Sad Sri Lankan

How did the Yahapalanaya booby trap the Rajapaksa Govt so that the R Bros would be trapped for Yahapalanaya’s sins?  

In 2014 the external debt was $42,262,755,067. By 2019 during the time the Yahapalanaya was in power, the external debt had gone up to $56,095,468,647, How did this happen? 

* The Yahapalanaya Govt introduced “Neo-Liberal” policies when they came into power. This enabled the Western countries to export their goods to Sri Lanka. Many local industries which were producing goods went under since the imported items were better and cheaper. 

* In addition, Yahapalanaya kept getting debt in the form of Sovereign Bonds which became due at the time of the Rajapaksa Govt. The Yahapalanaya Govt took an additional $1.15 Billion from the IMF. 

* The Yahapalanaya Govt leased out the Hambantota harbor for 99 yrs which Mahinda Rajapakse got built with great efforts, to the Chinese for $1.12 Billion.

* They had two massive Bond scams which cost the country around Rs. 80 Billion. 

What was done with all this money? They spent it on consumer goods and imported luxury cars which people were allowed to sell and make money for their ministers. No development work was done during that time. They canceled the Sampur power plant that Mahinda had started which would have supplied the power during the drought period. They also canceled the Port City and then went back to it after two years on worse terms than Mahinda had got for Sri Lanka. The Yahapalanaya had a wonderful chance to pay down the debt and do some development since crude oil prices were low and we were getting tourists, and good prices for tea, etc. They threw the chance away and wasted the money on the import of cars and other luxury goods. 

The external debt today is around $51 Billion. This means in spite of the Covid 19, the lack of tourists, lack of earnings from employees abroad, low tea prices, and high crude oil prices, the Rajapaksas have managed to lower the debt by $5 Billion. 

What is happening today is the same as what happened in 2015. In 2015 when people were using social media, and a large number of unbelievable stories (R Bros as owners of fleets of Ferraris and golden horses, etc  !!) were spread about the Rajapaksas which were believed by some of our stupid people resulting in Mahinda Rajapaksa going back to his ancestral home in Medamulana. He seemed to be happy to go back home and take it easy after the war with LTTE and various foreign powers which were trying to destabilize the country. He did not even bother to fight the misinformation that was put out to get rid of him.  Next, after the Yahapalanaya came in, people realized that they had been duped and went in busloads to Medamulana and begged Mahinda to come back. Thereafter, Mahinda formed the SLPP which won a resounding victory in 2019.  

In 2015, Sirisena was elected as the President due to all the lies that were spread about the Rajapakasas. It was a Presidential election and yet as soon as he was elected, he appointed Ranil as the Prime Minister which was illegal since there was already a Prime Minister and Cabinet. Ranil knew he could never contest and win the election on his own. When Sirisena was asked why he did that against all the laws of the country, he replied that the “West wanted him to appoint Ranil”. Sirisena also announced in August 2015 a few days before the general election, that he will not appoint Mahinda as Prime Minister even if he wins. 

Ranil, as soon as he became Prime Minister appointed Paskaralingam who was Premadasa’s secretary to the Ministry of Housing, as Treasury Secretary, and then appointed Arjun Mahendran who was a Singaporean as the Governor of the Central Bank, thus breaking the law. We all know that it resulted in two bond scams that cost the country around Rs.80 Billion. 

Mangala Samaraweera made a statement in Parliament that MR had $18 Billion in a Dubai bank. The Yahapalanaya Govt appointed a team called the Financial Crimes Investigation Dept (FCID) and investigated the Rajapaksas thoroughly and found nothing against them. They sent a crack police team to Dubai to investigate Mangala’s claim in Parliament and found nothing. In spite of it, they jailed Namal and tried to jail Mrs. Rajapaksa too. The entire SLFP group was relegated to the backbenches and the TNA which had only 16 seats, was appointed as the main Opposition party in the Parliament. That is how Democracy operated from 2015 to 2019. 

Only a few years ago when the LTTE was killing our soldiers, numerous able leaders from all political parties and ordinary people with suicide bombers and explosions in trains and buses, who came to the rescue of the country to save it? The Opposition only wanted to appease their Western masters and they followed the advice of the Norwegian peace negotiators who were appointed by CBK and told the Govt that the LTTE was too strong to defeat militarily. It was the Rajapaksa family with Mahinda as the President and GR as the Defence Secretary who saved the country and all the people, including ordinary Tamil folk and their children from the terror of the LTTE. 

President GR knew how to battle since he had been a soldier who was decorated for bravery. He had got injured in the field and nearly lost his life when the LTTE threw a bomb at him. The military under President Mahinda did everything to save the 300,000 plus Tamil civilians who were kidnapped by the LTTE to form a ‘human shield’ to protect the LTTE, resulting in the death of more soldiers. Was the LTTE ever accused by the UNHRC of war criminals in Sri Lanka for nearly 30 yrs ?. No ! instead the UNHRC brought a Resolution against the brave soldiers who saved the country and this was co-sponsored by the Yahapalanaya Govt which was trying to appease various foreign interests.  

Today, the situation that developed in the country was beyond anyone’s control. We had two years of Covid just as the Rajapaksas took power in 2020. We lost the entire tourist business, the migrant workers, and the economy itself was affected by the lockdown. We should not forget that Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the Presidential election with a very large majority. 

When the Covid happened, Prez GR took charge immediately and controlled the situation so well that we had only 22 deaths initially since the country was put into lockdown quickly. Later the numbers increased since the Opposition fought the lockdown. In comparison to the USA, Europe, India, etc,  where hundreds of thousands died, the Sri Lanka govt did well. Imagine if the Opposition were in power during these times! Do you think there is any other leader other than President GR who could have taken quick, strong decisions ?. Only a battle-wise veteran like Colonel Gotabaya Rajapaksa assisted by General Shavendra Silva could have saved the country from the LTTE and Covid. 

In spite of the unprecedented problems faced by the Govt due to situations in the world, the Rajapaksa Govt has faced every issue and is also doing a lot of development work that will bear good results in the future. 

*They just opened one of the biggest Cement factories in Hambantota,

*A 1000MW solar power plant agreement was signed with India, and Gota has given instructions for 5000MW of renewable power just in the last two months to address climate change and to increase the electricity supply. 

*There is also a big effort to clean up the food supply of Sri Lanka which was causing CKDU in massive numbers, killing people in the rice-growing areas.  

It is unfortunate that the Govt is short of foreign exchange due to the Covid and the past war with the LTTE, and the world economic situation. 

Sri Lanka lost simultaneously tourism and migrant workers remittances in 2020, 2021. Instead of standing together with the Govt that has looked after the people so well, the Opposition is trying to take advantage of the present difficult times to bring down the Govt so that they can come into power.  

Some of the people who were living on commissions from imports are not happy with the current Govt. Nor are the drug lords who were making a lot of money during the Yahapalanaya Govt. During that time the drug distributors were openly selling drugs near schools. All that was stopped by GR and MR. They saved and are saving  ALL the children of Sri Lanka, then and now. 

I am also wondering who is funding the protest meetings on Galle Face green. Is it LTTE diaspora money or is it the foreign funding as happened in 2015? There are some powerful countries trying to use the Tamil diaspora to divide the country, possibly with the bigger prize of India in mind. We must be aware that India does not want to be re-colonized. They will not tolerate such moves coming through Sri Lanka.   Please be aware of all the enemies of our poor little island that has been trying to take over the island for over 2500 years. There are also other vested interests who have always tried to create trouble for the Rajapaksas such as middlemen dealing in various commodities, drug lords, etc. 

Some advice to the people of Sri Lanka:  At this dark hour stand strong with proven loyal leaders who have shown ability and are moving the country forward, in spite of all the world issues.  We can all see that there are some difficulties to balance forces at play, and instead of trying to use it as an opportunity to topple the Govt and take over as was done in 2015, please be patient and let them carry on for their term and solve Sri Lanka’s 

problems with safety and honor for all.  If we keep changing Govts each time there is a global situation, the country will only go more and more backward. We have to realize that we are a very small country and need to balance ourselves against some of the major powers who dominate the world. It takes great diplomacy to balance on the knife-edge to keep the major powers from taking over or re-colonizing our country, which India and the SE Asian region will oppose with all their strength. Work together with all proven Life Supportive groups from anywhere in the world and we can all win through.  

I would suggest that the youth who are demonstrating should sit down with MR and GR and suggest that they continue their term till 2024 and request them to change the method of election and governance to a different one where the party system is removed and replaced by something along the lines of what several people have suggested in the Lankaweb. . 

What we need :  

**  We in Sri Lanka need an OATH OF ALLEGIANCE from one and all !!

**  We in Sri Lanka do NOT need political parties. The best in the land can be ELECTED by the People to Govern the country.

The current party system based on politics does not seem to work in Sri Lanka or anywhere else. When parties come into power they are busy collecting money to fight for the next election in 4 years’ time. Even in the USA where they are proud of their democratic system, it does not work. Currently, they have two parties in the USA that are both funded mostly by Corporations.  As a result, the policies for both parties are created mostly by the Corporate lobbyists. Most of the countries in Europe are following mostly Socialist policies (as per the Founder of Capitalism, Adam Smith.  Read his book Wealth of Nations”).  

India appears to be willing to give $2 Billion as a loan so is the World Bank and the IMF is also considering giving $3-4 Billion. China has said they are doing its utmost to help Sri Lanka. If the country sinks into anarchy due to the sudden removal of GR and MR then this help may not be forthcoming. 

I urge the youth who are demonstrating asking for GR and MR to leave to consider very carefully their actions. All the world leaders appear to have a lot of respect for the Rajapaksas for the way they have handled all the issues since they first came into power in 2005. We have one chance to get it right and get the country straightened out. If we lose it then it will sink into chaos and there are certain powers who may actually wish that to happen so that it can be broken up. Therefore, please consider your actions very carefully as they will impact many generations to come and all of Lanka will suffer, one way or the other.