CIA-GATE – 15. Unveiling of Millionaire SHADOW EMPIRE: USAID’s Silence Even on Pedophilia. Why It Must Be Shut Down Now

July 16th, 2025

Courtesy GOSPANEWS

Originally published by CIAGate’s Substack

All links to previous Gospa News articles have been added aftermath for relevance to the topics highlighted

WARNING by Gospa News – The information is so detailed that we believe it is our duty to report their dossiers, even if it is impossible for us to verify them


After Donald Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) faced renewed scrutiny sparking widespread audits and the suspension of projects across the globe. Elon Musk, a former head of DOGE, called the agency a ‘criminal organization’ accusing its staff of systemic corruption.

Are these allegations legitimate? What potential misconduct might be concealed beneath the veneer of humanitarian aid? Dive into our article to uncover the facts.

Contractors as a Cover

The U.S. Agency for International Development was created in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy under the Foreign Assistance Act. In 1998, it was restructured as an independent agency. The agency’s strategic direction is guided by the U.S. Secretary of State, while its operations remain under the oversight of the president and the National Security Council.

Until its recent suspension in February 2024, USAID operated in more than 100 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. At its peak, the agency’s annual budget stood at approximately $30 billion.

Full Story

https://gospanews.net/en/2025/07/14/cia-gate-15-unveiling-of-shadow-empire-why-usaid-must-be-shut-down-now/

මොණරාගල සීනි තිත්ත වෙයිද ?

July 16th, 2025

මව්බිම

සියඹලාණ්ඩුව ප්‍රාදේශීය සභාව ජයග්‍රහණය කලේ  ජාතික ජන බලවේගයයි .එයිනුත් වැඩිම ඡන්ද ලබාගත්තේ දොඹගහවෙල කොට්ඨාශය නියෝජනය කරන අජිත් පුෂ්පනන්දන මහතායි.(මුළුමනින්ම ගොවි ජනතාව සිටින මොණරාගල දිස්ත්‍රික්කය මෙවර පාර්ලිමේන්තු මැතිවරණයේ ආසන 6 න් 5ක් ආණ්ඩු පක්ෂයට ලබාදෙන ලදී.).අජිත් මහතාගේ කොට්ඨාශයේ  ප්‍රධාන ආර්ථික භෝග  හතරකි .උක්,බඩඉරිගු , මයියොක්කා සහ කොමඩු එයින් ප්‍රධාන වේ. කොමඩු සහ  මයියොක්කා මිල උස පහත්වෙමින් වුවද අලෙවියක් පවතී. එහෙත් උක් සහ බඩඉරිගු වැඩිම ඡන්ද ලබාගත් කොට්ඨාශයේ නායකයාටද දේශපාලන ප්‍රශ්ණයක් ඇති කරමින් පවතී. උක් ප්‍රවාහන ට්‍රැක්ටර් කරුවන් 600ක් ඔහු මා සමග කතාකරන මොහොතටත් උද්ඝෝෂණයකට සුදානම් බව ඔහුට දුරකතනයෙන් දන්වන ලදී.මහජනතාවට අවහිරයක් නොවන ලෙසට කටයුතු කරන ලෙසට ඔවුන්ගෙන් ඉල්ලීම හැර අජිත් මහතාටද කළහැකි දෙයක් නොපෙනේ.

දොඹගහවෙල කොට්ඨාශයට ප්‍රාග්ධනය ගලායෑමට ඇත්තේ කර්මාන්ත 3 කි.එයින් කුළුබඩු නිෂ්පාදන සහ මයියොක්කා බයිට් නිෂ්පාදන  කර්මාන්ත දෙක සේවකයින් 50 කට පමණ රැකියා සපයමින් ක්‍රියාත්මක වෙමින් පවතී.අනෙක් කර්මාන්තය  ජාතික මට්ටමේ ප්‍රධාන තාක්ෂණික කර්මාන්තශාලාවකි . එනම් උසස් තාක්ෂණයද හඳුන්වාදෙමින් ක්‍රියාත්මක වන ලංකාවේ ප්‍රධාන උක් හකුරු  කර්මාන්තය වන මහින්ද වීරසිංහ මහතාගේ ඌව මහජන හකුරු නිෂ්පාදන සමාගමයි.එය ලංකාවේ උක් ගොවීන්ට ඉහලම මිල එනම් ටොන් 1 කට රු 13000 ක්  ගෙවන ආයතනයකි.  .රටේ ප්‍රධාන සීනි කර්මාන්තශාලා ගෙවන්නේද ටොන් 1 කට රු 10000 ක් වැනි අගයකි. එය  උක් අඹරන යන්ත්‍ර කීපයක් සහ ටොන් 3 බොයිලේරුවක් සහිත සේවකයින් 45 ක් රැකියා කරන දිනකට හකුරු කිලෝග්‍රෑම් 2000-2500 ක් පමණ අලෙවි කරන රටේ උපායමාර්ගිකව වැදගත්ම උක් හකුරු  කර්මාන්තශාලාවයි .එයින් මසකට රුපියල් මිලියන 5 ක් කොට්ඨාශයේ උක් ගොවීන්ට  මුදා හරී . දර සහ ප්‍රවාහනය වෙනුවෙන් රු මිලියනයකට වඩා ප්‍රදේශයට මුදාහරී.සේවක වැටුප් සහ ප්‍රදේශයේ වැල්ඩින් කරුවන්, විදුලි කාර්මිකයන් ඇතුළු සහාය සේවා සදහා රු මිලියන 3කට වඩා මසකට මුදාහරී.කොටින්ම සියනෑ කෝරළයේ මීරිගම සිට සියඹලාණ්ඩුවට පැමිණ ආයොජනය කළ මහින්ද වීරසිංහ මහතා දොඹගහවෙල කොට්ඨාශයට මසකට රු කෝටියක මුදල් නිදහස් කරයි.

 කොට්ඨාශයේ දේශපාලන නායකයා වන ජාතික ජන බලවේගයේ අජිත් පුෂ්පනන්දන මහතා අපට මුණගැසුනේ එම කර්මාන්ත භූමියේදීය.ජනාධිපතිතුමාද සහභාගී වන රජරට උපසම්පදා උත්සවයකට ඌව මහජන කර්මාන්ත ආයතනයේ මහින්ද  වීරසිංහ මහතා විසින් ප්‍රධානය කෙරුණු උක් දඩු ප්‍රමාණයක් රැගෙන එහි යෑමට සුදානම්ව පැමිණි ඔහු කර්මාන්ත ශාලාවට රැගෙන එන උක් තොග ප්‍රමිති ගැටලුව මත ප්‍රතික්ෂේප වන ස්වභාවය නිසා මහත් කනස්සල්ලෙන් පසුවේ . ප්‍රමිතිය බාල වී ඇත්තේ අස්වැන්න නෙලීම ප්‍රමාදවීමෙනි.ප්‍රමාද වී ඇත්තේ ප්‍රධාන සීනි කර්මාන්තශාලාවලින් උක් මිලදී ගැනීම ප්‍රමාද වීමෙනි . එසේ වන්නේ සීනි කර්මාන්තය පාඩුවී ඇති බැවැනි .පාඩුවී ඇත්තේ 2015 සිට වරින්  ඉවත් කරන ලද සීනි ආනයන බදු සහ එතනෝල් ආනයන බදු විනිමය අනුපාතයේ මෑත කාලීන වෙනස්වීමට සාපේක්ෂව  පැනවීම වෙනුවට අඩු අගයකින් පැනවීම සහ සීනි කර්මාන්තය සදහා වැට් බදු පනවා ඇති නිසාවෙනි.අජිත් නන්දන මහතාට අනුව පවතින තත්වය දේශපාලන ප්‍රශ්නයක ආරම්භයකි .එනම් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට මන්ත්‍රීවරු 6 න් 5ක් ලබාදුන් මොණරාගල ගොවීන්ගේ දිනෙන් දින උත්සන්නවන අප්‍රසාදයයි .තත්වය මෙලෙස පැවතුනහොත් ලබන කන්නයේ උක් වගාව අර්බුදයට යනු ඇත .එය  ඔහුගේ පළාතේ ප්‍රධාන තාක්ෂණික, සහ ගමට මුදල් රැගෙන එන ,උක් ගොවීන්ට වැඩිම මුදල් ලබා දෙන ඌව මහජන උක්  කර්මාන්තශාලාවට තර්ජනයකි.

ඌව මහජන උක් කර්මාන්තශාලාව දොඹගහවෙල කොට්ඨාශයේ ආරම්භ කර වසර 7 කි. එහි නිර්මාතෘ මහින්ද වීරසිංහ මහතා වසර 30 ක උක් කර්මාන්තයේ පළපුරුදු කර්මන්තකරුවෙකි.ඔහු පවසන පරිදි දැන් වැඩිම ඉල්ලීමක් ඇත්තේ සීනිද මිශ්‍ර කර සාදන හකුරු නිෂ්පාදනය කර දෙන ලෙස ඉල්ලන ගැනුම් කරුවන්ගෙන් බවය .එයට හේතුව වී ඇත්තේ සීනි මිල අඩු බැවින් එය සමග තරග කිරීමට හකුරුවල මිල අඩු කර දෙන ලෙස ගැනුම් කරුවන් ඉල්ලන බැවිනි.දැනට නිෂ්පාදනය වන සියලුම හකුරු ප්‍රමිති තත්වයෙන් ඉතා අඩු හකුරු සමග තරග කරමින්    අඩුමිලට හෝ අලෙවි වුවත් උක් වගා  බිමේ තත්වය ඉතා අයහපත් වෙමින් පවතින බව ඔහු පෙන්වාදෙයි. කලාපය පුරාම අස්වනු නෙලීමට නොහැකිවූ වගා බිම්ය. ප්‍රමාදවන විට ගස් සුළගට පෙරලී මුල් ඇදීමට පටන් ගනී . එවිට සීනි ප්‍රතිශතය පහල යයි. එය මිලදී ගතහොත් උක් හකුරු කර්මාන්තය අවදනමේය . මිලදී  නොගතහොත් ගොවියා අමනාපවේය.එලෙසම ගොවියා හාමතේය.ලබන කන්නයේ උක් වගා නොවුනහොත් තවත් මිල ඉහල යන්නේය. මුළු කර්මාන්තයම අවදානමේ බව ඔහු පෙන්වා දෙයි . එහෙත් ඔහුට අතිරික්ත ධාරිතාවයක් පවතී . එම නිසාම ප්‍රබල සන්නාමයක් සහිත  බෙදාහැරීමේ හවුල් කරුවෙක් හෝ ආයෝජකයෙක් සොයාගැනීම මේ මොහොතේ යහපත් බව ඔහු පෙන්වා දෙයි.එවිට ඔහුට තවත් නිෂ්පාදන ගණනාවක් හදුන්වාදිය හැකි බව ඔහු පෙන්වාදෙයි.ඔහු නිපදවන දුඹුරු සීනි ඉස්තරම් සුවදකින්ද යුක්තය.වයින් ස්ප්‍රීතු නිපදවීම තවම සිදු නොකලත් උක් ගොවීන්ට වැඩිම මිලක් ලබා හැක්කේ උක් හකුරු කර්මාන්තයෙන් බව ඔහු ප්‍රයෝගිකවම පෙන්වාදෙයි . මහින්ද වීරසිංහ මහතා මේ මොහොතේ රටට උපදේශන සේවයක් ලබාදිය හැකි උක් හකුරු කර්මාන්තයේ  මෙරට සිටින අත්දැකීම් බහුලම මිනිසාය.ඔහු නොමැතිව මොණරාගල දිස්ත්‍රික්කයේ දොඹගහවෙලට තාක්ෂණික ප්‍රතිරූපයක් නොමැත.

නැගී එන ගොවි අර්බුදය පිලිබදව කණස්සල්ල පළකරන තවත් ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ ඉතා පරිණත මිනිසෙක් මහින්ද වීරසිංහ මහතාගේ කර්මාන්තශාලාවේදී ප්‍රකට උක් ගොවීන් දෙදෙනකුද සමග පැමිණ සිටියේය . ඔහු උක් පර්යේෂණ ආයතනයේ වසර 30 ක් සේවය කල වර්තමානයේ උක් ගොවියකු සහ ව්‍යවසායකයෙකු වන තිස්ස පියරත්න දිසානායක මහතාය.ඔහු මොණරාගල  උක් හකුරු කර්මාන්ත 400 ක් තිබු සමයේ උක් කර්මාන්ත සංගමයේ සභාපතිවරයාද වේ.එකල කර්මාන්ත බදුල්ල,හපුතලේ, හල්දුම්මුල්ල, පස්සර ,මඩොල්සිම දක්වාද පැතිර තිබුණු බව ඔහු සිහිපත් කරයි.උක් හකුරු කර්මාන්තය තරම් ගොවීන්ට ඉහල මිලක් ගෙවමින් පළාතේ ධනවතුන් බිහිකළ හැකි කර්මාන්ත මොඩලයක්  උවේ නැති බව ඔහු පෙන්වාදෙයි .ඔහුට අනුව වත්මන් සීනි කර්මාන්තය  උක් ගසේ ප්‍රමිතිය ගැන සැලකිලිමත් නැති එතනෝල් මත ක්‍රියාත්මක කර්මාන්තයක් බවට පත්ව ඇති බවයි.එම නිසාම සාර්ථක උක් ගොවීන් බිහි වීම වෙනුවට කුමක් හෝ නිපදවා සීනි ෆැක්ටෙරියට විකිණිමට  ගොවීන් පෙළඹී ඇති බවය. සීනි ප්‍රතිශතය ඉහල උක් වගාවන් පෙර මෙන් බිහි නොවෙමින් ඇත.පස දියුණු කිරීම පිලිබදව කතාබහක් වත් නැති බැවින් අක්කරයකට ලැබෙන උක් අස්වැන්න ප්‍රමාණවත් නොමැති බව ඔහු පවසයි. රසායනික පොහොර කොතරම් යෙදුවත් පස නිසි පරිදි ප්‍රතිචාර නොදක්වන බැවින් පස දියුණු කිරීමේ ජාතික වැඩපිළිවෙලක අවශ්‍යතාවය ඔහු පෙන්වාදෙයි. උක් ගස කිසිදු අයුරකින් පොල් ගසට දෙවෙනි නොවන්නේ කිසිදු අපද්‍රව්‍යක් ඉතිරි නොවන බැවිණි. ඌව  මහජන උක් කර්මාන්ත භුමියේද ඇති තරම් කාබනික පොහොර ගොඩගැසී ඇත්තේ බොයිලේරුව දහනය කරවන උක් රොඩු අළුද සමගද එක් වීමෙනි.ගොවියන් ඉහල අස්වැන්නක් සහ ඉහල සීනි ප්‍රතිශතයක් ඇති උක් නිෂ්පාදනයකට යොමු කිරීමට නම් පැරණි වල ක්‍රමය යලි භාවිතා කිරීමට හැකි කුඩා යන්ත්‍ර ගොවීන්ට හදුන්වාදිය යුතු බවත් යාන්ත්‍රීකරණය වඩාත් සාර්ථක ගොවීන් බිහිකිරීමට මේ මොහොතේ තීරණාත්මක බවත් ඔහු පෙන්වාදෙයි.පරිණත මිනිසෙකු වන ඔහු පවසන්නේ සියල්ලටම පෙර ආනයනික සීනි සදහා පෙර පවතී මිලට කඩිනමින් සමපාත වන ලෙසට බදු නොපනවන්නේ  නම් කිසිවක් ආරම්භ කිරීමට නොහැකි බවය.මහින්ද වීරසිංහ මහතාගේ තාක්ෂණය සමග බද්ධවූ උක් හකුරු කර්මාන්තයේ ජාතික වශයෙන් මේ මොහොතේ වැදගත්කම තීරණාත්මක බව ඔහු අවධාරණය කරයි.රටේ ඕනෑම ප්‍රදේශයක වැවිය හැකි උක් ප්‍රභේද තවමත් සුරක්ෂිත බැවින් අප තවමත් ප්‍රමාද නොමැති බව ඔහු පෙන්වා දුන්නේ උක් පර්යේෂණ ආයතනයේ සියඹලාණ්ඩුවේ භූමියට අපව කැදවාගෙන ගොස් පෙන්වීමෙනි .

අපට හමුවුණු ගැමුණු සහ මහින්ද යන ගොවි මහතුන් පෙන්වාදෙන්නේ අලුත්ම උක්  වගාවකට අක්කරයකට රුපියල් ලක්ෂ 2 ක් පමණ වැය වෙන බවත් ඉන්පසුව වියදම අඩුවන බවත් එහෙත් නිරන්තර වගාවෙන් පස දුර්වල වීම නිසා සම්ප්‍රදායික පොහොර වලට පොලොව යහපත් ප්‍රතිචාර නොදක්වන බවත්ය.අතීතයේ වාරි ජලයෙන් තොරව වුවත් මසකට පුරුක් කීපයක් දන්වන ලදී බිම නොපෙරෙලෙන වර්ග තිබු නමුත් දැන් එවැනි වගාවකට යෑමට තරම් ගොවීන්ට වෙලාවක් නැති බවය .එනම් තවත් භෝග කීපයක් නොමැතිව අවිනිශ්චිත භාවයෙන් මිදීමට නොහැකි බැවින් සමාගම් සමග එතනෝල් ඉලක්ක කර කෙරෙන වගාවන් සමග ඔවුන්ට ජීවත් වීමට සිදුව ඇති බවත් ඇතැම් අවස්ථාවල අස්වැන්න වාරිජලය නොමැති වගාවක අක්කරයකට ටොන්  45 සිට 25 වැනි අගයක් දක්වා පහත වැටෙන බවත් සීනි ප්‍රතිශතය 20% සිට 13% දක්වා පහතට වැටෙන බවත්ය .ඔවුන් කියන්නේ සියල්ල දැන් පුරුද්දට කරගෙන යන වගාවන් බවට පත්වී ඇති බැවින් ගොවි ජීවිතවල දියුණුවක් නොමැති බවයි.

ජනවසමට අයත් උලපනේ මාවතුර කනපතිවත්තේ එකල තිබුනේ   උඩරට තිබුණු ප්‍රකට උක් හකුරු කර්මාන්ත ශාලාවකි.එහි  තිබුනේ අක්කර 150ක පමණ උක් වගාවක් බව ආසන්නයේ ජීවත් වන මේජර් ප්‍රියන්ත මෑතගම විසින් මාවෙත තොරතුරු සොයා දන්වන ලදී. යුරෝපයේ චීස් සහ බිස්කට් හදන්නේද ග්‍රාමීය කර්මාන්ත මොඩලයකිනි.දියුණු රටවල මොඩලය අපේ පණ්ඩිතයන්ට දියුණු ලෙස නොපෙනේ.අපේ ආනයනික සීනි මත ග්‍රාමීය ආර්ථිකයකට පණ දිය හැකි ලෙසට සමානුපාතික බදු පැනවීමට ඇමතිවරුන් බියවී සිටින්නේ බිස්කට් මිල ඉහල යන බැවින් බව ඔවුන්ම කියති.බිස්කට් සමාගම් පාන්පිටි සමාගම් සමග එක්ව වී ගොවීන්ගේ අදායම මසකට රු 6000 කට අඩුකර සතුටින් සිටීමේ ප්‍රතිඵල මැතිවරණයකදී ආණ්ඩුවකට භයානක වී යහපාලන ආණ්ඩුවේ ඉරණම යලි අත්පත්කරදීමට ඉඩ ඇත.දොඹගහවෙල මහින්ද වීරසිංහ මහතා උක් කර්මාන්තය රැකගෙන ඔසවාගෙන සිටීමේ වැදගත්කම ගමට මුදල් යැවීමේ මුල් පියවරගැන කොළඹ සිට සැලසුම් ප්‍රචාරය කරන නායකයින්ගේ අවධානයට යොමු විය යුතුය. . ගමට මුදල් යන්නේ නම් අනාගතයේදී කාර්මීකරණයවී අඩු ගොවීන් පිරිසක් විසින් වැඩි නිෂ්පාදනයක් සිදුකරන ග්‍රාමීය ධනවතුන් බිහිකරන ජයග්‍රාහී ආර්ථික මොඩලයට අවතීර්ණ වීමකි. අවශ්‍ය වනුයේ මහින්ද මහතා වැනි දහස් ගණනක් බිහිකර ගැනීමේ විභවය ආරක්ෂාකරමින් ඩොලර් ඉතිරි කර ගැනීමයි.එය ආණ්ඩුවේ ආරක්ෂාව වසර 5කට නොව 20කටම තහවුරු කරනු ඇත. දොඹගහවෙල ජාතික ජනබලවේගයේ අජිත් පුෂ්ප නන්දන මහජන නියෝජිතයාගේ දේශපාලන උභාතෝටිකය විසදෙන්නේ එලෙසය.එක පුරවැසියෙකුට දිනකට රු 3 කින් වියදම ඉහල යන ලෙස ආනයනික සීනි මත රු 60කින් බදු පැනවීමේ අවශ්‍යතාවය පුරවැසියන්ගේ අදායම, මුදල් සංසරණය ,ආර්ථික ක්‍රියාකාරිත්වය යන තුනම ඉහල යන පියවරක් බව එඩිතරව කීමට උපායමාර්ගිකයෙකු රටේ නොමැතිනම් සියල්ල අවසානයේ දේශපාලන ඛේදවාචකයකින් අවසන් වනු ඇත. නැත්නම් රට එකවර “පොෂ්” කිරීමට සිතාගෙන සිටින “බ්‍රොයිලර් චිකන් ” විප්ලවවාදී නව විධායකයින් ග්‍රාමීය දරිද්‍රතාවයෙන් සහ පසුගාමීභාවයෙන් පවුල් ලක්ෂ 16 ක ගොවීන් මුදාගැනීමට පොම්පකරන්නේ කොහේ තිබෙන මුදල්දැයි කිව යුතුය.

– අරුණ කාන්ත බණ්ඩාර

මව්බිම

Trump announces trade agreement with Indonesia, including 19% tariff

July 16th, 2025

Courtesy Daily Mirror

Washington (CNN) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States has reached a trade agreement with Indonesia after speaking with the country’s President Prabowo Subianto.

Hours after announcing the agreement on Truth Social, Trump told reporters that it calls for Indonesia to not charge any tariffs on American exports, while the US will impose a 19% tariff on Indonesian exports.

In a subsequent post on Truth Social, he said the agreement was finalized.” However, the Indonesian government had yet to make any similar announcements on its end, as of Tuesday afternoon.

Trump also said Indonesia committed to buying $15 Billion Dollars in U.S. Energy, $4.5 Billion Dollars in American Agricultural Products, and 50 Boeing Jets, many of them 777’s.”

Before departing the White House to speak at a summit in Pittsburgh, the president said Indonesia is known for high-quality copper, which we’ll be using.” That may mean that copper from the country could face lower tariffs, or no tariffs, if Trump proceeds with his threat to levy a 50% tax across all copper imports on August 1.

While Indonesia shipped $20 million worth of copper to the US last year, according to US Commerce Department data, that’s far behind top suppliers Chile and Canada, which sent $6 billion and $4 billion worth of the metal to the US last year.

No tariffs there; they pay tariffs here. Switching the asymmetry our way,” US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a CNBC interview on Tuesday.

Trump said India is working along the same line” with regard to securing a trade agreement.

In April, Trump briefly imposed a 32% tariff on goods from the country before pausing so-called reciprocal” tariffs. Countries that were due to face those tariffs have been charged a minimum 10% tariff for the past three months. That’s due to end on August 1.

Great deal, for everybody, just made with Indonesia. I dealt directly with with their highly respected President,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Tuesday morning. DETAILS TO FOLLOW!!!”

This marks Trump’s fourth trade agreement announcement in three months. He had previously promised dozens of deals with US trading partners over that time frame, but that has proven tough to reach.

One of the four agreements he previously announced was with Vietnam earlier this month, similarly posting on Truth Social. But the administration has yet to announce any more information on that agreement.

Trump’s volatile trade policy has paralyzed many businesses. Some fear that new orders they place for products manufactured overseas could be tariffed at dramatically higher rates given Trump can — at the flick of a switch — change rates charged on a country’s exports.

Trump has said companies can avoid such headaches by moving production to the United States. But it’s not so simple in practice: Businesses may not only encounter difficulty finding the right workers, but it could take years — and many millions of dollars — before manufacturing facilities are up and running. Then, once production is moved to the US, costs could increase, leading to higher prices for American consumers.

Representatives from the Indonesian government did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

Indonesia is America’s 23rd top trading partner, US Commerce Department data from last year shows. The United States imported $28 billion worth of merchandise from there last year. Apparel and footwear were the top two goods Americans bought.

Meanwhile, the US exported $10 billion worth of goods there last year. Oilseeds and grain as well as oil and gas were the top two exports.

Shani Abeysekara named as witness in Ekneligoda disappearance case

July 16th, 2025

Courtesy Daily Mirror

Colombo, July 16 (Daily Mirror)- The Attorney General has informed the Colombo Trial-at-Bar Judges Namal Balalle, Mahesh Weeraman and Sujeewa Nishshanka that the current Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Shani Abeysekara, has been named as a witness in the ongoing case concerning the abduction and disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda on January 25, 2010.

Former Commanding Officer of the Giritale Army Camp, Lieutenant Colonel Shammi Kumara Ratna, and nine other members of the Military Intelligence Unit have been named as accused in the case.

China donates school uniform fabric worth Rs. 5.17 bln to Sri Lanka for 2025

July 16th, 2025

Courtesy Adaderana

China will always remain a trusted friend and ally of Sri Lanka, said Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenhong, during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Education in Battaramulla today (16).

At the event, it was officially announced that the entire requirement of fabric for school uniforms for the year 2025—valued at Rs. 5,171 million—has been provided as a grant by the Government of China.

The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, along with other dignitaries.

In his address, Ambassador Qi Zhenhong stated:

China will always be your reliable brother and helper whenever Sri Lanka needs it. Children are not only the future of this country but also the heirs of the China–Sri Lanka friendship. Every stitch on their uniforms will tell the story of mutual cooperation between our two ancient civilizations. I highly appreciate the contribution and dedication of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya to the education sector in Sri Lanka.”

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya expressed her gratitude to the Chinese government and people:

Sri Lanka and China share a long-standing friendship and tradition of cooperation. The donation of school uniform fabric is a significant gesture in this enduring relationship. In 2023 and 2024, the Chinese government provided a substantial portion of our national requirement for school uniform materials. In 2025, they have donated the entire supply.

This support comes at a very challenging time for Sri Lanka and is deeply appreciated. Our government has already submitted a request for continued assistance from China for the year 2026 as well. On behalf of the children and parents of our country, I extend heartfelt thanks to the Chinese government and the people of China.”

“Malabars,” Thesawalamai & Tamil Identity: Time to Reassess a Colonial Legacy?

July 15th, 2025

Shenali D Waduge

Who are the Malabars”? Who coined the term, and when was it first used? What is its connection to Thesawalamai law — and did this law exist before these so-called Malabars arrived in Sri Lanka? Why are 90% of Tamils excluded from a law that is often portrayed as their own? Most importantly: Do even Tamils know the answers? Let us examine the historical and legal origins of this complex issue — one that continues to shape identity, land rights, and legal inequality in post-colonial Sri Lanka.

Defining Malabars”: A Colonial Label

http://citizenslanka.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Tesawalamai-Regulation-Ordinance-No-18-of-1806-E.pdf

The term Malabar” was a geographic and ethno-geographic label, coined by colonial traders and powers. It did not represent a specific ethnic group. Crucially, neither South Indians nor Sri Lankan Tamils referred to themselves as Malabars.

The term was a colonial construct — a convenient external label used for categorizing communities during administration and legal codification.

With the arrival of European colonizers (Portuguese, Dutch, and British) in the 15th and 16th centuries, Malabar” was used to describe the southwestern coast of India — now known as the Malabar Coast. It was a geopolitical term that found its way into colonial policy, census, and legal systems for colonial convenience.

Thesawalamai Law & the Malabars:

The connection between the term Malabars” and the Thesawalamai law is explicit and central. Thesawalamai — formally titled Customs and Rules observed among the Malabar Inhabitants of the Province of Jaffna” — applies specifically to those labelled as Malabars,” brought to northern Sri Lanka from the Malabar Coast and categorized by the Dutch in 1707.

Thus, both the term Malabar” and the law itself are products of European colonialism, not indigenous Tamil identity. This distinction is critical to understanding how identity and law were shaped — not by Tamil tradition, but by colonial classification.

If Tamils lived in Jaffna before these colonially-labelled Malabars” were settled, they likely neither identified with the term nor were governed by this new law. If any such unwritten customary laws existed colonial powers may have used or withheld these strategically, as part of their divide-and-rule policy.

The origins of Thesawalamai :

Was Thesawalamai an Indigenous Tamil Law?

  • Theformal codified version of Thesawalamai did not exist before colonial rule.

Was Thesawalamai Created by Colonial Powers?

  • The Dutch codified Thesawalamai in1707 based on what they interpreted as customs of the Jaffna Tamils — applicable to those they labelled Malabars.”
  • The British continued this system after 1808.
  • Malabar” was acolonial term, not a native one.

If it was merely a localized custom, why was it formalized into law for only a small minority? And why has this exclusivity endured — ignored even by the majority within the Tamil community itself?

Importantly, Thesawalamai did not exist in South India, from where the so-called Malabars and Vellalas originated — confirming that it was a colonial legal creation, not an inherited Tamil custom.

Thesawalamai did not exist in South India — proving it was not an inherited Tamil tradition but a law fabricated under colonial rule.

Colonial Engineering: The Import of Malabars, Vellalas & Thesawalamai

The Dutch and later the British did not merely identify and record the customs of Tamil people in Jaffna — they constructed an entire legal-ethnic framework for their administrative control.

From South India, they imported three key elements:

  1. Malabars– A colonial label for Tamil-speaking settlers brought or favored by the Dutch in the North.
  2. Vellalas– A dominant South Indian agricultural caste, favored and elevated by the Dutch as intermediaries in Jaffna.
  3. Thesawalamai– A supposedly customary” Tamil law, codified by the Dutch in 1707, but with no parallel in South Indian legal tradition.

There is no record of a law called Thesawalamai” existing in South India. This proves that what the Dutch called custom” was in fact a new legal invention, tailored to manage the population they had settled and stratified.

If Malabars were a label, Vellalas a favored caste, then Thesawalamai was the legal tool used to entrench both — for administrative convenience and land control.

This colonial construction has since been misrepresented as an indigenous” Tamil legal tradition — despite excluding 90% of Tamils and being entirely a foreign creation.

Why does a law portrayed as Tamil” exclude 90% of Tamils?

Why have Tamils embraced a customary law applicable to only 10% of its people?

Thesawalamai is a personal law with limited applicability, primarily covering:

  • Malabar Jaffna Tamil descendants:It applies to those Tamils who are descendants of the Malabar inhabitants of the Province of Jaffna” and are domiciled in the Northern Province.  Any Tamil living in Jaffna not descendants of Malabars are excluded.
  • Territorial Application:Certain aspects of Thesawalamai (like the right of pre-emption on land) apply to all immovable property within the Northern Province,

Despite widespread belief that Thesawalamai is a Tamil law,” it legally applies to only a small minority of Tamils.
How many Tamils know this?

  1. Indian Estate Tamils (Up-Country Tamils):A very large segment of Sri Lanka’s Tamil population comprises descendants of the indentured laborers brought by the British from South India, primarily in the 19th century, to work on plantations in the central highlands. These individuals are generally governed by the General Law of Sri Lanka (which is based on Roman-Dutch and English legal principles), not Thesawalamai. These laborers were also called Malabars” in colonial documents — but were entirely different from the Jaffna Malabars” governed by Thesawalamai.
  2. Eastern Province Tamils:Tamils residing in the Eastern Province fall under the General Law. Thesawalamai does not apply to them. They too were brought from South India & settler-colonized by British.
  3. Other Tamils:Those who do not descend from or reside within the historically defined Malabar” Jaffna community are excluded from its scope. It was in 1911 that they created a new nomenclature for themselves as Ceylon Tamils”.

Thesawalamai & Land Inequality: A Constitutional Dilemma?

One of the most controversial legacies of Thesawalamai is its restriction on land ownership in the North — including pre-emption rights, inheritance limits, and purchase bans.

These restrictions effectively deny land rights to non-Jaffna Tamils and non-Tamils — raising questions of legal discrimination constitutionally.

Can land in a post-colonial, democratic republic be legally reserved for a group defined by a colonial-era identity? This raises not only constitutional concerns but also fundamental questions about equality before the law.

These are questions for the Justice Ministry, Minster & AG’s department to answer.

Do even Tamils know the Answers?

Among Jaffna Tamils

  • Some awareness of Thesawalamai as our law,” especially in land matters.
  • Little knowledge of the term Malabar” being coined by colonials
  • Few realize 90% of Tamils are excluded from it.

Among Estate & Eastern Tamils

  • Directly feel theimpact — denied land access (purchase) in Jaffna.

The irony is : A law presumed to represent Tamil identity excludes the vast majority — yet it is often those excluded who defend it most passionately.

How many Tamils have questioned the origin of this law or who it truly serves?

Despite its limited applicability, Thesawalamai remains the only customary law specifically applied to Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Why has this Colonial relic endured?

Especially when:

  • It applies to onlya minority of Tamils
  • It was based onan externally imposed identity
  • It potentiallyviolates equal property rights
  • It fuelsdivision among Tamils themselves

Public understanding can also be influenced by broader historical narratives, political discourse, and varying levels of legal education. As with any complex legal and historical topic, simplified or even misinformed views can exist, sometimes shaped by broader societal or communal narratives.

The intertwining of Malabar” and Thesawalamai is a testament to Sri Lanka’s complex colonial inheritance. It reveals how foreign-imposed legal identities continue to influence property rights, ethnic relations, and the legal system long after independence.

If Thesawalamai was never practiced in the land where the Malabars and Vellalas came from, then it is not an imported law” — but a colonial creation.

In reality, what the Dutch and British constructed in Jaffna was a formula:

Imported Community (Malabars) + Elevated Caste (Vellalas) + Invented Law (Thesawalamai) = A powerful legal framework for colonial control.

And yet, this framework continues to survive into the 21st century — dividing Tamils, excluding Tamils, and restricting land to Tamils & all other communities too (a key constitutional violation) — in the name of tradition.

As Sri Lanka strives for equality and unity, should a colonial-era law — applicable to only 10% of Tamils — continue to divide people and distort justice in the 21st century?

Shenali D Waduge

Diplomacy or Dominion? Julie Chung’s Overreach in Sri Lanka’s Sovereignty

July 15th, 2025

Shenali D Waduge

Since her appointment, U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung has emerged as a highly controversial figure in Sri Lanka—not because of silence, but due to outspoken ideological and political activism going far beyond that of her predecessors. Her actions, including hoisting banned Pride flags, meeting political activists, funding media and NGOs to push Western gender narratives, and tattooing Sri Lanka’s map on her body, have drawn deep criticism.

Ambassador Chung’s conduct appears to cross multiple diplomatic red lines—clearly violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961).

  1. Hoisting the Pride Flag — now a violation of U.S. Law

In June 2022 & 2023 Ambassador Chung raised the LGBTQIA+ Pride flag at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, publicly celebrating Pride Month in Sri Lanka. This act occurred even after the U.S. government had banned the display of Pride flags at embassies worldwide under a March 2024 funding provision—reaffirmed in January 2025 under the Trump administration’s One Flag Policy.”

Blatant contradiction: What’s illegal in Washington was executed in Colombo—on foreign soil, in disregard of both U.S. and Sri Lankan sensitivities.

Moreover, envoys must respect local culture not force alien cultures upon host nations.

Donald Trump Bans Pride Flags at US Embassies: Report: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-bans-pride-blm-flags-report-2018810

  • Pushing LGBTQIA+ Activism in a Sovereign State

Chung has actively:

  • Hosted LGBTQIA+ activists at the U.S. Embassy,
  • Funded training for journalists on LGBTQIA+ vocabulary and inclusive media,
  • Supported events like Generation Pride 2024, which included:
    • Calls to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA),
    • Resistance to IMF economic programs,
    • Demands for gender identity reform and Palestinian solidarity.

These activities are not neutral rights-based” efforts. They constitute foreign-led ideological restructuring of a sovereign nation’s moral and legal fabric.

Biden Administration Promotes LGBTQI Rights in Foreign Policy, Threatening International Religious Freedom

https://www.congress.gov/118/meeting/house/116508/documents/HHRG-118-GO06-20231025-SD003.pdf

Trump signs executive orders proclaiming there are only two biological sexes, halting diversity programs https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/trump-sign-executive-orders-proclaiming-are-only-two-biological-sexes-rcna188388

  • The Sri Lanka Tattoo: Cultural affection or symbolic possession?

Not stopping there, it emerged that Julie Chung had tattooed the outline of Sri Lanka on her left leg—a gesture she did not replicate for Iraq, Cambodia, Colombia, or Vietnam where she was previously stationed. So why only Sri Lanka, that too on the bottom part of her leg.

In Sri Lanka’s post-colonial psyche, this isn’t endearing. It’s read as a marking of territory, reflecting subtle neo-colonial symbolism and inappropriate cultural overreach.

  • Using USAID to fund ideological agendas

Ambassador Chung has overseen U.S. aid flows via USAID to NGOs advocating for:

  • The decriminalization of homosexuality (targeting Sections 365/365A),
  • Legal reforms promoting gender ideology,
  • Democracy promotion” campaigns framed around Western progressive values.

These efforts are now under increasing domestic scrutiny. Politicians like Namal Rajapaksa and Wimal Weerawansa have demanded parliamentary inquiries into USAID’s political influence.

  • Rewiring Media via MoJo Lanka and Journalism Training

At the MoJo Lanka Festival, Ambassador Chung celebrated the role of citizen journalists” and youth empowerment.” However, such programs were also tied to:

  • Gender sensitivity modules,
  • Inclusivity training, and
  • U.S.-backed editorial standards on LGBTQIA+ and progressive” narratives.

This appears to be soft power masquerading as media development—a strategy to reshape national discourse via sponsored journalism.

  • Vienna Convention Violations: A Legal Breakdown

https://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/9_1_1961.pdf

Vienna ArticleViolation Details
Article 41(1) – Non-interferencePromoting internal legal reforms, supporting controversial protests, and funding ideological media
Article 41(2) – Official channelsPride flag ceremonies, NGO engagement without MFA coordination
Article 3(1)(e) – Promote friendly tiesDisrespecting national traditions and moral codes
Spirit of ConventionCultural appropriation (tattoo), biased activism
  • Expanded Controversies: Interference Beyond LGBTQIA+ Issues

▪️ Interference in Domestic Politics

  • MP Wimal Weerawansa accused Chung of involvement in the 2022 Aragalaya” protests and election manipulation attempts.
  • Chung dismissed the allegations as baseless” and outright lies.”
  • Her first visit for the year was to the Malayali community signalling a new minority community group that is likely to be the next project of the US

▪️ Obstruction of USAID Scrutiny

  • Politicians, including Namal Rajapaksa, demanded investigations into USAID’s financial footprint.
  • Chung reportedly opposed such probes, denying regime change allegations.

▪️ Warnings from Parliament

  • The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on National Security formally advised Ambassador Chung to refrain from commenting on Sri Lanka’s internal matters, especially regarding May 9, 2022 events.

▪️ Criticism of National Legislation

  • Chung opposed the Online Safety Bill and the PTA, citing concerns about human rights.
  • Critics called this blatant interference in national policy.

US Ambassador concerned over ‘continued use of PTA’ in Sri Lanka

https://www.adaderana.lk/news/95319/us-ambassador-concerned-over-continued-use-of-pta-in-sri-lanka

▪️ Election Commission Meeting

  • Her meeting with Sri Lanka’s Election Commission drew social media criticism for potential electoral interference.
  • The Commission chairman later said it was only a courtesy call.

▪️ Public Demonstrations

  • CAPSL (Coalition Against Partition of Sri Lanka) held protests outside the U.S. Embassy, accusing Chung of abusing diplomatic privilege and ideological overreach.

▪️ Impersonation Scandal

  • A fake Facebook page impersonating Ambassador Chung caused public confusion, prompting the U.S. Embassy to issue an official warning. While not her fault, it reflects the highly contentious environment around her tenure.

Sri Lanka Is Not for Sale or Symbolic Colonization

From ideological interference and Pride flag hoisting, to USAID’s influence and symbolic gestures like tattoos, Ambassador Julie Chung’s tenure in Sri Lanka represents a textbook case of diplomatic mission drift. Her actions do not merely raise eyebrows—they violate diplomatic protocols, disrespect national sovereignty, and weaponize soft power for ideological gain.

  • Sri Lanka is not a testing ground for Western social engineering.
  • Foreign envoys must engage with respect—not activism, not ideological imposition.
  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must formally address this breach of norms & diplomatic protocols.

Shenali D Waduge

Dangerous Implications of Involving Bill Gates & his Foundation with Sri Lanka’s Children and Nation

July 15th, 2025

Shenali D Waduge

In July 2025, Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya met with Dr. Chris Elias, the Global Development Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to discuss child and maternal nutrition, agriculture, and digital education. The Foundation offered assistance for mid-day school meals, digital transformation, and education reform. On the surface, this appears helpful. But beneath the surface lies a deeply troubling pattern. Gates is no neutral philanthropist. As one of the world’s most powerful individuals, he holds vast corporate stakes in synthetic food, vaccines, GMO agriculture, digital ID systems, population control programs, and geoengineering. His philanthropy” is inextricably tied to private profits, patent monopolies, and unaccountable influence over national policies – particularly in the Global South. Why should a sovereign nation like Sri Lanka rely on unelected foreign billionaires to fund or influence its essential national functions These essential national functions must be managed internally, with local expertise, public consultation, and parliamentary oversight. Resorting to private individuals and foreign foundations undermines democratic governance and opens the door to unregulated influence. Sri Lanka is at grave risk of being pulled into this web.

1.  Corporate Interests Masquerading as Philanthropy

Synthetic & Processed Foods

Gates has invested heavily in companies such as Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, Apeel Sciences, and Ginkgo Bioworks.

These companies develop synthetic, lab-grown, and biofortified” foods – products now being pushed through school meal programs backed by the Gates Foundation.

In India, criticism erupted when Gates-backed tech promoted fortified rice” in government meals without proper allergy testing (Indian Express, 2023).

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/fortified-rice-midday-meal-health-concerns-8575388

Is this same rice being given in Sri Lanka?

Danger: 

These foods can disrupt children’s hormones, compromise immunity, and displace traditional, wholesome Sri Lankan diets.

They create dependence on corporate food systems.

GMO Seeds & Agricultural Patents

Gates holds patents through investment in Bayer/Monsanto, Corteva, and other agritech giants. His Foundation promotes modern agriculture” across Asia and Africa.

Danger:

Patented seeds reduce biodiversity, degrade soil, undermine local farming traditions, and place small farmers in debt cycles. Food sovereignty is lost.

Vaccines & Biotech

Gates is heavily invested in Pfizer, Moderna, BioNTech, and experimental vaccine platforms. His Foundation directs global vaccination strategies.

In Kenya, Gates Foundation-supported vaccine programs led to accusations of sterilization by Catholic doctors, later reported in a 2017 African journal (source: Kenya Catholic Doctors Association).

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/kenyan-doctors-find-un-tetanus-vaccine-causes-sterility

Danger:

In many countries, children have been part of low-transparency vaccine trials. Side effects are underreported. Patents ensure that access is controlled and profits centralized.

Digital ID, Surveillance & Data Platforms

Through Microsoft, ID2020, GAVI and other initiatives, Gates promotes biometric digital identity linked to health and education systems.

ID2020’s digital ID program in Bangladesh faced privacy concerns due to biometric data collection from children without informed parental consent (Privacy International, 2020).

https://privacyinternational.org/campaigns/id-systems

https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2020/11/12/COVID-19-digital-ID-GAVI-World-Bank-Africa-Microsoft

 Danger:

Children’s personal and biometric data is harvested and stored by foreign private entities. This risks behavioral manipulation, surveillance, and lifelong profiling.

Population Control Technologies

Gates funds long-acting contraceptives and reproductive technologies under the guise of women’s empowerment”.

Danger:

These programs have a history of coercive sterilization in poor countries. Under development” language, ethnic and class-based population engineering is advanced.

2.              Geoengineering & Climate Manipulation Concerns

Gates funds geoengineering experiments globally. Simply because there is no official evidence to prove weather manipulation in Sri Lanka, the sudden climate anomalies – rain followed by intense sun, unseasonal shifts – during foreign team visits raise public concern about tampering with weather.

https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/03/29/1021476/bill-gates-funds-scopex-geoengineering-project

Danger:

Sri Lanka has no legal protections or monitoring mechanisms to detect or prevent experimental weather engineering. These experiments may proceed without consent. These experiments may be taking place knowing there are no legal protections!

3.                       Aid as a Weapon – And Political Complicity

Gates-backed aid is not neutral. It is tied to policy demands that favor corporate control. Inexperienced or compromised politicians accept such aid without proper scrutiny.

Result:

  • Education, food, health, and digital infrastructure fall under foreign influence.
  • National policymaking becomes dependent on private foundations.
  • The public is shut out.
  • Children, in particular, are exposed to untested digital systems, synthetic food, foreign-run education reforms, and medical interventions without full consent or oversight.

4.                       Dangers Specific to Sri Lanka

  • School mealsmay become avenues for pushing synthetic or lab-grown foods.
  • Digital educationplatforms collect children’s behavioral and biometric data.
  • Agricultural reformsrisk displacing farmers, seeds, and food culture.
  • Health projectsmay promote pharmaceutical dependency or sterilization programs.
  • Climate resilience programsmay serve as cover for weather manipulation.

All this without a single vote in Parliament. No consultation. No public debate.

5.                       Gates Profits – Sri Lanka Pays

Gates holds patents in almost every area his Foundation helps” in:

  • Synthetic food companies profit as traditional agriculture is replaced.
  • Patented vaccines bring royalties even when trials are run in poor nations.
  • Biometric data from children fuels AI and predictive systems.
  • Once nations adopt these systems, they become locked into recurring costs, technology dependence, and surveillance ecosystems.

This is not charity. It is long-term market capture disguised as philanthropy.

Gates has previously faced lawsuits, such as one filed in India (2009–2015) over vaccine trials on tribal girls, along with ongoing scrutiny from African watchdogs over digital identity rollouts and reproductive health programs.

These are not conspiracy theories — but documented controversies underscoring the need for vigilance when similar programs are proposed in Sri Lanka.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/bill-gates-india-vaccine-tribal-girls-controversy-117121200172_1.html

6.                       How to Protect Sri Lanka and Its Children

Sri Lankans must immediately demand the Govt & the Ministry of Education & PM:

  • Discloseall Gates Foundation-related programs, contracts, and technologies in use.
  • Subjectall new foods, vaccines, education tools to independent, public evaluation.
  • Enactstrong legal safeguards on child biometric and behavioral data.
  • Rejectall agricultural reform plans that displace traditional farmers.
  • Demandparliamentary debate and public consultation before foreign-funded interventions in schools or health.

Legal & Accountability Note:

Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and the welfare of its children demand transparency, full disclosure, and independent scrutiny before any foreign involvement is permitted; these are matters of public interest and national concern, not personal defamation. Sri Lanka has the right to question foreign influence over children’s welfare, especially when tied to profit-making enterprises. Independent investigations and scientific reviews are urgently required.

Transparency and full public disclosure must be non-negotiable prerequisites for any foreign-funded intervention.

These documented controversies are not conspiracy theories but verified cases demanding strict vigilance as Sri Lanka contemplates similar programs.

Parliament must also consider legislating a moratorium on all foreign-funded interventions involving children, food systems, health, or education until full independent assessments and national consultations are completed.

7.              The People cannot sit silent: the Future of Children is at stake:

  • Spread awareness using clear, culturally rooted messaging:

Protect Our Children. Defend Our Food. Preserve Our Independence.”

  • Mobilize clergy, educators, parents, and farmers to speak out.
  • Pressure MPs with letters, petitions, and organized town hall meetings.
  • Use social media, local language radio, and pamphlets to reach every village.
  • Form citizen watchdog networks to monitor foreign-funded programs.

Sri Lanka’s children must never be used as test subjects for corporate agendas.

Our food, data, health, and culture are not for sale.

Every parent, every teacher, every farmer, and every conscious citizen must rise and say:

NO to corporate philanthropy disguised as help.
NO to unaccountable experiments on our children.
YES to sovereignty, tradition, and transparency.

Let this be the generation that defends Sri Lanka before it’s too late. Let the vultures not prey on our children.

Our Children Are Not Commodities. Our Nation Is Not For Sale.”

No Parliament and no politician can give our children or nation for experiments or sale.

Shenali D Waduge

Sri Lanka’s Dangerous Myths: Export Traps & Free Trade

July 13th, 2025

e-Con e-News

blog: eesrilanka.wordpress.com

Before you study the economics, study the economists!

e-Con e-News 06-12 July 2025

*

The Vass season commencing with the Esala Moon in its waxing, sees the Yala harvest in full blush, in Ampara, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Wayamba and other green fields south. However, the incessant rains (especially in the east and southeast) have not only diminished the rice harvests, but a lack of sunlight (not the imported English brand!) has also affected the growth of fruit and vegetables, as well as storage. Nonetheless, the Yala’s swishing and gnashing of imported scythes & sickles and the humming & revving of imported harvesters, and who makes them, are not much heard from the Colombo media. The only hammers (imported along with the gavels of justice) we hear, are from the capital’s condos in the making (built not to house but for speculation). So where are MTV’s mammotied superstars? Is this not a national question, too?

*

‘Under the concept of Smart Agriculture, its subsidiary… imports

& distributes a wide range of advanced agro-machinery,

including several models of automatic paddy threshing machines

…along with paddy drying machines, rice packing machines,

black-seed removal machines, & coconut oil extraction machines.’

– an Ad parading as news (see ee Agriculture)

We keep asking, ‘Why can’t we make them here?’ After all, the only swishing & humming & gnashing we now do hear is around the reaction by a media full of the letters being sent around the world by the US government imposing taxes & threatening various tariffs & types of retaliations if their dictats are not obeyed. While the media is eager to portray such doings as the work of a madman turned man-of-letters it is clear, this is the latest act by the stage manager in the theatre of imperialism to stall its supposed decline as the US begins to join other stagnating European economies, and as usual wishes the rest of the world to pay for an over-extended and exorbitant joyride they wish to continue.

     Nothing exposes current US policy more than the harangue in the US letter to Brazil, demanding its government halt the trial against former president JM Bolsonaro, for trying to instigate a military coup after he lost the last election. It is clear their overall aim is not just an attempt to stunt & stall all our relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), along with BRICS, BRI, etc., but the escalation of their wars in Asia, Africa and the America, to ensure our underdevelopment.

     Sri Lanka is of course no stranger to such US & European interference, even before Trump’s current stenography (recall the banning of the sale of US sulphur fungicide after Sri Lanka signed the Rubber-Rice Pact with the PRC in 1952), and not a day passes without Sri Lanka being cajoled to stay on the rollercoaster ride the USA’s IMF has designed, and buy an even more expensive ticket to stay onboard their Titanic, while participating in the ‘extraordinary economy of the USA’.

*

‘Goods transhipped to evade a higher tariff will be subject

to that higher tariff. Please understand that the 30% number

is far less than what is needed to eliminate the trade deficit

disparity we have with your country. As you are aware, there

will be no tariff if Sri Lanka or companies within your country,

decide to build or manufacture products within the USA &,

in fact, will do everything possible to get approvals quickly,

professionally & routinely – in other words, in a matter of weeks.’

– see ee Economy, Trump invites Sri Lanka

*

So here it is. The USA wishes Sri Lanka’s extortionist merchants & usurers to do in that white-settler fortress, what they refuse to do, & were prevented from doing, inside Sri Lanka: build & manufacture. There is no way, the US government would allow ‘our’ merchants to play their low-wage garment game, as they do here. Then again, in this season of financial sorcery, London-chartered accountants keep giving each other awards and declaring they are in no way involved in enabling tax evasions & foreign exchange frauds! KPMG & EY executives cannot be jailed, when they are hired as government economic advisors! While multinational frontman Elon Musk, who once declared ‘We will coup who we want!’, is allowed to run his snooping satellites over our mouths & ears. Then, we get  a trail of foreign officials, from white war criminals to Black misleaders, parading in as philanthropists, from the Blair Institute, to the Mbeki Foundation, and this week, the GM-seed vending & Microsoft-Word-Trojan-Horse riding Bill Gates Foundation, all offering unwanted advice and dubious concern. And curiously, with the US playing ‘original tax gangsta’, England shows up all friendly-friendly, declaring zero-tariffs for Sri Lankan goods and ruling out an ‘ICC probe into Sri Lanka war crimes allegations’! After all their human rights sermons? Just like that? Yes, just like that. (Their) God save their King!

     Meanwhile, the Central Bank, while allowing banks to seize the property of debtors without having to resort to the courts, is expressing concern about our financial literacy, along with the UNDP. ee has always pointed out, it is strange that we have such a so-called high literacy, while being unable to compute the difference between a merchant economy & a modern industrial society. Perhaps they can enlighten us about how the IMF insists that second-hand ‘pre-loved’ car imports should be our main source of revenue (see ee Quotes). Then there’s the US thinktank Advocata telling us that car imports are not paid for by dipping into scarce foreign reserves, but by dipping into the dollars sent back by workers abroad, and from exporters’ profits, even as the Treasury seems to disagree!

*

The latest US tariffs have exposed ‘a dangerous truth’ that Sri Lanka’s ‘decades-long dependence’ on the ‘free trade dogma championed by the IMF & World Bank has left it economically vulnerable, strategically irrelevant, & dangerously underprepared for the real world, declares Kenneth de Zilwa (see ee Focus). Relentlessly pushed by the IMF & WB since 1965 to slash tariffs, deregulate markets, open capital accounts, and privatize state assets, Sri Lanka has been left with a ‘hollowed-out industrial base’, an ‘overdependence on contract manufacturing’ (labour-intensive primitive assembly), predominantly exporting raw material exports. If the European Union (EU) goes through with its threat to revoke their GSP+ (which de Zilwa calls ‘a form of geopolitical leverage, tethering Sri Lanka’s market access to 27 international conventions covering everything from human rights to governance to environmental protocols’, just as England’s Unilever & other multinationals have demanded), Sri Lanka will face ‘the same economic collapse again’, because we have ‘no economic sovereignty’, as both the President & former Treasury Secretary have declared.

SL has entered into 17 IMF programs since 1965.

Ironically, every IMF program, while promising

stability, has been followed by more borrowing,

not less. Every one of them promised ‘growth’,

‘stability’, & ‘investor confidence.’

Instead, they have ‘fast-tracked privatization of state assets that are essential for industrialization… with national assets sold off at a discount, and Sri Lanka’s long-term capacity to control its own energy, transport & production sectors irreversibly diminished’ (see ee Focus, USA’s Tariff Blow & Free Trade Myth: SL Economic Trap Exposed).

*

• While a most corrupt merchant media overflows with the detailing of the retail dishonesties of carrom-board bribing politicians & the extremisms of trade unionists etc, the Communist Party has recalled (see ee Focus) the stalwart contributions of SA Wickramasinghe, Udakendawala Siri Saranankara Thero, MG Mendis, Pieter Keuneman, etc, leaders of the CPSL over the last 8 and more decades, who give lie to the media cry that ‘nothing’ has been accomplished in this last 75 years. The CPSL highlights their role in the freedom struggle, let alone the Republican Constitution of 1972, which nominally broke off our subjugation to the English monarchy, 25 years after ‘Soulbury’ independence.

     The CPSL lists their striving for ‘free’ education, early industrialization, nationalizing transport, ports, energy, as well as the sterling-pound estates, establishing factories such as Oruwala Steel, Kelani Tyre, Minneriya, Pugoda, Thulhiriya, Veyangoda textile industries etc, and linking to the socialist world. Their struggles have enabled an Employees Provident Fund (EPF), 8-hour workday, overtime pay, holiday schemes & retirement pension, and resulted in very low maternal & infant mortality rates, high literacy, very high life expectancy at birth, etc. However, the loss of ‘economic sovereignty’, which we have not really had for over 500 years, was exacerbated after 1977, sabotaging the early gains. And, despite the media pointing away from the merchants who are agents of multinational corporations (MNCs), it is the US, English & EU’s shrill promotion of an import/export policy that turns out to be the real cause of the dollar deficit, with the tax policy resulting in the rupee deficit, with the ensuring borrowing policy born from the economic strategy implemented since 1978 resulting in a so-called ‘aragalaya’ that was orchestrated into calling in the IMF (see ee Focus, 2nd Freedom Struggle Against Imperialism to Win Economic Sovereignty).

*

‘It is true that Ceylon had her own version of the enclosure movement,

& the effects of such ordinances as the Crown Lands (Encroachments)

Ordinance of 1840 & the Waste Lands Ordinance No l of 1897

on the condition of the peasantry were disastrous. However,

what appears to have taken place was that the peasantry was deprived

of the village chena & forest land, thus causing impoverishment

but not reducing them to the level of landless paupers.’

Finally, this ee Focus concludes Chapter 6 of SBD de Silva’s classic, The Political Economy of Underdevelopment. Here SBD expands on his division of the world into the white genocidal dominions of ‘new settlement’, settler colonies and non-settler colonies. He emphasizes how in non-settler colonies such as ours, the export sector was a creation of foreign capital. Perhaps due to larger military priorities, they sought to impoverish yet not pauperize the peasantry, while suppressing any attempt at industrialization, to prevent the forming of an industrial proletariat. In the settler colonies in Africa, the white settlers happily (for them) encroached on the rights of the indigenous people without restraint. Deeply committed to settler interests, the colonial governments officially sponsored & even subsidized immigration, as the settlers were the sole source of revenue. Many of the officials were themselves settlers, acquiring houses and farms, and their political interests even overrode those of the metropolitan government. ‘They put local interests before imperial interests & minority interests before majority ones.’

     In our case, with plantations, SBD claimed, export production did not involve the appropriation of peasant lands, and its labour requirements were met by organized migration from South India… SB then goes into a very interesting discussion of our ‘peasant economy based on grain cultivation’, with its ‘considerable capacity for holding surplus labour:

‘The peasant economy… was unable to effectively utilize the available

number of labourers nor could it in the absence of organizational or

technological changes release labour to other sectors of production

(this ‘irrationality’ was largely due to the nature of labour demand

& supply; the timing of labour requirements in grain cultivation

based on monsoonal rains was both uneven & erratic, and the

resulting variations in the demand for labour were aggravated by

a maldistribution in the supply, intra-seasonally, inter-regionally,

and even between holdings in the same district).

‘If in the nonsettler colonies the process of economic development

was not wholly amenable to market forces alone, in the settler colonies

the development process was practically wrought by the political power

of the settlers. The indigenous economy was virtually denuded of both

its land & labour… The far more limited size of the indigenous population

in these regions than in the settler colonies precluded complex inter-race

problems and made the settlement of a white working class possible, with,

a local or regional labour supply was virtually unavailable. Labour was

thus extracted by dismantling traditional economic structures – through

taxation, land expropriation & by outright coercion.’

*

 The media is trying to claim that ‘Sri Lankan businesses’ are branching out to Africa (see ee Who’s Who). But nothing can be further from the truth! First, these companies are not even really Sri Lankan, even if they happen to be registered here. The technologies of these ‘renewable energy’ companies are all imported from abroad, with IPR royalties all paid to them. So, these ‘local’ companies are just fronts for imperialist countries. Is it true, that Browns Plantations, a subsidiary of ‘Sri Lanka’s’ LOLC Holdings Group, is now ‘the world’s largest tea producer’ after buying James Finlay, Kenya’s tea estates business which is part of ‘the Lipton tea supply chain’? Really? What has happened to the giant MNC Unilever, spawn of the East India Co? They’ve just given up? Ha! ee has noted before the involvement of the World Bank and various other European ‘development banks’ in the creation of such (micro)finance companies as LOLC, involved in ripping off rural people, women in particular, from for selling the industrial goods of MNCs.

     It is therefore apropos ee recalls the work of novelist Sena Thoradeniya in translating such formidable African novelists as Kenya’s Ngũgĩ wa Thiongo and his revolutionary role. Thoradeniya laments how the media in Sri Lanka failed to acknowledge Ngũgĩ’s death, instead highlighting a beauty pageant in Thailand. Thoradeniya challenges Sri Lanka’s literary and media communities for their failure to appreciate the global impact of such African writers and calls for an ‘intercontinental intellectual solidarity rooted in shared anti-colonial struggles’. He urges us to ‘recognize the parallels between African & South Asian histories – colonial exploitation, linguistic suppression, and resistance through storytelling…’ (see ee Random Notes)

*

___________

Contents:

Exporters sound alarm over Trump’s proposed 30% tariff

July 13th, 2025

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

  • Seek urgent resolution & diversification

Sri Lanka›s crucial export sector faces significant disruption following a warning from the Exporters Association of Sri Lanka (EASL) regarding a proposed 30 percent tariff on all exports to the United States, outlined in a recent letter from President Donald Trump. The tariff, slated to commence on August 1, 2025, has sent shockwaves through the island nation›s trade community.

The EASL issued a statement expressing deep concern” over the potential levy, highlighting its disproportionate impact compared to tariffs proposed for other nations.

 «It is also concerning that the proposed tariff on Sri Lanka is notably higher than that on other countries, such as Vietnam at 20%, and India, which has also received a lower rate,» the association stated.

The association identified key export sectors as particularly vulnerable, with apparel and rubber-based products expected to bear the brunt of the impact. Sri Lanka is a major supplier of garments to the US market, and rubber products represent another significant export category. A 30% tariff would severely erode the competitiveness of these goods, potentially leading to order cancellations, factory closures, and significant job losses within Sri Lanka.

While acknowledging and appreciating the efforts made by the Sri Lankan negotiating team,” the EASL stressed the critical need for these discussions to continue with urgency and determination.” A constructive resolution with the US administration remains the preferred outcome.

Simultaneously, the EASL issued a strong call for the Sri Lankan government to proactively explore and secure alternative markets. The association urged intensified efforts through our trade missions, particularly in Europe, the Middle East, and other emerging regions,” demanding a significantly expanded and proactive role” for the country’s diplomatic and commercial representatives abroad in identifying new trade opportunities and supporting exporters.

The statement underscored the broader lesson for Sri Lanka’s economy. While we remain hopeful for a constructive resolution with the United States, it is imperative that Sri Lanka simultaneously takes strong steps to diversify and safeguard its export economy against future external shocks,” the EASL declared. The proposed Trump tariff underscores the vulnerability of relying heavily on a single major market and the pressing need for a more diversified export strategy.

Wimal Weerawansa alleges e-NIC tender handed over to Indian firm, Raising data security concerns

July 13th, 2025

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Colombo, July 13 (Daily Mirror) – National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa has alleged that the ‘Punarudaya’ government has handed over the tender to develop Sri Lanka’s electronic National Identity Card (e-NIC) system to an Indian non-profit company, raising serious concerns over national data security.

Addressing a media briefing, Weerawansa claimed that the tender allows the Indian company access to highly sensitive personal data of Sri Lankan citizens, including biometric information such as fingerprints, retina scans, and residential details.

He noted that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Sri Lanka and India in 2021 during the previous government’s tenure, involving the Department of Persons Registration and an Indian firm, to develop the e-NIC system. Although it was not implemented at the time, the current government, under President Ranil Wickremesinghe, had revived the project in 2023 by allocating Rs. 3 million.

“By now, nearly 99% of the technical system has been completed locally by the Department of Persons Registration, with an investment of Rs. 5 billion,” Weerawansa said. “All necessary equipment, including fingerprint and retina scanners and personal identification systems, have already been procured.”

He accused the present administration of deliberately sidelining the completed local system and pressuring the department to transfer control to India’s National Institute for Smart Government (NISG), claiming the Sri Lankan-developed system was flawed.

Weerawansa also alleged that the tender process was conducted exclusively in India, allowing only Indian companies to apply, effectively barring any Sri Lankan firms from participation. “According to the tender, the Indian company will have access to crucial data, including the movement of people, accommodation details, and even the country’s medical requirements,” he warned.

Furthermore, he raised concerns about data privacy, noting that under the terms of the tender, the Indian company would bear only 10% responsibility in the event of a data breach.

He said the Indian Ministry of Digital Economy has already approved the tender for developing Sri Lanka’s e-NIC system. The NFF leader urged authorities to reconsider the move, citing threats to national sovereignty and personal data protection.

” වැසිකිළිය යනු, මුදල් ගනුදෙනු කෙරෙන තැනක්ද ? ”

July 13th, 2025

SepalAmarasinghe

ඇමරිකන් ටොම් පචයා, පොලිස්පති කාදිනල් හා මෝල් මුල්ගල්…

July 13th, 2025

Maathalan – (මාතලන්)

Developing the Sri Lankan Economy: It can be done overnight if  only we desire.

July 12th, 2025

by Garvin Karunaratne

We have little say about restrictions being imposed on us. Somehow we have to stand on our feet. In the far past we did have programmes that tackled poverty and enabled people to produce what we need.

However today no attempt is being made to help people to become entrepreneurs, to make what Sri Lanka requires and in that process earn and also help reduce imports. This economic demise has been a process that commenced after 1977, when we started following the Structural Adjustment Programme of the International Monetary Fund(IMF). A condition insisted upon was that all development programmes had to be curtailed or abolished. There should be no new programmes of development. Truly from 1977 there has not been a single new development programme. All that has been approved are of the Samurdhi and Aswesuma type of making donations to the poor. Departments that dealt with economic development were either abolished or sidelined.

Harkback to the days of Premier Dudley Senanayake, when we were definitely self sufficient in rice.  I too played a part in that programme and hold first hand experience as I served as the Additional Government Agent at Kegalla in 1968 and 1969.

Paddy production comes to the forefront because we have had to import very large quantities of rice almost every year recently, incurring a heavy drain on foreign exchange.

Paddy production was done by the Department of Agriculture for long. They had a full staff at District level, a two year trained agricultural instructor at the Divisional level, and at the Village level, an year trained agricultural overseer. This effort was strengthened with the implementation of the Paddy Lands Act by the Agrarian Services Department which for the first time brought about an elected body of cultivators and owners, that planned paddy production. I speak with first hand evidence of implementing the paddy lands act in Kegalla and Anuradhapura. At Anuradhapura we had 296 cultivation committees and there was a staff of three Assistant Commissioners, 10 Divisional Officers and 50 Field Assistants. I can remember meetings of cultivators going on till late in the night at Anuradhapura where we decided on using certified high yielding seed paddy and the apppropriate use of fertilizer. This effort was well organized.

Premier Dudley Senanayake in 1965-1970 took over the implementation of paddy production and brought in the Government Agents of the Districts to lead the programme in each District. The production of paddy was till then assessed by the Department of Agriculture. Premier Dudley was not satisfied and decided that the yield of paddy should be assessed by staff officers of Departments other than the Department of Agriculture, and also done in a plot decided by random sampling. Thus the production was truly assessed. As a result of this concerned effort we achieved self sufficiency in paddy(rice). In Kegalla I arranged for this crop cutting to be done in 1968 and 1969.

After 1970 the Government Agents were to concentrate on the new programme- the Divisional Development Councils Programme(DDCP) and paddy production was given less emphasis. The system of crop cuttings done by staff officers of Department other than the Department of Agriculture was stopped.

The government had throughout from the Fifties a paddy purchasing programme where a high price was given to genuine cultivators. This was discontinued. Two more changes took place the Department of Agrarian Services was more or less abolished- totally slashed and the Agriculture Department paddy production programme was slashed by President Premadasa promoting all agricultural overseers- numbering some 2300 to become Grama Niladharis in 1997. The work done by Agricultural Overseers ceased and a few years later a cadre of Yaya Palakas were appointed, an untrained staff. Thus today the paddy production effort is totally unorganized. Many seed farms were privatized and thus no certified seed paddy is available. It is no wonder that we have had to import rice and unless a definite plan to bolster paddy production is built from scratch, Sri Lanka will have to import very large quantities of rice every year.

The introduction of Provincial Councils and devolving agriculture to them has also eaten into efficiency. Earlier a circular by me, when I worked in the Agrarian Services Department sent by post to all overseers had to be acted upon the next day, After devolving agriculture to the provincial councils the instructions had to be sent via Divisional Ministers of Agriculture.

The production of vegetables and fruit is also unorganized because the Department of Agriculture does not have a field officer- the Agricultural Overseer at the village level which it had till 1997.

From the days of World War II, a Marketing Department- a Department for the Development of Agricultural Marketing was established to help the marketing of agricultural produce. This Department was abolished in 1977, with the country implementing the Structural Adjustment Programme of the IMF. Today all producers are at the mercy of traders. When the Marketing Department functioned producers could hand over veg and fruit to the Markeing Department. Then vegetables and fruit were purchased and sent to Tripoli Market , the headquarters of the programme, where goods were sent to some fifty outlets in Colombo for sale at low pries. This made traders too to sell at low prices if they were to be in business. The aim of the Marketing Department was to offer high prices to producers as well as sell at low prices to city dwellers. The abolition of the Marketing Department happened in 1981. It may be a good idea to re establish the Marketing Department

Aswesuma, the poverty alleviation programme of today that gives money to the poor and deprived people, is only a continuation of the Samurdhi and the Janasaviya Programmes of public assistance. The Janasaviya Programme had the training of receipients to become productive as an integral part. This Programme unfortunately folded with the demise of President Premadasa. Samurdhi too made an attempt at training people but the attempt was a failure. If Aswesuma is to be a success it should include a programme to train the reciepients to become entrepreneurs- thus producing what the country needs..

Sri Lanka is a country blessed with fertile land, ample regular rainfall, which enables the production of paddy and other crops. We had the organization for handling production, which has been dismantled by reducing the staff of the Department of Agriculture, the almost total abolition of he Department of Agrarian Services and the abolition of the Marketing Department. For instance the Marketing Department established a Canning Factory in 1955 and in three years by 1958, we became self sufficient in all fruit drinks and fruit produce Today unfortunately we depend on imported fruit and fruit drinks imported from India to Cyprus and the USA. There goes our foreign exchange

In Dairy Produce too we depend on imports. We do not have a real programme to develop animal husbandry. We must expand the number of Veterinary Surgeons and implement a programme for people to rear cattle.

In Industry too we were till 1977 having a well developed programme of handlooms and power looms that enabled us to be self sufficient in manufacturing textiles,. In 1977 we abolished this programme and the Department of Small Industries was totally slashed. Till 1977 we produced all our clothes including suiting. Sri Lankans that had migrated to the UK when they visited Sri Lanka on holiday came searching for suiting produced by the Hakmana Powerloom. When they could not find Hakmana suiting in the shops they came to the Hakmana Powerloom and when they found that too difficult, approached me – as the Government Agent who controlled the Powerlooms.

In 1958 I was working in Ambalantota and my duties took me often to Weerawila where during the cropping season the air was full of cotton pollen wafting in the air. Sadly we gave up cultivating cotton. Three large stores built for collecting cotton were taken over by me for storing paddy. Cotton can be grown in Hambantota and Mannar/Vavunia areas.

Under the Divisional Development Councils Programme of Premier Sirimavo (1970-1976) we established many small industries all over the island. Special mention is due of the Paper making at Kotmale,and the Boatmaking Industry at Matara where we made seagoing boats and sold them to fishery cooperatives,

At Matara on our own, we established a Crayon Factory, . It took three months for my Planning Officer, Vetus Fernando, a chemistry hons graduate to find the art of making a crayon, equal to Reeves, the best of the day. It took two weeks for Sumanapala Dahanayake, the member of parliament for Deniyaya, in his capacity as the President of the Morawaka Coop Union to establish a Crayon Factory under my immediate direction. Within a month crayons made by the Morawaka Cooperative Union were sold islandwide. Therein lies the path if our Government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is interested to develop industries in Sri Lanka. It is a task that can be easily achieved. We can establish many industries to make what we import today.

I can state that Sri Lanka can produce all the rice it requires, all the maize it requires,all the vegetables and fruit it requires all items that can be cultivated and harvested within twelve months  When I served as Assistant Commissioner of Agrarian Services in Anuradhapura I asked for approval to produce all the maize Sri Lanka required in one season. We had the vibrant cultivation committees to attend to that task. Fruits like oranges will require a longer programme. Let us not forget that we have a fertile land with ample regular rain and an intelligent ppeople.

Let me end with a bit of what I achieved in Bangladesh in creating entrepreneurs to enlighten us. I served there as the Commonwealth Fund Advisor on Youth Development. When General Ershard took over the country it was rife in the air that the youth development activities will be abolished. At the final meeting the Hon Minister asked for my recommendation. I recommended that instead of abolishing the Ministry, the Government should establish a youth employment programme. The Secretary to the Treasury the highest officer in Bangladesh said that he will not offer any funds because the ILO had failed to do that task at Tangail in the earlier three years. I argued with him- a one to one battle for two hours. The Hon Minister stopped us arguing and approved my establishing an employment creation programme. This was done in nineteen months and that was in 1983. It is a programme that has been developed and it has by now made over three million youth entrepreneurs. This Programme is documented in eight pages in the Five Year Programme of Bangladesh and is a continuing programme.

In 2011,when His Excellency Milinda Moragoda, till recently our Ambassador at Delhi made a bid for the Mayorship of Colombo in his Manifesto stated that if elected,  he would seek to implement the Youth Self Employment Programme of Bangladesh which incidentally was am amazingly successful scheme introduced to that country by a distinguished son of Sri Lanka, Dr Garvin Karunaratne, who served in Bangladesh as an international consultant.”(The Nation: 11/9/2011

Boost for Sri Lankan garment sector after new UK trade measures

July 12th, 2025

UK GOV

Sri Lankan garment sector set to benefit following reforms to simplify imports from developing countries like Sri Lanka.

  • Liberalised rules of origin will now allow for more garments manufactured in Sri Lanka to enter the UK tariff-free.
  • Further measures will make it easier for countries like Sri Lanka to trade, supporting jobs and growth.
  • UK businesses and consumers to benefit from more competitively priced products.

On 10 July, the UK government unveiled a package of reforms to simplify imports from developing countries like Sri Lanka. Upgrades to the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) make it easier for businesses to trade with the UK and help lower prices on the UK high street.  

The changes, announced as part of the UK’s wider Trade for Development offer, aim to support economic growth in partner countries including Sri Lanka while helping UK businesses and consumers access high-quality, affordable goods.  This announcement builds on the UK’s Trade Strategy published last month.

New measures include simplifying rules of origin, enabling more goods from countries such as Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and the Philippines to enter the UK tariff-free — even when using components from across Asia and Africa.

The announcement follows engagement with UK businesses and international partners, major importers and trade associations. This included the Sri Lankan government and the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF). The most significant positive change for Sri Lanka is that the rules of origin for the garments sector specifically will be liberalised. The changes will ensure that DCTS countries can now source their materials from a wider range of nations and will give manufacturers from countries such as Sri Lanka the opportunity to take advantage of 0% tariffs on garments. These changes are expected to be in place by early 2026.

The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Andrew Patrick said:

 This is a win for the Sri Lankan garment sector, and for UK consumers. With the UK being the second largest export market and garments making up over 60% of that trade, we know manufacturers here will welcome this announcement.

We want Sri Lanka to improve the utilisation of the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme for a wider range of goods, not just garments. With the Sri Lankan government’s ambition to grow exports, and with the simplification of rules of origin for other sectors too, we strongly encourage more exporters to explore how they can benefit from the preferences offered by the DCTS.

The UK remains committed to working towards creating shared prosperity for both our countries.

Responding to the announcement Secretary General of the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) Yohan Lawrence said:

We warmly welcome the UK’s Trade Strategy. JAAF has worked very closely with the UK Government to work on solutions to improve utilisation of the Scheme. We are delighted that, for garments, it will now be possible to source more raw material regionally and continue to qualify for duty free export to the UK. This will be a game-changer for our trade with the UK under the DCTS.

We believe that the changes will also deliver significant improvements against the objectives of the Scheme. At around USD 675m in value, the UK is the second largest market for Sri Lanka Apparel, accounting for close to 15% of apparel exports, while the industry supports a million livelihoods across the country. This announcement will help secure employment opportunities and ensure sustainable growth in Sri Lanka by allowing us to compete on equal terms with our major competitors, and we expect exports to increase significantly when the new rules come into effect.”

Background

Launched in 2023, following the UK’s exit from the EU, DCTS is the UK’s flagship trade preference scheme. Covering 65 countries (including Sri Lanka) DCTS offers reduced or zero tariffs on thousands of products. It is one of the most generous schemes of its kind in the world. The recent changes further improve this offer. This will open up new commercial opportunities for UK businesses to build resilient supply chains, invest in emerging markets, and tap into fast-growing economies.

In addition to the DCTS changes, the UK will continue to provide targeted support to help exporters in Sri Lanka to access the UK market and meet import standards particularly focused on agri-foods and apparel sectors. This is through programmes being delivered by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in partnership with the Sri Lanka Export Development Board:

  • The UK Trade Partnerships programme will continue to support on-going work on strengthening and rolling out Sri Lanka’s national organic standards, alongside completing certification audits of existing beneficiaries, and delivering training on digital marketing.
  • Following the work on establishing the SheTrades Commonwealth+ hub in Sri Lanka earlier this year, the UK will continue to support in building policy capacity to mainstream gender into trade policy.

China willing to promote strategic cooperative partnership with Sri Lanka: Chinese FM

July 12th, 2025

Source: Xinhua

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 12, 2025. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 (Xinhua) — China is willing to work with Sri Lanka to promote a strategic cooperative partnership based on sincere mutual assistance and a lasting friendship, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Saturday when meeting his Sri Lankan counterpart Vijitha Herath.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China and Sri Lanka have a traditional friendship. The two heads of state held fruitful talks and reached an important consensus on deepening bilateral strategic cooperative partnership and jointly building a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future, which pointed out the direction and provided guidance for the development of bilateral relations.

Wang pointed out that China is a reliable partner of Sri Lanka, and the two sides should deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and practical cooperation in various fields.

The two sides should work together to effectively implement the two flagship projects of the Colombo Port City and the Hambantota Port, accelerate negotiations for China-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement, and create new growths for cooperation in such areas as green energy, digital economy, modern agriculture, and marine economy, Wang said.

He pointed out that China-Sri Lanka maritime cooperation is mutually beneficial, not aimed at third parties, and should not be interfered by third parties.

China is willing to strengthen coordination with Sri Lanka in such platforms as the ASEAN Regional Forum to jointly maintain stability and development in the region, he noted, adding the so-called “Indo-Pacific Strategy” provokes bloc confrontation and coerces parties to take sides, which is not in line with the trend of the time and will not receive support from regional countries.

Herath, for his part, said that Sri Lanka attaches great importance to its relations with China and firmly adheres to the one-China principle. Sri Lanka thanks China for its firm support for Sri Lanka in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for its timely assistance during difficulties.

Sri Lanka-China cooperation has brought great benefits to the Sri Lankan people and has effectively promoted the overall development and connectivity of the region, said Herath, adding that Sri Lanka is willing to work with China to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, including the economy, trade, investment, infrastructure, and maritime affairs, and further deepen the strategic cooperative partnership.

Reciprocal tariff SL firm against U.S. proposed restrictive trading with China

July 12th, 2025

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

In the conduct of negotiations for the reduction of reciprocal  tariffs, the U.S. authorities have proposed some restrictive measures  on trading with China, but Sri Lanka has declined to do so in  principle in conformity with its neutral foreign policy, the Daily  Mirror learns.   

Sri Lanka is among the countries that secured one of the  largest reductions of President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.  President Trump fired off a letter to his Sri Lankan counterpart, Anura  Kumara Dissanayake, announcing that Sri Lankan products entering the U.S.  market would be charged a 30 per cent tariff, a reduction from 44 per  cent initially announced.  

Sri Lanka currently remains happy since the tariff rate is  lower than most other countries, such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia  and Laos which it competes in trading with the U.S. However, Sri  Lanka is perturbed over the imposition of lower tariffs on countries  such as Vietnam, which is a direct competitor to Sri Lanka in apparel  exports. 

In the letter addressed to President Dissanayake, Trump  highlighted the longstanding trade imbalance between the United States  and Sri Lanka, claiming the relationship has been far from reciprocal”  due to Sri Lanka’s tariffs, non-tariff policies, and trade barriers. He  insisted that the new tariff was necessary to address what he described  as persistent trade deficits, which he labelled a threat to U.S. economic  interests and national security.  

Starting on August 1, 2025, we will charge Sri Lanka a  tariff of only 30 per cent on any and all Sri Lankan products sent into  the United States, separate from all sectoral tariffs,” the letter  stated, adding that any attempts to bypass the tariff through  transshipment would be met with higher penalties.  

Trump further offered an incentive, saying Sri Lanka could  avoid these tariffs if Sri Lankan businesses chose to manufacture  products within the United States, promising expedited approvals for  such ventures.  

He also warned that should Sri Lanka retaliate by raising  its own tariffs, the U.S. would increase the 30 per cent levy by an  equivalent amount.   

However, the Sri Lankan government has chosen a  conciliatory approach, seeking to negotiate further with the U.S.  authorities for further reduction of tariff rates.   

According to a source familiar with negotiations, the U.S.  has proposed some restrictive measures on trading with China, but Sri  Lanka resisted it since it needs fair trading with all its partners.  The source declined to elaborate more on what was discussed.     

The quiet unraveling How IMF reforms are reshaping Sri Lanka’s economic future

July 12th, 2025

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme with the IMF focuses heavily on external debt restructuring to restore debt sustainability. However, external debt restructuring alone is insufficient because a large portion of debt service obligations arise from currency depreciation of external debt thereby inflating domestic debt, including treasury bills and bonds.

Currency depreciation, while theoretically boosting export competitiveness, increases the rupee cost of essential imported inputs, further squeezing margins. Local clients paying in rupees face higher costs, dampening demand for digital services.

Sri Lanka’s economic future is being quietly reshaped beneath the surface of fiscal targets and IMF scorecards. As an 18% VAT on digital services takes effect and currency depreciation alters domestic cost structures, a deeper economic realignment is underway. While headline reforms focus on debt restructuring and public finance, the true fault lines lie in managing domestic and external balance sheets separately. Without addressing this dual challenge, the country risks building an economy that appears balanced on paper but remains vulnerable in substance, undermining innovation, trade competitiveness, and long-term resilience.

Sri Lanka’s engagement with the IMF and the implementation of an 18% VAT on digital services mark a pivotal moment in the country’s economic trajectory. While the VAT aims to broaden the tax base and protect local industries from untaxed imports and dumping, it also raises operational costs for key export sectors, especially digital services.   

This article argues that the core economic challenge lies in managing two distinct balance sheets -domestic and external-and their cash flows separately.   

Properly addressing these twin accounts is essential for sustainable debt restructuring, fiscal stability, and industrial competitiveness. Without this dual approach, reforms risk creating a hollow economy, balanced on paper but fragile in substance.   

A quiet but profound economic shift 

Two years into Sri Lanka’s IMF-supported reform programme, a transformation is unfolding quietly but with lasting implications. Public attention has focused on headline reforms such as fiscal consolidation, interest rate liberalisation, and state-owned enterprise restructuring.   

Yet, beneath these surface changes, deeper shifts in cost structures, industrial competitiveness, and economic autonomy are taking place. Central to this is the introduction of an 18% VAT on digital services effective October 2025, alongside currency depreciation and structural policy shifts.   

While these measures aim to stabilise public finances, they risk throttling Sri Lanka’s vibrant digital economy and export and industrial sectors, raising broader questions about the country’s market share for its industrial future and economic resilience.   

VAT on Digital Services: A Double-Edged Sword 

On paper, extending VAT to digital services aligns Sri Lanka with global tax norms and broadens the government’s revenue base.   

However, in practice, the 18% VAT imposes a structural cost burden on digital firms, many of which rely on US dollar-priced software, cloud platforms, and cybersecurity tools. This tax raises operational costs for startups and MSMEs, causes significant vulnerabilities and eroding their global competitiveness.   

Meanwhile, currency depreciation, while theoretically boosting export competitiveness, increases the rupee cost of essential imported inputs, further squeezing margins. Local clients paying in rupees face higher costs, dampening demand for digital services.   

This combination of VAT and currency effects threatens to weaken one of Sri Lanka’s most promising export sectors, undermining innovation, employment, and foreign exchange earnings.   

VAT’s Positive Role: Protecting Local Industries from Dumping 

Despite these challenges, VAT plays a vital protective role against untaxed imports that can create a dumping” scenario. Dumping of goods and services occurs when foreign goods and services enter the market at artificially low prices, often because they avoid taxes or regulatory costs, thereby undercutting local producers. By imposing VAT on imports, Sri Lanka ensures that foreign goods do not enjoy an unfair price advantage over domestically produced items.   

This levels the playing field for local manufacturers and service providers, helping to preserve jobs and industrial capacity.   

This function of VAT is especially critical given Sri Lanka’s relatively nascent industrial base, which remains vulnerable to global competition without adequate safeguards. However, in a country where technological goods are a prerequisite for value creation, security, innovation and manufacturing designing, printing and packaging this has a negative impact.   

Parallels with Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) 

The VAT’s role in protecting local industries from dumping parallels the challenges posed by Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). FTAs open domestic markets to foreign competition, which can be beneficial for consumers but detrimental to local industries lacking global competitiveness.   

Without protective measures, FTAs risk accelerating deindustrialisation and economic dependency. Similarly, VAT ensures that imports and local products are taxed comparably, preventing market distortions and unfair competition. This safeguard is essential for countries like Sri Lanka that are still building their industrial foundations.   

 The Core Issue: Managing domestic and external balance sheets separately 

A fundamental but often overlooked challenge in Sri Lanka’s economic reforms is the need to keep domestic and external balance sheets and their cash flows separate and managed distinctly.   

Sri Lanka’s public debt is roughly split between domestic and foreign obligations, each with unique characteristics, risks, and implications for fiscal sustainability. Domestic debt accounts for a significant share of interest payments and refinancing needs, while external debt carries foreign exchange risks and influences the country’s balance of payments. 

Why Separate Balance Sheets Matter 

  •  Domestic Balance Sheet: 

Comprises treasury bills, bonds, and domestic currency debt held largely by local banks, the central bank, and pension funds. Its volatility in service affects domestic liquidity, interest rates, and therefore national production output.   

Restructuring domestic debt is complex because it risks destabilising the local financial system if not carefully managed.   

  •  External Balance Sheet: 

Includes foreign currency assets and liabilities such as commercial bonds, bilateral loans, and multilateral debt. Its debt service depends on foreign exchange earnings from goods and services and retained earnings i.e. reserves. Therefore, it is far more significant that we pay attention to external debt restructuring as it is critical for restoring debt sustainability and regaining access to international capital markets.   

  •  Separate Cash Flows:

The cash flows servicing these two debt types differ fundamentally. Domestic debt service affects local currency liquidity and interest rates, while external debt service impacts foreign currency reserves and the balance of payments. Managing these balance sheets as one undifferentiated entity obscures the distinct challenges and policy tools required for each. For example, a successful external debt restructuring that reduces foreign currency obligations does not automatically ease domestic debt pressures, which will continue to strain from incorrect fiscal space that hinders balance sheet capacity and restrains market share and in turn creates monetary instability.   

Sri Lanka’s Experience with Debt Restructuring 

Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme with the IMF focuses heavily on external debt restructuring to restore debt sustainability. However, external debt restructuring alone is insufficient because a large portion of debt service obligations arise from currency depreciation of external debt thereby inflating domestic debt, including treasury bills and bonds.   

The government’s total Debt obligation as at end 2024, stands at 103 billion US Dollars (or 115pct of real GDP), of which 38 billion Dollars is external debt, while 66 billion Dollars is domestic. Domestic Debt Optimisation (DDO) plan, initiated in mid-2023, aimed to restructure key domestic and external debt categories but covers only about 60% of each in total, leaving significant liabilities unaddressed.   

This partial coverage limits the overall impact on fiscal sustainability and gross financing needs. Without a comprehensive approach that addresses both domestic and external debt separately but cohesively, Sri Lanka risks fiscal and monetary instability despite meeting headline IMF targets.

The Cash flow challenge: Core of Sri Lanka’s economic vulnerability 

The twin balance sheets issue is fundamentally about cash flow management. Sri Lanka’s ability to service debt depends not only on the size of external liabilities but on the timing and currency composition of debt service payments relative to government revenues and foreign exchange earnings.   

  • External cash flows are constrained by foreign exchange earnings from exports, remittances, and foreign investment. A shortfall leads to reserve depletion and currency depreciation.   
  • Domestic cash flows depend on tax revenues, monetary policy, and the health of the local financial system. High domestic debt service crowds out productive investment spending by both public and private sectors and tightens liquidity with currency volatility.   

The mismatch and mismanagement of these two cash flows and balance sheets create vulnerabilities that can trigger deeper crises, as seen in Sri Lanka’s recent economic turmoil.   

Broader implications 

The combined effect of ad hoc fiscal measures such as VAT, rupee currency depreciation/volatility, exacerbate external debt servicing pressures thus shifts away from self-sustaining industrial development approach toward a more external debt dependent and fragile economy.   

External revenue from goods and services are a core part of this nuanced approach.   

Sectors that are end users of digital services covered under the new VAT legislation, must be shielded from rising VAT costs, or these companies will now face rising cybersecurity costs and threats, data cost, and digital marketing costs and thus could erode market share due to inability to add value to products and retain competitiveness.   

It is also possible that entrepreneurs may retreat to protected or rent-seeking sectors rather than tradable industries.   

Sluggish industrial profitability due to the IMF pre-conditions, of ad-hoc VAT adjustments and other increases in taxes in general, together with high domestic borrowing costs due to currency depreciation would deter investment in new high technological factories, R&D, and IT sector and also be restrictive to adding new physical infrastructure.   

This unhealthy combination makes the domestic economy vulnerable to external shocks, interest rate cycles and thus would have to revert back to external borrowing to meet the growing tradable account deficit.  

These dynamic risks create an extractive economic model focused on fiscal extraction rather than value creation, production, market share and industrial solution innovation i.e. automation, and data driven decisions.   

Achievements and Hidden Costs 

Sri Lanka has made progress in meeting IMF programme targets: achieving primary budget surpluses, stabilising foreign reserves, and addressing SOE losses. However, these successes mask underlying weaknesses:   

  • GDP growth remains sluggish (well below 2018).   
  • Private sector credit is subdued.   
  • Employment in tradable sectors is weakening.   
  • Inflation moderation has come at the cost of suppressed balance sheet growth and hence sluggish demand and investor confidence. It is therefore evident that the economy is being balanced through contraction and compliance rather than expansion and innovation, risking long-term structural fragility and loss of market share.   

Industrialisation 6.0- Vision Grounded in Reality

Asian economies are already carving markets based on Industrialization 6.0, as this marks a revolutionary leap in global manufacturing, heralding an era where fully autonomous systems powered by advanced AI, robotics, and cyber-physical technologies, manage production of goods and logistics with minimal human involvement.   

This new industrial epoch transcends previous revolutions by shifting from mere automation to complete autonomy, enabling factories to self-optimise, self-adapt, and deliver hyper-personalised products at scale. Sri Lanka cannot leapfrog directly into advanced industrial stages like autonomous manufacturing or AI-powered ports due to infrastructural and capital constraints.   

Instead, it should focus on realistic, incremental adoption of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies that enhance existing sectors such as apparel sector that caters to multiple markets, processed agri-manufacturing, electronics assembly, software development, KPO/BPO, and logistics. In order to get these off the ground it’s essential that fiscal policy signals align with national balance sheet priorities.  

Finally- Balancing reform with resilience 

Sri Lanka’s economic reforms highlight the complexity of balancing fiscal discipline with industrial competitiveness and economic autonomy.   

The 18% VAT on digital services is a litmus test of whether reforms can be tailored to national realities rather than boilerplate prescriptions.   

Critically, managing domestic and external balance sheets separately, with a focus on their distinct cash flows, is essential for sustainable debt restructuring and economic stability. VAT plays a dual role raising revenue and protecting local industries from dumping yet must be balanced with targeted support to avoid undermining growth sectors.   

Without this nuanced approach, Sri Lanka risks building a fiscally balanced but industrially hollow economy, vulnerable to future shocks and lacking the dynamism needed for long-term prosperity.   

The quiet unravelling began not with protests, but with escalation in price lists, contraction in balance sheets, and missed market share opportunities. Sadly the real economic cost will be visible only in hindsight.    

පොරොන්දු වලින් පරිපාලනයක් හැදේද?

July 12th, 2025

ලංකාවෙබ් කෘත්‍රිම බුද්ධිය විසින් රචිතයි

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මැතිවරණ පොරොන්දු: යථාර්ථය හා ඉටුකළ හැකිභාවය පිළිබඳ සම්පූර්ණ සමාලෝචනයක්

ආරම්භය

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ දේශපාලන පද්ධතිය තුළ මැතිවරණ කාලය එන විට, ජනතාවට විවිධ ආකාරයේ ආකර්ෂණීය පොරොන්දු ලබාදීම සාමාන්‍ය වටපිටාවක් වී තිබේ. මෙවන් පොරොන්දු බහුතරයක් අතිශයින් ජනප්‍රිය වුවත්, ඒවා ප්‍රායෝගික වශයෙන් ක්‍රියාත්මක වීම පිළිබඳව විශේෂ සැලකිල්ලක් දැක්විය යුතුය. මේ ලිපියේ අරමුණ වන්නේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මැතිවරණ පොරොන්දු සම්බන්ධයෙන් ව්‍යාප්ත සාකච්ඡාවක් පවත්වා ඒවායේ යථාර්ථය, ආර්ථික හා පරිපාලන සීමාවන්, සහ ජනතාවට ඇති බලපෑම් විග්‍රහ කිරීමයි.


1. මැතිවරණ පොරොන්දු වල ස්වභාවය

මැතිවරණ ව්‍යාපාරවලදී විශේෂයෙන් යොදාගන්නා පොරොන්දු අතරින් අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම ඇසෙන කරුණු කිහිපයක් මෙසේ වේ:

  • බදු අඩු කිරීම
  • පොලි බඩු මිල අඩු කිරීම
  • රාජ්‍ය රැකියා සහ වාසි වැඩි කිරීම
  • විශාල පාරිසරික හා යටිතල පහසුකම් ව්‍යාපෘති ආරම්භ කිරීම
  • සාධාරණ සමාජය පිළිබඳ විශ්වාසය ලබාදීම

මෙම පොරොන්දු බහුතරයක් ජනතාවගේ දෛනික ජීවිතයට ආරක්ෂාවක් හා ආරම්භයක් සැලසෙන ආකාරයකි. එමනිසා සෑම පක්‍ෂයකම ප්‍රචාරණ නීතියෙහි මූලික අංගයක් ලෙස ඒවා යොදාගැනේ.


2. ප්‍රායෝගිකව ක්‍රියාත්මක විය හැකිද?

අවුරුදු ගණනාවකින් පවතින ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ආර්ථික, පරිපාලන, හා ජාත්‍යන්තර ව්‍යාපෘති අභියෝග නිසා මෙම පොරොන්දු බොහෝවිට ඉටු විය නොහැකි වේ. ඒ සඳහා ප්‍රධාන හේතු පහත පරිදිය:

2.1 ආර්ථික සීමාවන්

  • ශ්‍රී ලංකාව විශාල වශයෙන් විදේශ ණය මත රඳා පවතින රටකි.
  • රාජ්‍ය ආදායම GDP වලට සම්බන්ධව 10%–12% අතර පවතින අතර, වියදම් 20% කට අධිකය.
  • රාජ්‍ය වියදම් අඩු කළ නොහැකි තත්ත්වයක් තුළ සහන වැඩසටහන් ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම සීමිත වේ.
  • 2022 පසු ආර්ථික අර්බුදය නිසා IMF සමඟ සම්මුති වලට එකඟවූවන්ට ව්‍යාජ වශයෙන් සහන ලබාදිය නොහැක.

2.2 පරිපාලන හා කළමනාකරණ දුර්වලතා

  • ව්‍යාපෘති සැලසුම් lacking feasibility studies
  • රාජ්‍ය ආයතනවල අධික දේශපාලනික බලපෑම්
  • විශේෂඥතා රහිත තීරණ
  • ප්‍රවාහන, සෞඛ්‍ය, හා අධ්‍යාපන ව්‍යාපෘති අධිලාභගතවීමේ අසමත්තා

2.3 දේශපාලන අභිප්‍රේරණ සහ ප්‍රචාරණ උපායමාර්ග

  • බොහෝ පොරොන්දු නියමිතවම අරමුණු කරගන්නා ජනප්‍රිය” දැන්වීම් පමණි.
  • වාස්තු විද්‍යාත්මක විශ්ලේෂණයකින් තොර, සමාජ මාධ්‍ය හා රූපවාහිනී ඔස්සේ ආවරණය කරනු ලබන සෙරිනඩි පොරොන්දු
  • ජයග්‍රහණයෙන් පසු අමතක කරනු ලබන ආකාරයෙන් හැසිරෙයි.

2.4 ජාත්‍යන්තර බලපෑම්

  • IMF, World Bank, ADB වැනි ආයතන වෙතින් ලබාගන්නා අරමුදල්ට අමතර කොන්දේසි සහිත වේ.
  • එවැනි අරමුදල් සඳහා බදු වැඩි කිරීම, වියදම් අඩු කිරීම, සහ රාජ්‍ය ව්‍යාපෘති නවතා දැමීමක් වැනි යෝජනා අනුගමනය කළ යුතු වේ.
  • ඉන් පසු රට තුළ රැකියා, සහන, සහ ව්‍යාපෘති පොරොන්දු තවදුරටත් පවත්වන අයුරු අවංක නොවේ.

3. ජනතාවගේ ප්‍රතිචාරය සහ දේශපාලන සභාවට ඇති පණිවිඩය

පසුගිය වසරවල ආර්ථික අර්බුදය, ණය නොගෙවිය හැකි තත්ත්වය, සහ මිල ඉහළ යාම නිසා ජනතාව තරමක් පරික්ෂාකාරීව මැතිවරණ පොරොන්දු බැලීම ආරම්භ කර ඇත. විශේෂයෙන් 2022 පසු ජනතාවගේ විශ්වාසය දේශපාලන පක්ෂවලට පවා අඩුවී ඇති බව දැකිය හැක. අන්තර්ජාලය, සමාජ මාධ්‍ය, සහ නිදහස් මාධ්‍යක් මඟින් ජනතාව විමසුම් සහ විවේචනත්මක වීම වැඩි වී ඇත.


නිගමනය

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මැතිවරණ පොරොන්දු, විශේෂයෙන් ම මූලික ආර්ථික සහ ජීවන වාසියන් සම්බන්ධව, ජනතාවට විශාල අපේක්ෂාවන් ලබාදෙනවාට සැලැකිය යුතුය. නමුත් ඒවා බොහෝවිට අවිවරණාත්මක, තොරතුරු සහිත නොවන, සහ ප්‍රායෝගිකව අසාර්ථක විය හැකි යැයි පෙනේ. එමනිසා, අනාගතයේදී මැතිවරණ පක්‍ෂ සහ නායකයින් වෙතින් ලබාදෙන පොරොන්දු පදනම් වූ පරිකල්පනාවන්, ප්‍රායෝගික ක්‍රමවේද, සහ මුදල් මූලාශ්‍ර පිළිබඳව ජනතාවට විවෘතව දැනුම්දිය යුතුය.

ජනතාවගේ භූමිකාව වන්නේ, blind trust නොවී, ව්‍යාජ පොරොන්දු නොහැඳිනෙන්නෙකු වීමය.


ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මැතිවරණ පොරොන්දු පිළිබඳ විශ්ලේෂණාත්මක සම්මන්ත්‍රණ විශේෂාංගය

සාරාංශය (Abstract):

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මැතිවරණ ක්‍රියාවලිය තුළ දේශපාලන පක්ෂ විසින් ජනතාවට ලබාදෙන පොරොන්දු සෑම මැතිවරණයකදීම නව වචන වලින් නව ආකාරයකින් දිස්වන නමුත් මූලික අන්තර්ගතය නොවෙනස් වේ. මෙම ලිපියේ අරමුණ වන්නේ එවැනි මැතිවරණ පොරොන්දු වල ස්වභාවය, ඒවායේ ආර්ථික හා පරිපාලන සැබෑභාවය, ඉටු කළ හැකි දීමනාව, සහ ජනතාවට ඇති ප්‍රතිඵල සම්බන්ධයෙන් විවේචනාත්මක විශ්ලේෂණයකි.


1. හැදින්වීම (Introduction):

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ දේශපාලන වටපිටව මැතිවරණ කාලයන් පුරාවටම ආකර්ෂණීය පොරොන්දු වලින් පිරී ඇත. සෑම පක්ෂයකම ප්‍රචාරණ අවිභාගයකි මෙම පොරොන්දු. නමුත්, මෙවැනි දීප්තිමත් පුරෝකථන, ජනතා අපේක්ෂා ඇතිකරන විට, එම වගකීම් ඉටු නොකිරීම අනාගත ජනවිශ්වාසය වංචනික කරන ප්‍රවාහයක් බවට පත්වී තිබේ.


2. මැතිවරණ පොරොන්දු වල ස්වභාවය (Nature of Election Promises):

ජනතා ආකර්ෂණය සඳහා පහත වැනි පොරොන්දු ව්‍යාප්තව දැක්වේ:

  • බදු සහන
  • රාජ්‍ය රැකියා
  • ජාතික ව්‍යාපෘති
  • බඩු මිල අඩු කිරීම
  • ආධාර වැඩි කිරීම

මෙවැනි පොරොන්දු ජනතාවගේ දිවයිනේ ජීවිතය සවිබලගන්වන ලෙස දැක්වෙයි. නමුත් ඒවා ඉතාමත් අධිවිශ්වාසය සහිත, ප්‍රායෝගික නොවන අංගයන්ගෙන් සමන්විතය.


3. පොරොන්දු ක්‍රියාත්මක වීමේ හැකියාව (Feasibility of Implementation):

3.1 ආර්ථික සීමා

  • ශ්‍රී ලංකාව විශාල විදේශ ණය සහිත රටකි
  • IMF යන ආයතන සමඟ ගිවිසුම් වලට යටත්ව ඇත
  • රාජ්‍ය ආදායම් හිඟය විශාලය

3.2 පරිපාලන දුර්වලතා

  • නියමිත සැලසුම් රහිත ව්‍යාපෘති
  • දේශපාලන බලපෑම්
  • වංචා සහ නීතිමය පාලනයේ අඩුකම

3.3 ජාත්‍යන්තර බලපෑම්

  • IMF සහ ADB වැනි ආයතන මඟින් බදු වැඩි කිරීම්, සහන අඩු කිරීම් සහ රාජ්‍ය වියදම් කප්පාදුවක් යෝජනා කරයි.
  • මෙය පොරොන්දු ඉටු කිරීමට බාධා කරයි.

4. ජනතාවගේ ප්‍රතිචාරය (Public Response):

2022 ආර්ථික අර්බුදය පසු ජනතාව බොහෝ දේශපාලන පොරොන්දු පිළිබඳව විවේචනාත්මකව සිතන්නට පටන්ගෙන ඇත. සමාජ මාධ්‍ය, සජීවී සංවාද, සහ විකල්ප මාධ්‍ය මෙයට විශේෂ දායකත්වයක් ලබාදී තිබේ. විශේෂයෙන් තරුණ පරපුර විමසිල්ලෙන් පිරුණු පාර්ශවයකි.


5. සාකච්ඡාව (Discussion):

මෙවන් පොරොන්දු බොහෝවිට “populist” ප්‍රචාරණ උපායමාර්ගයකි. පක්ෂ ව්‍යාජ වශයෙන් ජනතාවට ආරක්ෂාවක් ලබාදෙයි. නමුත්, ප්‍රායෝගිකත්වය පදනම් නොවී ඇතිවීම නිසා ඒවා ක්‍රියාත්මක නොවී ජනවිශ්වාසය බිඳී යාමේ මූලික හේතුව වේ.

විශේෂයෙන් නීත්‍යානුකූල ව්‍යාපෘති සැලසුම්, විගණන සහ පිරිවැය පාලනය, සහ නිවැරදි මුදල් මූලාශ්‍ර හඳුනා ගැනීම මගින් පමණක් සත්‍ය පොරොන්දු දිය හැකිය.


6. නිගමනය (Conclusion):

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මැතිවරණ පොරොන්දු බහුතරයෙන්ම ජනතාවගේ අපේක්ෂාවන් හා ආශාවන් යටතේ නිර්මාණය වන අතර, ඒවා දැඩි වශයෙන් විචල්‍ය ආර්ථික හා පරිපාලන වාතාවරණයක විවිධ සීමා මත රඳා පවතී. එබැවින්, අනාගතයේ දී මැතිවරණ පොරොන්දු සදාචාරාත්මකව, විස්තර සහිතව, සහ ක්‍රියාත්මක කළ හැකි ආකාරයකින් ඉදිරිපත් කිරීම අත්‍යවශ්‍ය වේ.


7. යෝජනා (Recommendations):

  • සෑම පොරොන්දුවක් සඳහාම ක්‍රියාත්මක සැලැස්මක් සහ අයවැය වාර්තාවක් ඉදිරිපත් කළ යුතුය
  • පාර්ලිමේන්තු වාර්තා සභාවක් හරහා පොරොන්දු වල ප්‍රගතිය නිරීක්ෂණය කළ යුතුය
  • ජනතාවට දේශපාලන පොරොන්දු පිළිබඳව විශේෂ දැනුවත් කිරීමේ වැඩසටහන් ක්‍රියාත්මක කළ යුතුය

Morality in politics is no easy matter

July 12th, 2025

Courtesy The Daily Mirror


This is nothing but the contradiction between theory and practice. When the NPP was in the Opposition it was the strongest critic of the government regardless of which party was in power, putting the ruling party always on the defensive. Criticising is always easy

Director CID Shani Abeysekera

So long as the National People’s Power (NPP) was not in power, its leaders claimed moral high ground over other major political parties, especially those that have ruled the country before or those that had clung to them during their administrations.  However, now that the NPP is in the saddle, its moral superiority is apparently dwindling gradually despite  still holding a commanding position over others. 

This is nothing but the contradiction between theory and practice. When the NPP was in the Opposition it was the strongest critic of the government regardless of which party was in power, putting the ruling party always on the defensive. Criticising is always easy. Now the party is facing the challenge of putting its theories into practice, which is not easy. And any ruling party is always being besieged by almost all other parties, NPP being no exception. 

First moral test

The NPP’s first moral test was not administrative or something vital for the economy. It was just about a simple title attached to one of its senior members who was elected to the high post of Speaker of Parliament following its landslide victory at the general election in November. Speaker Asoka Sapumal Ranwala who has long been tagging a title Dr.” to his name failed to prove his doctorate when it was challenged by the opposition parties in December last year. The NPP somewhat cleared its name by persuading him to resign as the speaker despite his promise to produce evidence of his doctorate. Seven months have passed, he is yet to produce it. 

This issue came up at a time when the NPP was morally thrashing all other parties on the grounds that they all ruined the economy by robbing it for the past 76 years since  Independence. In fact, the NPP’s allegation of thieving by  leaders of the other major political parties is not totally baseless. Dozens of complaints lodged with the Commission to Investigate allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and the cases in turn filed by it in courts since 2015 are a strong testimony to the allegation. 

Monopoly of truthfulness

The party claimed a monopoly of truthfulness and righteousness, and the Ranwala issue was a huge blow on it, in spite of it having nothing to do with the party’s merit or demerit as a ruling party. 

Meanwhile, former DIG Ravi Seneviratne was appointed the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security a day after NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake was sworn in as the President of the country and former Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Shani Abeysekara was appointed Director of Crimes of Sri Lanka police in October last year. Abeysekara was reappointed as CID director last month. 

Although these appointments were viewed by  supporters of the new NPP government as necessities based on the government’s promise to resolve the long unresolved crimes and corruption cases, most of which were said to be politically motivated, some others pointed out they were against another important pledge by the NPP. 

The NPP has been critical of politicisation of the police department by the previous governments and depoliticisation of not only the police but the entire public sector was a major undertaking by the party. Seneviratne and Abeysekara were prominent members of the Retired Police Collective formed by the NPP prior to them being appointed to these high posts in the police department.

Despite nobody having challenged the merit of these officials in their capacities, it was pointed out that their appointments ran counter to the NPP’s pledge to depoliticise the public service. They were challenged not on the grounds of legality or merit of the respective officials, but on the grounds of morality, since bringing in a new political culture was the avowed essence of NPP politics. The same argument is applicable to the appointment of former deputy minister Dr.Harshana Suriapperuma as the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance on June 23.

Then the NPP encountered another major ethical issue which later turned into an embarrassment for the government following the three-day visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in early April. The two governments signed seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) including one on defence cooperation during the Indian leader’s visit. Although the government rubbished all criticisms by its adversaries who recalled the old anti-India theories put forward by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the prime constituent party in the NPP coalition, it failed to divulge the contents of the MoUs. 

The government’s integrity was questioned when different ministers gave different answers to the questions raised by  journalists over the contents of the MoUs. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told that anybody can have access to them through a Right to Information (RTI) application. However, later Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated that these agreements could be revealed only with the Indian government’s consent which seems to be the real position. 

How can a party that always insisted on the sovereignty of the people ignore the people’s right to know the contents of agreements with another country? The right to information is a constitutional right in Sri Lanka and the NPP has been highly valuing it throughout. This was another serious blow on the integrity and the moral superiority of the party. 

Government’s handling of RTI Act is another concern expressed not only by the Opposition, but also the some of the journalists and social media activists who ideologically supported the NPP during the recent major elections. The RTI Commission is without a head for the past three months while a request under the RTI Act to reveal the names of the staff of the President’s Media Division has been declined, interestingly citing the sections of the very Act. Legally it may be correct, but morally one cannot expect a President who fought for the right to information to deny people’s right to know. 

However, one should not expect moral absolutism from a party that has taken over a country with a degenerated social system. For instance, the attempt by NPP that has managed to maintain the economic stability since it assumed power to maintain its political dominance at the local government level as well is justifiable. Its flexibility towards other parties after the local government elections is also justifiable so long as it manages to prevent them from engaging in corrupt practices. What really harms the integrity of the NPP is its deafening silence when moral issues  crop up in their activities. 

President says US tariff cut achieved through talks, further reductions sought

July 12th, 2025

Courtesy Adaderana

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that, as a result of recent discussions with the United States, the previously imposed reciprocal tariff rate on Sri Lanka was successfully reduced from 44% to 30%. 

He further emphasised that ongoing dialogue will continue in order to secure additional concessions.

The President stated that the objective of the government is to implement changes that will benefit the country’s economy, businesses, the business community and the well-being of its citizens.

The President made these remarks while participating in a discussion held this morning (12) at the Presidential Secretariat with all stakeholders in the export sector, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD). 

The meeting focused on the progress of discussions related to the new reciprocal tariff policy that the United States is expected to implement, the current situation and the economic challenges Sri Lanka may face in implementing this policy.

At this critical juncture, the discussion also highlighted the importance of identifying new market opportunities and the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors. The diversification of exports was recognised as a key opportunity to navigate the current challenges, the statement added.

The discussion was attended by Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Western Province Governor Hanif Yusoof, Central Bank Governor, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Harshana Sooriyapperuma, Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development K.A. K.A.Vimalenthirarajah, Senior Advisor to the President on Economic Affairs, Duminda Hulangamuwa,  Senior Advisor to the President on Digital Economy, Dr. Hans Wijesuriya, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman of the Board of Investment, Arjuna Herath,  Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce Shanil Fernando, Chairman of the Tea Exporters Association Huzefa Akbarally, CEO of Brandix Group Ashroff Omar along with other representatives from institutions affiliated with the export sector.

–PMD–

Unmasking LGBTQIA+ Ideology: What every Sri Lankan needs to know

July 11th, 2025

Shenali D Waduge

The LGBTQIA+ ideology is not a natural or moral evolution — it is a Western-exported trend, heavily promoted by corporate agendas & hired media, foreign-funded activist networks, and Big Pharma & used by governments as a new geopolitical tool to collapse & weaken an enemy nation’s society. The objective is to confuse society and undermine national identity. By medicalizing childhood gender confusion, they create a new generation of lifelong patients — a new customer base for life. This ideology demands that society rewrite facts, morality, education, and family laws — to suit some newly created personal feelings and sexual preferences. Critics link this to a global depopulation agenda, as seen in the dramatic collapse of marriages, pregnancies, and birth rates across Western countries. The goal now is to export the same trend to Asia and Africa.

Critics also question why this ideology is not being forced on Muslim-majority nations, while the UN system violates its own pro-life, pro-biological family, and child protection ratified mandates to push LGBTQIA+ legalization in countries like Sri Lanka through unratified bullying.

Most dangerously, it targets children through foreign aid, funding, and curriculum changes — to confuse them about their biological sex, normalize deviant behaviors as freedom,” and suppress religion, patriotism, and morality. A new set of NGOs are already at work now that their terrorist project is over.

Unlike terrorism, it cannot be fought with weapons — because it transforms its victims into lifelong believers & eventual sufferers. Their minds are conditioned, their bodies are altered, and many become too ashamed to return to normal life, fearing judgment or not wanting to admit they were misled.

This issue is of deep political significance, as the collapse of an entire society is at stake if this ideological virus is allowed to spread.

It is no coincidence that what was once rightly classified as a mental disorder was suddenly rebranded as normal” — not through scientific discovery, but through relentless lobbying, political pressure, heavily funded media campaigns, hired activists and vested agendas.

Therefore, Sri Lankan parents, teachers, religious leaders & policy-makers must clearly understand what is at stake & join to protect society from the spread of this LGBTQIA ideology virus.

If left unchecked, LGBTQIA+ ideology will:

  • Erase traditional values and morality
  • Confuse children about their identity and biology
  • Undermine religion, family, and social stability
  • Open the door to legalizing paedophilia, incest, and dangerous ideologies
  • Impact a nation’s population, family lineage, and ultimately threaten the future of mankind

Understanding these false claims — and rejecting them with facts and faith — is now a duty.  We must all come forward to protect our country, culture, and future generations.

A. Truth About Gender & Identity

  1. LGBTQIA+ Claim: Gender is a spectrum, not binary.”

Claim: They say a person can be male, female, both, neither, or something else entirely — and that gender is fluid (can change)

  • Scientific:This is false. Human beings are biologically male (XY) or female (XX). Intersex conditions are rare birth disorders — not a third gender.
    • Religious: All faiths teach that humans are created male or female — not a mix.
    • Social: Our constitution, laws, schools, hospitals, sports, and society function on the biological male/female model. Confusing this, damages all systems.

Biology isn’t a mood — it’s a fact.”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: Trans women are women.”

Claim: A man who feels like a woman and changes his name, appearance, or body should be legally accepted as female.

  • Scientific:A biological male remains male — DNA and body structure do not change, whatever surgery or hormonal medications are taken.
  • Religious:Trying to change one’s sex is an act of rejecting God’s creation and purpose.
    • Social: This threatens women’s & children’s rights in sports, bathrooms, schools, and shelters by letting biological males enter female-only spaces.

You can’t rewrite DNA with feelings.”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: Let people self-ID their gender legally.”

Claim: A person should be allowed to choose their legal gender — even without medical or physical changes — based only on how they feel.

  • Scientific:Feelings change every second. But biological sex is permanent. Legal identity should be based on facts, not emotions.
  • Religious:Our identity is God-given — not something we make up for ourselves. We are born for a reason – that is to continue mankind.
  • Social:Legal gender self-ID invites fraud, false claims, and even national security risks (e.g., men entering women’s prisons or schools, committing crimes & changing gender).

Feelings change. Biology doesn’t.”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: Sex is assigned at birth.”

Claim: They argue doctors assign” sex to babies at birth.

  • Scientific:Sex is determined at conception and clearly observable at birth — it is not assigned” like a label. Doctors have no authority to assign sex.
  • Religious:Male and female were created for a purpose — including family and reproduction.
    • Social: Denying sex confuses medical records, education, and future generations. It also undermines society’s moral structure.

Biology defines sex, not belief.”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: Allow legal ‘third gender’ or ‘X’ categories.”

Claim: There should be a legal category for people who don’t feel fully male or female — like nonbinary” or X.”

  • Scientific:There is no biological third sex. X” is a made-up identity with no medical or scientific foundation.
  • Religious:No religion recognizes a third gender created by God.
  • Social:This causes legal confusion, weakens women’s rights, and opens dangerous loopholes.

Science confirms only two sexes — no third exists.”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: All identities are equally valid.”

Claim: All gender and sexual identities (including nonbinary, asexual, genderfluid, pansexual, etc.) should be treated as valid as male and female.

  • Scientific:Identity must be based on biology, not feelings or online trends. Not all claims have scientific merit.
  • Religious:Not every behavior is acceptable just because someone desires it — morality has limits.
    • Social: Giving legal or social recognition to all identities — even unstable or harmful ones — causes chaos and removes the meaning of truth.

No gene defines identity — it’s shaped by life.”

B. LGBTQIA+ Demands on Law & Identity

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: We are born this way.”

Claim: LGBTQIA+ activists say their feelings and identities are natural and unchangeable — like skin color or height.

Scientific: No gay or trans gene has been found. Research shows social, family, and environmental factors often influence these feelings.

Religious: Feelings are not facts. All religions teach that we must control desires, not obey them.

Social: If law and society are forced to follow personal feelings instead of facts, workplaces, schools, and institutions will collapse. Anyone could demand legal rights for any feeling — even harmful ones.

Born male. Born female. No one is born LGBTQIA+.”

Sex is inborn — identities evolve.”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: Ban conversion therapy.”

Claim: They want to ban all counseling, therapy, or religious help that supports people to leave LGBTQIA+ lifestyles.

Scientific: Many people freely choose therapy to return to normal relationships. Ethical, voluntary talk therapy is not abuse.

Religious: All major religions promote repentance and inner change. Banning such help is a violation of religious freedom.

Social: People must be allowed to walk away from LGBTQIA+ if they want to. Legalizing one view must not silence others.

You choose your identity — I choose not to agree.”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: Trans men can get pregnant.”

Claim: A woman who calls herself a man but keeps her female body parts can still become pregnant — so they say men can give birth.”

Scientific: Only females can get pregnant. Calling a pregnant woman a man” is false and dangerous.

Religious: A name or costume cannot change divine design. God created two distinct sexes for life and family.

Social: Using terms like birthing people” erases the beauty and dignity of motherhood. It insults mothers and confuses children.

Birth needs biology, not ideology.”

Labels can’t carry life.”

Mothers aren’t made by identity.”

  1. LGBTQIA+ Claim: Same-sex couples should adopt or use surrogacy.”

Claim: They say love makes a family,” so two men or two women should be allowed to raise children.

Scientific: Decades of child psychology prove that children do best with both a mother and a father.

Religious: Children are not experiments’ for adult sexual fantasies or adult accessories. They are a sacred trust — born from natural family.

Social: Surrogacy often abuses poor women and treats babies like products. There are rising cases of abuse and paedophilia — legalizing this removes protections for children. Studies in India and Ukraine show increased exploitation of low-income women through commercial surrogacy arrangements.

Two dads or two moms can’t replace

 parents who are a mother & a father.”

Kids need more than love – they need balance & structure”

Every child deserves a mother and a father — not substitutes.”

  1. LGBTQIA+ Claim: Pride is the new civil rights movement.”

Claim: LGBTQIA+ activists compare their struggle to those of black people, disabled persons, and women.

Scientific: Race and disability are unchangeable and not based on behavior. LGBTQIA+ identities are about choices and desires.

Religious: Fighting for sin is not the same as fighting for justice.

Social: This false comparison insults real civil rights struggles and confuses the meaning of equality.

Civil rights don’t cover sexual preference.”

Rights don’t reward behavior”

Rights are for who you are — not what you do.”

C. LGBTQIA+ Influence on Children & Education

  1. LGBTQIA+ Claim: Teach LGBTQIA+ content in schools.”

Claim: LGBTQIA+ activists say that students must be taught about gender identity, same-sex relationships, and sexual rights — starting from primary school (from age 5 onwards)

  • Scientific:Early sexual content confuses children and can harm their mental and emotional development. Studies show overexposure to such topics increases anxiety and identity confusion and encourages them to experiment at unhealthy age.
  • Religious:Children must be guided in innocence and purity — not exposed to adult content. Religious values prioritize protection of young minds.
  • Social:Parents — not activists — must decide what their children learn. No minority group should dictate school curriculums, especially when these confuse or contradict cultural values and why should shifting confused sexual feelings be forced as curriculum on children. Let children be children. They must enjoy their childhood – not be taught adult content

Let kids be kids — not social experiments.”

Teach values, not ideologies.”

Hands off childhood.”

  1. LGBTQIA+ Claim: Children should explore their sexuality freely.”

Claim: Activists promote the idea that children should discover” their gender and sexuality without restriction, and that adult guidance is oppressive.”

  • Scientific:Children’s brains are still developing. They lack the maturity for complex sexual decisions. Promoting exploration without boundaries risks irreversible psychological & even physical harm.
  • Religious:Children are entrusted to parents to be nurtured in virtue, discipline, and faith — not handed over to sexual experimentation.
  • Social:This opens the door to grooming, sexualization of minors, and the erosion of child protection laws. Moreover, it takes away the child’s right to be a child & for parents to decide how their children should be raised

Childhood is for growing, not grooming.”

Guide children — don’t confuse them.”

Kids need clarity, not chaos.”

  1. LGBTQIA+ Claim: Allow minors access to gender-affirming care.”

Claim: Children who identify as trans should be allowed to take puberty blockers, hormones, or even undergo surgery — without parental consent.

  • Scientific:These treatments cause permanent damage to the body and brain. Puberty blockers affect bone growth, fertility, and brain development. Many regret such decisions later in life.
  • Religious:Mutilating the body is a violation of divine trust. Faith teaches healing — not harming — the body.
  • Social:Children cannot give informed consent. When even many adults are confused about their sex, how can a child be expected to decide?

children can’t consent for irreversible change”

children can’t be asked to make adult decisions”

stop treating kids like adults”

D. LGBTQIA+ Attacks on Religion and Morality

  1. LGBTQIA+ Claim: Religious opposition is hate speech.”

Claim: They argue that religious teachings against LGBTQIA+ behavior are hateful and should be censored.

  • Scientific:Disagreeing with a behavior or identity is not hate. Free inquiry, open debate, and the right to disagree are essential for science, democracy, and human dignity.
  • Religious:All major faiths speak of truth with love — disapproval of sin is not hatred but moral responsibility.
  • Social:Silencing religion violates freedom of conscience and expression. It creates an intolerant society where only one ideology is allowed.

Morality isn’t hate — it’s society’s backbone.”

  1. LGBTQIA+ Claim: Pride Parades and drag shows are harmless celebrations.”

Claim: Activists insist that these events are joyful expressions of diversity and should be open to the public, even children.

  • Scientific:These events often include hypersexualized performances, nudity, and adult themes — inappropriate for children and the public.
  • Religious:Public displays of lust, vanity, and disorder are condemned in all major religions. Such events do not promote virtue or discipline. It normalizes immorality.
  • Social:Such shows often violate public decency laws, expose children to adult content, and normalize indecency in public life.

Strip shows aren’t culture — they’re corruption.”

Protect childhood — ban public indecency.”

Adult acts don’t belong near children — full stop.”

  1. LGBTQIA+ Claim: Polyamory, kink, and sex work are identities too.

BDSM stands for

BBondage – physical restraint (e.g., tying someone up)

DDiscipline – power exchange where one person controls or punishes the other

SSadism – gaining pleasure from inflicting pain

MMasochism – gaining pleasure from receiving pain

BDSM often involves role-playingdominance and submission, and pain-based stimulation — all of which are psychologically and physically risky, especially when promoted as normal” or introduced to children & youth.

While activists try to frame it as just another identity” or preference,” it has serious moral, spiritual, and mental health concerns, and should never be normalized in education, law, or by media (which we see being done even in Sri Lanka of late)

Scientific: These are behaviors — not identities — and often signal deeper psychological dysfunction.
• Religious: Lust, domination, and the use of others for pleasure violate all moral and spiritual teachings.
• Social: Promoting these as lifestyles” harms women, normalizes abuse, and destroys family values.

Note: Sri Lanka’s media (TV, print, and digital) must be monitored and held accountable if they promote such ideologies.

Trauma-based living isn’t a human right.”

Promoting identity is different from pushing ideology.

Let families choose values.”

  1. LGBTQIA+ Claim: Kink, fetish, and BDSM are healthy expressions of identity.”

Claim: Activists push that such practices are just part of adult freedom and deserve public recognition and legal protection.

  • Scientific:Many of these behaviors originate from psychological trauma or abuse. They are at high risk of physical and mental self-harm.
  • Religious:These behaviors glorify lust, domination, and pain — completely opposite to spiritual growth and virtue.
  • Social:Mainstreaming such practices desensitizes society, especially children, to harmful sexual behaviors. It corrupts public morality, erodes family dignity, and misleads children and youth away from righteous living.

Pain isn’t love. Stop glamorizing abuse.”

Wounds aren’t freedom — they’re cries for help.”

Don’t call trauma a trend — it’s a warning sign.”

E. LGBTQIA+ Targeting of Language, Media & Institutions

  1. LGBTQIA+ Claim: Use our chosen pronouns — it’s respectful.”

Claim: Activists insist people must use preferred pronouns like they/them,” ze/zir,” or change pronouns based on how someone feels — even legally.

Scientific: Language must reflect reality. Pronouns are tied to biological sex. Forcing people to lie contradicts biology and logic. Even languages with strong gender rules — like French — are being pressured to adopt unnatural pronoun use, despite resistance from national language councils.

Religious: Truth in speech is a virtue. Using false words to affirm delusion or sin is dishonest — not compassionate.

Social: Forcing new language violates free speech and conscience. In schools and workplaces, it creates fear and censorship.

Forced speech isn’t respect — it’s control.”

Biology can’t be bullied by pronouns.”

Truth doesn’t change with mood swings.”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: Language must be inclusive.”

Claim: Replace terms like mother,” father,” breastfeeding,” boy/girl” with terms like birthing parent,” chestfeeding,” or they/them” to avoid offending” nonbinary people.

Scientific: Changing biological terms erases facts. Only females give birth and breastfeed — not people.”

Religious: Language carries spiritual and familial value. Words like mother” or father” are sacred — not interchangeable.

Social: Redefining language confuses children, erases roles, and undermines the family unit — which is the foundation of every stable society.

Changing words won’t change the truth.”

Erase the words, erase the family.”

If moms become ‘birthing people,’ what’s next?”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: Media must represent queer characters.”

Claim: TV, cartoons, books, and ads must include LGBTQIA+ characters to promote visibility.”

Scientific: Normalizing what is biologically abnormal, especially for children, influences identity formation and behavior prematurely.

Religious: Immorality disguised as entertainment is still immorality. Media should build virtue — not erode it.

Social: This isn’t representation — it’s forced cultural change. It marginalizes traditional families and values. Reducing parents to Mom 1 & 2” or Dad 1 & 2” erases natural family roles and distorts parenthood into bureaucratic labels.

Kids need role models, not confusion.”

Normalize virtue — not vanity.”

Forced diversity is ideological invasion.”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: If you don’t support us, you’re phobic.”

Claim: They label any disagreement with LGBTQIA+ ideology as homophobic,” transphobic,” or hateful.”

Scientific: Disagreement is not fear or hate. Debate and dissent are essential in science and society.

Religious: Moral teachings are not hate. Every religion allows people to speak truth and oppose wrongdoing without hatred.

Social: These labels are tools to silence opposition. It shuts down open dialogue and punishes even polite disagreement.

Disagreement is not hate.”

Labeling dissent as ‘phobic’ kills dialogue.”

Truth isn’t fear — it’s resistance to lies.”

F. The Global Agenda & Legal Threats to Sri Lanka

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: International law requires decriminalization.”

Claim: Activists and UN bodies pressure countries like Sri Lanka to repeal laws on unnatural sexual acts, claiming it violates human rights.”

Scientific: There is no scientific basis for redefining morality or legality based on shifting sexual behavior. Legal systems must protect public health and social order — not endorse subjective feelings as rights.

Religious: Religious freedom allows countries to uphold moral laws. No external group has the right to dismantle religious or moral codes rooted in centuries of tradition.

Social: International pressure undermines national sovereignty. If laws are dictated by foreign agendas, Sri Lanka will lose its ability to protect its culture, children, and societal values.

We don’t take moral orders from the UN.”

Laws must reflect our people — not pressure.”

Global trends can’t erase local truths.”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: Repealing Penal Code Sections 365/365A is necessary for equality.”

Claim: Foreign-funded NGOs and some legal bodies push to repeal these sections, arguing they criminalize consensual adult relationships.”

Scientific: These laws were updated in 1995 and 2006 specifically to protect children from abuse — including paedophilia and grooming. Repealing them creates legal gaps easily exploited by predators.

Religious: All faiths prohibit unnatural sexual acts. The law reflects collective moral conscience — not private lifestyles.

Social: Removing these laws sends a dangerous signal that anything is acceptable. It weakens child protection, opens doors to sexual exploitation, and erodes public morality.

Repeal 365A, and you repeal child safety.”

No equality if children are unsafe.”

Protecting kids must come before adult demands.”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: International treaties require Sri Lanka to protect LGBTQIA+ rights.”

Claim: UN bodies cite international treaties like ICCPR, CEDAW, and CRC to argue that Sri Lanka is obligated to adopt LGBTQIA+ legal protections.

Scientific: None of these treaties were written with LGBTQIA+ ideology in mind. They were originally drafted to protect life, family, children, and biological rights. Their new interpretations violate the original ratified mandate. Unratified resolutions remain non-binding.

Religious: Misusing these treaties violates their original spirit, which aligns with religious and cultural preservation.

Social: Sri Lanka has no legal obligation to adopt Western ideologies incompatible with its Constitution or public will. Treaty interpretation cannot override a nation’s values, Constitution, or parental rights.

Signing a Treaty doesn’t mean surrendering our sovereignty.”

Our laws serve our people — not global agendas.”

Treaties can’t rewrite tradition.”

  • LGBTQIA+ Claim: Foreign aid must promote inclusion.”

Claim: Foreign governments and UN agencies increasingly tie aid to LGBTQIA+ compliance — threatening to withhold support unless countries change their laws.

Scientific: Aid should address humanitarian needs — food, health, education — not be weaponized for social engineering.

Religious: Using aid to force countries to abandon moral law is ideological colonization.

Social: This is blackmail. True development cannot come by sacrificing national values. Sri Lanka must reject conditional aid that demands moral surrender.

Bribes wrapped in aid betray the nation.”

We don’t trade values for dollars.”

Real aid respects — it doesn’t dictate.”

Sri Lanka is under ideological attack — not with bombs, but with policies, funding, and false rights.

The global LGBTQIA+ agenda uses law, media, aid, and treaties to infiltrate and weaken nations. It is the duty of every Sri Lankan — lawmakers, clergy, parents, and teachers — to resist this colonization of the mind.

G. The Path Forward: Protecting Sri Lanka’s Future

  • Sri Lanka must conform to global human rights norms.”

Claim: Some argue that resisting LGBTQIA+ ideology isolates Sri Lanka internationally and harms its reputation.

Scientific: True human rights protect life, family, and children — not experimental ideologies that contradict biology and social stability.

Religious: Sri Lanka’s rich spiritual heritage calls for upholding moral truths, not adopting foreign values that undermine faith and family.

Social: Sovereignty means choosing laws and values that reflect the will of the people, not bowing to external pressures or trends.

 Human rights must respect Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.”

Global norms can’t override our national truth.”

Respect Sri Lanka’s culture — not foreign agendas.”

Rights rooted in tradition, not imposed from abroad.”

  • Education should be neutral and inclusive.”

Claim: Education systems must teach acceptance and diversity, including LGBTQIA+ perspectives.

Scientific: Education must be age-appropriate and fact-based, preserving childhood innocence and mental health. Indoctrinating ideology confuses children and disrupts learning.

Religious: Moral education rooted in faith and tradition strengthens character and community cohesion.

Social: Parents have the primary right to guide their children’s moral and social development — not activists or foreign donors.

Education must teach Truth not Trends.”

Inclusive yes, but never ideology-driven.”

Teach facts, not agendas.”

  • Dialogue and compromise are possible.”

Claim: Peaceful coexistence with LGBTQIA+ ideology can be achieved through compromise.

Scientific: Normalizing harmful or false ideas undercuts societal health and stability. Falsehood cannot be compromised.

Religious: Truth is non-negotiable in faith. Upholding moral law protects all.

Social: Society must protect vulnerable groups like children and women first — not compromise foundational values for ideological convenience.

Harmful behavior & Falsehoods have no place for compromise.”

Sri Lanka stands at a crossroads.

Protecting our nation requires courage, wisdom, and unity. Every citizen, leader, and institution must actively defend the truth about biology, morality, and family.

Together, we must:

  • Safeguard childhood innocence and education
  • Uphold laws protecting families and children
  • Preserve religious freedom and cultural identity
  • Reject foreign ideologies that threaten our social fabric

The future of Sri Lanka — our families, communities, and nation — depends on informed, steadfast action today.

Shenali D Waduge

Combat Trauma from Ancient Times to Modern Day

July 11th, 2025

Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge and Lt Colonel Ivan Welch, PhD, US Army

Combat trauma has affected soldiers throughout history, from ancient times to the modern day. The psychophysical effects of combat have been recorded since the early days of human civilization. From the time of Homer’s ancient story of the battle between the Trojans and the Greeks (1200 BC), military personnel have been confronted by the trauma of war. According to the historians, Saul, the king of Israel (11th century BC), had abnormal behavior with an inclination towards violence. On one occasion, he went into a brutal rage and tried to kill his son Jonathan.

Alexander the Great (356 BC–323 BC), who had conquered a large portion of the known world at that era, suffered from combat stress. When his forces came near the Indus River, Alexander’s forces were exhausted and refused to march further. Alexander the Great’s army experienced battle fatigue, which significantly impacted their willingness to fight.

The Emperor Ashoka (304 BC-232 BC) of India experienced a depressive reaction soon after the Kalinga War after witnessing deaths and destruction. He felt disheartened by his military actions and completely renounced violence and embraced Buddhism. His psychological shift away from violence denotes a drastic personality change following war trauma. The Emperor Ashoka was able to achieve post-traumatic growth.

The Roman Empire, which lasted from 27 BC to 1453, was filled with battle stress. A countless number of soldiers and civilians experienced a great deal of combat-related stress during this time period. Roman legionaries witnessed death, injury, and the brutality of battle as a result of close-quarters combat. Once archeologists discovered an ancient bunker from the Britannic Islands, which was used by the Roman soldiers. They found frescos that portrayed the isolation, nostalgia, uncertainty, and fear experienced by the soldiers.

The Crusades (1095-1291) were a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims for control of the Holy Land, significantly impacting religious and political dynamics.  Many crusaders would have returned to Europe suffering with the mental consequences of war trauma, or the physical consequences of disability from weapon injuries.

The Great Oriental Conqueror Tamerlane (Timur)(1336-1405) was highly affected by the war stress and demonstrated aggressive and sadistic behavior. He was fond of building pyramids of human skulls. Once he made a giant pyramid after a war that contained some 40,000 skulls. Tamerlane had a link to trauma-induced aggression.

The prophet Nostradamus named Napoleon Bonaparte as an antichrist. Napoleon’s forces invaded many parts of Europe and North Africa. His Moscow invasion in 1812 caused heavy damage to the French forces. The French Army had to face the cold Russian winter, famine, and General Kutuzov’s cannon fire. After his disastrous retreat, Napoleon was sent into exile. He escaped from the island of Elba and engaged in the so-called Hundred Days of War. Finally, Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by the Duke of Wellington—the Leopard of England. Napoleon’s decision-making seemed to decline during later campaigns. This could be due to ongoing combat stresses that he experienced. According to the historical accounts, Napoleon was increasingly irritable and prone to bouts of melancholy. Napoleon went into post-combat depression and died on the island of St. Helena in 1821 while in exile.

During the US Civil War, Dr. Mendez Da Costa evaluated 300 soldiers referred to him for a syndrome that he called irritable heart. This syndrome was characterized by shortness of breath, palpitations, burning chest pain, fatigability, headache, diarrhea, dizziness, and disturbed sleep. This condition was later called Da Costa Syndrome. (A syndrome is a group of symptoms that occur together and that are characteristic of a disease or condition.) The civil war participants suffered from psychological wounds, often manifesting as anxiety, depression, and somatization.

At the beginning of World War one the Effort Syndrome was frequently attributed to cardiac hypertrophy caused by heavy marching and packs compressing the chest. The Effort syndrome was considered to be a psychoneurosis and not a medical disease. In 1938, Soley and Shock claimed that hyperventilation was responsible for the symptoms of effort syndrome.

Until World War I (1914-1918), psychological consequences of war trauma were considered merely manifestations of poor discipline and cowardice, and often the victims were severely punished. Some military records of WW1 indicate that a considerable number of shell-shocked soldiers were given the FP-1, or Field Punishment Number One. FP-1 involved the offender being attached to a fixed object for up to two hours a day and for a period of up to three months, often put in a place within range of enemy shellfire. Dr. Charles Myer suspected the psychological factors associated with shell shock.

The Nobel Prize Laureate Ernest Hemingway served in the Lincoln Brigade during the Spanish Civil War that erupted in 1936. Hemingway saw the horrendous war trauma in Spain, and that inspired him to write his famous novel A Farewell to Arms. Anyhow, in later years Ernest Hemingway experienced depression and took his own life. According to the military psychiatrist Dr. William Pike, half of the Spanish Civil War veterans suffered from severe combat-related stress. At one point, Dr. William Pike treated 28 shell-shocked men who were hiding in a wine cellar.

During World War II (1939-1945), battle stress was classified as operational fatigue or war neurosis. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome was evident during World War II, and most of the symptoms had a somatic nature. It has been estimated that 10% of US servicemen developed combat exhaustion in WW2. The military authorities were not very empathetic towards war-stressed sufferers, and on one occasion, General George S. Patton slapped and verbally abused Pvt. Paul G. Bennet and Pvt. Charles H. Kuhl, who experienced battle fatigue.

The term Section Eight was used to identify the victims of psychological effects of war trauma in the Korean War, which continued from 1950 to 1953. Psychiatric evacuations were considerably reduced during the Korean War due to the praiseworthy work of Dr. Albert Glass. However, in a recent study done by Dr. Malcolm Sim and colleagues of the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, it was found that anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression were present in Korean War veterans 50 years after the war.

In 1965, the United States sent troops to South Vietnam to help fight communist guerrillas. US troops fought in hostile territory, facing sudden ambushes and booby-trap mines. US forces faced defeat and were forced to withdraw from Vietnam in 1975. During the Vietnam War, 2.8 million US servicemen served in Southeast Asia, mainly in Vietnam, and almost one million were exposed to active combat. By the end of the war, over 50,000 Vietnam veterans were diagnosed with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD has been found in 15% of 500,000 men who were in Vietnam. It is said 20,000 veterans committed suicide in the war’s aftermath.

On December 25, 1979, the Soviet Union sent forces to Afghanistan. By 1986, about 118,000 Soviet troops and 50,000 Afghan government troops were facing perhaps 130,000 Mujahideen guerrillas. Following the conflict, over one million Afghans had died, and the Soviet army lost 14,427 combatants. When Mikhail Gorbachev became the Soviet leader in 1985, he was keen to get Soviet troops out of Afghanistan. The Soviet withdrawal was completed in February 1989. Although the Soviet health authorities did not comment on psychological casualties of the Afghan War, there were significant numbers of PTSD victims in the Red Army who fought in Afghanistan. Since PTSD was not recognized in the Soviet Union at that era, the Afghan veterans did not receive proper psychological and psychiatric treatment. Many veterans are still haunted by the war’s intrusions.

The Persian Gulf War (2 August 1990 – 28 February 1991), also known as the First Gulf War, was conducted by the Coalition Forces to free Kuwait from Iraqi forces led by Saddam Hussein. The number of coalition wounded in combat seems to have been 776, including 458 Americans. Iraq sustained between 20,000 and 35,000 fatalities. The Gulf War Syndrome was evident during the Persian Gulf War, and many returning coalition soldiers reported illnesses such as headaches, memory loss, fatigue, sleep disorders, intestinal ailments, and unusual loss of hearing. Nearly 150,000 veterans have shown symptoms of Gulf War illness.

According to Toomey R and Kang HK, Karlinsky (“Mental health of US Gulf War veterans 10 years after the war,” British Journal of Psychiatry 2007) found that deployment in the Gulf War was associated with increased levels of mental disorders, psychological symptoms, and a lower quality of life—beginning during the war and persisting at a lower rate 10 years later. Around 700,000 US military personnel were deployed to the Middle East during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. These veterans reported greater psychological symptoms immediately after the war than veterans who were not sent to the Gulf. 10 years later, these cases of depression and non-PTSD anxiety disorders remained significantly more prevalent among deployed compared with non-deployed veterans. PTSD was over 3 times more prevalent among deployed veterans.

The War in Afghanistan was a prolonged armed conflict that began on October 7, 2001 and ended with United States troop withdrawal in 2021. The Second Gulf War, also known as the Iraq War, can be considered an ongoing military campaign that began on March 20, 2003, with the invasion of Iraq by a multinational force led by troops from the United States and the United Kingdom. These are massive military campaigns in the present day. These conflicts have produced a large number of psychological casualties. The researchers say nearly 20 percent of military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan—300,000 in all—report symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to a 2005 VA study of 168,528 Iraq veterans, 20 percent were diagnosed with psychological disorders, including 1,641 with PTSD.

The armed conflict in Sri Lankan which lasted for nearly three decades, had generated a large number of combatants, members of the LTTE, and civilians affected by war trauma, especially PTSD. Studies have shown significant rates of PTSD among individuals exposed to the conflict, including combatants and civilians. Most of these war stressors were not diagnosed sufficiently, and they are not receiving adequate treatment. Therefore, war stress can affect Sri Lankan society for a long time.

Chechen Wars (1994-1996) and the Second Chechen War (1999-2009) resulted in widespread psychological trauma for both civilians and combatants, with high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues. A study in Chechnya found that 86% of the population experienced physical or emotional “distress” due to the conflict. 

The Ukrainian War began in February 2014. It has generated increased rates of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among the war victims. The war has become a collective trauma for the Ukrainians. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 68% of Ukrainians report a decline in their health, with mental health concerns.

Trauma is a universal human experience, and it is cumulative and reverberates across generations. The experience of combat trauma is a constant across time. Understanding combat trauma from ancient times to the present day provides valuable insights about warfare and its impact on individuals and their society and how societies interpreted and responded to the psychological effects of combat. It provides a deeper understanding of the psychological and emotional toll of combat. This insight would help culturally appropriate and effective interventions to deal with war trauma.

About the Authors

 Dr. Ruwan M. Jayatunge, M.D., Ph.D., is a medical doctor and a clinical psychologist, as well as a member of the American Psychological Association (APA). He is a member of the International Scientific Committee of the Post-Traumatic Embitterment Disorder (PTED) panel, representing Canada. He has authored a number of books on PTSD and war trauma and is a guest lecturer at Sri Lankan and North American universities.

Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Welch, PhD, US Army, Retired LTC Welch served twenty-seven years in the US Army as an enlisted soldier and as an officer. As an Infantry Officer he served in international peacekeeping, ground combat, and high level staff positions. He taught in military training and education settings as well as a civilian university. He was a researcher and writer for the US Army Foreign Military Studies Office. He received his PhD in Geography from the University of Kansa

Sri Lanka’s IMF scorecard: meeting or missing the initial forecasts?

July 11th, 2025

Courtesy The Daily Mirror


Sri Lanka experienced its worst economic crisis in 2022. This crisis stemmed from poor economic management, including excessive fiscal deficits, and the loss of access to international financial markets.

As a part of its recovery efforts, the government sought a USD 3 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The programme was mainly included several structural reforms and quantitative targets, mainly focused on improving fiscal management and governance.

This analysis assesses Sri Lanka’s performance against the IMF’s original projections under the programme. Although the IMF later revised its forecasts to reflect actual results, this review uses the initial figures to see how Sri Lanka progressed against the pathway that was expected at the inception of the programme.

Revenue revved up but deficit in deficit

The IMF had projected government revenue to rise to 11% of GDP in 2023 and 13.3% in 2024, averaging 12.15%. Actual performance exceeded expectations, with average revenue reaching 12.4%. This was primarily due to a stronger-than-anticipated increase in 2024, where revenue reached 13.7% of GDP compared to 11% in 2023  (See our previous analysis to find out how the revenue increased).

The IMF also expected the overall budget deficit to narrow to 8% of GDP in 2023 and 6.4% in 2024, averaging 7.2%. However, the actual average deficit was higher, at 7.6% of GDP, with the deficit declining only modestly to 8.3% in 2023 and 6.8% in 2024. While revenue aligned with projections, the higher-than-expected deficit resulted from increased government expenditure, particularly in interest payments. Non-interest expenditure, as reflected in the primary balance (discussed below), did better than IMF projections.

Higher primary balance – lower public debt

Public debt as a share of GDP declined from 111.7% in 2023 to 103.8% at the end of 2024. This outperformed the IMF’s projection of 108.5% for the same period. One contributor to this improvement was a stronger-than-expected primary balance, which rose to 0.6% of GDP in 2023 and to 2.2% in 2024, averaging 0.05% for both years. This is higher compared to the IMF’s forecasted average of 1.4%. A positive primary balance indicates that government revenue exceeded non-interest expenditure, reducing the need for additional borrowing.

Interest cost heightens – rupee strengthens

Interest costs declined to 80% of revenue in 2023 and to 66% in 2024, averaging 72.8%. However, this remains significantly higher than the IMF’s anticipated average of 60.3%. Interest payments were the main driver of the increased deficit despite revenue gains.

The largest deviation from the expected path is in the value of the currency. The Sri Lankan rupee appreciated hugely as opposed to the IMF’s expectations of significant depreciation. The 2024 year-end exchange rate stood at LKR 292.58 per USD, against the IMF projection of LKR 441.20. The strengthening of the rupee reduced the foreign currency-denominated debt burden, and is the key contributing factor to the lower debt-to-GDP ratio.

Growth flies high – inflation flies low

Sri Lanka’s GDP growth was negative 2.3% in 2023 and positive 5% in 2024. Cumulative* real GDP growth from 2022 to 2024 increased by 2.6%, significantly above the IMF’s projection of 1.5%.

Inflation also fell sharply, cumulatively the prices of the headline Colombo CPI index from 2022 to 2024 increased by only 2.2%. However, the IMF’s projections expected cumulative inflation to be 22.9%.

Current account climbs: reserves hold steady

Sri Lanka’s external current account balance turned positive in both years, recording surpluses of 1.7% and 1.2% of GDP in 2023 and 2024, respectively — averaging 1.5%. This contrasts with the IMF’s expectation of a continued deficit, indicating a notable improvement in Sri Lanka’s external position. (The current account reflects trade and financial flows, including exports, imports, income, and transfers.)

Gross official reserves** increased to USD 4,752 million by the end of 2024, closely matching the IMF target of USD 4,692 million. This reserve total excludes the USD 1.4 billion People’s Bank of China swap, which the CBSL erroneously adds to the official reserve figure it publishes.

Therefore, apart from the budget deficit and interest costs (as a share of revenue), the majority of key fiscal indicators remain consistent with — or have exceeded — the IMF’s initial projections set in March 2023.

Notes

* Cumulative growth for indicators like GDP or inflation over a period (e.g., 2022 to 2024) is measured by the total percentage change from the initial value at the end of 2022 to the final value in 2024. This method captures compounding effects and more accurately reflects overall change.

**The gross official figure cited here differs from the one that is officially reported by the CBSL. The discrepancy arises due to CBSL’s inclusion of a PBoC swap in the reserve figure that does not meet the criteria of a gross reserve.(See Factcheck Explainer)

The IMF’s projections are based on the initial report that approved the Sri Lankan government’s request for an EFF in March 2023. These projections were later amended by the IMF based on actual economic outcomes.

Sources

International Monetary Fund ‘Sri Lanka: Request for an Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility—Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Sri Lanka’ 20 March 2023 at https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/CR/Issues/2023/03/20/Sri-Lanka-Request-for-an-Extended-Arrangement-Under-the-Extended-Fund-Facility-Press-531191  [last accessed 18 June 2025].

Research by: Sadini Galhena and Anushan Kapilan

Sri Lanka Group expands investment in Fiji

July 11th, 2025

Courtesy Fiji Times

The delegation from Aitken Spence PLC visiting their proposed pilot site yesterday. Picture: INVESTMENT FIJI
The delegation from Aitken Spence PLC visiting their proposed pilot site yesterday. Picture: INVESTMENT FIJI

EXPANSION plans in Fiji by Sri Lankan conglomerate Aitken Spence PLC through its subsidiary company Elpitiya Plantations has finally made progress since initially exploring opportunities in the country last year.

Aitken Spence PLC, a prominent Sri Lankan conglomerate specialising in the agricultural sector, was exploring initial plans to introduce cutting-edge agricultural technologies and exploring renewable energy solutions to enhance Fiji’s agricultural productivity and sustainability.

During their visit in 2024, the Aitken Spence delegation held discussions with local brands like Ranadi Plantations, Nature’s Way Cooperative, Jack’s Mango Farm and Bula Coffee.

The visits were facilitated by Government investment arm Investment Fiji and was aimed at identifying and developing viable agricultural opportunities in Fiji.

Aitken Spence board director Dr Rohan Fernando said their approach was comprehensive in encompassing everything from innovative farming practices to advanced processing techniques, with a strategic focus on both local consumption and export markets.

Fiji presents a wealth of opportunities for commercial farming, particularly in sectors such as papaya, pineapples, dragon fruits, berries, coffee, tea, mangoes, cinnamon, lime and passion fruit,” Dr Fernando said.

Earlier this week, Investment Fiji took to social media to announce that the team from Aitken Spence is back in the country and now in the process of finalising land arrangements for their proposed pilot site.

The proposed site is located at Nawaicoba in Nadi where Investment Fiji and the visiting delegation held productive discussions with the landowner on Tuesday.

Investment Fiji further announced that the visiting delegation was now back in Fiji to officially register their company and explore strategic partnerships with local stakeholders.

This morning, the delegation met with the Investment Fiji chief executive officer Kamal Chetty to further discuss project progress which aims to bring advanced agricultural practices, employment opportunities, and export potential in the Agricultural sector,” Investment Fiji stated.

Investment Fiji plays acritical role in facilitating the visit, offering insights into Fiji’s investment climate, connecting Aitken Spence with local partners and providing guidance on regulatory and economic aspects.

The growing investment opportunities in Fiji can potentially reduce Fiji’s reliance on imported agricultural products and open new export markets.

Sri Lanka apparel sector braces for tariff fallout

July 11th, 2025

Courtesy fibre2fashion

Insights

  • On Wednesday, President Trump announced a 30 per cent tariff on Sri Lankan goods.
  • Apparel exporters fear ‘very negative impact’; terms move a ‘massive challenge’ for country’s RMG sector.
  • Lankan government reportedly indicated to continue talks with the US, claimed some industry players.
  • While industry leaders warn of job losses and shifting orders to rivals, talks continue in hopes of tariff reductions.

US President Donald Trump has expanded his aggressive trade policy by adding Sri Lanka to a growing list of nations subject to sweeping new tariffs.

In a letter, Trump recently announced that beginning August 1, 2025, all goods imported into the United States from Sri Lanka will be subjected to a 30 per cent tariff. This measure is part of a broader initiative that also includes Algeria, Libya, and Iraq among seven countries targeted in the latest round of trade penalties.

From August 1, 2025, we will impose a tariff of 30 per cent on all Sri Lankan products entering the United States, separate from all existing sectoral tariffs,” the letter reportedly underlined.

Trump also reportedly made it clear that any retaliatory action from the Sri Lankan government—such as raising tariffs on US goods—would be met with proportional responses. The letter stated that if Sri Lanka responded in kind, the 30 per cent tariff would be increased accordingly.

The move marks a significant escalation in Trump’s ongoing campaign to rebalance America’s trade relationships, and while the 30 per cent rate is slightly lower than the 44 per cent initially proposed in April, its implications for Sri Lanka’s garment industry and its overall economy could be substantial.

Even though from the proposed tariff of 44 per cent to the current 30 per cent there is climbdown, it is still very significant and would have very negative impact on the industry as countries like India and Vietnam have lower tariffs than Sri Lanka,” opined Yohan Lawrence, secretary general of Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAFSL), speaking to Fibre2Fashion.

United States is Sri Lanka’s largest single export destination, accounting for 23 per cent of its total merchandise exports in 2024, reports maintained adding, among the most affected sectors will likely be the apparel industry, which represents more than 70 per cent of Sri Lanka’s exports to the US.

Other important exports include tea, rubber, and seafood—all industries that could face substantial disruption if the tariffs take effect as planned.

For Sri Lankan exporters, the tariffs threaten to undercut competitiveness in a critical market, potentially leading to job losses and reduced foreign exchange earnings at a time when the country is still recovering from a deep economic crisis.

Meanwhile, John De Silva, managing director of Jia Moda Private Limited told Fibre2FashionThe new tariff imposed by US on Sri Lanka is going to pose a massive challenge for the apparel industry. This could mean a shift of orders to competing countries like Vietnam.”

However, De Silva noted that Vietnam’s limited capacity presents a different challenge—a surge in US orders could lead to saturation, creating a new hurdle for brands and importers in the US to navigate.

As per Lawrence, the total tariff amount would be even higher when the average MFN tariff of 12–14 per cent that Sri Lanka has been paying is added to the current 30 per cent reciprocal tariff.

In his letter, Trump framed the decision as a response to what he described as long-standing inequities in trade between the United States and Sri Lanka. He argued that the trade relationship had been far from reciprocal”, citing the South Asian nation’s tariff structures, non-tariff barriers, and policies that he claimed disadvantage American exporters and businesses.

The US President concluded the letter on a cautiously optimistic note, expressing hope for a more balanced and mutually beneficial partnership in the future even as he reportedly left the door open to revising the tariff upward or downward” depending on how relations between the two countries evolve in coming months.

It is still not the end of the road as the government has indicated it will continue talks with the US in the coming days and there is still hope that the margin of tariff might come down,” expressed Lawrence even as he pointed out that the impact of the new tariff will vary depending on the market mix each Sri Lankan supplier serves, affecting both business operations and employment levels.  

Echoing Lawrence’s sentiment, De Silva remarked, I also believe that once the US achieves its broader objectives, the tariff rates will eventually come down, as higher tariffs will ultimately have a negative impact on American consumers.”

Purchase orders from US buyers nonetheless are coming in, noted De Silva, who made a curious observation indicating that some importers already seem to be planning to adjust their selling prices to account for the impact of the tariff.

On the flip side, De Silva explained that higher product prices will mean consumers pay more, which could drive up inflation in the US. In addition, importers and retailers may face shrinking business, potentially resulting in store closures and reduced operations in the years ahead.”

He, however, concluded on an optimistic note, stressing that although much like the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump’s tariffs will have global repercussions, but eventually, everyone will find a way to adapt and navigate through them”.

Household debt rising in Sri Lanka

July 10th, 2025

by Arundathie Abeysingh Courtesy PIME Asia News

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is warning that debt is the main factor of vulnerability in the population. The causes include the 2022 economic crisis, rising inflation, unemployment, and unsustainable interest rates. Some people are forced to sell their furniture to pay higher prices for food and medicine, analysts report.

Colombo (AsiaNews) – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has sounded the alarm, observing that Sri Lanka’s household debt crisis has intensified since 2023, this according to UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka Azusa Kubota.

Citing alarming data from the 2023 Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MPI), Kubota notes that debt is the main factor of vulnerability with at least 33.4 per cent of the population, already burdened by unsustainable debt for essential goods, including food and medicine.

To increase efforts, the UNDP is calling for broader collaboration, announcing the second phase of its private sector giving facility, focused on assisting women-led businesses and improving financial education nationwide.

The first phase successfully activated over US$ 6 million to assist communities at the height of the economic crisis.

Although local moneylenders seemingly offer high-interest loans during emergencies in a friendly manner, borrowers often end up paying interest for the rest of their lives.

Since 2022, when the island nation experienced its worst economic crisis, inflation has increased the prices of raw materials, energy, and transportation, negatively impacting sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. Thus, to maintain profit margins, companies opted to cut their workforce.

Currently, over 50 per cent of households are burdened by debt, struggling to meet repayments amid the rising cost of living. As a result, a high percentage of them rely on loan sharks and microfinance institutions, which charge high interest rates.

People end up trapped in cycles of debt, like what people faced in the northern and eastern parts of the country about 10 years ago, which saw many people take their own lives.

When import duties and indirect taxes are imposed, and subsidies are removed, people have to pay higher prices for basic necessities, including medicine, food, and fuel,” economic analysts Sashikala Dharmawardana and Amanda Hewapthirana told AsiaNews.

Since Sri Lanka relies on imports even for basics such as rice, dhal, sugar, milk, and now salt, the amount of money needed to support a family has increased significantly.

“Household incomes are inadequate to keep pace with the rising cost of living,” they add. “People are forced to take out loans or sell jewelry and household items, including furniture, because even their small savings have gone. Due to the current crisis, most people are unable to repay their loans, and new loans are being contracted to repay old ones.”

Although daily wages have increased from 1,000 to 3,000 rupees over the past three years, job opportunities have declined, making monthly income insufficient for basic needs.

“Because state and commercial banks only grant loans to people with assets or guarantors after assessing the borrower’s creditworthiness, small farmers, fishermen, daily wage earners, and low-income workers are unable to access such loans,” the analysts add.

As a result, low-income workers and daily wage earners have turned to loans to cover living expenses.

This crisis has depleted household savings and emergency funds, while microfinance companies exploit people by offering daily, weekly, and monthly loans at high interest rates, targeting vulnerable people because credit is their only means of survival,” they report.

Many people directly affected by the debt crisis are unable to voice their concerns or fight against exploitation, as their time and work are devoted to daily survival.

The government has failed to provide adequate social assistance to low-income and daily wage earners. The scope of cash transfers and food aid is limited and does not reach vulnerable people.

Although the Aswesuma programme, a new welfare programme to alleviate poverty and improve social equity, offers between 3,000 and 15,000 rupees per month depending on family size and vulnerability, delays in handing out the aid and red tape have prevented timely assistance.

Sri Lanka’s apparel industry counts on cutting US tariff to compete with rivals

July 10th, 2025

By Uditha Jayasinghe Courtesy uk.finance.yahoo.com

COLOMBO (Reuters) -Sri Lanka’s garments sector is pinning its hopes on further discussions with the U.S. government after Donald Trump’s administration’s 30% tariff on the nation has placed it at a disadvantage to some of its biggest rivals.

The United States has accounted for about 40% of Sri Lanka’s apparel exports. Last year, they were worth about $1.9 billion, industry data shows.

But in a letter on Wednesday, Trump notified Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the 30% tariff from August 1, a rate well above the 20% levy faced by one of its major competitors Vietnam.

The U.S. tariff on neighbouring Bangladesh was, however, set at 35%, while Cambodian exports face a 36% levy. Tariffs on India, also a big U.S. supplier, have yet to be made public.

“If this is the end number, Sri Lanka is in trouble because our competitors, such as Vietnam, have received lower tariffs,” Yohan Lawrence, of the Joint Apparel Associations Forum, or JAAF, representing the largest apparel companies, told Reuters.

“But we are hopeful we can continue discussions.”

The government on Thursday said it was continuing talks with Washington.

“Our intention is to get the best rate for Sri Lanka so it’s a balancing act we are taking forward,” Duminda Hulangamuwa, senior presidential adviser, told reporters.

India is potentially the biggest threat to Sri Lanka’s clothing industry.

“India as the regional giant can be the game changer. If theirs (tariff) is similar to Vietnam, the impact would be considerable,” said Raynal Wickremeratne of Softlogic Stockbrokers.

Sri Lanka’s apparel exports to the United States in the first five months of 2025 were $747 million. That compared with apparel exports for the whole of last year of $1.9 billion to the U.S. and $4.8 billion worldwide, JAAF data shows. The exports are the country’s third largest source of foreign currency.

As the U.S. directs some of its most punishing tariffs at China, which faces a 55% levy, U.S. clothing imports from China fell to their lowest monthly level in 22 years in May.

Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Governor Nanadalal Weerasinghe said on Thursday it was too early to measure the wider economic impact of the tariff announcement on Sri Lanka’s economy.

Last week, the International Monetary Fund said Sri Lanka’s economic outlook remains positive, despite significant risks to macroeconomic and social stability from global trade policy uncertainties.

(Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe; Writing by Sudipto Ganguly; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Barbara Lewis)

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (ආ) ඡේදය සිංහල භාෂා පාඨයට අනුව ගැලපෙන ලෙස ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පරිවර්තන පාඨය නිවැරදිකර ගැනීමට ගරු ජනාධිපතිතුමා වෙත කරන ඉල්ලීමට නීතිඥවරුන් ඇතුළු පුරවැසියන් අත්සන් කිරීම ආරම්භ කරයි.

July 10th, 2025

අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන B.Sc(Col), PGDC(Col) නීතීඥ, සමායෝජකවෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහන

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (ආ) ඡේදය සිංහල භාෂා පාඨයට ගැලපෙන ලෙස නිවැරදිව එහි ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පරිවර්තන පාඨය නොපවතින බව වරලත් ඉංජිනේරුවරයෙකු වන හර්ෂ කුමාර් සූරියආරච්චි මහතා විසින් පෙන්වා දී තිබූ අතර මේ දක්වා එකී පරිවර්තන දෝෂය නිවැරදි කිරීමට විධායකය විසින් ක්‍රියාකර නොතිබීම හේතුවෙන් ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 23වන ව්‍යවස්ථාව අනුව පරිවර්තනයක් ලෙස පළකර ඇති ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂාවෙන් ඇති ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව පමණක් පරීශීලනය කරන දේශිය සහ ජාත්‍යන්තර විද්වතුන්ට නිවැරදිව නෛතික කරුණු අනාවරණය නොවීම දිගටම සිදුවෙයි.

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (ආ) ඡේදය

83.

30 වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (2) වන අනුව්‍යවස්ථාවේ නැතහාත් 62 වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (2) වන අනුව්‍යවස්ථාවේ විධිවිධාන සංශෝධනය කිරීම හෝ පරිච්ඡින්න කොට ප්‍රතියෝජනය කිරීම හෝ සදහා වූ නැතහොත් ඒ විධිවිධානවලට අනනුකූල වන්නා වූ ද අවස්ථාවෝචිත පරිදි ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ ධූර කාලය සාවුරුද්දක් ඉක්මවා දීර්ඝ කරන්නා වූ නැතහොත් පාර්ලිමේන්තුව පවත්නා කාලය සාවුරුද්දක් ඉක්මවා දීර්ඝ කරන්නා වූ ද පනත් කෙටුම්පතකට,

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (ආ) ඡේදයට අදාලව පවතින ඉංග්‍රීසි පරිවර්තනය

83.(b) 

a Bill for the amendment or for the repeal and replacement of or which is inconsistent with the provisions of paragraph (2) of Article 30 or of paragraph (2) of Article 62 which would extend the term of office of the President or the duration of Parliament, as the case may be, to over six years,

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (ආ) ඡේදය සංශෝධනය කිරීමට 2024.07.18 දින නිකුත් කළ ගැසට් පත්‍රයේ ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 78වන ව්‍යවස්ථාව යටතේ පළ කර ඇති 22වන ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථා සංශෝධන පනත් කෙටුම්පත 2වන වගන්තිය මගින්ද ඒකී ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (ආ) ඡේදයේ සිංහල භාෂා පාඨය සහ ඒහි පරිවර්තන ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පාඨයේ වෙනස්කම් ඇති බව යම් ප්‍රමාණයකින් පෙන්නුම් කරයි.

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පාඨයේ දෝෂය ශ්‍රී ලංකා ජනරජයේ පරමාධිපත්‍යය පිහිටා ඇති ජනතාවට අයුක්තියක් සිදුකරයි.මෙය නිවැරදි කළ හැක්කේ ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පරිවර්තනය නිවැරදි කිරීමට විධායකය විසින් පියවර ගෙන ඉංග්‍රීසි පරිවර්තන ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව නිවැරදිව නැවත පළ කිරීමෙන්ය.

වෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහනේ සමායෝජක වන මාගේ ඉල්ලීමකට අනුව මා සහ වෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහනේ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහනට සහභාගී වූ ජයතිලකමුණසිංහගුණතිලක පත්මසිරි යන මහත්වරු රාජ්‍ය භාෂා කොමිෂන් සභාවේ සභාපති නීතීඥ නිමල් රණවක මහතා සමග 2025 ජූනි 20 දින සාකච්ඡාවක්ද මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් රාජගිරිය ජනජයසිටි ‌ගොඩනැගිල්ලේ රාජ්‍ය භාෂා කොමිෂන් සභාවේ සභාපති නිලකාමරයේදී පැවති අතර ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ ආ. ඡේදයේ සිංහල සහ ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පාඨ අතර වෙනසක් පවතින බවත්එය රාජ්‍ය භාෂා උල්ලංඝනය වීමක් ලෙස සැළකිය නොහැකි බවත් රාජ්‍ය භාෂා කොමිෂන් සභාවේ සභාපති නීතීඥ නිමල් රණවක මහතා එහිදී ප්‍රකාශ කළේය.

(එම සාකච්ඡාවට අදාලව රාජ්‍ය භාෂා සතිය (2025.07.01-2025.07.07) වෙනුවෙන් වෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහනේ මාධ්‍ය නිවේදනයක්ද නිකුත් කර තිබූ අතර එහි පිටපත් ජනාධිපති ලේකම් කාර්යාලයඅග්‍රාමාත්‍ය කාර්යාලයකතානායක කාර්යාලයපාර්ලිමේන්තු මහලේකම් කාර්යාලයශ්‍රී ලංකා නීතීඥ සංගමයනීති කොමිෂන් සභාවනීති කෙටුම්පත් සම්පාදක දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවඅධිකරණ අමාත්‍යාංශයඅධිකරණ අමාත්‍යාංශයේ ලේකම්අධිකරණ අමාත්‍යාංශයේ මාධ්‍ය අංශයනීති ආධාර කොමිෂන් සභාවශ්‍රී ලංකා නීති විද්‍යාලයනීති පීඨයකොළඹ විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයරාජ්‍ය භාෂා කොමිෂන් සභාවරාජ්‍ය භා‍ෂා දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවමාධ්‍ය ආයතන වෙත ලබා දී ඇත./ යොමු කර ඇත.)

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 83වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ (ආ) ඡේදය සිංහල භාෂා පාඨයට අනුව ගැලපෙන ලෙස ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂා පරිවර්තන පාඨය නිවැරදි කරන ලෙස ගරු ජනාධිපතිතුමාගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටීමට නීතීඥවරුන් ඇතුළු පුරවැසියන් විසින් අත්සන් කිරීම ආරම්භ කර ඇත.

මෙම ඉල්ලීම 2025 ජූලි මස අවසන් සතියේ දිනක ගරු ජනාධිපතිතුමා වෙත ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමට අදහස් කරන අතර ඒ සදහා දිනයක් සහ වේලාවක් ලබා දෙන ලෙස ජනාධිපති ලේකම්තුමා වෙත ඉල්ලීමක්ද කර ඇත.

http://neethiyalk.blogspot.com/2025/07/20250710-83.html

අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන
B.Sc(Col), PGDC(Col) නීතීඥ,
සමායෝජකවෛද්‍ය තිලක පද්මා සුබසිංහ අනුස්මරණ නීති අධ්‍යාපන වැඩසටහන. දුරකථන 0712063394   (2025.07.10)

Japan to Recruit One Lakh Bangladeshi Workers: An Opportunity, or a Risk to Bilateral Trust?

July 10th, 2025

Mehedi Hasan

In late May 2025, Tokyo announced that it would welcome one lakh (100,000) skilled workers from Bangladesh over the next five years. This initiative will be formalized through memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between the Bangladesh Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET) and Japanese partners. By 2040, Japan’s labour shortage is expected to reach around 11 million, while Bangladesh’s youth are eager for jobs. However, a big question arose: will this initiative deliver mutual benefits, or will missteps strain the hard-earned trust between Dhaka and Tokyo? Let’s explore what we can discover.

Directly speaking, this potential has a high chance of bringing better benefits to Bangladesh if carefully managed. First of all, it will create a massive employment opportunity for Bangladeshi unemployed youths. Actually, at the time of Bangladeshi’s struggle for a high-paying job, it will truly appear as a highly cherished blessing. Second, this activity will leverage our economy, injecting millions of dollars in remittances. Bangladesh Bank (BB) data show that Bangladesh received $112.99 million in remittance inflows from Japan in FY 2022-23. Now, think about what would happen if 100,000 workers could successfully land there for dedicated jobs? It might be a billion-dollar opportunity. It also helps to maintain financial stability, supporting our development and growth significantly without external debt.

Third, working in Japan offers more benefits beyond monetary compensation. It provides valuable skills development and management philosophy. Japan’s workplaces are famous for practices like Kaizen (continuous improvement) and the 5S methodology (a disciplined 5-step approach to organizing the workplace). Bangladeshi workers can fulfil their thirst for knowledge by learning total quality management (TQM), time management, lean production, job rotation, and other relevant skills. Over time, this knowledge could elevate Bangladesh’s industries. Additionally, Japanese-returning Bangladeshi employees will have preferences for working in Japanese institutions in Bangladesh.

Fourth, Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus enthused, ‘This initiative will open the door for Bangladeshis not only to work but also to know Japan.’ The flow of workers fosters deeper cultural connections, working as an informal ambassador of Bangladesh in Japan. Prior logics may depict Japan as the only opportunity, but this is not the only scenario. To transform the benefit into reality, we need to address the significant challenges and cultural gaps.

Japanese workplaces are highly disciplined and group-oriented. They frequently emphasize long-term commitment, the senpai-kohai system (senior-junior relations), consensus and collective harmony, the ringi system (bottom-up decision-making system), and believe in an immaculately organized workspace. But these tendencies are comparatively unfamiliar in Bangladesh. Instead, we concentrate on the more centralized decision-making.

Training and language constraints are another hurdle. The Daily Star quotes a foreign ministry official warning, We haven’t been able to train enough people” to meet these standards. Bangladesh has lacked sufficient Japanese language teachers. Besides, Bangladesh should scale up vocational programs quickly. These two nations have significant variations in workproductivity. They (Japanese) are used to working long hours and giving meticulous attention to details. Their tendency to maintain a strict schedule is also a significant challenge for Bangladeshi people.

Different social norms are critical issues in this perspective. Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country; in contrast, Shintoism and Buddhism covered a large portion of Japanese society. A friction may appear between bowing and a handshake. Furthermore, Japanese heavy omotenashi (hospitality) is comparatively fresh and unique to Bangladeshi workers.  These cultural variations and sensitivities can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications. The Japanese are very sensitive to crime rates and law violations, but we are often accustomed to breaking lawsfrequently. These types of activities may lead to reputational damage and undermine public support for the program.

So, what should Bangladesh do now? Bangladesh should make skills tests mandatory for visa processing. Besides, curriculum development is immediately urgent to offer in-depth knowledge about eldercare practices, Japanese language, and management philosophy, like understanding of 5S (Sort (Seiri), Set in Order (Seiton), Shine (Seiso), Standardize (Seiketsu), and Sustain (Shitsuke)), Kaizen. Ultimately, we have to align Japanese needs with our technical and training institute.

Bangladesh must ensure that selected candidates are not only qualified but also mentally and culturally prepared, and that they are well-informed about Japanese workplace norms, social customs, punctuality, and legal affairs. They must understand that they are the informal brand ambassadors of Bangladesh. We must take strict measures against unscrupulous manpower agencies. To maintain transparency, both nations should establish a bilateral monitoring committee, which can share regular data on performance, placements, and workers’ welfare, thereby helping to foster bilateral trust quickly. People-to-people support should be enforced to teach adaptability, where pre-migrants help newcomers.

Ultimately, the recruitment of 100,000 workers presents both opportunities and challenges for Bangladesh. If we can understand their work culture, then it’s truly a blessing; however, misunderstanding or disobeying it poses a risk to the hard-earned trust that has been established.

*About Author:

Mehedi Hasan, researcher and former student of Japanese Studies, Social Science Faculty, University of Dhaka. He can be reach at: mhmehedi505@gmail.com


Copyright © 2025 LankaWeb.com. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Wordpress