Courtesy Adaderana

President Ranil Wickremesinghe today (May 25) expressed his appreciation for the support extended by Japan to Sri Lanka for the economic recovery process.

He conveyed this during the bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.

We have made remarkable headway as far as the debt restructuring talks are concerned,” Reuters quoted President Wickremesinghe as saying.

He has also expressed confidence that the island nation should be able to conclude the newly-launched debt restructuring talks by September, or November at the latest.

Citing a Japanese official, Reuters said the meeting between the two leaders, their first since last September, is unlikely to generate a new initiative but both sides would take a stock of the efforts to restructure debt.

President Wickremesinghe also met with former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga this morning and invited Japanese investments while outlining the economic recovery in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan leader also attended a breakfast meeting hosted by former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and the Japan-Sri Lanka Association in Tokyo earlier today, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported.

President Wickremesinghe’s meeting comes after Japan, India and France jointly unveiled a common platform for talks among bilateral creditors to co-ordinate debt restructuring.

The island nation defaulted on its foreign debt for the first time in its history in April last year as the worst financial crisis since independence from Britain in 1948 crushed its economy.

The IMF called this week for timely restructuring pacts with the country’s creditors. The global lender said Sri Lanka’s macroeconomic situation was improving, although earlier it had predicted the economy would contract this year.

-with inputs from Reuters

By Rohana R. Wasala Courtesy The Island

The Jerome Fernando escapade, if rightly handled, will provide a golden opportunity to neutralise external threats to the prevailing peaceful religious coexistence in the Sinhalese Buddhist majority Sri Lanka. I hope that the fair minded reader will not immediately condemn me as a Sinhalese racist and a Buddhist extremist for stating a rational expectation in those terms based on facts. I am proud of my Sinhalese race, as an individual born to parents considered racially Sinhalese, but I never hold myself as superior or inferior to people of other races, but only as equal to them as humans. I outgrew religion at the young age of sixteen and now, in my sunset years, I still remain firm in those my early convictions. I have always tried to follow the secular moral principles intrinsic to Buddhism which inspires the ethical culture into which I was born. 

Over the past many days, a maverick Christian pastor (rumoured to be of the Born Again sect) by the name of Jerome Fernando, a self-styled prophet, has been hogging the attention of the media, especially the social media, for insulting the Buddha and Buddhism, as well as Hindu and Islamic religions by making certain derogatory remarks about them during a sermon or service that he conducted. About the Buddha he asserted that Jesus was the Light that he sought. Unfortunately, hardly anyone among the vociferous critics seems to understand, like I do, that Jerome Fernando is bringing disgrace and disrepute to the noble religion he claims to profess, through what Buddhists are likely to consider his blatant lies, delusional beliefs, and deceptive stratagems. Kirthi Ratnayake (former air force officer turned investigative journalist) said, during an interview with YouTuber Chamuditha Samarawickrema, that Jerome Fernando once before uttered something worse in Sinhala: ‘budun ettha, namuth satyaya nowei/Buddha is true, but not the Truth’. If he is rash enough to judge the Buddha, one can guess how impervious he is to the sensitivities of ordinary Buddhists. Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you (Matthew 7: Verses 1 and 2, NKJV). This is almost identical with Buddhism. Galatians 6: Verse 7 has this: …whatever a man sows, that he will also reap…, which, needless to say, like the above, agrees exactly with the kamma/karma concept of Buddhism.

For the information of Jerome Fernando and the people whom he was trying to mislead, (particularly for the benefit of the latter) I offer the following facts: Gautama Buddha used the metaphor of light for  the Enlightenment he achieved: Declaring aloko udapadi” Light arose”, he rejoiced soon after his Enlightenment. He visited his five  former closest colleagues and co-seekers to share with them what he had discovered: There arose in  me vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light”. That is, light came to him with his Enlightenment. (Incidentally, the traditional Vesak illuminations that you saw in Sri Lanka around May 5 and 6 were for commemorating the Buddha’s Enlightenment, the Arising of the Light.) The Buddha dedicated his life to teaching and guiding people towards seeing the Supreme Truth of Nibbana. Never did he force anyone to accept his teaching and follow it unless they saw for themselves its potential for enabling them to realise the ultimate truth through their own unaided individual efforts. If you are ill, you must take medicines. No one else can take medicines for your illness. You are your own saviour. In the last analysis, this is pretty much what all religions teach their followers (I don’t include Buddhism among religions). Each individual is responsible for their own emancipation (from the unsatisfactory state of earthly existence). ‘Atta deepo bhava/Be a light or lamp unto yourself’ is the essence of the Kalama Sutta to which I will refer later in this essay.

But let’s begin from the beginning. According to news reports published in online sources that I usually access, Vidura Wickremanayake, the minister for Buddhashasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs stated that he was going to take stern action against this person; and president Ranil Wickremasinghe instructed Sagala Ratnayake, presidential advisor and head of the Presidential Task Force to initiate an immediate investigation into pastor Jerome Fernando saying that his irresponsible statements could lead to conflicts that would be detrimental to religious reconciliation. Their assurances ring hollow, though, to say the least. 

Knowledgeable critics such as Dr Wasantha Bandara, spokesperson for the Federation of National Organisations (FNO), says that Wickremasinghe (if he was really serious) should have assigned the task mentioned to the DIG who is equipped with the knowledge, competence and capacity, and has  the necessary personnel to do it,  instead of his close buddy greenhorn Sagala Ratnayake.  As for Vidura Wickremanayake, when he visited the eastern province as minister a couple of years ago, he didn’t care to listen to the grievances of the well known Madakalapuwe Hamuduruwo. (This monk is still conducting his lone struggle against corrupt and inefficient government servants of his area who,  under the influence of the local racist and casteist MPs, neglect to perform their duties properly to relieve the hardships of the innocent poverty-stricken rural residents of a couple of isolated villages there belonging to all three communities; but the minister, on that occasion, did not forget to exchange pleasantries with the very Tamil MPs or their stooges he was complaining against waiting not far from where he was standing to urge the visiting dignitary to look into his legitimate petitions on behalf of those suffering people. Obviously, political considerations prevented the minister from attending to the monk, who later showed the episode in one of his YouTube videos. I derived this information from that video. 

Having said that, in my humble opinion as a genuinely concerned, but not unduly worried, ordinary Sri Lankan, the president’s or the minister’s involvement in this case is not necessary (which, I am sure, is their attitude as well) beyond the point where they  leave the law enforcement authorities to deal with the matter without any improper interference from any quarter in or with the due legal processes.

Father Cyril Gamini of the Catholic Church has told the media that Jerome Fernando has no connection with his church. Some prominent Buddhist monks, Hindu kurukkals, and Muslim maulvis have also roundly condemned the man, while pointing at the existing inter-religious amity in the Buddhist-majority country. However, Jerome Fernando’s proselytising utterances and activities as a born again Christian pastor have different implications for the adherents of the four main religious faiths of Sri Lanka, Christians and Muslims on the one hand, and Buddhists and Hindus on the other. Therefore, they are bound to create distrust and disharmony between the diverse communities. To preserve the unity in diversity that we have enjoyed for many centuries and still cherish, Jerome Fernando must be exposed for what he is, and the poison he has begun spreading must be immediately counteracted.

Although there is no one single definition of religion universally accepted by scholars of religious systems around the world, the most commonly accepted one (particularly, in the West) is what the Oxford Dictionary defines as ‘the belief in and/or a superhuman controlling power, especially a god or gods’. Hinduism and Buddhism cannot be classified as religions according to this definition, though they also have certain specific spiritual concepts and practices considered sacred that inform long established cultural traditions involving ritual observances, shrines, and objects of worship. Emeritus professor of Princeton Theological Seminary Max Lynn Stackhouse provides a definition  of religion that I think might roughly accommodate Buddhism and Hinduism: (a religion is) “a comprehensive worldview or ‘metaphysical moral vision’ that is accepted as binding because it is held to be in itself basically true and just even if all dimensions of it cannot be either fully confirmed or refuted.”

Now the problem is that in less enlightened times believers in religions covered by the Oxford Dictionary definition given above were required to dismiss other religious belief systems that didn’t come within that identification, as ‘heresies’. That term used to be applied to the Dharmic religions of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. But Abrahamic religions (Christianity and Islam, not to mention Judaism) have moderated that extremist attitude since. Only a few extremists today would hold on to mediaeval ideas which usually led to violence against people of other spiritual traditions whom they considered ‘infidels’. Jerome Fernando may be harking back to that outdated mentality, which was behind zealous, self-righteous conversion movements targeting unbelievers or non-believers who were deemed to be in need of being saved in so-called pagan lands; such proselytising attempts were not always nonviolent. 

In Sri Lanka, freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed to all the citizens. A citizen can profess any religion, practise it, teach it, and disseminate its message among others, but through legitimate means. The sort of blatant abuse of Sri Lanka’s most liberal institution of freedom of religious belief and practice that Jerome Fernando is being accused of cannot be expected of a pastor who claims to have been inspired by Jesus’ answer to a question by Nicodemus the Pharisee (a prominent Jew of the time credited with thorough knowledge of the scriptures and great saintliness): Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” in the Gospel according to John 3:3 (NKJV), where this means ‘born again in spirit, not in flesh’. For the Christian believer this is deeply meaningful. A believer who has ‘seen the kingdom of God’ cannot be thought to be guilty of such outrageous conduct as Jerome Fernando is displaying.  By the way, this ‘born again’ idea is akin to the ‘twice born’ (Sanskrit: dvija) sacrament of initiation of a young Brahman’s spiritual journey in terms of Hinduism. Buddhism and the more ancient Hinduism have much in common, and are almost identical in their Dharmic aspect, except that Buddhism has no belief in the existence of an eternal soul (Atman) unlike Hinduism.

(to be continued)

INSIGHT BY SUNIL KUMAR

The aggravating news from Canada is  that the Sri Lankan High Commission in Canada has raised objections to the erection of a monument to commemorate what the Tamil community living there calls “genocide” of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka during the Tamil Tiger insurrection

This follows in the heels of the Media Report about the Canadian Prime Minister’s speech on the 14th of May calling the nearly 4 decade long insurgent uprising by Tamil Tiger Terrorists a Genocide which has raised anger and objections over the Canadian PM’s words from a a vast majority of Sri Lankans both globally and within Sri Lanka as the term Genocide has been wrongly applied to  defensive actions taken by the Government of Sri Lanka against an internal armed insurrection by Tamil Terrorists backed by some of the Tamil Community in a quest for separation and a break up of Sovereign Sri Lanka violating her territorial integrity where there were lives lost in a very intense war of wasted effects by the insurgents and huge losses of life and property where Terrorists inflicted nation destructive damage and the losses were reflected on both sides of the conflict which cannot be termed a Genocide. beyond being an internal armed insurrection which was put down legitimately by a Sovereign Nation in defense of people, territory and property.

The construction of this memorial in the municipal area called ‘Brampton’ in the greater Toronto area has taken place recently although incomplete  but the principle of it seems to rest on the assent of a misguided Mayor of Brampton as well as the Prime Minister who should never have consented to this memorial in the name of Genocide which seems to suggest that it was an act based on the appeasing of the Tamil community in Canada whose voter allegiances are for the ruling Liberal Party where a vast database of Tamil constituents exists, consequently securing their votes for the next election perhaps as the case appears to be.

Despite Sri Lanka’s objection,it appears that Brampton mayor Patrick Brown has granted permission to build this monument to commemorate the lives lost in the Sri Lankan Civil War. It is an area with a large concentration of Sri Lankan Tamils but somewhat myopic and misguided on the part of all concerned authorizing it on the basis of Genocide.

A top official of the Sri Lankan mission in Ottawa has acknowledged that a request for a similar monument had been made to another municipal council, but the mayor had turned it down probably being in possession of his sensibilities and cognizance relative to legality and definition.

The LTTE remains a banned organization in Canada. Therefore, extremist activists don’t use the word ‘LTTE’ in any of their activities  where they indulge in their covert activities underground and are not tolerated in any capacity as a recognized  organization.

by Professor Sunil J.  Wimalawansa

Pre-requisites for economic development and the need for a new constitution

The stagnation of the Sri Lankan economy since gaining independence from the British is striking.  This is due to selfish politicians lacking: a vision for the country, forward-looking policies, and long-term national development plans (e.g., for clean water).  The failure to address social and economic issues and plan and implement future needs via education, agriculture, land reforms, infrastructure development, and judicial system has been a disaster for the county.  

It is disturbing to see the trend of focusing only on short-term policies/projects that provide self-gain for politicians at taxpayers’ expense.  In conjunction with rotten amendments, adding to the flawed 1977 constitution, opened doors for prevailing widespread corruption at each level of the government.  No wonder the country is not progressing.  To achieve success, each of these factors must be addressed candidly, especially replacing the constitution with the abolition of the executive presidency, without loopholes, and assuring the full independence of the judiciary from the executive branch. 

In addition, it is essential to replace outdated laws to improve the social condition and prevent further deterioration of values and the Hela culture.  Politicians are eager to expand the alcohol and tobacco industries and dish out liquor licenses like new year’s gifts to their cronies.  These will not only fatten the pockets of politicians but also increase businesses/profits for hospitals and undertakers.  Such unscrupulous activities by ministers dramatically increase criminal activities and ill health and erode the country’s culture, social, and economic status.  Instead of expanding licenses, it should curtail importing alcohol, enact a law to stop issuing new liquor licenses and revoke 500 licenses each month.  This would allow a gradual reduction of legitimate and controlled outlets to what it had in 1970.

Adverse effects and increasing healthcare costs due to poor decision-making

As described above, a new vision for Sri Lanka and proper decision-making and implementation of projects will lead to major economic and social benefits.  Besides, the positive impacts of seemingly such measures would tremendously impact the well-being of families and the country, reduce healthcare costs, improve law and order, and lessen prison burdens.  Government must have the courage to implement these—if it cannot, it should declare a general election and let others do it.  It must implement what is best for most constituents, despite the objections from conflicted officials, individuals, and groups—influential stakeholders.  The loss of revenue from the loss of liquor licenses and tobacco promotions/advertisements will be more than offset by healthcare savings, less absenteeism and increased productivity, and improved law and order.

Another critical area is the significant harmful effects on the population’s health from the mushrooming of the fast-food (junk food) industry.  Adverse impacts of this mainly affect children from the upper-middle class.  The grossly unwise decision by the government to approve to copy of the failed disastrous junk food system in Sri Lank is a sad story.  A few years ago, the author directly warned the government authorities and via local television discussions about the impending harmful effects of approving multi-national companies selling unhealthy fast food in Sri Lanka (and other developing countries).  These unwholesome foods contain empty calories (loaded with high-fructose and pork fat/lard) with no nutritional value, having a major impact on causing childhood obesity and diabetes. 

These harmful fast-food ingredients include fructose-corn syrup, fried in cheap oil used often, lard (saturated fats), and refried cooking oils (extremely unhealthy) containing trans fat.  These not only increase cancer risks but also obesity, diabetes, reduced immunity, and poor educational performance.  Based on the evidence, the author predicts that mentioned harmful effects will double” every five years.  Deviating from the traditional healthy, Sri Lankan balanced diet by the gullible younger generation, provided by their parents, will be a healthcare nightmare for the country.  Children are carried away (i.e., brainwashed) by falsified television and billboard advertisements.  Parents unknowingly or knowingly feed their children into this disaster: partly to show off their status to peers and to satisfy children’s naïve demands.

Unfortunately, the government and the media support this to generate revenue for themselves but accelerate the impending disaster due to short-term financial gains.  This is conflicted by the taking commissions and bribes with the disguise of generating tax revenue.  Politicians focused on these short-term gains by compromising our children’s and grandchildren’s health—this is not the first time the government failed to put the country first. 

It is time to think about the longer-term negative public health consequences, especially regarding childhood obesity, diabetes and associated mental and physical medical disorders, escalating healthcare costs, loss of productivity, and a significant increase in morbidity and mortality and premature deaths.  With the approval of fast-food industry licenses, the government imposed harmful effects on our children.  It was a dangerous and short-sighted measure to increase revenue and bribes—an act against the health of our children.  One should not copy and blindly implement such harmful measures that will increase the cost of healthcare, which costs more than ten times the expected tax revenue.  The detrimental effects of this poor policy will start manifesting in our society within five years.

It is not too late for the government to reverse this unthoughtful, damaging, and dangerous miscalculation, albeit a profitable short-term business.  Government should consider replacing the fast-food promotions with a campaign to educate the public on using local nutritious food and promote home gardening, as the author’s family foundation (Wimalawansa Foundation) and others have been doing for a while.  Taking the proper actions will prevent billions of rupees from being wasted in years to come.  Emphasis must be on preventative health, not expanding and funding acute care by building hospitals.

Instead of cheap labour, the country should export high-skill jobs

The country should not depend on loans from the World Bank, IMF, or any other lender.  In comparison, expanding the exportation of tea, rubber, coconut, gems, and skilled labour, alone.  It must develop tourism and diversify exports by small and large businesses, especially the manufacturing sector and new ventures to earn more foreign exchange.  Similarly, the country should not depend on remittance from Middle Eastern jobs and reliance on fossil fuels for its energy.  Both these sectors have major uncertainties—sudden changes could lead to a significant punch to the economy.  Unemployment is rising with stagnant entrepreneurs and a lack of creating new jobs.  Consequently, many professionals and skilled workers take their expertise to other countries—Sri Lanka is losing talent.

The government provides little or no assistance or guidance and neglects the welfare and safety of persons going and already serving in Middle-Eastern countries.  Instead, it boasts about the millions of USD remittances it receives.  It has miserably failed to consider the significant negative impact of such labour exports.  These include but are not limited to abuses of men and women, mutilation, deaths, particularly of women, and the significant destruction of their families left behind.  No government organisation, including foreign embassies, are properly monitoring this vulnerable group and taking any tangible actions to prevent destructive practices (e.g., destruction of family units and social destruction) and protect against the abuse of our citizens.  However, while doing nothing to protect this workforce, the government is happy to enjoy the benefits from remittances, disregarding the victimisation of these families.

Many people who had gone for these low-paid jobs in the Middle East had been harassed and abused (physically, sexually, and mentally) and were not fed properly or paid their salaries before returning home.  Despite thousands of complaints, none of the successive governments addressed these serious irregularities and crimes against humanity.  Despite not being paid the agreed amounts for slavery, many had to buy their way out of the misery to come home alive.  Despite these miseries, agents and go-betweens continue exploiting these poor folks to the maximum without protecting them.  What justice!

People who go to Middle East countries under such difficult conditions risk their lives and let their families at home get devastated.  As discussed above, the Sri Lankan government should create skills training opportunities and let the industry generate suitable jobs within Sri Lanka for their employment with reasonable wages.  That will eventually negate the urge to go to the Middle East.  The government has the moral, ethical, and legal responsibility to take substantive steps to do the above, monitor these ill fates, and fix this tremendous problem harming our society.

Exporting higher paid jobs—e.g., allied health to the West

New ways of thinking are necessary to break the vicious cycle of slavery mentality and dependence.  For example, instead of exporting low-wage unskilled (i.e., domestic help and construction work) and semi-skilled labour to middle-east as described above, Sri Lanka should establish training highly skilled labour centres as described across the country.  Highly trained nurses are one example of great demand in Western countries.

Creating specific programs to properly train nurses, a few thousand per year, with high-end skills, like intensive care units and emergency room (ER) experience, so that they can be employed in these counties with over ten times guaranteed salaries than otherwise received in the Middle East.  These higher-paying jobs also come with much respect and safety.  For example, the US alone is currently short of 130,000 trained nurses required annually—the demand continues to increase.  Such training with high-end nursing skills can be accomplished between two to four years of structured, standardised training programs.  This concept is not different from the value-added exports of commodities.

In contrast, the current unskilled labour export to the Middle East with high risks and meagre wages only benefits the intermediaries and the government, not their families.  The above-mentioned proactive measures will provide a window of opportunity for the transition from the current misery to success, minimising social disruptions, improving safety, and overcoming poverty with marked improvement of earning capacities (i.e., over 10-fold higher guaranteed salaries).  These would also benefit the foreign exchange inflow, reduce the deficits, and allow debt servicing without taking additional loans.

Why is Sri Lanka not progressing as expected?

Apart from cheap labour, good weather, and a reasonable percentage of the population’s ability to communicate in English or another foreign language, the Sri Lankan government offers nothing unique to attract FDIC—foreign firms to invest in Sri Lanka.  Despite this, more wealth” and resources are available in Sri Lanka that have not been realised and marketed.  Consequently, investors are hearing only rampant red tape and corruption at a high level, lack of appropriate infrastructure, bureaucratic delays, etc., that reduce the enthusiasm of potential investors.  The Sri Lankan approach had been backward, and must change the negative attitudes and be proactive in messages and offerings to attract FDIC.  These would eventually result in higher-end jobs and more taxes.

Achieving long-term benefits would not come automatically (i.e., no free lunch).  Ad-hoc measures to solve problems will not work for a better future for Sri Lanka.  The country must carefully plan and implement reasonable measures and sustainable and income-generating programs propagated by its foreign missions.  One example in the recent past is the protracted delays and inefficiency (and pilferage) in implementing the post-tsunami reconstructions in Sri Lanka and the lack of accountability for donated funds.  Anyone visiting the affected areas (even now, after 16 months) realises that the small NGOs, charities, and individuals genuinely contribute to the recovery process, housing, job creation, and rehabilitation.  However, the government and large NGOs are taking credit with self-publicity but providing minimal assistance to needy people (No Action, Talking Only—like NATO).

Status of the tsunami funds

Most tsunami relief funds went to the government or international organisations (I-NGOs) like the Red Cross.  Both groups did little work, and the remaining money failed to reach the intended destinations.  Furthermore, some economically-advanced (large) donor countries like the USA, which pledged financial assistance for tsunami relief, never made that promise a reality.  Even after 16 months, it has been estimated that approximately 20% of the needed tsunami reconstruction has been achieved.  Individual donors and small local charities accomplished more than two-thirds of it.  Meanwhile, the government received more than USD 100 million in donations—what happened to that fund is unclear.

Furthermore, the recent exposure of several scandals and investigations highlighted large-scale corruption at high levels of administration—government organisations and large NGOs.  Unfortunately, they failed to implement a practical, cost-effective tsunami reconstruction plan in the country.  This conflicted and unwise decision led to a significant loss of opportunity for the country to construct a series of brand new model cities—e.g., constructing energy-efficient clean cities that Prof PA de Silva and we proposed immediately after the tsunami.  We provided the government with specific ideas and drawings with cost estimates: it did nothing.  Although committees were appointed, little was achieved due to ego-centred thinking, inexperienced committee members, and political bickering and giving construction contracts to cronies without bidding or following.

We estimated that with the money pledged for tsunami reconstruction (assuming it was used correctly), entire tsunami-affected southern and eastern coastal regions would have been rebuilt with energy-efficient, environment-friendly, planned cities by now, without accessing governmental funds.  Yet the governmental organisations failed to consider any of these out-of-the-box, highly cost-effective novel alternative development plans—since there were no commissions, they buried them.  

Instead, the current government opted to do nothing.  It relies on individuals and charities to rebuild homes and villages in the exact locations without future expansion plans, modernisations, or embedding any safety considerations.  In contrast, a well-planned semi-urban development approach that we proposed would have provided comprehensive housing structures and all needs for these self-sufficient mini-cities (including power), given long-term self-sustainable employment, and improved the livelihood and economy.  So, why aren’t these happening and what happened to tsunami funds?

What kind of economy are we referring to?

Sri Lanka must develop more innovative ways of improving its economy.  The hard fact is that many big lenders are not interested in developing the country but focus on the return for themselves.  Their motives for lending money to Sri Lanka and other developing countries contradict what one would expect from them—there is no compassion or philanthropy in lending money.  The condition the IMF is imposing is to push their masters’ globalisation and marketing agenda and ensure they can get the money back.

Ironically, due to heavy pilferage and high overhead costs, only a tiny proportion of the loans or donated funds reach the earmarked projects or go to the intended beneficiaries.  Sometimes, the donor country takes back more than a third of the funds donated or a grant to cover their expert consultation.  Another third is wasted on commissions, luxury travel, and hotel costs for them and their paid consultants.  The situation is similar with most international non-governmental organisations (I-NGOs) that are supposed to help developing countries—many of these are scams to enrich themselves with donated funds. 

Sri Lanka is not different: it has been estimated that these NGOs, less than 20% of the donated funds and 40% of the grant funding used for the intended purposes.  The rest goes into their expenses, administrative and overhead costs (including business class flights and hotel bills for their officials, acquiring expensive high-consumption vehicles and other luxury items, air-conditioned travel, etc.), and for unaccounted itemised as ‘other costs’.  In some instances, money raised from the public was siphoned to do unrelated and unapproved activities like unethical religious conversions.  One example is some I-NGOs’ widespread, ongoing efforts on forceful religious conversion.

Part four addresses loan traps, the inability to service loans, and the possibility of future bankruptcy in Sri Lanka.

KAMALIKA PIERIS

 President Premadasa‘s outrageous attitude to the Eelam war has not received the critical attention it deserves. He did not understand his duty in the matter. As Head of State, his first duty was to protect the territory and sovereignty of the country of which he is the leader.  Instead he took no interest at all in winning the war.

He gave no support to the army and the police, but leant over backward to accommodate the LTTE. The reason is obvious. Premadasa did not want a strong army, he feared a military coup.  LTTE, Premadasa thought, could be used to bolster his position as President. The LTTE strategists knew this and played the game accordingly.

President Premadasa had initially refused to take over the Defence portfolio, saying he disliked getting involved in wars. It was pointed out to him, that under the Constitution the President was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and it was mandatory for the Defence portfolio to be under him. President Premadasa agreed reluctantly to take over the Defence portfolio, but   did not chair meetings of the National Security Council. Prime Minister D.B. Wijetunge chaired them.  My guess is that he did not attend them at all.

Premadasa’s unilateral decisions, in respect of the LTTE, caused immense harm, said one critic. Premadasa’s blunders caused irreparable losses, said another.  Critics have observed that such outrageous mishandling of a vital national issue would have been grounds for impeachment elsewhere in the world.  

Premadasa’s handling of the Eelam issue was disgraceful. He did not know how to deal with the LTTE and was completely out of his depth. He thought the LTTE was invincible and that the only course of action was to appease them.  He believed whatever the LTTE told him, including their false assurances, and he did exactly as they asked. His chief negotiator A.C.S. Hameed also     supported the LTTE.  LTTE was able to attack and eliminate all rival Tamil groups, during the time of Premadasa.

As soon as he became President, Premadasa released a large number of insurgents from prison. In the process he released a large group of LTTE terrorists, from prison,   including a known bomber.  This was a devastating setback to counter insurgency operations. The military top brass realized the stupidity of this move but did not dare say so.

 In 1989 the LTTE was registered as a political party under the name People’s Front of Liberation Tigers (PFLT) though it was an armed outfit.  Local and foreign journalists were invited by Anton Balasingham to the Colombo Hilton where he announced the emergence of the new political party, reported Shamindra Ferdinando. Balasingham declared proudly that their emblem would be a Tiger in a red flag of rectangular shape,   a few months later, LTTE resumed Eelam War II.

In May 1989 Premadasa started three rounds of talks with the LTTE .Anton Balasingham came from London.  LTTE leaders were brought by helicopter from their hideout in Vanni by the army and accommodated on 8^th floor of the five star Hilton. The army deeply resented this.

 Mahattaya, who was directly       responsible for the attacks on Sinhala border villages and army camps killing so many, attended the third set of talks, dressed in white with broad smile on his face.  Premadasa was highly impressedby Mahattaya. Premadasa had said Mahattaya is a real gentleman, reported Kamal Guneratne.

When Premadasa took over as president, The IPKF was giving LTTE a sound beating. IPKF was winning and would soon rout the LTTE. LTTE used Premadasa to get rid of the IPKF. At the request of the LTTE, President Premadasa asked the Indian Peace Keeping Force, which was giving the LTTE a beating, to withdraw.  This gave the LTTE, who were reeling under the IPKF, a new lease of life.   Premadasa had saved the LTTE

As soon as the IPKF pulled out in 1990, LTTE took control of the north.   In 1990 the LTTE took control of the overland Kandy- Jaffna route used by the military.  This was a great blow to the armed forces. With this route blocked, the government had to send supplies to the army by sea and air.  This placed a great burden on the Navy and added to the costs of the war.

For instance, when the north east monsoon was on, supplies for the army in the east had to be brought to Comar, and then moved overland to Nagathevanthurai and ferried to the east in boats. The Kandy-Jaffna route stayed under LTTE control for the next 17 years.

Premadasa’s other contribution to the ongoing war was to declare a unilateral ceasefire from June 16, 1990. The LTTE used the ceasefire to consolidate their position and continue fighting.  LTTE launched major attacks on Jaffna and Vanni theatres. LTTE overran Kokavil, army abandoned its base at Kilinochchi, and LTTE then got the army to vacate Mankulam.  The largest number of amputees were from the 1991 Akunu Pahara.  

During the ceasefire, LTTE built bunkers within firing range of security establishments.  Premadasa lifted restrictions on a range of materials, including cement, and LTTE use this to fortify their bases.   

They continuously provoked and humiliated the army knowing that the army could not retaliate. Premadasa had instructed the army not to do anything that could be considered hostile.   LTTE imposed restrictions on the military, detained officers who defied their diktat, and said that all movement between security forces in the Jaffna peninsula should first be approved by them.  

LTTE did not care much for Premadasa either. When Hameed went to negotiate with the LTTE on behalf of Premadasa, in the 1989-90 period, on his return, the LTTE had been firing indiscriminately at Palaly airfield, while he was walking towards his plane.

Premadasa actually ordered the Sri Lanka army to give a large stock of arms, ammunition and equipment to LTTE, ignoring the pleadings of the military. This is unbelievable but true, it is mind boggling, but it happened.

In April 1989, truck loads of brand new weapons and ammunition imported from China still wrapped in polythene, were handed over to the LTTE. The transfer took place deep in the jungles of Vanni  , in the Weli oya region close to Mullativu jungles.  This was done secretly and no one knew until the media broke the news. Bradman Weerakoon has learnt about it from the Island newspaper.     Gotabhaya Rajapakse, Tassie Seneviratne and Cyril Ranatunge independently confirm that this weapons transfer took place.  

Senior officers at Weli Oya handed over weapons, while soldiers watched with deep resentment. LTTE took  the weapons with greetings, warm hugs and arrogant smiles. But we knew that these weapons would be   used against us later, said Kamal Guneratne.  These   weapons were indeed used against the Sri Lanka army later.

 Some soldiers had tried to steal a few weapons and ‘honest soldiers who did not approve of this untrustworthy and un- officer like behavior’ had informed the authorities and the culprits were punished severely.

The army in the meanwhile received step motherly treatment from Premadasa. Instead of beefing up the military presence in the north Premadasa   restricted the military presence in Jaffna and Vanni to two battalions. The LTTE acquired   arms and ammunition supplied by the Premadasa government, but the state military received nothing, observed critics. 

Had Premadasa allowed the military to strengthen itself during the 14 month long truce, the LTTE would not have been able to seize the north at the onset of Eelam War II. In 1990 they lost the A9 main supply route. LTTE also took Kokavil in 1990 Army vacated Kilinochchi and Mankulam in 1990 thereafter.  The Sri Lanka Army lacked the strength to oppose. It did not even have adequate transport to move troops from the south to the north and east.

Premadasa allowed the LTTE to execute 600 police officers. This was a shameful episode and should never be forgotten. This is how it happened.

While ‘peace talks’ were going on in Colombo in 1990 and the LTTE  delegation  was housed in five star hotels under the protection of the STF, LTTE cadres had surrounded the police stations at  Batticaloa, Kalmunai, Vellaveli, Valachenai, Kalavanchikudi, Eravur, Samanthurai, Akkaraipattu  and ordered the police to surrender.

LTTE had assured Premadasa that the policemen would not be harmed, they would be taken to Ampara and released.   Premadasa ordered IGP Earnest Pereira to direct the policemen to surrender.  The policemen surrendered.  LTTE took them to Tirukkovil jungle and killed them. They were made to lie face down, blindfolded with hands tied, then bullets were sprayed into them.   A farmer who had been ordered to bury the bodies had seen this.

At Kalmunai Ivan Boteju, ASP refused to follow the Presidential directive.  Botejue had by then, completed his compulsory spell in the operational area but had volunteered to carry on as no one was willing to take his place.   His unit had already successfully fought off the LTTE in November 1989.  He and his men opted to face that LTTE, saying that if they surrendered they would be tortured and killed.  

Botejue ordered his men to take up positions  and requested air and military support.The LTTE attacked Kalmunai police station and policeman returned fire in defense. Volleys of fire and defiant words were exchanged.  There were more causalities on the LTTE  side even though the LTTE had more sophisticated weapons, gifted them by President Premadasa.

When the police were ordered to surrender, Botejue walked out of the police station with his men, sobbing and obeying. Tassie Seneviratne suggests that Ivan Botejue be honored posthumously.   He would have risen to be DIG, because if he had left the area, he would have got his promotion.  

Seneviratne   observed that there is no official record of this event.  If an inquiry had been launched immediately after President Premadasa died, then the story would have come out, he said,  but successive governments  had not inquired into this matter.. It was unlawful to issue an order to surrender when death was imminent.

These police officers should be considered war heroes and their families duly compensated   and their names publicized.The families have so far not received the compensation due to them. Seneviratne points out that it is it is not too late even now to conduct an inquiry.

 Seneviratne also said that Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan (Karuna) had been directly involved in the massacre of these 600 police men. Karuna had denied this. Seneviratne alleged that there was evidence to show that Karuna was involved.   Presidential commission to investigate missing persons has been asked in 2014, to look into this matter. Particularly whether compensation, salaries, pensions were paid to the families and whether these policemen have been honored posthumously.  ( Continued)

Shenali D Waduge

There are several aspects to this issue that need to be understood. Firstly, is the need to ascertain whether Eelam is a quest originating from Tamils or handed to them to use as a political ploy, if so do these external elements continue to control that project. Secondly, are other external players also involved in piggybacking on the same project for their objectives. Thirdly, can the Eelamists in reality hold sovereign control over the terrain they seek, having been heavily dependent on external players for support. Fourthly, has the Eelamists weighed these odds but continue the project not to control the aspired Eelam but agreeing to carry out the project of the external players. So the question to be answered is are the Eelamists seeking Eelam as a project of their own/for their own or are they being outsourced to demand an Eelam to be ruled eventually by non-Eelamists.  

To answer the first, it is important to realize that the term Dravidian was coined not by any South Indian but the British missionaries in 1838. It was part of the Church divide and rule policy. It was a movement controlled by the Church and later handed to converted Hindus. Bishop Robert Caldwell is the architect of the term Dravida Naadu. Dravida Nadu for Dravians was launched in 1939 & a map released in 1940. Eventually Dravida Nadu was dropped & We Tamil Movement” for a separate state in Tamil Nadu commenced. Exactly 100 years after the Dravidian term was coined the Justice Party in India sought a separate Tamil state in 1968.

A Malaysian Christian imported the same separatism to Sri Lanka & spearheaded the Church agenda. This clearly shows that all of the slogans and claims by Tamil politicians vis a vis separatism was spoonfed to them by the Church. Therefore, naturally we need to ask, whether the current demands continue to be spoonfed by the same sources and is their goal the same? To answer this both Tamil Nadu & Sri Lanka must acknowledge the heavy presence of Church-funded organizations/individuals and movements who are the mouthpieces of the current eelam” demand & ensure the project goes as planned.

The all-important unanswered question is was LTTE outsourced this Church project or did the Church take over it at some point in time? However, the historical background from the Dravidian movement proves that the Church was heavily involved in every separatist” demand whether in India or Sri Lanka. They either directly promoted it or indirectly fanned it.

The Church is a subsidiary of the Western neo-colonial agenda – which means the Eelam project is part of the Western geopolitical agenda and does not seek to fulfil any Tamil aspirations except use it to forward their plan.

Rev. Jegath Gaspar Raj the Catholic priest is accused of secularizing Hindu folklore.

The other external player is India.

India’s involvement came having trained Tamil militants, though it is anyone’s guess as to why India did so, but the manner India forced the Indo-Lanka Accord & 13a with clauses advantageous to India & not Tamils, revealed a second player into the scene riding on the Eelam quest to secure India’s geopolitical goals, on the mantra India’s security concerns” and strengthened by protecting our Tamil brothers & sisters”. Slogans that were of self-interest but secured diplomatic & political pressure over Sri Lanka. Using the slogan, India has exerted and vested control over vast terrains across Sri Lanka and currently influences every sphere of industry & polity. The removal of the former Eastern governor & the appointment of an inexperienced pro-Indian estate Tamil who rushed to the Indian High Commissioner immediately after appointment signals the control India now exerts. With India placing its agents in key spots while also exerting influence over economy, industry, culture & even education, we now see an influx of Hindu radicals claiming Buddhist heritage sites in the North & commencing a bogus Ramayana Trail/placing siva lingams & Ram Centres across the country as another means of vesting control over the terrain. It is only a matter of time that the demand for implementation of 13a in ful,l will re-emerge having placed their people in positions that would declare defacto Eelam” under Indian control.

How many follow India’s foreign policy objectives vis a vis Chanakya/Kautilya and now the Arkhand Bharath/Hindustan (Greater India encompassing Sri Lanka) promoted by RSS yogi tipped to succeed present Indian PM.

How this will gel with the West-Church agenda is yet to be seen. Both both parties are using the QUAD partnership to penetrate into Sri Lanka’s every nook & corner & secure control for themselves. This agenda does not intend to fulfil any Tamil aspirations too.

Let us presume that the West & India genuinely wish to give Tamils their Eelam? Do Tamils think that they will stop their interventions & incursions & allow Eelam lobbyists to rule in peace? Have Tamils not taken stock of the magnitude of interferences and interventions that the GoSL has to put up with? Does the Eelam Government” think they can run a sovereign state without similar interferences? If they too are confronted with the same or worse interventions, how are they to deal with them? Have the Eelam Politicians” thought about this scenario? Can they really rule an Eelam without falling prey to the same pressures that GoSL faces?

The 4^th scenario, we guess, is an outcome of the realization of the 3^rdscenario by the Eelam lobbyists, who are all living in foreign climes and promoting Eelam while happily domiciled on western shores. Given that the original separatist project was orchestrated by the West, passed pillows over the decades to various movements & players, it is natural that a project fostered over 170 years was eliminated by Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces in just 3 years. It was a major blow not only to their overall plan but to their psyche too. This should explain the revenge coming in the form of UN Resolutions & Western sanctions & bizarre allegations like genocide”. Only those who know the background to this story understands the rationale behind these attacks.

The eelam lobbyists can decide to adopt 2 options. Eelam lobbyists know too well that the West/India can take action against them instantly so the counter measure is to adopt a you scratch our backs, we will scratch yours” approach. All the above players take turns or together screw Sri Lanka. The Eelam lobbysts are thus functioning in an outsourced role on behalf of West/India while also gaining grounds for themselves. In the meanwhile, the Eelam lobbyists have been smart enough to infiltrate the upper echelons of their countries & holding key decision making positions while the West/India are making inroads into Sri Lanka. This is what is taking place post-2009. If you notice, its now a competition between all 3 players.

The terrain is now reducing. This makes the stakes higher. However, Sri Lanka’s Parliament & police advisors are clueless about any of these manoeverings & little bothered so long as they can siphon Sri Lanka daydreaming to be in power thereafter.

Or wlll the Nationalists win back all that has been taken & rule over entire Sri Lanka without hindrance?

Shenali D Waduge

C. Wijeyawickrema, LL.B., Ph.D.

මිහින්තලේ හාමුදුරුවන්ට පොසොන් උත්සවය පවත්වන්නට භාධා කරමින් බලයේ ඉන්නා දේශපාලකයින් හැසිරෙන ආකාරය මතක් කරන්නේ 1980 දශකයේදී JRJ  විසින් ගැටඹේ පන්සල කොටුකර කම්බි වැටක් ගැසීමේ සිද්ධියය. දේශපාලකයාට පන්දම් අල්ලන්නට සුදානම් නැති හාමුදුරුවරුන්ට මේ පාලකයින් හිරිහැර කරන්නේ ඔවුන්ගේ බොරු බෞද්ධ ස්වරූපය නිසා අන්ධවීම නිසාය.

මිහින්තලේ හාමුදුරුවන් 13-A+  ට  විරුද්ධව පාර්ලිමෙන්තුව ඉදිරිපිට හාමුදුරුවරුන් කල විරෝධයේදී ප්‍රධාන කාර්යභාරයක් ඉටුකලේය. උන්වහන්සේට නඩු දමනවා යයි යම් නිලධාරියෙක් දැණුම් දුන් විට, ඕනෑ මඟුලක් කරගන්නයයි හාමුදුරුවන් ඒ නිලධාරියාට පැවසුවා යයි වාර්තා විය. රට බංකොලොත්ව ගිණිමැලයක්වී සිටින අවස්ථාවක හදිසියේ දවල් හීනයක් දැක්කා මෙන් අහක යන නයි කලිසම් සාක්කුවේ දමා ගන්නවා වැනි අඥාන ක්‍රියාවක්වූ 13-A+ ජරමරය අකුලා ගන්නට ජනාධිපති රනිල්ට සිදුවිය.

දිනේෂ් අගමැති හා සේමසිංහ මිහින්තලේ ගියේ ඉන් පසු කලෙක හාමුදුරුවන් රවටා ගැනීමට සිතාය. එහෙත් ඔවුන් හීනෙන්වත් නොසිතූ ලෙස, හාමුදුරුවන් ඔවුන්ගේ දේශපාලන රෙදි ගලවා නිර්වස්ත්‍ර කලේය. මේ නිසා ඔවුන් පොසොන් උත්සවයෙන් පල්ලි ගන්නට හදනවාද යන ප්‍රශ්ණය මතුවන්නේ අනිත් උත්සව මහ උජාරුවට පවත්වන්නට අරමුදල් තිබුනා නම් දැන් පොසොන් සඳහා අරමුදල් නෑ කියන නිසාය. මෙයත් මැතිවරණ කොමිෂමට පලාත් පාලන මැතිවරණය සඳහා සල්ලි නෑ කිව්වා වැනිමය.

මෙම සටහනින් පෙන්වා දෙන්නේ දිනේෂ් හා විදුර වික්‍රමනායක යන දෙන්නාවත් මේ අවස්ථාවේ රනිල් ගෙන යන උපායට අසු නොවී තමන්ගේ නම කැත කර නොගැනීමටවත් පොසොන් උත්සවය කඩකප්පල් නොකල යුතු බවය.

පොසොන් පෝය ගැන රනිල් දරණ මතය උපුල් ශාන්ත සන්නස්ගල විසින් රටට ඔහුගේ වීඩියෝවක් මඟින් එලිදරව් කලේය. ඒ පිළිඹඳව මා ලියූ ලිපියක් ලංකාවෙබ් වෙබ් අඩවියේ පලවිය. එය මෙහි පහතින් ලින්ක් කර ඇත.

ගෝටාභය විසින් රනිල්ට අගමැතිකම දුන් විට රටෙ බොහෝ වැසියා මෙන් මාත් සිතුවේ ඔවුන් දෙන්නාගේ සුසංයෝගයෙන් රටට යහපතක් වේය කියාය. තමන්ගේ පරණ පව් සෝදා, වහල් ක්‍රමය පවත්වා ගෙන යන්නට චන්දය ඉල්ලා ඉන්පසු එය නැතිකරන්නට යුද්ධයක් කර ජීවිතය පූජාකල ඒබ්‍රහම් ලින්කන් මෙන් රනිල්ද අළුත් චරිතයක් වෙනු ඇතැයි සිංහල බෞද්ධ ජනයා බලාපොරොත්තු තබා සිටියේය.

ගෙවිඳු කුමාරණතුංග නම් තවමත් සිතන්නේ රනිල්ට නූතන විමලධර්මසූරිය (රජු) කෙනෙක් වීමට ඉඩ ඇති බවය. කොනප්පු බණ්ඩාර ගෝවේට ගොස් පෘතුගීසීන්ගෙන් යුද පුහුණුව පවා ලබාගෙන ලංකාටට ඇවිත්, දෝන කතිරිනා උඩරට ක්‍රිස්තියානි රැජිණිය කිරීමේ සටනට, කන්ද උඩරට ක්‍රිස්තියානි බලකොටුවක් කිරීමේ සටනට එක්විය. එහෙත් පසුකලක කැප්පෙට්ටිපොල දිසාවේ අනුගමනය කල ක්‍රමයට වෙනස් අකාරයකින් ඔහු රටේ හා බුද්ධාගමේ චිරස්ථිතියට දායකවූ රජෙක් විය.

LankaWeb – අපට මඟක් ඇත (නොහොත් ලංකාවට මරුකටෙන් ගැලවිය හැකිය): අංක 1  (June, 2020)

Sugath Kulatunga

Today the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission will be axed on a resolution moved in Parliament. This will make all so called independent Commissions dependent on the whims and fancies of the subject Minister and create an ugly precedent.

Before axing the PUC Chairman the Minister should explain to the Parliament the current position on the accusation that he made against the CEB.

In introducing the Sri Lanka Electricity (amendment) bill in Parliament on 9 June 2022 Minister Kanchana Wijesekera revealed that there are renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 4000 MW where Energy Permits have been given BUT THE CEB HAS STILL NOT GRANTED POWER PURCHASE APPROVAL. He gave details of the projects pending CEB PPA as follows:

1.Hydro power of 580 MW not approved for 6 years

2 Wind Power project of 769 MW

3 Solar power projects of 2538 MW

4. Biomass 136 MW

Total of 4000MW

He also mentioned that the average cost of renewable energy is 16.90 per unit, whereas the cost of energy from thermal plants is over Rs 60. The Minster was critical of the bureaucracy in the CEB where they prefer to look for provisions in the law on how to reject a proposal than to approve it.

The position of the CEB is that there are no more prospects for major hydroelectric prospects in the country. But they do not seem to have examined the prospects of run of the river type of hydro power generation which is popular in many other countries as seen on this website which describes over seventy such projects.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_run-of-the-river_hydroelectric_power_stations

It may be possible to go into run of the river projects in location where there are rapids like at Heerassagala on Mahaveli and Naragala on Kaluganga.

CEB is unlikely to be interested in such projects as it would make the diesel power stations redundant.

Sugath Kulatunga

AdaDerana

May 24 (AdaDerana) – The World Health Organization on Tuesday (May 23) commended Sri Lanka for enacting a legislation on trans-fat to protect health and prevent premature deaths from coronary heart disease.

Eliminating trans-fats from food supplies is a cost-effective measure with enormous health benefits. By enacting legislation on trans-fat, Sri Lanka has once again demonstrated its resolve to protect and promote health of its people,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia.

The legislation restricts levels of industrially produced trans fats in oil and food, and bans partially hydrogenated oils, the primary source of trans fats in food.

Since 2018 WHO has been working with countries for eliminating trans fat from food supply. High trans fat intake increases the risk of death from any cause by 34%, coronary heart disease deaths by 28% and coronary heart disease by 21%.

In WHO South-East Asia Region, 9 million deaths, almost 69 percent of all deaths, are due to non-communicable diseases, with cardiovascular diseases  being a major cause.

WHO has been advocating for multi-sectoral approach to address non-communicable diseases in South-East Asia Region as flagship priority since 2014.

The Regional Director said accelerating progress towards eliminating trans-fat through best-practice policies, monitoring and surveillance and healthy oil replacements can drive progress in our efforts to address non-communicable diseases.

In 2018, WHO released REPLACE, a step-by-step guide to help achieve elimination of industrially produced trans-fatty acids from the global food supply by 2023.

The Region continues to make significant headway against trans fats, in collaboration with Resolve to Save Lives by implementing the REPLACE protocol across Member countries.

By 2022, Thailand, India and Bangladesh had adopted regulations for the elimination of trans fatty acids in the food supply.  With Sri Lanka implementing new regulations, the collective efforts by countries would now potentially protect over 1.6 billion people from the harm caused by trans fatty acids.

Nepal and Indonesia are making good progress to limit trans fats and Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar and Timor-Leste have made policy commitments.

Implementation of trans fat regulations to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases is part of SEA HEARTS initiative launched recently by the South-East Asia Region that aims to accelerate action to reduce deaths due to cardiovascular diseases.

Trans fats can be easily replaced with healthier alternatives without compromising the taste or availability of food, to enhance the health and wellbeing of people and also help attain the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets of reducing premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases by one-third by 2030.

Manusha Media

නව කම්කරු නීති පද්ධතිය ජුනි මාසය මුල වන විට කෙටුම්පත් කිරීමට අපේක්ෂා කරන බවත්, එම දල කෙටුම්පත ආයෝජන කලාපද ඇතුළුව සියලුම ක්ෂේත්‍රවල වැඩ කරන ජනතාව වෙත ඉදිරිපත් කර ඔවුන්ගේ අනුමැතිය ලබාගැනීමට අපේක්ෂා කරන බව කම්කරු හා විදේශ රැකියා අමාත්‍ය මනුෂ නානායක්කාර මහතා පැවසුවේය.

කම්කරු නීති ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණය කිරීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් මහජන අදහස් ලබාගැනීම සදහා වන ඉන්ෆ්ල්ක්ස් බුද්ධිමය සංවාද වේදිකාවේ සිව් වැනි සැසියට එක්වෙමින් අමාත්‍යවරයා මේ අදහස් පල කළේය.

එහිදී වැඩිදුරටත් අදහස් දැක්වූ අමාත්‍යවරයා මෙසේද කීවේය.

අලුතින් ගෙන ඒමට බලාපොරොත්තු වන නව කම්කරු නීතිය සම්බන්ධයෙන් පුළුල් සමාජ කතිකාවක් ඇතිකර ගැනීම තමයි අපේ මූලික අරමුණ වෙන්නේ. ඒ සඳහා ජනමාධ්‍ය වලින් අපට ලොකු සහයෝගයක් ලබාදෙනව. ඒ සම්බන්ධයෙන් සියළුම මාධ්‍ය ආයතනවලට අපි අපේ ස්තුතිය පළකරනව.  ඒ වගේම අපිට ආරංචි වෙලා තියෙනව මේ වෙන කොට මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් නොයෙක් නොයෙක් තැන්වල විවිධ සංවාද ආරම්භ කරන්න සූදානම් කරල තියෙනව කියල. මෙන්න මේක තමයි අපට ඕන කරල තිබුණු දේ.
අලුත් කම්කරු නීතිය හදන එක සම්බන්ධයෙන් සමාජයේ සෑම ස්ථරයකම කතාබහක් ඇති විය යුතුයි. සමාජයේ සෑම ස්ථරයකම,අලුතෙන් හදන මේ කම්කරු නීතිය පිළිබඳව යෝජනා,චෝදනා,විරෝධතා සහ සැක සංකා ඉදිරිපත් විය යුතුයි. විවිධ මත ඉදිරිපත් උනොත් තමයි මේ කටයුත්ත වඩාත් ශක්තිමත්ව කළ හැකි වන්නේ.

උගත් නීතිඥ මහත්මියක් පවා කෙටුම්පතේ තිබෙනවායැයි කියමින් නැති දේවල් ගැන අදහස් පළ කරල තිබුණ.  නමුත්,මෙහෙම වේදිකාවක් තිබෙන නිසා එම සාවද්‍ය ප්‍රකාශවලට උත්තර දෙන්න අපිට පුළුවන් වෙලා තියෙනව. බොරුවක් කිව්වා උනත් ඒ සියළු දෙනාටත් මම ස්තුතිවන්ත වෙනව මේ කතිකාව ගොඩනැගීමට ඔවුන් දායක වීම සම්බන්ධයෙන්.

කම්කරු උපදේශක සභාවෙන් ඉදිරිපත්වන කරුණු තියෙනව. කම්කරු දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවට ඉදිරිපත්වන කරුණු තියෙනව. ලබන සතිය වන විට කම්කරු නිලධාරීන්ගේ අදහස් ලබාගැනීමට අපි අදහස් කරනව. අපි මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් යෝජනා ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමට රාජ්‍ය අංශයේ වෘත්තීය සමිතිවලටත් ආරධනා කරල තියෙනව. මේ වෙන කොට අපි සියළු මාධ්‍ය මගින් සමාජය දැනුවත් කරල තියෙනව මේ කතිකාවට එකතු වෙලා සිය යෝජනා ඉදිරිපත් කරන්න කියල. ඒ අනුව මේ කිව්ව විදිහට විවිධ විවිධ ක්ෂේත්‍රවලට ආරාධනා කරල මේ කරුණු ගොනු කර ගැනීම අපි මේ වන විට සිද්ධ කරමින් ඉන්නව. ඒ ගොනු කර ගන්නාවූ අදහස්වලින් සකස්කර ගන්නා වූ දල කෙටුම්පත අපි කම්කරු උපදේශක සභාව වෙත යොමු කරන්න බලාපොරොත්තු වෙනව. ඒ වගේම කම්කරු උපදේශක සභාව නියෝජනය නොකරන වෘත්තීය සමිතිවලටත් අපි මෙම සකස් කරගන්නාවූ දල කෙටුම්පත ඉදිරිපත් කරන්න බලාපොරොත්තු වෙනව. ඒ විතරක් නෙමෙයි මේ කතිකාවෙන් පසුව හදන මේ දල කෙටුම්පත ආයෝජන කලාපවල සේවය කරන අය ද ඇතුළුව සියළුම ක්ෂේත්‍ර නියෝජනය කරන වැඩ කරන ජනතාව වෙත ඉදිරිපත් කරල ඔවුන්ගේ අනුමැතිය ලබාගැනීමට අපේක්ෂා කරනව.

අපි මේ කටයුත්ත කිරීමේදී උපරිම පාරදෘෂ්‍ය භාවයෙන් යුතුව තමයි කටයුතු කරන්නෙ. අද මේ සාකච්ඡාව පවා සජීවීව විකාශය කිරීමට අපි කටයුතු කරල තියෙන්නෙ අන්න ඒ පාරදෘෂ්‍යභාවය රැකගැනීම උදෙසායි..

අනිත් කාරණය තමයි ජාතික කම්කරු උපදේශක සභාව පිළිබඳව පහුගිය දවස්වල මාධ්‍යවල යම් යම් කරුණු වාර්තා වෙලා තිබුණ. එම උපදේශක සභාව ක්‍රියාත්මක වෙන්නෙ කම්කරු නීතියට අනුකූලවයි. ඒ වගේම ජාත්‍යන්තර කම්කරු සංවිධානයේ ප්‍රඥප්තිවලට අනුකූලවයි. ඒ අනුව එහි සංයුතිය අවුරුද්දකට වතාවක් වෙනස් කිරීමට අමාත්‍යවරයාට බලය තියෙනව. ඒ අනුව මම ඒ සඳහා අලුතින් සාමාජිකයන් එම සභාවට පත් කරන්න කටයුතු කරල තියෙනව. ඒ සෑම පත්කිරීමක්ම කරල තියෙන්නෙ සියයට සියයක්ම නිවැරදිව නීතියට අනුකූලවයි. කිසිම අත්තනෝමතික තීන්දුවක් එහිදී මම අරගෙන නෑ මේ නව සාමාජිකයන් පත්කිරීමේ කටයුත්තේදී. එහිදී සක්‍රීය සමාජිකයන් වැඩිම පිරිසක් සහිත වෘත්තීය සමිතිවලට මෙම සභාවේ නියෝජනය කරන්න අවස්ථාව ලබාදීල තියෙනව. සමහර වෘත්තීය සමිතිවල සමාජිකයො විසිදාහ තිස්දාහ වගේ ලොකු ගාණක් ඉන්නව කියල කිව්වට ඇත්තටම සාමාජික මුදල් ගෙවන සක්‍රීය සාමාජිකයො ඉන්නෙ දාහක් දෙදාහක් වගේ ඉතාම ටික දෙනයි. ඉතින් එහෙම වෘත්තීය සමිතිවලට මේ සභාවෙ සාමාජිකත්වය දෙන්නෙ කෙහොමද සක්‍රිය සමාජිකයන් විශාල පිරිසක් සිටින වෘත්තීය සමිති පැත්තකින් තියල. ඒ නිසා ඉතිහාසයේ මෙතෙක් කරපු වැරදි නැවත නැවත කරන්න නෙමෙයි ඇමතිවරයා විදිහට මම කටයුතු කරන්නෙ. ඒ වගේම ඉතිහාසයේ කරපු වැරදි නැවත නැවත කරන්න නෙමෙයි රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මැතිතුමාගේ නායකත්වයෙන් යුත් මේ රජය කටයුතු කරන්නෙ.

යල් පැන ගියපු අපේ රටේ කම්කරු නීතිය වෙනස් කිරීම මගේ උවමනාවක් නෙමෙයි,ඒක රටේ ජනතාවගේ උවමනාවක්. මේ වැඩේ ඇතුළෙ කිසිම සැඟවුණු න්‍යාය පත්‍රයක් නැති බව මම කියන්න කැමතියි. මේ පහු වෙච්ච සාකච්ඡා වාර කිහිපයේදී අපි නව කම්කරු නීතිය සම්බන්ධයෙන් කරුණු ගණනාවක් සාකච්ඡා කරල තියෙනව. විශේෂයෙන්ම අවම වැටුප සහ ප්‍රසූත නිවාඩු වගේ කාරණා ද ඒ අතර තියෙනව. අවම වැටුප සම්බන්ධයෙන් කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලයේ සාකච්ඡා වෙනව. ඊ.පී.එෆ් සහ ඊ.ටී.එෆ් වඩාත් ශක්තිමත් කරල නව සමාජ ආරක්ෂණ දැලක් නිර්මාණය කරන්න අපි බලාපොරොත්තු වෙනව. හැබැයි සමහරු කියල තිබුණ අපි ඊ.පී.එෆ් සහ ඊ.ටී.එෆ් විනාශ කරන්න යනවය කියල. සේවය අවසන් කිරීමේ පනත සම්බන්ධයෙන් හාම්පුතුන් එකක් කියනව,වෘත්තීය සමිති එකක් කියනව,කම්කරුවො එකක් කියනව. කම්කරු වන්දි සම්බන්ධයෙනුත් එහෙමයි. මේවා සම්බන්ධයෙන් දැනට තිබෙන නීති ඉතාම විවාදාත්මකයි. ඒ නිසා මේ හැම දෙයක් සම්බන්ධයෙන්ම අපි අපේ අවධානය යොමු කළ යුතු වෙනව. දේශීය ගෘහ සේවිකාවන් සම්බන්ධයෙන් වගේම වතු කම්කරුවන් සම්බන්ධයෙනුත් අපි අපේ අවධානය යොමු කළ යුතු වෙනව. නිවාඩු සම්බන්ධයෙන් අපේ නීති කෙසේ සකස් විය යුතුයි ද කියලත් අපි බැලිය යුතුයි. මොකද ලෝකයේ නිවාඩු වැඩිම රටක් අපි. ඒ නිසා ඒ නිවාඩු තවත් වැඩි කර ගන්නව ද නිවාඩු අඩුකරගෙන වැඩියෙන් වැඩ කරල රට දියුණු කරනවද කියල අපි කල්පනා කරන්න කාලය උදාවෙලා තියෙනව.

අද වෙනකොට බඩු මිල අඩු වෙමින් තියෙනව. උද්ධමනය පහළ යමින් තියෙනව. විදුලි බිල පවා ඉදිරියේදී අඩු වේවි. ජනතාවට ජීවත් වෙන්න පහසු සමාජ වටපිටාවක් ඉදිරියේදී නිර්මාණය වන බවට වන ඉඟි අපට මේ වෙනකොටත් දකින්න පුළුවන් වෙලා තියෙනව. ඒ නිසා නිකං පඩි ගන්න ශ්‍රම බලකායක් වෙනුවට සක්‍රීය, ජවසම්පන්න සහ ඵලදායි ශ්‍රම බලකායක් බිහිකර ගැනීමට අපි සියළු දෙනා කටයුතු කරමු

Courtesy Adaderana

The motion seeking the removal of Janaka Ratnayake from his position as the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) was passed in parliament a short while ago (24 May).

Accordingly, the proposal to oust Ratnayake as the PUCSL Chairman was passed in parliament with a majority of 43 votes, with 123 MPs voting in favour to the motion, while 77 others voted against.

Ruling party MPs as well as several opposition MPs supported the motion while opposition parties including the Samagi Jana Balwegaya (SJB) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) voted against. 

The proposal was presented by Leader of the House, Minister Susil Premajayantha, this morning, pursuant to Section 07 of the PUCSL Act.

The proposal was debated in parliament from 10:30 a.m. to 05:00 p.m. today, with Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera commencing the debate saying that five allegations are being levelled against the PUCSL Chairman.

The debate was followed by a division.

Accordingly, following the vote, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena declared that the motion has been passed by an absolute majority.

Meanwhile MP Ali Sabri Raheem, who was in the spotlight yesterday following his detention by customs officers at the BIA for smuggling gold and mobile phones into the country, was also present for the vote in parliament today and cast his vote against the motion.

by Professor Sunil J.  Wimalawansa

Properly trained labour force with skills, ethics, and attracting FDIC

The skilled labour force in Sri Lanka is either stagnant or decreasing with exiting to other countries.  Most could speak and/or understand English, and fewer speak other foreign languages.  Hence, besides vastly expanding skills training centres—universities as described above, the government should encourage inflow and establish skill-driven industries.  Examples include medical tourism, outsourcing businesses like call centres, medical data interpretation and reporting, etc., to attract foreigners to spend capital in Sri Lanka.  India and China have been leading in these lucrative industries—industrialised countries continue to offshore their businesses to save labour costs, such as reporting medical testing (e.g., radiology images) and call centre jobs.

In India and China, labour rates and overall costs are rising, causing many industrialised countries to relocate outsourced centres to alternative locations, such as the Philippines and Taiwan.  With little capital investment, this is an excellent opportunity for Sri Lanka to initiate additional FDIC.  However, successive governments have taken no steps to secure such projects, perhaps due to too few or no commissions. 

As illustrated below, creating sustainable new jobs is paramount to economic success and the long-term stability of Sri Lanka.  However, political stability, stable currency, reliable infrastructure, and sustained peace are fundamental to attracting FDIC.  Service-oriented businesses are significantly less expensive to set up compared to capital-intensive manufacturing.  These approaches would generate thousands of new jobs at higher salaries.

Demand by the industrialised countries for service sector support, including the need for call centres, is rapidly increasing.  The offshore information technology and business-process outsourcing amounted to $34 billion in 2005, which is expected to double by 2012.  While India is currently enjoying 60% of this market, its share is set to decline as its wages and job turnover increase.  China has an edge in absorbing more service sector outsourcing work due to its government policies and the availability of huge educated human resources.  Still, the main obstacle is the language barrier.  Success in attracting manufacturing work increases with lesser regulatory burdens and the ability to cut red tape, easier imports and exports, and the ability to expand infrastructure rapidly.  Consequently, China is already capturing India’s lucrative information technology and business services work, but Sri Lanka should compete with it.

Sri Lanka has a comparative advantage

Russia, Brazil, and Mexico likewise began to compete for the same market, offering costs and skills often on par with India.  However, they have an edge because they are located closer to the US and European markets.  However, Sri Lanka has a competitive edge due to its prevalent high literacy rates and trainable workforce: thus, better positioned to compete with these countries.  Nevertheless, to capture these markets, Sri Lankan government must create opportunities, the right regulatory environment, and transparency for entrepreneurs. 

Medical vacations—medical tourism is another potentially lucrative business to attract those with excess wealth and/or international medical insurance coverage.  Sri Lanka has well-educated physicians and other healthcare professionals.  However, it has weak public relations and attitudes.  Customer services must be dramatically improved, especially in healthcare.  Sri Lanka must explore, improve, and utilise these resources to earn the trust and credibility, offer regulated surgical and medical care packages to Westerners, which would lead to pave the path for earn foreign exchange,

The costs of health care in the US and waiting times for routine surgical care in Canada, Europe, and Australia have escalated in recent years.  This further increased the demand for such services.  However, these are not sustainable without better communication, strictly adhering to ethics, and maintaining high-quality care.  When those centres fulfilled all mentioned criteria, larger health insurance companies In the West and wealthy individuals in affluent countries would begin to look for better alternatives than what they have in their countries, using creative ways to keep their costs contained while attaining the desired outcomes. 

Longer-term development of Sri Lanka

With proper strategic planning and positioning, Sri Lanka should be able to take advantage of the mentioned new economic opportunities, especially with affordable five-star hotels and sunny beaches, making healthcare ventures and venues family-oriented enterprises.  Along with eco-tourism, medical tourism could encourage a substantial flow of US and European foreign currencies to Sri Lanka, via Sri Lankan hospitals and hotel systems, with forward and backward linkages.  With the current unacceptable attitudes of physicians, supporting staff and hospital administrators, there is little possibility that medical tourism will boom.  Before embarking on medical tourism, genuineness, public relations, and communication training must be provided to them.  Nevertheless, if properly executed, it could become a multi-billion-dollar opportunity.

The key to developing a long-term plan for Sri Lanka is identifying and refining resources, defining co-competencies, and determining where Sri Lanka has comparative advantages.  A feasibility study of this nature should include the cost of labour, accessibility, high literacy rates, healthcare and other needed training, favourable climatic conditions, availability of raw materials, beautiful beaches, etc.  However, using these can be severely hindered by corrupt practices and hostile encounters with officials like immigration/customs and the police; seeking bribery to get things done will make this impossible. 

In addition, using the Hecksler Ohlin Theorem/model (a capital-abundant country will export the capital-intensive good, while the labour-abundant country will export the labour-intensive goods”),the country should be able to identify products and services that use these abundant resources.  When appropriately managed, industries that need intensive and trained labour (e.g., communication centres, medical vacations, high-tech industries and IT-software development, high-end textiles, high-margin products, and tourism) will thrive in Sri Lanka.  While reducing legal barriers, the government must aggressively identify foreign markets for these products and services. 

Ways to overcome loopholes and increasing tax revenue

Since corruption, regulatory barriers, and ‘red tape’ hinder progress, implementing stern programs to curtail these harmful practices is essential.  Out of these, eliminating corruption at every level of the government and in the private sector is the most important.  This alone will enhance credibility, eliminate waste, and expedite formal approval.  If done transparently and correctly, it could double the effective GDP in Sri Lanka within a few years.

Examples include the recently exposed large-scale VAT fraud and significant wastage due to multi-tier commissions taken by politicians and high-level administrators and non-payment of fees and taxes by ministers, company directors, military personnel, and politicians.  Besides professionals doing face-to-face business—accepting cash only for services, only a few honest people pay their share of taxes.  The latter alone is estimated to cost the treasury an annual loss of tax revenue of an estimated one trillion rupees.  Despite digital and IT advances in Sri Lanka, still, electronic payments and collections of tax revenue have not become the norm.  The lack of it keeps the doors open for bribery, corruption, and higher consumer commodity prices. 

With fiscal discipline and meritocracy, countries like Singapore and large cities like Shanghai in China have shown rapid and sustainable progress.  In these counties and large cities, their major development programs are supported and backed up by governments via private-public partnerships and venture capitals, not by obtaining loans.  In these countries, proper decisions are made within weeks (instead of years in Sri Lanka) after independent evaluations and audits.  Genuine experts should make development-related choices without conflicts of interest and political interference.  Activities begin within weeks and timely complete projects with full transparency.

Because of the red tape, bribery, and corruption in Sri Lanka, building a highway, industrial park, or free trade zone takes years just for approval.  It must go through many layers of bribe-takers, which tremendously adds to the project’s cost.  By comparison, a similar major development project in China or Singapore, from the decision-making stage to project completion, can be a year or less.  Whereas under the current system in Sri Lanka, such a project would take more than 20 years, which adds significantly higher cost. 

Examples include road construction, provision of pipe-borne water supply, safe sewerage disposal, efficient garbage collection and disposal, etc.  Ironically, many expensive projects in developing countries start because of commissions and fail to be completed because they run out of funds.  Under these circumstances, it is no surprise that sustainable long-term development projects are neglected or abandoned, resulting in economic stagnation in countries like Sri Lanka.  In addition to prioritising and eliminating corruption, political and administrative systems must be changed for the country to prosper.  They are vital barriers to progress.  System change must be comprehensive to eliminate corruption, re-establishing the judiciary’s independence and replace the Constitution.

Delayed progress due to layers of bureaucratic organisations

It has become routine that many politicians do not support or approve projects unless there is a commission or something for them.  Besides, they prioritise short-term projects that would be completed in months (during their political term), allowing them to take the credit.  These destructive vicious cycles must stop—they must put the country first.  Politicians should take bold steps to develop the country and bring prosperity to people today and for future generations, not because the projects provide them with votes or commissions.

Too many levels of government and bureaucratic organisations exist in most developing countries.  Sri Lanka is not an exception to his mess: it has ministries, departments, authorities, etc.—these have become money-making schemes.  Most are preoccupied with how not” to get things done or approved: determination influence is commission.  It is a familiar story across the country.  They erect barriers to delay progress till bribes are collected. 

Adding to this hogwash are three additional bureaucratic tiers—district, municipal and provincial councils.  None of these provides added value to the process.  Instead, council members’ mentality is infested with corruption—further increasing delays in obtaining approvals, wastage, frustration, and bribery-driven expenses.  These redundant bureaucratic organisations and multi-level governments hinder progress and add no value to projects or developments.  This multi-layer government should be disbanded with a new constitution.

This boloney can be avoided by establishing independent (preferably district-based) unelected professional bodies appointed by professional organisations.  These must have the legal power to approve or deny projects based on data, facts, and common sense related to outcomes.  Such independent scientific-expert bodies must approve all expensive and longer-term projects in developing countries like Sri Lanka.  A law should be enacted so that political interferences of these independent authorities and commissions should be categorised as a punishable crime with jail time.  While projects must be streamlined, records of authorities’ and commission decisions must be publicly available.  Members of these independent expert bodies should be nominated and appointed by professional organisations, not by politicians or the president—the way to minimise conflicts of interest.  In the absence, project decisions would be heavily influenced by personal gains by politicians, as is distinctly seen today.  

Conflicts of interest, political instability, and the economy

Political stability and peace in the country are crucial for long-term progress and sustainable development.  Three decades-long internal wars against a small group of terrorists continue to waste the country’s precious human and economic resources.  Biased and conflicted self-appointed third-party’ mediators like Norwegians have shown no interest in resolving the conflict—instead, they favour terrorists—thus, with such biased activities, there is no hope that Sri Lanka will achieve long-term peace via such worthless negotiations.  Therefore, other options, including military intervention, must be explored.

The Sri Lankan government must handle and solve such internal issues without depending on biased outside entities, including the United Nations.  These internal conflicts have been consistently fueled by unscrupulous foreign government agencies and non-governmental organisations (I-NGOs), and religious groups to achieve their agendas and destabilise governments, and push for a separation of the country.  Besides, mentioned organisations use local people—so-called experts (enticed with money) to accomplish their unethical missions and harmful agenda.  Ironically, some educated Sri Lankans have fallen into this trap due to the gimmicks, financial gain, and other benefits.  None of the foreign powers or NGOs has genuine concerns about solving internal Sri Lanka—it is only an illusion.  

Resolution of the internal conflict and elimination of terrorism

The Sri Lankan government, especially the arrogance of foreign ministers, consistently fail to neutralise false propaganda by the diaspora that sponsors terrorists.  Instead, they focus their anger on criticising the UN and other organisations.  While these international organisations were not neutral, criticising them without adhering to a firm peace path and working with them proved counterproductive.  Sri Lankan missions and ambassadors in foreign countries must be responsible for neutralising bogus propaganda by terrorist sympathisers.  

It is crucial to permanently resolve the current separatist issue as early as possible and establish political and economic stability in the country while firmly preserving its unitary status.  Sustainable economic and social development across the country would most certainly facilitate eradicating terrorism and establishing lasting peace and sovereignty.  

Resolving internal conflicts is crucial to prevent loss of lives and destruction and stop the draining of foreign exchange.  That should allow wasted funds to be diverted to infrastructure, education, healthcare, and longer-term projects for prosperity.  However, some individuals, companies (supply chains), NGOs, and even bureaucrats and politicians want to prolong the internal war, primarily for financial gain.: it has become a new livelihood for some.  Government and the military must proactively identify and decommission these harmful sources preventing the development and the unity of Sri Lanka.  The sooner this is achieved, the easier it will be to eradicate terrorism for a better Sri Lanka.

Importance of value-added exports

In addition to value-added exports, the new economic development plan should focus on hi-tech and high-margin industries that cost less capital.  Therefore, Sri Lanka no longer needs to depend on loans or marginally profitable traditional exports like petroleum-dependent vulnerable sectors.  In this regard, the diversification of the economy would be crucial to negate the impact of endogenous or exogenous economic shocks, facilitating sustainable growth and taking the country forward socially and economically.

If Sri Lanka follows this path, it is tangible to have an average growth rate of 8-10% annually for years to come.  The author believes such a focused approach would allow growth to surpass the Singaporean economy within a decade, as described above.  Nonetheless, this requires long-range commitment and proactive strategic planning: unfortunately, such a vision has been lacking in Sri Lanka since its independence in 1948.

Adapting new technologies and transfer of intellectual property

Credible and fair mechanisms devoid of egoism must be developed to tap the highly educated and motivated expatriate population to obtain their support, assistance, and guidance.  In addition, these efforts will help bring FDIC and new ideas and technologies to Sri Lanka, allowing infrastructure and economic development without borrowing money that future generations must pay, leapfrogging wealth.  Most importantly, entrenched bureaucrats must facilitate (not hinder as they currently do) and nurture entrepreneurship and innovations, generating sustainable local job opportunities.  Expansion of the job market will lead to political, cultural, and social improvement and stability that would increase investor and customer confidence, further strengthening the economy.  This positive cycle will attract additional FDIC, and the country will tread the path to prosperity.

Technology transfers are essential to establish new Hi-Tech industries, which drive further innovations, the country’s well-being, and economic development.  In addition, improving the efficiency of ailing systems in all government departments is essential.  Examples include the post office, digital land registration process without going through lawyers, computerisation of the governmental operations (e.g., Inland Revenue, Municipality tax collections, payrolls, applications for approvals, etc.), data collection and billing for water and electricity, etc., must be streamlined and convert to digital facilities.

The mentioned automation streamlines all applications for approval and tenders.  It would tremendously help the public and provide greater control of revenue collections and control over projects such as construction and irrigation.  These will significantly expedite activities, minimise pilferage and wastage, and improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness.  However, the government must resist importing technologies or significant pieces of equipment merely on a commission basis (as they do) to achieve political mileage or under pressure from internal or external vested interests that are inappropriate for the country.

Part 3 discusses barriers to progress, healthcare reforms, and the need to shift from domestic help to high-skill labour export.

BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS

When Sri Lanka ended the ethnic war in fourteen years ago, many analysts believed that the decline in military expenses would improve the economic prospectus of the country. Tourism business and merchandise exports would be positively supported to an increase in external value of the Sri Lanka rupee, but such an outcome couldn’t see during the past 10 years.  However, now many analysts attempt to explain that the external value of Sri Lanka rupee is improving, and these analysts detailed various reasons for the sudden improvement of the Rupee value, but they are reluctant to talk about the influence of a de-dollarization campaign in the world.

The sudden improvement of the external value of the Sri Lanka rupee associate with several factors and it is a macroeconomic consequence and all factors relate to this economic consequence cannot be openly discussed because macroeconomic factors exist in a broad range of area, sometimes, they may not be taken into account and many factors are hidden and the value of factors influencing need to be mathematically calculated.  The best action is to conduct mathematical research that identifying factors and calculating the relationship between factors and the value of the improvement of the external value. A multi-correlation investigation would be an excellent method and many analysts have not done such detailed research and express views.

According to international news, de-dollarization may have a strong relationship with the improvement of the external value of the Sri Lanka rupee, but this truth is not subject to public speaking of many analysts who gain benefits from the Western funded research institutes.

De-dollarization and many embargos for Russia might be influenced to improve the external value of currencies of developing countries.  After the conference of the BRICS could be known about this and financial analysts in Sri Lanka should not scare to express independent opinion.     

Shenali D Waduge

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet appears to be least bothered about finding solutions to the country’s economy and instead fishing to create new issues. The latest is a proposal to create a memorial to ‘symbolize unity & healing’ and is to include ex-combatants (LTTE) as well. What an insult to the war heroes who sacrificed their life for the nation. Let us not forget, the LTTE fought for a cause, the armed forces fought to defend the nation. The memorial being proposed comes 14 years after the end of terror after 30 years of political failures. Therefore, politicians have no moral right to decide on any unity or healing as many of the deaths are a result of their inaction, delayed actions and wrong actions. What has the Govt done for justice to the victims of LTTE? Why are they, after 14 years, so bothered about healing” for ex-combatants?  14 years have passed, no ex-combatant has been shunned from society, if any have, it is by their own people who regard them as failures to their cause. Therefore, the Government & Cabinet must not make a mockery of the war victory & insult the dead victims by putting all into one basket memorial. This proposal must be rejected & opposed by all. How can a govt want to put a memorial to commemorate the victims & their butchers?

The bogey ‘reconciliation’ ‘trust & reconciliation’ cards are nothing but avenues for a handful to make money by allocating funds & giving themselves appointments to do sweet nothing. This is the story of all TRCs, Reconciliation programs held globally.

The Armed Forces has done far more than these bogus Commission – they saved 294,000 Tamils from being held hostage sacrificing 6621 soldier lives. GoSL should not demean this.

It was suggested many times to create a LTTE War Crimes memorial for people to know how innocent people were targeted and killed since 1980s. No Government chose to do so. Instead, they are now proposing to put a memorial putting these victims with the terrorists that killed them. Any politician shamelessly proposing so, should not be in any future Parliament.

The bitter lessons from the past to the ordinary surround why the then government failed to nip in the bud a bunch of youths who they knew were moving towards militancy, why the politicians who were promoting separatism & terror were not dealt with by law, why political orders were not given to end the terror, when the forces could have done so, why the morale of the military were broken by lukewarm attention to the arising conflict, why politicians chose to play politics with the lives of innocent people who were subject to terror – as many of us go through past incidents our questions divert to the politicians and their role in lengthening the conflict as a result losing so many innocent lives.

On another note, if we are to regard the LTTE as victims (not all but only those that were forcibly recruited & include children, women & men) the questions must be directed to the West, the UN & even India as well as some Tamil rapporteurs who were tasked to save the child soldier but didn’t. If at all, all those who were holding positions throughout from 1980s and did not do anything when they had the power to do so to end the conflict should be held culpable.

We do not need memorials.

People are going on with their lives.

If a Government does not wish to put up memorials to show the world how the victims of LTTE died, there should be no reason for the world to empathize with the LTTE now.

To add to insult, compensation for LTTE families was given first during the 2015 government by opening the Office of Reparations completely disregarding the real victims. This memorial is a continuation of that treachery.

Has the US put memorials for US forces & Al Qaeda?

Will India put a memorial for IPKF alongside the LTTEers who killed them?

Has the EU or UK put memorials for their enemy alongside their armed forces & victims?

The bottom line is that a soldier cannot be compared or put on par with a terrorist.

Parents of a soldier cannot be put on par with parents of a terrorist too.

A wife of a soldier cannot be put on par with a wife of a terrorist too.

But they all have the right to mourn their child. The issue is not the mourning, the issue is how that mourning is being done. Mourning with LTTE flags & emblems is what we object to.

The members of the armed forces are those that defend the nations’ sovereignty – the terrorists are those that attack the nations’ sovereignty. Terrorists take up arms to go against the state. LTTE are defined as Armed Non-State Actors in a conflict defined as Non-International Armed Conflict.

The soldier only defends his terrain – the terrorist is trained to kill & is ordered to violate the rules that govern a state.

No soldier is commanded to kill unarmed civilians – the terrorists are.

The Government is insensitive to the civilian victims to commemorate them in a memorial that is also commemorating those that killed them. Where is the healing?

We don’t need government to enforce healing on people with memorials. Everyone forgets how the parents of Prabakaran were treated by Tamils when they discovered they were his parents. Ultimately, it was the Sri Lankan soldiers who had to take them to safety and looked after them until their deaths. None of todays cardboard heros came forward to accept their bodies. The funeral had to be done by the soldiers courtesy of the state.

The Government should know very well the tamashas held globally to commemorate LTTE dead claiming them to be Tamil civilians. The Canadian Prime Minister even called this genocide”. The Canadian Government even hold Genocide Weeks & have curriculums to teach about a genocide and while these lies are going on the GoSL are putting a memorial saying all are the same. What kind of a laughing stock Sri Lanka is being made of across the world by these decisions. Why don’t the Govt take legal action against the LTTE in remand or release them if they cannot frame a case against them. Simply keeping them prisoner while putting silly memorials is ridiculous.

The Government is advised not to insult the dead by putting the victims alongside the killers. The Government may think this is healing, it is only smearing the dead and insulting them.

Shenali D Waduge

C. Wijeyawickrema, LL.B., Ph.D.

Introduction

Politicians in European countries still think they are the masters of their former colonies. They entertain a superiority complex, thinking that they can fool people of ex-colonies pretending as statesmen (not politicians), genuinely concerned about the <plight> of these people. They exploited these countries, applied divide and rule strategy, and had to leave these colonies prematurely, due to the actions of both Hitler and Gandhi (and in the case of India Subash Chandra Bose also).

These colonial masters created a class of people, known as black-whites (or coconuts, brown outside-white inside) in Ceylon/Sri Lanka. This class thinks Europe is superior and former colonial masters deploy them as their remote-controlled agents. These black-whites in Sri Lanka destroyed the country for the past 75 years and now it is a bankrupt, and more or less a failed state. It has now become Whiteman’s football.

These white politicians want to teach Human rights and ethnic rights to such beggar countries like Sri Lanka using UNHRC at Geneva as the hammer of punishment and R2P as the ultimate weapon. The result is breaking of countries, like in Sudan, with the two countries engaged in an unending war. In the case of Sri Lanka, the white master tried to destroy the religion of the people, Buddhism, since 1798. They knew Buddhist way of life is based on the concept of compassion to all living beings, including even trees (and rocks).

In UK, EU, and USA, there are politicians who support the demand of the Tamil separatists living in their respective electorates craving for Tamil votes. In this sense they are not different from the black-white partisan politicians in Sri Lanka who cheat or trick voters of different ethnic/religious/language groups to get their votes.

Canada was not a colonial master, other than it was the native Canadian non-white tribes who were the victims of white settlers. The Hudson Bay Company was the first agent of this exploitation. Canadian politicians have a history of blindly supporting American and British colonial plans, and Justin the politician, is playing this role of a subsidiary. He does not know the history, geography or the separatist movement in Ceylon/Sri Lanka which began in 1921-3. The Canadian embassy in Colombo should have educated this Justin so that he would not become a pawn in the hands of separatist Tamil voters in Toronto etc. Vigneswaran and Sumanthiran, are two Tamil politicians who talk about a Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka. Vignes has two sons both married to Sinhala women and Suman’s son is also married to a Sinhala woman. So, when these two fathers talk about a genocide by a Sinhala government, it is like Hitler had a son married to a Jew in Germany! Perhaps, these two hates their sons for this love is blind decision and the psychological revenge is directed at the innocent Sinhala race.

Canadian Embassy should have given such information to its head of the state in Ottawa. There are tons of information to prove there was never a genocide of any minority group in the 2500 years of history of this island. The first refugees settlements in the modern world happened in Ceylon when the Kandyan king allowed Muslims to move into his kingdom to escape from Portuguese assault. Later same thing happened when the Dutch executed Catholics in coastal areas. It is also interesting to note the first genocide in the modern world happened in Ceylon. In 1818 and in 1848 the British annihilated young and old Sinhalese males, destroyed their land and property by burning them.

I have attached two essays I wrote in the past (2009 and 2021) which will help Justin to learn what is genocide. Unfortunately, the politicians in the Sri Lankan government are as bad as Justin, the politicians. Because, I doubt Ali Sabri, the minister who summoned the Canadian ambassador to his office, provided any documentary evidence to demonstrate that Justin was wrong. It was only photo opp.

As suggested by Shenali Waduge, Canada is the ideal place for a Tamil State outside the original Tamil homeland in South India. Canada needs more people to make it a country not limited to a belt along the U.S. border.

LankaWeb – Genocide Tamil joke and Vigneswaran’s five Shivalinga – part I  (2009/2012)

Why God did not give Ceylon to Christians (Portuguese)

දෙවියන් විසින් ක්‍රිස්තියානීන්ට ලංකාව අහිමිකිරීම (rssing.com) (2014)

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Premadasa took a special interest in housing. The United Nations recognized President Premadasa as one of the Asian pioneers of the Shelter for All programmes, said Pramod de Silva.

It was President Premadasa who proposed at the United Nations, to declare an International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. The proposal was unanimously accepted at the 37th session of the United Nations General Assembly (1982) and the year 1987 was declared as the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless.

Back home Premadasa tried to provide houses for those who did not have any. He planned to provide 100,000 houses   in his first term and a million in his second term. With this in mind, in 1980, Premadasa started his Udagama project. He introduced the slogan Gama Hada Rata Hadamu.

For an Udagama, officials identified the poorest families in a given village. A land area was identified and developed.  The Housing Ministry, then stepped in to build 25-50 housing units with all facilities at this location for these families.  The construction phase was a collective effort of the whole village. While the Government supplied the funds and earthmoving/construction machinery, the villagers had to get together to build each house, using their time and labour. The houses had pipe borne water and a home garden. Each Udagama was also   given a school, post office, health facilities, temple, kovil, or church.   

Premadasa created hundreds of udagamas, said Bradman Weerakoon.  The first Uda Gama” was in Badalgama, a poor village in Yapahuwa electorate, Kurunegala district. .Another Udagama was in Kukulewa   in the Anuradhapura District .Each new Udagama was given an appropriate name that evoked something special about the area.

 Udagama openings became regular monthly affairs. Premadasa personally attended each opening ceremony. There was an elaborate ceremonial opening attended by the MPs of the district, the Maha sangha and Tower Hall artistes. Gam Udawa gained international recognition rapidly and several other countries emulated the programme with success, said Pramod de Silva.

There was also an annual event known as Gam Udawa. Each year in June President Premadasa organized a national Gam Udawa, to showcase the Government’s housing and other development programmes. All Ministries, Departments and State agencies were required to display what they did at each festival. .” It was a week long event staged in different parts of the country. Premadasa usually spent the entire week in the village. He was undeterred by the criticism that the Gam Udawa was wasteful.

Gam Udawas were held in  Yapahuwa (1979) ,  Ampara,(1980)   Tissamaharama(1981)   Dambulla (1982) Nikaweratiya   (1983)  Anuradhapura(1984)    Hingurakgoda (1985)   Embilipitiya (1986) Kataragama (1987)  Anamaduwa(1988)  Mahiyangana (1989)   Pallekelle (1990) Kamburupitiya (1991) Buttala,(1992).The last exhibition, ‘Gam Udawa 1992,’ held at Buttala, was the best and most extensive of its kind,  said CA Wijeweera.

 Gam Udawa grew in might and variety and expanded every year. It went on adding novel features and exploring ways of reaching the masses. Public institutions as well as private sector firms vied one another to get a better exposure for their stalls. Participation in the exhibition was considered a signal honor amongst public servants and those from the private sector.

The annual ‘Gam Udawa’ exhibition which commenced in Ampara on a modest scale, grew and expanded over the years to become not only the major showcase of the government’s development efforts, but also the major annual attraction for the people across the country, especially the rural folks who were rather starved of leisure and entertainment. It became the event to look forward to, and the people flocked in thousands to the exhibition, said CA Wijeweera. A million people attended said Bradman Weerakoon.   

Gam Udawa provided fun and frolic for those who attended. There was the annual Gam Udawa cycle race. There were plays such as Maname and puppet shows. Gam Udawa also gave an opportunity for rural folk to see structures they could not otherwise see. My     recall is that there were models of the Dalada Maligawa, Parliament and so on at these Gam Udawas.

The exhibition structures were planned as permanent structures.  Pallekelle Gam Udawa site was planned to accommodate the Central Provincial Council administration complex, and it is still in use. Kamburupitiya Gam udawa structures at the exhibition site were to accommodate the hospital centre later and Mihintale Gam Udawa buildings were to provide infrastructure for Rajarata University.

All government agencies performed at peak efficiency during that period in the Gam Udawa area, said Bradman Weerakoon.  Roads would be repaired, bridges and culverts strengthened, government buildings painted, and everything for miles around would be spruced up.   Flowers bloomed and the fountains danced during the exhibition period. All flags, not only on the site but anywhere in the district, had to be flying and the flagpoles had to be straight, not slanting.

The exhibition also brought out many innate and hidden talents amongst its vast numbers of workers at all levels, both from the public and private sectors. They often proved most innovative and creative. I remember the enterprising officials of the Agricultural Department, who successfully installed a paddy field and a vegetable garden, ready for harvesting during the exhibition period. They committed one whole year on this task and ultimately won the prize for the best stall.

 For the few of us involved in its planning, operation, detail and glamour, it was an unparalleled experience. Planning started one year ahead.  Ministers and departments were co-opted by more than gentle persuasion”.

Over the years, the Gam Udawa core management team evolved as a very tight-knit, high-caliber structure. Its planning and management came under the personal guidance and monitoring of President Premadasa and the direction and co-coordination of the then Housing and Construction Minister Sirisena Cooray.

The planning and management of the exhibition was structured around a carefully-established system of committees. Each committee had been assigned precise tasks and clear lines of delegation.  There were about fifteen committees reporting to the Main Committee.

The exhibition management structure proved to be solid, united and dynamic and worked with a singleness of purpose. I do not remember even a minor failure in the complex spectrum of activities during the period in which I served as a Committee Chairman and a director of the exhibition grounds. There were well-tried and well-documented procedures for reporting, monitoring, servicing and for occasional fire-fighting. They never failed, said CA Wijeweera.

 I remember Mr. Ailapperuma issuing what was titled as ‘Orders of the Day’ at midnight. These orders which included each and every activity in minute detail for the following day were distributed to all key officials. I recollect that the President’s security detail waited to collect these orders and take them wherever the President was physically present the following day. The programme, as issued, was strictly adhered to and could not be changed other than by the Director General or his deputy. It was bureaucratic machinery par excellence. 

There was criticism. Nicky Karunaratne observed that at each Gam Udawa Premadasa built a temple, church, kovil and mosque  there.  What was the need to build an additional temple when the place already had a temple? There was a reason.  It provided the cover to build other religious buildings  as well. The intention was to break the monopoly of the Sinhala Buddhist culture. Karunaratne says this was the work of CIA and was funded through Saudi Arabian government. When it came to the Dambulla Gam udawa, the chief priest of Dambulla temple had interrupted the ceremony, kicked the foundation stone and declared that he would not permit the buildings. Till then everything went well with other faiths creeping into the villages, concluded Karunaratne. 

When Gam Udawa started we received a request for a generator to provide electricity at the Gam Udawa grounds, said GAD Srimal. The CEB being a commercial operation, we said that at least the cost must be met. This was not to the liking of the President and his staff.  They contacted the Workshop Engineer of the CEB and got the generators without approval.

When I visited the Gam Udawa site at Buttala, I saw the generators being operated by CEB employees, continued GAD Srimal. On my return made discrete inquires and came to know the Prime Minister’s officers had contacted the Workshop Engineer and had unofficially obtained these generators. The department had decided that it was best to keep silent. The Workshop Engineer was later appointed Chairman of CEB. (Continued)

Shenali D Waduge

When the Prime Minister of Canada calls himself a feminist” we seriously have to wonder what kind of ideology he professes for Canada. We all know Canada was confiscated from the indigenous who had been living there for centuries & history was rewritten. No doubt that is a key factor that gels well with LTTE fronts, both adept at creating new history. Today, Canada is ruled by immigrants & they are the ones who contribute to the national economy. When an Indian could become the Prime Minister of UK, there should be no reason why a handful of very powerful Tamil players cannot rule over Canada. Whether they will change its name to Eelam is another matter but given the talents that these Tamil lobbies have & the manner they got Canadian Prime Minister to even issue a genocide” statement, shows the power they yield. Bravo to them.

https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/canadian-politicians-wish-tamil-canadian-community-tamil-heritage-month

https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/canadian-politicians-mark-tenth-anniversary-mullivaikkal-genocide

https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/canadian-politicians-mark-11th-anniversary-mullivaikkal

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/brampton-mayor-build-tamil-monument-sri-lanka-1.5885535

From isolated groups that went as asylum seekers and refugees, these LTTE fronts have become powerful entities. Where else would you find a terrorist displayed on shop windows & authorities turning a blind eye. Where else would terrorist flags, emblems & other terrorist paraphernalia be allowed to be displayed. Kudos to them.

They now operate legal chambers, human rights organizations and are crusaders of human rights & move shoulder to shoulder with the highest echelons of Canadian society & Canadian politics. Probably they have greater access to the Canadian leaders than our High Commissioner in Canada. Amazing.

They have a carte blanche to raise funds – no Canadian authority is bothered about what these funds are used for and the biggest laugh is to see Canadian politicians attend the LTTE memorials and issue statements mourning ‘dead LTTE’. For that these LTTE fronts deserve a round of applause. They’ve made jackasses out of the white Canadians and now some Sikhs are joining in too.

Let’s look at the situation from a different angle.

The LTTE fronts, their children are now well known faces in Canada. They have made a mark for themselves, they are people with recognition & stature & they have certainly done well for themselves. Would they wish to waste their time on Sri Lanka, a debt-ridden, politically prostituted, geopolitically vulnerable state? Even if they declare Eelam, would the neighboring giant allow them to rule freely? Will the Western geopolitical alliances allow them to rule without interference & interventions. These thoughts must surely be going on in the minds of the brains behind LTTE front. Would they want to shoulder such a headache?

When they have clout and when that clout is getting larger and larger in Canada, would it not be preferable to rule over Canada with or without Eelam name? 

Already the LTTE fronts are building bases around key political structures in Canada. The same tactics and strategy they are adopting slowly in other Western countries as well.

It is a given that the white race is fast dwindling due to their own theories that are backfiring on them. Every country that was once ruled by the white man is now ruled or controlled or influenced by non-whites. So we must be happy at the manner that LTTE fronts have made progress internationally.

Their past history of funding armed terror is now no more. Today, they are adopting a political path, that path has seen them make inroads into the Canadian political system. It is a sort of blueprint for others in other parts of the world to follow. Whether they create Eelam chapters or whether they rule the country like Rishi Sunak, is their choice. But we must be proud that they have come this far.

Whether some view this as hoodwinking the Canadian Prime Minister or other Canadian politicians is a matter of contention, if a Prime Minister can be hoodwinked, does he deserve to be the head of State? If politicians can be bought, should Canadian citizens be voting for them? Therefore, in a way the LTTE fronts have exposed all of these Canadian leaders.

Nevertheless, they say the people deserve the government they vote, so it is going to be a matter of time that Canada’s federal Parliament will see more of these fronts taking key roles and may even become its Prime Minister. Now that would be an accomplishment.

And, please if ever that happens, just bury the genocide” claim and rule Canada or better still create that Eelam in Canada where those that align with the cause can also make it their new home.

Shenali D Waduge

Prof. N.A. de S. Amaratunga DSc

Pastor Jerome Fernando’s controversial methods adopted to spread his version of Christianity in Sri Lanka has raised a hornet’s nest and the president of the country has instructed the CID to investigate into the matter. In this context it may be vitally important to be aware of the opinion of the Head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis, the Representative of God on Earth, on the matter of religious proselytization. Pope’s views have to be considered against the backdrop of the situation in Europe and elsewhere too with regard to the people’s attitude to religion and proselytization.

Currently in Europe a cold war is brewing between the main stream Christian Church and other sects which are seen as unwelcome intrusion. In the last few years, animosity against evangelicals in Europe seems to be growing in the wake of the  suicides and homicides perpetrated by the Order of the Solar Temple in 1994 , which was a new religious movement based on a mixture of esoteric ideas and apocalyptic expectations. Consequently the French government passed an “anti-cult” law in 1999 officially labeling evangelical groups as cults and sects. In October 2002, Belarus passed a strict new law targeting evangelicals and other minority faiths. Other European countries where anti-cult laws are being drafted, include: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Romania, Portugal, Spain and a few others. In most of these countries, there are efforts to categorize evangelical churches as “cults” (Griffith, 2023).

Now let us see what Pope Francis has to say about proselytization. He had first spoken on this subject in 2019 and recently on the 18^th of January 2023 he has said;

To evangelize is not to proselytize,” the Pope told crowds gathered in the Vatican for his weekly general audience. To proselytize is something pagan, it is neither religious nor evangelical.” This is not about proselytism, as I said, so that others become ‘one of us’ – no, this is not Christian,” he reiterated. It is about loving so that they might be happy children of God.” The Pope told a group of Christian high school students that they should respect people of other faiths and not attempt to convert them to Christianity, insisting we are not living in the times of the crusades.” Asked by one of the students how a Christian should treat people of other faiths, the pope said that we are all the same, all children of God” and that true disciples of Jesus do not proselytize. A Christian should never try to convince others of the truth of Christianity but should simply give a testimony of consistency and wait for others to ask about the faith, he proposed.

You must be consistent with your faith,” he said. It never occurred to me (and nor should it) to say to a boy or a girl: ‘You are Jewish, you are Muslim: come, be converted!’ You be consistent with your faith and that consistency is what will make you mature (AllSides, 2023).

It is highly significant that the Pope had said  we are not living in the times of crusades”. In fact he is calling for religious harmony and cordiality among different religious faiths. This is laudable and a display of true greatness.

Further evidence of the stand taken by the official church regarding unethical conversion is a document released by The World Council of Churches (2000) which is reproduced below. The World Council of Churches in The Challenge of Proselytism and the Calling to Common Witness states the following:

Proselytism as described in this document stands in opposition to all ecumenical effort. It includes certain activities which often aim at having people change their church affiliation and which we believe must be avoided, such as the following:

• making unjust or uncharitable references to other churches’ beliefs and practices and even ridiculing them;
• comparing two Christian communities by emphasizing the achievements and ideals of one, and the weaknesses and practical problems of the other;
• employing any kind of physical violence, moral compulsion and psychological pressure e.g. the use of certain advertising techniques in mass media that might bring undue pressure on readers/viewers;
• using political, social and economic power as a means of winning new members for one’s own church;
• extending explicit or implicit offers of education, health care or material inducements or using financial resources with the intent of making converts;
• manipulative attitudes and practices that exploit people’s needs, weaknesses or lack of education especially in situations of distress, and fail to respect their freedom and human dignity. (WCC Publications, 2000)”.

The proselytizing cults that operate all over the world obviously must be employing such extreme means as mentioned above to achieve their ends which has become a matter of concern for the mainstream church. The danger of permitting religious cults to operate has been evident in many instances. For example Jonestown incident in 1978 where 918 people died due to the instruction of cult leader Jim Jones. The Solar Temple incident that resulted in mass suicide and homicide in France in 1994.  A Buddhist and Hindu cult Aum Shinrikyo led by Shoko Asahara used sarin to kill people in Tokyo in 1995. Sri Lanka had the horrible experience of Easter Sunday bombings perpetrated by an Islamic cult.

Further, the activities of the cult churches may have contributed to the decline of Christianity in Europe for these extremist religious beliefs and practices tend to take the believer into the Dark Ages of the 5^th to the 14^th CE where scientific inquiry and intellectual activity was discouraged. According to the most recent Pew poll, only 71 percent of Europeans still identify as Christian, though 81 percent were raised in the faith. Most are non-practicing. Among the young, the situation is worse. About 60% to 70% percent of young Europeans aged 16–29 identify with no religion, according to a St. Mary University study.

The proselytizing groups active in Sri Lanka may be employing different techniques to lure different categories of people. Superstitious inclinations of our leading politicians and their propensity to the occult, yanthra, manthra and gurukan”  are well known and that therefore they could be easy prey to the promise of miracles in the Miracle Dome”, including political victories, is not difficult to immagine. Similarly the ambitions of other prominent leaders in various fields would be the psychological bait for trapping them into the net of the Prophet”.  Promise of miraculous cure of incurable diseases would be another ploy that may be used by clever proselytizers and even the educated rich people may not mind trying out these measures marketted by a glib preacher”. How the Prophet” amasses wealth is not difficult to understand. What a disrepute and shame on Jesus Christ and his great religion.

It is time for the leaders of all religions to come together and fight this menace. The Government has to be pressured to take effective and tangible action to combat this evil before it leads to religious conflict and violence for extremism begets extremism as we know by experience in Sri Lanka.

Prof. N.A. de S. Amaratunga DSc

නීතීඥ අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන සමායෝජක, වෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහන.

ජනාධිපතිවරයාට පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසුරුවීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් බලය පවරා ඇති ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ  33 ව්‍යවස්ථාවට වඩා ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 70 ව්‍යවස්ථාව බලවත් බවත් ඒ අනුව 33 ව්‍යවස්ථාව යටතේ පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසුරුවීම වැරදි බව 2018 දෙසැම්බර් 13 ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ විනිසුරුවරු 7ක්  SC FR  351/ 2018 ඇතුලු තවත් නඩු වලදී ඒකමතිකව තීරණය කර ඇත. මෛත්‍රීපාල සිරිසේන ජනාධිපතිවරයා 2018 දී පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසුරුවීමට එරෙහි මූලික අයිතිවාසිකම් නඩු)

(එසේම ඉංග්‍රීසියෙන් පමණක් නීතිය ඉගැන්වීමට සහ නීති විභාග පැවැත්වීමට ගෙනා 2020.12.30 අංක 2208/13 අතිවිශෙෂ ගැසට් පත්‍රයද 2023.03.21දින පාර්ලිමේන්තුව ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කර ඇත.) 

එකම කරුණක් ගැන ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ ස්ථාන කිහිපයක විධිවිධාන පවතීනම් ක්‍රියාත්මක කළ යුත්තේ කවර විධිවිධානයද යන්න සහ ප්‍රධාන ව්‍යවස්ථාව අභිබවා වෙනත් ව්‍යවස්ථාවලට ක්‍රියාත්මක වීමට නොහැකි බවට SC FR  351/ 2018 ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ නඩුවේදී විනිසුරුවරු 7කු ඒකමතිකව තීරණය කර ඇත. 

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 24 ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ අධිකරණ භාෂාව, 23 ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ නීති පැනවීමේ භාෂාව පිළිබඳව පැහැදිලිව විධිවිධාන දක්වා ඇති අතර, ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂාව අධිකරණ භාෂාවක් හෝ නීති පැනවීමේ භාෂාවක් නොවේ. එකී ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථා විධිවිධාන සහ ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේම පූර්ණ විනිශ්චය සභා තීන්දු අභිබවා ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ, අභියාචනාධිකරණයේ සහ බස්නාහිර පළාත ඇතුලු පළාත් 07ක සිවිල් අභියාචනා මහාධිකරණවල ඉංග්‍රීසියෙන් නඩු විභාග කිරීම, තීරණ ලබා දීම ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව අනුව නිවැරදි නොවනවා පමණක් නොව 2018 දෙසැම්බර් 13 ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ විනිසුරුවරු 7කු  SC FR  351/ 2018 ඇතුලු තවත් නඩු වලදී ලබා දුන් ඒකමතික තීරණයටද අනුකූල නොවේ. 

බස්නාහිර පළාත ඇතුලු පළාත් 7ක අධිකරණ භාෂාව සිංහල භාෂාව විය යුතු බව ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 24 ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ දක්වා තිබියදී එය මගහැර යාම සඳහා ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂාවෙන් එකී පළාත් 7 පිහිටි අධිකරණ වල නඩු විභාග කිරීම ඉහත ප්‍රධාන නීති තත්ත්වයන් අනුව නිවැරදි නොවේ. 

ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ, අභියාචනාධිකරණයේ සහ බස්නාහිර පළාත ඇතුලු පළාත් 7ක සිවිල් අභියාචනාධිකරණ මහාධිකරණවල අධිකරණ භාෂාවෙන් නඩු විභාග නොකිරීම, තීරණ ලබා නොදීම ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවටත්, ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ තීරණවලටත්, පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ චේතනාවටත් පටහැනි බව ඉහත නීති මූලාශ්‍ර අනුව කිව හැකිය. 

(ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ සහ අභියාචනාධිකරණයේ සිංහල භාෂාවෙන් නඩු පවරන ආකාරය පිළිබඳව 2023 මැයි 22 (ජනරජ දින) ප.ව. 2-5 දක්වා කොළඹ 07, මහජන පුස්තකාල සම්මන්ත්‍රණ ශාලාවේදී 18 වන නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහන නීතීඥවරු, නීති ශිෂ්‍යයන් ඇතුලු අයගේ සහභාගීත්වයෙන් පවත්වන ලදී.) 

ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ, අභියාචනාධිකරණයේ සහ පළත් 7ක සිවිල් අභියාචනා මහාධිකරණවල සිංහල භාෂාවෙන් නඩු විභාග නොකිරීම, තීරණ ලබා නොදීම ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවට/ ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ තීන්දු වලට පටහැනි වන්නේ ඇයි?

http://neethiyalk.blogspot.com/2023/05/7.html?m=1  නීතීඥ අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන සමායෝජක, වෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහන.

Manusha Media

The recent non-inclusion of the Free Trade Zones & General Service Employees Union (FTZ&GEU), along with three other trade unions, from the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) is a result of the Ministry’s yearly reconstitution process. The NLAC appointments are granted yearly, and memberships expire at the end of each year. The last NLAC was appointed in 2022, and membership expired in 2023, and this was mentioned in the appointment letter.

It should be highlighted that the NLAC’s constitution does not allow for trade unions to be selected arbitrarily. Further, the NLAC constitution clearly says that most representative trade unions should be taken. Accordingly, trade unions with a more extensive membership base are represented. Membership strength is dynamic, and we should provide opportunities for new trade unions that have gained strength during the period.

It is unfair to keep trade unions with the most represented association outside the national forum and trade unions with less representation inside the NLAC. Further, trade unions that were not selected have the opportunity to gain NLAC membership next year if they get enough membership.

During the selection process, trade unions were allowed to correct membership errors in January. Some trade unions responded and rectified their membership errors. FTZ&GEU union should have provided the required details, and therefore membership strength was determined based on contributions. In the “N” report, an annual return submitted by every trade union to the Department of Labour, some trade unions randomly put no’s and tried to gain membership in the NLAC. Observing these facts, the Selection Committee recommended calculating membership strength based on the total contribution received by the union from its members. Accordingly, trade unions

were selected based on subscriptions they received from their members. Therefore, only genuine trade unions with the most representatives could gain membership in the NLAC.
t is essential to respect the NLAC’s constitution, which aims to ensure that most representative workers’ voices are heard at the national forum. Selecting trade unions based on reliable data, not arbitrary numbers mentioned in annual returns, is also essential.

Regarding the ongoing public consultations on Labour Law Reforms, a public notice in three leading national newspapers was published in all three languages calling for input from interested parties in labor law reforms. Accordingly, the following representatives have participated in representing their respective trade unions.

1. Mr. Anton Marcus – Joint Secretary, Free Trade Zone & General Services Employees Union

2. Mr. Leslie Devendra -General Secretary, Sri Lanka Nidahas Sewaka Sangamaya

3. Ms. Swastika Arulingam – Deputy General Secretary (Commercial and Industrial Workers Union), United Federation of Labour

4. Mr. Palitha Atukorale – President, National Union of Seafarers Sri Lanka

5. Mr. S.P.Nathan – General Secretary, The Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and General Workers Union (CMU)

6. Mr. Peter Almeida – Deputy General Secretary, The Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and General Workers Union (CMU)

7. Mr. Nishantha Wanniarachchi – Ceylon Estates Staffs’ Union

8. Mr. S.v. Liyanaarachchi – Free Trade Zone & General Services Employees Union

9. Mr. U.Chaminda Perera – Assistant General Secretary, Ceylon Federation of Trade Unions

10. Mr. Janaka Adhikari – General Secretary, Inter Company Employees Union

11. Mr. Barath Arullsamy – Assistant Secretary, Ceylon Workers Congress

12. Mr. Mr. Channa Sirinath Dissanayake – President, Ceylon Bank Employees’ Union

13. Mr. Robert Francis- General Secretary, CESU

14. Mr. D.Wijegunaratne – Deputy General Secretary, CESU

15. Mr. S.Murugaiyah – Joint Plantation Trade Union Center

Given the national importance of Labour Law Reforms, the Ministry has organized two more public consultations on the 24th and 31st of May 2023, and we invite interested parties to participate in making it an inclusive process.

—

By Dr. Rajkumar Singh Courtesy Ceylon Today

Ashoka, the Great, was a prominent Mauryan emperor who ruled over a vast empire in India from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. After his famous military conquest of the Kalinga kingdom, he underwent a spiritual transformation and embraced Buddhism. His conversion to Buddhism led to a significant shift in his policy, from military conquest to non-violence and compassion.

Ashoka’s policy of non-violence was not only based on Buddhist teachings, but also on practical considerations. He realised that the expansion of his empire through war and violence had caused immense suffering and destruction, which he deeply regretted. He was convinced that the pursuit of peace and non-violence was the only way to achieve lasting stability and harmony in his empire. To promote his policy of non-violence, he introduced several administrative and social reforms.

He abolished the practice of capital punishment, except in rare cases of treason and murder. In line, he banned the killing of animals for food and ordered the establishment of hospitals and dispensaries for the welfare of people and animals. He promoted the growth of different faiths and granted religious freedom to his subjects, which was a remarkable departure from the religious intolerance of his predecessors. In addition, his policy of non-violence was also reflected in his foreign policy.

He encouraged peaceful relations with neighbouring kingdoms and established diplomatic ties with distant countries, such as Egypt and Syria. He sent envoys to different parts of the world to spread the message of peace and non-violence. Ashoka’s policy of non-violence had a profound impact on Indian history and inspired future generations of Indian leaders. Mahatma Gandhi, the famous Indian nationalist leader, was deeply influenced by Ashoka’s teachings and philosophy of non-violence. Gandhi believed that non-violence was a potent tool for social and political transformation and used it successfully during India’s struggle for independence from British rule.

Early life and learning

The famous King Ashoka was the son of Emperor Bindusara and a queen named Dharma. He was born in Pataliputra, the capital city of the Mauryan Empire, in 304 BCE and was the third son of Bindusara including Susima, Tissa, and Vitashoka. As a child, Ashoka received a comprehensive education in various subjects such as politics, religion, and warfare. As he was trained in the art of archery, sword fighting, and horse riding, he possessed intelligence, courage, and leadership skills, which impressed his father, Bindusara. After Bindusara’s death, Susima although, plotted to eliminate Ashoka and his other brothers to secure his position, but Ashoka was able to escape and seek refuge with the governor of Ujjain. Eventually, he was able to gain the support of the nobles and the army and launched a campaign to defeat Susima and become the emperor of the Mauryan Empire in 273 BCE. His early years as emperor were marked by military conquests as he expanded the boundaries of his empire through conquests and diplomacy. However, the conquest of Kalinga in 261 BCE was a turning point in Ashoka’s life and ultimately he embraced Buddhism, which became the guiding philosophy of his reign.

As a Buddhist ruler, Ashoka introduced several administrative and social reforms to promote the welfare of his subjects. He established hospitals, dispensaries, and rest houses for travellers and pilgrims. He also ordered the construction of roads, bridges, and water reservoirs to improve the infrastructure of his empire. Ashoka’s reign was characterised by a policy of religious tolerance, and he supported the growth of different faiths, including Jainism and Brahmanism. He promoted a culture of non-violence, and his edicts proclaimed the importance of compassion, respect for life, and social justice.

Spiritual transformation of Ashoka

Ashoka’s policy of non-violence had a profound impact on Indian history and inspired future generations of Indian leaders. Mahatma Gandhi, the famous Indian nationalist leader, was deeply influenced by Ashoka’s teachings and philosophy of non-violence. Ashoka’s policy of non-violence was a significant departure from the prevailing culture of violence and warfare in ancient India. He was convinced that peace and non-violence were the only way to achieve lasting stability and harmony in his empire. His policy of non-violence was reflected in his administrative and social reforms, foreign policy, and religious tolerance. He renounced his previous way of life and adopted a policy of non-violence, compassion, and respect for all living beings.

He became a patron of Buddhism and sponsored the construction of many stupas and monasteries across India. The legacy of King Ashoka is significant. He is remembered as a ruler who transformed from a ruthless conqueror to a compassionate and just emperor. He promoted religious tolerance and supported the welfare of his subjects, including women, children, and animals. His policy of non-violence influenced future generations of Indian leaders. To conclude, King Ashoka was a remarkable figure in Indian history whose life and legacy continue to inspire people around the world. His conversion to Buddhism and his policies of non-violence, compassion, and tolerance represent a model of ethical leadership that is still relevant today. His inscriptions, which contain his teachings and principles, provide a valuable source of knowledge and insight into ancient Indian civilisation.

Ashoka’s contribution to politics

King Ashoka ruled over a vast empire that extended from modern-day Afghanistan to Bangladesh, and his reign was marked by several significant contributions to politics. Firstly, Ashoka was known for his administrative and bureaucratic reforms, which helped to streamline the functioning of his empire. He divided his empire into provinces, each governed by a viceroy or governor, who was responsible for maintaining law and order, collecting taxes, and overseeing public works projects.

This decentralised form of governance helped to improve the efficiency of the administration and allowed for greater autonomy at the local level. Secondly, Ashoka was a patron of the arts and culture, and he encouraged the growth of literature, music, and dance in his empire. He also ordered the construction of several monuments, such as the famous Ashoka Pillars, which served as a symbol of his authority and helped to propagate his message of non-violence and compassion. Thirdly, Ashoka was a pioneer of social welfare programmes, and he introduced several measures to improve the quality of life of his subjects. Fourthly, Ashoka was a proponent of religious tolerance and encouraged the growth of different faiths in his empire. He respected the beliefs of his subjects and did not discriminate against anyone based on their religious affiliation. He even supported the growth of Buddhism, which became the dominant religion during his reign.

About the author:

Dr. Rajkumar Singh is a Youth Motivator, presently Professor of Political Science and Dean, Student’s Welfare (DSW), at B.N. Mandal University, Madhepura (Bihar), India. He has published 23 books in addition to 900 articles in national and international journals and daily newspapers in 25 foreign countries.

By Dr. Rajkumar Singh

Courtesy Kuwait Times

COLOMBO: The International Monetary Fund asked Sri Lanka Tuesday to speed its debt restructuring and warned any delays could undermine efforts to overcome the country’s worst economic crisis. Sri Lanka expected a quick deal with creditors shortly after defaulting on its $46 billion foreign debt in April last year, but restructuring talks began in earnest only last month.

The economic crisis led to severe shortages of food, fuel and medicines last year and triggered months of protests that led to the toppling of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July. The new government secured a $2.9 billion bailout from the IMF in March under a 48-month program that commits Colombo to painful reforms. Colombo has doubled taxes and announced it is selling off state enterprises to boost the balance sheet, but the IMF said more needed to be done.

The mission discussed additional fiscal efforts that will be critical to ensure successful revenue mobilization,” the IMF said at the end of a 12-day staff-level visit for talks with Colombo. The IMF delegation said they expected more progress by the first formal review of the bailout program in September. Achieving timely restructuring agreements with creditors in line with the program targets by the time of the first review is essential to restoring debt sustainability.

Keeping up the reform momentum and ensuring timely implementation of program commitments… are key for Sri Lanka to emerge from the economic crisis,” the IMF said in a statement. Foreign debt restructuring was held up as the country’s main bilateral creditor, China, was initially reluctant to take a haircut and instead offered more loans to pay off old debts.

Just over $14 billion of the total foreign credit is bilateral debt to foreign governments, 52 percent of which is owed to China. Beijing initially proposed a two-year moratorium on the repayment of its debts, but without accepting a reduction in the amount, an insufficient concession for the IMF. Terms of China’s debt restructuring have not been made public.

Beijing gave financial assurances in March allowing the IMF to release $330 million, the first tranche of the bailout package. The IMF expects Colombo to restructure its domestic debt too. The government’s local debt was estimated at about 15,033 billion rupees ($50 billion) as of the end of last year. Opposition parties have warned that any trim to the rupee debt could send the entire domestic financial system into a tailspin, but the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has said it will ensure the stability of commercial banks. — AFP

Courtesy Adaderana

Upon completion of their mission to Sri Lanka, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team says that keeping up the economic reform momentum and ensuring timely implementation of the IMF-supported programme’s commitments are key for Sri Lanka to emerge from the economic crisis.

The mission discussed recent economic developments and the implementation of the IMF-supported programme, including additional fiscal efforts that will be critical to ensure successful revenue mobilization for Sri Lanka, and the debt restructuring process, not excluding the ongoing discussions with both foreign and domestic creditors. 

Issuing a statement following their visit, the IMF team said, Achieving timely restructuring agreements with creditors in line with the program targets by the time of the first review is essential to restoring debt sustainability. Keeping up the reform momentum and ensuring timely implementation of program commitments, including to ensure central bank independence, improve governance, and protect the vulnerable, are key for Sri Lanka to emerge from the economic crisis”.

An IMF mission led by Messrs. Peter Breuer and Masahiro Nozaki conducted a staff visit to Colombo from 11 to 23 May.

Accordingly, while recent macroeconomic and financial sector developments were discussed during the meeting, the staff team recognised that following strong policy efforts, the macroeconomic situation in Sri Lanka is showing tentative signs of improvement, with inflation moderating, the exchange rate stabilizing, and the Central Bank rebuilding reserves buffers.

Despite these advancements, however, they highlighted that the overall macroeconomic and policy environment remains challenging.

We welcome the authorities’ ongoing efforts in meeting key commitments under the Fundsupported program. Performance under the program will be formally assessed in the context of the first review of the Extended Fund Facility arrangement, which is expected to be undertaken in September 2023”, the statement further read.

During their visit, the IMF staff team met with President and Minister of Finance Ranil Wickremesinghe, Governor Weerasinghe, Secretary to the Treasury Siriwardana, senior government officials, members of the opposition parties, CSOs, think tanks, trade unions, the private sector, and development partners. 

We would like to thank the authorities for the open and collaborative discussions and look forward to our continued close engagement”, the statement concluded.

Courtesy Adaderana

The Colombo High Court today (23) sentenced a former cadre of the now-defunct separatist group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to rigorous life imprisonment.

The accused, Thangavelu Nimalan, has been found guilty of the possession of explosives and 02 micro-type pistols to carry out a suicide bomb attack in the Colombo area.

The Attorney General had filed charges against Nimalan over the possession of two micro pistols, 1.5 kilograms of C-4 high explosives and live ammunition in the Ratmalana area in 2009.

Following an extended hearing of the case, Colombo High Court Judge Damith Thotawatta declared that the charges against the defendant had been proven beyond reasonable doubt by the prosecution.

On March 05, 2022, Thangavelu Nimalan who had served as a member of the LTTE’s intelligence unit during the civil war in Sri Lanka, was sentenced to another rigorous life imprisonment, after being convicted over the possession of 2kg of high-power explosives containing RDX. 

The case had been filed against the accused in 2011.

At the time, four other cases lodged against the said former LTTE cadre were also being heard before the courts

Shenali D Waduge

India will not allow a separate Tamil Eelam in India. Sri Lanka will also not allow a separate Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka. Yet from Justin Trudeau to provincial politicians in Canada, an overwhelming sympathy for Tamils can be seen. Given that the stalwarts propagating Eelam are mostly located in Canada & western hemisphere, it would be logistically beneficial to set up Eelam in Canada.

Canada is certainly big enough to accommodate Eelam

How big is Canada = 9,984,670 km2,

How big is India = 3.287 million km²

How big is Sri Lanka = 65,610 km²

Canada is not only big enough it has enough of land to accommodate Eelam

Population in Canada = 38.25 million (2021)

Population in India = 1.408 billion (2021)

Population in Sri Lanka = 22.16 million (2021)

Canada has enough of space to set up Eelam

Population density in Canada = 4 persons per Km2

Population density in India = 428.19 people per Km2

Population density in Sri Lanka = 341 persons per Km2

80% of Canada’s land is uninhabited.

As per PM Justin Trudeau’s plan – he aspires to bring 1.5million immigrants by 2025. Canada is currently taking 500,000 immigrants per year.

As per the 2021 Canadian census, Tamil Canadians number approximately 240,000 and account for roughly 0.7% of Canada’s population.

This is the official statistics, so obviously quite a number must be living illegally.

According to Taylor Francis there are 400,000 Tamils in Canada

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1040265042000278630?journalCode=cper20

numerous other statistics give varied figures of Tamil population. That is a matter for Canada to sort out.

Toronto is the Capital of the province of Ontario

Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the largest urban and metro area,

Toronto is said to have 200,000 Tamils (from just 150 in 1983). 

Total population in Toronto is 2.93million

Toronto District School Board in 2016 passed the Tamil Heritage Month.

The Provincial government of Ontario passed Bill 104 & introduced Tamil Genocide Education Week” into the school system.

This 240,000 were even able to get the states to commemorate dead LTTE passing a bogus Genocide Bill. We will leave it to history to make a mockery out of this Bill.

There are however close to 153,000 Sinhalese living in Canada (2016 census) why are Canadian politicians not bothered about them?

There are 84million Tamils around the world.

• India 76,800,000 (comprising 5.9% of India’s total population but comprising 99% of Tamil Nadu state population)
• Sri Lanka 2,200,000
• Malaysia 1,800,000
• South Africa 600,000
• France 302,000
• USA 235,000
• Canada 240,000
• Singapore 199,000
• Australia 100,000

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It is only Tamils in Tamil Nadu & Sri Lanka seeking self-determination, while Tamils living in Canada, US, UK, France, Australia are campaigning to create a Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka though ideally it should be in Tamil Nadu where 76million out of the total 84million Tamils live & from where the original bid to separate, started. The separate homeland campaign was only palmed off to Sri Lanka for geopolitical reasons & advantage. It is kept alive for geopolitical purposes too. Had Sri Lanka not been in its present location, the West or UN would have been bothered about any Tamil. This reality is admitted by even Tamils now.

Moreover, it is not the Tamils living in Sri Lanka who want a separate homeland, but the Tamils living overseas. This is the irony of the quest and should make people wonder why people with foreign passports should spend so much of time, energy & money campaigning to create a separate homeland that they are not likely to come & live in. So what is the catch? Why are they 24×7 involved in trying to separate Sri Lanka?

Are they carrying out an objective of anyone else? If so, whose?

Are they cashing in on the propaganda? How much is this kitty?

The money they spend on global campaigning, hiring international law firms, paying retainer fees to international legal counsels, could well have fed all the Tamils living in poverty in Sri Lanka?

Let’s not forget, none of these entities sent a packet of rice or even a toffee to any of the 300,000 Tamils that the Sri Lankan Armed Forces saved. Instead they were lobbying every foreign politician to get them to stop the Sri Lanka Army attacking the LTTE. This does give some clues to where their loyalties lie.

While these tamashas for separate homelands continue annually, we can only strive to present the facts and refuse to bow down to lies, spread only because of the power of the money that accompanies the lies & promoted by a bunch of corrupt personalities.

by Professor Sunil J.  Wimalawansa

Preamble:

This article was published in June 2006 as a three-part series in the Sunday Financial Times (Part 1: https://www.sundaytimes.lk/060618/ft/2.1.html).  There were several requests to republish this article in full. Since the entire piece was not published then, the author is grateful to the editor of Lanka Web for the opportunity to republish it in full as a series over seven consecutive articles fulfilling the public request.  

The article was written in February 2006 as a mid-term paper for an executive MBA training program at Rutgers University Graduate School of Business.  It was adapted and published in the Financial Times in June 2006.  The author values the editor’s offer to print the entire manuscript as a series of articles for easier reading—note that they are interconnected.  Except for the references to the three decades of terrorist war completed in 2009, the contents of this series are entirely relevant and applicable to the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka—in 2023.  Hence the importance of this publication.

Abstract:

The Sri Lankan economy has stagnated for the past three decades compared to its neighbours.  However, this is no excuse not to come up with a new mission for the country and make Sri Lanka one of Southeast Asia’s best and most vibrant economies in Asia.  Establishing stability by eliminating terrorism, harmonising different ethnic and religious groups, and working together as Sri Lankans” for the longer-term betterment of its people and the country, can beat the Singapore economy within a decade, except for the fiancé and shipping industry.

Rather than repeating mistakes, Sri Lanka should learn from other emerging economies the importance of diversification, adding value to exports, expanding the IT-electronic sector, attracting offshore contracts and Foreign Direct Investment Capital (FDIC), and new ventures.  It is time that it dumped the unproductive, backward colonial mentality and the dependent subsistence economy.  It must get out of the lazy path—seeking and dependency on loans.  Instead, it must aggressively pursue sustainable developments, create an export-oriented economy, and not get trapped by loan predators like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.  With its soaring economy, China is also getting into this lucrative business with the view of the effortless acquisition of assets at no cost from developing countries using loan traps.  

The article outlines the pros and cons” and fallacies of the current economic development approach.  It emphasises what should be done to generate a vibrant economy in developing countries like Sri Lanka.  The article also discusses the importance of transparent governance, honesty and openness, a positive attitude, and the importance of private-public partnerships and improved public relations.

Learning from the economic success of Shanghai

For the past 20 years, China’s economy has been increasing by about nine percent per year, while the Sri Lankan economy has stagnated.  The latter is partly due to a lack of vision for the macro economy, particularly for revenue-generating sustainable development programs.  The greed of politicians and senior bureaucrats and the lack of transparency in transactions exacerbated the economic downturn.  They were focusing only on the short-term benefits—the next election. 

Important to note that although China’s economy is rapidly growing, its success is not uniform across the country.  Poverty is rampant in rural districts.  Such a skewed approach is unlikely to sustain in the long run, especially with strict autocratic controls and a lack of freedom for its citizens.  China’s economic growth is concentrated in a few major cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, and the Pearl River Delta, which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can monitor closely.  Astronomical developments in these large cities strengthen the control of the public and political power base.  Consequently,  their countryside is neglected.  It results in divergence of disparities, eventually likely to pave the path for a second major revolution in the country.

One-tenth of the world’s tallest construction cranes are operating in Shanghai.  Besides, 14% of world’s crude oil is consumed by China.  Its excessive thirst for energy and construction materials and real estate development are trying to cope with the high demand, thus pushing the price of crude oil.  In comparison, the large-scale attempt by the Russians on economic reforms following the end of the cold war failed.  The rapid experimental transformation of the previously stagnant communist philosophy-based economy into a market-based economy, restricted to its large cities for easier control.  This transformation has been an extraordinary success in China. 

One of the reasons for this high economic growth in China was a determined approach with a longer-term vision and focusing on the most profitable export industries.  Unfortunately, Sri Lankan leaders never had a longer-term vision: consequently, they failed to achieve any of the mentioned successes s with China, Ireland etc., in recent years.  Instead, Sri Lankan politicians have been hooked dependent on handouts”—loans— and myopically focused on opportunities to steal funds.

The current Sri Lankan GDP is about 80% of Shanghai City alone.  Yet, the land area of Shanghai is less than 5% of Sri Lanka, and the population is nearly a quarter—significant discrepancies.  The GDP of Shanghai City rose from under $2 billion in 1980 to over $30 billion in 2004.  With exponential growth, it is expected to double every five years.  The economic model that China has adopted is far from a full-fledged market-driven economy.  CCP, which has governed China since the last revolution, has tight control of all industries in this knitted conglomerate.  Policies adopted by the communist government resulted in skewed but significant economic advances during the past 2two decades.  It will continue to grow at this rate till its real estate market collapse and/or its over-ambitious control over neighbouring countries like Taiwan fall into a war.

Outside the economic development areas in China, there has been only modest or no growth.  It is unclear whether this is by design to use as cheap labour and shipping raw materials to industrial complexes or the tight focus only mentioned a few cities (each has more population than entire Sri Lanka) to exploit the growth maximally.  How can Shanghai, with only 5 percent of the land of Sri Lanka, generate more revenue than the entire Sri Lankan economy?  From an economic (but not social) point of view, it provides an opportunity for leaders of Sri Lankans and other developing countries to closely examine it to identify what works and what would not. 

Nonetheless, governmental policies like deregulations, incentives, BoI facilities, stability and law and order, business transparency, and openness make a difference in attracting Foreign Direct Investment Capital (FDIC).  Opportunities and needs vary with types of industries, value-added products, incentives and motivation of people (vs. laziness), appropriate investments and available trained labour force.  Sri Lanka has a major disadvantage with its top-heavy government loaded with ministries, departments, boards, and institutions working in the same sector.  It sometimes makes a mockery and is made worse by corrupted, entrenched bureaucrats.

Compared to Sri Lanka, several other industrialised countries with comparable sizes have higher GDPs.  England is about 3.7 the size of Sri Lanka, but several European countries are smaller than Sri Lanka.  Similarly, several states within the United States of America (USA), which are only 2-4-fold higher in land size, have several-fold higher GDPs than Sri Lanka.  So, from an economic point of view, the size of a country alone would not reflect its financial capacity or growth potential.  The country’s leaders must take a week-long retreat with top local experts (not sitting administrators)  to assess and develop real solutions, identify co-competencies and values, and establish paths of action to develop them properly.  Sri Lanka can learn from developing and mature economies to identify the process and eliminate, privatise, or improve weaker state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that burden the economy.

Indian influences on Sri Lanka:

Stability in Southeast Asia is good for all countries in the region and for world peace.  However, it would be helpful for the US to extend the same philosophy, including providing economic and intelligence assistance to Sri Lanka to help the country overcome its present terrorist problem.  Despite its economic advances, for some bizarre reason, Indian policy-makers do not want to see Sri Lanka becoming another Singapore but do not want to see Sri Lankan economy collapsing.  It is also time for the Indian government to abandon its unnecessary hostility and preoccupation with curtailing the economic growth of Sri Lanka.  This practice has gone on for the past three decades. 

There is no rationale for continuing such adverse policies, including creating disharmony in Sri Lanka by the Indian government or its agencies.  India should not attempt to take over Sri Lankan affairs or its economy.  The Sri Lankan economy is a fraction of India‘s GDP and offers no serious economic competition to India.  Therefore, the neighbouring big brother should respect the unitary nature and the sovereignty of Sri Lanka- and should wholeheartedly support its sustainable development and export-oriented economy.  

Prosperous and stable Sri Lanka is also good for India and its economy.  Economic ties, mutual help, and security cooperation between India and Sri Lanka (as well as the Sri Lankan and Pakistani and Chinese governments) should help overcome regional uncertainties and terrorism and achieve harmony and prosperity in the region.

Why is the Sri Lankan economy stagnant?

While the Chinese economy is booming, the Sri Lankan economy was stagnant during the same period.  Could other developing smaller economies, like Sri Lanka, learn and adapt from Shanghai, another economic model, to create a vibrant economy?  However, when comparing an open market economy in Sri Lanka with the ‘quasi’ Chinese economy, some key parameters are likely to misleading conclusions.  It is unclear how much money the CCP is pumping into economic growth in these cities or the reliability of the reported economic indicators like GDP.  

However, as with the USA, China, and Sri Lanka continue to monetise (i.e., large-scale printing of their own currencies, not backed up by gold): such will exhibit an illusionary high growth but invariably add to unsustainable inflation.  To systematically mitigate this, CCP is expanding its octopus-like economy by gradually extracting wealth from developing counties, disguising their investments as compassionate local developments.  However, an increasing number of corporations, especially mainland China’s real estate sector, are defaulting on bank loans, eventually destabilising its economy.  Due to many reasons, developing countries should not attempt to copy and implement such unreliable system(s) in their country.

In recent years, in parallel, India’s economy has also grown approximately 7% annually.  It is poised for even higher growth as the government embarks on a large-scale program associated with liberalisation and value-added exports designed to overhaul the country’s failing infrastructure.  However, India simulates the quasi-Chinese model by only focusing on developing industrial cities like Bangalore while neglecting rural regions.  Proactive spending by the Indian government to improve infrastructure and education, particularly the communication and IT sector, albeit only in certain limited areas, will lead to economic success, but it could cause marked social unrest.  

For example, IBM recently announced that they would invest an additional $6 billion US in India as an expansion effort with the availability of a Hi-Tech, IT-literate workforce.  Does Sri Lanka incentivise or pave the path to attract such FDICs?  In addition, the National Security Doctrine of 2002, the Bush administration in the USA (and more recently in 2005 and 2006) envisages closer cooperation between US and India to build civilian nuclear facilities, presumably establishing strategic stability in the Indian Ocean region. 

At the same time, military ties, including joint exercises and weapons sales, are also set to increase substantially.  Regarding energy dependence, Sri Lanka has sufficient renewable resources, but only a fraction has been exploited.  Yet again, Sri Lanka still does not have national policies for energy, clean water, food security, education, or agriculture.  To date, it has no national policy for the safe dispersal of sewage—only ~2% of households (in very few locations) have a pipe-borne secure sewage disposal system.  While Sri Lanka boasts various successes (mainly historically), it is four decades behind in these areas.

A new vision for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has an educated labour force.  However, due to short-term planning and inadequate spending, professional education and skilled labour training have lagged.  Mushrooming universities in Sri Lanka are over-producing liberal arts and other non-skill graduates.  They can be employed only by overcrowding the non-productive government sector, further burdening taxpayers.  The education system and the curricula in schools and universities are outdated and need replacing that align with the country’s needs and the future. 

As the author has expressed many times over the previous 15 years to the leaders of the Sri Lankan government, we need to set up formal skills training centres across the country.  We already have infrastructure built in for more than 20 universities.  At least half of these should be converted into technical and skills training centres.  For example, ancillary-allied health training centres should be expanded—two-year colleges and four years degree programs dedicated to nursing, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, etc.

These established institutes could provide the necessary additional training and skills that the county needs to export skilled labour that attracts higher salaries and enables foreign exchange inflow than domestic helpers.  Such technical centres should provide mundane basic training for professions and opportunities to develop high-end expertise using state-of-the-art equipment and guidelines to understand and adhere to the necessary codes of practice.  For example, for carpentry, masonry, electrical, plumbing, construction, draftsmanship, planning, etc., via two-year programs to four-year specialised degree courses, enabling foreign employment.  

Another key area that should be developed is the proper use and value-added export of natural resources without over-exploiting or harming the environment.  Sri Lanka has extensive natural resources, but it has not exploited them because of a lack of forward-thinking and the political will for long-term commitment to use-integrate these for the strategic advancement and benefit of the country. 

For 40 years, only a handful of long-term projects have been inaugurated.  Some of them are re-establishing previously successful projects, like large-scale irrigation schemes.  However, some failed to complete, and others ended up in failure.  While Sri Lankan governments have taken foreign-currency loans sneakingly, few development projects that generate foreign currencies.  So, why is it taking loans that do not create exports and, thus, not generating foreign currency to pay back loans?

More than half of loan funds had been spent on politically motivated projects that did not create exports, only to attract voters who were not benefiting the masses.  These are worthless for economic purposes and development.  Who has been authorising these unnecessary projects that waste funds?  How do you plan to generate surplus foreign currency to repay these loans?  There is no plan but to kick the can down the road for future generations to pay these loans with interest.  There are many examples where these projects failed to generate economic or expected outputs.  Consequently, having severe negative impacts on the economy and, in some cases, on the environment and people’s health [e.g., the accelerated Mahaweli project that contributed to the ill-health of new settles in Mahaweli Ares C, including chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu), or multifactorial origin (CKDmfo)].

Sri Lanka can advance sustainable and cost-effective developments (SLDZs)

Bringing more FDIC into Sri Lanka is necessary for the country to advance rapidly and repay loans.  However, attracting FDIC investment without an adequate infrastructure layout in the country is challenging.  Investors need assurances not only of reasonable profit but also that they can take back the capital at the end of the project.  Consequently, no sensible international company would invest in a developing country with no political stability and excessive red tape-over-regulation, bribery, and corruption, where they will be unable to recover their investment.  

Since developing the whole country at once is impossible, it should be done in selected areas (as CCP did with three large cities and India with Bangalore) with state-of-the-art infrastructure, sound transportation, and a disciplined labour force to facilitate businesses and incentivise FDIC.  As the country gains experience and develops negotiation skills, access to FDIC capital becomes easier.  Establishing development regions away from main cities that benefit rural communities is necessary.  Let us call these the Sri Lanka Development Zones” (SLDZ), in contrast to free trade zones, which are too narrow and already exist. 

Pre-requisites of the SLDZs would include easy travel and rapid” access to airports and shipping terminals, good roads, reliable supply chains, telephone access and high-speed internet, excellent schools, affordable housing for staff and workers, transparency of the operation, forward-looking communication systems, reliable grid power, and the political stability.  The operations of these SLDZs must be free from corruption.  To minimise bureaucratic interference, these SLDZs should come under an independent authority (not under a minister, so politicians could not interfere) under the legislation and have the legal power to make decisions and enable rapidly implementing approvals and programs without bribery.

To attract investors, these SLD Zones should be located in suitable locations—such as coastal areas and access to highways, rail, and shipping terminals, so as reliable supply chains and travel/visits by foreign investors.  The location of each complex should be based on the requirements of the investing company.  The trade resulting from the SLDZs would benefit both Sri Lanka and its trading partners: sustainable and a win: win situation.  The Sri Lankan government should also consider accelerating the SLDZs by using post-tsunami economic funding (most of these funds are under or unutilised or publicly undeclared yet) in the affected regions to leverage creating new jobs and economic and social development.

Part 2 will address attracting FDIC, competitive advantage, bureaucratic delays in approvals, and the country’s progress.

By Sunil Kumar

When the President  of Sri Lanka  urges all Sri Lankans to work together to build a prosperous country free of bankruptcy and all the ills of the recent past it is an assertive call to the nation which needs to be responded to beyond conjecture or speculation.

The protocols  surrounding his call and the details of what he has outlined for Sri Lanka and what he has accomplished thus far appears to be the work of a brilliant analytical mind which has effectively rescued the country from impending disaster which needs to be acknowledged as a massive” Fait Accompli ” where the restoration of a normal order within the country was no mean feat and the people of Sri Lanka have to be thankful for the leadership of operations under him and be hopeful it will augur well towards the posterity of the Land.Especially the IMF negotiations and the build up towards the financial recovery of Sri Lanka as well as a code of conduct for all legislators relative to honesty and integrity.

There is however a nagging factor which appears to be perplexing where the burning question needing to be asked is “what about those who perpetrated  the debacle which plunged the country into near redundancy and more where  the two Rajapaksa brothers deemed the main culprits and their associates were alleged to be responsible with their particular brand of administration and ludicrous spending projects that transformed Sri Lanka into a nation of beggars depending on international handouts, persons who are still floating around in limbo within the country with undeserving freedoms where by rights they need to be brought to justice and indicted within the statutes of the land according to the will of the people and the huge amounts of monies misappropriated by their rank and file recovered and replaced in the coffers where they belong if it is in anyway possible.

This may seem an ungainly task for the President and perhaps needing an act of forgiveness as some seem to believe but there is also a school of thought that he is protecting the aberrations of the Rajapaksas where a recent rumor emerged that Mahinda Rajapaksa would be nominated as a returning Prime Minister which hopefully is merely a rumor and not an action under the auspices of the President which could spark off unprecedented upheavals within the country again.

If this were to transpire, all the good work done by the President thus far would be neutralized and tantamount to very little as it is the Will Of The People that needs prioritization and the state of well being of the Nation  the primary consideration and not the security of those who plunged the Nation into near darkness who specifically need to pay the price for the wrongs they have done.

There is also the popular belief the the President is biding his time towards initiating the judicial actions that will bring all perpetrators responsible for Sri Lanka’s recent woes in hindsight where proper investigation and setting in place the necessary measures of indictment take time and careful consideration where hopefully this will transpire in the near future and justice takes priority over friendships in a manner of speaking and the sins of the Rajapaksas are atoned for not forgetting the good they initiated towards the progress and development of Sri Lanka where eventually  and sadly huge errors were made which nearly cost the nation dearly but for the timely intervention of the present President who has done very well for the Nation.

Dilrook Kannangara

In an unprecedented development, US Democratic Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC) and US Republican Congressman Bill Johnson (OH) introduced a bipartisan Resolution last week calling for a referendum for Eelam Tamils to be democratically and equitably represented” as well as a lasting peaceful political solution”.

This has been played down by local news media for obvious reasons. However, it is a serious matter. The resolution may or may not pass the US Congress but it is only a start of what will be a series of US attempts to push for a referendum for Tamil Eelam – a separate nation for Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka. What is more worrying is the initial resolution has bipartisan support from both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party though the exact number of congresspersons backing it is yet to be seen. As mentioned above, this will not be the last of its kind if it fails this time. USA will continue to push for a referendum for Tamil Eelams over and over again.

Interestingly this came at a time when the US president was meeting the Indian PM at the G7 Summit held in Hiroshima, Japan. This is the happy convergence of US and Indian interests. Both nations and QUOD alliance benefit from the creation of Tamil Eelam.

Sri Lanka must have a Plan A and a Plan B (more important than Plan A) to minimize the damage, ensure equal rights and equity. Insane utopian solutions (unfortunately the most popular kind of solutions among loud patriots) will only lead to the creation of multiple Tamil Eelams within the island while their hunt imaginary geese (peace).

Plan A – Resist All Attempts to Hold a Referendum to Divide the Island Nation Without Compromises

Most Sri Lankans today would not support the division of the island nation into multiple nations. It will cause inconvenience and possibly violence too going by similar events in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, East Timor, Sudan, etc. For this reason, Sri Lanka must resist holding a referendum to appease separatists.

However, the demand to hold a referendum may be a red herring to cover up a more sinister plan – using it to terrorize the government and the people to extort undue favours for the Tamil community at the expense of others. This is far worse than the division of the island nation.

Firstly, because it creates inequity, unequal rights, injustice to ethnic Sinhalas and Muslims. Secondly, such inequity leads to civil unrest and clashes. Thirdly, such targeted appeasements for the Tamil community will economically deprive 84% of the population resulting in a severe economic downturn. Fourthly, even if these compromises are given to appease separatists to remain within one nation, they will extort whatever they can and again demand Tamil Eelam a year later. This has been the separatist extortion cycle since 1985 Thimpu Talks. These compromises have ruined Sri Lanka economically, politically and militarily.

Plan B –Tamil Eelam to Essentially Accompany Sinhala-Only Eelam

If for some reason it comes to the creation of Tamil Eelam, equity and fair play must ensure. The US resolution calls for it to be democratically and equitably represented”. Total Tamil population percentage is 15.5% and equity dictates Tamil Eelam can only be 15.5% of the island. Anything more is a trespass on others’ rights. This 15.5% of Tamils include Tamils in Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya and other districts outside the north and east too. If they are to remain in these districts, the territory of Tamil Eelam must be equitably reduced to reflect this fact. As 55% of all Tamils live outside the north and east, only 7% of the island nation should be carved out for Tamil Eelam (15.5% times 45%). Otherwise, all Tamils living outside the north and east must be relocated to the north and east to make up 15.5% of the island to be carved out for Tamil Eelam.

The north and east make up 28% of the island nation by landmass. As per the 1987 Indo-Lanka Peace Accord to which Sri Lanka is a signatory accepted the north and east to be the traditional place of abode of Tamil speaking peoples which includes Muslims (10%) of the population. Therefore, Muslims should also be relocated to the north and east to make up the entire northern and eastern provinces into Tamil Eelam (minus 1.5% of the landmass as their total will be 26.5%). That is equitable and fair under the circumstances.

Solution from Hell – Inequity and Greed

However, ultra greedy and racist elements would not agree to equity and fairness. They will want to live on both sides. This will ruin the entirety of what remains. A second round and a third round of Tamil Eelam will emerge within a few years and the rest of the island will be again salami sliced to smaller and smaller pieces.

Not following Plan B in the event of Tamil Eelam will automatically result in this (the solution from hell). Going by the misfortunes that befell Sri Lanka in the past due to too much kindness, compassion and lunacy, it is very likely that this will be the final solution for Sri Lanka. It must be avoided at any and all cost. All other nations used every means at human disposal to avoid inequitable division and Sri Lankans must do same.

All economic resources in the north are enjoyed by one community and almost all economic resources of the east are enjoyed by two communities. This is the case even today! With Tamil Eelam, things will get worse. 73.5% of the population must have exclusive access to 73.5% of the island in the case of division as 26.5% of the population will have exclusive rights to 26.5% of the island post-Tamil Eelam.

US Strategic Requirements

USA is desperately searching for another expendable population like Ukraine in the Indo-Pacific. Attempts to woo Japan, Australia, India, ASEAN nations, East African nations, South Korea and Taiwan failed. None wanted to end up like Ukraine. The search has expanded and Sri Lanka is a definite candidate. However, two Sri Lankan ethnic groups are difficult to manipulate due to severe sufferings from NATO-QUAD military moves against them in the past. One ethnic group has been favoured by NATO-QUAD nations for the past 200 years and they are the best bet. Even during the war, all funds received by the LTTE, EROS, PLOT, etc. came from NATO-QUOD nations. The entire Tamil Diaspora lives in NATO-QUOD nations. These are powerful levers to control the Tamil community in the island. In addition, Tamil terrorist groups had the world best naval wing of all terrorist groups in the world. This is an enormous advantage for the US maritime strategy against China’s commercial shipping fleet. After Blackwater, USA is yet to have a serious non-state actor to advance its military moves against civilian targets.

In the long term, Diego Garcia and other US island bases will be increasingly affected by rising sea levels. The north and east of Sri Lanka is much larger than all US island bases in the world combined. It can safely sustain a very large military and cannon fodder presence.

Creation of Tamil Eelam also benefits India as it will be administered by India as part of Tamil Nadu state. Tamil Eelam will be a huge military and economic power projection platform for India. It will also resolve the simmering fisheries dispute between Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka.

NATO-QUOD plan also includes creating multiple Tamil Eelams in the island in future if the seven provinces as a new nation fails to assert their own right of self determination and equity by relocating people equitably and based on ethnicity into Tamil Eelam and Sinhala nation. This makes the case for unceasing war in the island.

Sri Lanka’s poverty, economic calamity, bankruptcy and continuing negative economic growth rate will push Sri Lanka to accept the least confrontational path when USA pushes for Tamil Eelam. It did not happen by chance. This is the result of a craftly devised plan since 2009. Over 81% of Sri Lanka’s foreign debt is held by NATO-QUAD nations. It must not come as a surprise to anyone. As Sri Lanka is unable to repay this huge amount of money (approximately $40 billion) due to NATO-QUOD nations, the inability will be used as a bargaining tool to get Sri Lanka to agree to their terms.   

Conclusion

Sri Lanka is facing economic coercion, political pressure and gunboat diplomacy from NATO-QUOD nations to give up part of its territory to create an expendable nation like Ukraine in the Indo-Pacific. However, this is not the end of the plan. This is just part 1. Part 2 is to further divide the rest of Sri Lanka (the seven provinces outside the north and east) for Tamil Eelam Part 2, Part 3 and so on. While it is imperative that Sri Lanka resists all attempts to create Tamil Eelam in the first place, putting all eggs in one basket is a sure recipe for disaster. A Plan B is essential. Otherwise, most islanders are going to lose absolutely everything, not just the north and east. It must be avoided at all cost.

Sufian Siddique Independent researcher and freelance columnist, Dhaka

Wars and conflicts are increasing worldwide. People from any part of the world are not good. But we are better than other countries – it must be admitted. In terms of infrastructure, Bangabandhu’s golden Bangladesh has progressed quite a bit overall. Especially, the country has been at ease for the past decade and a half under the hands of the current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Living in a competitive world, we have achieved a lot in various fields.

In today’s highly competitive world of ‘complex equations’ spreading ‘light’ in various fields is undoubtedly a matter of great pride and ecstasy. The recent scene of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gifting the World Bank with a painting (picture) of the Bengali dream of ‘Padma bridge’ proves that the ‘Bangla Township Light’ has spread to every corner of the world. “Golden harvest” has come to our house in various cases! The world saw a ‘new surprise’ as soon as the news of this incident came to an end! Recently, for the first time in the United Nations, a resolution on community-based health care was unanimously adopted. The historic resolution titled ‘Community-Based Primary Health Care: A Participatory and Inclusive Approach to Achieving Universal Health Services’ brought international recognition to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s outstanding innovative leadership in establishing a community clinic-based model of primary health care in Bangladesh through public-private partnership. This achievement is very ‘unique’ for Bangladesh. In the said resolution, the UN member states referred to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s successful innovative initiative in establishing community clinics as ‘The Sheikh Hasina Initiative’. Needless to say, this recognition successfully reflects Bangladesh’s strong commitment in improving public health care and establishing equity in global health care.

Notably, the adoption of this resolution is an unforgettable milestone in the global effort to achieve universal health care by 2030. Successful implementation of the resolution will play an important role in improving the health care of billions of people around the world by introducing community clinic-based health systems. This recognition of universal health services and the United Nations Development Goals will also have far-reaching implications for international cooperation.

It should be remembered that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched this ‘unique community clinic-based health system’ in Bangladesh in 1998 with the aim of bringing all the people of Bangladesh under primary health care. This project has brought a ‘revolution’ by bringing the benefits of government primary healthcare to the doorsteps of people at the grass root level across the country. The Prime Minister’s response to this initiative from the very beginning was widely appreciated by all sections of the people. World recognition was waiting. In the end, the United Nations itself received praise. How proud this achievement is for the country – only a patriotic Bengali can understand. It has to be said, this recognition in the indomitable development progress of Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will brighten our image in the international arena in the coming days.

It should be noted that currently community clinics have made a silent revolution in the health care of the country, especially in the treatment of marginalized groups. It has changed the overall picture of rural healthcare. There has been a positive improvement in the health care of the country in the past. A recent evaluation report by the World Bank also says the same. Child mortality in Bangladesh has decreased by 29 percent. The birth rate has come down to 2.3. Breastfeeding rate has increased to 55 percent. The number of children receiving care from skilled health workers in the womb is now 64 percent; The rate of low-birth-weight babies has dropped to 33 percent. The rate of taking care of trained health workers during delivery is 42 percent, the prevalence of contraceptive use is 62 percent and the prevalence of measles vaccination is 86 percent. Uptake of all basic vaccines by 23 months is now 84 percent. As the average life expectancy of people in the country has increased with these advances, there has been a massive improvement in the quality of life at the same time.

After independence, there were several obstacles in the health sector of the country. The healthcare sector in today’s Bangladesh has come a long way. Bangladesh has surpassed India, Pakistan, Nepal and many other countries in health care. In this regard, community clinics are playing a major role in improving overall health care in the country—this claim has to be acknowledged.

‘Community Clinic’ is undoubtedly a big achievement for Bangladesh. We believe that this service will spread to every corner of the world under the supervision of the United Nations. And indeed, that would be a greater achievement for us. We believe that this ‘innovative model’ of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will spread light globally and take the global health system further.

BY PAUL WISEMAN Courtesy The San Diego Union-Tribune 

WASHINGTON —  

If the debt crisis roiling Washington were eventually to send the United States crashing into recession, America’s economy would hardly sink alone.

The repercussions of a first-ever default on the federal debt would quickly reverberate around the world. Orders for Chinese factories that sell electronics to the United States could dry up. Swiss investors who own U.S. Treasurys would suffer losses. Sri Lankan companies could no longer deploy dollars as an alternative to their own dodgy currency.

No corner of the global economy will be spared’’ if the U.S. government defaulted and the crisis weren’t resolved quickly, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.

Zandi and two colleagues at Moody’s have concluded that even if the debt limit were breached for no more than week, the U.S. economy would weaken so much, so fast, as to wipe out roughly1.5 million jobs.

And if a government default were to last much longer — well into the summer — the consequences would be far more dire, Zandi and his colleagues found in their analysis: U.S. economic growth would sink, 7.8 million American jobs would vanish, borrowing rates would jump, the unemployment rate would soar from the current 3.4% to 8% and a stock-market plunge would erase $10 trillion in household wealth.

Of course, it might not come to that. The White House and House Republicans, seeking a breakthrough, concluded a round of debt-limit negotiations Sunday, with plans to resume talks Monday. The Republicans have threatened to let the government default on its debts by refusing to raise the statutory limit on what it can borrow unless President Joe Biden and the Democrats accept sharp spending cuts and other concessions.

US DEBT, LONG VIEWED AS ULTRA-SAFE

Feeding the anxiety is the fact that so much financial activity hinges on confidence that America will always pay its financial obligations. Its debt, long viewed as an ultra-safe asset, is a foundation of global commerce, built on decades of trust in the United States. A default could shatter the $24 trillion market for Treasury debt, cause financial markets to freeze up and ignite an international crisis.

A debt default would be a cataclysmic event, with an unpredictable but probably dramatic fallout on U.S. and global financial markets,’’ said Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

The threat has emerged just as the world economy is contending with a panoply of threats — from surging inflation and interest rates to the ongoing repercussions of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the tightening grip of authoritarian regimes. On top of all that, many countries have grown skeptical of America’s outsize role in global finance.

In the past, American political leaders generally managed to step away from the brink and raise the debt limit before it was too late. Congress has raised, revised or extended the borrowing cap 78 times since 1960, most recently in 2021.

Yet the problem has worsened. Partisan divisions in Congress have widened while the debt has grown after years of rising spending and deep tax cuts. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that the government could default as soon as June 1 if lawmakers don’t raise or suspend the ceiling.

‘SHOCKWAVES THROUGH THE SYSTEM’

If the trustworthiness of (Treasurys) would become impaired for any reason, it would send shockwaves through the system … and have immense consequences for global growth,’’ said Maurice Obstfeld, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund.

Treasurys are widely used as collateral for loans, as a buffer against bank losses, as a haven in times of high uncertainty and as a place for central banks to park foreign exchange reserves.

Given their perceived safety, the U.S. government’s debts — Treasury bills, bonds and notes — carry a risk weighting of zero in international bank regulations. Foreign governments and private investors hold nearly $7.6 trillion of the debt — roughly 31% of the Treasurys in financial markets.

Because the dollar’s dominance has made it the de facto global currency since World War II, it’s relatively easy for the United States to borrow and finance an ever-growing pile of government debt.

But high demand for dollars also tends to make them more valuable than other currencies, and that imposes a cost: A strong dollar makes American goods pricier relative to their foreign rivals, leaving U.S. exporters at a competitive disadvantage. That’s one reason why the United States has run trade deficits every year since 1975.

CENTRAL BANKS’ STOCKPILES OF DOLLARS

Of all the foreign exchange reserves held by the world’s central banks, U.S. dollars account for 58%. No. 2 is the euro: 20%. China’s yuan makes up under 3%, according to the IMF.

Researchers at the Federal Reserve have calculated that from 1999 to 2019, 96% of trade in the Americas was invoiced in U.S. dollars. So was 74% of trade in Asia. Elsewhere outside of Europe, where the euro dominates, dollars accounted for 79% of trade.

So reliable is America’s currency that merchants in some unstable economies demand payment in dollars, instead of their own country’s currency. Consider Sri Lanka, battered by inflation and a dizzying drop in the local currency. Earlier this year, shippers refused to release 1,000 containers of urgently needed food unless they were paid in dollars. The shipments piled up at the docks in Colombo because the importers weren’t able to obtain dollars to pay the suppliers.

Without (dollars), we can’t do any transaction,” said Nihal Seneviratne, a spokesman for Essential Food Importers and Traders Association. When we import, we have to use hard currency — mostly the U.S. dollars.’’

Likewise, many shops and restaurants in Lebanon, where inflation has raged and the currency has plunged, are demanding payment in dollars. In 2000, Ecuador responded to an economic crisis by replacing its own currency, the sucre, with dollars — a process called dollarization’’ — and has stuck with it.

THE GO-TO HAVEN FOR INVESTORS

Even when a crisis originates in the United States, the dollar is invariably the go-to haven for investors. That’s what happened in late 2008, when the collapse of the U.S. real estate market toppled hundreds of banks and financial firms, including once-mighty Lehman Brothers: The dollar’s value shot up.

Even though we were the problem — we, the United States — there was still a flight to quality,’’ said Clay Lowery, who oversees research at the Institute of International Finance, a banking trade group. The dollar is king.’’

If the United States were to pierce the debt limit without resolving the dispute and the Treasury defaulted on its payments, Zandi suggests that the dollar would once again rise, at least initially, because of the uncertainty and the fear. Global investors just wouldn’t know where to go except to where they always go when there’s a crisis and that’s to the United States.’’

But the Treasury market would likely be paralyzed. Investors might shift money instead into U.S. money market funds or the bonds of top-flight U.S. corporations. Eventually, Zandi says, growing doubts would shrink the dollar’s value and keep it down.

GOVERNMENT’S STRATEGY IF DEBT CAP IS BREACHED

In a debt-ceiling crisis, Lowery, who was an assistant Treasury secretary during the 2008 crisis, imagines that the United States would continue to make interest payments to bondholders. And it would try to pay its other obligations — to contractors and retirees, for example — in the order that those bills became due and as money became available.

For bills that were due on June 3, for example, the government might pay on June 5. A bit of relief would come around June 15. That’s when government revenue would pour in in as many taxpayers make estimated tax payments for the second quarter.

The government would likely be sued by those who weren’t getting paid — anybody who lives off veterans’ benefits or Social Security,’’ Lowery said. And ratings agencies would likely downgrade U.S. debt, even if the Treasury continued to pay interest to bondholders.

The dollar, though it remains dominant globally, has lost some ground in recent years as more banks, businesses and investors have turned to the euro and, to a lesser extent, China’s yuan. Other countries tend to resent how swings in the dollar’s value can hurt their own currencies and economies.

A rising dollar can trigger crises abroad by drawing investment out of other countries and raising their cost of repaying dollar-denominated loans. The United States’ eagerness to use the dollar’s clout to impose financial sanctions against rivals and adversaries is also viewed uneasily by some other countries.

So far, though, no clear alternatives have emerged. The euro lags far behind the dollar. Even more so does China’s yuan; it’s hamstrung by Beijing’s refusal to let its currency trade freely in global markets.

But the debt ceiling drama is sure to heighten questions about the enormous financial power of the United States and the dollar.

The global economy is in a pretty fragile place right now,’’ Obstfeld said. So throwing into that mix a crisis over the creditworthiness of U.S. obligations is incredibly irresponsible.’’