concerned about the poor standards of data management they are encountering. So while there is a regulatory push for improvement on one side, it is because there is also major potential benefit to be secured on the other side in the form of improved business capability.

Risk management is intimately dependent on issues of data: data integrity, sources, completeness, relevance and accuracy. And even in the smallest financial institution, good risk management depends on the IT architecture and systems used to store and process data. But for many financial institutions , with multiple aging IT systems or poorly integrated homegrown systems from decades of add ons,  very often find it very difficult to aggregate and report data to support risk management.

Experience

The shortcomings of this practice were harshly exposed by the financial crisis. A key lesson was that large parts of the financial sector was unable to identify and aggregate risk across the financial system and to quantify its potential impact.

Furthermore, exposure could not be easily be aggregated across trading and bank books, across geographies and across legal entities. This was because risk management, governance and the underlying data infrastructure were very weak. As a result, systemic risk was, both obscure and under estimated. Unfortunately, many of these challenges for effective risk data aggregation and risk reporting still remains mostly unresolved. The data architecture and IT infrastructure, the accuracy and integrity of data and the ability of banks to adapt to changing demands for data interpretation and reporting still remains a big challenge.

However, in the last two years institutions have progressed towards consistent, timely and accurate reporting of top counterparty exposures as well as implementing identified best risk management and data management practices.

Way forward

Weakness in systems and data management have also hampered the ability of institutions and their supervisors to scenario tests and stress tests. The experience of stress-testing has revealed the fact that systems and processes for aggregating and analysing risk in large financial institutions still remains a big challenge.

Counterparty risk (also known as default risk), the risk to both parties that needs to be considered when evaluating a contract also requires high quality data. In the final analysis, institutions both in the banking and non-banking sectors going forward needs to avoid ad hoc processes and manual interventions to produce a summary of potential risks and customer data. Therefore, robust data management and protection infrastructure can largely improve the reliability of the assessments that are produced.

In general, there is a long way to go before the industry can produce the required quality of data necessary to satisfy stakeholder expectations fully. Therefore they need to change their operating model and harmonise their systems and data, to finally get to a single point of view.
(The writer is a thought leader).