What the UNHRC Resolution Tells Me:We have to be a self reliant economy to withstand our enemies
Posted on April 7th, 2014
By Garvin Karunaratne, Former Government Agent, Matara District,
When the dust of the storm created by the Superpowers at Geneva settles down it is necessary to take stock of our strengths and weaknesses and to decide what we should do. Let us not forget that we are a sovereign country.
We have to go it alone and be strong to withstand problems created by our enemies. This time the enemies are the USA and the UK. They will be up to their googly tricks to win us over by the offer of some minuscule Aid, and eventually, in a very clandestein manner, try to trip us unawares, make us fall and then decapitate us. This they have done again and in our life time; we have seen what was done to Vietnam, to Somalia, to Iraq,to Afghanistan and is being now done to Libiya, Syria, Egypt and Pakistan. We have to be doubly careful of the Libraries working with US Aid and the US teachers in our schools.
We have no alternative but to marshall our resources in a manner that will enable us to regain our economy that has been totally battered by following their dictates and many of us fail to understand that the Superpowers have decimated our economy by forcing the Structural Adjustment Programme through the IMF on our countries.
On the IMF policies that we yet follow, let me only quote Professor Jeffery Sachs. In The End of Poverty(2005) he lamented that the African Third World countries were totally ruined by the World Bank and the IMF. ” Western Governments enforced draconian budget policies in Africa during the 1980s and 1990s. They virtually ran the economic policies of the debt ridden continent recommending regimens of budgetary belt tightening known technically as Structural Adjustment Programmes…. By the Start of the Twenty First Century Africa was ;poorer than in the late 1960s when the IMF and the WB had first arrived on the scene.” ;
Now from his latest book:: “The Price of Civilization”(2011) he devotes a full chapter criticizing the IMF. “Free Markets by themselves are not able to ensure the efficiency of the economy.. Free Markets also needs the Governments to help regulate the market…. Freemarkets do not guarantee fairness to the citizens of a generation; they do not guarantee sustainability for future generations… the Free Market System must be complemented with government institutions that accomplish three things: provide public goods such as infrastructure, scientific research and ensure the basic fairness of income distribution and long term help for the poor to escape from poverty.”
Once Jeffery Sachse was the IMF’s confidante, implementing their policies in Bolivia, in Russia and Poland, for around a decade, making those countries indebted to such an extent that they could not service their foreign debt and thereafter had to follow the IMF dictate.
Sri Lanka yet follows the IMF policies and its foreign debt, deficit budgeting, its predicament of having to seek foreign loans and raise foreign bonds to service its debt can be traced to the door of the IMF. It is time to take stock and develop alternative policies that will enable Sri Lanka to develop its own industries, create employment and incomes for its people.
To be very frank, I have not yet seen a country as beautiful and resourceful as Sri Lanka in all my travels and I have travelled far and wide in Europe, in North and Central America and Asia. We have a variety of climates, areas where almost everything except for wheat, can be grown. We have a work force that is intelligent and ever willing to attend to any task that is assigned.
However it has so happened that we are now having to lick the boots of foreign powers and foreign banks for funds to fund ourselves.
It is time we understand what happened to our economy and search for a new direction of becoming self reliant, and aim ar a self sustaining economy that can withstand all enemy attacks.
We have to have a massive programme to make what we can here in Sri lanka. The IMF and the World Bank tells that this Import Substitution type of industry- where we find employment for our own people and keep value added in processing in our own country, cannot be done. I ask them to tell that to the wolves and not to us veterans of the Sixties and Seventies when we did handle our industries.
Instead of making a Paper Exercise in Planning, let me speak from sheer experience. Thus there is absolutely no doubt as to whether we can achieve it. We did it once and we can do it again.
In the Seventies, there was an Assistant Government Agent at Kotmale who made paper out of waste paper. Today one of the biggest “industries” one sees in action is the collection of cardboard and waste paper and shipping it to India. Some 8,000 tons go out a month and we purchase paper in return. It is time for some deep thought.
Till recently we imported flowers. Our Economic Minister Basil Rajapaksa got down to it and now we have stopped imports and we are self sufficient. The Waters Edge Market has provided the infrastructure in marketing. It is a feat in achievement. That task has to be repeated again and again for us to be self sufficient in everything we can produce. We need not one but a hundred Basil Rajapaksas today.
Let me get down to tell the Story of Deniyaya Coop Crayon and the Matara Boatyard from my own experience. . In 1971 we were charged with creating employment for the youth but the then Ministry in charge of the Divisional Development Programme wanted us to concentrate on traditional industries, making bricks and tiles, duplicating work already being done by Small Industry Department..
I drafted a programme to develop the dairy industry in Deniyaya, an area of high rainfall, lush vegetation and where the Member of Parliament Sumanapala Dahanayake was a live wire to marshall the youths for any development programme. I wanted to make Paint Colour Blocks in Boxes. All this was turned down. I was told that there was no grazing area for cattle and my statement that there was plenty of grass fodder on estates and roadsides, on fallow land and in private gardens was thrown out. One and a half decades later I got the opportunity to implement this dairy production plan in Bangladesh. Of the 2 million youths self employed by 2011, easily a million was in dairy farming. If I was authorized I would have shouldered the wheel and would never have left our shores and Sri Lanka would not be at the beck and call of Fronterra in its dairy industry today. .
. With great difficulty after many a verbal dual I secured authority to establish a boatyard which was a showpiece success and we made 40 ft. sea worthy inboard motor boats.
I had an ardent patriotic staff that wanted to do the impossible. Once as Deputy Director of Industries I directed small industries and knew the ingredients that went in to the manufacture of crayons, a part of the process and little of the proportions. I fed my little knowledge to my Planning Officer, a chemistry graduate and he commenced experiments at night in my residency. When sophisticated equipment was required, we decided to take over the science lab at Rahula College and with the help of the science teachers there commenced experiments every night. We got somewhere, but the making of crayons was not yet perfect. when Vetus decided to get the help of his professors in chemistry at the University of Colombo. He went enthusiastically to spend time in the labs where he was taught under the guidance of his professors only two years earlier. He took with him a few crayons that we had made but were not of good quality. He was not admitted to the science laboratories. He was literally chased away and returned a broken down man. He was actually laughed at by his professors. We administrators rallied around him and got his spirits up and got down to burn the mid night oil again at the science lab at Rahula College.. Finally after trial and error again and again over a month or so,we came across the formulae for making crayons.
Then came the task of getting crayons made. Like what is normally done in the portals of Universities it is a common practice to sell the art of manufacture to a private firm. Recently Gamini Seneviratne one of my colleagues stated that the art of making instant tea, found with great difficulty by the Tea Research Institute was handed over to Whittals who sold it immediately to Unilever!.(The Island: 28/3/2014)
I decided that crayons had to be made by a Cooperative Union. The most vibrant Coop Union in my District was at Morawaka and its president was the Member of Parliament Sumanapala Dahanayaka. I liked him because he was patriotic, and never took no for an answer. He was very enthusiastic and because the Government Agent had been gazetted as a Deputy Director of Cooperatives I authorized him to get down to spend for the machinery and get down to make crayons. Vetus, and other key officials went over to Morawaka and took charge of the production. Over twenty youths worked day and night and within a few weeks we made crayons to fill two large rooms. Labels were hurriedly done and packets made all ready for sale. The Crayon Factory that was held in secrecy had to come to the open. Sumanapala and I took the samples and met the Minister of Industries, Mr T.B.Subasinghe who was surprised to see the product and congradulated us for producing it on our own. He readily agreed to declare open the industry. For around eight long years from 1972 to 1978, Coop Crayon was sold all over the island. It was a product of the Morawaka Coop union and it provided employment for around fifty youths. This industry was closed down by the Jayawardena Government. It was a venbdetta of the UNP- that came into power in 1978. Every good thing done by the earlier Government had to be stopped. So died the boatyard at Matara and also the Coop Crayon, two industries that brought employment and incomes to many people. These were the flagship industries of the Divisional Development Councils Programme.
The lesson in both these industries is that our officers can tackle making industries and bring about employment for our people. This did reduce the imports and thereby saved foreign exchange. The chief officer of the boatyard, was a raw graduate, who later became the Secretary of a Ministry. The chief officer of Coop Crayon, was also a raw graduate who later ended as a Deputy Director Planning. The lesson in all this is that we can make many items that we import. Further the role that Rahula College its teachers and laboratory played is important. My wife a science teacher at Rahula tells me that the science lab at Anuradhapura Central is far more equipped than what we had at Matara.
The guiding light Vetus Fernando was also a raw graduate who was my Planning Officer.
The sky is the limit if only we are willing to take action. Full details of the Divisional Development Councils Programme are available in my book: Papers on the Economic Development of Sri Lanka(Godages)
We have to strengthen our economy to make everything we can. My experience tells me that we can strengthen our economy within a year or two if only we want to. The UNHRC debacle militates us to take immediate action
These are my own ideas based on my knowledge and four decades’ experience firstly in the Administrative Service, later working in four other countries and finally as an International Consultant. My greatest achievement lies in designing and implementing the Youth Self Employment Program of Bangladesh, without a budget- entirely funded from savings in existing budgets, without a single new official- done by redrafting the remits of existing workers, achieved entirely by retraining a force of ardent youth workers to become economists, a Programme which having guided so far(up to 2011)over 2 million youths to become commercially viable entrepreneurs is today the leading employment creation programme the world has known. This info alone will credence to my ideas.
Garvin Karunaratne
Former Government Agent, Matara District,
6 th April 2014
April 7th, 2014 at 12:35 pm
G K, Thank you for your thoughts – Much has been written on the respoinse SL should show to the UNHRC resolutions. However, very ew are talking on the very thing that we shoud do to try and block in a credible manner to defend us against this unwarranted intrusion. it is time that the GoSL obtained a strong majority decision in Parliament as the will of the pople, NOT to implement any part of the UNHRC decision based on bias against Sri Lanka – That is the ONLY credible and robust way to deal with this situation. What may I ask is holding this? – S de Silva -London
April 7th, 2014 at 12:36 pm
G K, Thank you for your thoughts – Much has been written on the respoinse SL should show to the UNHRC resolutions. However, very few are talking on the very thing that we shoud do to try and block in a credible manner to defend us against this unwarranted intrusion. it is time that the GoSL obtained a strong majority decision in Parliament as the will of the pople, NOT to implement any part of the UNHRC decision based on bias against Sri Lanka – That is the ONLY credible and robust way to deal with this situation. What may I ask is holding this? – S de Silva -London
April 7th, 2014 at 1:32 pm
Yes Sri Lanka needs self reliance on many fronts. Sri Lanka should get the technology to build her own weapons industry. Other nations have achieved that by allowing the commercial sector to open up to Industrialized nations like Japan to set up a manufacturing base in Sri Lanka to build cars, trucks and other machines. The same technology is also used in the military to build military hardware.
Just like India, Sri Lanka should buy foreign weapons with an additional clause that the technology to build that military helicopter, airplane, warship or missiles is also transferred to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka should NEVER forget that during the early part of the war Colombo was left high and dry when New Delhi refused to supply arms and weaponry to Sri Lanka to deal with the Indian backed Tamil Tigers. India to this day still refuses to sell Sri Lanka major military purchases.
Unlike India Sri Lanka should develop an indigenous military manufacturing sector that would augment her military and be a nation that enters the lucrative arms trade market.
India became a nuclear power because the USSR gave her the technology. India’s space sector was limited due to the lack of knowledge in constructing a Cryogenic engine. India overcame that. How it did is a question. Sri Lanka needs to achieve independence in her military production, including gaining the technology for a missile program which would also compliment Sri Lanka’s ambition to be a satellite making and launching nation. In order to achieve that Sri Lanka needs the technology of building a Cryogenic engine.
On the Strategic front Sri Lanka needs the support of China and for that matter Russia. If it is possible Sri Lanka should offer these nations access to build their military bases on the very provinces that the Tamil Diaspora wants to create Eelam, and in exchange become a member of the CSTO and the SCO. There is an article in the Asia times of the demise of the US and the inevitable rise of Russia and China. India has missed many opportunities to become a true regional power. Sri Lanka still has that chance.
Finally on the energy front including the recent drought Sri Lanka must construct a desalination plant. Of all the oceans in the world the salinity of the Indian Ocean is the lowest. A desalination plant would give Sri Lanka the independence from depending on the monsoons.
Regarding energy China now produces alternative energy to such an extent that in sum total it equals the output of Germany and France combined. If China can achieve this so can Sri Lanka. The US/NATO cabal of nations have boxed in Sri Lanka using the UNHRC as a weapon and not as a solution. As a member state of the SCO and the CSTO Sri Lanka will have access to the vast oil and gas reserves of Russia and China and by that be immune to any international sanctions brought upon Sri Lanka by the US/NATO cabal of nations.
April 7th, 2014 at 1:35 pm
An article in the Asia Times that points to the rapid demise of the US in world politics must be noted. I therefore copy and paste that article
New US reality: An empire beyond salvation
By Ramzy Baroud
US Secretary of State John Kerry couldn’t hide his frustration anymore as the US-sponsored Palestinian peace process continued to falter. After eight months of wrangling to push talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority forward, he admitted while on a visit to Morocco on April 4 that the latest setback had served as a “reality check” for the peace process. But confining that reality check to the peace process is hardly representative of the painful reality through which the United States has been forced to subsist in during the last few years.
The state of US foreign policy in the Middle East, but also around the world, cannot be described with any buoyant language. In some instances, as in Syria, Libya, Egypt, Ukraine
recently in Palestine and Israel, too many calamitous scenarios have exposed the fault lines of US foreign policy. The succession of crises is not allowing the US to cut its losses in the Middle East and stage a calculated “pivot” to Asia following its disastrous Iraq war.
US foreign policy is almost entirely crippled. For the Obama administration, it has been a continuous firefighting mission since George W Bush left office. In fact, there have been too many “reality checks” to count.
According to the logic of the once powerful pro-Israel Washington-based neoconservatives, the invasion of Iraq was a belated attempt at regaining the initiative in the Middle East and controlling a greater share of the energy supplies worldwide.
Sure, the US media made much noise about fighting terror, restoring democracies and heralding freedoms, but the neo-cons were hardly secretive about the real objectives. They tirelessly warned about the decline of their country’s fortunes. They labored to redraw the map of the Middle East in a way that they imagined would slow down the rise of China and the other giants that are slowly but surely standing on their feet to face up to the post-Cold War superpower.
All such efforts were bound to fail. The US escaped from Iraq, but only after altering the balance of power and creating new classes of winners and losers. The violence of the invasion and occupation scarred Iraq, and also destabilized neighboring countries by overwhelming their economies, augmenting militancy and creating more pressure cookers in political spaces that were, until then, somewhat stable.
The war left the US fatigued and set the course for a transition in the Middle East, although not the kind of transition that the likes of former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice had championed. There was no “New Middle East” per se, but rather an old one that is in much worse shape than ever before.
When the last US soldier scheduled to leave Iraq had crossed the border into Kuwait in December 2011, the US was exposed in more ways than one. The limits of US military power was revealed – by not winning, it had lost. Its economy proved fragile – as it continues to teeter between collapse and “recovery”. It was left with zero confidence among its friends. As for its enemies, the US was no longer a daunting menace but a toothless tiger.
There was a short period in US foreign policy strategy in which Washington needed to count its losses, regroup and regain initiative, but not in the Middle East. The Asia Pacific region, especially the South China Sea, seemed to be the most rational restarting point, and for a good reason.
Writing in Forbes magazine in Washington, Robert D Kaplan described the convergence underway in the Asia pacific region. He wrote, “Russia is increasingly shifting its focus of energy exports to East Asia. China is on track to perhaps become Russia’s biggest export market for oil before the end of the decade.”
The Middle East is itself changing directions, as the region’s hydrocarbon production is increasingly being exported there; Russia is covering the East Asia realm, according to Kaplan, as “North America will soon be looking more and more to the Indo-Pacific region to export its own energy, especially natural gas.”
But the US is still being pulled into too many different directions. It has attempted to police the world exclusively for its own interests for the past 25 years. It has failed. “Cut and run” is essentially an American foreign policy staple, and that too is a botched approach. Even after the piecemeal US withdrawal from Iraq, the US is too deeply entrenched in the Middle East region to achieve a clean break.
The US took part in the Libya war, attempting to do so while masking its action as part of a larger drive by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization so that it shouldered only part of the blame when things went awry, as they predictably have. Since the January 25 revolution, its position on Egypt was perhaps the most inconsistent of all Western powers, unmistakably demonstrating its lack of clarity and relevance to a country with a massive size and influence.
However, it was in Syria that US weaknesses were truly exposed. Military intervention was not possible – and for reasons none of which were moralistic. Its political influence proved immaterial. Most importantly, its own legions of allies throughout the Middle East are walking away from beneath the US leadership banner. The new destinations are Russia for arms and China for economic alternatives.
President Barack Obama’s visit to Saudi Arabia in late March might have been a step too little too late to repair America’s weakening alliances in the region. Even if the US was ready to mend fences, it has neither the political will, the economic potency, nor the military prowess to be effective. True, the US still possesses massive military capabilities and remains the world’s largest economy, but the commitment that the Middle East would require from the US at this time of multiple wars and revolutions is by no means the kind of commitment the US is ready to impart. In a way, the US has “lost” the Middle East.
Even the “pivot” to Asia is likely to end in shambles. On the one hand, the US’s opponents, Russia notwithstanding, have grown much more assertive in recent years. They too have their own agendas, which will keep the US and its willing European allies busy for years. The Russian move against Crimea had once more exposed the limits of US and NATO in regions outside the conventional parameters of Western influence.
If the US proved resourceful enough to stage a fight in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, the battle – over energy supplies, potential reserves, markets and routes – is likely to be the most grueling yet. China is not Iraq before the US invasion – broken by decades of war, siege and sanctions. Its geography is too vast to besiege, and its military too massive to destroy with a single shock and awe.
The US has truly lost the initiative, in the Middle East region and beyond it. The neo-cons’ drunkenness with military power led to costly wars that have overwhelmed the empire beyond salvation. Now, US foreign-policy makers are mere diplomatic firefighters, from Palestine, to Syria to Ukraine. For the Americans, the last few years have been less a “reality check”, more the new reality itself.
April 7th, 2014 at 1:48 pm
Yes. We have to.
But Sinhalese and Muslims (85% of the people) are NOT ALLOWED to make use of the resources in the north while Tamilians can make use of ANY resource ANYWHERE in the country.
How can SL be self sufficient if Vesawalami Law continues?
ONLY north has agricultural land LEFT but ONLY Tamilians can own and use them.
April 8th, 2014 at 12:42 am
LATEST NEWS – STARTLING, SHOCKING
A leaked telephone conversation between USA and Navy Pillai.
USA – Hello is that the South African-Indian NAVY based in Geneva?
Navy – Yes, and who are you?
USA – we are the USA ARMY based in Diego Garcias. Listen Navy, did you hear the latest news?
Navy – No. I am still in bed
USA – Sorry for being indiscreet…are you alone. We must know for security reasons. Do not worry it is not to examine you like we did with that Indian woman diplomat.
Navy – quite honestly I am not alone. I am with…with…well to be truthful, I am with Cum-moron the Britisher.
USA – That is OK, Cum-moron is our man.
Now listen well. Here is the latest. It is about those Sri Lankans. Would you believe they have BEATEN India.
Navy – beaten India?
USA – we understand your bewilderment. Yes, they have beaten India. Can you imagine..two million people have beaten more than one billion Indians.
Navy – With those damned Sri Lankans, anything and everything is possible. First they beat the Tamils, and now they beat the Indians. Even Cum-moron is shaking and rattling.
USA – Well that is not all. It was a massive sexual assault
Navy – How?
USA – The damned Sri Lankans used bats to beat the Indian balls. They used quite a range of options. A fellow called Mahela touched the Indian balls deftly to send them clearing the fences. a fellow called Sanga placed the Indian balls between fine legs and short legs and still cleared the fences. but that strapping fellow called Thissara, he bludgeoned the Indian balls, and according to commentators sent them soaring into the skies.
Navy – did the Indians watch passively?
USA – NO. some of them tried to catch their balls. Some were dropped. but the Indian ball Dilshan hit was caught on the fence.
Navy – But the Indians have bats too. Did they not used them?
USA – Well they tried, but those Sri Lankan buggers are shady characters. They adopted the ruse of swinging their balls both ways, so the Indian bats did not connect. the Indians were so angry with them, they even stoned the home of a fellow called Yuvaraj.
Navy – Was all that videoed clandestinely by that Channel 4 chap?
USA – Those Sri Lankans now care two hoots for clandestine stuff. Just imagine they carried out this massive sexual assault on India in front of all International Television Cameras.
Navy – May be they are planning to carry out such a sexual assault on me too?
USA – Navy do not be silly.They cannot do that to you for obvious reasons, as they only dabble with balls. No problem for you, but maybe for Cum-moron.
Navy – So they are GAY, those Sri Lankans?
USA – Definitely, you should have watched the gay scenes after they had beaten India. Navy, we must bring another resolution against the Sri Lankans for crimes against humanity. Beating more than a billion Indians is more than a simple holocaust practiced on six million. Tell Cum-moron also. Now both of you get up, get dressed and get to work. we must bring this resolution soon.
Mario Perera
Kadawata
April 8th, 2014 at 2:50 am
ONLY north has agricultural land LEFT but ONLY Tamilians can own and use them? is that true than why only NP have water problem !
does any river in NP?
April 8th, 2014 at 6:57 am
Thank you, Dr Karunaratne.
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More thoughts in the direction of Self Preservation of Lanka :
* Yes ! We have to be SELF SUFFICIENT as much as is possible. Friendship and exchange of ideas in Sc&Tech and Security (anti Terrorism/Separatism) matters can go on with every country in the world.
* Rational thinking and Diplomacy is always better than arms production. Arms producing countries become a trap to themselves with citizens killing each other. Gun control is a difficult matter.
* Population control (birth control, family planning) a must for EVERY country. Use local Neem (Kohomba) now proven as an effective birth control method for both females & males.
* Green Energy Sources a must for every country.
* Lanka will have to depend on LOCAL LABOR. In turn, Local Labor has to realize that they are an important part of the entire economy and they are a type of ‘mini king’ in the country and therefore as a group act in a mature and responsible manner. No more imported Labor from Tamil Nadu or any other place. It appears to us that Sri Lanka does not even have in place proper migrant labor laws – no wonder we are in such a mess. No wonder we are awash with illegal migrants. Are any of the illegal migrants caught by the law enforcement agencies ever really sent back ? Who checks on these matters ? We do not have a citizens group checking on such matters. What a Shame !
Do we have proper laws to govern even legal migration into the country ?.
* Bear in mind Tamil Nadu politics. TN is guilty of leading Separatism breaking the South from the North of India (see book “Breaking India” Malhotra/Neelakandan). Only PM Nehru’s Anti-Secessionist Laws (1962) prevents this happening. TN wants to expand at the expense of Sri Lanka too. Tamils of Lanka (Tamil Diaspora especially and Tamil leaders) are being used for this purpose. The Caste/poverty divides of TN (and India) also impinges on Lanka. Lanka can never let down her guard re Self Preservation.
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Mario,
I enjoyed your witty write up !
April 8th, 2014 at 1:39 pm
Fran, Your thoughts No. 3 and 5 does not match. If you do not have an increasing population it will become difficult to maintain an economic growth. I am not an economist, but common sense tells me this. Why are our workers being (after testing with cement bag on their back) sent to Korea ?. Because they do not have enough workers to do that kind of work. Today it is very difficult to find workers in SL.You will find in many work sites displaying advertisements asking for artisans to come and take up jobs. This is the inducements for Kallathnies to creep in. I think we need to double our population for the purpose of economic growth and deffence, and GOSL should give incentives to those working women to have more children.
Today everybody wants to leave SL as the future is not certain. The conditions that prevail today will change tomorrow, so none can plan and engage in business unless one is prepared to pay hefty bribes to officials. Very soon you may have to import Sinhalese from elsewhere.
April 8th, 2014 at 3:55 pm
Dear Garvin,
Our politikkos are not Castros.
Sri Lanka does not make equivalent of BMW, Mercedes Benz, Lexus.
We don’t even make 55 inch TVs, Air con Units.
Our politikkos only TALK. They WANT all the luxurious material things and more.
April 8th, 2014 at 4:30 pm
Fran,
Birth control is NOT the right thing to do. SL lacks labor.
DEPORT all illegal immigrants. That is a better way to control the population.
If you try birth control, ONLY Sinhalese will do it. Muslims and Tamils NEVER do it. Using force to control births has FAILED even in China today. China has SCRAPPED the one child policy already.
April 9th, 2014 at 8:52 am
Birth Control has to be done by all countries, particularly small countries with limited resources. Also, large Asian countries such as India and China also as they are probably now at maximum or even over maximum re population.
A higher quality of life is possible in Lanka with smaller population. There is an OPTIMUM POPULATION for any given country in keeping with Resources, and Lankans ought to strive for that number, give or take a few thousands.
The world has 7 Billion people. How many more can be accommodated without wars and strife/death happening due to climate change, starvation, disease on a mass scale ?
———-
Aloy,
In Lanka, it is not that Lanka is short of numbers for Labor, it is that certain jobs are not made attractive enough through training, pay, dignity of Labor whatever the task, pensions, mechanization & modernization, and a host of other reasons.
Lorenzo,
Agree that all illegal migrants must be deported.
Those who can afford to have children i.e. bring them up without want, they are free to have them. In any country, it is the poorest of the poor who have the largest numbers of children. But free birth control methods must be made available to one and all so that a choice can be made by parents. Also, unwanted pregnancies prevented.
April 9th, 2014 at 11:21 am
Some thoughts on Money :
* As money matters stand in the world, Money appears to be ruling over People – Money more important than People.
* For Money to serve its purpose : Money has to be as evenly distributed and circulated as much as possible. Reliable methods must be in place for safeguarding deposits of money or systems will breakdown due to lack of trust.
* Money is there to SERVE THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE. Money by itself is a lifeless entity; it is People who bring Money to life !
Adam Smith in his book “Wealth of Nations” (on Capitalism) advocated that Labor needs be looked after. Capitalism or any of the -isms may work only on a PEOPLE FIRST basis. Example: Production of Goods & Services can go on apace in the hope of profits, but what good will it do to the Entrepreneur to make Profits if the masses do not have money in their pockets to purchase such goods & services ???
April 9th, 2014 at 1:26 pm
aloy,
I went into the SL Dept of Statistics and got some figures (approx) re Employed & Unemployed people working age.
Very briefly, for the the 4th Quarter of 2013, the Total Employed are 8.3 Million (Male & Female).
The Total Unemployed of working age are 7.7 Million (Male & Female). Please check on these figures and let me know if I am wrong.
There appears to be a large number of unemployed people in Sri Lanka. Reasons ?
I think people try to get out of Sri Lanka because of a lack of a sense of peace and stability.
April 9th, 2014 at 4:47 pm
Fran, As the thread suggests way to be self reliant to face our enemies, the most important thing I believe we should have is the defence. It was a problem for Kotte kings, so they allowed south Indians to occupy coastal area to ward off Malays, thus creating another problem. Even then a Naval force of 30,000 from China took the Kotte king to their land forcing him to bow to their emperor. Even our present rulers will have to bow to many others if they see us as a weak nation. That is what Cameron is doing. We need a large force of several millions for that until we get the deterrent.
I do not believe the statistics given out by the census and statistics department. To my mind they only come out with things the GOSL of the day wants.
April 9th, 2014 at 5:42 pm
Fran,
From the 2012 table for 20 years & over population, 4.87 million are Rural, 1.20 million are Urban, 1.20 million are Male, 4.87 million are Female, out of a 6.07 million Total.
This shows that most of the people who are not in the labor force are in Rural areas and they are women. This could be due to two reasons:
1. They are self employed on their own farms and small businesses and do not consider themselves employees of anyone else, and do not report their income to avoid taxation, and
2. They are full-time home-makers and/or mothers.
In both these cases, I would not classify them as not contributing to the labor force. As self-employed farmers and small businessmen, both men and women contribute to productivity. As homemakers, women provide a valuable, but unpaid, service in their own homes, that they would otherwise have to pay someone else to do.
The numbers in the statistics don’t tell the whole story, but only that which is reported to the data gatherers excluding the “underground” unreported, but yet productive, economy of the country.
April 9th, 2014 at 5:45 pm
Fran,
Oops! I forgot to say that those numbers I quoted are for people “Not in Labor Force” from the 20 years and over population.
April 9th, 2014 at 6:21 pm
Another way to face the enemy is to convince them that the Brits are up to no good. Tamils helped them to build their empire by taking them to various corners of the earth, but they never gave a piece of land for themselves. If they wanted they could have easily given the northern part of SL or even TN for their own before they left. They never did it because they want to continue to use them, to create favourable conditions where ever they are. When will the Tamils understand the folly?.
April 9th, 2014 at 7:35 pm
Aloy,
The enemy has a plan. They are ruthless.
They want to create Ealam first , use it to capture TN second.
They will use all sources, USA, UK, Europe or ANTHING.
No convincing is possible.
Only way is to convert the Smart ones who want to live and enjoy life. They are very few.
April 9th, 2014 at 8:12 pm
Nanda,
Those western countries have their own agendas. If they wanted to help our enemy why did they gave the location of the Tiger ships. That was the straw that broke the camels back. Unfortunate people, they will never have a land of their own.
April 9th, 2014 at 8:22 pm
USA and the west helped Sri Lanka get rid of Tamil terrorists. Now they want to divide the island nation. For us these two seems disparaging as we look from pro-Sri Lanka verses pro-Tamil view. We must look at these from the western point of view to udnerstand the reasons behind. Obviously both are parts of a single plan to occupy the strategic island (north and the north-east) for military purposes. USA attempted in the Maldives last year but failed as the Maldivian Constitution specifically bans foreign military activity and to the utter surprise of the Americans, the new Maldivian interim rulers (who caputured power in a coup) upheld the constitution.
April 10th, 2014 at 6:26 am
Ananda & aloy,
Thanks for clarification and input.
——
I agree with Dilrook. Sri Lanka is vulnerable from Tamil Separatism/Terrorism and vested interests. Britain got used to using Trinco as a base during WW II. The Cold War that followed WW II gave leverage to Tamil Separatism, one riding on the back of the other. Best follow the Maldives and pass a Law in Sri Lanka not to allow foreign military activity in Lanka. Smart thinking will prevent millions of deaths, chaos and destruction in the future.
Also, Sri Lanka is vulnerable to modern imported Economic Theory with its flawed Money Market theories. What do we do ?
Self Sufficiency as much as possible and officially revoking the V’koddai Resolution (1976) are the next steps to take, among others.
Sri Lankan brinkmanship is dangerous. Can’t help feeling that this is part of the Regime Change Plan. Wonder who is responsible for this perfidy re Pensions. Pensions are essential for a sense of security – Pensions are (however meagre) one of the main reasons why people get to work in the govt service.
See article below :
” Sri Lanka’s trade unions to protest government’s decision on pension
Wed, Apr 9, 2014, 11:00 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Apr 09, Colombo: Trade unions in Sri Lanka will jointly protest the government’s decision to replace the pension gratuity to state sector employees with a bank loan.
The National Trade Union Centre (NTUC) has called a discussion with all trade unions to discuss the course of action to be taken to protest against the government’s decision.
The meeting will be held tomorrow (10) at the NTUC headquarters in Battaramulla.
NTUC Convener Samantha Koralearachchi has said the NTUC has decided to commence a protest campaign against the injustice to the state sector employees.
He has observed that the government’s move would make pensioners debtors.
According to Koralearachchi, there is no logical reason for the government to convert the pension gratuity to state employees into a bank loan and it was indicative of the severe financial crisis faced by the government.
The trade unions are to make a final decision tomorrow on the action to be taken on the repealing of the pension gratuity”.
April 10th, 2014 at 11:52 am
aloy,
This part of what you have written : “It was a problem for Kotte kings, so they allowed south Indians to occupy coastal area to ward off Malays, thus creating another problem. Even then a Naval force of 30,000 from China took the Kotte king to their land forcing him to bow to their emperor”.
Never heard of this before. Can you give us the reference source and more details ?
April 10th, 2014 at 12:00 pm
Fran,
The trade union protests on pensions in Sri Lanka are NOT RELATED TO THE BASE PENSION ITSELF, but to a freebie “bonus” that was given by the GOSL on top of the base pension.
No Govt should be required to pay bonuses when it cannot be afforded for economic or budgetary reasons, or the performance of the recipients does not warrant it.That is why it is a nbonus and not a part of the base pension. It should not be considered to be a PERMANENT INVIOLABLE part of the base pension, but something that is given only when it can be afforded.
On the other hand, converting the bonus to a bank loan IS effectively TAKING IT AWAY, because a bank loan has to be repaid.
April 10th, 2014 at 5:46 pm
Ananda,
Thanks very much for clarification. I heaved a sigh of relief !
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April 10th, 2014 at 7:32 pm
Fran, It was either in Mahavamsa or another Sinhala history book that I read about the attacks on our coastal area by Malays. It was mentioned that they used to come in large numbers with bows and poisoned arrows, and these arrows came to the Sinhala soldiers like a rain. So, to contain them Kotte kings they allowed people from South India to occupy the coastal areas provided they become Buddhists and assimilate. I think it worked. The Chinese have been dominating the seas and perhaps had a large naval force to take away the Kotte king Alekeshwara. Whether he was a Sinhala king or another like Sri Wickrama Rajasingha, was not mentioed. It seems to this day their successive generations are still living in China retaining the Sinhala names. The 30,000 figure was taken from an article that appeared in CNN yesterday. I know it is wrong on my part to use that figure.
I have come across a tribe in Africa (from central Africa) whose language sounds very much like Chinese and their names also like Chinese. Names like Hua, Chia, Tsang, etc are very common.
I have been commenting in this site neglecting my project for upgrading a certain software which I used for design of roads many years ago. I want to put in line with a widely used package from Autodesk. I will return when I have finished.
April 11th, 2014 at 6:53 am
aloy,
Thanks for response. Neither of the events you mention have been stated in the well known history books on Lanka. However, I have not read any of the ancient texts of Mahavamsa or Chulavamsa, and am therefore not qualified to refute the statements.
But I request one and all not to make statements that are vague and not to make statements unless sure of facts.
———-
Today, due to the internet, it is easy to create fact out of fiction or half facts.
———-
Back to the Trade Union and the new suggestions of bank loans in lieu of bonus/gratuity matter :
The journalist should have stated that the pensions are safe and untampered with and then gone on to the matter of the additional ‘bonus’. Careless journalism there.
We wish the Trade Unions would take this opportunity and use a lump sum soft loan from the bank/s and start their own businesses. Food (pouches, no need for refrigeration) and Clean Water, Green energy projects ought to be viable and bring some profit and great satisfaction to move in the desired direction of Self Sufficiency and Safety.
April 11th, 2014 at 7:25 am
making clear :
When I said ‘well know history books on Lanka’, I meant the school history books in Sinhala, as well as some books on Lanka history translated into English, and did not mean to include the Mahavamsa or Chulavamsa which are the main books.
——
aloy,
Good luck to you on your projects upgrading software.
April 11th, 2014 at 7:49 am
Fran, one last comment:
All facts stated above are true and accurate. Except the figure of 30,000 and the some details of that African tribe are common knowledge. There were articles about the remnants of those SL people in china in local news paper sometime ago.
I have many engineer friends from that Africans tribe when I was working in Nigeria.
Thanks for wishing me success.
April 11th, 2014 at 11:46 am
aloy,
You are right about Alakeswara.
This man, Alakeswara, was the lead person in a powerful family. The story is in Wikipedia. The part of his capture by Admiral Zheng – that is the first time I heard of it, though I had knowledge of the name Alakeswara. Perhaps I ought to attribute my lack of real interest in Ceylon History as partly due to our school teacher who, I am sorry to say, was not an imaginative person to bring history alive, unlike our European History teacher who made events come alive for us and I got top marks for the subject from that teacher.
Anyway, here is the relevant part :
“End of the family’s power
After Alakeswara’s death, established as between 1382 and 1392, there was disunity in his family with family members fighting each other for power and procession. Kumara Alakesvara, half-brother of king Buwanekabahu V[13] controlled the region from 1386–87 and was followed by Vira Alakesvara from 1387 onwards until 1391, when he was ousted by the rival claimants relative. He came back to power with the help of foreign mercenaries in 1399. He ruled until 1411 when he confronted the visiting Chinese Admiral Zheng He resulting in a war. Zheng captured and took to him to China, returning him to the country a year later. However the humiliation suffered due to this incident, and the decades of infighting within the family, greatly diminished its political power”.
This man, Alakeswara was returned to Lanka after about an year, says the write up. I am supposing that the few Sinhala people in China are descendants of people captured along with Alakeswara, but were never allowed to return to Lanka.
So I close my case, and thanks for disclosing a bit of history previously unknown to me.