Six member committee to make recommendations

Free tablets to advanced level students

Disna Mudalige-Friday, June 29, 2018

A committee of six members will be appointed to take a final decision on giving free tablets to Advanced Level students, Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said.

The Minister, responding to a question by a journalist at a press conference at Sirikotha yesterday, said it was decided at the last Cabinet meeting to appoint an Expert Committee comprising two nominees of the President, two nominees of the Prime Minister and two nominees of the Education Ministry to study and make recommendations with regard to the free-tablet project. A Cabinet Paper presented by Minister Kariyawasam to go ahead with the project of distributing tablets free of charge to schoolchildren did not receive the Cabinet approval on Tuesday as the President expressed his reservations on it. The project was halted on the instructions of President Sirisena in February.

The minister said the President asked to first carry out a pilot project on the initiative. Kariyawasam expressed his determination to go ahead with the move as a pilot project, adding that a decision as to whether it will cover the students in whole country will be taken after considering the committee’s recommendations.

He said the Government has also paid special attention to the complaints of charging exorbitant fees by private schools to admit students.

Rapid labour reforms essential to foster growth

• World Bank Country Director believes SL needs to radically change its views on employment

 Friday, 29 June 2018

Revamping Sri Lanka’s labour market, including access to education, defining informal and formal workplaces, improving finance and changing public-private sector roles, are crucial to Sri Lanka achieving sustainable growth, the World Bank said yesterday. 

World Bank Country Director Dr. Idah Z. Pswarayi-Riddihough, during the launch of the World Bank’s Development Update, focused on the need to revolutionise Sri Lanka’s labour by encouraging youth to seek non-traditional approaches to employment. 

“Today, in many middle-income countries, young people focus on jobs that allow them to innovate, that permit risk taking, and many would not even consider being a lifer in a single job.  Rather, they see the opportunity to change jobs as a way to amass experiences that give them a variety of skills and opportunities. 

Many dream not only of working at the established big-name companies but at being self-starters who develop companies that could be bought by the big names in the industry,” she said.

“This buzz is yet to take root in Sri Lanka, despite its middle-income status.  What I hear most from the young here is that they are conditioned by parental ambitions to become doctors or lawyers and then get a job in the public sector. Don’t get me wrong.  We do need doctors and lawyers in the public sector, but how many can be absorbed into the limited spaces that exist in government?  The outcome has been more job seekers than job creators.”

The Country Director proposed there is a need to redefine the perception of a job.  It can no longer be split into a formal job or an informal job; nor can the future youths afford to all aspire for a job that keeps them as a lifer, she said.“We need youths to be at the forefront of creating jobs, some of which we don’t even know will exist in the near future.  We need them to push policymakers, the private sector and the public sector to lift hurdles in their way so they can get on with being tomorrow’s employers and innovators.”

However, she acknowledged such an effort would challenge many other aspects of today’s job world.  If the jobs of tomorrow will be vastly different, does the education system as it is today permit the innovation and skills development needed in the future?  How should the vocational centres be upgraded to skill youths on an on-going basis? It can no longer be a once in a lifetime training, she noted.

“With jobs going into the virtual space, does it make sense to have people sitting in an office or will there be other models of working that will be focused on output and impact than presence in an office? You can’t upend a status quo on jobs and yet end up with the same model on how people work. There is little doubt that the trend to move in and out of jobs – formal to informal and back again - has begun and it can only intensify.  Mobility will be the key word for our future youths, and taking risks will be something that they will be more comfortable with than our generation has ever been.  And they will push the system to adjust accordingly to this new trend.”

The Country Director warned of disappointment as some endeavours fail, but she argued that stakeholders would be able help them back up to continue to create the jobs that people want to work in.

“So, to all the youths who are thinking of pushing the boundaries and becoming the next entrepreneur, the world is ready for you. You must demand the attention of those who have the means to help you start up. Also, don’t be afraid of failure.  And to those who have the space for the new generation of jobs, don’t wait for the youths to be skilled – reach out and skill them and give them a platform to innovate.  There is little doubt that the benefits will accrue to all quarters.”

Private or SOE?

Is private sector efficient and decent the way it is projected?

It is inefficiency, lack of competent managers and heavy politicisation

 These ailments in the SOEs can be cured if this extremely corrupt and indecent political culture can be sanitised

That leaves unchecked and unregulated space for inhuman exploitation of cheap labour

 2018-06-29

“Having stabilized the economy of the country over the past couple of years, Sri Lanka’s key priority right now is attracting foreign direct investments (FDIs)”- Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade, Malik Samarawickrama at the Sri Lanka Investment and Business Conclave 2018.

The Committee on Public Accounts (CoPA) Report tabled in Parliament has startling revelations about State Owned Enterprises (SOE) that cost the country colossal sums of money.

On Monday, June 18, addressing a media workshop, Speaker Jayasuriya was reported as having said, the loss from SOEs was over Rs.50 billion.

Addressing the same workshop, Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe was quoted as having said,
“Weeratunge (former Presidential Secretary) was sentenced to jail over misappropriation of public funds. If other public officials are also treated the same way, more than half of them would end up in jail”.

He had also said, the CB Bond Scam was not the only mega corruption in this country. From import of coal to import of rice, there had been many mega scams during the previous and the present regime.

One important fact that has to be noted here lest we forget is that all heavy corruption in the public sector has a filthy rich businessman behind them. In economic terms, it’s the private sector demand that the public sector meets in most, if not all corrupt deals.

Yet, corruption is not the highlighted reason for failure in SOE.

It is inefficiency, lack of competent managers and heavy politicisation. COPA says 26 Ministries don’t have a work plan and 29 have not updated their fixed asset balance sheets. Obviously, there is no clear path created for SOEs to run efficiently and at a profit under such governance. The Fiscal Report 2017 of the Ministry of Finance listed 19 SOEs that run at a loss and has to be funded annually by the taxpayer money. The report tables their total loss to be Rs.35.3 billion during the first 08 months of 2016.

Identified reasons for SOE failures in general are, the appointment of political lackeys to Governing Boards, who are most often not qualified to be in such boards, using them to provide employment for political advantage ignoring cadre estimates and also lack of required expertise and management.

These ailments in the SOEs can be cured if this extremely corrupt and indecent political culture can be sanitised.

Yet, the political insanity is not what is questioned, in finding answers.

What is instead proposed as the only remedy by Economists, Institutional Specialists, Strategic Planners and the like is privatising SOEs, and within this same insanely corrupt political culture that decides and governs the whole process of privatisation too.

The direct explanation in promoting “privatisation” is that the private sector is efficient and always runs on profit-that, the private investments provide the motivation to run the business at a profit.
But how true is that? Don’t private sector companies go bankrupt?

Over five years ago in January 2013, the then Minister of Labour Gamini Lokuge complained to President Rajapaksa that over 20 private investors have closed down their factories without any notice and have fled the country.

He told media that these company owners have not paid workers their due wages for many months, not paid EPF and ETF dues, not paid gratuity and have even defaulted loan payments in millions of rupees to local banks.

Many thousands have been thrown out of their jobs due to these crooked businesses suddenly putting up shutters.

They were all BOI-SL approved projects that promised to bring dollar investments and create permanent employment for Sri Lankans.

The situation in the private sector that enjoys plenty of incentives, is more chaotic than what then Labour Minister Gamini Lokuge said in 2013.

The Sunday Times (ST) on 2017 September 03 gave the number of factories closed as 721 during the period 2010 to 2016 and both years included, a figure they obtained on a RTI application made to the BOI-SL.

Of them, the ST news report revealed, 103 companies have been given BOI land as well, while all companies enjoyed tax concessions and duty waivers.

At an average, 103 companies have closed shop every year. A number of companies shut down in the year 2013 was 150 while the approved number had been 143, less than the number that closed down.

Further probing the issue, the ST reported that numbers provided by the BOI-SL and that given in the Auditor General’s Report differ.

It says:
“The Auditor General’s Report also contains statistics. But the number of projects approved and the number of projects cancelled, suspended or closed down are different – and higher than those the BOI provided to the ST under RTI”. Thus, the number of companies shut down could be at least a few dozens more than the 721 given by the BOI. To give a bigger number would leave a heavier blame on BOI and prove the failure of the private sector too.

What is also important here is that, this heavy failure in the most patronised sector in private business, is not just that they are given financial and monetary concessions, infrastructure and in some instances even free electricity, but are given the benefit of unofficially relaxing labour and industrial law and at times deciding in favour of investments against due justice for employees.

That leaves unchecked and unregulated space for inhuman exploitation of cheap labour. That provides the explanation why in all FTZs and Industrial Zones that total 14, and the whole country now turned under the BOI-SL having around 2,200 factories operating, there are only 04 companies that have Collective Agreements and none in the Apparel Sector that talks of “Clean Cloth”.

No major apparel manufacturer allows trade unions and there are not more than two dozen companies in the whole private sector under the BOI that have accepted trade unions as legal bargaining agents of workers.

What is instead proposed as the only remedy by Economists and the like is privatising SOEs, and within this same insanely corrupt political culture   

That is, in a country that guarantees “right to association including trade unions” in its Constitution, abides by the UN Human Rights Charter, has signed and ratified ILO Conventions 87 and 93 and last year regained EU GSP “Plus” on condition it would guarantee human rights, labour rights and environmental safety.

In a discussion document titled “Degeneration of the judicial process - How it affects Labour Rights and Justice” shared by Free Trade Zone & General Services Employees’ Union (FTZ&GSEU) with Sri Lankan member unions of “IndustriAll Global Union”, it is said:

 “Labour Tribunals chaired by a ‘President’ that were established with stress on conciliation for the convenience of workers have now been turned into traditional ‘Courts’ by their ‘Presidents’. Though without any legal provision and in violation of the whole concept of a “Tribunal”, they have now been restricted to the legal profession by these presidents. Thus they have also become more unduly advantageous to employers.”

This discussion document goes on to say:
 “From policy makers and decision makers in the Labour Ministry and department to the high posts in the judiciary, the mindset is, all decisions taken should be in favour of investment and should not in any way deter incoming investors.…… Thus it is no easy task for workers to seek justice and fair play and have their rights established.”

It is with State decisions made in favour of investors and all such advantages piggybacking tax and duty waivers, concessions and infrastructure facilities, that over 721 businesses have gone bankrupt for seven years. Reasons for all those closures have not been workers. Not work stoppage. Quoting BOI Media and Publicity Director Samarasinghe on reasons for such closures the ST says:

“Many of the reasons for these closures are ‘internal’ to the companies, such as cash flow problems and market issues. In some cases, it is noncompliance with BOI agreement. For instance, not investing the amount they were expected to.”

Job losses from these closures are “generally not very significant” to Samarasinghe and perhaps to the BOI too. Yet his response also reveals that even the much-hyped apparel sector too have bankruptcies and throw out workers.

“In the apparel sector or other areas of manufacturing, there are possibilities of re-hiring” he has told the ST.

We have for the last 40 years, except in a very few instances, provided heavy incentives and concessions to FDIs that suddenly put up shutters and flee the country.

Once discussing this issue, Anton Marcus, Joint Secretary of FTZ&GSEU told me, these investors don’t bring any money into the country. They collaborate with local businessmen, who facilitate local bank loans and when they flee the country shutting down factories, they leave huge unpaid debts behind.

The fact is BOI continues to approve such projects as established investors like Motorola, that President Jayewardene said was waiting to come and the Volkswagen assembly plant PM Wickremesinghe promised, never come, added Anton Marcus. The unanswered question, therefore, is, “How dependable, how efficient and how decent is the private sector that is being promoted against SOEs?”

Far more important is the question, can this free market economy provide for any better private investor and how capable is this yahapalanaya to put things right?

“Pardon my French, but they have done bugger all and it is a Right Royal ….” Prof. Razeen Sally said, adding, “….it (government) has done hardly anything to uplift the economy since coming to power in 2015.” –speaking at SLFI 10 days ago on ‘Capitalism in Asia: What it means for Sri Lanka’, organised by Advocata.  

STF stands its ground

Lawmaker intervenes in police operation

Thewarapperuma

By Shamindra Ferdinando-June 28, 2018, 11:30 pm 

Elite police commandos recently thwarted an attempt by Deputy Minister of Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development, Palitha Thewarapperuma, to intervene in an undercover operation carried out in Sooriyawewa, targeting those engaged in illegal sand-mining.

Authoritative sources told The Island that Thewarapperuma, who had been on his way to inspect the ongoing construction of a fence to hinder elephant movements, questioned personnel as to why they were in civvies.The Minister rode a motorcycle to the scene, sans a helmet. The pillion rider, believed to be a member of his security squad, too, was without a helmet. Sources said that police bodyguards hadn’t intervened, while a camera crew, accompanying the politician, videoed the whole scene.

Accusing them of harassing people, the Kalutara District UNP MP questioned them as regards their attire, long hair and the nature of their operation, sources said. The UNPer also queried as to why a commando snatched a hand phone belonging to a detained person, sources said.

Responding to a query, sources said that undercover personnel had been deployed to inquire into illegal sand-mining operation, following the receipt of a petition.

However, commandos in civvies had alerted the local STF base resulting in an armed squad, led by the Officer-in-Charge of the Sooriyawewa detachment arriving at the scene. The OIC and a Sub Inspector politely but quite firmly told the Deputy Minister that he was interfering in a legitimate law enforcement operation.

The Deputy Minister was also told that the commandos had the right to operate in civvies, sources said. Of course, personnel always carried police and STF identity cards and were backed by armed squads ready to intervene at short notice, sources said.

Sooriyawewa comes under the purview of the Southern Zonal Command responsible for deployment in the Galle and Hambantota Districts.

Sources said that the senior STF officer, at the scene, had explained to the politician that the police reserved the right to take hand phones and permits issued by relevant authorities into custody. Sources acknowledged that the Deputy Minister hadn’t been influenced by anyone. Obviously, MP Thewarapperuma had intervened after seeing a commotion by the side of a muddy road, sources said, adding that by then two heavy vehicles carrying sand and their drivers were in STF custody.

Later, the senior STF present directed his subordinates to hand over the suspects and the heavy vehicles to the Sooriyawewa police station.

The STF headquarters have received a comprehensive report as regards the Sooriyawewa incident.

Sooriyawewa detachment alone had made about 80 detections so far this month, sources said, adding that generally the STF operations there weren’t hampered by political interference.

In May this year, Thewarapperuma forcibly halted a disaster management rehearsal, involving the Galewela government hospital. The Government Medical Officers’ Association flayed Thewarapperuma over the incident.

A Senior police officer said that STF detachments regularly received a significant number of public petitions/complaints as ordinary people had faith in the elite outfit.

According to daily situation reports, issued by police headquarters and the STF, the latter was responsible for a growing number of detections in the provinces.

Sources said that law enforcement in the provinces had been strengthened as a result of the STF deployment since the conclusion of the conflict in 2009.

CB Governor responds to Ravi’s accusations

June, 28, 2018

Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy today (28) issues a statement in response to certain comments made by former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

The statement says that in recent days, the former Finance Minister has repeated his allegations against Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Senior Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).

“As the Governor of the CBSL, I want to formally place on record that Dr. Weerasinghe is an outstanding economist who has made a stellar contribution to the work of the Bank during the two years I have spent in this position,” he said.

In addition, the Central Bank Governor also pointed out that the former Finance Minister Ravi Karunananayake has not produced any evidence to back up his “unfounded allegations.”

Why emerging economies worry about exchange rates

Friday, 29 June 2018 

The exchange rate is making headlines these days. If there is anything that has beaten all expectations, it is the exchange rate. The abrupt and volatile behavior of exchanges rates has given a hard time for policymakers in the emerging economies.

Exchange rate depreciation or a weak local currency is believed to be good for increasing exports, making local assets more competitive globally and curtailing unwanted imports. Such a movement, in theory, should help to keep local currency closer to its real value and thereby increasing exports and lowering imports.

On the other hand, in an era of reversing capital flows back to the US and developed world, policymakers in emerging economies must be choosing weaker currency over higher interest rates, which in turn negatively affect the economic growth.




Inflation

However, there are reasons to worry over the sharp depreciation of local currency. The biggest concern of the policymakers is inflation, known as imported inflation. Weaker currency could increase the import cost of essentials and jeopardise price stability. The persistence increase in general price level of the economy through higher import prices is identified as imported inflation which could distort the economic decisions. Sharp depreciation may hamper the fight against inflation in a country where prices respond quickly to currency weakness.

Sri Lanka is dependent on imports for many essentials – fuel, food and beverages (such as vegetables, sugar, cereals and dairy products), and medical and pharmaceuticals. Depreciation of local currency directly increases the cost of such essentials jeopardising thousands of lives. Furthermore, price increase in energy and other food inputs may feeds into a cycle through price revisions in many downstream industries.

In summary, the impact of a strong dollar is dependent on two factors – level of accommodation and structural factors of the economy. If the external shocks are accommodated through expansionary monetary policies, the impact will be inflationary. If the economy depends on import for key essential goods, there will be a higher inflationary effect.




External debt

The next reason is external debt. A weaker local currency increases foreign currency denominated liabilities. Many emerging markets had received a large inflow of foreign debt due to an ultra-low interest rate environment which prevailed in the developed world (US and Europe). The exit of quantitative easing and increase in the benchmark interest rates by developed world central banks have triggered a reversal of capital flows back to the developed world. Though there is no nominal change in foreign liabilities as a result of exchange rate depreciation, it may inflate the value of the debt stock in local currency terms and create discomfort. If there is a gap between net foreign currency earnings and debt service payments, the lenders may be nervous.

External debt as a percentage of GDP in Sri Lanka (2017) remains high at 59.6%. Though classification is not clear, external debt as a percentage of GDP is in comparison, 53.3% in Turkey, 36.7% in Argentina, 34.7% in Indonesia, 27.2% in Pakistan, 23.3% in Philippines, and 20.1% in India. Though external debt level in Indonesia and India are comparatively low and inflation is under control, both central banks had raised policy interest rates as a pre-emptive action to stabilise the currency. Countries with high debt and stubborn inflation outlook such as Argentina and Turkey have taken a heavy beating on their respective currencies.

The strong dollar rally has made EM central bankers nervous about the flight of their currencies and subsequent impact on local economies. Some central banks have taken pre-emptive actions in anticipation of trouble ahead while others have been given no policy choice, except a panic policy reaction.

In theory, weakening local currency increase exports, make local assets more competitive, and curtail unwanted import. However, the ultimate impact depends on the structure of the economy. A country like Sri Lanka largely depends on imported consumer goods and industrial inputs (including inputs for main exports i.e. textile imports for apparel manufacturing), which may not yield a substantial benefit.

In the long run, the weaker exchange rate is not sufficient to drive exports. It requires making the country more competitive and attractive for international businesses. While competitive exchange rate helps, structural reforms including tax policy, decision consistency, labour reforms, ease of doing business, business-friendly legal jurisdiction, and private property rights are more important factors.

Without such structural economic reforms to make a country more competitive, currency depreciation alone cannot make it internationally competitive.
(The writer is a CFA charter holder, capital market specialist, and certified FRM. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any institution.)

Democracy Vs. Dictatorship; What Do We Want?

By Vishwamithra –JUNE 29, 2018

“Perhaps it’s inevitable, perhaps one has to choose between being nothing at all and impersonating what one is.”  ~Jean-Paul Sartre

When in 1956 SWRD Bandaranaike introduced the politics of religion and nationalism into the body politic of Sri Lanka, he not only announced the advent of a new era of politics and electioneering, he unleashed a force, thereto dormant, that took the land by a storm of ethno-religious frenzy, it signaled a departure from secular socio-political conversation. Ironically enough, it was the infamous Buddharakkhita, whom Bandaranaike chose to direct this ethno-religious election campaign and who eventually ended up as the leading conspirator of his own assassination. Histories of all lands are replete with such cruel ironies. But taken in the context of what followed the ’56 transformation, the brutal offspring of that revolution and the unbridgeable gulf between the two main ethnic groups in Ceylon, Sinhalese and Tamils, that irony has contributed in very harsh dimensions to her social fabric.

The unholy entry of the Maha Sanga into an arena that had been dominated by laymen and women, may have changed its landscape forever. Unlike in Western democracies which had had this rule of government free of religion, of secular constitutions, with the Bandaranaike doctrine of common man’s politics, ethno-religious politics had an inroad that couldn’t be undone by the following years; they were more violent and terribly volatile than the preceding decades of harmonious relationship that existed between the peoples of the two ethnic groups. It may be unfair to attribute this declining cultural condition to the Bandaranaike policies, but when historians try to decipher the true state of the once-dynamic and friendly coexistence, they will find that Bandaranaike and his bedfellows unquestionably crossed the Rubicon in the land’s ethnic conglomerate.

Quite comfortably or uncomfortably for the vast majority of Sinhalese Buddhists in the country, there wasn’t a single member of non-Buddhist order of clergy so intricately and wholly involved in the political currents in the country. A cruel assassin of a Prime Minister set the pattern and other members of the same religious order put their lock, stock and barrel into it; the holiness of a religion became a product wrapped in a saffron robe lost its holiness; upholding one’s religion should not be in the hands of legislators as much as it is essentially not the exclusive responsibility of a corrupt set of religious leaders. Nevertheless, the vast majority of Buddhists are steeply entrenched in their own history and their Great Chronicle (Mahawansa), which was written by Buddhist Monks at the behest of the King or Queen who reigned at the time, initially to please that Monarch, honestly believe that the wrongs done unto them by the rule of colonial powers for nearly half a millennium have to be undone. That paranoid mindset cannot be discarded as trash; it couldn’t be disregarded as unsophisticated; the neo-liberals who theorize that a secular constitution is the answer to all ethnic issues must find other ways of expressing themselves in terms that relate to this segment of our population. They represent almost 80% of our voting population.

The ’56 transformation has had its lasting and unchangeable effects. Its effects were not confined to religion; its generational impact was not limited to mere economic issues, they had their unmitigated influence on the country’s culture and philosophical psyche of the people. An emergence of a new Ceylonese, closely entwined with his religious predominance and misplaced patriotism; his expression of that predominance and patriotism was more violent than tolerant, more wile than sensible and definitively more shallow than profound. 

Multiple eruptions of violence and mayhem around the country where innocent Tamil families were subjected to unspeakable humiliation and slaughter were manifestly present during those riotous days of infamy. What started in 1957 as a protest against the Tamil leaders who performed Satyagraha in the North and then at the Galle Face Green, right opposite the then House of Parliament, was followed by violence against Tamils living outside the Northern peninsula and culminated in 1983, the year in which the strengthening of Tamil militancy and reorganization of their fight against the Sri Lankan government security forces. Participation of Buddhist Monks in these riots is beyond question. In fact most of these riots were led by them from the front and association of Buddhist Monks with these unholy wars against an ethnic minority ran diametrically opposite to the noble Teachings of the Buddha who was the first of religious leaders who preached Ahimsa (non-violence) as a premier principle of his religion.

Polarization of the Sinhalese Buddhist population, while a majority of whom doggedly has been clinging on to violent expression of patriotism and a minority believes in accommodation and reconciliation, defined the ensuing socio-political constitution of this segment of our people. This polarization has been lasting since then. Buddhist Monks who had a say and could say an emphatic no to their cohabitants kept numb and this muted expression in turn was acknowledged by the ‘Gnanasaras’ of the day as a silent yes to this un-Buddhistic conduct. Birth of Buddhist fundamentalism as a direct byproduct of this virulent and misplaced patriotism has changed our society, at least for some year to come. 

What today’s political leaders have to realize is that this change, whose root cause may be hidden in a web of circumstantial substantiation, has taken root in our collective psyche. It is not possible to un-root such a fundamental element buried in a warped mindset. It may be unwise to expect a change from this elementary circumstance; it may be even laughable to teach non-violence and affectionate thought to a people hell-bent on vengeance and reprisal. Philosophical preaching has no space in a mindset crowded with shallow and superficial patriotism and dogmatic popular religious beliefs.

In such a sad setting, what else is left for a political leader whose thoughts are less impure and more ambitious? Bandaranaike’s dream of a common man’s homeland has become a nightmare for minorities. That common man, at least a vast majority of his cohabitants, has consciously and willingly become a pawn in the hands of cruel and deceitful politicos. An astute politician would not hesitate to  exploit these vulnerabilities of the ‘common man’ and provide fodder to him with ease because such fodder will inflame the commoner’s greed for vengeance.

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Complaint to Ombudsman against political interferences

June 28, 2018 by

A complaint has been made to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman) stating that despite qualified personnel were selected after a formal examination for the post of divisional officials in National Child Protection Authority, some other individuals are being given appointments with political influence casting away the list of selected candidates.

The complaint has been made by 116 persons who had been selected after a formal process. The complainants have also submitted a list of 66 persons from the list of 116 who have been earmarked for political appointments. A writ petition filed by former Chairman of National Child Protection Authority Attorney at Law Ms Marini de Livera at the Court of Appeal too carries information regarding this matter.

The subject Minister Chndrani Bandara has instructed the relevant officials to give priority to the list of 66 persons she had sent and if there were more vacancies to fill them with the persons from the qualified list. Among the list of 66, there are only 13 who are qualified for the appointment ay reports.

Despite sending letters to the President, Minister Chandrani Bandara, the Chairman of National Child Protection Authority regarding the injustice they have been subjected to, there hasn’t been any response from any of them say those who are in the qualified list. Recently, they have met the Prelates of the three Chapters regarding the matter.

The National Organizer of the JVP Parliamentarian Bimal Rathnayaka had sent a letter to the Prime Minister with letters to the media revealing this matter. As investigations are not properly carried out those who are qualified and have been selected are wasting time due to the negligence of the authorities. Now, it has been reported that Ombudsman has decided to carry out an investigation regarding the matter.

Dictators Others’ and Ours

Why Sri Lanka is in a tight spot over a strong leader

Many people reject only the dictatorship of others and not of those they support

In a country where oppression of others’ views had been the norm, a wider democratic space is deemed to be an indication of weakness of the establishment

Northern Tamil votes would also have to be counted against the SLPP at a Presidential election

 2018-06-29

The advice was given by Ven. Vendaruwe Upali Thera, the Anunayaka of the Asgiriya Chapter to former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to become a Hitler, in order to build the country, would not have become so controversial and a widely read topic in newspapers, if there weren’t a debate over the latter’s possible candidacy at the next Presidential Election.

The Ven. Thera had reportedly requested the former Defence Secretary to even resort to become a Hitler and run a military rule and build the country.


He said this at the religious ceremony and almsgiving held on the 69th birthday of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at his residence in Mirihana. However, in fairness to the Ven. Thera it is worth mentioning that he had made this statement in response to the allegations purported to have been made by the opponents of Mr Rajapaksa.

“If they call you a Hitler, then become a Hitler, even establish a military rule and build the country, the Thera had reportedly said. The statement since had drawn flak from many quarters including the highest offices in the country.

President Maithripala Sirisena said as a Buddhist he had the highest respect for the clergy, but could not agree with the senior monk of the Asgiriya chapter. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also had stated in a public meeting there was no way Buddhism and Hitler’s brutality can be reconciled. “Buddhists cannot tell someone to be like Idi Amin or Hitler or Pol-Pot, it goes against the Buddha’s teachings” he had stated.

Therefore the 20th Amendment to the Constitution Bill presented by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) as a Private Members Bill recently seems to be a godsend to the SLPP and especially to Mahinda Rajapaksa

Dr Dayan Jayatilleka, who is vehement in his opposition to Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s manifest aspirations to become President of the country in spite of him being an ardent supporter of Gotabaya’s brother, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, also had negatively commented on the Thera’s remarks in one of his newspaper columns. Even the Ambassador of Hitler’s country, Germany, Jorn Rohde had called the Thera’s remarks “outrageous.”

Gotabaya Rajapaksa being called as a dictator or a tough administrator is not without reasons. Whether he had any direct links or not, it was during his tenure as the Defence Secretary, the security forces had been accused of so many highhanded acts.

Killing demonstrators at Katunayake, Chilaw and Rathupaswala, attacks on journalists Lasantha Wikramatunga, Keith Noyahr, Upali Thennakoon and Poddala Jayantha, abduction of Kumar Gunarathnam and Welikada prison massacre were emblematic among them.

The main reason for the alarm behind these criticisms against the Thera’s remarks is not that many of these critics are pure democrats. Some of the critics had been either members or the defenders of a Government that abolished the Independent Commissions, which had some checks over highhandedness of the Executive Presidency, while some others had been either members or supporters of Governments during which dead bodies were strewn along the roads and floated in rivers and lagoons. Thus, many people reject only the dictatorship of others and not of those they support

As mentioned above, the alarm over the Thera’s remarks has been caused purely due to the current debate over Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s apparent plan to contest at the next Presidential Election.
Gotabaya- while claiming that he would consider contesting at the next Presidential Election only if he has the blessings of his brother and former President- has been in recent months building a political image for him through his Eliya (Light) Organization and Viyath Maga (Scholarly Path) programmes. If he has no political ambitions there is no logic behind these efforts.

However, despite the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), the newly declared party unofficially led by Mahinda Rajapaksa, winning the majority of Local Councils at the February 10 LG elections, prospects of Gotabaya or any other leader of Mahinda Rajapaksa camp at the next Presidential Election is not so bright, mainly due to the whole country turning into a single electorate at such an election.

There can be distortions of proportionality of votes obtained by various political parties at all other elections, but not at a Presidential Election.

For instance, the SLPP which had obtained 4.9 million votes at the February 10 elections had won more than 230 out of 340 Local Councils, whereas the United National Party (UNP) while bagging 3.6 million votes from around the country had the majority power in just 41 councils.

Proportionally, the UNP should have been in power at least in 170 councils. Though the total number of councils won by the parties in the Government was about fifty the votes received collectively by them exceeded the votes of the SLPP.

Northern Tamil votes would also have to be counted against the SLPP at a Presidential election.

Therefore, winning all communities is very vital for any party to win a Presidential Election. For reasons real as well as perceived, Gotabaya Rajapaksa would be the last person in the Rajapaksa camp to do so.

Minorities do not seem to have changed their mind with regard to Gotabaya. On the other hand, he is not an undisputed candidate even within the Rajapaksa camp.

However, the anti-SLPP camp must have a common Presidential candidate if they are to defeat Gotabaya or any SLPP candidate, as they did in 2014, which is a remote possibility in the light of current political alignments.

Therefore, the SLPP might come first but not get the legally required 50 per cent of votes, which would necessitate the counting of second preference, for the first time in the history.

Nevertheless, the prospects for the SLPP would be far better at a General Election, if held prior to the Presidential Election.

If the Mahinda camp was able to win around 90 seats at the 2015 August Parliamentary Election despite its unexpected and humiliating defeat at the Presidential Election seven months ago, with the morale boost gained at the recent Local Government elections they might turn the tables and would at least be able to come first, if not winning the election.

And if his group managed to win 113 seats in the Parliament, Mahinda Rajapaksa knows how to muster the support of another 37 or 38 MPs to take over the Presidential mantle after bringing in the provisions of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution again.

Yet, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution does not in any way allow the Elections Commission to hold the next Parliamentary Election before the Presidential Election.

Also, only an insane person can expect Parliament dissolving itself passing a resolution, to go for a mid-term election.

Therefore the 20th Amendment to the Constitution Bill presented by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) as a Private Members Bill recently seems to be a godsend to the SLPP and especially to Mahinda Rajapaksa.

But Rajapaksa and his loyalists have not realised it. Besides, Mahinda Rajapaksa is an undisputed leader and a candidate within his group, for any high office.

Ven. Upali Thera had later clarified his remarks on the former Defence Secretary. He had saidwhat he meant was that the country needed a strong leader with a firm resolve.

Despite the question remaining as to how many people might have accepted his clarification, nobody can contest the fact that country needs a strong leader with a firm resolve.

In a country where oppression of others’ views had been the norm, a wider democratic space is deemed to be an indication of weakness of the establishment, as the case has been today.

The University students unions and the GMOA that meekly submitted, when President Rajapaksa provided loans and scholarships to SAITM, created a hell over the same issue under this Government.

Also, in a country where everything including religion is politicized, with people being prepared to ruin their own future in the name of politics, people would oppose every act and project  progressive or destructive finding holes in them.

Hence, some sort of bulldozing is justifiable.

Marxists do not hesitate to call the mechanism that implements socialism a “proletarian dictatorship.” Mahathir Mohamed or Lee Kwan Yew did not build their countries with leniency. Yet, in a society corrupt to the core with even the anti-corruption drives being corrupt, those bulldozing powers without proper checks and balances would lead to producing Hitlers.

That is the tight spot Sri Lanka is in.

Gotler Or Hitler, Two Sides Of The Same Coin

By Vishwamithra –JUNE 26, 2018

“Democracy; the fools have a right to vote. Dictatorship; the fools have a right to rule” ~Bertrand Russell 

Gotler – Facebook meme

The whole of Sri Lankan society, at least the rumor-prone Colombo pukka sahibs, went berserk when they heard a ‘sermon’ of some sort from a so-called highly-placed Buddhist Monk of the Asgiriya Chapter asking a notorious sibling of Mahinda Rajapaksa to take control of the country and rule like Hitler, who is really the personification of ‘man’s inhumanity to man’. 

A widely read online news site reported thus: ‘Venerable Vendaruwe Upali Thero, the Anunayaka of the Asgiriya Chapter delivering an anusasana (sermon) on the occasion of an almsgiving marking the 69th birthday of Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that he should opt for military rule if this is what is necessary to build the country. Venerable Upali, noting that Gotabhaya is referred to as a Hitler, suggested that if that is the case he should be one and build the nation. ‘What we need is a leadership that has the blessings of Mahinda Rajapaksa and is linked with Buddhism, the Buddhist Order and the Sinhalese. We can see that the law has completely broken down. We need a leader who shows fidelity to the doctrine (dahami naayakayek),’ Venerable Upali also said.’

This Buddhist Monk has swept the very basic principle of the four sublime states of Karuna, Metta, Mudita and Upekkha taught by Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, off the floor. In terms of the interpretation contained in the book published in 1994 by Buddhist Publication Society authored by Nyanaponika Thera, ‘these four attitudes are said to be excellent or sublime because they are the right or ideal way of conduct towards living beings (sattesu samma patipatti). They provide, in fact, the answer to all situations arising from social contact. They are the great removers of tension, the great peace-makers in social conflict, and the great healers of wounds suffered in the struggle of existence. They level social barriers, build harmonious communities, awaken slumbering magnanimity long forgotten, revive joy and hope long abandoned, and promote human brotherhood against the forces of egotism’. This is an absolute denunciation of the sermon preached by the Asgiriya Chapter Anunayaka. Something is grievously wrong. And it is both in the content of the call for military rule as well as the process involved in making such a grotesque call a reality.

If any reasonable man or woman thought that the cultural decline in our society is limited to the lay society, then think again. A high ranking Monk in the Buddhist order, while being enrobed in the usual saffron robe, has decided to wrap himself in the more expansive Nazi flag. Maybe the Swastika, the Nazi emblem, which in fact is a motif associated with ancient Asian religious thought, has taken hold of the personality of this ill-informed Monk. 

But in a more realistic context of modern Sri Lankan politics, this degradation of religious thought signals a more sinister-looking recess of wise and intelligent discourse amongst the general public in Sri Lanka. On the one hand are the likes of Gnanasara, now an ‘ex-Buddhist Monk’, whose religious standing is increasingly looking to be a matter of the past and on the other are these Buddhist Monks such as Vendaruwe Upali Thero, posing as representatives of a more traditional and orthodox teachings of Buddhism preaching a military rule in a country whose people’s commitment to democracy, freewill and the fundamental human rights has time after time been proven beyond a shadow of suspicion and ambiguity.

In modern day politics such a statement cascading from the lips of any person is purported to be a result of an orchestrated piece of aggressive kind of public relations. But what is even more dangerous is if the prelate’s words were a true enunciation of authentic beliefs held by him. Nothing is more dangerous and outrageously harmful than a believer who thinks that he is always right in his decisions and also morally righteous. This self-righteousness-belief renders him to be an island unto himself, making him ridiculously susceptible to a self-destroying bubble and that bubble is a creation of his own loyal cohorts and himself.

‘Gotler’ belongs in that self-defeating bubble. He dwells more in his own comforts zones making sure that wherever he goes is surrounded by his henchmen who benefitted immensely during his brother’s regime. After being alleged of most heinous crimes, trying to preach justice and fair-play is like Sri Lankans were born only after the demise of the Rajapaksa rule. Playing the victim is always the sign of a weak person. The best example is the current US President Donald Trump. After inflicting most unspeakable insults on his opponents, when he is being treated the same way, the bully reacts as if he has been victimized by his antagonists. But the tragedy is, that card carries, especially before a gullible audience, albeit in the short run, a lot of positive marks for the man or woman who plays it. ‘Gotler’ may have chosen to play that card and it is the responsibility of those who will pass judgment on his whims and fancies, come election day. 

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Deputy Minister calls on FCID to investigate into ex-president's deals with Chinese company on Hambanthota port

Thu, Jun 28, 2018, 09:27 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

June 28, Colombo: Deputy Minister of Social Empowerment Ranjan Ramanayake today lodged a complaint with the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) of police requesting an inquiry into allegations revealed by the New York Times that former president Mahinda Rajapaksa had received money from China Harbor company for his election campaign.


The New York Times on Monday (June 25) reported published an article reporting that the Chinese company has given over $ 7 million to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's 2015 election campaign.

The news has now been subjected to heavy local as well as international controversy and hence the Deputy Minister has requested an investigation into the allegations.

According to the New York Times article "How China Got Sri Lanka to Cough Up a Port" by Maria Abi-Habib during the 2015 presidential elections, large payments from the Chinese port construction fund flowed directly to campaign aides and activities for Mr. Rajapaksa.
The report said the payments were confirmed by documents and cash checks detailed in a government investigation seen by The New York Times.

According to a document seen by the New York Times, at least $7.6 million was dispensed from China Harbor's account at Standard Chartered Bank to affiliates of Mr. Rajapaksa's election campaign.

With 10 days to go before polls opened on January 8, 2015, around $3.7 million was distributed in checks: $678,000 to print campaign T-shirts and other promotional material and $297,000 to buy supporters gifts, including women's saris.

Another $38,000 was paid to a popular Buddhist monk who was supporting Mr. Rajapaksa's electoral bid, while two checks totaling $1.7 million were delivered by volunteers to Temple Trees, his official residence, the report said.

Most of the payments were from a subaccount controlled by China Harbor, named "HPDP Phase 2," shorthand for Hambantota Port Development Project.

The NY Times report also states that these corrupt transactions with Chinese companies have violated international tender procedures and the contract terms have adversely affected Sri Lanka.

Presidential probe into SriLankan
Alcohol worth USD 175,107 ordered tax free

Without authority to make such purchases 

By Rathindra Kuruwita-June 28, 2018, 11:29 pm

Phoenix Duty Free Services company, the concessionaire for inflight duty free services for SriLankan had, between 2012 -2017, ordered alcohol worth USD 175,107.85, on tax free basis, in 2011, without having the necessary authority to make such a purchase, Rashmore Ferdinands, Manager Inflight Services, Administrations and Duty Free told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka yesterday.

The invoice for 400 cases of Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky, 88 cases of Blue Label Whisky, 144 cases of Gold Label Whisky and 80 cases of Gordon’s Gin had been sent on Nov. 10, 2011. However, at that time Phoenix only had the authority to purchase cosmetics and fragrances for inflight sale for SriLankan Airlines.

"However, the Board of Directors approved this order on November 28, 2011. Almost three weeks after the original purchase," he said.

Earlier it was revealed that the SriLankan Airlines Board of Directors had granted Phoenix Duty Free Services Company a contract as the concessionaire for inflight duty free services for SriLankan Airlines between 2012 and 2017, without any tender procedure. 

Ferdinands said that after the management had been taken over from Emirates, King Power Traveler Company was contracted to provide cosmetics and fragrances inflight duty free items to SriLankan Airlines. The contract was given for periods of six months each.

However, in 2010 SriLankan management called for tenders for supplying inflight duty free cosmetics and fragrance items. The tender was awarded to Phoenix Rising Ventures, (later known as Phoenix Duty Free Services). Until April 2012, it had no authority to purchase alcohol on tax free basis.

Put these criminals behind bars!

2018-06-29

The recent spate of killings by members of the underworld has made the Government accept that the situation must be checked before it gets out of hand. This was confirmed by reports related to the recent Defence Council Meeting-chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena- during which there was a huge showing of concern regarding the ‘underworld raising its ugly head’.   

Just last month Sri Lanka celebrated the ninth anniversary after the ruthless tiger rebels were crushed. That hard-earned peace has in recent times been shattered by incidents of shootings, rape, killings and looting. The perpetrators have been members of criminal gangs and what’s worrying is that they have links with politicians.   

One of the much talked about recent incidents is the looting of a jewellery shop in Matara during which criminal Chamara Jayasundara was shot dead. The police later deployed seven squads to arrest suspects involved in criminal activities. Following some of the rounding up operations it was revealed that one of the suspects was the son of a mother, who had contested the last LG Polls representing a party supporting the Unity Government. These are links which can delay the law from taking its course.   

Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene said early this week that the Government was set to curb underworld activities with the assistance of the three forces. Given that large sums of money are being pumped into boosting national security the fervent plea of law abiding citizens of this country is for the Government to maintain law and order.   

Amid this gloom there was some healthy news too. Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara was quoted in newspapers stating that the law enforcement officers had carried out a four-hour raid recently during which 2322 arrests were made.   Out of the arrests 635 were related to criminal activities, 531 to peddling illicit drugs or alcohol, 78 to unruly behaviour and 5 to possessing weapons. What many opine is that the police should do these rounds on a random basis and not as a response to a rise in the crime rate.   

The time when criminal activities started happening in an organised manner dates back to the era of Gonawala Sunil. Sunil, having affiliations with the UNP, was instrumental in the massacre of 53 inmates at the Welikada Prison in 1983. But during then too it seemed that these underworld characters were heavily backed by politicians. Sunil was put behind bars, but was released thanks to a presidential pardon extended to him by former President J.R. Jayewardene, just before the 1982 presidential elections. Sunil was even made an all-island JP.   

We had our bad times with underworld criminals in the likes of Soththi Upali, Amarasinghe brothers Chanthika and Dhammika, Kaduwela Wasantha, Baddagane Sanjeewa, Moratu Saman, Karate Dhammika, Wambotta, Thel Bala, Nawala Nihal and most recently Wele Suda.   All these underworld characters were made larger than life personalities by two sections of the society; the politicians and the press.   

The media too have to take some responsibility in making unwanted heroes out of these shaky characters by sensationalising their stories. The rest of the damage is done to the society when politicians give these criminals membership in their political parties.  

 Politicians need these criminals to do their dirty work. Some of these criminals had fled the country defying arrest warrants because they had the backing of politicians. Some own luxury apartments here and residencies abroad. Even if they do get caught their stay at the prison is nothing short of being luxurious.   

During the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime members of the underworld went into a shell. Most of them migrated abroad.   But that menace was replaced by a white van culture which made things worse. Killings and abductions were carried out under state patronage.   What the people of this country need now is for the law to be strong and the police to deal swiftly with criminals who breach the law. It’s time once again to protect innocent lives in this country!   

Protect our children

JUN 29 2018

The body of a six-year school-girl who had been sexually assaulted and strangled was found in a well close to her home in Kattupulam, Chulipuram in Jaffna earlier in the week.

A 22-year-old man who has allegedly confessed to the murder has been arrested by the Vaddukoddai Police and remanded.

As we reported yesterday, the suspect was arrested along with five others and produced before Mallakam Magistrate on Wednesday.

The main suspect is said to have confessed that he took the child away from her home to steal her jewellery. However, Police investigations have found that the father of the child had beaten up the main suspect and five others, about a week ago, for stealing toddy and that the murder was probably an act of revenge.

This is yet another crime against a child that has shocked the nation.

What is deeply troubling is that a child was made the victim of a dispute that occurred among adults.

But the level of violence against children is growing around the world, including Sri Lanka. Most children experience corporal punishment at home and at school. A Government study done in 2016 showed that eighty per cent of school children experience at least one form of corporal punishment. While some of these punishments are well-intentioned, current global standards decry any kind of violence against children.

Sexual violence against children in Sri Lanka is also high and in 2015, of the 12,000 child abuse cases reported to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) nearly ten per cent consisted of sexual abuse or rape of children.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has welcomed the fact that in 2016 the Government of Sri Lanka signed up to The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, as one of twelve path-finding countries, committing to ending all forms of violence against children by 2030. Led by the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs (MoWCA), and with the support of UNICEF and many NGO’s and civil society groups, in June 2017 Sri Lanka launched the National Partnership to End Violence Against Children.

Adding to the multiple actions already undertaken by the Government, on 1 October 2017, MoWCA launched a National Roadmap listing key actions planned to achieve this bold goal, according to a statement published on the UNICEF Sri Lanka website.

However, these measures would not bear fruit if they do not create a change in the attitude of the people. There should be an active framework which involves the people at grassroots level.

A few days ago, social media platforms were abuzz with videos and images of youngsters posing with a leopard that they had killed. Many condemned the attack on the animal.

But, one feels that the same enthusiasm and concern that was shown on the leopard, was missing on addressing violence against children.

Even though there was public outcry, mainly on social media platforms, it has not helped in building a comprehensive discussion on child safety and security. The involvement of the public is mostly limited to venting out on social media platforms.

It should go beyond such platforms.

The fact that children are targeted for revenge purposes is a disturbing trend which needs immediate attention.

The NCPA and such bodies also need to be proactive instead of waiting till incidents happen or an incident is reported to them.

But at the end of the day they are our children and the responsibility of protecting rests solely on each and every one of Sri Lanka’s citizens.