Dear Mr. President: Letter From A Sri Lankan Queer Woman

By Aloka Wijesinghe –NOVEMBER 7, 2018

Aloka Wijesinghe

Mr. President, 

As I was going home after lectures yesterday [Monday 5th November 2018], I had to wait in Malabe from 12.45 PM to 8.00 PM, because of your rally at Diyatha. On social media, I noticed a couple of friends of mine being boldly and bravely vocal about remarks you made during your speech. When I browsed through a couple of articles, I just said to myself, “Wait, I’m just an 18 year old and I never had a thing for politics unless it affected my right to live, I mean I’m neither a fan of Ranil Wickremesinghe nor of Mahinda Rajapaksa, I’m done with all these useless rallies where people from far away towns have to come to Colombo on buses and block the roads so students like us have to forget going home or worse, find a place to stay in the road, but in hindsight I bet homeless people have it better”. 

When I read a couple of articles I just saw that you, Mr. President, had referred to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as “සමනලයා”; now we all know that this is derogatory language. With this kind of dialogue, you, Mr President, have sunk deeper than the titanic. You also referred to politicians working with Mr wickremesinghe as “සමනල කල්ලිය”. 

When the most powerful man in the country takes issue with people like me on private matters, Mr President, I, for one, will not remain silent. 

Mr. President, 

Your presidential term is best-known for soundbites such as calling upon people to stop drinking Milo, and about the cashews served on board the national airline. But despite all that, there was some respect towards you, somewhere. And that is what you have now lost. For good. 

 Mr. President, 

You decided to degrade the lives of millions, who still do not have their basic human rights to love who they love, and simply to live in peace. You used our lives to insult your political opponent. 

I’m an 18 year old cis lesbian woman who was severely bullied at school, for which, in most cases, the teachers took issue with me and in most cases they themselves were my bullies that I couldn’t stand up to. Dear Mr. President, I am a Lesbian cis woman in Sri Lanka and for people like me, our siblings give up on us, in most cases. People like me are homeless because of their sexual orientation. People like me are forced to enter heterosexual marital ties at an early age without our consent, and in some cases, are raped by family members to turn us straight.  People like me are continuously mocked because people like me are not seen as normal.  

Many queer youth are scared to talk out loud because of the fear of cis-hetero-normative stigmas and backlashes. 

 Mr. President, 

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Sri Lanka has suffered a 'coup without guns': parliament speaker

Karu Jayasuriya, Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, looks on during a party leaders and members meeting at the parliament in Colombo, Sri Lanka November 2, 2018.REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte/File Photo


NOVEMBER 6, 2018

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka’s parliamentary speaker has called the president’s sacking of the prime minister to bring a former leader back to power a non-violent coup d’etat.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya is a key figure in the political standoff that started on Oct. 26, when President Maithripala Sirisena fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Wickremesinghe is refusing to vacate his prime ministerial residence and insists he remains in office until voted out by parliament. The president had suspended parliament, a move Rajapaksa’s opponents say is aimed at preventing it from rejecting his return to power.

“The entire series of events can only be described as a coup, albeit one without the use of tanks and guns,” Speaker Jayasuriya said in a letter dated Nov. 5 to diplomats and foreign missions, adding the “entire matter was pre-planned”.

Jayasuriya says the majority of parliamentarians view the change in prime minister as unconstitutional. In the letter he said some of them were offered bribes and ministerial jobs to support the new government.

He accused Sirisena of acting “contrary to all norms of transparency, decency, democracy and good governance, and contrary to the constitution which he has sworn to uphold and defend.”

Sirisena says he fired Wickremesinghe because he was trying to implement “a new, extreme liberal political concept by giving more priority for foreign policies and neglecting the local people’s sentiment,” and denies acting unconstitutionally.

Rajapaksa, under whose rule Sri Lanka achieved its 2009 victory in a decades-long conflict against rebels from the Tamil minority, is seen as a hero by many among Sri Lanka’s Buddhist majority. He has been accused by diplomats of human rights abuses during the war, which he denies.

India and Western countries also worry about his close ties to China, which loaned Sri Lanka billions of dollars for infrastructure projects during his rule.

A foreign ministry official told Reuters that some foreign envoys have said they will only recognize Rajapaksa as prime minister after he can prove he has support of a majority in parliament.

Iranians vent anger at rich and powerful amid sanctions

Sirisena has recalled the parliament on Nov. 14. Independent political analysts told Reuters a majority in the 225-member legislature is against the sudden sacking of Wickremesinghe.

At least eight lawmakers have deserted Wickremesinghe and accepted ministerial posts under Rajapaksa, while one deputy minister resigned and joined Wickremesinghe.

Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Robin Pomeroy

Sri Lanka situation update (8 November 2018)

Nov 8, 2018

A failing coup?

The past week saw intense political manoeuvring in Sri Lanka, as efforts by Mahinda Rajapaksa to obtain command of a majority in Parliament continued. Despite the ‘crossing over’ of a handful of MPs, which further narrowed the gap between the two main voting blocs in Parliament, at the time of writing Rajapaksa was yet to reach the crucial threshold of support needed to stamp his power grab with a veneer of legitimacy.

That fact did not appear to deter President Sirisena, who proceeded this past week to ‘swear in’ a raft of new ministers to what has been dubbed by some as the ‘fake cabinet’. A fortnight ago, in a move deemed illegal and unconstitutional by respected academics and lawyers, President Sirisena purported to dismiss serving Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replace him with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, an alleged war criminal.

Sri Lanka’s Parliament remained suspended, having been prorogued by the President on 27th October. The suspension is widely seen as a way of preventing Prime Minister Wickremesinghe from demonstrating command of a parliamentary majority – and of allowing further time for Mahinda Rajapaksa to threaten and bribe a critical mass of MPs over to his side.[1]On Friday 2nd November, 116 MPs (a clear majority) signed a resolution condemning the illegitimate appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa and his new ‘cabinet’, and calling for Parliament to be immediately re-convened. Despite several indications that that could happen as early as this week, a gazette issued by President Sirisena has now fixed the date for Wednesday 14thNovember.

Pressure continued to mount on Parliamentary speaker Karu Jayasuriya to exercise his constitutional authority to overrule the President and re-convene Parliament sooner than the 14th. While that has yet to happen, on Monday 5th November Jayasuriya issued a strongly worded statement in which he decried “the severe violation of democratic principles” that had taken place and said that he was compelled to continue to recognise the government of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe until Parliament had determined otherwise.

Sri Lanka Campaign@SLcampaign

Really strong, principled statement from Speaker of Parliament @KaruOnline condemning the undemocratic nature of what we have seen in Sri Lanka this past week. He could be stronger, more principled yet by using his power to re-convene Parliament. https://twitter.com/akeenan23/status/1059384679848177666 …

Alan Keenan@akeenan23

English text of very strong letter from #SriLanka speaker @KaruOnline criticing undemocratic moves & misleading statements by #Sirisena, pressing for return of parliament, and stating Wickremesinghe remains legitimate PM until a majority of parliament votes otherwise. #CoupLK

6

12:53 - 5 Nov 2018

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The battle for legitimacy and the risks ahead

With Mahinda Rajapaksa having failed to consolidate his authority, and with the emergence of two parallel administrations both claiming legitimacy, there were growing fears, as one commentator put it, of Sri Lanka’s “politico-constitutional crisis … deteriorating into an open struggle for state power.” Though the past week did not thankfully see further serious violence, there were continued concerns about the possibility of force being deployed to remove Prime Minister Wickremesinghe from his official residence at Temple Trees. Thousands of supporters continue to surround the complex.

In Parliament, a potential flashpoint arose on Monday when Rajapaksa-loyalist Dinesh Gunawardena stormed the Parliament building with a group of Buddhist monks and “assumed office” as Leader of the House, a position still legally occupied by Lakshman Kiriella. Later in the week, the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Parliament, a senior official responsible for maintaining order and security in Parliament, stated that he would abide by the orders of the President when it came to allocating seats; thereby contradicting the position of the Speaker and paving the way for possible conflict should further purported ministers begin ‘assuming’ their offices.

By Wednesday, there were growing concerns among commentators that President Sirisena was considering dissolving Parliament, a move which would be a gross violation of Sri Lanka’s constitution.[2]

dharisha@tingilye

Rumours swirling about dissolution of Parliament tonight or tomorrow. The act would be grossly unconstitutional and would violate letter & spirit of 19th Amendment say legal experts. Unable to secure 113 in Parliament @MaithripalaS pushing #lka to the brink. #coupLK

99

07:48 - 7 Nov 2018

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Growing pressure – from within and without

Following widespread calls for Parliament to be immediately re-convened and for the democratic processes to be restored, the past week saw a series of tangible responses to the crisis from members of the international community – along with a series of warnings about the consequences that could follow should the current coup attempt succeed.

By way of example, the United States put on hold planned development funding to Sri Lanka through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Japan suspended a $1.5 billion loan for an light railway infrastructure project. And the EU warned that Sri Lanka’s recently regained status as a beneficiary of GSP+ trade privileges could be withdrawn. At the time of writing, and to our knowledge, the UK government was yet to publicly comment on whether its current stream of development funding to Sri Lanka was at risk, or whether it was considering withdrawing its Trade Envoy to Sri Lanka, MP Ranil Jeywardena.

Sri Lankan citizens and civil society groups continued to voice their anger about the current crisis, with a protest at Liberty Roundabout in Colombo entering its 9th day, despite an apparent  effort by officials to stifle the gathering by turning off the streetlights. On Tuesday, protestors lit a series of lamps arranged in the shape of a butterfly, in retort to homophobic remarksrecently made by President Sirisena about Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and members of his team. Demonstrations against the unfolding coup attempt were also reported to have been held outside of the capital, including in Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Kilinochchi.

Protest for democracy and justice at the Liberty Roundabout! And all the butterflies - we stand with you! #lka #LGBTQ pic.twitter.com/bG7SAkCLQW

— Meg (@MegTegal) 6 November 2018

Meg@MegTegal

Protest for democracy and justice at the Liberty Roundabout! And all the butterflies - we stand with you! #lka #LGBTQ

39

07:54 - 6 Nov 2018 · Sri Lanka

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Our take:

The coup attempt in Sri Lanka has not yet succeeded. Indeed, there are even signs that it may be backfiring. That raises hope that the illegal power grab by Mahinda Rajapaksa can be stopped. But it also raises the risk that its instigators could turn to further unconstitutional – and possibly violent – means to assert their authority in the coming days and weeks. We are particularly concerned by recent reports that Sri Lanka’s President may seek to break through the current impasse by dissolving Parliament, a move that would be in flagrant violation of Sri Lanka’s Constitution.

While we welcome the intensification of pressure from members of the international community this past week, we believe they can and must go further in ensuring that the democratic rights of Sri Lankan citizens are respected and upheld. That is why we have recently written to representatives from key countries outlining a series of specific measures that we believe should be brought into play – ranging from the suspension of trade and development funding arrangements, to the halting of Sri Lankan peacekeeping deployments (a step that we believe is already long overdue).

Members of the international community have been quite right to insist – echoing the views of many Sri Lankans and the Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament – that President Sirisena should re-convene Parliament immediately. But given the risk that Rajapaksa could bribe and threaten his way to a majority in Parliament by the time that that happens, they should also go further by making clear that they will never recognise as legitimate any government which emerges through illegal means.

Footnotes:

[1] As examples, on Friday 2nd November, an MP loyal to Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, Range Bandara, released an audio recording of a telephone call in which he claimed he had been offered $2.8m (USD) to lend his support to Rajapaksa’s camp. In a separate incident, an audio recording of a telephone call was released in which a man claiming to be “very close” to President Sirisena threatened to “destroy” MP Hirunika Premachandra. (The man in question was later identified as Fazl Muhammed Nizar, an individual who has previously written in support of underage marriage and apportioned blame for rape on the clothing choices of victims).

[2] Article 70(1) of Sri Lanka’s constitution clearly stipulates that the dissolution of Parliament by the President can only take place when four and a half years of a Parliament’s term have been completed, or if Parliament requests the President to do so with the support of a two-thirds majority of members.

40 years of creating careers

Friday, 9 November 2018

Mankind International continues to redefine employment placement in Sri Lanka
Mankind International Ltd., one of Sri Lanka’s leaders and pioneers in employment placement, celebrates 40 years in operation this year. Better known as Maritime Placements Ltd. or Maritime International Ltd., a brand name which created many a career in the past four decades, the company was rebranded as Mankind International Ltd. in 2015.

Launched in 1978 in a small office with only two employees, the vision at inception was to introduce a revolutionary concept to Sri Lanka. Employment placement as a corporate business not being familiar territory 40 years ago, the organisation should be given much credit for the initiation and development of an industry, which today is also one of the most flourishing. With the new brand name symbolising the core of its operations, the group is set to further enhance the recruitment industry by continuing to innovate and add value.

Mankind International Chairman Fayaz Saleem reminisces about the early days when Maritime International was first launched, and stepping into foreign placements with one of the oldest active license numbers from the Foreign Employment Bureau, No. 11.

“With Maritime International starting to focus more on foreign employment placements, we did our first diversification by launching Maritime Placements Ltd. to handle all local placements. Today MPL has become one of the biggest internal companies as it has further expanded into sub-companies handling contractual solutions, outsourcing, transport and engineering, property management and maintenance, and allied cleaning and maintenance.”

Further development resulted in establishing Executive Search Ltd., to specialise in overseas placements for banks, hotels and restaurant chains, conglomerates and multi-national organisations, mainly in Arab countries.

Mankind is also the catalyst in introducing headhunting to Sri Lanka, through its subsidiary, Appointment of International Management Specialists (AIMS). Being the very first recruitment company to initiate headhunting, Saleem and his team can narrate many anecdotes of the encounters they had with potential candidates.

“The concept of headhunting was not known 25 years ago. We were met with resistance and suspicion when we spoke to candidates. However, we persisted through it all by following international norms and practices, and maintaining confidentiality.”

Through a series of activities, the organisation created knowledge and understanding of the policies, principles and processes of headhunting, and educated potential candidates about the advantages of being headhunted as well as ways of responding to such offers.

The team ensures highly ethical practices and respects the candidates need for confidentiality and sometimes that of the client as well, to the extent that the meetings are scheduled at the convenience of the candidates preferred times and locations. To date Mankind International has placed individuals at many management and higher management positions in leading organisations in the country.

With employment placement as its core business, Mankind commenced a corporate sustainability activity under HR Solutions, a training program for young executives and managers. The fairly economical fee for the program is beneficial for two groups; companies that do not have large budgets for training and individuals who are interested in adding value to their professional portfolio. The trainings are conducted after office hours, thus ensuring that it does not impose on their jobs.

The revolutionary spirit continues with candidate witnessed by the latest venture by the name of Mankind IT, specialising in IT placements. Recognising the boost in the IT industry and the growth of many international and local companies, Mankind IT will specifically speak to the IT professional, identifying, recruiting and creating careers within the country for an industry which suffers much brain drain due to the lack of proper placement.

Answering the question as to what the secret behind the years of success is, Saleem emphasises that it is mainly the relationship they build with both their stakeholders; the client and the candidate. He also acknowledged the contributions of his directors and senior staff who have been with Mankind between 10 and 22 years.

“The requirements of organisations as well as employees continue to change. We always insist on meeting clients in their own environment so that we too understand the culture, structure and future of the organisation. As for the candidate, we look beyond educational, professional qualifications and experience; attitude plays a main role in an employee integrating into an organisation. With this focus we have been creating careers, and successful ones, for 40 years, evident by the fact that our previous candidates have often come back as clients,” added Saleem.

Mankind International will continue to specialise further according to the needs of the clientele and the changes in the industry, similar to introducing headhunting 25 years ago and launching Mankind IT a year ago. The organisation will always seek newer and better ways to create the best possible careers for Sri Lankans at all levels.

An Open Letter to President Maithripala Sirisena

DEVANESAN NESIAH-11/07/2018

Editors Note: The following is the text of an open letter sent in by Dr. Devanesan Nesiah, a retired civil servant who has who has served the country since 1959. In 2017, he was awarded with the National Honours by President Sirisena.

7th November 2018

His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena,

President,

Sri Lanka.

Your Excellency,

I write as a loyal citizen of Sri Lanka and a proud recipient of the great titular honour of ‘Deshamanya’ that Your Excellency saw fit to confer on me in March of 2017. My children, grandchildren, other relatives and close friends gathered from three continents in celebrating the award and the Presidential recognition of my services to our great nation.

I barely knew you earlier but my family, friends and I were greatly elated when you were elected President. That elation and hope, Your Excellency, has given way to disappointment over your very blatant flouting of our seventy-year-old democracy, in recent weeks.

As a loyal and patriotic Sri Lankan but I see no alternative to regretfully return the ‘Deshamanya’ medal and certificate that you awarded me. I am currently overseas and will make arrangements to return the medal and certificate to your office, when I come back to Sri Lanka.

Your Excellency, my decision isn’t one that I’ve taken lightly, or in haste. To always act in accordance with my principles is a burden that I’ve embraced with pride for nearly 60 years, since I first enrolled as a cadet in the Ceylon Civil Service. My long career in the civil service, was often stymied under both UNP and SLFP regimes for my refusal to compromise my values.

Since I can no longer take pride in the title of ‘Deshamanya’ that you’ve conferred on me, I have no option but to return my treasured medal and certificate.

Sincerely,

Dr. Devanesan Nesiah