by: A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA

As it has been pointed out the vision less ignoramus and commission greedy Sirsena banned asbestos imports to please Killi Maharajah and without being able to comprehend how it could affect our 60 years of good relationship with the Russian Federation wich had stood with us against many western pressures and throughout the terrorist aggression.  A report published in the ‘Mail on Line’ the website of Daily Mail UK said that comments against asbestos is a hysteria and profiteering firms and politicians have exaggerated the dangers.

Referring to allegations that have been made by certain nterested parties about the deaths of some female school teachers, the report said the truth is that it is just the latest in a series of attempts to whip up mass hysteria over the dangers of asbestos in schools, which are, in reality, all but non-existent and too often the scare stories are based on fiction, not fact.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – UK’s Government agency responsible for enforcing asbestos regulation has said that claims of deaths of primary school teachers from mesothelioma (asbestos related cancer) was disproportionately high’ was ‘not borne out by the facts’. It has said that the death rate among female teachers, it turned out, was no higher than for the rest of the female working population – and was anyway extremely low.

The HSE has pointed that ‘white’ asbestos is 500 times less dangerous than the ‘blue’ form, because its soft magnesium silicate fibres rapidly dissolve in the human lung. and when it is encapsulated in cement, as it most often is, it is virtually impossible for those fibres to escape and be breathed into the lungs at all. The Agency has said that shamefully, however, gullible lawmakers (similar to our ignoramus Sirisena) have allowed themselves to be talked into confusing the genuinely dangerous forms of asbestos with those that pose no risk – simply because they share the same general name and it has paved the way for commercial rackets.

Sirisena’s poodle Rathana thero, who is well known for making profit motivated agitations against commercial products has said that he would muster a people’s power against Sirisena if the asbestos ban was lifted. He has said that he launched an agitatin previously demanding for the ban of asbestos and it is queer to understand whether he knows why irt should be banned which he may be demanding on the instigation of a third party.

The Minustry of Health of New Zealand has made the following clarifications about asbestos

• Asbestos is a common term describing a variety of naturally occurring silicate minerals. It is a popular building material because of its exceptional insulating, fire-resistant and reinforcing properties.
• The most commonly mined forms of asbestos are chrysotile (white asbestos), crocidolite (blue asbestos) and amosite (brown asbestos).
• Health risks from asbestos depend on the amount of asbestos fibres in the air, length of your exposure and the type of asbestos fibre.
• The risk of developing asbestos-related diseases is very low for low-level short-term exposure in the home.
• Asbestos-related diseases generally occur in workers who have had heavy exposure over extended periods of time, such as people engaged in the manufacture of asbestos-containing material.
• If you swallow asbestos, nearly all of the fibres are excreted in the faeces.
• There is no conclusive evidence that children are at greater risk of developing asbestos-related disease than adults.
• The risk of developing asbestos-related diseases is extremely low for low-level short-term exposure in the home.
• Asbestos-related diseases take many years, usually decades, to develop. Symptoms developing within months of exposure are unlikely to be related to asbestos.

A Sri Lankan resident in Canada named Chandre Dharmawardene in an article written to Island and published on 22^nd December suggests that Sri Lanka instead of buying warships, arms and ammunitions for the Russian credit line should buy fertilizer from Russi as Russia produces very high quality urea and other fertilizers.  He says that this measure while helping our agriculture would help improve our relations with the Russian Federation.

In the meantime, the former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Mr. Udayanga Weeratunga has sent a lengthy report to Lanka CNews Sinhala website on 20^th December under the title The Kaphra beetle (the tea beetle) we received on the day the Russian commemoration stamps  were  issued and the the chain of stories about the tea beetle, Stamps and warship deals”

In this exclusive article Mr. Udayanga explains issues that Sirisena government made to antagonise Russia and events that led up to the tea ban. The Russian Republic is not a new friend to Sri Lanka. Our diplomatic relations have completed 60 years this year.  During the period of the Soviet Union, Sri Lanka maintained a very cordial relationship. Since 1960 a large number of Sri Lankans have obtained degrees from the Soviet Union and have contributed to the economic development of our country.  Even today nearly one thousand Sri Lankan students are receiving higher studies in Russian universities.  Accordingly Russia is not a new friend of ours.  I think that the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa wanted to get that friendship renewed.  Therefore then our friendship got renewed and became more enthusiastic,

Since 2005 Russia started to contribute largely once again in our activities.  This was a victory for our diplomatic relations.  Russia can be considered as a leading country that remained as a great strength and weapon for our war aginst terrorism. Russia always supported in the war launched internally by our security forces and in the struggle we carried out in the international arena.  Especially the allegations and proposals made by certain countries against our country got prevented because of Russia.  Actually, the Eelaam war helped us to identify our real friends.  It has been confirmed that Russian Federatioon is an honest friend of ours.

It was when I met President Putin for the first time on 16^th November, 2016 I presented our President’s request. Then President Putin proposed for the first time to provide a State Loan for Sri Lanka amounting to U.S.$ 500 Million as a long term loan to use for purchasing Russian war material for strengthening our national security.   After the agreements reached upon the discussions held between the state institutions of both countries in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed by me a part of the state loan amounting to U.S.$ 300 Million was used to purchase 14 MI-171 helicopters to our Air Force.

The Russian government agreed to extend to renew the loan and use balance 2^nd tranche to purchase a Russian warship under the mediation of a private firm during President Maithripala Sirisena’s visit to Russia.  Accordingly the current Defence Secretary pledged to Russia in Moscow in August 2017 that the relevant agreement and other related matters will be completed before the end of this year.  As a result the term of office of the present Sri Lankan Ambassador in Russia was extended till the end of December and now it has been further extended till February because of the ‘Tea beetle’.

Russia is also a country that faced massive terrorist threats similar to us.  Under the leadership of President putin Russia was able to launch the Russian security forces against the Chechnian terrorists and end that terrorism and develop that area of the country. The vast development that has been achieved by Chchniya now is a good example for it.  I feel that Presiden Rajapaksa also adopted some steps taken by Russia in respect of Chchniya.  It is very clear that some of these steps were adopted in our Eastern province.

Today the President of Chechniya is a former Guerilla leader.  All ideologues have rallied round this former Guerilla leader who gave up arms an entered the democratic path.  This leader has today been able to maintain a close relationship with the Russian government and the Russian nationals while acting in accordance with the aspirations of the Chechnin people by safeguarding their culture and traditions.  The result of all these are evident when we look at Chechniyya today.  91% of the Chechnians voted in supported of Putin in the Parliamentary election and it shows about the Chechnian future and the poople’s mandate.  This also indicates their willingness for a Democratic Socialist framework.  The decision taken by President Mahinda’s government to hold Provincial Council elections in the East after ending the war can be considered as a splendid victory.      .

In 1996 as it is being done by the Sri Lankan government, the Russian forces were withdrawn from Chechniya.  The then Russian government thought that by doing so the Chechnian clashes can be solved.  Bit that was not what happened.  Chechniya was not possible then to move forward as a free area.  What happened was that Chechniya became a haven of the fundamentalist extremists.  All these happened those days in our Northern and Eastern areas. As per statistics majority of Chechnians was not living in Chechniya but in other areas outside Chechniya. In our country also the majority of Tamil people live in other areas and not in the North and East.

It is competent advisors who always associate President Putin.  Sergy Lavrov is the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation. After the war ended in our country Mr. Lavrv visited our country on 2th October, 2009.  It was the first visit by a Foreign Minister of Soviet Union or the Russian Federation after a period of 52 years.  The Russian Foreign Minister came at that time carrying aspecial invitation from the Russian government.  It was according to this invitation that President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s official Russian visit from 6-8 February, 2010 took place.  But the Yahapalan Ambaassador boasted that the leader of our country visited Russia in 2016 after lapse of 44 years.  When Sergyy Lavrov started his foreign service his first appointment as Ambassador was for Sri Lanka.  That was in 1972.  This former Abassador to Sri Lanka has mastered Sinhala language at the Moscow University.  He is a state leader who does not hesitate to speak to me in Sinhala.

Similarly as an Embassy Officee we were then able to have a very close relationship with the Russian Foreign Ministry.  We always made it a point to keep the Russian government informed honestly, factually and timely about the situation in Sri Lanka and matters related to Sri Lanka.  Always we were able to get their opinion and advice.  Therefoe the Russian government was aware that we should be provided with technical knowledge and expertise to enhance our visionary rule.  Russia has immensely helped to strengthen our security forces and develop their technical expertise.  We were very happy then that results of this friendship were visible in front of our oen eyes.  When the Russian government decided to construct ther new Embassy Office in Clombo they had an idea of arranging the Russian President or the Russian Prime Minister to visit Sr Lanka for its opening.  But since the Sri Lankan President decided to visit Russia in that same year, visit by a Russian leader did no take place.

Not only that it should be understood that at least the Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia too did not visit Sri Lanka for opening of the new Embassy Office since a group sqboteurs at the beginning of this government forcibly entered the construction site of the new Embassy and caused damages by holding demonstrations there.

Would like to cite one example that the officials decide to keep the country’s leaders informed or not informed based on the behaviour of the politicians.  Immediately after this government was formed in the year 2015, Foreeign Minister Mangala Samaraweera accused the Russian government saying that it had supplied arms to the Ukranian rebels through the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Russia. Thia statement caused much harm and damage to Russia’s international reputation.  Our Abassador in Russia has not understood yet that Russia without responding to Sri Lankan allegation at that time itself has responded now. It should have been understood before making public announncenent by the President saying that he will call President Putin and write a personal letter to President Putin.  The issue of commemoration stamps for the 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two counries and the Tea Ban has taken place on the same day. Failure to understand how both these events took place simultaneously shows the failure to understand the Russians yet by the government.

For the embarrassment caused to Russia then by the J.R.Jayawardene government for a period of 37 years a leader of our country was not invited to visit Russia. Even today our diplomats do not understand this lesson. But this matter should be mentioned for them to understand.  Russia has responded to the allegstion made by Mr. Samaraweera that Russia supplied arms to Ukranian rebels through the Sri Lankan Embassador. The dispute between Russis and Ukrain was the annexation of Cremea to Russia.  There is no suspicion and dispute that in addition to Crimea we have many other historically important places in Russia.

Today Minister Samaraaweera has received respomses in this manner.  Two commemoration stamps were issued in connection with the completion of 60 yeas of diplomatic relation between the two countries. In Russia’s Crimea two stamps and a First Day cover historically important to Sri Lanka were issued on 18^th December, 2017.  Each of these two stamps were to the value of 35 Rubles and one contained the picture of Dambulu Viharaya and the other had the picture of a historical Church in Crimea.  Russia after making all these preparatios banned Sri Lanka tea from 18^th December in Kazakhastan, Belorussia, Kirgistan, and Tajikistan including the Russian Federation.

In a situation like this it is the talent of the Ambassadot should be to take immediate action to halt the publicity that could commercially damage the reputation of the tea, not to issue or publish media releases and participate or not participate in function related to the issue of stamps.  It is another victory of the yahapalana to get Russian response even before the end of 2017 to the 2020 vision of President Maithripala Sirisena.

We regret for inviting to home then an ambassador who laks strength to get a container held under a false charge of not cancelling the passport released and who even not certify the Police reports relating to arrest Rajapaksas.  But it is the bad luck of our country that the ambassador and the President of ours have no experience to comprehend the unwise acts of both these persons who damage the good relations with Russia and other nations. ((End)