අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය 

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ 75 වැනි නිදහස් සංවත්සරය සහ ජපාන ශ්‍රී ලංකා රාජ්‍යතාන්ත්‍රික සබඳතාවලට වසර 70 ක් සපිරීම නිමිතිකොටගෙන ජපාන තානාපති මිසුකොෂි හිදෙකි මහතා විසින් සීතාවක තෙත් කලාපීය උද්භිද උද්‍යානයේ රුක් පැළයක් රෝපණය කරන ලදී.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතා සහ පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී යදාමිණි ගුණවර්ධන මහතා සහභාගී වූ මෙම අවස්ථාවට, ජපන් තානාපති කාර්යාල නිලධාරීන් සහ සීතාවක ජපන් භාෂා පුහුණු මධ්‍යස්ථානය පිහිට වූ සීමාසහිත ෂිමොකිකාකු සමාගමේ අධ්‍යක්ෂ හිරොයුකි ෂිමොතොරි ද එක්ව සිටියහ.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය        

Manusha Media

ශ්‍රමිකයන් බඳවා ගැනීමේ ක්‍රියාවලිය වේගවත් කිරීමට විදේශ රැකියා ක්ෂේත්‍රය ඩිජිටල් කරන්න – ඕමානයේ ශ්‍රමිකයන් බඳවා ගැනීමේ ආයතන ඇමැති මනූෂගෙන් ඉල්ලයි

විදේශ රැකියා ක්ෂේත්‍රය කඩිනමින් ඩිජිටල් කරනවා – මනූෂ සහතිකයක් දෙයි

ඕමානයේ රැකියා සඳහා ශ්‍රී ලාංකික ශ්‍රමිකයන් බඳවා ගැනීමේ දී ඇතිවන කාර්යපටිපාටි ම ය ප්‍රමාදයන් වළක්වා ගැනීම පිණිස, විදේශ රැකියා ක්ෂේත්‍රය ඩිජිටල් කිරීමට කඩිනම් පියවර ගන්නා ලෙසට, එරට සිටින ශ්‍රමිකයන් බඳවා ගැනීමේ ආයතන ප්‍රධානීන් කම්කරු සහ විදේශ රැකියා අමාත්‍ය මනුෂ නානායක්කාර මහතාගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටි අතර, ඒ සඳහා කඩිනම් පියවර ගන්නා බවට ඇමැතිවරයා සහතික විය.

ඕමානයේ සිව් දින නිල සංචාරයක නිරත ව සිටින අමාත්‍ය මනුෂ නානායක්කාර මහතා සහ ශ්‍රමිකයන් බඳවා ගැනීමේ ආයතන ප්‍රධානීන් අතර පැවති සාකච්ඡාවේ දී ඇමැතිවරයා මෙම සහතිකය ලබා දුන්නේය.

ශ්‍රමිකයන් බඳවා ගැනීමේ දී ගත යුතු අනුමැතීන් ලබාගැනීමට විශාල දුරක් ගෙවා තානාපති කාර්යාලයට පුද්ගලිකව පැමිණිමට සිදුවන බවත්, එයට විශාල කාලයක් වැය කිරීමට සිදුව ඇති බවත්, ශ්‍රමිකයන් බඳවා ගැනීමේ ආයතන ප්‍රධානීහු ඇමැතිවරයාට පෙන්වා දුන්හ. මේ අතරම තානාපති කාර්යාලයේ පවතින නිලධාරී හිඟය නිසා ද අනුමැතීන් ලබාගැනීමේ කටයුතුවලට අමතර කාලයක් වැය කිරීමට සිදුව ඇති බවත් ඔවුහු සඳහන් කළහ.

එයට ප්‍රතිචාර දැක්වූ අමාත්‍යවරයා පැවසුවේ විදේශ රැකියා ක්ෂේත්‍රය කඩිනමින් ඩිජිටල් කිරීමට කටයුතු කරන බවයි.

මේ අතර ගෘහ සේවිකාවන් බඳවා ගැනීමේ දී දුරස්ථ ක්‍රමයට වීඩියෝ තාක්ෂණය ඔස්සේ සම්මුඛ පරීක්ෂණයක් පැවැත්වීමෙන් පසුව පමණක් බඳවා ගැනීමට අවශ්‍ය පියවර ගැනීමට ද මෙහි දී එකඟතාවයකට පැමිණියේය.

සංචාරක වීසා මගින් ඕමානයේ ගෘහ සේවයට කාන්තා ශ්‍රමිකයන් ගෙන්වා ගැනීම නිසා ඇතිවී තිබෙන ගැටලු සහ ඕමානයේ ශ්‍රමිකයන් බඳවා ගන්නා ආයතන නියෝජිතයන් මුහුණදී තිබෙන ගැටලු සඳහා දිය හැකි විසඳුම් පිළිබඳ ව ද මෙහි දී දීර්ඝ ලෙස සාකච්ඡා කෙරුණි.

—

By P. K. Balachandran Courtesy Eurasia Review

The majority Sinhalese community sees any further devolution to the Provinces as a pathway to the revival of Tamil separatism

As part of measures to make devolution of power under the 13th. Amendment of the Sri Lankan constitution meaningful, the Tamils have suggested that the powers now vested with Provincial Governors be pruned, and more powers granted to the Provincial Boards of Ministers. But the majority Sinhalese community sees the Tamils’ demand for further devolution or any more dilution of the Center’s powers, as a pathway to the revival of Tamil separatism. 

This puts President Ranil Wickremesinghe in a fix.  On the one hand, under pressure from India and Western countries, and eying the Tamil vote in the 2024 Presidential election, he has declared that he will find a solution to the ethnic question by 2024, the 75 th. anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence. But on the other hand, devolution to the Provinces is a very controversial issue among the Sinhalese community which accounts for over 75% of the Sri Lankan population.     

In a list of proposals submitted to President  Wickremesinghe, the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) MP from Jaffna district, M.A. Sumanthiran, has proposed a number of steps, chief among them is the pruning of the powers of the Provincial Governor by requiring him to act on the advice of the Chief Minister” except in specific cases where he has discretionary power.

Sumanthiran’s other suggestions are: (1) appoint a National Land Commission and formulate a comprehensive land policy; (2) set up Provincial Police Forces as envisaged in the constitution; (3) make necessary amendments to the following Acts: (a) the Provincial Councils Act; (b) the Provincial Councils (Constitutional Provisions) Act; and (c) the Transfer of Powers (Divisional Secretaries) Act; (4) amend all those Central enactments (such as the National Transport Act, Agrarian Services Act and the Divineguma Act) that had taken away powers given to the  Provincial Councils under the 13A; and (5) abolish the concept of National Schools and revert to the Provinces all schools and hospitals that now come under the Central government.  

The Tamil MP has suggested a number of other amendments too. These relate to the following sections of the Provincial Councils Act of 1987: 

Section 15 says that the Governor shall make rules for the allocation of business among Ministers. But the Tamils want this to be done on the advice of the Chief Minister.” Sec. 16 refers to contracts entered into in the exercise of the executive power of the Governor of the Province.” The Tamils say that this should be reworded as contracts entered into by the Provincial Council,” replacing the executive power of the Governor.”

As per Sec.31, the President shall appoint the Chief Secretary of the Province with the concurrence of the Chief Minister.” But this should be changed to: The Chief Minister shall appoint the Chief Secretary with the concurrence of the Governor.”  

Sect. 32 (1) says Subject to the provisions of any other law, the appointment, transfer, dismissal and disciplinary control of officers of the provincial public service of such Province are hereby vested in the Governor of that Province.” But the Tamils want this power to be exercised by the Governor on the advice of the Board of Ministers of the Province.” 

Sec. 32 (2) says that the Governor of a Province may, from time to time, delegate his powers of appointment, transfer, dismissal, and disciplinary control of officers of the provincial public service to the Provincial Public Service Commission of that Province. The Tamils want the Governor to act on the advice of the Board of Ministers” in these matters.

Sec 32 (3) also says: The Governor shall provide for and determine all matters relating to officers of the provincial public service, including the formulation of schemes of recruitment and codes of conduct for such officers, the principle to be followed in making promotions and transfers, and the procedure for the exercise and the delegation of the powers of appointment, transfer, dismissal and disciplinary control of such officers.” The Tamils say the Governor should exercise this power on the advice of the Board of Ministers.” 

Sec 33 (1) says: There shall be a Provincial Public Service Commission for each Province which shall consist of not less than three persons appointed by the Governor of that Province. The Governor shall nominate one of the members of the Commission to be the Chairman.” The Tamils submit that this should be done on the advice of the Board of Ministers” and that the Governor shall on the advice of the Board of Ministers” nominate one of the members of the Commission to be the Chairman, and not unilaterally.

Sec 33 (3) says that the Governor of the Province can remove a member of the Provincial Public Service Commission. But the Tamil submit that this should be done on the advice of the Board of Ministers.” Also, any temporary vacancy should be filled only on the advice of the Board of Ministers.

Government’s Response    

In his policy statement made in parliament recently, President Wickremesinghe said that amendments will be introduced to some relevant Acts such as the Transfer of Powers (Divisional Secretaries) Act, No. 58 of 1992, the Provincial Councils (Consequential Provisions) Act, No. 12 of 1989 and Provincial Councils (Amendment) Act No. 28 of 1990 to regularize and streamline delegation.

He further said: It is alleged that due to certain practices of the Central Government, the powers of the Provincial Councils have been reduced in the fields of education and health. Therefore, we envision bringing new laws regarding the implementation of powers of the Provincial Councils in these fields.”

However, the President made it clear that there will be no change in police powers, thereby saying that police powers will not be devolved, though, as per 13A, they should be.

While the Tamils will welcome the promises of the President. Support is not at all guaranteed on the Sinhalese side. Political parties of the majority Sinhala community are either non-committal or are totally opposed to it. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, on whose support the Wickremesinghe government survives, is silent on the issue, though in the past, its founder-leader Mahinda Rajapaksa had promised 13A Plus” with powers over land, if not the police. Already alienated from the people for mismanaging the economy since 2010 and causing widespread distress, the SLPP is unlikely to touch 13A even with a barge pole.  

The main opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is sitting on the fence. It  would like the Tamils’ support without alienating the majority Sinhalese. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna’s General Secretary Tilvin Silva, on the other hand, is more explicit. He has said that the debate on 13A would arouse communal feelings and divide the people.The JVP is a Sinhalese party to the core.  

More importantly, Sri Lanka’s most influential constituency, the Buddhist clergy, is against the 13A being implemented in full or expanded. According to Jaffna MP C.V.Wigneswaran, the Mahanayake Theros had stated in a letter, that if Land and Police powers together with the right to administer archaeological sites and places of religious worship were granted to the Provincial Councils, Tamil separatism would raise its head again. 

The communal divide that is evident calls for fresh discussions involving all stakeholders, followed by widespread lobbying for the contemplated changes in the 13A.

P. K. Balachandran

P. K. Balachandran is a senior Indian journalist working in Sri Lanka for local and international media and has been writing on South Asian issues for the past 21 years.

Courtesy The Hindustan Times

Tamil nationalist leader Pazha Nedumaran’s claim that Velupillai Prabhakaran, the founding chief of the Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is still alive was quashed by Tamil nationalists and the Sri Lankan army

Tamil nationalist leader Pazha Nedumaran’s claim that Velupillai Prabhakaran, the founding chief of the Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is still alive was quashed by Tamil nationalists and the Sri Lankan army.

On Monday, Nedumaran had said that Prabhakaran (who was reportedly shot dead by the Sri Lankan army in May 2009 during the last phase of a civil war) is alive and will emerge publicly.

Nedumaran, president of the World Confederation of Tamils, seems to have attempted to keep the plight of Tamil people in Sri Lanka a burning point in Tamil Nadu for which a huge section is sympathetic.

The fierce Opposition to the Rajapaksas by the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka and the global situation has created a conducive atmosphere for the national president of Tamil Eelam (Prabhakaran) to emerge. At this juncture, I wish to announce the good news that he is alive,” Nedumaran had said in a statement. He followed the statement with a press meeting in Thanjavur.

Mahinda Rajapaksa was the president when Prabhakaran died. Having been with the Congress earlier, Nedumaran turned into a Tamil nationalist and claimed that he was in touch with Prabhakaran’s family.

Tamil nationalist S Seeman, head of the Naam Tamizhar Katchi and a known LTTE sympathiser, while responding to reporters’ questions in Erode, said, You think such a brave heart would be in hiding? Let’s not debate this and leave it at that.”

G Vaiko, who had met the LTTE leader several times by sneaking into northern Sri Lanka, also dismissed Nedumaran’s claims. Those who are in touch with me have confirmed that he is not alive,” said Vaiko.

Sri Lankan army spokesperson and director of media, Brigadier Ravi Herath, was also quoted by BBC Tamil that they have DNA evidence that Prabhakaran was killed on May 18, 2009 during the final battle.

The Sri Lankan army had announced that the 30-year war had come to an end on that day but they had officially declared Prabhakaran’s death the next day with photo and video evidence.

Courtesy FXEMPIRE

By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Officials from China, India, Saudi Arabia and Group of Seven wealthy nations will participate in a first virtual meeting of a new sovereign debt roundtable on Friday, three sources familiar with the plans said on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Officials from China, India, Saudi Arabia and Group of Seven wealthy nations will participate in a first virtual meeting of a new sovereign debt roundtable on Friday, three sources familiar with the plans said on Monday.

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The roundtable will also include officials from countries that have requested debt treatments under the Group of 20 common framework – Ethiopia, Zambia and Ghana – as well as middle-income countries such as Sri Lanka, Suriname and Ecuador, which have faced their own debt crises, the sources said.

The meeting will be co-chaired by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and India, the current leader of the Group of 20 , and comes a week before G20 finance officials are due to gather in Bengaluru, India, from Feb. 23-25, with an in-person meeting of the roundtable expected on Feb. 25.

Brazil, which will lead the G20 next year, is also taking part, one of the sources said.

The roundtable will include the Paris Club of official creditors and private sector participants – the Institute of International Finance (IIF), the International Capital Markets Association and two private-sector financial institutions that have asked not to be identified, the source added.

Creation of the body comes amid growing frustration about the slow pace of discussions on debt relief for Zambia, which first requested help two years ago. Organizers say the roundtable could help resolve issues in principle and will not focus on Zambia or other individual cases.

Officials hope to resolve China’s concerns about cutoff dates to protect new financing from debt restructuring by the end of the year, one of the sources said.

G7, International Monetary Fund and World Bank officials have long pushed for faster and broader efforts to deliver debt relief to heavily indebted nations to avoid cuts in social services that they fear could tip off social unrest.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other G7 officials see China, now the world’s largest sovereign creditor, as the main stumbling block for quicker work on debt treatments. They are also pushing for agreement by G20 members on expanding the common framework to include middle-income countries.

Eric LeCompte, executive director of the Jubilee USA Network, a coalition of religious, development and advocacy groups, said support for the matter was growing among other countries. But China’s opposition – and that of Russia – remained significant a stumbling block,” he said.

The majority of countries support expanding these policies to middle-income countries, but China is the biggest challenge,” LeCompte said, adding that Europe had gone through a similar period of reluctance on debt relief in the 1990s, but eventually came around.

Also on the agenda will be China’s repeated calls for World Bank and other multilateral development banks to participate in debt reductions – a proposal firmly rejected by U.S. officials, who argue that those lenders already offer highly concessional loans and grants to countries in crisis.

By Sugeeswara Senadhira Courtesy Ceylon Today

Last week, two vocal representatives of Tamil political opinion, Abraham Sumanthiran and C.V. Wigneswaran made statements rejecting implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution under the unitary system of government and demanded a federal system.

Sumanthiran claimed that all the Tamil parties agree on a meaningful power-sharing arrangement on a federal basis and added that his party would not have talks with the Government until that issue is resolved. Wigneswaran, using stronger words, said Sri Lanka’s position is internationally weakening and the Tamils could get federal powers with the support of foreign powers.

These two positions are contradictory to the Indian position, which calls for full implementation of the 13th Amendment, which was introduced under the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement (ISLA) of 1987.

The ISLA was signed between President J.R. Jayewardene and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi amidst islandwide protests spearheaded by opposition parties. The then Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Leader Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) Leader Dinesh Gunawardena and leading monks and politicians sat in Satyagraha under the Bo tree in Pettah in protest against the ISLA.

MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena, who is now the numero two in the Government as Prime Minister, declared in Parliament that his party will always be committed to secure a unitary Sri Lanka. He pointed out that MEP has always supported an administrative procedure focusing on districts. The focus on the provincial level was brought by the 13th Amendment.

Although the 13th Amendment was introduced to create provincial councils as a follow-up action on Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement to devolve powers to the Tamil majority North and East, the then President J.R. Jayewardene’s government, decided to set up 9 provincial councils for the entire country to scuttle the mounting opposition to devolution of powers to Tamil areas. While the main opposition, including the SLFP and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) decided to boycott the first Provincial Council Elections in 1989, they later entered the fray after realising that the United National Party succeeded in building up a powerful second level political power structure through provincial councils.

Although Sri Lanka gave an assurance to India during Mahinda Rajapaksa-Manmohan Singh talks in July 2010 and subsequently to then United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the Government would go beyond the 13th Amendment to devolve substantial powers to Tamil majority areas, neither India nor the UNSG asked Colombo to specify the meaning of 13 Plus. During one of the Indo-Lanka discussions in New Delhi, when Rajapaksa evaded the elaboration of his ‘13 Plus’ promise, Shivshankar Menon, who was the Foreign Secretary, who later became National Security Advisor, asked if it was to establish an Upper House to the Parliament to ensure more minority participation and Rajapaksa nodded in affirmation. He did not specifically mention either the Police or land powers during the talks.

After several All Party Conferences (APCs) and Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) discussions on constitutional reforms that did not produce any result, the focus on devolution of powers resumed with recent talks between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the leaders of Tamil parties.

Until then all previous governments have been stressing the difficulties in devolving land and Police powers to provinces. The opponents of Police powers argue that creating nine separate Police services could create a mess, leading to a chaotic situation in maintaining law and order. This was in the backdrop of mounting opposition in the country over the provincial council powers. The vast majority of the people believe that the provincial council system is a ‘white elephant.’ The Provincial Council members enjoyed all the privileges enjoyed by central ministers, deputies and parliamentarians including duty-free car permits, free fuel and various subsidies and benefits and gradually expanded their power bases to become a major asset to the party. First the SLFP and then JVP too realised their folly of boycott, and contested the subsequent PC Elections and later the SLFP-led alliance wrested power of all the seven provincial councils in the South. Subsequently, the SLPP alliance swept home easily. Although the central government did not devolve land and Police powers to the provinces, the councillors were given all the perks enjoyed by the central parliamentarians, thus giving a clear impression to the masses that the PCs are nothing but ‘white elephants.’

India too did not press for full implementation of 13th Amendment until recently. Even at the height of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009, India was aware that it would not be prudent to expect President Mahinda Rajapaksa to keep his promise on 13 Plus. A WikiLeaks cabal revealed that the US sought a bigger role in pushing a political solution for Tamils, but was kept at bay by India. According to the cable, (then) Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told the US Embassy Charge d’Affaires Peter Burleigh on 15 May 2009 that the Sri Lankan Government had reassured India that the Government would focus on the implementation of the 13th Amendment Plus as soon as possible, but Menon was sceptical.” (207268: confidential, 15 May 2009).

The Sinhalese majority is opposed to the devolving of land and Police powers to the Northern Province, mainly because of the bitter experience of 1990 when the first and only elected Chief Minister of temporarily amalgamated North and East Provinces, Varadaraja Perumal made a Declaration of Unilateral Independence. It was made worse by the visible Indian hand in the episode as Perumal left the country with the returning Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) and sought political asylum in India.

However, there is a universal acceptance that the Tamil majority provinces should have the right to manage their affairs under a substantial devolution package. In the circumstances it is essential to find a solution acceptable to a substantial section – if not the majority – of all the communities. Hence, a consensus through Parliament, based on the proposals emerging at the talks, will go a long way to allay fears – unfounded or real – in the majority community. The TNA argues that there was no point in another PSC as the issue has already been thrashed out at several APCs during the last 30 years. However, one should not forget that for a long-lasting solution it is essential to find consensus among major parties representing different communities. There is a crucial role for the TNA as well as the main opposition, in this national issue of paramount importance.

The support for a reasonable devolution package will not be impossible as Rajitha Senaratne (SLPP), Vasudeva Nanayakkara (New Left Front), Tissa Vitharana (Sama Samaja Party – Socialist) and D.E.W. Gunasekera (Communist) have openly stated that the 13th Amendment should be implemented in full. There will be sizeable support from the Treasury benches for a consensus formula. Hence, the Tamil parties must drop the demand for a federal system and accept a consensual package within the unitary system.

(The views expressed in this article are personal).

By Sugeeswara Senadhira

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Approximately 3.9 million families in the country live expecting help from the government, and therefore, the government has decided to provide them with 10kg of rice each free of charge in the months of March and April, Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said.

Addressing the media, he said the government’s paddy procurement program for 2023 for the Maha season has been designed to maximize benefits to farmers and minimize errors.

The minister pointed out that it is the government’s expectation to carry out the rice purchase program this year, in order to protect the money as much as possible.

“We are hoping to get a huge harvest from the 2023 ‘Maha season’. As a result, the government has decided to buy a kilogram of paddy for Rs. 100 from the farmers at subsistence level. They will require funds as soon as they begin harvesting.

If the government does not intervene, the farmers would have to sell the products below the cost. Therefore, the government is focusing to strengthen the farmers’ economy, the minister said. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)

By Kelum Bandara Courtesy The Daily Mirror

• Maritime resources on the Indian side of the sea have already been destroyed. We cannot allow further damage to our resources
• The fisheries issue is a long standing irritant to bilateral ties between Sri Lanka and India

In response to a proposal for the introduction of a license system for fishing in Sri Lankan waters to resolve the India – Sri Lanka fisheries crisis, Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda said he refused to allow the use of trawling nets no matter what . 

The Minister told Daily Mirror yesterday that he held talks with Indian Union Minister of Fisheries L.Murugan who arrived in Jaffna to participate in the function to mark the opening of the India – funded Jaffna cultural center.
He said a proposal had been mooted to introduce a license system for Indian fishermen to fish in Sri Lankan waters to prevent poaching .

Bottom trawling is a banned fishing method . Bottom Trawling is the use of  weighted nets which are dragged across the sea bed .

The Minister said it destroys maritime resources even affecting fish breeding .

The maritime resources of the Indian side of the sea have already been destroyed . We cannot allow further damage to our resources ,”he said.

The Sri Lankan authorities have given positive signal to allow the use of accepted fishing gear such as country boats .

The fisheries issue is a long standing irritant to bilateral ties between Sri Lanka and India.  Devananda said this issue would be discussed further when President Ranil Wickremesinghe visits New Delhi soon. 

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka’s external reserves surpassed two billion dollars in January, reflecting gradual improvement in the foreign exchange conditions in the domestic market which was made possible due to a slew of tightening measures and also due to the acceleration in the foreign currency inflows, recently. 

According to the latest data available, Sri Lanka ended January with US$ 2,120 million in foreign currency reserves, compared to US$ 1,898 million in December 2022. 

This includes however the US$ 1.4 billion equivalent Chinese Yuan denominated swap line which has limitations in its use. 
The recent data also pointed to continued acceleration in remittances, tourism and exports, although the latter has seen some softening due to global conditions. 

The Central Bank raised rates and the government limited certain imports last year to rein in on  foreign currency outflows amid the worst shortage of foreign currency seen last year. 
The combined effects of the measures taken have helped the Central Bank to rebuild the reserves although it is far less than the minimum requirement to meet three months of imports. 

Reflecting this relative improvement seen in the foreign exchange market, the Central Bank became a big net buyer of foreign currency from the domestic foreign exchange market in January. 
The Central Bank purchased US$ 348.79 million in foreign currency while it sold US$ 137.64 million, becoming a net purchaser of US$ 211.15 million. 

In December last year, the Central Bank bought a net US$ 103.78 million. 
President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his throne speech delivered last week also touted the achievements the country’s external sector had made since he became the President. 
We have now been able to increase the foreign reserves which had fallen to zero up to US$ 500 million,” he stressed.

Shenali D Waduge

US military doctrine was such that American soldiers have been sent to war & to invade nations even for bananas! This was called America’s Banana Wars that involved US troops sent to invade Central America, Mexico & the Caribbean from 1898-1934. US actually occupied 6 nations (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti & Honduras) & invaded Panama & Puerto Rico all to control fruits! The banana wars culminated in successive US invasions for numerous reasons. One US company stands out – the United Fruit Company. How could a company get a national army to invade nations, that too not just any army – but the US army. If these companies could exert influence over the US military, one can imagine the influence they exerted in the countries where they had their ‘investments’.  The banana mafia hasn’t changed. 80% of banana market is under a handful of large companies. They enjoy the best of land, transport prices & political privileges. UFC is now known as Chiquita.

United Fruit Company’s by 1916 was an international conglomerate owning more than 1.6m acres of land, employing 67,000 people across 32 countries & worth $100m. The United Fruit Company is synonymous with liberal capitalism, corrupt dictatorship & massacre of thousands. There were no bananas in Americas, bananas were introduced by the Portuguese in early 18^th century.

It was these incursions & Banana Wars that prompted the US military to produce Small Wars Operations in 1935 which became Small Wars Manual in 1940 & eventually called Counterinsurgency in 2006.

One may wonder why US commanders did not object to the use of military men for excesses of US companies, well Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler wrote a book War is a Racket calling himself a ‘high-class muscle man for Big Business, Wall Street & the Bankers”. He said he was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism”. With all of the illegal occupations that took place since 2001, where US companies were the gainers while the US general public have to pick up bills of trillions in debt.

The banana wars continued from 1898 to 1933 when President Roosevelt introduced the Good Neighbor Policy” though that friendship did not last too long & proxy wars began from 1950 onwards.

How United Fruit Company used CIA & US Govt

The world is controlled by Big Guns (military industry), Big Green (multinational corporations & investors) Big Graphs (technocrats & tech companies) under whose influence intel agencies work under orders of government leaders who wear the cap of corporates. Yes, its not elected governments or officials who rule the world though some are also part of the corporate lobby.

Honduras was invaded 7 times between 1903 – 1925 (22 years) to ensure US companies held control over banana exports. The term banana republic’ was used to show the weak & corrupt side of the Honduras govt, though little attention went to presenting the wrongs of the US aggressors.

1930s – UFC helps Honduras President Andino gain power.

Drug trafficking was a big business to which Andino & UFC were involved.

As cocaine’s popularity grew during the 1970s — 1980s, Colombia became North America’s largest supplier.

US forced Cuba to sign treaty permanently leasing 45sq miles land around Guantanamo Bay as a US naval station. This is the venue of illegally kept prisoners following US rendition missions. This seizure was an outcome during the infamous banana wars.

US military invaded & occupied part of Mexico in 1914 when 9 US sailors were arrested after straying into off-limits of the city. Even though they were released, the US naval commander demanded a 21 gun salute alongside an apology, though the apology was given the gun salute was denied. Denying a salute resulted in US President Woodrow Wilson ordering troops to seize Mexico port, US presence lasted 7 months & cost lives as well.

If a salute costed an invasion to Mexico, 10,000 US soldiers were deployed over 9 months to arrest Pancho Villa in 1916 but returned empty handed – he was eventually assassinated in 1923.

About the same period, US decided to link the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans by building a Nicaraguan Canal but was abandoned after US forced the Panama govt to cede control over the Panama Canal from France in 1914.

1915 – Haiti – US troops land to protect US sugar company & stay behind.

1916 – Dominican Republic – US troops take over Fort Ozama castle & set up military presence to protect US corporates

Honduras – United Fruit Company & Standard Fruit Company result in US troops landing on 7 occasions.

The United Fruit Company ultimately owned or leased property in Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, and numerous other Central American, South American, and West Indian countries.

1928 – United Fruit Company got Colombian military to massacre 2000 people

Workers at UFC went on strike to oppose UFC working conditions. Civil unrest was met by Govt ordering military force primarily because it thought US would intervene pretending to side with the protestors. The attack was known as the United Fruit Company Massacre”

1930 – UFC ships transporting cocaine / Colombia 

UFC was also known to be associated with cocaine trade. Colombia becoming the largest supplier to North America. In 1997 a ton of cocaine was seized from 7 Chiquita ships. Nothing happened to UFC as they were funding a terrorist group in Colombia that were using the UFC/Chiquita ships. Chiquita is also accused of carrying weapons & ammunition.

1952 overthrow elected govt of Guatemala

United Fruit Company was allowed to invest by President Urbico. In 1944 he was replaced by President Bermejo & his social welfare policies became reason to oust him by branding them communist”. He was replaced by another nationalist Jacobo Arbenz. Arbenz wanted to secure 1.5m acres of land back from UFC who had acquired land from 100,000 local farmers. Arbenz Govt offered $1,185,000 for the land. UFC demanded $19,355,000. Arbenz refused.

https://www.unitedfruit.org/chron.htm

Naturally UFC was unhappy with Arbenz reforms & launched campaign presenting Arbenz as a communist dictator” & US media joined the bandwagon. The impression given was that agrarian reforms was Soviet inspired to sabotage US economy. That was enough to task CIA to hire locals from Honduras into Guatemala & begin a proxy war. UFC got President Eisenhower to threaten Arbenz primarily because Eisenhower & other govt bigwigs had stocks in UFC. Arbenz resigned, Honduran militia head Castillo Armas was propped as Guatemala’s President & Armas was a puppet of UFC. Land taken by Arbenz & given back to farmers were confiscated & givne to UFC. UFC used media to present Armas as a liberator” & war hero”. The power of paid media is can be seen.

The company sparked civil war that lasted 36 years claiming 200,000 civilian lives.

1997-2004 Chiquita Brands executives paid $1.7m to Colombia’s terrorist group United Self-Defense Forces (AUC) to protect a farming region.

Chiquita admitted funding Colombian terrorists & had paid a $25m fine in 2007. Further investigations revealed Chiquita had paid National Liberation Army (ELN), Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) justifying that they did so to protect their employees (source: US national security archives)

UFC/Chiquita use pesticides harming workers & environment in Guatemala, Costa Rica & Honduras

Environmental degradation, deforestation, toxic pesticides that were carcinogenic & use of chemicals banned in US, Canada & Europe. Pesticides used on banana & chemicals used in one factory sickened hundreds in Costa Rica.

UFC’s Legal Teams linked to US Govt

President Eisenhower’s Secretary of State, Foster Dulles was an attorney of UFC during 1930s. His brother Allen, also a lawyer was head of CIA. President Obama’s Attorney General, Eric Holder, worked with Chiquita Brands & negotiated a $25m payment to the Justice Dept for allegations that Chiquita financed terrorist groups.

1994 Chiquita Brands International uses Honduran military to evict people from their lands

This was done by presenting land as not being fertile & designating as abandoned” & UFC offered monetary compensation which they refused. They were assaulted & their harvest destroyed. In 1996 the Honduran President ordered troops to drive out the natives. For bananas, people were chased out of their lands by UFC influencing the local govt. This was the cost of the Cavendish banana.

UFC even hired scientists to write positive reviews about the nutritional value/health benefits of bananas. We have to really wonder how far we can trust even scientific journals.

Advertising tactics are such that tourists were taken on tours to show the good side of workplaces so tourists promoted bananas. UFC also pitted racial groups against each other, a carry-forward from colonial practices. The whites would get prestigious jobs while others were laborers. Some of these practices continue without fanfare still. Clothing was also racial-oriented. The top members were always in white, the lower rungs were made to wear black.

The merger of Chiquita Brands International with Irish fruit company Fyffes in 2014 meant that the new entity would control over 29% of the world’s banana market. Interestingly, both companies were owned by United Fruit Company till 1986. Both companies continue the autocratic & social manipulation & political influence but more subtly than UFC.

Shenali D Waduge

Jeffrey Armstrong provides rare insights into the history of Euro-Christian colonialism + how Britain’s $45 trillion India loot was sanctioned by the Church.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

මෙරට තරුණ තරුණියන්ට නොමිලේ ජපන් භාෂාව සහ ජපන් සංස්කෘතික අධ්‍යාපනය ලබාදීමේ අරමුණෙන් මත්සුරි (Mathsuri) ජපන් භාෂා කේන්ද්‍රය  2023.02.11 දින අවිස්සාවේල්ල සීතාවක දී අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතා සහ ජපාන තානාපති මිෂූකෝෂී හිඩෙකී (Mizukoshi Hideaki) විසින් විවෘත කරනු ලැබීය.
මෙම මධ්‍යස්ථානය කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්කයේ තරුණ තරුණියන්ට බෙහෙවින් ප්‍රයෝජනවත් වනු ඇතැයි අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා ප්‍රකාශ කලේය.
ජපානය සහ ශ්‍රී ලංකාව අතර පවතින මිත්‍රශීලී සබඳතා සහ සහයෝගීතාව තවදුරටත් ශක්තිමත් කිරීම සඳහා ශ්‍රී ලංකික තරුණ තරුණියන්ගේ ජපන් භාෂා දැනුම ශක්තිමත් වීමද හේතුවනු ඇතැයි මෙහිදී අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා  අදහස් පළ කරමින් කියා සිටියේය.
ජපන් භාෂා පුහුණු කේන්ද්‍රය සිතාවක ස්ථාපිත කිරීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් ජපන් තානාපතිවරයාටත්, ආයතනය පිහිටුවීමට  භාවිතයට නොගත් ගොඩනැගිල්ලක් ලබාදීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් කම්කරු අමාත්‍යවරයාටත් මෙහිදී අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා ස්තුතිය පළ කළේය.
භාවිතයට නොගත් රජයේ ගොඩනැගිලි ඵලදායී අරමුණු සඳහා යොදා ගැනීම සඳහා රජයේ ප්‍රතිපත්තිය යටතේ මෙම ගොඩනැගිල්ල මධ්‍යස්ථානයට ලබා දී ඇත.
තානාපති මිෂූකෝෂී හිඩෙකී  (Mizukoshi Hideaki) කියා සිටියේ ජපන් භාෂාව ඉගෙනීමට ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ තරුණ තරුණියන් අතර දැඩි උනන්දුවක් දැකීමට ඇති බවයි.
විදේශයන්හි ක්‍රියාත්මක වන බොහෝ ජපන් සමාගම් සහ ජපානයේ සමාගම් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවෙන් පුහුණු ශ්‍රමිකයින් බඳවා ගන්නා බවත්, එම රැකියා සඳහා ජපන් භාෂා දැනුම පූර්ව අවශ්‍යතාවයක් බවත් ඔහු පැවසීය.
මෙමඟින් ජපන් භාෂා දැනුම ලබන සුදුසුකම් ලත් තරුණ තරුණියන්ට ජපානයේ රැකියා ලබාදෙන බව ජපාන තානාපතිවරයා හා මත්සුරි ජපන් භාෂා කේන්ද්‍රෙය් සම අධ්‍යක්ෂ හිරොයූකී ෂිමොටොරි( Hiroyuki Shimotori) මහතා මෙහිදී සහතික විය.
ඉහළ ජපන් භාෂා ප්‍රවීණතාවයක් ඇති ජපන් සහ ශ්‍රී ලාංකික ගුරුවරුන් පන්ති පැවැත්වීම සඳහා මත්සූරී (Mathsuri) ආයතනය මගින් සම්බන්ධ කර ගන්නා හෙයින් ජපන් සමාගම්වල සහ ආයතනවල රැකියා අවස්ථා ලබා ගැනීම සඳහා හැකිවන අයුරින් ශ්‍රී ලාංකික සිසුන්ට ප්‍රායෝගිකව ජපන් භාෂාව උගන්වනු ඇති බවට ද තානාපතිවරයා විශ්වාසය පළ කළේය .

පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී යදාමිණි ගුණවර්ධන, ජපාන තානාපති කාර්යාලයේ ජ්‍යෙෂ්ඨ නිලධාරීන් සහ අධ්‍යාපනඥයින්, විදුහල්පතිවරුන්,  සිසු සිසුවියන් ඇතුළු ආරාධිතයන්, ප්‍රදේශ වාසීන් රැසක් මෙම සමාරම්භක අවස්ථාවට එක්ව සිටියහ.



අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

Dr Raoul McLaughlin

Dr Raoul McLaughlin

By Engr. Kanthar Balanathan DipEE (UK), GradCert (RelEng-Monash), DipBus&Adm (Finance-Massey), C.Eng., MIEE, Former Director of Power Engineering Solutions Pty Ltd, Consulting Electrical Engineers

There are controversial arguments being speculated about the Tamils in Sri Lanka by uneducated misleads that Tamils lived on the island for more than 2000 to 3000 years. The truth has been erased, and to get their Thamil Eelam people have been lying all these years. All those who went on Kallathoni” Boats; have forgotten their ideology. Why did they leave? Now they are shouting and hypnotising foreign politicians with various lies. The truth is as follows with references:

• King Vijaya came and ruled the country from 543 BC to 505 BC
• King Ellalan (Elara) captured Anuradhapura and ruled from 205 BC to 161 BC which year Dutugamunu captured Anuradhapura.

Ellalan is from the Chola dynasty in India currently in Thamizhaham (Tamil Nadu). He was not a native of Sri Lanka but an invader. However, people can argue, Ellalan had no occupational conglomerate to invade Anuradhapura and kill Asela and capture it as the area was already owned by the Sinhalese. It’s human justice. Ellalan killed so many Sinhalese in the war which the current time construed as war crimes. Ellalan was an ALIEN and a murderer in Thambapanni (Ceylon). Ellalan was afterwards punished by King Dutugamunu. That’s God’s Will. Some of the Tamils were left out in Anuradhapura who spoke the Tamil language (archaic)of the Indian offshoot. The other truth is during the BC period Tamils language was spoken as Archaic Tamil. The language scripts were different. Most of the scripts were borrowed from Latin as it would have been easy to write in leaves with ancient writing pens.

• Ellalan. (2022, November 29). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellalan
• Reference: Tamil language. (2023, February 8). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_language
• Tamil script. (2023, January 31). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_script
• To verify the truth please visit these pages, rather than bluffing that modern Tamil was spoken 5000 years ago.

Difference between Old Tamil and new Tamil?

Old Tamil dates from circa 450 BC to 700 CE, Middle Tamil dates from circa 700 to 1600 CE and modern Tamil from 1600 onwards. These periods are separated by distinct grammatical and lexical differences. Spoken Tamil has evolved significantly over time. Same with Sinhalese.

We in the 21^st century do not know as we did not live in that period, and we can only guess. The alphabet was borrowed from Latin and used. As I wrote in my earlier article, the red Indians are the oldest people in the entire American continent. Today they speak English, live in English, and die in English.

Native Americans in the United States. (2023, February 11). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States

Therefore, let us not bluff and try to capture superiority and power.

Federalism

Reference: The National Question and the Tamil Liberation Struggle by Satchi Ponnambalam. Quote: Page 50. The centrifugal forces among the Sinhalese were so great that, in order to appraise the Kandyan Sinhalese, SWRD Bandaranaike, in 1926, wrote in favour of a federal state structure for Sri Lanka”.

pp56, in 1923, the Kandyan National Assembly requested a federal system of government. However, the Tamils opposed this. The leaders of the Tamil Community were headed by Ponnambalam Ramanathan etc. Ramanathan died on 26/11/1930. This is the Truth.

The question of 50-50 representation was brought in by GG Ponnambalam (GGP) in 1945 in the Select committee. This happened many years after the Federal system was proposed by SWRDB and the Kandyan Council. GGP had nothing to do with the Federal system proposal. Hence the conflicting statements, if anyone wants to say that GGP opposed the Federal system is utter boloney. GGP was a great patriotic honourable Tamil leader.

Quote, reference from The Ancient Ceylon by H. Parker.

Page 16, Nagas who occupied Northern Ceylon long before the arrival of the Gangetic settlers may have been an offshoot of the Nayyar of South India. Who are the Nayyar?  Quote: Nayar or Nayyar is a surname that is found among the Khatri community which is majorly Hindus with a minority of Sikhs and Muslims. They belong to the “Sareen” division among the Khatris. The question now arises: Who are the Northern Tamils then? Sikh, Muslim, or Malabar?

Ref: Kalinga Magha. (2023, January 19). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalinga_Magha

Quote: Kalinga Magha landed in Karainagar (originally Karaitivu in the North) in 1215 AD with a large army of 24,000 Kerala and Tamil soldiers. He camped his soldiers in Karainagar and brought the Jaffna principality under his control. Kalinga Magha is a king from Orissa (a Sinhalese related to Vijaya).

Feasibility of Federalism or Provincial Councils

The current situation is that the economy has been drained by unpatriotic and unfaithful Sinhala politicians. People are suffering, and unlawful events have occurred. What we must think about is whether keeping the elite Sinhalese and Tamils in power pays them a high salary and perks. The shortfall in the Tamil elites is that when they get the Land and Police power they will oppress and discriminate against the lower caste Tamils because of their deep hatred caste conscious minds. The politicians discriminate and bundle allocation separating each caste separately with caste-identified lands and manhandling with their police power. The lower caste Tamil people will love to have Sinhalese as their political heads with one government.

Maybe GOSL can empower the currently existing Municipal Councils. This will not incur additional expenditure and push the Country down the drain. Let the Kandyan and the Tamils think and use their brain carefully. SL has Zero Dollars now.

Are the Jaffna Tamils prepared to accept the fact that they are the descendants of the Nagas with no caste differential system? Let them come out and sign a memorandum in public that they will never ever practice the devastating caste system.

LankaWeb Editorial

As the Nation  teeters on  the brink of instability with post Covid after effects, power cuts food  and fuel shortages and the burgeoning financial crises awaiting IMF sanctions towards resolution another major serious crisis seems to be looming on the horizon.

According to the latest report – authorities in the Sri Lanka Health Sector and consequently the people of Sri Lanka could face a serious crisis within a few weeks, if shortages of medicines, surgical equipment, and chemicals used in labs, are not replenished and replaced now! This alarming disclosure has been made  public by the President of the College of Anaesthesiologists and Intensivists of Sri Lanka (CAISL), Dr. Anoma Perera, recently addressing a press conference, in Colombo.

Alarmingly most of the essential drugs used by anesthesiologists have run out. The stocks at the medical supplies division were zero,There are no painkillers or drugs used for local anesthesia. This affects all sectors. It will not be possible  to maintain emergency services, and caesarean surgeries and similar procedures. This is not a situation in the government hospitals only, the drug shortages are affecting the entire Nation according to the report,

Furthermore there are irregularities and mismanagement within the administrative setup in the MOH which are also hastening the crisis where  In the next few months, the health sector might be compelled to maintain only the most emergency services, according to the report as a desperate alternative until resolution.

 Sri Lankans  are now urged by Dr. Perera to manage their health, through behavioral means, and take precautions to minimize the risk of accidents.Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) President, Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne who in  agreement  has said that the health sector is facing a severe crisis due to the shortage of medicines, surgical equipment, and chemicals, used in labs.He said that prices of these items have gone up tremendously as well and that the entire health sector has been adversely affected.

Ironically in April 2022, it was reported that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had been informed that there will be a serious crisis by the first quarter of 2023. We have also worked with doctors to manage scarcities. The health staff in hospitals have done their best to ensure there was no collapse according to Dr. Ariyaratne where to the chagrin of all concerned the drug management cycle is complicated and there are laws and regulations to ensure that lives of patients are not in danger. SLMA has given recommendations on drug management and works with doctors that are at the grassroots.

In the last 18 months, officials have been warned about the emerging threats. We have also reached out to Sri Lankans, out of the country, seeking help. However, these stop gap measures are not enough. The government must identify that this is an emergency situation and take immediate steps. If not, we are in serious trouble he concluded.

Apparently the former President’s response to all this has been all but apathetic as the world knows and the analogy of “an indifferent President to his Nations needs seems an under statement.

On another front Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama, of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases has  said “most hospitals do not even have the facilities to conduct basic blood tests.Some hospitals can’t even print x-rays. They ask patients to bring a CD so they can burn the images into it”, he said in the most apathetic requisition that truly frowns on the incapacities and shortcomings of the system.

And to cap it all up – Prof. Priyadharshani Galappatty, Professor of Pharmacology, at the University of Colombo,has been quoted as saying that “the Government has not used the Indian credit line optimally”

which by itself is a distinct slur relative to the direction of the Administration in imperative Health Matters where in all probabilities it is a call for the President to take up the reins towards resolution being the capable administrator he has proved to be in these concerning and hard driven times for the Nation.

It may be comforting for the Nation relative to this impending crisis that the SLMA has requested the government to hold weekly meetings with representatives of the medical sector and take their input towards rapidly importing the critically required medicine.

It has also been reported that a number of unregistered drugs are also coming in through the use of Indian credit lines.

The combination of the Medical authorities on the panel relative to the anticipated crisis  has also said that “If we bring in low quality medicine, this would be a colossal waste. We have given recommendations to the Ministry. We must also establish a centralized system so everyone knows what we have received as requested what is needed where hopefully the the President in his conventional wisdom will respond towards what needs to be done to prevent a disastrous crisis which hopefully can be averted.

උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහතාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් පැවැති සමගි ජන බලවේග ප්‍රචාරක රැලියකදී හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී සුජීව සේනසිංහ මහතා විමසුවේ ‘සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහත්තය මිනී මරල තියෙනවද’ යනුවෙනි.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=682807090192735

ජන රැලියට පැමිණ සිටි ජනතාව කිහිපදෙනෙකු ‘ඔව්’ යැයි පිළිතුරු දුන්හ. ‘කවුද යකෝ
ඔවු කිවුවෙ’ යයි මන්ත‍්‍රීවරයා වහා විමසීය.

මේ දිනවල සේනසිංහ සමගි ජනබලවේල වේදිකාවේ ප්‍රධාන කථිකයකු ලෙස කටයුතු කරමින් රට වටා ජන හමු අමතමින් සිටී.

https://fb.watch/iFa4rEPBjB/

 lanka C news

2010 ජනාධිපතිවරණය ආසන්නයේ දී හිටපු ජනාධිපති මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතාට දළදා මාලිගාවේ දියවඩන නිලමේ නිලංග දෑල බණ්ඩාර මහතා විසින් මාලිගාවේ මුදල් ලබා දුන් බවටත් මාලිගාවේ රත්තරං සහ ඉඩම් මංකොල්ලයක් සිදුව ඇති බවට එල්ලවන චෝදනා අසත්‍ය බව දුක හඳුනන අපි සංවිධානයේ නිලන්ත රණසිංහ මහතා පවසයි.

එවන් ප‍්‍රකාශයක් සමාජ මාධ්‍යයට වීඩියෝවක් මුදාහැර ඇති නිහාල් ෆර්නැන්ඩො නැමැත්තා සිදු කළ ප්‍රකාශ පදනම් විරහිත බවත් ඔහු මානසික රෝගියෙකු බවත් ඔහු වහා අත්අඩංගුවට ගත යුතු බවත් හෙතෙම පැවසීය.

ඔහු රුපියල් 5000 නෝට්ටු මිටි බැඳ 2010 ජනාධිපතිවරණයේදී මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතාට ලබාදුන් බවට සඳහන් කළත් ඒ වන විටත් රු5000 නෝට්ටු මුද්‍රණය කර නොමැති බව නිලන්ත රණසිංහ මහතා පෙන්වා දෙයි.

එමෙන්ම නිහාල් ෆර්නැන්ඩො නැමැත්තා කතෝලික මූලධර්මවාදීන් පිරිසක් විසින් ශ්‍රී දන්ත ධාතුන් වහන්සේට අපහාස කිරීම සඳහා යොදාගෙන ඇති බවත් ඔහු පැවසීය.

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Colombo, February 12: A section of Sri Lankan Tamil political parties has proposed that as part of measures to make devolution under the 13 th. Amendment (13A) of the constitution meaningful the powers vested with the Provincial Governor be pruned, and more powers granted to the Chief Minister and the Board of Ministers.

Under pressure from India and Western countries, and also eying the North-Eastern Tamil vote in the 2024 Presidential election, Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe had declared that he would discuss with Tamil parties the implementation of the 13A and other issues relating to ethnic reconciliation to find a solution by 2024, the 75 th. anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence.

At one of the meetings in this connection, it was decided that the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) MP from Jaffna district, M.A. Sumanthiran, would present a paper on what exactly should be done to the 13A to satisfy the Tamils. In his submission, Sumanthiran proposed a number of steps, chief among them was the pruning of the powers of the Provincial Governor by requiring him to act on the advice of the Chief Minister” except in specific cases where he had discretionary power.  

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The lawyer-MP’s other suggestions were: (1) appoint a National Land Commission and formulate a comprehensive land policy; (2) set up Provincial Police Forces as envisaged in the constitution; (3) make necessary amendments to: (a) the Provincial Councils Act; (b) the Provincial Councils (Constitutional Provisions) Act; and (c) the Transfer of Powers (Divisional Secretaries) Act; (4) reverse all the Central enactments (such as the National Transport Act, Agrarian Services Act and the Divineguma Act) that had taken away powers given to the  Provincial Councils in the 13A; and (5) abolish the concept of National Schools and revert all schools and hospitals that now come under the Central administration to the Provinces.

ITAK MP Sumanthiran suggested a number of other amendments too. Section 15 of the Provincial Councils Act, No. 42 of 1987 says that the Governor shall make rules for the allocation of business among Ministers. But the ITAK wants this to be done on the advice of the Chief Minister.” Sec. 16 refers to contracts entered into in the exercise of the executive power of the Governor of the Province.” The ITAK says that this should be reworded as contracts entered into by the Provincial Council,” and not the executive power of the Governor.”

As per Sec.31, the President shall appoint the Chief Secretary of the Province with the concurrence of the Chief Minister.” But this has to be changed to: The Chief Minister shall appoint the Chief Secretary with the concurrence of the Governor.”  

Sect. 32 (1) says Subject to the provisions of any other law, the appointment, transfer, dismissal and disciplinary control of officers of the provincial public service of such Province is hereby vested in the Governor of that Province.” But the ITAK wants this power to be exercised by the Governor on the advice of the Board of Ministers of the Province.”

Sec. 32 (2) says that the Governor of a Province may, from time to time, delegate his powers of appointment, transfer, dismissal and disciplinary control of officers of the provincial public service to the Provincial Public Service Commission of that Province. The ITAK wants the Governor to act on the advice of the Board of Ministers” in these matters.

Sec 32 (3) also says: The Governor shall provide for and determine all matters relating to officers of the provincial public service, including the formulation of schemes of recruitment and codes of conduct for such officers, the principle to be followed in making promotions and transfers, and the procedure for the exercise and the delegation of the powers of appointment, transfer, dismissal and disciplinary control of such officers.” The ITAK says the Governor should exercise this power on the advice of the Board of Ministers.”

Sec 33 (1) says: There shall be a Provincial Public Service Commission for each Province which shall consist of not less than three persons appointed by the Governor of that Province. The Governor shall nominate one of the members of the Commission to be the Chairman.” The ITAK submits that this should be done on the advice of the Board of Ministers” and that the Governor shall on the advice of the Board of Ministers” nominate one of the members of the Commission to be the Chairman.

Sec 33 (3) says that the Governor of the Province can remove a member of the Provincial Public Service Commission. But the ITAK submits that this should be done on the advice of the Board of Ministers.” And any temporary vacancy should be filled only on the advice of the Board of Ministers.

Government’s Response    

In his policy statement made in parliament recently, President Wickremesinghe said that amendments will be introduced to some relevant acts such as the Transfer of Powers (Divisional Secretaries) Act, No. 58 of 1992, the Provincial Councils (Consequential Provisions) Act, No. 12 of 1989 and Provincial Councils (Amendment) Act No. 28 of 1990 to regularize and streamline delegation.

He further said: It is alleged that due to certain practices of the Central Government, the powers of the Provincial Councils have been reduced in the fields of education and health. Therefore, we envision bringing new laws regarding the implementation of powers of the Provincial Councils in these fields.”

However, the President made it clear that there will be no change in police powers, thereby saying that police powers will not be devolved, though, as per 13A, they should be.

Release of Lands

On the controversial issue of control over land, the President said that in Jaffna district there are 3,300 acres of State Land including security camps. But 100 acres that had been taken over for the Palali (army) Camp were recently released, he said. A decision is to be made regarding more land to be released for which discussions are being held with the army and other parties, he added. Drafts are being prepared to establish a National Land Council and a National Land Policy, the President said.

According to MP M.A. Sumanthiran, though the government had given back 90% of private lands” in the Northern Province that had been seized during the war, thousands of acres of public lands” (ie: lands for the use of public facilities) are still with the government. These need to be returned to the local authorities or the Provincial Councils, he said.  According to Jaffna MP C.V. Wigneswaran, the total amount of public or State land to be returned is 60,000 acres. Sumanthiran said that if the Northern and Eastern Provinces were taken together, the total figure would be even more than that.

Pitfalls

While President Wickremesinghe is considering the full implementation of the 13A, political parties of the majority Sinhala community are either non-committal or totally opposed to it. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, on whose support the Wickremesinghe government survives, is silent on the issue, though in the past, its founder-leader Mahinda Rajapaksa had promised 13A Plus” with powers over land, if not the police.

The main opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is sitting on the fence. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna’s General Secretary Tilvin Silva said on Friday that the debate on 13A would arouse communal feelings. This is a trap. We call on people not to fall prey to it,” Silva said addressing a press conference.

More importantly, Sri Lanka’s most influential constituency, the Buddhist clergy, is against the 13A being implemented in full. According to Jaffna MP C.V.Wigneswaran, the Mahanayake Theros had stated in a letter that if Land and Police powers together with the right to administer archaeological sites and places of religious worship were granted to the Provincial Councils, Tamil separatism would get a fillip.

END

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‘If we want to get out of the situation we are in now,one option is… Greater integration with India and this is not just for the Northern Province, it’s for the whole of Sri Lanka.’ Former Central Bank Governor Indrajit oomaraswamy, Sangarapillai Memorial Address, 21 January 2023

 ‘The most dangerous moment of WW2’ according to the English genocidaire & Prime Minister Winston Churchill, ‘the one which caused him the greatest alarm’, was the news that ‘the Japanese fleet was heading for Ceylon’ in 1942.

     Sri Lanka, under unrelenting siege for over 500 years, has seen many a ‘dangerous’ moment. And in these next few weeks we shall encounter a few more.

     Coomaraswamy belongs to a tribal clan that has served English colonialism loyally for almost 200 years. He is gently dropping a hint – if we don’t behave, here’s what lies in store… or rather here’s what’s left on the shelf of the then-Lipton now-Unilever teashop. (We must add, the biggest supplier of goods to an average teashop – there are over a 100,000 at least – is England’s Unilever).

• In 1989, after the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna leader, Rohana Wijeweera was murdered, the remaining JVP leadership is said to have responded, ‘The Handle of the Teacup may be Broken, but the Teashop is still Open!’

     Having successfully prevented & sabotaged modern industry, let alone opposed minimal local production to ensure military, financial, food & health security, the ‘rolling over’ economy promoted since 1948 is being rebooted. The import-export plantation merry-go-round, the 24-7 teashop – is up for an overhaul. While this week’s so-called media revelation is about the USA’s terrorist sabotage of the NordStream pipeline, the real revelation is how the whites have blown up entire countries’ economies…

     The JVP leader was murdered after a short though horrific southern war ignited by the entry of the Indian army into the country in 1987. The intrusion was preceded by a threat veiled as a humanitarian aerial dropping of parippu to halt a military advance that had cornered the LTTE leadership. The war was continued for another 22 years

     36 years after the Indo-Lanka Discord, India’s aid, or promises, now arrive by sea and email, while the threats still arrive by air. This week, after several valiant attempts to declare they’re above the fray (of what has been declared ‘the’ if not ‘a’ ‘national question’), the JVP has been forced into another cul-de-sac: ‘13 no solution to any problem, JVP leader declares’.

     Indeed, it was the 5^th lesson in the famous 5 lessons of that 1971 JVP leader, which declared India a sub-imperialist state that seeks to annex Sri Lanka…

     Sri Lanka became a US colony in all but name since 1948. All that’s been missing are the military bases. There is no doubt the US would gladly allow India to invade and then also fund an armed resistance to the intrusion.

• The Sri Lankan media, proud to praise our literacy, is in no hurry to improve our numeracy, geography or any other modern skill. Africa, Somalia & Zimbabwe in particular, are constantly evoked as euphemisms for ‘failed states’, etc. Yet, wising up to our neighbours, and not just TamilNadu (which wishes to turn us into a captive home market for their industrial goods), would prepare us for what is next on the teashop menu:

      Check this scenario: The US’ Pursuit of Imperial Military Base in Northern Somalia Fuels Brutal War: After the US and the EU stage-managed the political collapse of the Somali Republic in 1991, a secessionist Somali National Movement (SNM) was set up in northern Somalia to carve out a group of states to form a new country called Somaliland. The US military now wants a military base in exchange! (see Random Notes)

• Life offers the greatest theatre of the absurd: Just as it was revealed that the US & its NATO allies – with Norway supposedly taking over England’s lead poodle role – was behind the terrorist attack on the NordStream pipeline, we find the Commonwealth Secretary General – a lost off-Black woman born in Dominica – Patricia Scotland unleashing English gas at an inaugural lecture for the President’s brother’s NGO Geopolitical Cartographers, an ‘ocean thinktank’ on the Commonwealth’s role in facing ‘Polycrisis’.

     Let’s bet this political cartographer did not reveal what type of terrorism the US will unleash under the seas around us? Meanwhile also stay sceptical about the ‘revelations’ by US ‘maverick’ journalist Seymour Hersh. While the eco-lambs have been silent about the largest ‘single largest spill of methane gas in human history’, the truth is the US bombing of the pipeline is but one small part of the devastation the US war on Russia has caused. And Hersh leaves out the role of the English (recall Liz Truss’ Jesus-like declaration, ‘It is done!’) and others like the Danes and the Swedes and the Germans themselves! (ee Sovereignty, What’s Wrong with the Hersh Report)

Courtesy Adaderana

The Attorney General has filed a revision application before the Colombo High Court seeking the nullification of the order issued by the Colombo Chief Magistrate to release the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) convenor Wasantha Mudalige from charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Mudalige was arrested on 22 August 2022, on charges filed under the PTA, and was released from these charges on January 31 after being detained for 162 days under the PTA, by Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis, on the grounds that the accused was not found to have committed any offices under the PTA.

The IUSF convener’s legal counsel had previously requested his release on the grounds that there were no sufficient levels of facts or evidence to remand him under the PTA.

Many international human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch had also been calling on the Sri Lankan government to end the arbitrary detention of Mudalige, who was under arrest for five months.

However, Sri Lanka Police said last week that they have decided to file an appeal against the recent release of Wasantha Mudalige from the charges filed against him under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Accordingly, Police Spokesman Nihal Thalduwa stated that the Police Headquarters requested the Attorney General to submit an appeal, in accordance with all relevant legal provisions, against the recent judgment given by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry on Saturday said that China is a friend of his nation and the two countries will continue to work arm in arm. However, there is no need for India to be concerned as at no point will the island nation let the Indian interests be undermined, Ali Sabry said. Sri Lanka‘s strong relationship is part of its civilization and will not permit any activity that poses a threat to India’s internal security to happen on its soil, he added.

MFA Ali Sabry was speaking to the media in Kerala’s Kochi after attending a private function. His comments come at a time when the Sino-Indian relationship remains tense over conflicts in the Himalayan region.

India need not worry… The Srilankan relationship with India is very strong, it is a part of civilization. We will not allow anything that will harm India’s internal security in our region. China is also our friend, we need to deal with them and work with them. However, Indian interests will not be undermined. We have made it very clear to the Indian government,” he said.

Ali Sabry further said that the two countries are like a family and when issues arise, they will be sorted out like in a family. You will always have issues like in a family. We will talk to each other and resolve them. Your honourable fisheries minister is in Colombo right now. Our minister would have met him for dinner yesterday. We will look into it and try to come to a permanent solution. You shouldn’t worry about it,” he said.

The statement can also be read in the context of the Sri Lankan Navy being often accused of assaulting and even arresting Indian fishermen, especially from Tamil Nadu.

Ali Sabry further said that Sri Lanka is happy with the fast-paced development that India is achieving. It is the entire region that develops along with India. So as neighbours, we are watching India’s progress with great pride and a sense of honour. Sri Lanka is looking forward to India’s growth and will try to be a part of that growth,” the island nation’s MFA added.

Source – Times Now
-Agencies

Courtesy Adaderana

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the government officials to take the necessary measures to purchase a kilo of paddy at a guaranteed price of Rs. 100.

The President further said that the Northern Province and Jaffna District will be developed as a province capable of supplying food to Sri Lanka, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported.

These remarks were revealed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe this morning (Feb. 12) while attending the Northern Province harvest ceremony at Paranthan in Jaffna, according to the PMD.

The President also inquired about the problems related to paddy cultivation from the farmers of the Paranthan area and assured that immediate solutions will be provided to those problems, it said.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe further said:

The government promptly provided the required fertilizers to the farmers. Therefore, we believe that there will be a surplus of paddy harvest in the ‘Maha Season’. Accordingly, arrangements are being made for the government to purchase a kilo of paddy at a guaranteed price of Rs. 100.

Many people are currently experiencing financial difficulties. Even if yields increase, there is a segment of the population that lacks the financial means to purchase rice. Therefore, we are implementing a program to provide 10 kilos of rice free of charge to 2 million families during March and April. Then by the Sinhala New Year season, they would have received 20 kilos of rice.

Currently, approximately 03 metric tons of paddy is received per hectare. We require a minimum of six metric tons of rice per hectare. If possible, we hope to increase it to 07 metric tons. The government is working to provide the necessary facilities to achieve that target. More methods of purchasing and storing paddy will be developed in the future. We intend to build small and medium-sized rice mills. We will be able to succeed in those activities in the next two years. We have planned to provide the necessary water facilities for this area. We are working to restore the Punarin Lake. Iranamadu Lake has now been prepared.

We are working to transform the Jaffna district and the Northern Province into a province that is capable of producing enough food to feed the country once more. In addition to this, we hope to take steps to start the production of animal feed.”

Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda, President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayake, President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, former Member of Parliament Vijayakala Maheswaran, Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva, Inspector General of Police C. D. Wickramaratne and Northern Province Government officials participated in this event.

Following that, the President visited the Pannam Kandi field, Kilinochchi and discussed the problems of the farmers there.

–PMD–

Courtesy Adaderana

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) says that the stocks of more than 140 types of essential drugs used for the treatment of patients have been exhausted.

Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe, the Media Spokesman of the GMOA, pointed out that the attention of the Ministry of Health should be directed in this regard.

He also said that in view of this situation, the maintenance of health services of the entire hospital system, starting from the National Hospital to the rural hospitals, has confronted a severe challenge.

Meanwhile, President of the Health Professionals’ Association Mr. Ravi Kumudesh stressed that 80% of the drugs brought to Sri Lanka under the Indian credit assistance system have not been registered.

He alleges that the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) is responsible for the issue.

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

දැන හෝ නොදැන ලංකාවේ අගමැතිවරු/ජනාධිපතිවරු දමිළ බෙදුම්වාදයට ඉණිමං බැඳීම

හැඳින්වීම

මහජන චන්දයෙන් එක මන්ත්‍රී ආසනයක්වත් දිනා නොගෙන, රටේ ජනාධිපතිවී, 13 නමැති විෂඝෝර සර්පයාව සිය කලිසම් සාක්කුවේ ඔබාගෙන, විශේෂයෙන් රටේ බුදු අම්මෝ බෞද්ධයින්ට පුස්පාට් දමනලද පංචකන්ධයක් වශයෙන් රනිල් මහතා ඉතිහාසගත වනු ඇත. ඔහු කුවේණීගේ සාපය යනු කුමක්දැයි යමෙකුට සිහිපත් කරවයි. ප්‍රභාකරන් විසින් අනිත් අය මරා දැමීම නිසා ඉතිරිවීම නිසාම UNP පක්ෂයේ නායක කම ඔහුගේ ඔඩෝක්කුවට වැටුනේය.

ඔහු විසින් 2023 දී මේ කරගෙන යන්නේ 1948 දී ප්‍රථම අගමැති D. S. සේනානායක මහතා ගේ සිටම, ධර්මපාලතුමා විසින් රට අතහැර බුද්ධගයාවට යාමට පෙර නම්කල, කළු සුද්දන් පිරිසගේ න්‍යාය පත්‍රයය. මේ නිසා මේ රනිල් මහතා එම එකම දම්වැලේ මලකඩ කකා ඉතිරිව තිබෙන පුරුකය.

ටැමිල් ට්‍රේටර්ස්ලා

දමිළ ඊළම්කාරයින්, සිංහල ආණ්ඩු සමඟ සහයෝගයෙන් ක්‍රියාකරණ දෙමළ නායකයින් හඳුන්වන්නේ දෙමළ ද්‍රෝහීන් ලෙසය. මේ අනුව G.G පොන්නම්බලම්ට පවා දෙමළ ද්‍රෝහියා යන ලෙබලය වැදුනි. යාපනේ SLFP නගරාධිපති ඇල්ෆ්‍රෙඩ් දුරෙයියප්පා, ඉන්ස්පෙක්ටර් බැස්තියන් පිල්ලේ මරා දමණ ලදි. මනෝගනේෂන් කර්නල් කරුණාට මේ ලේබල් එක ගැසුවේය. දකුණේදී නම් එසේ අමතන්නේ කොටින්ට ඔත්තු සපයන සිංහල අයටය. රට කඩන්නට මොනතරම් දේ කලත් අගමැති/ජනාධිපතිලාට එසේ ඇමතීම බෞද්ධ විරෝධිසේ සැලකේ.

යම් රටක භූගෝල විද්‍යාවට පටහැනි නීති පැනවිය නොහැක

‘You cannot legislate against geography.’ (එසේ කලොත් ඉක්මණින්ම හෝ ප්‍රමාදව හෝ අමාරුවේ වැටෙනවාමය)

පසුගිය 2 කොටසේ සඳහන් කල අයුරු ඊළම් අදහස රටේ  භූගෝල විද්‍යාවට (භෞතික, මානව physical & human)  පටහැනිය. දෙමළ නිජබිම් කතාව මිථ්‍යාවක් වන්නේ ඒ නිසාය. සිරිමා අගමැතිනියගේ සිවිල් නිලධාරී ලේකම්වූ භූගෝල විද්‍යාඥ සුදත් ගුණසේකර විසින් පෙන්වා දෙන අයුරු අප දිවයින මධ්‍යම හද බිමකින් (heartland) එකට බැඳුණු වටේට ගලන ගංඟා රටාවකින් පිරී ඇත. මහවැලි ගඟ, කළු ගඟ මෙන් නොව, ගංඟා පද්ධතියකි. බුදු පිළිම අරහං විග්නේශ්වරන් උතුරට මහවැලි ජලය ඉල්ලා දැනටමත් අනතුරු අඟවා ඇත.  LankaWeb – ‘Federal’ Marriages and Water Wars

එය ප්‍රධාන දේශගුණික කලාප තුනකින් (තෙත්, වියළි හා ඒ දෙකට මැදින් පිහිටි දුවන ශුෂ්ක, wet, dry & arid) සමන්විතය.  උතුර-නැඟෙනහිර යනු 1832 දී සුද්දා විසින් කෝල්බෲක් සූත්‍රයට අනුව ඇතිකරණ ලද කෘතිම පලාත් දෙකක් මිස ස්වාභාවික භූගෝලීය ප්‍රදේශයක් නොවේ (regional concept in geography).

Delimitation dilemma- සීමා නිර්ණායක කොමිෂම්

මෙම සූත්‍රයට අනුව ජනගහනය හා භූමි ප්‍රදේශය (කච්චේරි යේ සිට ඇති දුර) අනුව ප්‍රදේශ මායිම් කරණ ලදී. මේ අනුව යමින් පහලම සිවිල් පාලන ඒකකයවූ ග්‍රාම සේවා වසම්ද බෙදන ලදී. එපමණක් නොව පාර්ලිමේන්තු හා අනිකුත් චන්ද බල ප්‍රදේශ හා වෝඩ් ද බෙදුවේ මේ අන්දමටමය. එය කරනු ලැබූයේ සීමානිර්ණය කිරීමේ කොමිෂන් සභා ක්‍රමයක් හරහාය.  දැන් 2023 වනවිට මුළු රටම මෙසේ කෘතිම බෙදීම් ක්‍රමයකට යටවී ඇත. අළුත්ම සීමා නිර්ණය කොමිෂමේ මෙම විෂය සම්බන්ධයෙන් දිගුකාලීන අත්දැකීමක් ඇති භූගෝල විද්‍යා උපාධිධාරි නිලධාරියෙක්ද සිටියත්  (K. තවලිංගම්) මෙම ක්‍රමය වෙනස් කල යුතු නොවේද යන්න ගැන ඔහු ගොළුවෙක් සේ හැසිරී ඇත. මෙම ක්‍රමය මඟින්, විශේෂයෙන් පාර්ලිමේන්තු චන්ද කොට්ඨාශ  සීමා මායිම් කිරීම  සුළු ජන වර්ග වලට වාසිදායකවී තිබේ.

අගනුවර රජ රටට ගෙනයාම

රටේ අගනුවර රජරට දෙසට ගෙනයාම 1955 දී බෞද්ධ තොරතුරු කොමිෂන් සභාව මඟින් නිර්දේශ කලේ රටේ ඉතිහාසය හා භූගෝල විද්‍යාවට අනුකූලවය. ඒ වෙනුවට 1978 න් පසු සිදුවූයේ මඩවඟුරක් ගොඩකර කොළඹ ලඟින්ම අළුත් පාර්ලිමේන්තු බිල්ඩිමක් සැදීමය. යම්තම් වැස්සකදී වුනත් කොළඹ ජලයෙන් යටවන්නේ මේ නිසාය! පරිනාමයවූ පංචස්කන්ධයක් වන පාඨලී චම්පික පවා  එක අතකින් කොළඹ කරට ගෙන අනිත් අතින් ම් ගිවිසුම වර්ණනාකරමින් සිටී.

ස්වභාවධර්මයේ මෙම සිස්ටම් (ecological system) එක අනුව අප රටේ අවුරුදු 2500 කට වැඩි ශිෂ්ටාචාරය ගොඩ නැඟී ඇත. මේ සමඟ ඇති සිතියම් දෙකෙන් පෙන්වන්නේ මෙම භෞතික තලය මත මානව ක්‍රියා සිදුවූ අන්දමය. වාරි කර්මාන්ත සිතියම (1905) හා ක්‍රිස්තු පූර්ව කාලයට අයත් ශිලා ලිපි සිතියම අනුව උතුරු නැඟෙනහිර දෙමළ නිජබිමක් නැත. වල්පොල රාහුල හිමියන්ගේ ලක්දිව බුදු සමයේ ඉතිහාසය යන පොතේ ඇති මෙම සිතියම පිළියෙල කර තිබෙන්නේ C.W. නිකොලස් නම් පේරාදෙණියේ ඉතිහාසඥයා විසින් 1955 දීය ටැමිල්නාඩ් පමණක් නොව ලොව වෙන කිසිම භූමියක මෙවන් වාරි ශිෂ්ටාචාරයක් නැත.

මානව භූගෝල විද්‍යාවේ  ශාඛාවක් වන ජන සංඛ්‍යා භූගෝල විද්‍යාවෙන් (population geography) උදාහරණයක් ගත්තොත් රටේ සිංහල, දමිළ හා මුස්ලිම් ජනයා එකට මිශ්‍රව වාසය කරන්නේ කලවම් කල බිත්තරයක් මෙන්ය (ප්‍රභාකරන් විසින් එලවා දමන්නට කලින් යාපනේ නගරයේ පවා සිංහල/මුස්ලිම් ජනයා පදිංචිව සිටියේය (මේ නිසා දෙමළ ජනයා සඳහා වෙනම ඊළමක් සැදූවිට දකුණේ ඉන්නා දෙමළ ජනයාට වෙන්නේ කුමක්ද යන ප්‍රශ්ණය මතුවේ. එපමණක් නොව ටැමිල්නාඩ් සිට පාලමෙන් ඊළමට එන ජනයා අනුරාධපුර, පොලොන්නරු ප්‍රදේශ වල පදිංචි නොවේවිද? ලංකාව තවත් පලස්තීනයක් වී මායිම් යුද්ධ  ඇතිවනවා නිසැකය. ඉන්දියාව දෙකට කැඩු සුද්දා ලංකාව දෙකට නොකැඩීමට එක හේතුවක් නම් මේ බිත්තරයේ කතාවය. ඒ හැර උතුරේ අය දකුණේ රක්ෂා කරන්නට ඇවිත් තපැල් මඟින් සල්ලි ගෙදර යවා යාපනේට මනිඕඩර් ඉකොනොමි එකක් සාදාගත්තේය.

මෙම භූගෝල විද්‍යාත්මක කරුණුත්, 1921 සිටම වෙනම දෙමළ රටක් පිළිඹඳව ගෙන ගිය ව්‍යාපාරයේ ඉතිහාසයත්, සිංහල කළු සුද්දන් හරියාකාරව වටහා ගත්තා නම් ඊළම් පිළිකාවකින් සිංහල, දෙමළ, ඉස්ලාම් පොදු ජනයා පීඩාවට පත්වන්නේ නැත. බුදු අම්මෝ බෞද්ධයින් පාගා අතුගා දැමීමට සමහර ක්‍රිස්තියානින්ට හා මාක්ස්වාදීන්ට අවශ්‍යවීම මෙම කෲර හැසිර්‍රිමට හේතුවක් වන්නටද ඇත. රෝසි සේනානායක හා මිසිස් චන්ද්‍රිකා අදටත් කියන්නේ රටේ සිංහල බෞද්ධ පදනම අහෝසි කල යුතුය කියා නොවේද?  රනිල් මහතා උපුල් ශාන්ත සන්නස්ගලට කිව්වේ පොසොන් යනු ලංකාවට එල්ලවූ ප්‍රථම ආක්‍රමණය යනුවෙනි!

‘A report, not an essay’

මෙම ලිපිය වාර්තාවක් මිස රචනාවක් නොවේ. මෙහි ලැයිස්තුවක් වශයෙන් වාර්තා කරන්නේ ප්‍රසිද්ධ ලේඛණ වලින් ලබාගත් තොරතුරුය. යම් පංචස්කන්ධයක් ගැන අපගේ දැණුම ඔහු/ඇය ගැන ඇති තොරතුරුවල ප්‍රමාණය මෙන්ම ඒවායේ සත්‍යතාවයට සාපේක්ෂය. නැතිනම් සිදුවන්නේ GIGO න්‍යායය (garbage in, garbage out).

මෙහි එක් එක් පුද්ගලයා විසින් බෙදුම්වාදයට සක්ක ගැසීම යටතේ සැඟවෙන දෙයක් නම් මොවුන් සිංහල බෞද්ධයාට සැළකුවේ හරියට සමහර පිරිමි හිත හොඳ ගෑණුන්ට සළකණ ආකාරයටය යනුය. මතු පිටින් බෞද්ධ බෝඩ් එක පෙන්නා යටින් බෞද්ධ විරෝධී, සිංහල විරෝධී ක්‍රියා කිරීමය. මෙම ගේම් එක රටටම හඬ නඟා ප්‍රකාශකලේ බොදු බල සේනා සංවිධානය විසින් 2012 මැයි මාසයේ සිටය. මෙම නායකයින් සිංහල බෞද්ධ නොවන ලඟ සාමාජිකයින් පවුලේ, නිදන කාමරයේ, සිටි අය විය. තවද මහළු වයසට පත්වන තුරුම බොහෝ මාක්ස්වාදීන් හැමවිටම ගත්තේ බෞද්ධ විරෝධී පැත්තය.

*1. අගමැති D. S. සේනානායක (1947-52)

          ඔහු විසින් අයිවෝර් ජෙනින්ස් ලවා සදවා ගත් <අමාත්‍ය මණ්ඩල කෙටුම්පතේ> (සෝල්බරි කොමිෂමට රහසින් දුන්), 1947 සෝල්බරි ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ තිබෙන 29 වෙනි වගන්තියත් තිබුණාදැයි මට දැන් මතක නැත. කෙසේ වෙතත් එම වගන්තිය 1815 ගිවිසුම මෙන්ම සිංහල බෞද්ධයා පාවාදීමකි. මෙය සිංහල බෞද්ධයාට 1505 න් පසු දිගටම සිදුවූ හිරිහැර, සමූල ඝාතන හා අසාධාරණ රාජ්‍ය ක්‍රියා නිවැරදි කරගැනීමට නිදහස ලත්  ජාතියකට තිබෙන අයිතිය සිය කැමත්තෙන්ම අත්හැරීමකි. අම්බෙඩ්කාර් මූලිකවූ ඉන්දියන් ව්‍යවස්ථාව මීට වෙනස්ය. 29 වගන්තිය, 1949 පෙඩරල් රාජ්‍ය පක්ෂයේ අත්තිවාරමය. අනිත් අතට 1972 වනතුරුම මෙම වගන්තිය සිංහල බෞද්ධයාගේ දුක්ගැනවිලි යටපත් කිරීම සඳහා යොදා ගැණුනේය

          1951 දී T.B. ජයාගේ ඉල්ලීම උඩ ලබාදුන් මුස්ලිම් කාති උසාවි ක්‍රමය UNP පක්ෂයේ එක්සත් ජාතික (united national) කතාවට පටහැනිය. මේ මඟින් ඉස්ලාම් ලබ්ධිකයින්ට දුන් අයිතිය 29 වගන්තියටද පටහැනිය. 1976 වඩ්ඩුකෝඩ්ඩෙයි ප්‍රකාශණයට සමාන 2003 ඔළුවිල් ප්‍රකාශණය මීට සම්බන්ධය.

*2. අගමැති බණ්ඩාරණායක (1956-59) 

*3. අගමැති ඩඩ්ලි සේනානායක (1966-70)

සිය තනි කැමැත්තට, ස්ටැන්ලි සොයිසාද සමඟ  හොරගොල්ලේදී චෙල්වනායගම් සමඟ ගැසූ ගිවිසුම දෙමළ බෙදුම්වාදයට දමා දුන් අත්තිවාරමක් විය. උතුරු නැඟෙනහිර දෙමළ නිජබිමක් පිළිඹඳ මිථ්‍යාවට තමන් විසින් රාජ්‍ය පිලිගැනීමක් (recognition) ලබාදුන් බව ඔහුට ඒකාලයේ නොතේරුණ බව නිසැකය. එංගලන්තයේ ඉතිහාසය මිස, ලංකාවේ ඉතිහාසය හෝ සිංහල භාෂාව නොදත් ඔහු ඔක්ස්ෆර්ඩ් සිට ලංකාවට ගොඩ බැස්ස කාලයේ රට පෙඩරල් කරන්නට කතා කලේය. උඩ රට සිංහලයින්ට පෙඩරල් දීමේ යෝජනාව උඩරට කාන්තාවක් විවාහ කර ගැනීමත් සමඟ ඔහුට අමතක විය. D.S.S කලේද උඩරට ස්ත්‍රියක් විවාහ කර ගැනීමය. මේවා දැන් කාලයේ සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාසලාගේ මෙන් ලව් මැරේජ් නොවීය. සුද්දන් විසින් කල උඩරට හා පහත රට යනුවෙන් සිංහලයා බෙදීම නිසා දෙමළ  ජනවර්ගයට ජන සංඛ්‍යා වශයෙන් වාසියක් ලැබුණේය.

බද්දේගම විමලවංශ හිමියන්ගේ මූලිකත්වයෙන් මතුවූ විරෝධය නිසා B-C පැක්ට් එක ඉරා දැමුවත් ඉන් සිදුවූ හානිය නැතිවූයේ නැත. මෙහි පහතින් උපුටා ඇති ලිපියක කොටසින් දෙමළ බෙදුම්වාදී සම්බන්ධන් විසින් බණ්ඩාරනායකව හා අගමැති ඩඩ්ලිව වර්ණනා කරන්නේ ඒ නිසාය. 

බණ්ඩාරානයක රෑ වැටුන වලට ඩඩ්ලි හා JRJ මහ දවාලේම පැන්නේ බලයේ සිටීමේ කෑදර කම නිසා මිස ඔවුන් හදිසියේම දාර්ශනිකයින් දෙන්නෙක් බවට පෙරළුණ  නිසා නොවේ. ඔවුන් දෙන්නා B-C Pact එකට විරුද්ධව නුවරට ගිය පෙලපාලිය ඉඹුල්ගොඩ වීරයා විසින් ගල් මුල් ගසා බකල් කලේය.

1964 දී SLFP-LSSP-CP සභාග ආණ්ඩුව ලේක් හවුස් කුමන්ත්‍රණයක ප්‍රතිඵලයක් වශයෙන් එක චන්දයකින් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේදී පැරදුනේය. ඉන් පසු පැවැත්වු මහ චන්දයේදී SLFP හා UNP කාණ්ඩ දෙකටම තනිවම ආණ්ඩුවක් පිහිටුවීමට තරම් ආසන ප්‍රමානයක් තුබුණේ නැත. මේ නිසා පෙඩරල් පක්ෂයේ සහාය ලබා ගැනීමට දෙපිරිසම කේවල් කලේය <සක්විති රජකම ලැබුණත් රට පාවා නොදෙමි> යනුවෙන් චන්ද කාලයේදී ඩඩ්ලි කියා සිටියත්, ඩඩ්ලි/JRJ චෙල්වාලාගේ කොන්දේසි වලට එකඟ විය. ඊට විරුද්ධව SLFP පිරිස මෙහෙයවූ කොළඹ පෙලපාලියේදී හාමුදුරු නමක්ද වෙඩි වැදී අපවත් විය.

තිරුචෙල්වම් පලාත් පාලන ඇමති විය. ඩඩ්ලි හොර රහසේ ගැසූ ගිවිසුම (D-C Pact), B-C Pact එකටත් වඩා භයානක විය. උදාහරණයක් වශයෙන් ස්ථාපිත කරන්නට යන රට සභාවේ ඉඩම්වල ජනයා පදිංචිකරවීමේදී සිංහල ජනයාට ඉඩක් දෙන්නේ ඉඩම් ඉල්ලන  කොළඹ ඉන්නා දෙමළ වැසියෙකුට පවා ඉඩම් දී ඉතිරි වුනොත් පමණය!

 LankaWeb – R. Sampanthan and the Sinhala black-whites

Unreasonable pacts

   …Two of the tallest leaders, Mr. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and Mr. Dudley Senanayake who served this country, signed these Pacts (7/26/1957, 3/24/1965) and along with the undisputed leader of the Tamil people, the late Mr. S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, in their capacity as Prime Ministers of this country. Their idea was that the territorial identity of minority peoples, who preponderantly occupied the Northern and Eastern Provinces, must be preserved…” Parliamentary speech by TNA Leader, R.  Sampanthan on December 14, 2013).

[Thus], Sampnathan’s long story needs to be considered in the light of all these interlinked factors. The complaint that colonization schemes were government projects aimed at Sinhalization cannot hold water when examined in detail. How can SWRD agree to give power over land to a group of Tamil separatists when their aim was to create a separate country joining with Tamil Nad?  Only in 1962, with nationalism cry during the Indo-China war that Nehru gained sufficient courage to ban Tamil separatism by a constitutional amendment. This means SWRD’s time was not a <separatism free period in Ceylon>. Even though it was not as bad as what Dudley did, as Sambandan’s speech records, it was agreed that in the matter of colonisation schemes, the powers of the Regional Councils shall include the power to select allottees to whom lands within their area of authority shall be alienated and also power to select personnel to be employed for work on such schemes”. SWRD was willing to remove monitoring power of the central government.

But a real disaster came with Dudley. During his time the DMK proscribed in India was a severe problem in the Kandyan areas plus the Kallathoni illegal immigrants, yet Dudley agreed to a giveaway like what RanilW did in 2002. Thus, as Sampanthan reveals, Mr. Senanayake further agreed that in the granting of land under colonization schemes the following priorities be observed in the Northern and Eastern provinces.

(a) Land in the Northern and Eastern Provinces should in the first instance be granted to landless persons in the district.

(b) Secondly, to Tamil-speaking persons resident in the northern and eastern provinces.

(c) Thirdly, to other citizens in Ceylon, preference being given to Tamil citizens resident in the rest of the Island.”

This order of priority means a landless Tamil in Dehiwala or Hambantota will get preference over a landless Sinhala in NP or EP! The Thesawalmei law blocks any outsiders buying most lands in NP. Thus, Tamil separatists want all for them, and none for others.

 This behavior of Dudley for the simple reason of keeping the PM job for him was arbitrary and he had no power to decide a national matter like this without a people’s mandate in a clear statement in an election manifesto. Therefore, citing D-C pact as a historical incident in the march toward separatism has no moral or legal authority. The behavior of these politicians, at least since 1948, only proves what the Anagarika Dharmapala said in the 1940s. He said that the white master would leave the island after creating a group of black-white group of about 20-30,000 people and that they would continue to do what the white master trained them to do.

අන්තිමේදී ත්‍රිකුණාමළයේ කෝනේෂ්වරන් දේවාල භූමිය, හින්දු පූජා භූමියක් ලෙස ගැෂට් කිරීමට ඩඩ්ලි එකඟ නොවීම නිසා ඒ කාලයේ හත්හවුල ලෙස හඳුන්වන ලද ඩඩ්ලි/JRJ පෙඩරල් දීගය නිමවිය (එම දේවාලය යටින් ඇත්තේ පෘතුගීසීන් විසින් විනාශකල පුරාණ බෞද්ධ විහාරයක නටබුන් යයි සැළකේ.). එම කාලයේදී රිචඩ් ගෝඨාභය සේනානායක (අකාලයේ මියගිය ඩඩ්ලිගේ මහප්පාවූ F.R. සේනානායකගේ පුතා) ත්‍රිකුණාමළයේ සිංහල ජනයා රැක ගැනීම වෙනුවෙන්  බලවත් ජාතික සේවයක් ඉටුකලේය.

*4. අගමැතිනි සිරිමාවෝ (1960-64/ 1970-77)

ඉන්දියාව හා චීනය අතර යුද්ධය සමාදාන කිරීමට ඇය මැදිහත්වූයේ ඉන්දියාවට යුද ආධාර දීමට ජනාධිපති කෙනඩි සළකා බලමින් සිටියදීය. එසේ වූවා නම් චීනය ඔවුන් අල්ලාගත් ප්‍රදේශ අත්හැර යාවිද යන්න සැක සහිතය.

සිරිමා -ශාස්ත්‍රී ගිවිසුම අනුව ඉන්දියන් දෙමළ  පුරවැසි ප්‍රශ්ණය බොහෝ දුරට විසඳුනේය. සෑම විටම සමතැන වෙනුවෙන් පෙනීසිටි LSSP පක්ෂය අතහැර කොළඹ දෙමළ ජනයා පෙඩරල් පක්ෂය වටා එක්වීම මේ කාලයේදී සිදුවිය. අධ්‍යාපන ඇමති බදියුද්දීන්ගේ කාලයේදී පාසැල් වලින් රටේ ඉතිහාසය හා භූගෝල විද්‍යාව ඉවත් කිරීම මාක්ස්වාදීන් SLFP එකට එකතුවීමත් සමඟ වැඩිදුරටත් තහවුරුවිය.

ඇගේ ධූර කාලය තුල ඉන්දිරා ගාන්ධි සමඟ තිබූ ලඟ සම්බන්ධය නිසා උතුරේ පෙඩරල් කරදර ඇය ගණන් ගත්තේ නැත. N.Q. ඩයස් ආරක්ෂක ලේකම් DMK පිරිස් හොරෙන් රටට ඒම හා හොරබඩු ජාවාරම් මැඩලීමට හමුදා කඳවුරු පිහිටුවේය. 1962 පොලිස්-නේවි ක්‍රිස්තියානි කුමණ්ත්‍රනයට පසුව හමුදාවලට වැඩිවැඩියෙන් සිංහල බෞද්ධයින් බඳවා ගන්නා ලදී. මිරිස් රතුලූණු ආදිය ආනයනය නැවත්වීම නිසා යාපනේ ගොවියාගේ අතමිට සරුවිය. තැපැල් ඇමති ලෙස කුමාරසූරියර් (වෙල්ලාල නොවන?) පත්කරණ ලදී. යාපනේට විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයක් දෙන ලදී. එහෙත් පෙඩරල් පක්ෂයේ මිතුරන්ව සිටි LSSP හා සමඟ නිජබිම් මිථ්‍යාව ජය ගන්නට ඇය අසමත් විය.

ඒ සඳහා ඇයට මඟ පෙන්වන්නට කෙනෙක් නොවීය. උදාහරණයක් වශයෙන් සිංහල-දෙමළ භාෂා දෙකම පාසැල් වල උගන්වන්නට ක්‍රියාකලානම්, උතුරේ පහත් කුලවල යයි සළකන ජනයා වෙනුවෙන් රජය මැදිහත් වුනා නම්, කොළඹ දෙමළ ක්‍රිස්තියානි නායකයින් පිරිසක් විසින්  රට බෙදන්නට ගෙන ගිය ව්‍යාපාරය පරදවන්නට ඉඩ තිබුණි. 1957 දී අගමැති බණ්ඩාරනායක ගෙනා කුලභේදය උඩ යාපනේ මිනිසුන්ට හිරිහැර කිරීම වැලැක්වීමේ පණත (Prevention of Civil Disabilities Act, 21 of 1957) සංශෝධනය කර ඒ සඳහා රජයේ ආයතනයක් යාපනයේ පිහිටුවන්නට ඉඩ තිබුණේය. ඊට ඉන්දිරා ගාන්ධිගේ සහාය ලැබෙණු  නිසැකය. පොදු රාජ්‍ය මණ්ඩල සම්මේලනයක් කොළඹ පවත්වනවා වෙනුවට මෙවැනි දෙයක් කලා නම් කෙතරම් වටිනවාද?

බෞද්ධ ප්‍රතිපත්ති අනුව යමින් දෙමළ බෙදුම්වාදය පරාජය කිරීමට තොබූ අනගි අවස්ථාවක් සිරිමාවෝ ආණ්ඩුකාලයේදී තිබුණත් කොල්වින්-ෆිලීක්ස් ඩයස් යන අය සැදූ 1972 ජන රජ ව්‍යවස්ථාව පෙඩරල් දෙශපාලක කල්ලියෙන් ඔබ්බට ගොස් දෙමළ ජනතාවට සහන සපයන්නක් කිරීමට ක්‍රියාකලේ නැත. රටේ නම සිංහලේ කියා වෙනස් කිරීමටවත් අගමැතිනිය වටේ සිටි මේ  කළු සුද්දන් අතපසු කලේය. රටේ අගනුවර රජ රටට ගෙනයන්නට තිබුණි. ඇය හා එක්වූ මාක්ස්වාදීන්ට මේවා වැඩකට නැති දේය. එම ව්‍යවස්ථාව රටේ අස්සක් මුල්ලක් නෑර හැම රජ්‍ය ආයතනයක්ම දේශපාලනීකරණය කිරීමක් විය.

*5. අගමැති/ජනාධිපති ජේ. ආර්. ජයවර්ධන (1977-1989)

මෙවැනි පසුබිමක් යටතේ රටේ මිනිසුන් පාන් පෝලිම්වල සිටිනවා නවත්වන්නට හා ධර්මිෂ්ට සමාජයක් ගොඩනගන්නට, 1947 සිටම ඉව අල්ලමින් මඟ බලමින් සිටි JRJ 1977 අගදී අගමැති වුයේ හයෙන් පහක ආසන සංඛ්‍යාවක් දිනාගෙනය. ඔහු අතගැසූ හැම දෙයක්ම විනාශයෙන් කෙළවරවූයේ කුවේණිගේ සාපය නිසාද?

ඔහුගෙන් ඇරඹී, ඔහු විසින් දේශපාලනයට ගෙනා ඔහුගේ බැනා කෙනෙක්වන රනිල් මහතා ගෙන් අවසාන වන (1977-2023) මෙම ලිපියේ ඉතිරි කොටස ඉදිරියේදී බලාපොරොත්තු වන්න.

TED RALL  Courtesy The Unz Review

Though their number is steadily dropping, especially among Republicans, most Americans support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. I have a question for you pro-Ukraine peeps: Imagine you were Russian President Vladimir Putin just shy of a year ago. What would you have done in his place?

Putin faced an impossible situation. He knew that an invasion would bring Western sanctions and international opprobrium. Staying out of Ukraine, however, would weaken Russia’s geopolitical position and his political standing. Caught in an updated version of Zbigniew Brzezinski’s 1979 Afghan Trap,” he acted like any Russian leader. He chose strength.

The story (now disputed) is that National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski convinced President Jimmy Carter to covertly support the overthrow of the Soviet-aligned socialist government of Afghanistan and arm the radical-Islamist mujahideen guerrilla fighters. Determined not to abandon an ally or allow destabilization along its southern border, the USSR was drawn into Brzezinski’s fiendish Afghan Trap” — an economically ruinous and politically demoralizing military quagmire in Afghanistan analogous to America’s ill-fated intervention in Vietnam.

A year ago, Ukraine was a trap for Russia. Now, as Ukraine’s requests for increasingly sophisticated weaponry pile up on Biden’s desk, it’s one for the U.S. as well.

All nations consider friendly relations with neighboring countries to be an integral component of their national security. Big countries like the United States, China and Russia have the muscle to bend nearby states to their will, creating a sphere of influence. The Monroe Doctrine claimed all of the Americas as the U.S.’ sphere of influence. Russia sees the former republics of the Soviet Union the same way, as independent, Russian-influenced buffer states.

None of the 14 countries along its 12,514 miles of land borders is as sensitive for Russia as Ukraine. When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, they passed through Ukraine across its 1,426-mile border with Russia. Four years later, 27 million Soviet citizens, 14% of the population, were dead.

Adding insult to injury from a Russian perspective was the fact that many Ukrainians greeted the Nazis as liberators, collaborated with the Nazis and enthusiastically participated in the slaughter of Jews.

America’s most sensitive frontier is its southern border with Mexico, which the U.S. has invaded 10 times. We freaked out over China’s recent incursion into our air space by a mere surveillance balloon. Imagine how terrified we would be of Mexico if the Mexican army had invaded us, butchered one out of seven Americans and destroyed most of our major cities. We would do just about anything to ensure that Mexico remained a friendly vassal state.

Post-Soviet Ukraine had good relations with Russia until 2014, when President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown in the Maidan uprising — either a revolution or a coup, depending on your perspective — and replaced by Petro Poroshenko and subsequently Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ethnic Russians, a sizable minority in Ukraine, read the post-Maidan tea leaves. They didn’t like what they saw. The Maidan coalition included a significant number of neo-Nazis and other far-right factions. It was backed by the U.S. to the extent that Obama administration officials hand-picked Ukraine’s new department ministers. Poroshenko and Zelensky were Ukrainian nationalists who attempted to downgrade the status of the Russian language. Statues of and streets named after Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera went up across the country.

Low-grade civil war ensued. Russian speakers in the eastern Donbas region seceded into autonomous people’s republics.” When Russia annexed Crimea, the local Russian majority celebrated. Ukraine’s post-coup central government attempted to recapture the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics for eight years, killing thousands of Russian-speaking civilians with shelling.

Try to imagine an analogous series of events in North America. Mexico’s democratically elected pro-American president gets toppled by a violent uprising supported by communists and financed by Russia. Mexico’s new president severs ties with the U.S. Their new government discriminates against English-speaking American ex-pats and retirees in beach communities near Cancun, who declare independence from the Mexican central government, which goes to war against them.

Next, Mexico threatens to join an anti-U.S. military alliance headed by Russia, a collective-security organization similar to the former Warsaw Pact. The Pact’s members pledge to treat an attack on one as an attack on all. If Mexico joins the Pact and there is a border dispute between the U.S. and Mexico, Russia and its allies could respond with force up to and including nuclear weapons.

Zelensky has repeatedly expressed his desire to join NATO — an anti-Russian security alliance — since assuming power in 2019. Ukraine probably wouldn’t qualify for NATO membership anyway. But it’s easy to see how the Ukrainian leader’s statements would cause offense, and fear, in Moscow.

Like Ukraine, Mexico is a sovereign state. But independence is relative. Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun, as Mao Zedong observed. So when you are a smaller, weaker country bordering a bigger, stronger country — Mongolia next to China, Ukraine next to Russia, Mexico next to the United States — prudent decision-making takes into account the fact that you have fewer gun barrels than your neighbor. Offending the biggest dog in your neighborhood would be foolish. Spooking it would be suicidal.

Supporters of Ukraine call the Russian invasion unprovoked.” Justified or unjustified? That’s subjective. But it was provoked. I have asked pro-Ukraine pundits what Biden or any other American president would’ve done had they faced the same situation as Putin. They refuse to answer because they know the truth: The United States would behave exactly the same way.

Look at Cuba: the Bay of Pigs, silly assassination attempts against Fidel Castro, six decades of severe economic sanctions. Then there’s Grenada. Ronald Reagan invaded a tiny island 2,700 miles away from the southern tip of Florida in order to overthrow a socialist prime minister and save American medical students who neither needed nor wanted saving. If Mexico, which shares a long border with the U.S., were to turn anti-American, how long do you think it would be before the U.S. Army invaded an 11th time?

Ted Rall (Twitter: @tedrall), the political cartoonist, columnist and graphic novelist, co-hosts the left-vs-right DMZ America podcast with fellow cartoonist Scott Stantis.

By Dr. Paul Craig Roberts  Courtesy Global Research

After the Russiagate Hoax, the Covid hoax, and the Insurrection hoax, We now Have the Chinese Spy Balloon Hoax

According to Washington and the media, China sent a balloon that the Pentagon said could” be loaded with explosives to spy on America.  A top general said that similar balloons have entered US airspace undetected before.  The balloon is huge–200 feet tall weighing in excess of a couple thousand pounds.  So if such a large object can enter our airspace undetected, does this mean far smaller ICBMs can also? 

Do understand that what is going on here is the purposeful creation of an incident for propaganda purposes to stoke up more animosity against China, and to spend more money on defense in Asia.  We don’t have a Malaysian airliner to blame on China, but we do have a weather balloon.

After receiving a brainwashing by a Pentagon briefing, Rep. Jim Himes (D,Conn.) says that US officials will learn a lot” from the pieces of the Chinese spy craft” that was shot down.

America’s Balloon Obsession Is an Attempt to Prevent Detente with China

Two other House members, one a Republican, one a Democrat declare the blown-off-course weather balloon a violation of American sovereignty.”  

The Chinese explanation is the only one that makes any sense: 

It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes. Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course.  The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to an unforeseen and unintended outcome. The Chinese side will continue communicating with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation caused by wind and limited steering capability.” (A translation uses the term force majeure,” an unforeseen event.)

But the spy story continues.  It is needed in order to worsen relations with China, the second nuclear power that Washington is doing everything it possibly can to antagonize.  Keep in mind that in these days spying is done by satellites, not by weather balloons.  If China is using balloons to spy on the US, why did China send a balloon over Columbia.  Why is China spying on South America?  

The Columbian military determined that the balloon posed no threat to national security, defense, or air safety.  Washington lacks the capability of the Columbian military, because Washington is in the business of creating a hoax issue.

Try to think of something the government has told the truth about.  Tonkin Gulf?  Ruby Ridge?  Waco? Oklahoma City Bombing? 9/11? Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction?  Assad’s use of chemical weapons? Gaddafi?  Russiagate?  January 6 insurrection?  Covid?  Covid vaccine?  Ukraine?  Malaysian airliner?   Find one thing that was true.

All the government’s lies, parroted by the press-titutes, are designed to advance secret agendas.  The people are brainwashed with lies so that they go along with the agendas.  That is the way the US government functions.  There is no longer an American media.  Just an indoctrination ministry.  Only official narratives please.  All else is misinformation.

The original source of this article is Institute for Political Economy

මහාචාර්ය රාජ් සෝමදේව

Lanka Lead News

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ සිංහල ජනතාව පරිනාමය වන්නේ දෙමළ ජනතාවගෙන් බවට උතුරු පළාත් හිටපු මහ ඇමැති සී.වී. විග්නේෂ්වරන් සිදුකළ ප්‍රකාශය පිළිබදව මහාචාර්ය රාජ් සෝමදේව මහතා අදහස් දක්වා ඇත.

ඒ අනුව විග්නේෂ්වරන් සදහන් කරන ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මුල් පදිංචිකරුවන් වූ දෙමළ ජනතාව කතාකර ඇත්තේ සිංහල භාෂාවය.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

The government insisted that only 2.6 percent of Sri Lanka’s total workforce of 4.64 million are subjected to the pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) income tax, with nearly half of the labour force receiving a less than Rs.30,000 monthly salary.

The country’s workforce consists of 4,645,572 people. Forty-eight percent of the labour force or 2,231,620 people receive a less than Rs.30,000 salary monthly. Only 120,965 persons or 2.6 percent of the labour force, who are earning over Rs.100,000 per month, are subjected to the PAYE tax,” Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyabalapitiya told Parliament yesterday.

With the state expenditure for the year estimated at Rs.5.42 trillion, he stressed that there is no alternative other than the ongoing taxation measures targeted at enhancing state revenue to Rs.3.65 trillion for the year, which is critical to pay for the essential recurrent expenditures.

In January, the gap between revenue and expenditure was at 350 percent. Despite these circumstances, we cannot print money, we cannot borrow from abroad and we have reached the borrowing limit from domestic banks,” Siyabalapitiya added.

Currently, monetary financing has been restricted to service interest payments to creditors, as the country is under debt restructuring negotiations with its external creditors and the International Monetary Fund.

Meanwhile, Siyabalapitiya pointed out that 3.91 million families, out of 5.8 million families, are seeking state assistance to continue their livelihoods. Therefore, he urged everyone to play their role in this critical period to emerge out of this crisis despite the financial strain.

At this juncture, we all need to fulfil the responsibilities that befallen us more or less. We need to bear this stress. The time has arrived for us to think responsibly,” he said