by Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge 

30^th December

Several officers from the Metropolitan Police Force’s Lambeth Division visited me to inform me about the discovery of Bernard’s lifeless body in Gipsy Hill. They indicated that through his employer, J.G. Littlechild & Co, they were aware of his assignment linked to me. The police suspect foul play, believing he was murdered by strangulation.

I informed them that Bernard had traveled to Gipsy Hill to meet Diverus, who had placed a substantial order for wool from Verna. However, I refrained from mentioning Count Dracula or any related incidents. When questioned about my interest in the cargo of the ship Beelzebub, I fabricated a story, claiming that a missing Russian nobleman aboard the vessel was an acquaintance of mine, whom I had met during my travels in Eastern Europe. Upon seeing his name in the newspapers among the missing passengers, I felt compelled to investigate and subsequently hired a private detective. I believe the police accepted my explanation, and I urged them to locate Diverus, as Bernard was en route to meet him. The officers assured me that a team would be dispatched to Gipsy Hill to search for Diverus.

After the police left, I was plunged into a profound despair, prompting me to consume a glass of brandy in an attempt to soothe my frayed nerves. The shocking and horrific murder of Bernard left me grappling with questions: who could have committed such a crime? Was Diverus responsible for Bernard’s death, and if so, what could have motivated such an act? Could it be that Bernard had uncovered compelling evidence related to Count Dracula? My greatest apprehension was the possibility that Dracula himself had orchestrated Bernard’s murder. In response to these disturbing revelations, I swiftly penned letters to Dr. Seward and Professor Van Helsing to apprise them of the unfolding situation.

I have long desired a life characterized by peace, free from stress and fear. However, my dreams were abruptly interrupted by a challenging assignment from the law firm, which initiated a chaotic journey. The moment I set out for the Carpathian Mountains to meet Count Dracula and finalize the transactions, my life took a drastic turn. I encountered a malevolent creature, and his influence scarred my life. Meeting Dracula marked the beginning of a profound misery that shattered the tranquillity I once enjoyed. The expectation that vanquishing Dracula would restore the tranquility we desired has proven misguided, as it appears that the curse associated with him continues to pursue us relentlessly.

1^st January

As the New Year began on January 1st, Mina and Quincy looked forward to the festivities, while I was consumed by a profound sense of fear and unease stemming from the news of Bernard’s death. This tragic event loomed over me, creating an unsettling feeling that something malevolent was tracking us. Although I tried to mask my anxiety from Mina, she perceptively noticed my distress, leading me to concoct a story about feeling unwell. During our discussion, she brought up the ship Beelzebub, which she had encountered in the newspapers, and its mysterious connection to the ill-fated Demeter. Mina recounted her vacation in Whitby, where she and Lucy witnessed the Demeter being violently thrown ashore, culminating in the horrifying sight of the captain’s corpse, his hands bound to the wheel and clutching a crucifix, a grim symbol of his desperate struggle against the storm. Disturbingly, the ship was completely crewless, with all aboard having vanished without a trace during the journey.

Mina continued to share that as the unnatural storm lashed the Demeter, Lucy grew increasingly restless, prompting Mina to secure their bedroom door to keep her calm. Mr. Swales, an elderly local who had formed a friendship with Mina and Lucy, observed the ship’s erratic movements, noting that it appeared to be sailing without a helmsman. Tragically, Mr. Swales was later found dead on the very bench where he had spent time with the girls, his neck broken and his face frozen in terror. I suspect he fell prey to Dracula on the night of August 10, just two days after the Demeter’s arrival, marking him as the first of Dracula’s victims on English soil.

The fate of the captain of the Demeter evokes a profound sense of dread in me. He grappled with the knowledge of Dracula’s presence aboard and witnessed the gradual demise of his crew. Clutching a crucifix in a desperate plea for divine protection, he ultimately succumbed to the overwhelming terror and chaos that doomed the ship, found lifeless at the helm upon its wreckage on the Whitby shore. This tragic narrative prompts speculation about the crew of the Beelzebub, who may have faced a similarly grim fate at the hands of Dracula, who, unlike the captain, lacked the fortitude to navigate through the horrors that beset them. As I reflect on these terrible events, a growing sense of fear compels me to seek solace in frequent brandy consumption, hoping to quiet my troubled mind and find rest. Meanwhile, I await news from the police regarding the Gipsy horse dealer, pondering his potential connection to Dracula and whether he serves as a human accomplice.

My time spent in Dracula’s castle revealed the presence of Slovaks and Szgany labouring with sand, assisting in the transport of his native soil to England, while I remained trapped and powerless, their mocking laughter echoing in my ears. This leads me to question whether Diverus is affiliated with these groups that seem devoted to the count.

The apprehension of Diverus by the police could yield significant information regarding the murder of my private investigator, Bernard. It remains uncertain whether Bernard was killed by Diverus during a confrontation concerning the ship’s cargo. However, if the police interrogate Diverus, many answers will likely emerge.

3^rd January

A group of police officers from the Metropolitan police approached me to report their visit to Gipsy Hill in search of Diverus. They said that he has been missing for several days, with even his family unaware of his location. I shared my suspicion that Diverus might be the murderer, potentially driven by rage to kill Bernard. However, the inspector cautioned against jumping to conclusions, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation. Consequently, they have initiated a nationwide surveillance effort to locate Diverus, with all stations alerted. Detectives are actively exploring various Gipsy neighborhoods in their search, and the inspector assured me that it would only be a matter of days before they apprehend him. It is my sincere hope that they can locate him and uncover the truth.

6^th January

The metropolitan police have informed me of the discovery of Diverus’s body in a secluded cemetery located in West Dulwich. Following a post-mortem examination conducted this morning, the coroner reported an absence of blood in Diverus’s body, with no significant injuries or damage to any arteries detected. A thorough search of the cemetery yielded no traces of blood in the surrounding area, leaving both the police and the coroner perplexed regarding the circumstances of the blood loss. This raises several questions: who could have killed Diverus, and what motives might they have had? Furthermore, how could the perpetrator have drained his blood without leaving any visible evidence? Speculation arises about the involvement of a figure like Dracula; if so, what could have driven him to eliminate Diverus? Was the intent to keep his arrival in England concealed, and what implications would that have had for his plans?

Upon receiving the news of Diverus’s demise, my trepidation grew significantly, compelling me to take immediate action. I promptly communicated my concerns to Mina, followed by Dr. Seward and Professor Van Helsing, ensuring that they were aware of the gravity of the situation. In light of the escalating threat, I adopted stringent measures to safeguard our home, resolutely deciding to refrain from venturing outside after dusk. I meticulously affixed crucifixes to every entry point, including doors and windows, as a form of spiritual defense. Additionally, I procured the Sacred Host, utilizing the communion wafers to seal the gaps in our doors, thereby enhancing our protective barriers. Holy Water became a staple in my routine, as I diligently sprinkled it across the windowsills both morning and night. To further fortify our sanctuary, I enlisted the services of a priest from St. Marylebone Parish Church to bless our residence, a ritual we continued every Sunday. We established a Home Altar adorned with blessed candles, creating a focal point for our spiritual vigilance.

Mina and I found ourselves reverting to a state of heightened tension, taking every conceivable precaution to prevent Dracula from infiltrating our home. While I harbored doubts about his resurrection and return to England, the unsettling events of recent days left me with an undeniable sense of foreboding. Consequently, I urged Dr. Seward to seek spiritual protection, recognizing the necessity of fortifying our defences against the encroaching darkness.

26^th January

I was deeply shocked to learn of Arthur Holmwood’s death, as reported in the Palmall Gazette, which stated that he had suffered a heart attack while visiting Kingstead Churchyard in North-West London. This site resonated with me, being the burial ground of Lucy Westenra’s family.

Arthur was a remarkable man who was profoundly affected when Lucy fell gravely ill due to Dracula’s predations. He selflessly participated in a blood transfusion led by Abraham Van Helsing, unknowingly giving his own blood to save his beloved fiancée. After Lucy’s tragic death, Arthur struggled to accept her transformation into a vampire, but his disbelief was shattered upon encountering her in her vampiric form, which forced him to confront the grim reality of her fate. Initially horrified and furious at the thought of disturbing Lucy’s remains, Arthur’s perspective shifted when he recognized that the creature before him was not the Lucy he cherished, but a malevolent being. Van Helsing entrusted him with the agonizing responsibility of driving a stake through her heart, a task he undertook amidst immense emotional distress.

Additionally, Arthur was instrumental in the pursuit of Dracula. When the vampire fled England by sea, the hunters knew he was on a ship but lacked specific details. Arthur utilized his high-society connections, leveraging his influence with the chairmen and underwriters at Lloyd’s of London to facilitate swift communication. This strategic action enabled immediate telegrams to be sent to every European port, effectively transforming the geopolitical landscape into a vast dragnet that forced Dracula to abandon his refuge and engage in a desperate race against time.

In the pivotal pursuit back to Transylvania, Arthur collaborated with us, playing a crucial role in cornering the Szgany wagon that transported Dracula’s last box of earth just outside Castle Dracula. His tactical support was instrumental in enabling us to eliminate the Count once and for all.

Arthur Holmwood emerged victorious from the final confrontation with the Count’s Szgany guards, subsequently leading a life filled with happiness and tranquillity. He held Lucy dear in his heart, often making visits to her grave at Kingstead Churchyard in North-West London. The circumstances surrounding his heart attack during one of these visits remain unclear. I have determined to accompany Dr. Seward to visit his family tomorrow.

27^th January

I accompanied Dr. Seward to the funeral of our esteemed friend, Arthur Holmwood, where we encountered several individuals who recounted the unsettling events that transpired at the cemetery. It became evident that on that tragic evening, Arthur had ventured to Kingstead Churchyard in North-West London, presumably to pay his respects at Lucy’s tomb. They described that he lingered by the grave until dusk, after which he attempted to return to his wagon but collapsed near Lucy’s resting place, succumbing to unconsciousness. When the wagon driver noticed Arthur’s prolonged absence, he ventured into the cemetery only to discover him sprawled on the ground, his visage contorted in terror, as if he had encountered something profoundly horrifying. His eyes were wide with fear, and his mouth was agape, as if he had been attempting to scream in sheer panic. Tragically, it was at that moment that he suffered a heart attack, and by the time his coachman and aides reached him, Arthur had already passed away.

This harrowing account filled both Dr. Seward and me with a sense of dread, leading us to speculate about the nature of the terror that had befallen Arthur at Lucy’s tomb. I found myself grappling with an overwhelming sense of fear, convinced that whatever had terrified Arthur was now tracking us. During the funeral, I made concerted efforts to mask my anxiety, even extending my condolences to Lady Godalming.

Dr. Seward expressed a desire to visit Lucy’s grave for further investigation, but I was gripped by fear and adamantly declined. He then proposed to go alone, but I implored him not to venture into the graveyard, emphasizing the uncertainty of what might be lurking there, especially as dusk approached, making it an exceedingly perilous undertaking. After bidding a final farewell to our dear friend Arthur, I returned home while Dr. Seward proceeded to the hospital. Once at home, I took it upon myself to write a letter to Professor Van Helsing, detailing Arthur’s death and the peculiar information we had gathered regarding the circumstances surrounding his untimely demise.

3^rd February

Following the demise of Arthur Holmwood, a profound sense of dread and anxiety shrouded me, casting a shadow over my thoughts and actions. Mina, too, was deeply affected by his passing, particularly in light of the dreadful events that transpired near Lucy’s family tomb. In an effort to shield ourselves from any lingering malevolence, we took every precaution, ensuring that all doors and windows were securely locked before the sun dipped below the horizon. We utilized holy water and various forms of spiritual protection to ward off malevolent forces.

Mina’s mental state deteriorated, leaving her visibly distressed and unbalanced, while I resorted to consuming copious amounts of brandy in a futile attempt to quell my own fears. As dusk approached, an overwhelming sense of terror gripped me, reminiscent of the apprehension I felt during my time at Count Dracula’s castle, when the sun vanished behind the imposing Carpathian Mountains. This persistent unease kept me on high alert, with every unusual sound in the night causing me to flinch and react with heightened anxiety. In a desperate bid to escape my fears, I sought solace in intoxication, hoping to find some semblance of rest. However, Mina expressed her concern regarding my increasing reliance on alcohol over the past few months. With the arrival of morning, a wave of relief washed over me as I welcomed the dawn, yet as evening once again approached, my anxiety surged anew. It became painfully clear that we were ensnared in a cycle of suffering and fear, with no apparent hope for salvation on the horizon.

13^th February

This morning, I was abruptly awakened by the startling news of a heinous crime that had taken place at Dr. Seward’s hospital in Purfleet-On-Thames, Essex. It was reported that a perpetrator had entered the facility and brutally murdered Dr. Seward at the stroke of midnight. After attending to his patients, he had settled down for a brief rest on the couch in his office, unaware of the impending danger.

Upon receiving the distressing information, I hurried to the hospital, where I found a gathering of staff members and police officers congregated near his office. After introducing myself to the chief inspector, I was granted access to the scene, and the sight that met my eyes was nothing short of horrifying. Dr. Seward lay lifeless on the couch, his eyes wide open, reflecting an expression of sheer terror, with a gold dagger—previously taken from Dracula’s castle—embedded in his heart.

Questions raced through my mind: who could have committed such a vile act, and what could have driven them to do so? I recalled that Dr. Seward had brought back gold coins from Dracula’s castle, which I knew were stored in a wooden box beneath the couch; upon inspection, I found the box untouched, leading me to conclude that robbery was not the motive behind this gruesome murder.

The dagger, however, was kept in a secret compartment within his writing desk, indicating that the assailant possessed intimate knowledge of the hospital’s layout and Dr. Seward’s personal belongings.

The hospital staff reported no unusual occurrences, stating that Dr. Seward had been seeing patients until approximately 11:30 PM before retiring to his office for a brief respite. The facility’s doors were securely locked, and several guards were stationed at the entrance, making it nearly impossible for an intruder to gain access. Furthermore, all patients with a history of violent behavior were confined to their rooms, under constant surveillance by the orderlies. At midnight, a chilling scream pierced the silence, prompting some staff members to rush to Dr. Seward’s office, only to find the door locked. They were forced to break it down, revealing the horrifying scene of Dr. Seward’s lifeless body, the dagger still protruding from his heart.

The investigation into the murder of Dr. Seward left even the police baffled, as they struggled to piece together the circumstances surrounding his untimely demise. Dr. Seward was a figure of great esteem within the community, possessing neither enemies nor rivals, which made the crime all the more perplexing. The chief inspector noted the absence of any evidence suggesting a break-in at either the hospital or Dr. Seward’s office, leading to the unsettling conclusion that the assailant had managed to infiltrate the premises without leaving a trace.

The killer, shrouded in mystery, appeared to materialize from thin air, striking with lethal precision as he plunged a dagger into Dr. Seward’s heart. In his final moments, Dr. Seward’s expression was one of sheer terror, indicating that he had recognized his attacker.

This revelation prompted a chilling thought: could it be Count Dracula, who was previously known to have invaded the office with the assistance of Renfield while Mina was resting? The implication that Dracula had returned, resurrected and intent on hunting us down one by one, filled me with dread. Overwhelmed by fear, I could no longer remain in that place and hurried home to pen a letter to Dr. Van Helsing, detailing the grave situation surrounding Dr. Seward’s death.

I could not conceal my anxiety from Mina; upon learning of Dr. Seward’s tragic fate, she grasped the gravity of our predicament, whispering in despair that we are all going to die” and that death was now an inevitable fate awaiting us all.

15^th February

In the midst of profound grief, we gathered to bid farewell to our great friend, Dr. John Seward, whose presence had been a source of strength, support, and wisdom for us all. His absence leaves a void that is difficult to comprehend, as he was not only a colleague but also a steadfast ally and protector.

Mina, clad in mourning attire, appeared deeply affected by the loss, her expression reflecting a blend of sorrow and anxiety. As the sun began to set, casting a sombre glow over the proceedings, Mina and I made our way home, departing from the funeral before it concluded. This decision felt odd, yet the overwhelming weight of my apprehension overshadowed my adherence to traditional funeral customs, leaving me in a state of disarray as I grappled with the reality of our friend’s passing.

Upon returning home, I found myself unable to resist the allure of alcohol, leading me to indulge in Premium Irish Pot Still Whiskey. I consumed several glasses that served as a temporary balm for my overwhelming sadness and fear. I desired to escape into a deep, undisturbed slumber, free from the haunting memories and anxieties that threatened to resurface in the stillness of the night. The thought of confronting any distressing events during the midnight hours was unbearable, prompting me to seek solace in the comforting embrace of the whiskey, hoping it would lull me into a peaceful sleep.

25^th February

For almost ten consecutive days, I remained confined within the four walls of my home, seeking solace in the depths of whiskey as a means to mask my overwhelming fears. Despite Mina’s persistent expressions of concern, I grew increasingly resolute in my isolation, allowing my thoughts to spiral into disarray. My eating habits became erratic, and I neglected personal grooming, ignoring the letters that arrived and declining to meet with my clients. The majority of my time was spent in a state of restless slumber, with a Bible tucked beneath my pillow and a gold cross hanging around my neck, symbols of my desperate search for protection. Mina’s repeated suggestions for a shave and a hot bath fell on deaf ears, as I stubbornly resisted any attempts to restore normalcy. It felt as though I was teetering on the brink of madness.

One afternoon, while I lay on my bed lost in contemplation, our footman entered to announce the arrival of a gentleman from Amsterdam, presenting his card. Upon glancing at the card, a surge of surprise and joy coursed through me; it was none other than Professor Abram Van Helsing. Instantly invigorated by the prospect of his visit, I hastily took a shower, donned my evening attire, and made my way to the visitor’s room, eager to reconnect with the esteemed professor.

Upon embracing our long-time friend, an overwhelming wave of emotion surged through me, leading to an uncontrollable outpouring of tears. In a choked voice, I whispered, Professor, Arthur, and John have gone; I might be the next victim” 

Sensing my distress, Professor Van Helsing held me tight and said, Jonathan, gather your courage; we are going to fight back like the last time. We are going to destroy him if he is resurrected. Perhaps our fears are baseless; still, we don’t have credible evidence to prove that Dracula has resurrected. Perhaps Arthur had a great sadness remembering Lucy, and then he had a heart attack. Dr. Seward was killed by some smart intruder or one of his patients, even a staff member; who knows? I am here to investigate all these mysteries. My dear Jonathan, come back to your senses; I need your support and assistance.

After hearing Professor Van Helsing’s words gradually, my anxiety began to dissipate, bolstered by a newfound sense of resolve. I sipped a hot glass of coffee, its warmth serving to cleanse my system of the lingering effects of alcohol, and I felt a flicker of determination igniting within me.

I urged Professor Van Helsing to spend the night at our residence, prompting me to instruct our Chef to prepare an elaborate dinner in his honor. Mina, too, was filled with joy and anticipation at the prospect of seeing Professor Van Helsing, a man who had been a source of invaluable assistance to us on numerous occasions. His presence had a remarkable effect on us; the weight of our fears and anxieties seemed to lift, akin to the gradual dissipation of a dense fog. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, we found ourselves free from the burdens of stress and worry. Even Quincy, who had been somewhat reserved, sensed the uplifting atmosphere and decided to join us at the dinner table. During the meal, we consciously avoided any discussions that might remind us of our previous traumas, opting instead for light-hearted conversation. At one point, Professor Van Helsing remarked on the passage of time, sharing that he was beginning to feel the effects of aging and the ailments that often accompany it.

The evening unfolded with a delightful atmosphere, as Mina took the initiative to prepare the guest room for the Professor’s overnight stay, ensuring that every detail was attended to with care. As the night progressed, we indulged in a warm blend of coffee and wine, engaging in lively conversation that flowed effortlessly until the clock struck midnight, all while basking in the comforting glow of the fireplace.

This convivial setting allowed me to feel a sense of ease that had eluded me for quite some time, leaving my mind refreshingly unburdened. After bidding the Professor a cordial good night, I retired to my own room, carrying with me the lightness of spirit that had characterized our gathering.

26^th February

The morning was bright and cheerful, setting a positive tone for the day. During breakfast with Professor Van Helsing, I expressed my desire for him to remain with us, but he graciously declined, citing the need for solitude to focus on his investigations. He was determined to unravel the peculiar occurrences linked to the ship Beelzebub, including the mysterious deaths of private detective Bernard and horse trader Diverus from Gipsy Hill, as well as the untimely demise of Arthur and the murder of Dr. Seward. Professor Van Helsing emphasized the importance of discerning whether these incidents were interconnected by a malevolent force or merely isolated events. He articulated the urgency of determining if Count Dracula had returned, warning that if he had, we would face significant peril and must take decisive action to eliminate the threat. I wholeheartedly concurred with the professor’s assessment, recognizing the gravity of our situation and the necessity for courage in confronting this formidable adversary.

I promptly booked a room for Professor Van Helsing at the newly established Landmark London “Grande Dame” hotel, conveniently located near my residence. Concerned for his safety, I reached out to Pinkerton’s London Office and arranged for two armed security agents to ensure the professor’s protection. These physically strong individuals committed to providing security during both day and night shifts. In the evening, I organized for Professor Van Helsing to be transported under the watchful eye of a private bodyguard, planning to visit him the following morning.

27^th February

Early in the morning, I arrived at the Landmark London hotel to meet with Professor Van Helsing regarding our future plans. Upon my arrival, I noticed a commotion and an unusually high presence of police officers. I intended to proceed to the seventh floor, where the professor occupied a corner room, but was halted by the police, who informed me that a murder had taken place and the area was cordoned off. I identified myself and expressed my concern for my friend’s safety, but the officers reiterated that access to the seventh floor was prohibited until the chief inspector and detectives arrived. A wave of fear and apprehension surged through me, akin to a bolt of lightning. The police offered no details about the victim, heightening my anxiety for the professor’s well-being. I found myself praying and anxiously awaiting the chief inspector’s arrival.

Upon the chief police officer’s arrival at the hotel, I approached him, presented my card, and expressed my concerns. He received me with appropriate respect and kindly requested that I remain on the ground floor while he ascended to the seventh floor accompanied by two constables. I waited anxiously for his return, and after an hour, he came back downstairs, took my hand, and we settled into a lounge area. The Chief Inspector began by inquiring about the Professor and the bodyguard I had engaged from Pinkerton’s London Office. As I responded to his questions, my impatience grew, prompting me to ask about the Professor’s safety. After a significant pause, the inspector addressed me with a tone of empathy.

Dear Sir, Last night, somebody entered Professor Van Helsing’s room without arousing any suspicion. After entering his room, the killer first dealt with the bodyguard. With a single sharp blow, he broke the bodyguard’s neck. Being such a strong person, he could not withstand the attacker’s fatal blow. He died immediately. Then the killer approached Professor Van Helsing and smashed his head against the wall. The crime scene indicates that these two murders occurred within split seconds. I cannot fathom a killer who has such physical strength to attack with unimaginable vigour. My dear sir, your friend and the bodyguard are dead. I advise you not to visit the room; it’s so horrible to see the deaths of these two men. This is my thirty-second year in the force, and I have seen countless murders, even the victims of Jack the Ripper. But this killing scene shattered me and my nerves. Therefore, I advise you to go back to your house, and we will contact you with further information. We will do our utmost to catch the killer and bring him to justice.”

Upon learning of Professor Van Helsing’s death, I lost consciousness, unable to regain my composure. It felt as though a malevolent force had consumed all my cherished friends, leaving only Mina and me as the remaining victims. The urge to flee overwhelmed me, yet I found no sanctuary from this creature. My thoughts turned to returning home to protect Mina.

The chief police officer, recognizing my distress, assigned a constable to ensure my safe passage home. The journey was a blur in my memory, and upon arrival, I was struck by a sense of numbness, my appearance reflecting my inner turmoil. Mina, perceiving my distress, immediately sensed that something dreadful had occurred. Unable to articulate my feelings, I collapsed onto a couch. In my anguish, Mina conversed with the constable and learned of Professor Van Helsing’s tragic fate. Demonstrating remarkable strength, she absorbed the devastating news with a blend of sorrow and courage.

I found myself in a state of mental paralysis, unable to formulate any plans moving forward. The arrangements for Professor Van Helsing’s funeral weighed heavily on my mind, as I grappled with the decision of whether to conduct the last rites in England or to transport his remains to Amsterdam. My thoughts were clouded, leaving me ill-equipped to make any decisions. Most importantly, my focus was consumed by concerns for our safety and the urgent need to escape the grasp of this terrifying force.

Somehow, I gathered emotional strength and wrote a letter to my lawyer friend, Sir Edward Carson, seeking his assistance in managing the final arrangements for Professor Van Helsing. I find myself on the brink of a nervous breakdown, rendering me unable to cope with the situation any longer. In an attempt to alleviate my anxiety, I resorted to self-medication, consuming whiskey alongside a sedative, Paraldehyde, mixed with cold milk.

28^th February

Sir Edward Carson coordinated all the necessary arrangements for the transportation of Professor Van Helsing’s remains to his family in Amsterdam, ensuring that the body was placed in a sealed coffin for the journey. At the time, I found myself in a state of semi-intoxication, which significantly impaired my awareness of my surroundings and the events unfolding around me. Earlier that afternoon, the police had come to visit, but upon observing my lethargic condition, they decided to leave, informing Mina that they would return to speak with me on another occasion.

2^nd March

I awoke in the morning feeling sober, having abstained from whiskey the previous night, which allowed for clearer thinking despite a severe headache that prompted me to take Antipyrine powder.

After a light breakfast, I considered consulting a doctor, and upon Mina’s recommendation, I decided to reach out to Dr. Jonathan Hutchinson. While I was preparing to send him a message, our butler informed me of a package that had arrived. Upon inspection, I found a large object meticulously wrapped in thick black canvas and shroud velvet, delivered by a horse-drawn carriage. With the butler’s help, I opened the package to discover a coffin made of Honduras Mahogany, elegantly finished with a high-gloss French polish, dispatched by Leverton & Sons undertakers.  At first, I thought there had been an error, but the coachman handed me a sealed letter inscribed in black ink.

Mina

Flesh of my flesh. Do not fear the night, nor the change it brings. The blood that binds us now is not a curse, but a covenant. You are already mine, whispering to me across the silence of the London fog. We shall meet again when the moon is high, and the wolves sing in the valleys of my homeland. Until that hour, I remain, as I must ever be.

D

Upon examining the letter, I recognized the handwriting instantly; it was from Dracula. My initial correspondence with him occurred over seven years ago, coinciding with my arrival at the Golden Krone Hotel in Bistritz, Transylvania. The elderly landlord of the hotel presented the letter to me as soon as I checked in, and the contents have remained etched in my memory ever since.

My friend

Welcome to the Carpathians. I am anxiously expecting you. Sleep well tonight. At three tomorrow the diligence will start for Bukovina; a place on it is kept for you. At the Borgo Pass my carriage will await you and will bring you to me. I trust that your journey from London has been a happy one, and that you will enjoy your stay in my beautiful land.

Your friend, DRACULA

Upon waking late on my inaugural morning at Castle Dracula, I discovered a courteous handwritten note placed on the dining table. It read, “I must be absent for a while. Do not wait for me. — D.”

Receiving a handwritten letter from Count Dracula, I recognized his distinctive handwriting and style, leading me to conclude that the correspondence I received from the coachman was indeed authored by him.

Upon further inquiry with an assistant at Leverton & Sons undertakers, I learned that a peculiar man had visited the previous night, purchasing an expensive coffin and requesting its delivery to my address. When I sought a description of this enigmatic figure, the assistant described him as having a fierce, hawk-like appearance, characterized by a high, thin, hooked nose and unusually arched nostrils, complemented by a lofty, massive forehead. His eyebrows were notably thick, nearly converging above his nose, and his bushy hair curled outward. The man’s teeth were strikingly white and sharp, while his lips exhibited a vibrant, unnatural red hue that starkly contrasted with his pale skin. His ears were notably pointed at the tops, and he was dressed like a nobleman. After completing his transaction, he simply vanished into the mist, leaving no sound of a departing cart behind.

I have come to the unsettling conclusion that Dracula has resurrected and is now in England, systematically eliminating our team members. I fear I may be his next target, as he seems intent on making Mina his bride, just as he did with Lucy.

In a moment of panic, I inadvertently dropped the letter. I was afraid and feared handling any paper that had already been touched by Dracula, given the unholy nature of his hands. The message from Dracula left me utterly speechless and filled with terror. The gravity of Mina’s peril weighed heavily on me, prompting me to pay for the coffin’s return to the undertakers. I chose not to reveal the letter to Mina and instructed the butler to dispose of it in the fireplace. It became painfully clear that I am in a dire predicament, with all my trusted friends, who might have offered valuable counsel, having fallen victim to Dracula’s malevolence.

I felt an urgent need to flee London with Mina and our son, but the question of our destination loomed large. My thoughts turned to a sacred site, one where Dracula’s influence could not reach, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Palestine came to mind. However, the prospect of boarding a ship filled me with dread, as I feared Dracula might infiltrate the vessel, wreaking havoc among the passengers and crew through chaos and confusion.

As I contemplated our escape options, I recalled Mina’s distant relative, James Murray, residing in Scotland. Driven by fear and a survival instinct, I resolved to head to Fort Augustus Abbey, also known as St. Benedict’s Abbey, a consecrated ground in Scotland where we would be safe from Dracula’s grasp. Time was of the essence, and I knew I had to make arrangements without delay.

I approached Mina, embraced her closely, and whispered in her ear.  “Mina, I can bear the weight of these secrets no longer; I will hide nothing from you. Count Dracula has resurrected, and a terrible, suffocating danger looms over us all. I implore you, my love, summon your deepest strength and stand with me as my most formidable ally. We are utterly alone now; our trusted circle is no more, leaving only the two of us to confront this monstrous shadow. I dare not speak our strategy aloud, for the Count possesses insidious, unseen ways of listening to our choices. The blueprint for our salvation remains locked safely within my own mind. You must trust me implicitly—act as I command and move as I request, without question or delay. I beg of you, Mina, do not obstruct me now.”

Mina recognized the urgency of our predicament and consented to accompany me without hesitation regarding my choices. I organized our forthcoming actions and composed letters to several friends, requesting their assistance in overseeing our mansion and other assets during our absence. However, I refrained from disclosing my intentions or destination. I toiled until midnight, while Mina immersed herself in spiritual practices, anointing the house with holy water.

3^rd March

I rose early in the morning and arranged for a horse-drawn cart to transport Mina, Quincy, and myself to King’s Cross Station in London at precisely 10:00 AM. I had secured a First-Class Compartment for our journey to Glasgow, ensuring that we packed only the essentials. Before we departed from London, I entrusted Sir Edward Carson with full legal authority to manage our mansion, staff, and other assets, informing him that we were embarking on a pilgrimage for an indefinite duration. His reliability alleviated any concerns I had about the property we were leaving behind.

Throughout the train journey, our conversation remained light and focused on trivial matters rather than our future plans. Quincey expressed enthusiasm for the lengthy train ride. As the train thundered past the lush green fields of Northamptonshire, sped through Rugby, and raced across the industrial landscapes of Lancashire, we ventured deeper into the Highlands. We arrived in  Glasgow around seven in the evening, after which we took a carriage to Kelvingrove Park, the location of James Murray’s residence.

James Murray and his wife welcomed us with great joy, and Mina’s reunion with her after many years was particularly heartwarming. His young children quickly formed a bond with Quincey, leading to a pleasant dinner together. I chose not to disclose our ongoing challenges to James, as I preferred not to extend our stay at his home. To his astonishment, we rose early the next morning and set off for Fort Augustus Abbey, also known as St. Benedict’s Abbey. This destination, nestled deep within the rugged Scottish Highlands along the shores of Loch Ness, required a considerable journey of approximately six hours, which we accomplished through a combination of swift steam rail and a horse-drawn carriage. I assured James that I would send a letter detailing our circumstances.

Upon arriving at St. Benedict’s Abbey in the evening, I was immediately covered by a sense of calm and tranquillity, inspired by the Gothic Revival architecture of the monastery. The structure’s walls, built from robust, rough-hewn local pink and grey Highland granites, were elegantly contrasted by smooth freestone dressings around the windows, imparting a fortified and ancient aura. The steep, dark slate roofs were adorned with ornamental iron ridges, stone cross-gables, and tall gothic brick chimneys emitting smoke from the peat fires within.

Inside, the abbey was illuminated solely by flickering oil lamps and beeswax candles, which cast long, dancing shadows on the cold granite walls. The thick stone walls effectively muted the howling Highland winds, creating a profound silence, broken only by the resonant chants of the monks performing Gregorian melodies. Shaken by a near-fatal clash with Dracula, I found solace in this sacred space, and following a brief prayer in the church, I proceeded to meet Father Kentigern Milne.

Father Kentigern Milne greeted me warmly, extending a friendly gesture that immediately put me at ease. I conveyed to him that my family was currently grappling with a profound spiritual crisis, which we believed was influenced by malevolent forces of a satanic nature. In light of this troubling situation, we had decided to seek refuge in the abbey for a period of time, hoping to find solace and guidance. I also expressed our desire for the blessings of Father Kentigern Milne and the other priests, as we believed that such spiritual support would be instrumental in fortifying our spiritual well-being.

Although Father Kentigern Milne graciously declined my request for blessings, I felt compelled to offer a substantial donation to the abbey, believing it would contribute positively to our experience there. In response to our needs, Father Kentigern Milne promptly summoned a junior priest, instructing him to arrange for our accommodations, ensuring that we would have the necessary lodgings during our stay.

The accommodations provided to us were simple yet comfortable, situated just beyond the confines of the monastery. This location served as a spiritual retreat, offering us a much-needed respite from the burdens of daily life. As the night unfolded, the soothing sounds of the priests engaged in their prayers permeated the air, creating an atmosphere of tranquillity. We found ourselves surrounded by a profound sense of calm and serenity, reassured by the sanctity of the ground we occupied. The belief that we were shielded from the ominous presence of Dracula further contributed to our peace of mind. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I was able to drift into a deep sleep, free from the anxieties that had previously plagued my thoughts.

10^th March

St. Benedict’s Abbey became a sanctuary of hope and security for us, contrasting sharply with the opulence of the mansion we inhabited, which, despite its wealth, was permeated by an atmosphere of fear and unease. The looming presence of Dracula’s shadow cast a pall over our lives, instilling a constant sense of dread that we could not shake off. In this environment of anxiety, we found solace in the structured routine of the abbey, where our days were filled with prayer and the profound teachings delivered during sermons. The abbey not only nourished our spirits but also provided us with sustenance, allowing us to dedicate the majority of our time to the worship of God, thereby fostering a sense of peace and purpose amidst the turmoil that surrounded us.

(The end of part 4 ) 

Senaka Weeraratna

The establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to investigate colonial-era injustices against Buddhism and the Sinhalese population has been a topic of serious discussion among nationalist groups, legal scholars, and civil society.

Broadening a mandate to cover a 443-year span (1505–1948) introduces immense legal complexities regarding testimonies, individual criminal accountability, and verifiable evidence required by international legal frameworks. [1, 2]

Nevertheless, subsequent post-independence governments chose to address the historical suppression of Buddhism through constitutional state protections rather than investigative tribunals. [1, 2]

• Article 9: The 1972 and 1978 Constitutions of Sri Lanka formally rectified colonial-era marginalization by giving Buddhism the “foremost place” and making it the duty of the state to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• Institutional restoration: Over the decades, state mechanisms like the Department of Buddhist Affairs and the Archaeological Department were established to reclaim, restore, and legally protect ancient Buddhist temple lands and heritage sites destroyed or alienated during Western rule. [1]

4. Alternative Frameworks For Colonial Redress

Instead of utilizing a domestic TRC, advocates for colonial accountability generally pursue avenues rooted in repatriation and international lobbying:

Approach	Mechanism	Objective
Bilateral Diplomacy	State-to-state agreements	Recovery of stolen artifacts, palm-leaf manuscripts, and historical regalia from European museums.
Religious Engagement	Direct petitions to religious bodies	Demanding formal apologies and property restatements, similar to the Vatican’s recent repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery.
Academic Commissions	Independent historical bodies	Archiving documented atrocities, such as the Portuguese destruction of the Kelaniya temple, without mixing it into contemporary political tribunals.

If you want to look closer at this topic, let me know if you would like to explore:

• The specific economic impacts of British land ordinances on temple administration.
• How other post-colonial countries have sought repatriation of religious artifacts from European nations.
• The legal text of the Kandyan Convention regarding the protection of Buddhism. [1]
• https://share.google/aimode/jskbre0421wiXLYH8

Colonial Wounds: The Untold Atrocities of the British Empire in Sri Lanka

A story of pain, resilience, and survival. For over 150 years, the island of Sri Lanka — once a proud and sovereign land — was held under the shadow of the British Empire. Behind romanticised myths of railways, tea, and civilisation,” lies a darker truth: scorched earth campaigns, mass executions, cultural erasure, and ecological devastation. 

This documentary uncovers the forgotten horrors of British colonial rule — from the Uva-Wellassa Liberation Struggle of 1818 to the massacre of elephants, and the destruction of ancient irrigation systems to the rise of resistance movements demanding freedom from the yoke of colonialism. 

We also honour the brave souls who fought back: ✊ Keppetipola Disawe ✊ Veera Puran Appu ✊ Gongalegoda Banda ✊ Kumaratunga Munidasa and Anagarika Dharmapala, among others. 

Senaka Weeraratna

Dr. Sarath Obeysekera

Sri Lanka has always been known as a peaceful and welcoming nation. Tourism, foreign investment, and international business are essential for our economic growth, and genuine visitors and investors should always be welcomed. However, every country has a responsibility to ensure that immigration is properly managed and that national security is never compromised.

Many European countries are currently facing significant challenges arising from uncontrolled or poorly managed migration. While the causes of crime are complex and cannot be attributed to any particular nationality or ethnicity, several governments have acknowledged that weak border controls, illegal migration, and the activities of transnational organised crime networks have placed increasing pressure on law enforcement agencies.

The United Kingdom offers an interesting historical perspective. Decades ago, areas such as Brixton in South London gained a reputation for high crime rates. Over time, however, investment in education, employment opportunities, and urban renewal transformed the area. Today, Brixton has become one of London’s most sought-after neighbourhoods, demonstrating that social progress, rather than ethnicity, determines the long-term character of a community.

Similarly, Kilburn in North West London was once associated with organised criminal activity involving some local gangs. As policing improved and communities developed economically, the area’s image changed significantly.

These examples illustrate an important lesson: crime is driven by organised criminal networks and socioeconomic conditions—not by race or nationality. Nevertheless, if immigration systems are weak, criminal organisations can exploit them.

Sri Lanka must therefore learn from international experience rather than repeat the mistakes made elsewhere.

Recent reports of violent incidents involving foreign nationals, including the shocking murder of a Chinese national, have raised understandable public concern. Investigations will determine the facts of each individual case, but such incidents remind us that organised criminal groups can operate across borders. These networks often rely on local collaborators who provide accommodation, transport, financial services, forged documentation, or other forms of assistance.

At the same time, Sri Lanka is witnessing increasing foreign investment, particularly in projects such as the Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port. These investments inevitably bring larger numbers of foreign professionals specifically chinese  workers, contractors, and business visitors. 

This is a normal consequence of international investment and, in itself, should not be viewed negatively. However, increased movement of people also requires stronger immigration management and more effective law enforcement.

Sri Lanka should therefore strengthen its immigration framework by:

● Maintaining accurate digital records of all foreign nationals entering and leaving the country.

● Conducting proper background verification for long-term visa holders where appropriate.

● Ensuring employers and sponsors remain accountable for foreign workers they recruit.

● Increasing coordination between Immigration, Police, Intelligence Services, Customs, and Financial Intelligence authorities.

● Monitoring organised criminal activities such as illegal gambling, money laundering, cybercrime, human trafficking, and drug trafficking.

● Taking firm action against both foreign offenders and local individuals who knowingly assist transnational criminal organisations.

These measures should apply equally to all foreign nationals regardless of their country of origin. Effective immigration control is about protecting national security while continuing to welcome legitimate investors, tourists, students, and skilled professionals.

Sri Lanka must remain open for business but closed to organised crime.

The objective should never be to discourage genuine foreign investment or tourism. Instead, we must ensure that those who come to Sri Lanka for lawful purposes are welcomed, while those seeking to exploit our country for criminal activities are detected, prosecuted, and removed.

A balanced immigration policy—combining openness with effective enforcement—will protect Sri Lanka’s reputation as a safe destination for investment and tourism while safeguarding the security of its citizens.

Dr. Sarath Obeysekera

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

සරත් ඔබේසේකර

අද ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සියලුම ප්‍රතිපත්ති නිර්මාණකරුවන්ගේ අවධානයට ලක් විය යුතු විරුද්ධාභාසයකට මුහුණ දෙයි. අපගේ තරුණයන් දහස් ගණනක් විදේශ රැකියා සඳහා පුහුණු කරමින් සිටින අතර, අපගේම කර්මාන්ත දක්ෂ කම්කරුවන් සොයා ගැනීමට අසීරුතාවයට පත්ව ඇත. මෙම විරුද්ධාභාසය දැනටමත් කර්මාන්ත වර්ධනය මන්දගාමී කරමින්, විදේශ කම්කරුවන් ආනයනය කිරීම පිළිබඳ සාකච්ඡා ඇති කරයි.

මට මතක් වන්නේ කලින් ප්‍රබල අමාත්‍යවරයෙකු භාවිතා කළ සටන් පාඨයක් — ඉන්න හිතෙන රටක්” යන්නයි 

. එය අපගේ හදවත තුළ ජීවත් වන රටක්” ලෙස පරිවර්තනය කළ හැක. එම අදහස උතුම් වුවද, අද යථාර්ථය වන්නේ අපගේ දක්ෂ තරුණයන් බොහෝ දෙනා වඩා හොඳ අවස්ථා සොයා එම රටම හැර යාමට බලපෑමට ලක් වීමයි.

වසර ගණනාවක් පුරා අනුක්‍රමික ආණ්ඩු උසස් අධ්‍යාපනය සහ නවතමව ඩිජිටල් තාක්ෂණය හා පරිගණක විද්‍යාව ප්‍රවර්ධනය කර ඇත. මේවා වැදගත් ක්ෂේත්‍ර වුවද, ඒවා පමණක් කර්මාන්ත ආර්ථිකයක් ගොඩනැගීමට ප්‍රමාණවත් නොවේ. රටකට වෑල්ඩර්වරු, නිෂ්පාදකයන්, යන්ත්‍ර ශිල්පීන්, විදුලි කාර්මිකයන්, පයිප්ප සවි කරන්නන්, නාවික ඉංජිනේරුවන්, ක්‍රේන් ක්‍රියාකරුවන්, NDT පරීක්ෂකයන්, යන්ත්‍ර කාර්මිකයන් සහ අනෙකුත් දක්ෂ වෘත්තීය කම්කරුවන් අවශ්‍ය වේ.

අපගේම වෑල්ඩින් පුහුණු හා පරීක්ෂණ මධ්‍යස්ථානයේදී, රැකියා නියෝජිත ආයතන රුමේනියාව, දකුණු කොරියාව, ඉස්රායලය සහ මැද පෙරදිග රටවල් කිහිපයකට යැවීමට වෑල්ඩර්වරු, ගොඩනැගිලි කම්කරුවන්, බාර්ටෙන්ඩර්වරු සහ ඉදිකිරීම් කම්කරුවන් සඳහා නිතරම වෘත්තීය පරීක්ෂණ ඉල්ලා සිටී. නවතම ගැටුම්වලින් පසු ඉස්රායලයේ නැවත ගොඩනැගීමේ කටයුතු දක්ෂ ඉදිකිරීම් කම්කරුවන් සඳහා ඇති ඉල්ලුම තවදුරටත් වැඩි කර ඇත.

මෙම විදේශ අවස්ථා පුද්ගල කම්කරුවන්ට ප්‍රයෝජනවත් වන අතර, විදේශ මුදල් ප්‍රවාහයන් හරහා වටිනා විදේශ විනිමය උපයා දෙයි. එහෙත්, ඒවා ශ්‍රී ලංකාව තුළ වර්ධනය වන දුර්වලතාවයක්ද හෙළි කරයි. පුහුණු වූ පසු, අපගේ හොඳම කාර්මිකයන් බොහෝ දෙනා දේශීයව සීමිත කර්මාන්ත අවස්ථා පමණක් දක්නට ලැබෙන බැවින් රට හැර යති.

එහි ප්‍රතිවිපාක දැනටමත් පෙනී යයි. ඉදිකිරීම් කර්මාන්තය නිතරම දක්ෂ කම්කරුවන් හිඟය පිළිබඳ වාර්තා කරමින්, ව්‍යාපෘති ප්‍රමාද කරමින් සහ වියදම් වැඩි කරයි. මෙම හිඟය පිරවීමට අසල්වැසි රටවලින් කම්කරුවන් ආනයනය කිරීම පිළිබඳවද සාකච්ඡා වී ඇත.

මෙය අවදි වීමට කැඳවීමක් විය යුතුය.

දිගුකාලීන විසඳුම වන්නේ විදේශයට අපනයනය සඳහා වැඩි කම්කරුවන් පුහුණු කිරීම පමණක් නොවේ. එය කර්මාන්ත සංවර්ධනය වේගවත් කරමින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව තුළ උසස් තත්ත්වයේ රැකියා නිර්මාණය කිරීමයි.

නාවික හා මුහුදු පිටත ඉංජිනේරු ක්ෂේත්‍රය විශාල අවස්ථාවක් ලබා දෙයි. කොළඹ ඩොක්යාර්ඩ් ආයතනය ශ්‍රී ලාංකික කම්කරුවන්ට ජාත්‍යන්තරව පිළිගත් නාවික නෞකා නිෂ්පාදන හා බර ඉංජිනේරු කුසලතා ඇති බව පෙන්වා දී ඇත. ත්‍රිකුණාමලයේ අලුත්වැඩියා හා නිෂ්පාදන කටයුතු පුළුල් කිරීම සඳහා එම සමාගමේ යෝජනාව ජාතික අවධානයට ලක් විය යුතුය.

ත්‍රිකුණාමලයට ස්වභාවික ගැඹුරු වරාය, ලබා ගත හැකි භූමිය සහ උපායමාර්ගික ස්ථානයක් ඇති බැවින්, නාවික අලුත්වැඩියා, මුහුදු පිටත නිෂ්පාදන, තෙල් රිග් නඩත්තු, FPSO පරිවර්තනය සහ නාවික ඉංජිනේරු කටයුතු සඳහා කලාපීය මධ්‍යස්ථානයක් වීමට හැකියාව ඇත. එවැනි සංවර්ධනයක් දක්ෂ රැකියා දහස් ගණනක් නිර්මාණය කරමින්, විදේශ අවස්ථා සොයා යාමට පෙර ශ්‍රී ලාංකිකයන්ට දේශීයව දිගුකාලීන වෘත්තීය ජීවිත ගොඩනැගීමට උත්සාහ කිරීමට උනන්දු කරනු ඇත.

එසේම, නවීන තෙල් පිරිපහදු කර්මාන්තයක්, බලශක්ති යටිතල පහසුකම්, මුහුදු පිටත සහාය මධ්‍යස්ථාන සහ නිල් ආර්ථික කර්මාන්ත වැනි දිගුකාලීනව ප්‍රමාද වූ උපායමාර්ගික ව්‍යාපෘති වේගවත් කළ යුතුය. මෙම ව්‍යාපෘති දක්ෂ වෘත්තීය කම්කරුවන් සඳහා ඉල්ලුම උත්තේජනය කරමින්, අපනයන උපයා ගැනීමට සහ විදේශ සෘජු ආයෝජන ආකර්ෂණය කිරීමට උපකාරී වේ.

එබැවින් වෘත්තීය අධ්‍යාපනය ජාතික සංවර්ධනයේ මූලික ස්ථම්භයක් විය යුතුය. අප නිෂ්පාදනය කරන සොෆ්ට්වෙයාර් ඉංජිනේරුවන්ගේ සංඛ්‍යාව මත පමණක් සාර්ථකත්වය මැනිය යුතු නොවේ. සමබර ආර්ථිකයක් සඳහා ඩිජිටල් වෘත්තීයවේදීන් සහ ඉතා දක්ෂ කර්මාන්ත කාර්මිකයන් දෙදෙනාම අවශ්‍ය වේ.

අපගේ ජාතික සැලසුම් අධිකාරීන්, BOI සහ අනෙකුත් අදාළ ආයතන තාක්ෂණිකව පුහුණු වූ තරුණයන්ට ස්ථාවර රැකියා නිර්මාණය කළ හැකි කර්මාන්ත හඳුනා ගැනීමට එකට කටයුතු කළ යුතුය. එවැනි උපායමාර්ගයක් නොමැතිව, ශ්‍රී ලංකාව තම හොඳම දක්ෂ කම්කරුවන් අපනයනය කරමින්, තම ආර්ථිකය පවත්වා ගැනීමට කම්කරුවන් ආනයනය කරන රටක් ලෙස දිගටම පවතිනු ඇත.

පණිවිඩය පැහැදිලිය.

අපගේ තරුණයන් පුහුණු කරන්න—නමුත් ඔවුන්ට රැඳී සිටීමට හේතුවක් ලබා දෙන කර්මාන්තද ගොඩනඟන්න.

එසේ නොමැති නම්, ශ්‍රී ලංකාව තමන්ගේම කර්මාන්ත රටක් බවට පත්වීම වෙනුවට, ලෝකයේ කර්මාන්ත සඳහා පුහුණු භූමියක් ලෙස පවතිනු ඇත.

ඩො. සරත් ඔබේසේකර

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Dr. Sarath Obeysekera

For decades, hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans have travelled to the Middle East seeking employment. Their remittances have become one of the country’s most important sources of foreign exchange, supporting countless families and contributing significantly to the national economy.

Many employers in the Gulf provide fair wages, good accommodation and respectful working conditions. However, there have also been well-documented cases of abuse, exploitation, unpaid salaries, passport confiscation and poor treatment of both male and female migrant workers. These incidents have highlighted the importance of strong diplomatic engagement and effective protection for Sri Lankan workers overseas.

Today, the Middle East itself is undergoing profound political and strategic change. Regional conflicts, particularly involving Iran and its neighbours, continue to create uncertainty. Countries in the region are also investing heavily in advanced industries, renewable energy, artificial intelligence and, in some cases, civilian nuclear energy programmes. Such developments bring both opportunities and responsibilities.

The international community rightly expects that any expansion of nuclear technology will be subject to strict international safeguards, transparency and oversight under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Peaceful nuclear energy can support economic development, but regional instability makes responsible governance essential.

Sri Lanka should carefully monitor these developments because instability in the Middle East directly affects our migrant workers, oil prices, shipping routes and the inflow of foreign remittances.

The Government must now move beyond general commitments and implement a clear, time-bound action plan to protect migrant workers. This includes renegotiating bilateral labour agreements with enforceable safeguards, establishing rapid-response consular units in key host countries, mandating insurance and legal aid coverage for all outbound workers, and strictly regulating recruitment agencies through licensing, monitoring and penalties for malpractice. Simultaneously, Sri Lanka must invest aggressively in vocational and technical education, digital skills training, and language proficiency programmes to transition workers into higher-value employment sectors both abroad and at home. Incentives for private sector job creation, support for entrepreneurship, and targeted partnerships with emerging industries must become central pillars of national policy.

The sacrifices made by Sri Lankan migrant workers demand immediate and sustained action. Protecting their rights, ensuring their dignity, and reducing overdependence on low-skilled foreign employment must be treated as urgent national priorities. The Government must act decisively, allocate adequate resources, and hold institutions accountable to deliver measurable outcomes. Only through such focused and strategic intervention can Sri Lanka safeguard its citizens while building a more resilient and diversified economic future.

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Dr. Sarath Obeysekera

Sri Lanka has always been known as a peaceful and welcoming nation. Tourism, foreign investment, and international business are essential for our economic growth, and genuine visitors and investors should always be welcomed. However, every country has a responsibility to ensure that immigration is properly managed and that national security is never compromised.

Many European countries are currently facing significant challenges arising from uncontrolled or poorly managed migration. While the causes of crime are complex and cannot be attributed to any particular nationality or ethnicity, several governments have acknowledged that weak border controls, illegal migration, and the activities of transnational organised crime networks have placed increasing pressure on law enforcement agencies.

The United Kingdom offers an interesting historical perspective. Decades ago, areas such as Brixton in South London gained a reputation for high crime rates. Over time, however, investment in education, employment opportunities, and urban renewal transformed the area. Today, Brixton has become one of London’s most sought-after neighbourhoods, demonstrating that social progress, rather than ethnicity, determines the long-term character of a community.

Similarly, Kilburn in North West London was once associated with organised criminal activity involving some local gangs. As policing improved and communities developed economically, the area’s image changed significantly.

These examples illustrate an important lesson: crime is driven by organised criminal networks and socioeconomic conditions—not by race or nationality. Nevertheless, if immigration systems are weak, criminal organisations can exploit them.

Sri Lanka must therefore learn from international experience rather than repeat the mistakes made elsewhere.

Recent reports of violent incidents involving foreign nationals, including the shocking murder of a Chinese national, have raised understandable public concern. Investigations will determine the facts of each individual case, but such incidents remind us that organised criminal groups can operate across borders. These networks often rely on local collaborators who provide accommodation, transport, financial services, forged documentation, or other forms of assistance.

At the same time, Sri Lanka is witnessing increasing foreign investment, particularly in projects such as the Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port. These investments inevitably bring larger numbers of foreign professionals specifically chinese  workers, contractors, and business visitors. 

This is a normal consequence of international investment and, in itself, should not be viewed negatively. However, increased movement of people also requires stronger immigration management and more effective law enforcement.

Sri Lanka should therefore strengthen its immigration framework by:

● Maintaining accurate digital records of all foreign nationals entering and leaving the country.

● Conducting proper background verification for long-term visa holders where appropriate.

● Ensuring employers and sponsors remain accountable for foreign workers they recruit.

● Increasing coordination between Immigration, Police, Intelligence Services, Customs, and Financial Intelligence authorities.

● Monitoring organised criminal activities such as illegal gambling, money laundering, cybercrime, human trafficking, and drug trafficking.

● Taking firm action against both foreign offenders and local individuals who knowingly assist transnational criminal organisations.

These measures should apply equally to all foreign nationals regardless of their country of origin. Effective immigration control is about protecting national security while continuing to welcome legitimate investors, tourists, students, and skilled professionals.

Sri Lanka must remain open for business but closed to organised crime.

The objective should never be to discourage genuine foreign investment or tourism. Instead, we must ensure that those who come to Sri Lanka for lawful purposes are welcomed, while those seeking to exploit our country for criminal activities are detected, prosecuted, and removed.

A balanced immigration policy—combining openness with effective enforcement—will protect Sri Lanka’s reputation as a safe destination for investment and tourism while safeguarding the security of its citizens.

Dr. Sarath Obeysekera

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Shenali D Waduge

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and certain elements within the Church, particularly after 2021, have advanced the position that Easter Sunday was not solely the result of Islamist extremism but involved an external political actor who allegedly manipulated Zaharan Hashim to achieve a political objective. Such a serious allegation requires evidence capable of establishing the alleged chain of command — who recruited Zaharan, when such recruitment occurred, how control was exercised, who financed the operation, who directed operational decisions and what evidence demonstrates that Zaharan and the attackers acted under external command. Zaharan was influenced and inspired by global extremist ISIS ideology wanting to make Sri Lanka an ISIS stronghold but this does not necessarily imply he was controlled by it as his evolution shows.

The allegations surrounding Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay emerged following claims made by Asad Maulana, who inserted Easter Sunday into his narrative while naming Sallay. These claims require verification through evidence, not assumption. Asad Maulana left Sri Lanka and sought asylum overseas after facing legal issues, yet those promoting the mastermind theory have still not produced verifiable evidence demonstrating how, when or through whom Zaharan was allegedly controlled.

The central problem with this theory is the documented timeline of Zaharan Hashim himself. The evidence shows an ideological evolution that began years before Easter Sunday — including his exposure to extremist ideology, establishment of his own organisations, conflicts with Sufi Muslims, complaints against him by members of the Muslim community, public extremist statements, recruitment of followers, training activities and preparation for violence.

A terrorist network involving recruitment, indoctrination, funding, training, logistics and operational planning cannot be created overnight for a single political objective in 2019. Therefore, if Zaharan was merely a person created” or activated” in 2019 by an external mastermind, the fundamental question remains: How does such a theory explain the events surrounding Zaharan from 2005, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 — years before Easter Sunday?

The First Problem with the Mastermind” Theory: Zaharan existed long before Easter Sunday

·      Born 1985

·      Radicalisation process began years before Easter

·      Exposure to Wahhabi ideology through religious networks

·      Established organisations before 2015

·      Developed ideological disagreements with Sufi Muslims

·      Built his own network

A person who spent over a decade building an ideological identity, recruiting followers, attacking rival Muslim groups, establishing organisations and publicly promoting extremist ideas cannot logically be described as a person suddenly activated by an external political mastermind in 2019.

The Sufi Muslim complaints destroy the Unknown Actor” narrative

2013–2014 complaints

·      11 complaints by Alhaj Abdul Jawaadh Alim Waliullah Trust

·      Complaints against Zaharan  

·      Complaints regarding threats against Sufi clerics

·      Police involvement

·      Court proceedings

1 May 2014 Major General Lal Perera:

·      received complaint

·      summoned Zaharan

·      warned him against violence

Before Easter Sunday, Zaharan was not unknown to Sri Lanka.

He was already identified by members of the Muslim community themselves as a dangerous extremist personality.

This directly destroys:

Someone created Zaharan later.”

Because the complaints filed were against Zaharan were by Muslims themselves.

If Zaharan was a manufactured operative created for a future political objective:

Why was he already developing an ideological movement more than a decade earlier?

The earliest warnings came not from foreign actors.

They came from:

Sri Lankan citizens and Sri Lankan religious communities.

This demonstrates:

·      local grievances,

·      local ideological conflict,

·      local escalation.

The NTJ timeline contradicts the Political Conspiracy Theory

2005/2006 – Zaharan created Darul Adhar ad Da’iyyah (not NTJ)in Kattankudy.

This organisation was associated with propagation of Wahhabi-oriented ideology.

Zaharan was expelled from Darul Adhar ad Da’iyyah.

He then developed his own following. This shows his ideological development.

2015/2016 – NTJ formed – National Thowheed Jama’ath 

The organisation associated with Easter Sunday did not suddenly appear in 2019.  

He even supported the yahapalana alliance in 2015 to come to power. This shows his political engagement & direct negotiations with leaders of political parties. It was he & no other who issued conditions to political parties. He was not issuing conditions on behalf of any mastermind”.

This also shows that NTJ & Zaharan was powerful enough for Muslim political parties & their leaders to reach out to him for election support.

The 2016 Turning Point: 

Public records reveal how Zaharan Hashims Radicalisation turned into Violence

·      Facebook posts supporting IS ideology

·      references to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

·      justification of killing non-Muslims

·      ISIS videos

·      Caliphate discussions

September 2016 onwards:

NTJ sermons covered:

·      Islamic State

·      Caliphate

·      Bay’ah

·      jihad

December 2016:

Zaharan sermons covered:

·      swords

·      fighting enemies

·      willingness to die

By the end of 2016, according to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry, Zaharan had progressed beyond ideological extremism into violent extremism.

If the objective was only an election conspiracy in 2019, why was Zaharan promoting ISIS ideology three years earlier? Can Cardinal Malcolm & the Church answer.

The Biggest Contradiction: Foreign ISIS links were known before 2019

Sri Lankan ISIS fighters:

·      Mohomed Muhushin Ishak Ahamed – Syria 2013

·      others joining ISIS 2014–2015

ISIS WAS A GLOBAL INFLUENCE — NOT A NEW CREATION OF ZAHRAN

Sri Lanka already knew:

·      approximately 38 Sri Lankans had travelled to Syria

·      then Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakse revealed how Muslims from 4 families left for Syria to join ISIS.

·      ISIS recruitment networks existed,

·      foreign fighter movements were occurring.

·      2014 Asian Islamic Caliphate declared with Sri Lanka included in map.

ISIS influence explains the ideological environment.

It does not prove:

·      an external mastermind planned Easter Sunday,

·      Zaharan was created by outsiders.

·      Influence is not operational command.

The ISIS threat was not introduced to Sri Lanka through Easter Sunday. 

It was already a recognised security concern.

2016-2018 – ZAHRAN OPENLY MOVES TOWARDS ISIS IDEOLOGY

·      promoted ISIS-aligned content,

·      discussed Caliphate,

·      referred positively to Baghdadi,

·      circulated extremist material.

·      Foreign fighter networks forming

·      Sri Lanka received Pakistan intelligence warnings

PUBLIC RADICALISATION AND VIOLENCE  

Zaharan publicly spoke about:

·      jihad,

·      Islamic State,

·      swords,

·      killing enemies.

·      March 2017: Aliyar Junction violence involving swords.

The movement was already demonstrating:

·      ideology,

·      followers,

·      organisation,

·      violence.

This is a progression. Not a sudden activation.

2017–2018 – FROM IDEOLOGY TO MILITANT STRUCTURE

·      Training activities:

·      firearms training,

·      explosives training,

·      militant indoctrination.

·      Participants later became Easter Sunday attackers.

A mastermind theory requires showing:

Who built this network?”

But the evidence shows:

·      recruitment,

·      training,

·      indoctrination,

·      preparation

were already occurring within Zaharan’s own network by Zaharan.

If an external mastermind created Zaharan in 2019:

Why was Zaharan openly expressing ISIS ideology from 2016?

The March 2017 Sword Incident: The Missed Arrest Question

·      Aliyar Junction incident

·      NTJ-linked violence

·      swords

·      complaints

Intelligence agencies collect information. 

Police investigative agencies including CID & TID have legal powers of arrest.

·      Who headed CID?

·      Who headed TID?

·      What investigation was conducted?

·      Why was Zaharan not arrested?

“Why did institutions with legal powers fail to act?” even when arrest warrants were issued.

Training Camps destroy the External Puppet” Theory

2018:

·      Lewella

·      Nuwara Eliya

·      Hambantota

·      Activities:

·      weapons training

·      firearms

·      explosives

·      ISIS indoctrination

A sophisticated training network does not appear overnight.

It requires recruitment, funding, logistics, locations and time.

Therefore:

The question is not: “Who suddenly manipulated Zaharan?”

The question is: “How did an internally developed terrorist infrastructure continue operating despite multiple warning signs?”

2018

Mawanella:

Evidence of:

·      extremist attacks,

·      safe houses,

·      network movement.

Wanathawilluwa: Proof of terror infrastructure

Recovered:

·      explosives,

·      chemicals,

·      detonators

·      ISIS material.

CID Director Shani Abeysekera’s own statement: The material could have facilitated multiple attacks.

Wanathawilluwa was not the beginning of the conspiracy. 

It was evidence that the conspiracy already existed.

A terrorist network was already operational.

The question becomes:

Not:

Who created Zaharan?”

But:

Why was an already developing network not dismantled?”

The Evidence Trail before Easter Sunday: Vavunativu, Mawanella and Wanathawilluwa destroy the Sudden Discovery” Narrative

The argument that Zaharan’s network was unknown until the Easter Sunday attacks cannot withstand the documented sequence of events between 2018 and April 2019.

The evidence shows that by early 2019, multiple agencies had accumulated information linking Zaharan’s group to extremist violence, weapons, explosives, training and preparation for future attacks.

Vavunativu Police Killings: The First Major link to Zaharan’s Network

·      On 30 November 2018, two police officers stationed at Vavunativu were killed.

·      Initially, suspicion was directed towards remnants of the LTTE due to the location and historical context.

·      However, subsequent intelligence assessments changed this understanding.

·      The Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) informed CID by letter dated 12 April 2019 that intelligence indicated the involvement of Zaharan’s group.

This is significant because:

·      the incident was no longer only an LTTE-related investigation;

·      Zaharan’s network had entered the official security picture;

·      the possibility of an emerging Islamist extremist network committing organised violence was identified.

The key question therefore becomes:

After receiving intelligence linking Zaharan’s network to the killing of police officers, what further investigative action was taken even after IGP also visited the crime scene?

Mawanella Buddha Statue attacks: From Ideology to Operational Activity

The December 2018 Mawanella Buddha statue attacks provided another major warning indicator.

Following the arrests:

Investigations revealed links to Zaharan’s group and exposed:

·      recruitment networks,

·      safe houses,

·      movement of suspects,

·      extremist indoctrination,

·      preparation for future attacks.

The arrested suspects provided information indicating:

·      they had undergone training,

·      weapons handling was involved,

·      safe locations were being arranged,

·      Zaharan’s network was preparing members for violent activity including suicide.

This was no longer merely ideological expression.

This was operational preparation.

Wanathawilluwa: The Point where denial became Impossible

In January 2019, CID discovered the Wanathawilluwa explosives cache.

Recovered items included:

·      explosives,

·      chemicals,

·      detonators,

·      ISIS-related material,

·      bomb-making equipment.

This discovery represented a critical turning point.

Wanathawilluwa was not the beginning of the threat.

It was evidence of a terrorist infrastructure that had already developed.

At this stage authorities had:

·      a known extremist leader

·      identified associates – including potential suicide cadres

·      extremist propaganda

·      weapons training indicators

·      explosives capability

·      links to ISIS ideology

The question was no longer:

Was Zaharan dangerous?”

The question was:

Why was a national-level prevention mechanism not activated?”

The CID/TID defence of being Misled” Requires Examination

The suggestion that investigative agencies were unable to act because intelligence agencies failed to provide information is difficult to reconcile with the timeline.

By January 2019, CID itself had discovered the Wanathawilluwa explosives cache.

This was not merely an intelligence warning.

This was physical evidence.

Furthermore:

·      the Vavunativu intelligence connection,

·      the Mawanella investigations,

·      the Wanathawilluwa discovery,

created a cumulative evidentiary picture.

The agencies responsible for investigation and arrest had:

·      suspects,

·      evidence,

·      locations,

·      networks,

·      extremist indicators.

Therefore, the central issue is not whether information existed.

The issue is:

Why did accumulated intelligence and investigative evidence not translate into preventive action? 

They could have either arrested the gang or prevented the targets from being attacked.

April 2019: Foreign Intelligence only confirmed what was already known

The April 2019 Indian intelligence warnings were therefore not the first indication of danger.

They were an additional confirmation of an already developing threat.

Before Indian intel warnings:

Sri Lankan authorities had:

·      prior complaints against Zaharan,

·      hundreds of reports compiled by SIS on Zaharan

·      intelligence on extremist activities,

·      knowledge of ISIS links,

·      evidence from Wanathawilluwa,

·      information from Mawanella investigations,

·      intelligence linking Zaharan’s group to violence.

The April Indian warnings added:

·      names,

·      targets,

·      methods,

·      urgency.

The failure was therefore not discovery.

The failure was inability to prevent.

The central question:

Was Easter Sunday caused by a hidden mastermind, or in reality by the failure of multiple institutions to act on accumulated intelligence received well in advance as well as knowledge of a history of evidence of Zaharan’s extremist actions?

The Cardinal / Church Mastermind” Theory Faces a Timeline Problem

The theory that Easter Sunday was orchestrated by an external political mastermind requires the public to ignore an inconvenient timeline: 

·      years of radicalization of Zaharan

·      complaints by even Muslims against Zaharan

·      public extremist sermons, 

·      foreign fighter networks, 

·      weapons training and 

·      repeated warnings (within Sri Lanka far before foreign warnings)

A conspiracy theory cannot negate a decade-long trail of documented behavior that evolved from extremism to terrorism.

Terrorists evolve over years. No one can create a terrorist overnight.

“Who benefited?” 

Architects of the conspiracy theory must answer:

·      Who controlled Zaharan from 2005?

·      Who controlled NTJ from 2016?

·      Who controlled ideological development?

·      Who controlled training camps?

·      Who supplied explosives?

·      Who recruited suicide bombers?

·      Who provided financial support?

The external mastermind” promoters must also answer – If Zaharan was created for political purposes:

Why did he:

·      attack Sufi Muslims?

·      Declare to kill non-Muslims?

·      reject democracy?

·      attack Parliament?

·      oppose political systems?

His ideology was against the very political system he was allegedly created to influence. How can Cardinal & the Church explain this?

The Easter Sunday attacks were not the result of an unknown actor appearing suddenly in 2019. They were the culmination of a visible escalation: ideological radicalisation, public extremist preaching, violence against opponents, weapons training, explosives preparation and operational planning. The unanswered question is why institutions empowered with investigative and preventive authority did not neutralise the threat despite possessing multiple warning indicators.

The Easter Sunday tragedy was not the product of a man who suddenly appeared in 2019 or one who was being externally manipulated. Across his evolution there was no visible trace of any person steering him.

Easter Sunday was the final stage of a radicalization process that developed over years, visible to his own community, security agencies and authorities. 

The tragedy demands accountability — not through replacing evidence with theories, but through examining why warnings, complaints and intelligence failed to become prevention. 

Unlike LTTE terror attacks, Easter Sunday could have been prevented. If the agencies empowered to arrest failed to arrest him, they could have prevented people entering churches & jointly carried search operations with hotels on those who had booked into hotel the day before the attacks. 

Why the officers who had powers to prevent did not do so has yet to be answered & the Cardinal & Church do not appear to be too keen to demand answers from them either.

Those promoting the mastermind theory have thus far failed to provide evidence of direct communication between Zaharan & the alleged mastermind, instructions issued by the alleged controller, financial transfers by the mastermind, operational orders of the controller, recruitment criteria given by controller, evidence that Zaharan acted as per orders or contrary to orders!

However, against the above unanswered claims are evidence of Zaharan being a known extremist, having his own extremist network & followers, plethora of police complaints, intelligence reports, statistics of violence, training camps teaching handling of weapons, explosives and allocating students as suicide cadres and violent actors.

Justice for the victims deserves truth. Truth comes with accountability. Accountability requires identifying those who failed in their duty – failed to take decisions that could have averted a tragedy. Accountability cannot be achieved by replacing evidence with mastermind theories & transferring blame on those who have no proven link to the attacks.

Shenali D Waduge

Dilrook Kannangara

The self-named Cockroach Party” made up of young Indians have taken to the streets. Backed by their participation other youngsters have also joined in waves of protests. They are the largest protests in the world given the sheer size of the Indian population. However, they may not succeed. The reason is ultra nationalism that rules India. This is a weapon that can be successfully unleashed against protestors and any anti-regime elements. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh failed to unleash it as it had by then lost the backing of nationalists.

Although a movement that can topple India’s ultra nationalism can rise up on paper, the current political climate does not support it. Instead, Indian youngsters should focus on demanding independence for their respective historical nations which were forcibly and brutally turned into mere states” within India by British colonial rulers. Reversing this last shackle of British colonialism is the ultimate sign of independence of the people of the landmass called India.

Protests are rampant in Indian states with large economies. The problem is not simply corruption, waste, discrimination, politics, etc. If Maharashtra state for instance pays 33% of India’s tax collection but gets back only 10% of Indian government spend, people in Maharashtra are losing 23% of tax they pay! This is extortion and no right-thinking person would allow their hard work to be wasted on other states that are less productive. If anyone wants to be exceedingly generous, they can do so privately with their private money. There is no need to collectively donate hard earned income from one area to be wasted for the benefit of people in another. Soviet Union was another classic example of this system which failed everyone.

If protestors turn petty protests into nationalist protests for the nation states, it makes use of nationalism, instead of clashing with it. Instead of Indian nationalism, it will replace it with a more meaningful and historically valid, Marathi nationalism, for instance. Marathi nation had a long, prosperous and respectable history until the British tied it to an artificially created union called British India. Had it gained independence from both colonial Britain and colonial India, it would have become a developed nation today and there wouldn’t be any need to protest over jobs, income, education opportunities, etc. All those would be available in abundance to the people in that nation.

Once Lee Kwan Yu was asked if the Mumbai financial center would succeed, at least comparable to other global financial centers around the world. He had no hesitation in saying, no, it will not succeed. The reasons he gave are – India’s ethnic diversity and its federal structure (which is also a necessity in a multi-ethnic nation). China (or Japan, Germany, USE, etc.) does not have this problem.

Simply replacing the ruling party with another party would not fix India’s economic problems. It did not fix Sri Lanka’s problems and Bangladesh’s problems. Indians in productive states have enough opportunities, money, tax collection, exports, etc. The problem is they are not allowed to enjoy what they earn and they are forced to cross subsidize unproductive states. Channeling anger in the right direction is important to win sustainable gains that are not held hostage by a failed and unproductive political and economic system.  

AI Overview

The history of Christian missionary endeavors in Sri Lanka during the colonial era (1505–1948) is viewed by many local historians and religious scholars as a systematic effort to dismantle the country’s indigenous Buddhist and Hindu cultural foundations. Often described in nationalist discourse as a “darkest chapter” of cultural erasure, these endeavors were characterized by violent destruction, legal suppression, and institutionalized discrimination across three distinct colonial regimes. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

The Portuguese era (1505–1658): Militant destruction and forced conversion

The early phase under Portuguese rule represents the most overtly violent period of religious imposition on the island. []

• Temple Destruction: Roman Catholic missionaries, heavily backed by the Portuguese military, engaged in the wholesale demolition of ancient Buddhist and Hindu places of worship. Historic sites like the Devinuwara Upulvan Devalaya (Dondra Head) and the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya were plundered, desecrated, and burned. [1]
• Erasure of Royal Lineages: The conversion of King Don Juan Dharmapala of Kotte in 1557 effectively stripped the local population of their traditional royal custodian of Buddhism. Dharmapala formally gifted temple lands to the Franciscan order, severely fracturing the socioeconomic structure that sustained native monastic traditions. []
• Coercion: Refusal to convert often led to severe penalties, loss of property, or physical violence, while those who complied were granted systemic privileges. []

The Dutch era (1658–1796): Institutionalized Calvinism and the “Rice Christian” phenomenon

When the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ousted the Portuguese, they weaponized the legal system to enforce the Dutch Reformed Church, persecuting both native religions and Roman Catholics. [1, 2]

• Prohibition of Traditions: Traditional Buddhist and Hindu marriages, births, and registration metrics were declared illegal unless performed under the oversight of the Dutch Reformed Church.
• Socioeconomic Coercion: To hold government office, secure public employment, or protect land rights, locals were forced to register as Protestants. This gave rise to the derogatory term “Rice Christians”, describing individuals who converted purely out of economic survival rather than genuine theological conviction. [1]

The British era (1815–1948): Violated treaties and educational monopolies

The British Empire shifted tactics from physical destruction to sophisticated psychological and structural assimilation. [1]

• Breach of the Kandyan Convention: In 1815, the British signed a treaty promising that the Buddhist religion would remain “inviolable”. However, following the 1817–1818 Uva-Wellassa rebellion, the British unilaterally stripped these protections, severed the Crown’s custody over the Sacred Tooth Relic, and funded aggressive Protestant missionary organizations. [1]
• Educational Hegemony: The state heavily subsidized missionary school networks, establishing an educational monopoly. Local children were forced to study Christian scriptures, and native languages and histories were systematically deprioritized in favor of Western traditions. [, 2] In Missionary Schools speaking in Sinhala was strictly prohibited and school children were punished severely by the teachers who were mostly Fathers ( members of the clergy). Students were black listed if they showed any affinity towards either Sinhala, Buddhism or Buddhist Literature and History of the Sinhala race.  
• Aggressive Pamphleteering: Missionaries utilized modern printing presses to circulate literature that openly denigrated indigenous practices, labeling deities as demonic and local traditions as uncivilized. [1]

The indigenous response and legacy

This prolonged campaign of cultural erasure eventually triggered a powerful Buddhist and Hindu Revival in the late 19th century. Figures like Anagarika Dharmapala and Arumuga Navalar successfully countered missionary influence through public debates (such as the famous Panadura Debate of 1873) and by establishing independent Buddhist schools. [1, 3, 4, 5]

Today, this historical narrative remains a deeply sensitive subject in Sri Lanka, as the scars of colonial-era assimilation continue to influence contemporary geopolitical and inter-religious dynamics. [1, 2]

The current Human Rights discourse is viewed with disfavour as a total deception and cover up by Western Countries in collaboration with local Missionary schools to hide colonial historical crimes and instead focus on current events targeting contemporary rulers mostly of non – Christian backgrounds. Sri Lanka is the best example of manipulative reparative justice with a proposal to establish a so called misleading  ‘Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation (CTUR)’

A genuine Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation should cover the entire colonial era ( 1505 – 1948) where the Buddhist Sinhalese and their religion Buddhism were the targeted victims of colonial policy.

If you are exploring a specific aspect of this era, let me know if you would like to look into:

• The Panadura Debate and the tools used by local monks to defeat missionary arguments
• The specific temples and historical sites destroyed during the Portuguese occupation
• The socio-legal impact of the Kandyan Convention of 1815 [1, 2, 4]

https://share.google/aimode/8ervH4dKqwVqB50dX

AI Overview

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

News item 

Two chinese parties clash in port city 

Sri Lanka has welcomed foreign investment for many decades, and responsible investors from China, India, Japan, Europe, the Middle East, and many other countries have made valuable contributions to our economy. However, investment and criminal activity are two very different matters, and the latter must never be tolerated regardless of the nationality of those involved.

Recent media reports of violent clashes involving foreign nationals, ( presumably Chinese} allegations surrounding illegal online betting operations, and investigations into large sums of unexplained cash have raised legitimate public concerns. Reports of disputes involving Chinese nationals, together with allegations of financial fraud and illegal gambling networks, have highlighted the need for stronger law enforcement and financial oversight.

My earlier article on foreign-owned betting platforms pointed out the rapid growth of offshore online gambling targeting Sri Lankan users. Many such platforms operate under overseas licences, making regulation difficult while facilitating large cross-border financial transactions.

Foreign-Owned Betting Platforms and the Growing Gambling Culture in Sri Lanka

The more serious concern is not simply gambling itself but the possibility that illegal gambling operations can become linked with money laundering, organised crime, cyber fraud, extortion, and other criminal activities. These are challenges faced by many countries and require constant vigilance.

The recent reports of large amounts of cash—running into tens of millions of rupees—being found in criminal investigations naturally raise questions about the source of these funds. Whether such money originates from illegal betting, cybercrime, narcotics, financial fraud, or other unlawful activities is a matter for the Police and the Financial Intelligence Unit to investigate thoroughly.

Sri Lanka should therefore strengthen its regulatory framework by:

• Conducting strict due diligence on foreign businesses and investors operating in sensitive sectors.
• Enforcing anti-money laundering regulations through the Financial Intelligence Unit and commercial banks.
• Monitoring online betting and digital payment systems more effectively.
• Strengthening cooperation between the Police, Immigration Department, Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, and international law enforcement agencies.
• Taking swift legal action against any individual or organisation involved in criminal activity, irrespective of nationality or political influence.

At the same time, Sri Lanka must avoid unfairly generalising about any nationality. The overwhelming majority of Chinese nationals living or working in Sri Lanka are law-abiding investors, professionals, employees, or tourists who contribute positively to the economy. Criminal responsibility lies with individuals and organised criminal groups, not with an entire community.

As Sri Lanka seeks to attract greater foreign investment, including developments in Port City Colombo, maintaining law and order becomes even more important. Genuine investors expect a country where the rule of law is respected, organised crime is suppressed, and regulations are enforced fairly and transparently.

Sri Lanka has every right to welcome legitimate foreign investment while taking firm action against illegal gambling, money laundering, organised crime, and any activities that threaten national security or public confidence. Strong institutions—not prejudice—are the best defence against criminal infiltration.

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

by A. Abdul Aziz.

In any war, the first casualty is the truth. If we view the current Middle East conflict through the fog of war, it’s impossible to determine the realities and motives on the ground. 

Warmongering propaganda has been the wont of Western nations interfering in the Middle East for decades. Muslim nations are painted as backward” and barbaric” in need of democracy” and being saved from their ruthless leaders. This was just some of the rhetoric being used in the build-up to the illegal Iraq War in 2003. That, and the false claim of weapons of mass destruction. Similar arguments are now being used against Iran. 

Every effective propaganda must indeed have an element of truth. Many Muslim leaders have been dictators and have oppressed their own people and their Muslim neighbours, abandoning Islamic principles. Such propaganda also serves to further dangerous colonial narratives by Western nations seeking to subjugate Muslim states. 

Iran, a nation of 90 million people and a civilisation going back 2500 years, cannot be reduced to simple good or evil narratives. Every nation has its flaws and weaknesses, as well as its positive and praiseworthy qualities. No government on earth is perfect or free from some sort of criticism. 

If one views the current conflict through the eyes of Islamic morality, as opposed to the fog of war and theological differences, we can make better-informed and just conclusions. This would help us to understand the Islamic solutions to the tribulations facing the Muslim world. 

Deceitful negotiations

The current war in the Middle East began when America and Israel attacked Iran without cause in the middle of negotiations over its nuclear programme. Oman’s Foreign Minister was mediating between Iran and America and stated  on 27 February 2026 that a deal was within reach.” Literally a few hours later, America and Israel bombed Iran, killing its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and members of his family in a strike on his residence.

America and Israel did the same in June 2025, leading to the 12-day war. They held peace talks just days before, while planning to attack Iran at the same time. 

We have a very bitter experience of talking with Americans … We negotiated with them last year in June, and they attacked us in the middle of negotiations,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi once told PBS News.

They promised us [this time] that they don’t have any intention to attack us and wanted to resolve Iran’s nuclear question peacefully … After three rounds of negotiation, and after the American team said we made big progress, they still decided to attack us,” he said.

 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also had told,   negotiating with the United States is off the table right now.

These were duplicitous and bad-faith negotiations on the part of the United States. Behind this was Israel, which has long been pushing the US for a war with Iran. Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel also pressured President Obama to attack Iran during his presidency, but he resisted and instead negotiated a settlement with Iran. That deal was ripped  up by President Trump in 2018 for no apparent reason.  

There was no imminent threat to either Israel or America from Iran according to their own intelligence assessments.  A war of aggression is as un-Islamic as it gets. The Holy Quran states that the only just wars are those of self-defence, to save people from tyranny and persecution or to protect religious freedoms. In Islam, you must treat peace talks seriously and seek every avenue for it. Iran has not attacked another country in 200 years. The United States has attacked multiple countries in the last 50 years. 

Nuclear morality

America and Israel have long had concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, but there is no evidence that it is seeking to develop one. In fact, there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, plainly said there is no evidence that Iran was building a nuclear bomb. 

A nuclear power itself, the US tells Iran it must not develop nuclear weapons, even though Iran has never desired to produce them. The Holy Quran says Why do you say that which you do not do?” This hypocrisy reveals that the motives of this war had nothing to do with Iran’s nuclear programme. The motive was always to subjugate the entire Middle East. 

Further, if the United States and Israel were so adamant that Iran should not develop a nuclear bomb, why did they kill the man who was preventing Iran from developing one? Former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had issued a fatwa against the development of nuclear weapons since the 1990s because they are indiscriminate bombs and therefore immoral and un-Islamic. Iran has repeatedly insisted its nuclear programme was for peaceful energy purposes only. 

This is perhaps the most moral stance on nuclear weapons of any country on earth. No other nation that comes to mind has such a clear opposition to nuclear weapons that it deems them religiously impermissible. Those accusing Iran of being a nuclear threat are themselves the biggest nuclear threats. The United States is the only nation on earth to have ever used them on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. An extremely cruel and indiscriminate weapon which leaves land full of radiation, destroys crops for decades and makes generations of people at risk of radiation poisoning.

The position adopted by Iran on nuclear weapons was wholly Islamic, moral and commendable. If every other nation adopted such a stance, we would have eradicated the risk of nuclear war forever. Iran is also a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), while Israel, Pakistan and India are not. 

Relying on Western powers for defence

America sent massive amounts of military hardware, warships and defence systems to the Middle East to intimidate Iran during negotiations and threaten it. 

At this juncture, Iran clearly and repeatedly warned that if attacked, all US bases in the Middle East would be legitimate targets. The greatest folly of Arab states was to allow US bases in their region. There are at least 19 military bases with 40,000 American personnel in the Middle East – if you look at a map, they surround Iran. Many Gulf states are also friendly  with Israel, despite it carrying out massacres in Gaza and killing Muslims en masse. 

Did Arab states not witness the behaviour of these countries towards Iraq, Libya, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine? A believer is not bitten twice from the same hole, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said. Yet Muslims today are bitten time and again from the exact same threat.

Commenting on this, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Fifth Khalifa and worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (May Allah be his Helper) delivered the analysis of a seasoned geopolitical expert during one of his his Friday Sermon. 

The United States has established military bases in many Muslim countries. But for what purpose? From whom, after all, were these nations facing a threat? In reality, it was these very powers that themselves created the threats. Thereafter, the narrative was advanced that these [Muslim] countries were in danger, and therefore it was necessary to establish military bases to safeguard them.”

Global Muslim leader (Ahmadiyya  Khalifa) denounces Western interference in Muslim nations, urges Islamic countries to unite peacefully and rely on God for protection, not Western powers. https://t.co/OM15sDMyob

— Press Ahmadiyya (@pressahmadiyya) March 6, 2026

The Holy Quran states: O ye who believe, take not the Jews and the Christians as your helpers, for they are helpers of one another. Whoso from among you takes them as helpers will indeed be one of them. Verily, Allah guides not the unjust people.” (Surah al-Ma‘idah, Ch.5: V.52)

These Muslim countries seek help and defence from Western Christian nations and cooperate with them against their own Muslim brethren. Iran is one of the few, if not only, Muslim countries that have stood up against the imperial and colonial motives of the United States and Israel, hence it has been targeted by them.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: They [Muslim countries] must not regard the great powers of the world as their gods, for the only power that endures forever is the power of God Almighty. If these great powers are regarded as the ultimate authority, they will gradually seize control of the entire Muslim world, one country after another. Even the present outward governments will eventually disappear.”

Inviolability of civilians

The Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) teaching s on warfare are clear and were far ahead of his time. They predated the Geneva Conventions and were actually implemented. These included, but were not limited to:

Do not break your pledge

Do not mutilate (the dead) bodies

Do not kill the elderly, women, children or noncombatants

Do not destroy property or uproot crops or fruit-bearing trees

Leaving the monks and those in places of worship alone

Even in the midst of warfare against enemies who sought to eradicate them, early Muslims steadfastly stuck by these moral principles.

As far as current reports go, Iran has not targeted or killed many civilians. Instead, the United States bombed a school and killed around 150 schoolgirls. US-Israeli strikes killed the spiritual leader of millions of Shia Muslims and members of his family. Number of  Iranians have been killed. Schools, hospitals, cultural sites and civilian areas have been deliberately targeted. Yet Iran has shown considerable restraint and been measured and proportional. Whether that is because of their limited capability or their moral stance is uncertain. In any case, we have seen extreme aggression and cruelty on one side and restraint on the other. 

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad^aa said in his Friday Sermon:

When the war began, Iran was subjected to bombardment; its cities were devastated, and innocent people and children were killed. The residence of its leader was attacked, and many members of his family lost their lives. These powers believed – and openly proclaimed – that by overthrowing this regime, the Iranian people would attain freedom. However, what was the actual outcome of these actions?”  

What’s clear in this conflict is that Iran was attacked unprovoked and has taken a wholly moral stance in this war, only responding when attacked first and targeting mainly military sites.

Today, World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad is perhaps the only global Muslim leader who has consistently urged Muslims to peacefully unite, adopt Islamic principles and rely on Allah for their prosperity, not Western nations. 

Ahmadiyya Khalifa Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

The Muslim world must strive to become peaceful and to live as brothers among one another. This is the true teaching of Islam, not that they should become people who cut one another’s throats… Only then will we be able to safeguard ourselves from the attacks of the world, maintain our dignity and honour, and prevent the forces opposed to Islam from tearing us apart from within.”

If Arab states and the Iranian government peacefully united now and looked at common Islamic interests, rather than looking outside for help, they could much more effectively forge a path to peace and a prosperous future for the entire Islamic world. 

Source: Al Hakam – London.

by I. Ahmad

More than 35,000 delegates from over 90 countries are expected to attend the Ahmadiyya Muslim Annual Conference, begins today  (Friday 24th July to Sunday 26th July 2026 at Hadeeqatul Mahdi, Alton, United Kingdom.

The Annual Convention (Jalsa Salana) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community United Kingdom is a unique event that brings thousands of participants from worldwide to increase religious knowledge and promote a sense of peace in society. Eminent speakers discuss a range of religious topics and their relevance to contemporary society. Additionally, a number of parliamentarians, civic leaders and diplomats from different countries also address the gathering and underline the convention’s objective of enhancing unity, understanding and mutual respect. A special feature of this convention is that it is blessed by the presence of His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Fifth Khalifa and the Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He addresses the convention over each of the three days, providing an invaluable insight into religious teachings and how they are a source of guidance for the world today.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaát (Community) was founded in 1889 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace be upon him) of Qadian, India. He claimed under divine guidance to be the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, whose advent was awaited by all the religions of the world. He championed the peaceful teachings of Islam, revived the Faith with a sense of purpose and inspired his followers to build a strong bond with God and to serve humanity with a selfless spirit of compassion and humility.

The community is now established in 214 countries and it spearheads an international effort to promote the true message of Islam and of service to humanity. It also leads a global peace campaign to champion respect and human rights for all. The United Kingdom chapter of the community was established in 1913 and it now has 130 branches, making it one of the oldest established Muslim communities in the United Kingdom. The community follows the true spirit of Islam and lives by its motto: Love for All, Hatred for None.

Source: https://ahmadiyya.uk/events/jalsa-salana-uk-2026/

Borella Handiya

PRESS RELEASE Maithri Gunarathna PC Rajith Keerthi Tennkaoon Free Lawyers Organization

22 July 2026

It has been reported that journalists attached to the BBC Sinhala News Service were to be summoned before the Parliamentary Privileges Committee in relation to their reporting on an incident involving Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thero. Although subsequent reports indicated that the summons had been withdrawn, information circulated on social media at approximately 5.36 p.m. on 22 July 2026 suggests that the Parliamentary Privileges Committee intends to proceed with summoning the journalists.

The Free Lawyers Organization wishes to emphasise that the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus was established to safeguard the rights of women who constitute approximately 52% of Sri Lanka’s population—and to promote their freedom, dignity, and socio-economic advancement. It was not created to curtail the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and other laws of Sri Lanka.

 Since its establishment, and until very recently, the Women’s Caucus has discharged its responsibilities in a commendable and non-partisan manner.

The Free Lawyers Organization also recalls the significant legal concerns that arose following the summoning of the then Editor of Ravaya, Mr. Victor Ivan, before a Parliamentary Select Committee on 24 September 1992.

 Those concerns remain equally relevant today.

Accordingly, before any journalist or media institution is summoned before the Parliamentary Privileges Committee,

the following fundamental questions must be clearly answered:

Will the proceedings constitute a fair and impartial hearing conducted in accordance with due process?

Will formal charges be properly framed and presented by a complainant?

Will the person summoned have the right to cross-examine the complainant and any witnesses called against them?

Will the individual have the right to be represented by legal counsel?

Is there a legally prescribed procedure empowering the Parliamentary Privileges Committee to function as a judicial or quasi-judicial body?

In the absence of clear and satisfactory answers to these fundamental questions, the Free Lawyers Organization firmly believes that no journalist or media institution should be compelled to appear before the Parliamentary Privileges Committee.

The principle that “no person should be a judge in his or her own cause” is one of the cornerstones of natural justice. If the Parliament of Sri Lanka, as the legislature of a democratic and civilised nation governed by the rule of law, refrains from reviving such regressive practices, it will earn the respect and confidence of all those who value democracy, justice, and fundamental rights.

The Free Lawyers Organization further welcomes the constructive steps taken by the National Child Protection Authority to conduct a proper investigation into the incident in question.

The public’s constitutional right to receive information must not be obstructed or undermined under any circumstances.

Maithri Gunarathna PC

Rajith Keerthi Tennkaoon

Free Lawyers Organization

Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon

Former Governor of Uva, Southern and Central Provinces Former Executive Director of Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) and Center for Human Rights and Research – CHR Sri Lanka

ෆ්‍රී ලෝයර්ස් සංවිධානය විසින් නිකුත් කරනු ලැබූ පුවත්පත් නිවේදනය

2026. 07.22

 බී.බී.සී. වාර්තාකරුවන් පාර්ලිමේන්තු වරප්‍රසාද කමිටුවට කැඳවා වළදා තිබූ නීතියකට අක්‍රීය වී තිබු පාර්ලිමේන්තු ව්‍යාවහාරයකට  නැවත පණදීමට දරණ උත්සාහය ව්‍යවස්ථාව මගින් තහවුරු කර ඇති හිමිකම් අභියෝගයට ලක් කිරීමකි.

පූජ්‍ය පල්ලේගම හේමරතන හිමියන් සම්බන්ධ සිද්ධිය සම්බන්ධයෙන් සිදුකළ වාර්තාකරණය සම්බන්ධයෙන් බී.බී.සී. සිංහල පුවත් වෙබ් අඩවියේ වාර්තාකරුවන් පාර්ලිමේන්තු වරප්‍රසාද කමිටුව වෙත කැඳවීමට තීරණය කර ඇති බව වාර්තා වූ අතර පසුව එම කැඳවීම ඉවත් කර ගත් බව වාර්තා විය. එසේ නමුත් ජූලි 22 සවස 5.36 ට ලැබුණු නැවතත් වාර්තා කර ඇත්තේ පාර්ලිමේන්තු වරප්‍රසාද කමිටුව වෙත අදාළ කැඳවීම සිදුවන බව සමාජ මාධ්‍ය මගින් වාර්තා පළ කර ඇත.

කාන්තා සංසදය පිහිටුවාගෙන ඇත්තේ රටේ 52% ක් වන ‘කාන්තාවගේ අයිතීන් ආරක්ෂා කරමින් ඔවුන්ගේ නිදහස හා සමාජ ආර්ථික තත්වයන් පුළුල් කිරීම’ සඳහා මිස මෙරට ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව සහ වෙනත් බලාත්මක නීති හා සම්ප්‍රදායන් විසින් තහවුරු කර ඇති මානව හිමිකම් සීමා කිරීම සඳහා නොවේ. පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ කාන්තා සංසදය ආරම්භයේ පටන් ඉතා මෑතක් වන තුරුම පක්ෂ භේදයකින් තොරව එම වගකීම ඉටු කරනු ලැබීය. 

තව ද, මෙවැනිම පසුබිමක 1992 සැප්තෑම්බර්  24 දින එවකට රාවය කර්තෘ වික්ටර් අයිවන් මහතා පාර්ලිමේන්තු තේරීම් කාරක සභාව වෙත කැඳවීමෙන් පසුව ඇති වූ නෛතික භාවය ෆ්‍රී ලෝයර්ස් සංවිධානය මේ මොහොතේ සිහිපත් කරයි.  

*        විධිමත් නඩු විභාගය විධිමත් ආකාරයකින් සිදු කරන්නේද?

*        පැමිණිලිකරු විසින් විධිමත්ව චෝදනා ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමක් සිදුකරන්නේද?,

*        පැමිණිලිකරු හෝ ඔහුගේ සාක්ෂිකරුවන්ගෙන් ප්‍රශ්න කිරීමේ අයිතියක් විත්ති පක්ෂයට ලැබේද?,

*        තමා වෙනුවෙන් නීතිඥවරයෙකුගේ සහය ලබා ගැනීමට හැකියාවක් තිබේද?

*        පාර්ලිමේන්තු වරප්‍රසාද කාරක සභාවට අධිකරණයක් වශයෙන් ක්‍රියා කිරීමට නීතියෙන් නියම කළ විධිමත් ක්‍රියාපටිපාටියක් තිබේද?

යන මූලික කාරණා සඳහා පැහැදිලි කිරීමකින් තොරව කිසිදු ජනමාධ්‍ය ආයතනයක්, මාධ්‍යවේදියෙකු පාර්ලිමේන්තු වරප්‍රසාද කමිටුව වෙත කැඳවීම සිදු නොකළ යුතු බව ෆ්‍රී ලෝයර්ස් සංවිධානයේ විශ්වාසය යි.

‘තමාගේ නඩුව තමා විසින්ම ඇසීම’ ස්වභාවික යුක්ති නීතියේ මුලධර්මයන්ට පටහැනිය.  දියුණු ශිෂ්ඨ ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදී ව්‍යවහාරයක් ඇති ශ්‍රී ලංකා පාර්ලිමේන්තුව නැවත එවැනි පසුගාමී පියවරක් නොතබන්නේ නම් එය හිමිකම් අගයන සියල්ලගේ ගෞරවයට හේතු වනු ඇත.

උක්ත සිද්ධිය සම්බන්ධයෙන් විධිමත් විමර්ශනයක් සිදු කිරීම සඳහා ජාතික ළමාරක්ෂක අධිකාරිය විසින් ගනු ලැබූ සාධනීය පියවර අපගේ ඇගයීමට ලක්වේ. ජනතාවගේ තොරතුරු දැනගැනීමේ අයිතියට කිසි ලෙසකින් හෝ බාධා කළ යුතු නැත.

ජනාධිපති නීතිඥ මෛත්‍රී ගුණරත්න

රජිත් කීර්ති තෙන්නකෝන්

ෆ්‍රී ලෝයර්ස් සංවිධානය

By Dr. Sarath Obeysekera Former CEO, Colombo Dockyard PLC

The tragic factory fire reported recently is not merely another unfortunate industrial accident. It is a stark reminder that industrial safety in Sri Lanka still suffers from weak enforcement, inadequate inspections, and, in some cases, a dangerous culture of complacency.

Every worker leaves home expecting to return safely. When that does not happen, someone has failed in their duty.

The responsibility does not rest solely with the worker or the immediate supervisor. It extends all the way to factory management, company directors, and the Government Factory Inspectorate under the Ministry of Labour, whose primary responsibility is to ensure that every factory complies with the provisions of the Factory Ordinance and internationally accepted occupational health and safety standards such as ISO 45001 and ISO 14001.

Too often, safety inspections become routine paperwork instead of rigorous technical audits. Small and medium-sized factories, in particular, frequently escape the level of scrutiny they deserve. Electrical installations, fire protection systems, emergency exits, hazardous chemical storage, welding operations, gas testing, scaffolding, lifting equipment, and worker training should all be inspected regularly—not after lives have already been lost.

I had the privilege of serving as CEO of Colombo Dockyard, one of Sri Lanka’s largest heavy engineering establishments. During my early days there, I found many workers ignoring basic safety requirements. Helmets were worn without fastening the chin straps. Safety belts were rarely used. Around the docks, subcontractor workers waited for employment wearing sarongs and slippers—completely unsuitable clothing for one of the most hazardous industrial environments in the country.

This culture had to change.

One of the first decisions we made was to impose a complete ban on smoking throughout the shipyard and office premises. Every employee and subcontractor was issued proper industrial safety clothing, safety footwear, helmets with chin straps, eye protection, gloves, and harnesses. Wearing them was not optional. Every engineer, supervisor and worker was required to comply without exception.

Safety signboards were installed throughout the yard, reminding everyone that production could never take priority over human life.

Unfortunately, our resolve was tested.

One tragic accident occurred during hot work inside a cleaned crude oil cargo tank. Standard gas testing had been carried out before welding commenced, and the tank was declared safe. However, an isolated pocket of flammable gas remained trapped beneath an air pocket near previously welded structures. Two subcontractor welders began welding using a 110-volt welding machine. Within seconds, a violent explosion occurred, killing both men instantly.

The subsequent investigations revealed that although established procedures had been followed, they had not been sufficiently comprehensive to detect every hidden hazard.

As Chief Executive, I took the difficult decision to interdict the senior manager responsible for safety, despite there being no evidence that he had personally caused the accident. Leadership carries responsibility beyond direct involvement. Later, the Magistrate’s Inquiry cleared several managers of criminal liability, but disciplinary measures had already reinforced a clear message throughout the organisation:

No manager is above accountability when lives are lost.

A second fatal accident involved a suspended scaffold alongside a ship’s hull. Because of incorrect rigging and inadequate supervision, the scaffold suddenly pivoted, throwing a worker into the bottom of the dry dock, resulting in another tragic death.

Once again, disciplinary action followed. Supervisors and safety officers were held accountable.

These were painful lessons, but they transformed the organisation. Safety audits became far more rigorous. Risk assessments were strengthened. Periodic internal and external safety inspections became mandatory. Compliance with ISO environmental and occupational safety standards became part of everyday operations rather than an annual exercise.

Eventually, Colombo Dockyard was recognised with national safety awards—not because accidents never occurred, but because management demonstrated an uncompromising commitment to learning from every incident and preventing recurrence.

That is the difference between a true safety culture and mere compliance.

Today, I still see photographs from construction sites and factories where workers wear safety helmets with the chin straps hanging loose. Such helmets offer little protection because they fall off at the very moment they are needed most.

Safety equipment only saves lives when it is used properly.

The Government Factory Inspectorate must therefore become far more proactive. Factory engineers should conduct unannounced inspections, particularly in high-risk industries. They should verify that fire detection and suppression systems are operational, emergency exits remain unobstructed, hazardous materials are correctly stored, confined-space entry procedures are followed, gas testing equipment is properly calibrated, scaffolding is erected by competent personnel, lifting appliances are certified, and workers receive continuous safety training.

Inspection reports should never become routine paperwork. They should be technical documents capable of preventing disasters.

There is an old Russian saying that reflects the seriousness with which industrial accidents were once treated:

When a fatal industrial accident occurs, responsibility does not stop with the worker. It travels upwards through every level of management.”

The saying humorously exaggerates that everyone—from the factory director down to the cleaner who mops the manager’s office—could find themselves under investigation. While figurative, the message is powerful: every level of the organisation shares responsibility for safety.

Sri Lanka must adopt that philosophy.

Productivity targets, delivery schedules and financial pressures must never override worker safety. No order is so urgent, no deadline so important, and no profit so valuable that it justifies risking human life.

Every fatal accident should trigger an independent technical investigation, identify systemic failures rather than convenient scapegoats, and ensure that corrective measures are implemented across the entire industry—not only in the factory where the tragedy occurred.

The recent factory fire must not become just another headline forgotten within a week.

It should become the turning point that compels Government Factory Engineers, factory owners, directors, managers, engineers and workers alike to recognise one simple truth:

Industrial safety is not a cost. It is the first duty of every responsible employer and every civilised nation.

If a worker leaves home in the morning, the nation has a moral obligation to ensure that he or she returns home safely in the evening

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D.

18th May

Months have elapsed, and we now relish a life of comfort and affluence in London. We have made friendships with several wealthy aristocratic families and hosted extravagant banquets at our mansion. Mina has engaged a butler and several female staff members to assist with our household management. While some of my old acquaintances have expressed curiosity about my sudden wealth, I have chosen to keep the source of my fortune a secret. Nevertheless, I have been prudent with our finances, investing in country estates in Hertfordshire and Kent to solidify our social standing. I aspire to provide our son with an education at a prestigious English institution, with Mina planning for him to attend Westminster School. Meanwhile, Dr. Seward has expanded his hospital and is thriving in his full-time role, becoming a philanthropist who generously supports orphanages and churches. Although our fears surrounding the Dracula saga have diminished, I often find myself reflecting on my current prosperity, which leads me to ponder whether I am, in fact, indulging in the spoils of Dracula’s blood money.

I do not believe we can be classified as grave robbers or accused of stealing from Dracula. During my time as a young apprentice under his power, he significantly disrupted both my professional and personal life, causing considerable harm to my wife as well. I view this money as a form of compensation for the extensive damage he has caused to us.  I felt no remorse in utilizing his gold.

22nd June

Today, I received a letter from Professor Van Helsing, in which he expressed his satisfaction regarding the progress that Mina and I have made in overcoming our fears. We have successfully liberated ourselves from the haunting memories of our past experiences, particularly those associated with Dracula, and I now firmly believe that we have definitively vanquished the Count, ensuring that he cannot return to threaten us again.

Initially, I harbored concerns about an incident involving Dr. Seward, who inadvertently cut his finger and allowed drops of blood to fall onto the floor, which sparked a moment of dread in both the Professor and me, as it raised the unsettling possibility of Dracula’s resurrection. However, that anxiety has since dissipated, and we are gradually acclimating to our daily lives, finding consolation in the fact that while Dracula may linger in our memories, the emotional turmoil he once caused has significantly diminished.

Reflecting on my decision to confront my fears by revisiting Dracula’s castle, I now recognize that, despite the terror of that second visit, it ultimately provided us with a profound emotional release and, fortuitously, a means to secure a comfortable future for ourselves.

 29th June

Today, I had the opportunity to visit Dr. Seward, and I was genuinely taken aback by the remarkable expansion of his hospital. It is evident that he has not only increased the number of staff but has also significantly enhanced the quality of services provided to the community. Wisely utilizing the funds acquired from Dracula, he is making a substantial impact on public health. Notably, he has purchased the infamous Carfax Abbey, once owned by Dracula, and has taken the initiative to demolish the old structure, replacing it with a modern building complex that will serve as an extension of his hospital.

The loss of Lucy Westenra, who tragically fell victim to Dracula’s malevolent influence, left Dr. Seward in profound sorrow; however, as time passed, he found solace and companionship in the form of a refined lady, with whom he has since married. Their union has brought him a sense of joy and fulfillment in his personal life.

Witnessing Dr. Seward’s dedication to improving the lives of others prompted a moment of reflection on my own responsibilities, leading me to the decision to contribute financially to several orphanages in an effort to assist those in need.

During my visit, Dr. Seward and I engaged in a lengthy conversation about our past encounters, particularly reminiscing about Robert Martin Renfield. Once a devoted servant to Count Dracula, Renfield ultimately played a crucial role in our fight against the vampire. His transformation was particularly evident when Dracula targeted Mina; Renfield, moved by her purity and kindness, bravely confronted the vampire upon his return to the asylum. Tragically, this act of courage led to a brutal confrontation, resulting in Renfield being viciously beaten and left paralyzed on the floor of his cell. Despite his tragic fate, Renfield provided us with invaluable insights that aided our battle against Dracula, and we took a moment to honor his memory, wishing for his soul to find peace.

During our discussion, Dr. Seward expressed his ongoing commitment to his public service and philanthropic endeavors, revealing his aspiration to one day receive a knighthood from the King. He emphasized that this ambition stands as the sole personal goal he has set for himself.

In light of his noble aspirations, I extended my heartfelt wishes for his success, firmly believing that this exemplary physician, who dedicates himself to the betterment of society, is indeed deserving of recognition from the monarchy.

22nd October

Currently, we find ourselves immersed in a life of affluence in London, surrounded by a circle of wealthy individuals and aristocrats. The elevation of our social status is remarkable, and both Mina and I are relishing the myriad comforts that accompany our newfound wealth. Our son, Quincy, is enrolled in a prestigious school that caters to the children of London’s elite, further solidifying our place within this upper echelon of society.

In a gesture reminiscent of Dr. Seward’s benevolence, I have made substantial donations to various orphanages and churches, seeking to give back to the community that has afforded us so much. Amidst this luxurious lifestyle, I find profound peace and happiness in the company of Mina and our child, cherishing the moments we share together.

However, my past is marred by harrowing experiences, particularly the time I spent cohabiting with a creature of unimaginable horror. It is almost unfathomable to reflect on the fact that I lived under the same roof as Dracula for an extended period. Initially, the thrill of the unknown captivated me, but as days turned into weeks, an insidious fear took root in my heart. I gradually came to the stark realization that I was ensconced in a desolate castle, devoid of servants and companionship, save for this bloodthirsty monster.

It became evident that Dracula had kept me alive solely for his own purposes, likely until he could finalize the acquisition of his properties in London and complete the necessary legal formalities. Once those tasks were accomplished, I feared I would be offered as a sacrifice to his monstrous brides.

In a desperate bid for survival, I made the perilous decision to escape, climbing out of a window and confronting the terrifying prospect of plummeting to my death. With nothing but my bare hands and feet to navigate the narrow stone handholds along the castle wall, I managed to descend into the abyss below. Once free from that accursed place, I found myself traversing the treacherous and unfamiliar terrain of Transylvania, all the while haunted by the fear that Count Dracula was in pursuit. I ran with the frantic energy of a madman, driven by the instinct to survive. By the grace of God, I ultimately evaded his grasp and stumbled upon a convent in Budapest, where I was taken in by compassionate nuns. However, the ordeal had left me in a state of distress, suffering from what was later diagnosed as “brain fever.”

Following my salvage, I married Mina and relocated to London, yet our ordeal was far from over. The most harrowing event was the untimely death of Lucy Westenra, who succumbed to a horrific transformation into a vampire, a fate brought upon her by Count Dracula through a relentless cycle of predatory feeding and blood exchange. Her soul was ultimately redeemed through a sacred ritual of destruction and purification, conducted within her tomb by Professor Van Helsing, Dr. John Seward, Arthur Holmwood, and Quincey Morris.

In the wake of Lucy’s demise, Count Dracula shifted his focus to Mina, targeting her as part of a calculated scheme of revenge and survival. In a desperate race against time, we fought to save Mina from Dracula’s malevolent curse, culminating in the physical destruction of the Count mere moments before sunset. With the unwavering support of Professor Abraham Van Helsing, Dr. John Seward, Arthur Holmwood, and Quincey Morris by my side, we united our efforts to vanquish the monstrous threat that had loomed over us.

Quincey Morris met a tragic fate at the hands of Count Dracula’s devoted human protectors, Szgany bodyguards. During the frantic final battle at the gates of Castle Dracula, he was stabbed deep in the side with a wide-bladed knife. His valiant efforts in the battle against the forces of darkness will forever be remembered, as he displayed remarkable courage and selflessness in the face of overwhelming odds.

Following the demise of Count Dracula, Arthur Holmwood was able to move away from his profound sorrow and psychological turmoil, ultimately finding solace and contentment in his life. In the wake of his father’s death, Arthur embraces his responsibilities as the Lord Godalming, fully inheriting the title that comes with his noble lineage. He immerses himself in the duties of a wealthy British aristocrat, diligently overseeing the management of his extensive family estates, which required both attention and care. During this period of renewal, he made a memorable visit to our home to commemorate the birthday of our young son, an occasion that not only highlighted his enduring friendship but also marked a significant moment of joy and celebration in our lives.

The impact of Dracula on our lives was profound, leaving behind deep emotional and psychological scars that affected us all. Despite the darkness that fell upon us during that time, we demonstrated remarkable resilience, ultimately rising above the challenges he imposed. Today, we stand liberated from the curse that once haunted us, having discovered our own paths to peace and fulfillment. It is with a sense of gratitude that I reflect on the years that have passed, as we now embrace the joy of living, cherishing the freedom we have fought so hard to attain.

 3rd November

Recently, I had the opportunity to encounter Arthur Holmwood, who holds the title of Lord, at one of the esteemed Gentlemen’s Clubs located on St. James’s Street. During our conversation, he told me that he and his wife, Lady Alice Godalming, have visited Lucy’s tomb, a gesture that speaks volumes about his enduring affection for her. It is evident that Lucy’s memory continues to linger in his heart, as he mentioned that he makes it a point to visit her resting place at least twice a year to pay his respects. This consistent homage suggests that he remains deeply connected to her memory, unable to fully escape the sweet reminiscences of their time together.

17th November

Today, I awoke with a palpable sense of excitement, as this day signifies the first anniversary of our memorable journey to Transylvania. It has been a full year since we last explored the enigmatic Dracula’s castle, an experience that still lingers vividly in my mind. However, as the afternoon progressed, my initial enthusiasm began to morph into a creeping sense of dread. This unsettling shift in my emotions was triggered by a message I received from Dr. Seward, which detailed the arrival of a peculiar ship that had docked in Whitby, completely devoid of passengers or crew. The vessel, originating from Varna port in Bulgaria, instantly conjured memories of the infamous ship Demeter, which had once transported Dracula’s native soil concealed within fifty wooden boxes. It was later revealed that the Count himself was hidden within one of these sealed containers, enabling him to traverse the treacherous sea undetected by human eyes, a chilling reminder of the dark forces that may still linger in our midst.  I promptly engaged a private investigator and dispatched him to Whitby to gather comprehensive information regarding the ship, including its origins, cargo, and the fate of both the crew and passengers.

 20th November

I received an extensive report from the private investigator I had hired to look into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the ship known as the Beelzebub. According to the findings detailed in his report, the vessel had departed from Varna, carrying a crew of twenty individuals alongside four Russian noblemen as its passengers. The captain of the ship was Bulgarian, and the majority of the crew members shared this nationality. After drifting aimlessly for several days, the ship was ultimately carried by the sea currents to the shores of Whitby. Notably, the ship was found to be devoid of any significant cargo, with the exception of some timber, despite my specific request for the investigator to ascertain whether there were any soil boxes on board. His thorough examination revealed no such items within the cargo hold. Furthermore, the local authorities were baffled by the disappearance of both the crew and the passengers, with one experienced sailor suggesting that they may have been swept overboard during a violent storm. However, the absence of any bodies washing ashore adds an additional layer of enigma to the situation. This perplexing mystery surrounding the fate of the Beelzebub and its occupants left me deeply troubled, prompting me to share these unsettling details with Dr. Seward. Additionally, I took the initiative to compose a letter to Professor Van Helsing, in which I included the comprehensive report from my investigator, hoping that his insights might shed light on this baffling case.

29th November

Professor Van Helsing urgently contacted me via a physical courier, seeking an inquiry into any recent acquisitions of run-down mansions in London or its surrounding areas, specifically by individuals from Transylvania or nearby regions within the past six months. In response, I swiftly enlisted the services of my private investigator, Bernard at J.G. Littlechild & Co, instructing him to conduct a thorough investigation. Furthermore, I reached out to several law firms that have represented foreign clients in property transactions in London to identify any purchases made by Eastern Europeans.

15 December

My private investigator, Bernard, and I worked meticulously to uncover information about the purchase of deteriorating mansions in London by foreign nationals. Our investigation revealed that a Russian nobleman, linked to the Russian royal family, had acquired a mansion in a suburban part of London, where he now lives with his family. Despite this discovery, we were unable to obtain further substantial details; however, we remained committed to our pursuit of additional information.

The mysterious ship Beelzebub, which met a fate similar to that of the Dimiter, left Dr. Seward and Professor Van Helsing in a state of confusion. The enigma surrounding the vanishing of the crew and passengers was deepened by the absence of any suspicious items on board, with only timber and wool found. This vessel had embarked on a strategically important 3,000-mile journey from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, navigating south from Varna through the heavily fortified Bosphorus Strait, passing Constantinople, and continuing through the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles Strait into the Aegean Sea. It made stops at British naval bases in Malta and Gibraltar for resupply before facing the treacherous waters of the Bay of Biscay along the French coast after traversing the Strait of Gibraltar, ultimately entering the English Channel. Questions arise regarding where the ship encountered a storm, as Dracula possesses the ability to shroud the vessel in mist, disorienting the sailors, and can conjure deadly storms. If the Count had indeed been resurrected and travelled aboard the Beelzebub, one must ponder his whereabouts, especially considering the cargo of timber and wool.

The transportation of wool was a complex and precarious endeavour, as it was considered a delicate and high-risk cargo when shipped by sea. Any mismanagement in stowage could lead to the total loss of a merchant’s investment before arrival in England. To counteract this risk, sailors carefully arranged dunnage—such as loose wood pieces, mats, or birch twigs—along the bottom and sides of the cargo hold before placing the bales. This method created a vital air gap that protected the wool from potential damage due to leaked bilge water or condensation from the ship’s hull. Additionally, this meticulous packing was essential in preventing the bales from shifting during severe storms. The thought of Dracula possibly being concealed within the wool raised unsettling questions and fears. The ship Beelzebub, laden with timber and wool, was taken to the warehouse, but we lost track of it. I contemplated sending Bernard to the warehouse to investigate what had happened to the wool.

My anxiety is growing as I contemplate the possibility that Dracula has returned, arriving in England aboard the ship Beelzebub. I wonder if he concealed himself within the wool, only to be transported by his Szgany servants to the port for his journey. The thought sends chills down my spine.  Conversely, the Beelzebub’s fate may be attributed to natural occurrences; it is not uncommon for ships to reach shore devoid of crew or cargo, particularly after severe storms. This unsettling incident fuels our suspicions, linking it to Dracula’s potential re-emergence in England. Consequently, I have resolved to enlist my private investigator, Bernard, to examine the warehouse in Whitby and uncover the fate of the ship’s cargo. It is crucial to determine who claimed the bulk of the wool, as this information may lead us to a definitive conclusion.

16th December

I dispatched my private investigator, Bernard, to the Whitby warehouse to uncover the fate of the cargo transported by the ship Beelzebub. My specific instructions were to identify the sender of the wool from the Port of Varna and the recipient in England, as tracing the latter could provide a new direction for our inquiry. While we remain uncertain about the resurrection of Dracula or his arrival in England aboard the Beelzebub, my obsession with this investigation compels me to continue. Despite my collaboration with Bernard, driven by fear and apprehension, I chose to keep this information from Mina to avoid causing her distress. She has returned to her normal life, seemingly moving on from the past, and I wish to preserve that sense of normalcy for her.

25th December

Today, we celebrated Christmas, but the occasion fell short of the splendour of previous years, leaving a sense of disappointment and a lack of the typical festive cheer. Mina noticed my change in mood and asked several times if I was facing any issues, but I tried to conceal my discomfort concerning recent developments. Although Bernard travelled to Whitby to obtain details about the cargo of the ship Beelzebub and its destination, I have not yet received any information from him. He may provide updates after the holiday season.

27th December

I received a message from Bernard via a private dispatcher regarding his visit to the Whitby warehouse. He sought information about the unclaimed cargo of the ship Beelzebub, which still contains timber. This vessel carried over 5,000 pounds of wool, ordered by Diverus, a gypsy and horse dealer from Gipsy Hill, a region in South London recognized as a hub for Romani Gypsies. Additionally, Bernard expressed his plans to meet with Diverus and visit Gipsy Hill.

Upon receiving this unsettling news, I found myself deeply intrigued by the man named Diverus from Gipsy Hill. I am left questioning his potential ties to Transylvania and the reasons behind his order for a substantial quantity of wool. The possibility of a coffin concealed within this wool raises further concerns, leading me to wonder if Dracula himself could be arriving by sea, hidden among the bulk of wool. If Dracula has indeed returned, how might he have communicated with Diverus? When Count Dracula sought to acquire Carfax Abbey in Purfleet, he corresponded with my superior, Peter Hawkins, explicitly requesting legal assistance for the necessary contracts and logistics, which Mr. Hawkins subsequently entrusted to me. It is conceivable that Dracula may have similarly reached out to Diverus, a Roma individual residing in England, perhaps through familial connections in Transylvania, to facilitate this arrangement. The situation is perplexing, and I find myself eagerly awaiting Bernard’s meeting with Diverus for clarity on these matters.

(The end of part 3 )

Shenali D Waduge

Before Chemmani is turned into an international symbol, one question must be answered: Why is the history of Jaffna under LTTE control missing from the conversation? Chemmani is located in the Jaffna peninsula — an area where for years the LTTE exercised extensive control. This was not an area where the LTTE was absent.

It was an area where the LTTE operated:

·      military bases,

·      intelligence networks,

·      interrogation centres,

·      detention facilities,

·      courts,

·      administrative structures,

·      banks/currencies

·      and cruel systems of punishment against Tamils.

Thousands of Tamil civilians lived under LTTE authority.

·      Some supported the LTTE.

·      Some feared the LTTE.

·      Some opposed the LTTE.

·      Some disappeared under LTTE rule.

Their families have a right to ask:

Where are our missing?

Could it be our missing in Chemmani?

The Question nobody wants asked

If Chemmani represents people who disappeared during the conflict years, then the investigation cannot begin and end with one assumption.

The questions must include:

·      Were all missing persons in Jaffna victims of the State/military?

·      Or were they victims of the armed group that controlled the territory?

·      Where are those taken by the LTTE for interrogation/torture & killed?

·      Where are those accused of collaborating with the government?

·      Where are those who opposed LTTE ideology?

A genuine investigation must follow every missing person — not only those whose stories fit a particular political narrative.

Chemmani and the LTTE Detention System

During LTTE control of Jaffna, the organisation maintained an internal security apparatus.

Those accused of:

·      dissent,

·      betrayal,

·      assisting the security forces,

·      opposing LTTE decisions,

faced detention, severe interrogation and even death.

Where are these dead bodies of Tamils killed by LTTE?

Many Tamil families have spoken about relatives who were taken away and never returned. Nobody dared ask where are their family members buried.

Their grief is no less real because the perpetrator was not the State.
The perpetrators was the LTTE – who presented to the world that they were the sole-representative of Tamils.

No group aspiring to be a representative of their own goes and kills their own.

The Testimony of LTTE Victims cannot be erased

The account raised by Arun Siddharth and his wife brings forward another dimension of Chemmani.

Their argument is that the story of Jaffna cannot be separated from the years when the LTTE exercised power.

His wife has spoken about her own family’s experience, including the killing of her father by the LTTE in a detention setting.

Whether investigating Chemmani, disappearances or any conflict-era grave site, these testimonies raise an essential question:

Can truth exist if the victims of the LTTE are excluded?

The Map Matters

Look at the map.

Chemmani is in Jaffna.

The final battles of 2009 occurred in Mullaitivu.

Between these two locations lies more than a decade of history.

A person carrying a placard connecting Chemmani directly to Mullivaikkal must answer:

What forensic evidence connects these graves to 2009?

Not emotion.

Not political messaging.

Evidence – where is the evidence.

A Grave Does Not Carry a Political Label

A skeleton does not reveal:

·      ethnicity,

·      political affiliation,

·      military association,

·      or perpetrator.

Only science can.

The age of the remains.

The cause of death.

DNA identification.

Witness testimony.

Historical records.

All must be examined.

So far we have been hearing of 40,000 killed by Sri Lanka’s military – not a skeleton has been found to date. This says much!

The Uncomfortable Question

If international delegations visit Chemmani today, will they also listen to:

·      Tamil families whose loved ones disappeared under LTTE control?

·      families of political opponents eliminated by the LTTE?

·      victims of LTTE detention facilities?

·      civilians targeted because they refused LTTE demands?

Or will Chemmani become another place where some victims are remembered and others are deliberately forgotten?

Chemmani must not become a monument for selective memory.

If the purpose is justice, then every victim matters.

If the purpose is truth, then every perpetrator must be examined.

The dead deserve justice.

But justice demands the whole story.

For years, one of the most repeated allegations against Sri Lanka has been that 40,000 civilians were killed during the final phase of the conflict in 2009. 

Seventeen years have now passed since the end of the war.

Yet fundamental questions remain.

·      Where is the forensic evidence supporting that specific claim?

·      Where are the identified victims?

·      Where are the corresponding skeletons or mass graves linked to the final phase of the conflict?

·      How many police complaints were lodged identifying these alleged victims?

·      How many cases before the relevant authorities establish that these individuals disappeared during the final months of the war?

Note: they must be proven civilians – not LTTE (in uniform or civilian clothing)

Instead, international attention has now shifted to Chemmani—a site historically associated with events from the 1995–1996 period in Jaffna where LTTE ruled.

This raises an important question.

·      Why is a grave site connected to the mid-1990s being invoked in discussions about the final phase of the war in 2009?

·      is a new narrative being constructed to compensate for the inability to substantiate earlier claims of 40,000 killed?

These are legitimate questions that deserve answers.

But history cannot be rewritten by collapsing different periods of the conflict into a single narrative.

·      Chronology matters.

·      Location matters.

·      Territorial control matters.

·      Forensic science matters.

·      Most importantly, truth matters.

If Chemmani is to become a symbol of justice, then let it be a place where every victim is identified, every line of inquiry is pursued, and every possible perpetrator is investigated based on evidence—not politics.

The search for truth must never become the search for a convenient narrative.

Who is constructing these narratives—and for what purpose?

Shenali D Waduge

Shenali D Waduge

The name of Sara Jasmine alias Pulasthini Mahendran has become one of the most repeatedly mentioned names after the Easter Sunday attacks of 21 April 2019. What exactly is the legal relevance of Sara Jasmine to establishing who planned, directed and executed the Easter Sunday attacks?

The law requires evidence — not association, assumptions or emotional narratives.

Based on publicly available information:

·      Sara Jasmine alias Pulasthini Mahendran was the wife of Mohamed Hasthun, one of the Easter Sunday suicide bombers.

·      She was a Tamil converted to Islam after marriage.

·      She was at the Sainthamaruthu safe house on 26 April 2019 when the explosion occurred.

·      According to the Government Analyst’s third DNA examination, her remains were identified among those recovered from the explosion site.

·      There is no publicly available evidence that she prepared the explosives used on 21 April, directed the attackers, or coordinated the attacks.

Therefore, one important legal distinction must be maintained:

·      Being connected to a perpetrator is not the same as being a perpetrator.

Sara Jasmine and Fathima Jiffry: 

Their role requires legal classification

The fact that Sara Jasmine may not have been one of the eight suicide bombers who carried out the Easter Sunday attacks does not automatically mean she had no connection to extremist activity.

The circumstances indicate that both:

Sara Jasmine (wife of Hasthun), and Fathima Ibrahim (wife of suicide bomber Mohamed Ibrahim Ilham) were linked to households where suicide bomb equipment was discovered. 

The presence of suicide vests and explosive material at both locations indicates that further attacks were being planned. The presence of security personnel only advanced that plan. While there is no challenge over Fathima’s death, some are claiming Sara Jasmin who was inside the Sainamaruthu residence did not die. When security forces entered the premises Zaharan’s wife & daughter (both injured) were carried away for medical treatment. All others inside were declared dead. The premises had been surrounded by armed forces from previous evening. The forces were led by the present Deputy Minister of Defense – then Major General Aruna Jayasekara who was Commander Security Forces East.

Dematagoda – At the Ibrahim residence:

·      Daughter in law of Yusuf Ibrahim, 

·      Fathima Ibrahim detonated explosives;

·      the explosion killed her three children and three police officers who were conducting investigations.

Sainthamaruthu

At the Sainthamaruthu safe house:

·      the explosion occurred on 26 April 2019 following stiff resistance with the military/police;

·      multiple family members and associates died;

·      suicide vests and explosive material were reportedly recovered.

Therefore, the legal question is not merely:

“Was Sara Jasmine one of the Easter Sunday attackers?”

The more precise question is:

“Was Sara Jasmine part of a wider extremist network preparing further attacks after 21 April 2019?”

That is a separate factual inquiry.

Criminal law distinction: attacker, conspirator, associate

Criminal law requires separation between different categories.

Principal attackers

The eight suicide bombers who carried out the attacks on 21 April 2019 were the direct perpetrators.

Conspirators

A person becomes legally responsible as a conspirator only if evidence proves involvement in: the 3 named by US DOJ falls into this category.

·      planning,

·      financing,

·      organizing,

·      recruiting,

·      directing,

·      providing material assistance,

·      knowingly participating in the criminal agreement.

Associates or family members

A person does not become a criminal merely because:

·      they are married to a terrorist,

·      they are related to a terrorist,

·      they lived in a house used by terrorists.

The prosecution must prove individual conduct.

For example – the role of the 2 suicide bombers father – was he aware of his sons suicide plans. Who else were aware that Zaharan & Co were recruiting, training and preparing for a jihad attack.

Why has Sara Jasmine become such a central issue after the attacks?

This is the central question.

Sara Jasmine did not carry out the Easter Sunday attacks.

Therefore:

Whether she:

·      died in Sainthamaruthu,

·      survived,

·      escaped,

·      or was taken elsewhere,

does not by itself answer:

·      who planned Easter Sunday,

·      who financed Easter Sunday,

·      who directed Easter Sunday,

·      who assisted the attackers.

Why is she suddenly so important – more important than Fathima Jiffry or any of the other women Zaharan had prepared for successive attacks who are still at large?

Those questions require separate evidence.

The legal concern is that Sara Jasmine’s identity has moved from being a forensic question into becoming a political and security narrative.

The burden of proof remains:

Those claiming she survived must prove survival.

Those claiming she fled to another country must prove it

Those claiming she left the Sainamaruthu suicide site must prove it too.

The DNA issue: What exactly was the third DNA examination?

Anyone challenging the third DNA examination must first understand what was actually examined.

The third DNA examination was conducted after remains were re-examined following the initial exhumation process 

The final reported findings were that DNA extracted from recovered remains matched Sara Jasmine’s mother, establishing a biological relationship.

A key argument raised by critics has been:

“The first two examinations did not identify Sara Jasmine, but the third did.”

However, the explanation given by investigators was that the third examination involved previously unconfirmed human remains in the 3^rd and final body bag.

In a suicide explosion:

·      bodies can be fragmented;

·      identifiable remains may not always be recovered immediately;

·      DNA identification may depend on microscopic biological material.

Therefore, the legal challenge cannot simply be:

“The third test was different.”

The proper legal questions would be:

·      Were the remains properly documented?

·      Were the samples correctly linked to the Sainthamaruthu victims?

·      Was the DNA methodology scientifically valid?

Those are the questions a court would examine.

If Sara Jasmine was alive — what must be proved?

A claim that Sara Jasmine survived requires proof of every link in the chain.

First:

1. Proof of survival

Evidence must establish:

·      she survived the explosion;

·      she escaped from the heavily secured area;

·      she avoided identification by security forces.

She cannot walk out of a site subject to a major explosion unharmed & unscathed while security forces were surrounding the premises, nor is it possible to even imagine that a getaway vehicle would have been at the scene of the crime for her to walk out & get inside & speed off while entire security brigade looked on!

Thus:

·      How did a person survive such an explosion with no publicly verified injuries?

·      How did she leave a location surrounded by security forces?

·      Who assisted her escape?

·      Where is the evidence of her presence afterwards?

Only after survival is proven can the next questions arise.

2. Proof of involvement in Easter Sunday

Even if she survived, it must separately be proved:

·      she participated in planning Easter Sunday;

·      she assisted the attackers;

·      she knew the targets;

·      she contributed to the operation.

Survival does not equal guilt.

3. Proof of connection to Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay

If allegations are made against Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay, the legal chain must establish:

·      Sara Jasmine survived.

·      Someone concealed that survival.

·      Maj. Gen. Sallay knew about it.

·      Maj. Gen. Sallay participated in or directed concealment.

Each link requires independent evidence.

The failure of one link weakens the entire allegation.

The “India factor” – an unintended consequence or an intended narrative?

The repeated public discussion that Sara Jasmine survived and escaped to India has inevitably brought Sri Lanka’s immediate neighbour into the Easter Sunday discourse.

Sri Lanka’s Security Minister himself declared in Parliament that Sara was in India.

Whether intended or not, repeatedly linking an alleged survivor of the Easter Sunday conspiracy to India introduces an international dimension to what would otherwise be a domestic criminal investigation. Such an allegation cannot be treated lightly. It carries diplomatic, intelligence and geopolitical implications and therefore demands evidence of the highest standard.

The legal burden therefore extends beyond merely proving that Sara Jasmine survived.

Those advancing such a claim must establish:

·      Who first introduced the claim that Sara Jasmine escaped to India?

·      On what evidence was that assertion based?

·      Was India officially informed through diplomatic or law-enforcement channels that Sara Jasmine was believed to be on Indian soil?

·      Was any request for assistance or extradition ever made?

·      If not, why did the “India narrative” continue to be repeated publicly?

Until then, references to India remain allegations requiring proof rather than established facts.

Narratives have consequences. 

Repeatedly placing India at the centre of the Sara Jasmine story was bound to attract attention in India itself. It is therefore unsurprising that Indian commentators have now begun questioning not merely the factual basis of these claims but also the manner in which they have been advanced publicly.

Renowned Indian journalist M.R. Narayan Swamy, writing from an Indian perspective, has openly questioned why Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has increasingly adopted positions resembling those of a political actor rather than a religious leader. 

Whether one agrees with his criticism is beside the point. The significance is that an issue originally centred on a forensic question has now evolved into one attracting regional political commentary.

https://www.jaffnamonitor.com/the-cardinal-who-talks-like-a-politician

Whether the repeated emphasis on Sara Jasmine was intended to sustain allegations of an India connection, or whether that became an unintended consequence is a question readers may judge for themselves.

The questions remain:

·      Who first introduced the India connection and why?

·      What evidence supports it?

·      Was India officially informed to locate Sara Jasmin and a request for assistance made through official channels?

These are questions requiring evidence, not speculation.

The sudden departure from earlier investigative conclusions, including findings reached with the assistance of foreign investigative agencies, may also have wider implications for Sri Lanka’s credibility in international criminal cooperation. If previous conclusions are to now be rejected for political agendas, the reasons for doing so should be clearly explained and supported by evidence. 

The importance of this distinction cannot be overlooked. 

The allegation that Sara Jasmine survived is no longer merely a forensic issue. It has become one of the building blocks used to support a wider narrative involving alleged international dimensions to the Easter attacks and, more recently, allegations against Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay. If one foundational allegation is relied upon to support broader allegations, that foundational allegation must itself be established by credible and admissible evidence. Otherwise, the legal and factual basis of the wider narrative becomes vulnerable.

The Asad Maulana issue

The Sara Jasmine narrative has also become connected to claims made by former LTTE cadre and ex-Chief Minister’s aide Azad Maulana in relation to the Easter attacks.

How Azad Maulana Allegedly Turned a Pillayan Dispute Into a Suresh Sallay Asylum Claim

Confounding matters is this interview by Moh. Faaris – https://www.shenaliwaduge.com/english-transcript-of-tamil-interview-m-faaris/

Questions have been raised regarding:

·      changes in allegations over time;

·      the movement from allegations involving political figures to allegations involving security officials;

·      the circumstances surrounding asylum claims.

Any such claims must ultimately be tested through:

·      admissible evidence,

·      witness examination,

·      corroboration,

·      and judicial scrutiny.

The Easter Sunday victims deserve truth and justice.

But justice requires a clear separation between:

·      those who carried out the attacks,

·      those who planned them,

·      those who assisted them,

·      and those who may only have been connected by family association.

The question is not:

“Was Sara Jasmine important?”

The correct legal question is:

“What admissible evidence proves her exact role, and how does that evidence establish responsibility for the Easter Sunday attacks?”

Every person making an allegation must meet the same standard:

Evidence. Proof. Legal responsibility.

The danger of allowing one individual to dominate the narrative is that it risks diverting attention from the central legal issues. Even if Sara Jasmine had survived, or even if she unquestionably died in Sainthamaruthu, neither fact would by itself identify the architects of the Easter Sunday attacks. Criminal liability is determined by evidence proving planning, direction, financing, assistance or participation—not by unresolved speculation about the fate of one individual. The investigation must remain focused on proving the elements of the offence rather than allowing one forensic issue to eclipse the wider conspiracy.

The Cost of an ever-expanding Narrative

The Easter Sunday attacks were not the only attacks in Sri Lanka’s history. All victims deserve justice & closure.

However, over the past several years, the focus of public discourse has progressively shifted from establishing the criminal responsibility of the perpetrators and those who should have been held responsible for direct negligence to an ever-expanding series of conspiracy theories, allegations of hidden masterminds and international intrigue.

This has become a topic to even change governments.

Much of the public momentum for alternative narratives has come from repeated statements made by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and members of the Catholic clergy, who have annually maintained that the full truth has yet to emerge.

Whether these concerns are ultimately vindicated or disproved is a matter for the courts and the investigative process—not public opinion.

What cannot be ignored, however, are the consequences.

Sri Lanka has found itself subjected to increasing international scrutiny and diplomatic attention over allegations that continue to evolve but remain largely untested in court. 

Allegations have expanded from domestic negligence to claims involving foreign intelligence services, international actors and neighbouring States. The repeated references to Sara Jasmine and an alleged India connection while also reversing international intel findings illustrate how a domestic criminal investigation has gradually acquired regional geopolitical dimensions.

At the same time, senior officers who served during the relevant period—including decorated military and intelligence officers—have faced arrest, detention or public accusation while investigations remain ongoing. 

Every citizen, regardless of rank, is subject to the law. 

Equally, every person is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.

The recent death of former Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickramaratne, under circumstances that resulted in an open verdict, has inevitably generated further public speculation. Given his role in the post-Easter investigations, including matters relating to Sara Jasmine, his death is likely to add another layer of conjecture unless the surrounding circumstances are independently and transparently clarified.

Justice is not served by replacing one unproven narrative with another.

The credibility of Sri Lanka’s criminal justice system depends not on the volume of allegations made in public, but on the quality of the evidence presented before an independent court. Equally, where investigators depart from or seek to overturn conclusions previously reached during the joint investigation conducted with international partners, including the FBI, they owe both the courts and the public a clear explanation, supported by admissible evidence, as to what new evidence has emerged, why the earlier conclusions are no longer accepted, and on what legal and forensic basis the revised conclusions now rest. A factor CID & Attorney Generals dept & Additional Solicitor General must directly respond to.

If those now leading the investigation reject the findings they themselves helped to reach during the original investigation, the burden lies with them to explain that change.

A criminal investigation cannot simply discard previous forensic and investigative conclusions because a different narrative has gained public or political prominence. Any departure from earlier findings must be justified by credible new evidence capable of withstanding judicial scrutiny. Otherwise, confidence in the integrity, consistency and independence of the investigative process itself is placed at risk while Sri Lanka’s international image itself is at stake.

Ultimately, the issue is not whether Sara Jasmine died or survived. The issue is whether Sri Lanka’s criminal justice system will continue to be guided by admissible evidence, consistent forensic findings and the rule of law—or by narratives that evolve faster than the evidence required to sustain them.

Shenali D Waduge

by Garvin Karunaratne

E-Con-E-News 3-9 th November2025  in Lanka Web writes:

• ‘Garvin Karunaratne writes again today. I have read his Dahanayaka & red-onion affair several times in the Island. His telephone handling at the Marketing Department’s Tripoli HQ resembles Mountbatten’s war operations room.’”

We did use phones in a remarkable way to move veg and fruit from far away to Colombo. 

It was somewhere in 1956

It was always a hive of activity from the time I parked my Hillman Minx at eight or nine and walked in. The attempt was to   see that all the produce available  at the Producer fairs were purchased at  a higher price.  The telephones rang again and again and our lorries did move fast to bring the produce. We(Marketing Department)  had over a hundred lorries. We got so many oranges at Tripoli that we even built a makeshift grader to grade them by size. Tripoli was the largest hanger built by the War Days.  At least twenty lorries and twenty wagon loads of veg and fruit came in from morn everyday.

In the outstations we had to be in the good books of the Government Agent, so that we could walk in to his office and use his special phone to get to Tripoli. He too had a few phones and one phone was special as we could dial Tripoli Market to get approval to purchase everything the producers brought to the Fairs. 

 Economic theory that we learned from books tell that a number of traders would compete and offer higher prices. But I had known that this never happens at the Fairs. The traders are in a group and offer low prices. As dusk sets in the producers are at their mercy as they must sell. It was the Marketing Department that did give good prices and I hope to see    a Marketing Department being formed soon after the election.

It is sad that we being blessed with rain and shine cannot produce all our food. Once we did produce all the rice, veg and fruit  we needed- that was in 1956-1970, when we gave a ration of rice free to everyone. I have travelled all over the World but have never heard of that being done in any other country . Mind you the MD Cannery did make Sri Lanka self sufficient in all fruit products within three years 1956 to 1958, We even exported pine apple rings and pieces- eight percent of what we made abroad earning dollars.  Tomatoe Juice was the drink that Professor Sarathchandra liked most. 

Once in Matara I set up a Crayon Factory. It took three months of nocturnal experiments locked up in the science lab at Rahula College Matara for my Planning Officer to find the recipe to make crayons. Then I summoned Sumanapala Dahanayake the Member of parliament for Deniya who happened to be the President of the Moraka Cooperatives to set it up with the cooperative funds he held, I had no authority to use coop funds for that but I did authorize. Sumane purchased all the ingredients, pot and pans and burners in a day, twenty youths were found in the next day and we- myself and Vetus Fernando my Planning Officer moved in  with some six officers and working pell mell for two weeks  on a 24 hour basis we trained the youths and filled two large rooms with Crayons. We showed the crayons to Minister Subasinghe and he came down to open  sales the very next day and lo we did sell Coop Crayon islandwide all done at the end of the third week.  In about the fifth week we approached the Controller of Imports Harry Guneratne as we got wind that he was about to authorize imports of crayons. We did convince him that he should give our Crayon Factory a small allocation of forex to import dyes. He wanted the Ministers approval. Sumane and I went to meet Minister Illangaratne who not only approved a  cross allocation, never done earlier but also happily shouted to the Import Controller to ban the import of |Crayons. 

It is time for deep thinking and similar action soon before it is too late

Poverty and Unemployment have to be wiped out. This is a detail of my work in  1957,  Can we do it again.  I will be here to join in if we  were to try again. 

Garvin Karunaratne former GA Matara, 1972 -73

garvin_karunaratne@hotmail.com 

Dr Sarath Obeysekera 

In addition  to installing air pumping into lake bottom other  methods are used worldwide 

Malaysian Method 

It is believed are referring to EM (Effective Microorganism) Mud Balls, also called Bokashi Mud Balls or Genki Balls. They are widely promoted in Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, and Singapore for cleaning polluted rivers and lakes. 

The method is broadly as follows:

• Fruit waste (banana, pineapple, papaya, etc.) is fermented.
• Rice bran (or rice flakes/bran) is used as the food source for beneficial microorganisms.
• Molasses (or another sugar source) is added to promote fermentation.
• An Effective Microorganism (EM) culture containing lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and photosynthetic bacteria is added.
• The fermented material is mixed with clay or red earth and rolled into balls.
• The balls are cured for about 2–4 weeks before being thrown into polluted lakes or rivers. 

How do they work?

The common claim is not that the balls themselves chemically generate oxygen. Instead:

• They introduce large populations of beneficial microorganisms.
• These microbes help decompose organic sludge at the lake bottom.
• As sludge decomposition improves, foul odours and hydrogen sulphide can decrease.
• Reduced organic pollution can allow dissolved oxygen levels to recover naturally over time.
• The process may also help reduce algae if excess nutrients are lowered. 

Do they actually increase oxygen?

Indirectly, yes, but not by releasing oxygen like hydrogen peroxide.

The EM microbes:

• accelerate aerobic decomposition,
• suppress some anaerobic processes that produce H₂S,
• improve water quality,
• and thereby can lead to higher dissolved oxygen if the pollution load is reduced.

However, if a lake is heavily polluted or receives continuous sewage inflow (such as Beira Lake or parts of Diyawanna Oya), EM balls alone are unlikely to solve the problem. Scientific studies suggest they work best as part of an integrated programme including:

• stopping sewage inflows,
• aeration,
• nutrient reduction,
• sludge management,
• and, where necessary, dredging. 

Interestingly, Sri Lankan researchers have tested Bokashi (EM) balls on Beira Lake to evaluate their effect on algal blooms, showing that this concept has already been studied locally. 

Given the  experience with continuous aeration on the Cormorant A platform and  the  proposal for Beira Lake, a combined approach would likely be more effective than EM balls alone:

1. Stop sewage inflows.
2. Install solar-powered diffused aeration.
3. Apply EM/Bokashi mud balls in localized sludge zones.
4. Use floating wetlands where appropriate.
5. Dredge accumulated nutrient-rich sediments if required.

This integrated strategy is much more likely to achieve long-term improvement than relying on any single treatment.

Israeli Method 

Pilot project was done near Navan Mawatha 

The  product was most likely from the Israeli company BlueGreen Water Technologies, which has developed several internationally recognized products specifically for controlling harmful algal blooms (cyanobacteria) in lakes and reservoirs. Their technology has been demonstrated in Israel and many other countries. 

The main products are:

1. Lake Guard® Oxy
   • Active ingredient: Slow-release sodium percarbonate, which gradually releases hydrogen peroxide.
   • Specifically targets toxic blue-green algae (cyanobacteria).
   • Breaks down into water, oxygen, and sodium carbonate, leaving minimal residue.
   • Approved for drinking-water reservoirs in several jurisdictions. 
2. Lake Guard® Blue
   • A floating, slow-release algaecide designed to suppress cyanobacterial blooms.
   • The floating granules drift naturally with wind and surface currents, concentrating where the algae are most abundant. 
3. Lake Guard® Dew
   • An alum (aluminium sulfate)-based flocculant.
   • Rather than killing algae directly, it causes algal cells to aggregate into larger flocs that settle to the bottom, reducing turbidity and improving water clarity. 

Hopefully Ven Gangarama Thero

will obtain funds from well wishers  rather than pumping seawater to flush Beira Lake 

( AI helped to extract some information  ) 

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

AI Overview Response

The Sri Lankan you are referring to is Colombo-based lawyer and sports enthusiast Senaka Weeraratna, who is the original conceptual architect of cricket’s Decision Review System (DRS). [1, 2]

In March 1997, frustrated by glaring, televised umpiring errors that field umpires refused to admit, Senaka Weeraratna published a groundbreaking letter in The Australian newspaper. He formally propounded the “Player-Referral” system. [1, 2]

His blueprint was governed by three transformative ideals that permanently altered sports jurisprudence: [1]

• A Formula for Fairness: Weeraratna’s core philosophy was simple: “If you have the technology to detect an error of an umpire, then the same technology must be used to correct the error of an umpire.” It brought natural justice directly onto the pitch. [, 2]
• Peace Between Rivals: Before the DRS, missed or faulty decisions created toxic friction, accusations of cheating, and explosive on-field player-umpire confrontations. Allowing a structured mechanism to review calls de-escalated tensions and restored the spirit of the game. [1, 2, 3]
• Ending Forced Embarrassment: It stopped players from being forced to carry the lifelong psychological burden and match-losing embarrassment of blatant umpiring blunders that millions of fans could clearly see on television. [1, 2]
• The Fairness, Good Image and the Integrity of Cricket was open to question due to lack of an effective solution to correct blatant umpiring errors since the inception of the game, until Player – Referral (DRS) concept was conceived  

Though the International Cricket Council (ICC) initially resisted on the grounds of “tradition,” they eventually implemented his exact framework under the name Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) in 2008–2009. Today, Weeraratna’s core concept of player-initiated technological review is used worldwide across cricket, tennis, and football (VAR). [, 2, 3]

If you are interested, I can provide more details on Senaka Weeraratna’s intellectual property battle with the ICC or look up the specific 1990s umpiring controversies that inspired him to write the formula. [1, 2]

https://share.google/aimode/3ijaNbyBOeneQlWVO

……………………………………

The Two Sri Lankans who pioneered the face of modern Cricket

The intellectual architect behind this innovation is the Sri Lankan lawyer Senaka Weeraratna, who proposed the Player Referral system (the blueprint for the Decision Review System, or DRS), alongside Sri Lankan writer Mahinda Wijesinghe, who pioneered the third umpire concept for run-outs and stumpings.

The Reform Framework

• Player Referral Concept: In March 1997, Senaka Weeraratna published a pioneering proposal in The Australian newspaper giving team captains the right to challenge bad on-field rulings.
• The Golden Rule: His core legal argument stated that if technology exists to spot a mistake made by an umpire, that same technology must be allowed to fix it.
• Third Umpire Foundation: Mahinda Wijesinghe earlier conceptualized using off-field television replays to help adjudge close, factual line decisions like run-outs.

Impact on the Game

• Fairness and Logic: It replaced the absolute, unchallengeable power of on-field officials with a fair, judicial appellate process.
• Global Adoption: The International Cricket Council (ICC) eventually integrated these tiered review structures to protect match integrity and spare the sport recurrent umpiring scandals.
• https://share.google/aimode/Rzs2QtIFwUrB2E6He
• AI Overview

By Marisa de Silva Courtesy: Sunday Times ( May 28, 2006)

New umpiring law recommended by the ICC

* They owe him an explanation

In what might result to be yet another affront against the cricket playing nations of the ‘third world’, Lankan Attorney-at-Law Senaka Weerarathne claims that he has been denied credit of being the first to propound the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) latest rule on the third umpire.

The proposed rule recommended by the Cricket Committee of the ICC last week during their two-day meeting in Dubai states, that players be permitted a limited number of appeals to the third umpire if they feel a decision made by the on-field umpire is incorrect. Elaborating further on how the new appeal system might work, the General Manager – Cricket of the ICC, David Richardson said, that each team will be allowed three appeals to the third umpire per innings. If the appeal is successful they will retain the right to three appeals but, if not, then it is lost.” Only the Captain from the fielding side and the batsman in question will be entitled to make the appeal by approaching the on-field umpire making the sign of a TV with his hands, he added.

The Committee has further recommended that the proposed rule be tried out during the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in India this October and then be subject to scrutiny/review upon the conclusion of the Tournament.

My writings regarding the necessity of introducing such an appeal mechanism into the game of cricket, was first published in ‘The Australian’ on March 25, 1997, whilst I was residing in Darwin,” said Senaka Weeraratna. In this article, besides suggesting an almost identical mechanism, I also drew from my experience as a lawyer and made an analogy between the proposed rule and the judicial system,” he said. For example, he had explained how a dissatisfied litigant has the right to appeal against the decision of the judge to a higher court or a full bench.” Furthermore, he had elaborated on how a similar principle of appeal should be adopted in cricket rules, where a discontented captain should be allowed to appeal against the ground umpire’s decision to the third umpire.

His article went on state that the third umpire’s role should be extended to perform an appellate role in respect to doubtful catches, run outs and stumpings (which have not obviously been referred to the third umpire by the ground umpire). He had even mentioned that the appeals should be restricted to about five per side, per innings, so as not to unduly protract or destabilise the game.

Thereafter, Weeraratna had periodically sent similar writings to Newspapers around the world, and got his articles published in esteemed British publications such as ‘The London Times’ and ‘The Cricketer’ and popular Australian publications such as ‘The Sunday Age’ and ‘Northern Territory News’. Subsequently he also wrote to Newspapers and Sports Magazines in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Malaysia, South Africa, India, the West Indies, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and New Zealand, from 1997 right up until 2003.

Therefore, when England’s cricket coach Duncan Fletcher who had mentioned a similar concept in his book Ashes Regained – The Coach’s Story” last year, and was thus claiming credit for having propounded the ICC’s recommendation, all hell broke lose! Weeraratna was stupefied as to how Coach Duncan could claim credit for something he had brought to light more than nine years ago. It almost amounts to plagiarism,” he said emphatically.

There’s no way the ICC can deny having any knowledge of Weeraratna’s writing he said, as, for one thing, his writing has been so widely circulated and two, because a copy of his writing had been hand delivered to former President of the Asian Cricket Council Upali Dharmadasa, to be tabled at the ICC Conference in 1997, just before he left the island to attend it.

It all boils down to the reality that, outside of the playing field, there’s little or no recognition given to cricket writers/thinkers belonging to the third world countries. Neither is there any support or encouragement shown to these writers to provide their input/contribution to the making of rules. This issue also highlights the little emphasis and low priority local sports authorities have with regard to safeguarding the intellectual rights of sports writers and encouraging others like them to get involved in the intricacies of the game,” he said.

A perplexed Weeraratna exclaims dishearteningly What makes Duckworth and Lewis any different from me?”

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/060528/sports/6.html

Courtesy: Sunday Times ( May 28, 2006)

AI Overview

Yes, Sri Lanka did save cricket from institutionalized human error and credibility crises by conceptualizing the Player-Referral System, which evolved into the modern Decision Review System (DRS).

While cricket famously united and uplifted Sri Lanka through historic milestones like the 1996 World Cup victory, a Sri Lankan intellectual permanently safeguarded the fairness of the global game.

The Sri Lankan Blueprint for Fairness

• The Pioneer: Sri Lankan lawyer Senaka Weeraratna first conceptualized and published the idea for a player-referral mechanism in The Australian on March 25, 1997. [1]
• Legal Logic: He applied appellate court framework and the principles of natural justice to sports, arguing that blatant, televised umpiring mistakes should not stand under the guise of unchallengeable “tradition”.
• Global Adoption: After initial resistance from traditionalists, the International Cricket Council (ICC) trialed the system during a 2008 Test match between India and Sri Lanka before officially launching the Decision Review System (DRS).

For a look at how modern technology and player appeals transformed the sport through the DRS framework:

54s

The debate on DRS in Cricket explained

6 years ago

YouTube · Wrong1 Cricket

5 sites

• Cricket saved Sri Lanka. Did Sri Lanka save Cricket?

Jul 21, 2026 — Yes, Sri Lanka provided the precise philosophical and operational blueprint that saved cricket from systemic umpiring errors throu…

LankaWeb

•  

https://share.google/aimode/rHFx3qyewan96e5A8

• AI Overview

Dr Sarath Obeysekera 

How Colombo Dockyard built the Shell Gas LPG Storage Terminal that later became Litro Gas

The construction of the Shell Gas LPG Terminal at Muthurajawela (Kerawalapitiya) during the late 1990s was one of the most technically demanding heavy engineering projects ever undertaken in Sri Lanka. It demonstrated that Sri Lankan engineers, welders and fabricators, under international supervision and strict quality standards, were capable of executing world-class petrochemical infrastructure.

Today the facility is operated by Litro Gas Terminal Lanka, following the Government’s acquisition of Shell Gas Lanka in 2010 and the creation of Litro Gas Lanka. 

Background

Following the privatization of Colombo Gas Company in 1995, Royal Dutch Shell acquired a controlling interest and embarked on a major modernization programme.

The centrepiece of this investment was a completely new LPG import and storage terminal at Muthurajawela, replacing the older storage arrangements and providing Sri Lanka with an internationally designed LPG receiving and storage facility. 

Engineering Management

The project was executed under international engineering standards.

The principal organizations involved included:

• Royal Dutch Shell – Project owner and supplier of critical engineering specifications and materials.
• Stork Engineers & Contractors B.V., Netherlands – Engineering management and construction supervision.
• Schelde SICON BV – Specialist engineering support and quality assurance.
• Colombo Dockyard PLC – Principal Sri Lankan construction contractor responsible for fabrication, erection, piping and mechanical works.
• An experienced Indian welding contractor supplied a large team of coded welders working alongside Colombo Dockyard personnel.

The project became a milestone in transferring advanced welding technology and petrochemical construction techniques to Sri Lankan industry. 

Major Facilities Constructed

The terminal included:

• Four pressurised spherical LPG storage vessels.
• Complete LPG unloading manifold.
• High-pressure transfer pipelines.
• Process piping.
• Firewater distribution system.
• Firewater storage tank.
• Pump house.
• Compressor systems.
• Instrumentation and control systems.
• Emergency shutdown system.
• Fire and gas detection system.
• Loading and filling facilities.

These systems were designed according to Shell’s global safety philosophy.

LPG Storage Spheres

The most striking feature of the terminal is the four large spherical storage vessels.

Approximate design characteristics:

• Four LPG spheres
• Approximately 4,000 m³ capacity each
• Total storage approximately 16,000 m³ (around 8,000 tonnes LPG depending on product density)
• Carbon steel construction
• Designed to international pressure vessel standards
• Mounted on multiple tubular support columns
• Complete stress-relieved weld construction
• 100% radiographic examination of critical welds
• Hydrostatic and pneumatic pressure testing before commissioning

Each sphere contains hundreds of tonnes of fabricated steel.

Materials

Most pressure vessel steel plates, forgings and specialized fittings were supplied through Shell’s international procurement system.

The project required:

• Pressure vessel quality carbon steel plates
• Forged nozzles
• High-strength support steel
• Imported welding consumables
• Cryogenic-compatible valves
• International quality piping materials
• Fire-safe valves
• Safety relief valves

Strict material traceability was maintained throughout fabrication.

Welding

The welding programme represented one of the largest undertaken in Sri Lanka at that time.

It involved:

• Qualified welders certified to international standards
• Approved Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS)
• Procedure Qualification Records (PQR)
• Welder qualification testing
• Radiographic examination
• Ultrasonic testing
• Magnetic particle inspection
• Dye penetrant inspection
• Heat treatment where required

Every pressure-containing weld underwent stringent inspection before acceptance.

Safety

Shell imposed exceptionally high safety standards.

The project achieved outstanding safety performance and later received national recognition for workplace safety.

Colombo Dockyard was commended for maintaining Shell’s rigorous international HSE requirements throughout construction. 

Colombo Dockyard’s Contribution

Colombo Dockyard undertook:

• Fabrication and erection of the four LPG spheres
• Fabrication of process piping
• Installation of mechanical equipment
• Firefighting systems
• Structural steel
• Commissioning support

This project firmly established Colombo Dockyard as one of South Asia’s leading heavy engineering contractors for petrochemical facilities.

The company has continued carrying out inspection, maintenance and repair work at the terminal ever since. 

Government Acquisition

In 2010, the Government of Sri Lanka repurchased Shell Gas Lanka through Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation, subsequently establishing Litro Gas Lanka Ltd.

The terminal became Litro Gas Terminal Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, while continuing to operate the same internationally designed LPG infrastructure originally developed by Shell. 

A Personal Reflection

This project remains one of the finest examples of Sri Lankan heavy engineering capability. Working together with Dutch engineering specialists, internationally qualified inspectors, and experienced Indian welding personnel, Colombo Dockyard successfully delivered a petrochemical facility built to world-class standards.

The Muthurajawela LPG Terminal demonstrated that Sri Lanka possesses the engineering talent required to fabricate complex pressure vessels, execute high-quality coded welding, and construct sophisticated oil and gas infrastructure. It stands as an enduring benchmark for the country’s offshore, petrochemical and heavy engineering industries and provides a model for future projects in Trincomalee and other strategic industrial zones.

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Senaka Weeraratna Assisted by Chat GPT

Restitutio in integrum has to be addressed by the Church which has benefited heavily under the Portuguese, Dutch and British rule for the large number of Churches forcibly built on Temple lands and destroyed Buddhist Temple sites and yet unaccounted for in Sri Lanka.

• The Portuguese Period (1505–1658): 
• Documented policies from the Goan religious councils led to the systematic destruction of prominent local temples (such as at Devundara, Trincomalee, and parts of the Kelaniya temple complex) and the gifting of confiscated Buddhist temple lands to Catholic religious orders by rulers like King Don Juan Dharmapala.
• This era saw the most direct physical displacement of Buddhist religious sites. Operating under the zeal of the Catholic Counter-Reformation, conquistadors and Christian missionaries e.g. Jesuits, systematically destroyed key Buddhist temples and Hindu Kovils in the maritime provinces. Prominent examples include the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya (demolished in 1575, where the Church of St. Anne was subsequently erected) and the Devundara (Dondra) Upulvan Shrine. Income from the Viharagam and Devalagam (temple lands) was legally transferred to Catholic orders. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
• The primary Roman Catholic religious orders active in Ceylon during the Portuguese era (1505–1658) were the Franciscans, Jesuits, and Dominicans, joined later by the Augustinians.  Their entry and presence led to numerous uprisings, fueled by resentment toward their attempts to impose Catholicism forcibly on the Buddhist Sinhalese.
• The Portuguese occupying the southwest lowlands in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, destroyed Buddhist and Hindu temples which often
  contained local records. They replaced the temples with Roman Catholic churches. Portuguese Historian Queyroz gives extensive details with names and locations of Catholic Churches built over destroyed Buddhist Temple sites.
• The Dutch Period (1658–1796): 
• During the Dutch colonial period in maritime Ceylon, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) issued strict executive decrees (placaaten) to suppress non-Protestant faiths. These legislative acts aimed to restrict local religious practices and promote Calvinism through civil discrimination.
•  While they were less prone to building directly over active temple structures, they formalized the institutional appropriation of land registries (thombos), using state administrative and economic privileges to entrench Calvinist institutions. [1, 2, 3]
• The Dutch East India Company (VOC) suppressed public non-Calvinist worship, banned the practice of Buddhism by Dutch  placaeten, restricted the rebuilding of indigenous religious sites, and redirected administrative control over properties.
• 1710/1711 Decrees: The VOC administration implemented explicit prohibitions against the open practice of Buddhism and Hinduism in areas under their control, categorizing local traditions through a severe colonial lens.
• 1732 Orders: Because earlier bans were frequently ignored by local populations, the Dutch intensified enforcement by directing village headmen to locate and dismantle remaining Buddhist and Hindu shrines in coastal districts. [1]
• The British Period (1796–1948): The British initially guaranteed the protection of Buddhism under the Kandyan Convention of 1815. However, following subsequent rebellions, the colonial state progressively separated itself from Buddhist custody and heavily subsidized Anglican and Protestant missionary schools. Vast tracts of Buddhist temple lands were expropriated under ordinances like the Waste Lands Ordinance, fundamentally disrupting the economic survival of traditional temples. [1, 2]

Modern perspectives on accountability

The Vatican formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, clarifying that the 15th-century decrees used to legitimize colonial-era land seizures and the subjugation of Indigenous peoples did not reflect the Catholic faith. This historic action directly answered decades of intense pressure and explicit demands from Indigenous advocates, reaching a turning point after Pope Francis’s 2022 penitential journey to Canada. [1, 2, 3, 4]

·  Historical context: The doctrine stems from 15th-century “papal bulls” (such as Dum Diversas in 1452 and Inter Caetera in 1493) issued by popes like Nicholas V and Alexander VI. These decrees granted European monarchs the right to seize lands populated by non-Christians and reduce “infidels” to perpetual slavery. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

·  Acknowledgment of manipulation: The Vatican admitted that these texts were politically manipulated by colonial powers to justify immoral acts, colonial expansion, and forced assimilation without opposition from ecclesiastical authorities. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

·  Distinction on formal rescission: While the Vatican forcefully rejected the underlying mindset and declared that the documents “did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples,” it stopped short of a formal legal “rescission” or “abrogation”. In May 2026, Pope Leo XIV issued his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas. In this document, he took the unprecedented step of offering a formal, institutional apology for the Holy See’s direct role in legitimizing the trans-Atlantic slave trade and colonization through those original 1452 and 1455 papal directives. While previous popes had apologized for the actions of individual Christian colonizers, Leo XIV’s statement directly confronted the institutional culpability of the papacy itself, describing the historical delay in fully denouncing slavery as a “wound in Christian memory.” [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Sri Lanka

These happenings and public apology by the Vatican for the Crimes of the Church in lands occupied by indigenous people have yet to enter the public discourse and debate in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s Parliament maintains a deafening silence on demands for accountability. This is moral cowardice of the highest order.

Though the Print Media remains conservative and non – investigative of colonial crimes the Social Media have seized the opportunity to fill the vacuum and provide space for airing public opinion calling for Justice and Restitutio in Integrum from our colonial masters. 

This is a welcome change.

Senaka Weeraratna

Assisted by Chat GPT

e-Con e-News

Posted byee ink.July 18, 2026Posted inUncategorizedTags:ambeon-capital-plc, capital-metals-plc, fifa, history, imperialism, India, marxism, politics

blog: https://eesrilanka.wordpress.com

‘Before you study the economics, study the economists!’

e-Con e-News 12-18 July 2026

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The multibillion-dollar 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)’s World Cup finals have been staged between an imperialist state (Spain) & a quasi-settler-colonial state (Argentina) – both Spanish-speaking & Catholic. Their semi-finals were staged between 2 imperialist states, one a secular republic ruled by French Catholics, and the other a monarchy ruled by English Protestants. All teams deployed indigenous & African mercenaries on leash and lease, as high-salaried ‘star’ players. Depriving the countries of the talent they nurtured, stolen & bought Africans played against stolen & bought Africans, all brightly displaying the logos of multinational corporations (MNCs) that pillage the world & their countries of origin. The imperialists cheered their national teams on.

     The finals were played out on soil stolen by the leading imperialist & English-speaking, Protestant-ruled settler-colonial state. This state (USA) has demanded the flouting of the rules of the game, while, off-field, is fighting undeclared wars around the world. A mainly working-class game, football,has now been hijacked, becoming unaffordable for most people to attend or even watch.

     Where, we wondered, would ee’s muse, SBD de Silva, place Argentina, a country with double the population of Sri Lanka, with about 20% being mestizo & indigenous, and a leader, proud of his white colonial forebears who brandishes a chain saw to symbolize the cutting away of social services to the people. A country that has also had to endure unadvertised ‘Dirty Little Wars’, that were more than ‘dirty’ & certainly, more than ‘little’.

     A reviewer of SBD de Silva’s classic text The Political Economy of Underdevelopment, which ee keeps serializing, once wrote that SB ‘provided invaluable source material for the analysis of Africa in contrast to the settler colonies established in temperate areas such as North America, the Cape, Australia & New Zealand’. Yet, she (Diana Tussie of the London School of Economics) wondered: ‘An open question is where to place, within this settler/non-settler dichotomy, the temperate zone of South America.’

     While Cuba & the Caribbean, British Guiana, Brazil & Suriname feature prominently in SBD’s book, Argentina only figures briefly, as when providing evidence, along with Canada, Australia & New Zealand, of having industries showing ‘high efficiency without having access to particularly large markets’. SBD was responding to ‘those who regard the size of markets to be a barrier to industrial growth’, saying they ‘may do well to ponder on the extremely small market in these countries with which the settler /investors started’.

     However, SBD also gives Argentina as an example where ‘the MNCs exercise their countervailing power in devious ways. For instance, when Argentina imposed price controls on pharmaceuticals in 1975, the European firms retaliated through their governments at the ‘Paris Club’ talks which were to decide on aid to Argentina.’ (enter: the unquiet ghost of Senaka Bibile!) Indeed, Argentina has also suffered the machinations of Wall Street fund managers, many of whom have featured in Sri Lanka’s own debt bondage as well.

     SBD also mentions Argentina as an example of a country lacking sovereignty over its investment decisions. He quotes LH Jenks’ Migration of British Capital to 1875 on ‘semi-economies’, where: ‘There is no Egyptian, Argentinean, almost no Indian, certainly no Cuban or Peruvian economic system. They form organic portions of the English or US economic system.’ However, SBD goes on to add (differing from ‘dependency’ & ‘drain’ theorists), that even if the capital was retained in Sri Lanka, no investment in industrialization would ensue, due to the dominance of merchants & moneylenders, who operate on behalf of absentee owners far away in New York, London & Berlin.

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The USA, a country so far far away from Sri Lanka, has become the ‘largest single-country market’ for Sri Lanka. So forget the daily eco-conferences (who pays for them?), whining about ‘green’ this & that, ‘sustainable’ this & that, ‘carbon footprints’, ‘near-shoring’ or ‘friend-shoring’: This ‘largest single-country market’ so far, far away – unless it is cruising on a nearby destroyer off a stolen base like Diego Garcia – is now telling us that they will only buy goods from us that are made with goods (& machinery too, we imagine!) approved by them; goods made with goods made in ways approved by them. And why not? They are our ‘largest single-country market’, and they have the ‘human’ right to choose what they will & will not buy.

     We cannot hold a gun or intercontinental ballistic missile to their heads, enact & enforce sanctions, and tell them what to buy or sell. And so that country, which still legalizes slavery (check its constitution’s 13th Amendment) tells us we cannot sell them goods made by forced labor. And how do we know which countries use forced labor to make the goods we use to make other goods. The USA (aka United Slaves/Settlers of Amnesia) will tell us. And they will continue to buy goods from those very same countries, goods they need so dearly like ‘rare earths’, and they will thereby be declared not made by forced labor.

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‘Around 90% of global trade is transported by sea,

supported by over 55,000 merchant vessels &

around 1.5 million seafarers, with around 60%

of global container traffic linked to Asia.’

– ee Business, Australia backs Sri Lanka

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From England ‘rules the waves’ to the USA ‘blocks the straits’, this ‘largest single-country market’ has decided they reserve the right to keep all of Asia’s seas under control, from the Red to the Yellow… And so, this country so far far away from us, also reserves the right to bomb ships of countries that have been much closer to us for thousands of years, countries that have shared and traded with us, and so this ‘largest single-country market’ will get to tell us who we can and cannot trade with, and whose ships can sail by or into our ports, unharmed.

     So, why do they feel they can tell us what to do, and why can we not tell them to stuff their demands up where their sun can’t tan? By making the country ‘export-dependent’ on their markets rather than our own home & regional markets. Such that, just before every IMF team appears (& thanks to our declamation – see ee 16 March 2025, IMF Managing Directors are All White, which was meant in a more politically pigmented sense – they are now fronted, manned & womaned by darkies & almost-darkies of Mediterranean hue), US military officials appear ahead of them, to lay down their demands before their dollared largesse – albeit limited – flows.

‘Why is it that the IMF, which insists that

the prices of fuel, electricity,

& water in Sri Lanka should reflect their

production costs, does not apply the same

principle to the price of paddy?…’

– Kekirawa Farmer Leader

(see ee Random Notes)

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‘I want to make it clear: CBSL does not promote

economic growth or productivity or FDI in the economy’

Central Bank (CBSL) Governor N Weerasinghe

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‘Central Bank will remain steadfast in fulfilling its mandate

to maintain price stability & safeguard financial system

stability, while setting the platform for sustainable

& inclusive economic growth.’

Central Bank (CBSL) Governor N Weerasinghe

Strange are the contortions their armed & suited officials have got our intellectual knickers twisted into. We are now told that we need a Central Bank that is independent of us & will not help grow the economy, but is still not independent of their Federal Reserve (that is controlled by & helps bail out the biggest banks on Wall Street). This Central Bank and allied economists & bankers tell us that Sri Lanka ‘macroeconomy’ is doing fine but people are being sent to hell via Welikada or Dubai…

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Colombo-based Ambeon Capital is accused of being a local front for a predatory English mining corporation, Capital Metals PLC. Their ‘Taprobane Minerals Project’ claiming a 60km stretch of the Eastern coast from Komari to Oluvil, is ‘built on extraction, not value addition’ declares Amali Wedagedera. Capital Metal claims credit for shifting the Geological Survey & Mining Bureau (GSMB), from the Ministry of Environment to the Ministry of Industries! Yet they scoff at harnessing the country’s mineral wealth for industrializing the country and upskilling workers in the most modern ways (see ee Focus).

     Ambeon Capital offers stock-broking through Ambeon Securities, and money-broking via Taprobane Investments. This week, Ambeon Securities’ recent ‘exclusive investor forum’ featured Baqar Zaidi, Director & Chief Economist for Sri Lanka & India at Citi Research, linked to Rockefeller’s Exxon empire (see ee Who’s Who?).

     Ambeon Holdings, a conglomerate holding company for Ambeon Capital, claims roots in the old English agency house Walkers (not Johhny!) which supplied agricultural machinery to the highland plantations. Walkers was linked to the Peninsular & Orient Corporation (P&O), the foremost shipping line engaged in the Indian Ocean trade, which had the contract to carry the imperial mails, and set up England’s monopoly over the Bombay-China opium trade from 1850s. P&O had set up the Ceylon Wharfage Company as a subsidiary to do the cargo handling for ships, for their imports and exports in the Colombo Port. The P&O also had another firm, Mackinnon Mackenzie, which did shipping agency work. Their engineering firm, Walkers, originally the Marine Engineering Co, serviced the ships.

     Wedagedera offers important political background about the grab for ‘our heavy mineral sands (HMS) from public beaches’ and spins a cautionary tale, though she worries too much for a parasitic tourist industry. She also rates India & China as ‘developed countries’, alongside the imperialist strongholds, repeating tropes about a ‘US trade war on China’.

     But this ‘war’ is not just about ‘trade’. It is also about industrial production and preserving monopoly over technology – indeed, it is a war to sustain & extend colonial control over the whole world. 

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‘China’s rapid technological advances offer hope for the Global South to break the dominance & dependence imposed by the West,’ declares Bappa Sinha in his incisive take on ‘Breaking the Stranglehold: How China is Shattering US Technological Hegemony’ (see ee Focus). He unveils a ‘confrontation between 2 fundamentally different logics of technological development: one rooted in monopoly & rent extraction, the other in production, scale, & diffusion. At stake is not only US primacy, but the viability of technological monopoly as the foundation of contemporary imperialism’ (see ee Focus). They begin with what the USA ‘believed to be its most secure stronghold: semiconductors’. He then describes ‘the silicon siege’ as representing ‘the most ambitious peacetime economic warfare apparatus in modern history’. Bappa’s tale unwinds like a scientific non-fiction detective novel.

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We turn to the next great ‘siege’: NATO’s war on Russia waged via the Ukraine, and the historic & unprecedented role Russia has played in Africa, as opposed to the horrors Europe has enacted there. We have rendered in poetic form, South Africa’s Gillian Schutte’s ‘Stand-up Sermon for the Geopolitically Confused…’ (See ee Focus). Schutte likens the barrage of misinformation & disinformation to a thief of all ages attempting to deliver a lecture ‘on ‘home security.’  Most hilarious are the antics of well-dollared NGOs:

They book a hotel. They print lanyards.

They give everyone a tote bag.

They say ‘capacity building’ 47 times before lunch.

A report is produced. A consultant is paid.

A dashboard is launched.

A young fellow is photographed near a banner.

Democracy has happened.

Then everyone goes home.

Nothing is built.

No power station.

No railway.

No laboratory…

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The countries at the forefront of a worldwide struggle for sovereignty are detailed in our latest excerpt of the Tricontinental Institute’s study: Hyper-Imperialism: a Dangerous Decadent New Stage, Part 9. This excerpt provides a quick glimpse of such vital details as the colonial powers that have attempted to maintain their centuries of subjugation, and their dates with independence, the USA’s attempts at military intervention, and their strivings to form larger alliances, from East to West Africa, and across West Asia. A snapshot of the world as it turns today, and how it may spin in the larger world’s interests (see ee Focus).

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     The colonial plantation system controlled workers, by restricting their movements – this required the English colonial government to actively intervene on behalf of the planters. ee therefore continues SBD de Silva’s survey of labour relations on plantations in Chapter 12 of his classic The Political Economy of Underdevelopment. SBD describes how the planters exaggerated the benefits provided to workers, and the ‘bald comparisons’ made between Chinese & Indian workers in Malaysia’s plantations to justify exploitation. The so-called ‘market mechanism’, much acclaimed, was regularly suspended when labor became scarce. The huge disparity between the wages paid to Chinese & ‘underpriced’ Indian workers offers insight into the plantation system as a ‘mode of labour organization & control’. The games played to justify the varying treatment of workers, women & men, using racialized justifications is also exposed by explaining the ‘modes of recruitment & their relative mobility.’ SB then provides the nonsensical classifications of ‘ethnic groups’. ‘The North Indians come out best, followed by the Chinese; the Malays are placed below the Chinese & the South Indians at the bottom.’ One of SBD de Silva’s most incisive analyses is how: Explanations of personality differences ‘rely on a limited chain of causation‘.

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Wage labour is not a spontaneous creation

but a very definite socio-economic process

involving the subjection of independent small

producers to a capitalist employer. The resort

to ethnic stereotypes fails to explain the objective

circumstances which gave different social groups

the option of alternative employment patterns

SBD also analyses the different roles played by the Chinese contractor vs the Indian kangany, based on their access to workers in the home country. Also, the ‘specific historical experiences’ of ‘personal humiliation, if not physical cruelty’ that had more influence than ‘ethnic prejudice’. Meanwhile quotas, civil war & travel fares led to a scarcity of labor and with buoyant rubber prices led to a more favorable treatment of Chinese workers in Malaysia…

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________

Contents:

England’s Capital Metals PLC & the Corporate Thieving of Mineral Sands off East Coast Beaches in Sri Lanka

දේශමාන්‍ය ආචාර්ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය සිරිමාවෝ බණ්ඩාරනායක මැතිනියගේ හිටපු ලේකම් සහ ශ්‍රී ලන්කා පරිපාලනසේවා සන්ගමයේ සභාපති (1991-94))

මේ රටේ පලාත්සභා ඡන්දය වහාම පවත්වන්මෙන් කෑමොර දෙන දේශපාලකයින් ඇතුලු සියලුම පිස්සන් ජීවිතාන්තය දක්වා යැවිය යුත්තේ අන්ගොඩටය. එහි කොටුකර සිටියත් ඔවුන් තවදුරටත් නඩත්තු කිරීමට සිදුවන නිසාත්, මොවුන් අපගේ මාතෲ භුමියට, සිංහල ජාතියට සහ සම්බුද්ධ ශාසනයට විනාශයක්ම කළහැකි නිසා මොවුන් දේශ ද්‍රෝහීන්න්, ජාතිද්‍රෝහීන් සහ බෞද්ධ විරෝධීන් වශයෙන් වහාම මේ පින් බිමෙන් යළි කිසිදාක ඔවුන්ට ආපසු ආ නොහැකි පිට සක්වලකටම පිටුවහල් කළ යුතුය.

දේශමාන්‍ය ආචාර්ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය සිරිමාවෝ බණ්ඩාරනායක මැතිනියගේ හිටපු ලේකම් සහ ශ්‍රී ලන්කා පරිපාලනසේවා සන්ගමයේ සභාපති (1991-94))

 2026 06. 06.

මේ තුන් සින්හලේ රාජධානිය මිහි පිටින් අතුගා දමා එය ඊළමක් කිරිමේ පළමු පියවර වශයෙන් 1987 ආරම්භ කරනළද ඉන්දීය කුමණ්ත්‍රණයේ කූඨ ප්‍රාප්තියවූ පලාත් සභා හුනියමේ සංයුතිය සහ රටේ රාජ්‍යපරිපාලනයට හා ආර්ථිකයට, පලාත් සභා ක්‍රමයෙන් සිදුවී ඇති විනාශය.

වීඅයි වන කොටස (6)

1987 නොවැ 14 ශ්‍රී ලංකා ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යාවස්ථාවේ 13 වන  සන්ශෝධනයෙන් පසු,1987 අන්ක 42 පනත යටතේ 1988. පෙබරවාරි 3 පළාත් සභා, ස්ථාපිත කරන ලදී. එවකටත් මේ රටේ පලාත් 9 ක් තිබුණත්, ප්‍රථම අවස්ථාවේදි පිහිටවූයේ පලාත්සභා 8 ක් පමණි.එසේ කිරීමට සිදුවූයේ උතුරු නැගෙනහිර පාලාත් දෙක, වෙනම රාජ්‍යක් වශයෙන් ප්‍රකාශකිරීමේ පළමු පියවර වශයෙන්1987 ජේ.ආර්/රජිව් ඉන්දු ලන්කා ගිවිසුම අනුවඉන්දීය බලපෑම නිසා ඒකාභද්ධ කිරීමට තීරණය කළ නිසාය. 

එහි පළමු ප්‍රධාන අමාත්‍යවරයා වූ වර්ධරාජා පෙරුමාල් විසින් එම පලාත් දෙක ඊලම” වශයෙන් ප්‍රකාශකොට රට දෙකට කැඩීම සඳහා ක්‍රියා කළ නිසා, 1990 මාර්තු 1 ජනාධිපති ප්‍රේමදාස විසින් එය විසුරුවා හරින ලදී. මේ අතර ජා.වි.පෙ. එම පලාත් දෙක ඒකාභද්ධ කිරීමට එරෙහිව 2006 අගෝස්තු ණඩුවක් ගොනු කළේය. උපරිමාධිකරණය විසින් 2006 ඔස්තෝබර් 16 එම පලාත් දෙක ඒකාභද්ධ කිරීම නීති විරෝධී බව ප්‍රකාශ කළේය. ඒ අනුව නැවතත් පලාත්සභා ගණන 9 ක්ම බවට පත්විය.

අනතුරුව සියළුම පලාත් සභා, පහත පරිදි රජය විසින් විසුරුවා හරින ලදී

පලාත් සභා විසුරුවා හැරීම.

මධ්‍යම පලාත 2018 ඔස්තෝබර් 8.

 වයඹ පලාත 2018 ඔක්තෝබර් 10.

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නැගෙනහිර 2018 සැප්තැම්බර් 30.

 උතුරු මැද පලාත: 2018 ඔක්තෝබර් 1.

උතුරුප පලාත 2018 ඔක්තෝබර් 25.

දකුණු පලාත 2019 අප්‍රේල්: 10.

බස්නාහිර පලාත 2019 අප්‍රේල් 21 සහ

ඌව පලාත 2019 සැප්තැම්බර් 8.

 ඒ අනුව 1988 සිට 2019 සැප්තැම්බර් 8 දින ඌව පලාත් සභාව විසුරුවා හරින තුරුම වසර 31 ක් පුරා පලාත්සභා සාපයෙන්,  ක්‍රි.පූ.307 සිට මේ රටේ පැවති රාෂ්ඨ්‍රපාලන සිතියමට, අනුව මැනවින් ස්ථාපිතව තිබුණු පාලන ක්‍රමය යටතේ,මුළු රටම, දිසා, ප්‍රදේශ, කෝරල සහ පත්තු තුල පිහිටි, පණ්ඩුකාභය රජතුමා විසින් පිහිටුවනලද ගම්14,80,000 යටතේ   වසර දහස් ගණනක් පුරා මැනවින් ක්‍රියාත්මකවූ විශිෂ්ඨ දේෂීය ග්‍රාම රාෂ්ඨ්‍ර පාලන රටාව සහ ජනතා සේවා ජාළය අවුලෙන් අවුලට පත්කොට, රටේ ආර්ථිකයට දැරිය නොහැකි අතිවිශාල ආර්ථික පාඩුවක්ද සිදුකොට මේ රට ලෝකයේම හිඟන රටක් බවට පත්කරණ ලදී.

2019 සැප්තැම්බර් 8 සිට සියළුම පලාත් සභා විසුරුවා හැරීම නිසා, ඒවා ක්‍රියාත්මක වීම මුළුමනින්ම අඩපනවිය. පලාත්සභාවල මැති ඇමතිවරුන් සහ මංත්‍රීවරුන් පමණක් ඉවත් කෙරින. කෙසේ වුවද ජනාධිපති වරයාගේ පාලන බල අධිකාරිය රට පුරා පවත්වා ගැනීම සඳහා එදා සිට අද දක්වාම,ජනාධි පති වරයා විසින් රාජ්‍යපාලනය. දිසාපාලනය, රට, හෝ රටේ ජනතා ප්‍රශ්න සහ ඔවුන්ගේ අපේඉක්ෂාවන් පිළිබඳ මෙලෝ අවභෝධයක් නැති දේශපාලන හෙන්චයියන් ආණ්ඩුකාරයින් වශයෙන් පත්කොට, මියගිය පාලාත් සභා මළකුණ මුර කිරීම ඔවුන්ට භාර දෙන ලදී.

 ජනාධිපති වරයාගේ පලාත්වල නියෝජිතයින් වන ආණ්ඩුකාරයින්ට, නිල නිවාසරජයේ වියදමින් විදුළි සහ ජලබිල්, නිළරථ සහ ආරක්ෂක භට පිරිසක්ද, ජේෂ්ඨ පරිපාලන සේවකයෙක් ලේකම් වශයෙන් පත්කොට ඔහුට හෝ ඇයට සහාය කාර්‍යමණ්ඩලයක්ද, ඊටත් අමතරව පෞද්ගලික කාර්‍යමණ්ඩලයක්ද ලබාදී ඇත. මේ අනුව පලාත්සභා ක්‍රියාත්මක නොවූවද බලයේ සිටින දේශපාලනය පක්ෂයේ දේශපාලන කටයුතු කිරීම සඳහා මේ සියළු දෙනාටම රජයේ මුදල් වැය කෙරේ. මේ අනුව, බලයේ පවතින දේශපාලන පක්ෂයේ නියාය පත්‍රය ක්‍රියාත්මක කර ගැනීම සඳහා  මහජන මුදලින් රජයෙන් වැටුප් ගෙවමින්, ජනාධිපති වරප්‍රශාධ ලබා දී පලාත් 9ට ආණ්ඩුකාරයින් 9 දෙනෙක්ද එසේම 3,76,631 නිලධාරි මණ්ඩලයක්ද , යාන වාහන ඇතුළු සියලුම වර ප්‍රශාද ඇතිව, පින්පඩි පිට දීගු නිවාඩුවක් ගතකරමින් සුවසේ සිටී. රාජ්‍යබලය සහ ජනතා මුදල්, බලයේ සිටින පක්ෂයේ හුදු පක්ෂ දේශපාලන කටයුතු සඳහා මේ අන්දමින් නිර්ලජ්ජිතව සහ සාපරාදීව අවභාවිතා කරණ රටක් මේ ලෝකයේ වෙනත් කිසිම තැනක මා නම් දැක හෝ අසා නැත නැත.

පලාත් සභා 2019 සිට දැනට පවතිනුයේ ආණ්ඩුකාරයිගේ පාලනය යටතේය.   එහෙත් පලාත් සභා විසුරුවාහල දා සිට මේ දක්වාම පලාත්සභාවල මැති ඇමතිවරුන් සහ මංත්‍රීවරුන්ගේ වැටුප් නොගෙව්වද ආණ්ඩුකාරයින් 9 දෙනා සහ සමස්ථ පලාත් සභා කාර්‍යමණ්ඩල අදටත් පෙර සේම පවතී. එහි යතාර්ථයනම් ආණ්ඩුකාරයින්ට, ඔවුන්ගේ කාර්‍යමන්ඩලවලට සහ 3,76 .631ක් වන පලාත් සභා රාජ්‍යසේවකයින්ට හැර හැර මේ රටේ වෙන කිසිවෙකුට මේ සුදු අලියාගෙන් දැන්නම් කිසිදු සේවයක් නොවන බව නොවේද?

 මේ අතර 2025 නොවැම්බෙර් 25 ඇතිවූ ඩිත්වා ආපදාවත් සමඟම රටේ සමස්ත පාලනයම නැවතත් දිසාපති වරුන්ගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් ක්‍රියාත්මක් වීම ඇරඹින. ඒ සමඟම,ප්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් සහ ග්‍රාමසේවා නිළධාරීන් දිසාපති යටතේ ක්රියාත්මක වීම නිසා සමස්ත පලාත් සභා ජාලයම දැන් අක්‍රීය තත්වයකට පත්ව ඇත. එහෙත් මේ තිත්ත ඇත්ත ගැන මේ රටේ කිසිම දේශපාලකයෙකු එක වචනයක්වත් කතා නොකරයි. ඔවුන් සියළු දෙනාගේම එකම අපේක්ෂාව වනුයේ, රටට හා ජාතියට හෙනගහල ගියත් පලාත් සභා වල බලය ලබාගෙන තම පක්ෂවල බිම්මට්ටමේ බල අධිකාරය තහවුරු කර ගැනීමේ ආත්මාර්ථය පමණි

එසේම මේ අළුත් තත්වය යටතේ, ජනතාවට පුරුදු පැරණි පාලන ක්‍රමය නිසා මහජනතාවට, වඩා කාර්‍යක්ෂම මෙන්ම හොඳ සේවාවක් සිදුවන බවද ඔවුහු රෑ දවල් කියවත්. පලාත් සභා නැතිව පැරණි දිසාපති ක්‍රමය යටතේ වඩා කාර්‍යක්ෂම දිසාපාලනය කළ හැකි බවද, පලාත් සභා වසා දැමීමෙන්  දැනට ඒ සඳහා වැයවන මුදල ඉතිරිකර ගැනීමෙන් රටේ රාජ්‍ය පාලාන් වියඩහ්ම50% කින් පමණ අඩුකොට ගෙන රටේ පාලනය මැනවින් ගෙනයා හැකි බව ඔප්පුවි ඇත.

 එම නිසා රජය විසින් දැන් කළයුතුව ඇත්තේ දැනටමත් වසර 7ක් තිස්සේ අක්‍රීයව තිබුණු පලාත් සභා දැන්වත් වහාම අහෝසිකොට, ආණ්ඩුකාරයින් නමැති පින්පඩි කාරයින් මෙන්ම පලාත් සභා මැති ඇමතිවරුන්ද  සදහටම ගෙදර යවා, මේ රටේ රාජ්‍යපාලනයේ විනාශකාරී පලාත් පාලන ක්‍රමය නමැති උණ්ඩුක පුච්චය දැන්වත් අහෝසිකොට, රජයේ වියදම 50% න් අඩුකොට ගෙන  නැවතත් පැරණි  දිසාපති ක්‍රමය සක්‍රීයකොට, මේ රට බෙදා පෙඩරල් රාජ්‍යක් කිරිමට පදනම දැමූ 1992 අංක 58 පනත මෙන්ම 1992 රා.ප.පා චක්‍ර ලේක 21 සහ ඒ යටතේ නිකුත්කොට ඇති සියළුම අනපනත් බලරහිත කොට, නැවතත් දිසා පාලනය බලගැන්වීමය. එසේ කිරීමෙන් රටේ අභ්‍යන්තර පාලනය සහ සන්වර්ධනයට දැනට වඩා කාර්යක්ෂම සහ ජනතා හිතවාදී සේවයක් බවට් පත්කළ හැකි බව සහතික කොට කිව හැක. පලාත් සභා ක්‍රියාත්මකව පැවති කාලය් තුල පලාත් සභා ජාලයේ  සන්යුතිය.

ආණ්ඩුකාරයින්                   9 (අදාල පලාත තුල ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ නියෝජිත)

ප්‍රධාන අමාත්‍යවරුන්           9

පලාත් සභා මන්ත්රරී වරුන් 45

සභාපතිවරුන්                       9

පලාත් සභා මන්ත්‍රීවරුන්  455

පලාත් සභා ප්‍රධාන ලේකම් වරුන් 9

 අමාත්‍යාන්ශ ලේකම්වරුන් 36

මීට අමතරව පලාත් සභාව යටතේ ක්‍රියාත්මකවූ සියළුම අමාත්‍යාන්ශ ,දෙපාර්තමේන්තු සහ වෙනත් ආයත  සියල්ලද කිසිවෙකුගේ අධීක්ෂනකින් තොරව තවමත්  ක්‍රියාතමක් වෙයි.

1 ප්‍රධාන ලේකම් ඇතුලු අමාත්‍යාන්ශ 5 ට 5 දෙනෙකි. මුලු ගණන 6.

මීට අමතරව ආණ්ඩුකාරයාටද ලේකම්වරයෙක් සිටී

.ප්‍රධාන ලේකම් අමාත්‍යමණ්ඩලයේ ලේකම් වරයෙකුගේ මට්ටමේ වැටුපකට හිමි නිළධාරියෙකු වන අතර අනෙත් සියලුම ලේකම් වරුන් අමාත්‍යාඅන්ශ අතිරේක ලේකම් වැටුප් තලයේ පත්වීම්ය. ප්‍රධාන ලේකම් පලාත් රාජ්‍යසේවයේ ප්‍රධානියාද වන අතර පලාතේ දිසාපතිවරුන්ද ඔහු යටතේ අතිරේක ලේකම්වරුන් වෙයි.  මෙම පලාත් සභා සුදු අලියාගෙන්, රටේ පරිපාලන යාන්ත්රණය දෙගුන වීම,රාජ්‍ය වියදම දෙගුනවීම, සමස්ථ රාජ්‍ය සේවයම අවුළෙන් අවුළට පත්වීම සහ ජනතා සේවය බින්දුවට බැසීම  නිසා සමස්ථ රාජ්‍ය සේවයම සුදු අලියෙක් වීම හැර  එයින් සිදුවූ යහපත කුමක්දැයි මම අසමි.

පලාත් සභාවේ සංයුතිය

  පලාත් සභාව ආණ්ඩුකාරයා, ප්‍රධාන අමාත්‍යවරයා, පලාත් සභා ඇමතිවරුන් 4 පලාත් සභාවේ මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් සමන්විත වෙයි. එයින් එක් අයෙකු සභාවේ සභාපති වශයෙන් රැස්වීමෙ මුලසුන ගනියි.(පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ කථානායක මෙන්).

පලාත් සභා විසුරුවා හැරීමෙන් පසු මහ ඇමති වරුන් 9, ඇමතිවරුන් 36 ඇතුළු මහජන නියෝජිතයින් දැනට නැත.එහෙත් සෙසු කාර්‍ය මණ්ඩලය ඒ අයුරින්ම සිටී. පඩිනඩිද ලබයි. සෙසු වරප්‍රසාදද ලබාගනියි.

සේවක මණ්ඩළය

පලාත් සභා 9 ටම අනුමත සේවක සංක්‍යාව 3,76,631 කි

 වියදම

1988 සිට මේ දක්වාම පලාත්සභා වෙනුවෙන් වැයකල මුදලක එකතුවක් මහ බැන්කුව විසින් හෝ භාණ්ඩාගාරය විසින් සපයා නැතැයි කියවේ.එයින් පැහැදිළිවන්නේ පලාත් සභා සඳහා වැයවන වාර්ෂික පිරිවැය පිළිබඳ හෝ මෙතෙක් වැයකොට ඇති රාජ්‍යමුදල් පිලිබඳ කිසිදු ලේඛනයක්ද මහබැන්කුව සහ රාජ්‍යභාන්ඩාගාරයෙන් මෙතෙක් නිකුත්කොට නැති බවය.එසේම ඒ පිළිබඳ වාර්ථාවක් නොමැති බවය.

 කෙසේ වුවද ආරම්භයේ සිටම මෙම සභාවල වාර්ෂික වියදමෙන් වැටුප්,ආදී පුනරාවර්තන වියදම් 85% සිට 91% දක්වාද, ප්‍රාග්ධන වියදම් සඳහා වැයව ඇත්තේ 15% ට අඩු මුදලක් පමණක් බවද වාර්තාවල සඳහන් වේ.1996 සිට 2017 දක්වා ළෝක බැන්කු වාර්ථාවක් අනුව ජාතික වාර්ශික ප්‍රාග්ධන වියදම රුපියල් මිලියන 17,427.5 සිට 49,457 ඉහල ගොස් ඇති බව සටහන් වෙයි.

මේ අතර බත්තරමුල්ලේ පිහිටි බ.ප.සභා පස්මහල් ගොඩනැගිල්ලට පමණක් රුපියල් 3,965,185,690.98 මුදලක් වැයකළ බව වාර්තාවෙයි.

                                               මෙන්න බ.ප.සභා ගොඩනැගිල්ලේ පින්තුරය

 (මෙම ගොඩනැගිල්ල විසින්, අවට හාත්පසම සෙසු ගොඩ නැගිලි සියල්ල කුරුමිට්ටෙන් බවට පත්කොට වසාගෙන සිටින්නේ යම්සේද එසේම මේ පලාත්සභා හුනියම නමැති දේශපාලන කළු වලාවෙන් සහ නාස්තිකාර දේශපාලනයෙන් මේ සමස්ථ පාලන තන්ත්‍රය, ජාතිය මෙන්ම රටමද වසාගෙන සිටී. ඒ සමඟම 1833 සිට 1988 දක්වා වසර 155 පුරා මේ රටේ මුල්බැස තිබුණු දකුණු ආසියාවේම විශිෂ්ඨතම පාලන රටාවක් වූ ජනතා හිතවාදී, අඩු වියදමකින් හා ප්‍රමාදයකින් තොරව ජනතා සෙත සැළසූ සාම්ප්‍රදායික දිසා, ප්‍රාදේශීය සහ ග්‍රාමීය පාලනයද මුළුමනින්ම විනාශවී ඇත.)

මෙම බස්නාහිර පලාත් සභාවේ නියෝජිතයින් 125 දෙනාට එක පුටුවකට රු 6,50,000 බැගින් පුටු 125 ගත් බවද වාර්තා වෙයි.මීට අමතරව රාජගිරියේ ජනජය ගොඩනැගිල්ලේ 8 සහ 10 වන මහල් සඳහා ගිවිසුමකුත් අත්සන් නොකොට, රු. මිලියන 226 ක අත්තිකාරම් මුදලක්ද ගෙවා ඇති බවද, ඊටත් අමතරව මෙම ගොඩනැගිලි නඩත්තුකිරීම, ජල බිල් සහ විදුලි ගාස්තු ගෙවීම සඳහාද දසලක්ෂ ගානක් තවම ගෙවන බවද වාර්තාවෙයි.

මේ අතර මහනුවර පල්ලේකැලේ මධ්‍යම පලාත් සභා ගොඩනැගිල්ල සඳහාද වැයවූ සැබෑ මුදල කොපමණදැයි කිසිදු සටහනක් පලාත් සභා ලේඛන නොපෙන්වන බවද කියවේ.

කිසිම ප්‍රසිද්ධ වාර්තාවක හෝ පලාත් සභා ලේඛණවල හෝ මෙම පලාත් සභා සන්කීරනය සඳහා වැය වූ මුළු මුදල ගැන සටහනක් නැතැතයි පැවසේ.කෙසේ වුවද නාගරික සන්වර්ධ නිළ වාර්තාවල මෙම මුළු ගොඩ නැගිල්ල සඳහා වැයවූ මුදල රුපියල් මිලියන 93 කැයි සන්ඳන් වේ.

 (විසල් මහනුවර නාගරික සැලැස්ම 2026 – 2035).                 

 සෙසු පලාත් භාවල ගොඩනැගිලි සඳහා වැයවු මුදල් පිළිබඳ  විස්තර සොයා ගැනීමට නොහැකි ය. ඒත් මේ පලාත් දෙකේ පවතින තත්වය අනුව කොතරම් ජාතික ධනයක් මේ දෙශපාලන අපරාධය සඳහා  නාස්තිකොට අත්දැයි දැන් ඔබට සිතාගත හැක.

මීලඟ ලොකුම වැය ශීර්ෂය වනුයේ පලාත් ආණ්ඩුකාර වරුන් ඇතුළු දේශපාලකයින් සහ මෙම සභාවලට අනූක්ත නිලධාරීන්ගේ වැටුප් ඇතුළු වෙනත් දීමනා වෙනුවෙන් වැය වන අති විශාල මුදලය.

 ආණ්ඩු කාරයා

 අමාත්‍ය මණ්ඩයේ ඇමතිවරයෙකු ගේ වැටුපක් සහ බලතල සහිතව. මේ කිසිවෙකු වෘතීය පරිපාලකයින් නොවේ. ඔවුන් බලයේ සිටින දේශපාලන පක්ශයේ නියෝජිතයින්, හිතවතුන් ඥාතීන් පමණි.එහෙත් තම පලාතේ සිටින සියළුම වෘතීය දිසාපතිවරුන් මෙන්ම, සමස්ථ රාජ්‍ය සේවයම සහ පලාතේ සියළුම වැසියන් ඔවුන්ගේ බලපරාක්‍රමයට යටත්විය යුතුයි.කලාතුරකින් හැර සැමවිටම මොවුන් සැමදෙනාම හැසිරෙන්නේ ජනාධි පති වරුන්මෙන් සිතාගෙනය.

                     පල්ලෙකැලේ මධ්‍යම පලාත් සභා ගොඩ නැගිල්ල                                                              

කිසිම ප්‍රසිද්ධ වාර්තාවක හෝ පලාත් සභා ලේඛණවල හෝ මෙම පලාත් සභා සන්කීරනය සදහා වැයවූ මුළු මුදල ගැන සටහනක් නැතැතයි පැවසේ.කෙසේ වුවද නාගරික සන්වර්ධන නිළ වාර්තාවල මෙම මුළු ගොඩනැගිල්ල සඳහා වැයවූ මුදල රුපියල් මිලියන 93 කැයි සන්ඳන් වේ.(විසල් මහනුවර නාගරික සැලැස්ම 2026 – 2035).

සෙසු පළාත් සභාවල ගොඩනැගිලි සඳහා වැයවු මුදල් පිලිබඳ විස්තර සොයා ගැනීමට නොහැකිය. ඒත් මේ පලාත් දෙකේ පවතින තත්වය අනුව කොතරම් ජාතික ධනයක් මේ මහා පරිමාන දෙශපාලන අපරාධය සඳහා  නාස්තිකොට අත්දැයි දැන් ඔබට සිතාගත හැක. 1833 සිට මේ රටේ සමාජයට ඉතා ගැඹුරින් අනුගතව තිබුණු, ඊටත් වඩා වසර දහස්ගානක් මේ රටේ පැවති රාජ්‍යපාලන විධි සහ ක්‍රමද උපයෝගීකොට ගෙන, දේශීය සහ බ්‍රතාන්‍ය ක්‍රමයේ සන්කළනයක් වූ, වියදම් අඩු,  කාර්යක්ෂමතාවය වැඩි, ආසියාවේම තිබුණු විශිෂ්ඨතම ප්‍රාන්තපාලන රටාවකැයි ලොවපුරා විද්වතුන් පිළිගත්, රටට හුරු, ජනතාවට හුරු,  වියදමෙන් හා නාස්තිය අඩු, දිසාව,රට,කෝරලය, පත්තුව සහ ගම   යන රාජ්‍යපාලන ක්‍රමයක් මේ රටේ 1988 ට පෙර තිබිණ. එහි ඇති කාලීන අඩුපාඩුකම් ඉවත්කොට,කාර්‍යක්ෂම සහ ජනතා හිතවාදි පාලන ක්‍රමයක් සකස්කොට ගැණුම පසෙක තබා, මේ රට විනාශකිරීම සඳහා ඉන්දියාව විසින් බලහත්කාරයෙන් අප හිස මත පැටවූ ‘රාජ්‍යපාලන අතීසාරයක්” පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට යාමට චන්ද එකතු කිරීම සහ තම පටු දෙශපාලන අරමුණු ඉටුකරගැනීම සඳහා මේ රටට හන්ඳුන්වා දී මේ රටේ රාජ්‍ය පාලන යාන්ත්‍රනයත්, කාර්‍යාක්ෂම ජනතාහිතවාදී  පරිපාලනයත් විනාශකොට හා එසේ කිරීමෙන් මේ රටත් ජාතියත් රටේ ආර්ථිකයත් පෙර රජුන් දවස සිට මේ රටේ පැලපදියම්ව තිබුණු ජනතා හිතවාදි රාජ්‍යපාලන යාන්ත්‍රණයක්  විනාශකොට මෙබඳු දේශපාලන අතීසාරයක් හා ජාතියට ශාපයක් හඳුන්වා දුන් රජිව් ගාන්ධිට මෙන්ම, තවමත් එම එළු අණ්ඩකෝෂය පසු පස දුවන, මේ රටේ, ජාතියේ හෝ පොදු මහජනතාවගේ යහපත  නොසලකා තවමත් පලාත් සභා ඉල්ලමින් කෑ මොර දෙන, තම නාශයේ දිගට වඩා ඈත නොපෙනෙන”මේ රටේ ආත්මාර්ථකාමී, බඩගෝස්ත්‍රවාදී, දේශද්‍රෝහී දේශපාලුවන්ට සාපවිය යුතු නොවේද ?

මෙම පලාත් සභා ක්‍රමයෙන් 1988 සිට මේ දක්වා රටට සිදු වූ සේවvaya පිලිබඳ එක උදාහරණයකින් පමණක් හුදීජන පහන් සන්වේහය සහ පලාත් සභා ක්‍රමය නැමැති සේතාම්බර පට සලුව, බොරුව සහ ඉන් රටදැයට මෙතෙක් සිදුකොට ඇති සේවයේ සැබෑ රඟ පෙන්විමට එක් ප්‍රශනයක් පමණක් අසා අද ලිපිය මම හමාර කරමි.

ප්‍රශ්නය.

පලාත් සභා ආරම්භවූ 1988 සිට මේ දක්වා මධ්‍යම පලාතේ ආණ්ඩුකාරයින් 18 දෙනක් සිට ඇත. මොවුන්ට, ජනතා මුදලින්, අමාත්‍ය මන්ඩල මටටමේ ඇමතිවරයෙකුගේ වැටුප් සහ දීමනා ඇතුලු සියළුම වරප්‍රසාධ, නිළ නිවාස, සේවකයින්,යාන වාහන ජනාධිපති වරයෙකුට  වැනි ආරක්ෂාව සහ මහජන මුදලින් රටේ ජනාධිපති වරයාගේ බලතල, විදේශ ගමන්බිමන් සහ වැඳුම් පිදුම්.

මේ18 දෙනා අතුරින් එක් අයෙකු හෝ ඔහුගේ හො ඇයගේ සේවාකාලය සිහිවීම සඳහා, සිහිවටනයක් වශයෙන්, අඩුම ගානේ එක් හුලන්තලා ගහක්වත් මේ පලාත තුල හිටවා ගොස් තිබෙනවාද.

එසේම 1505 සිට 1948 දක්වා වසර 443 ක් පුරා ජීවිත පරිත්‍යාගයෙන් මේ රටත් ජාතියත් සම්බුද්ධ සාශනයත් ආරක්ෂාකොටගත් කන්ද උඩරට වීර සින්හලයින්ට, 1815න් පසු ඉන්ග්‍රීසීන් විසින් සිදුකොට ඇති, ඔවුන් සමූල ඝාතනය කිරීම, ඔවුන්ගේ ඉඩකඩම් බලහත්කාරයෙන් අත්පත් කරගැනීම, වැනි අපරාධයන් වෙනුවෙන් වන්දි ලබා ගැනීම, ඔවුන්ගේ පාරම්පරික ඉඩකඩම් ඔවුන්ට ආපසු ලබාදීම, හෝ 1951 උඩරට ගැමිකොමිෂමේ නිර්දේෂ හෝ ක්‍රියාත්මක කොට උඩරට සින්හල ජනතාවගේ ඉඩම්, රැකියා, මන්මාවත්,සෞක්‍ය අධ්‍යාපන සහ ආර්ථික ප්‍රස්න විසඳා දීමට ඔවුන් 18 දෙනා අතුරෙන් එක් අයෙකු හෝ කාට හෝ නම්කළ හැකිද?   එසේම සුද්දන් වීසින් 1870 න් පසු ඔවුන්ගේ තේ වතුවල වහල් මෙහෙයට දකුණු ඉන්දියාවෙන් මෙහි ගෙනවිත් 1948 දී සුද්දන් යනවිට මෙහි දමා ගිය වතු දෙමළ ජනයා මේ ජාතියේ පාරම්පරික මාතෲ භූමිය ඉල්ලා ඔවුන් පොරකද්දි, එසේම අපගේම මෝඩ සින්හල දේශපාලකයින් අපේ මව් බිම උන්ට සින්නක්කරකොට  දීමට පිඹුරුපත් සකසද්දී මව්බිමේ සෑබෑ උරුමකරුවන්ට සිදුවීමට යන මහා විනාශය නතර කිරීමට 1988 සිට අද දක්වා එක ආණ්ඩුකාරයෙක් හෝ අබැටක් පමණවත්  උත්සාහයක් කිරීම පසෙක තබා යටත් පිරිසෙයින් මේ ගැන සිහිනෙන්වත් සිතා තිබේද? මා දන්නා තරමි පිළිතුර, කිසිවෙකු කිසිම දෙයක් සිදුකොට නැත

වර්තමා වැඩ භාරගත්තේ 2024 සැප් 26 දාය. ඔහු මට වඩා අවුරුදු 17 කට පසුව පිටවූ කෙනෙක් වුවද පේරාදෙනිය විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයේ විද්‍යාර්ථිකයෙකූ නිසාද මා දන්නා පසුබිමක කෙනෙක් වූ බැවින්ද  ඔහුට ශුභ පැතීමටත් එසේම මධ්‍යමපලාතේ 1948 සිටම නොවිසඳුණු දැවෙන ජාතික ගැටළු කීපයක් විසඳා ගැනීමට හැකි වේයැයි සිතූ නිසාත් 2024 10.7. වන දින මම ඔහු හමු වුනෙමි.

මධ්‍යම පලාතේ ආණ්ඩුකාර පදවියට මොහු වැනි උගත් කෙනෙකු පත්වීම ගැන මගේ සතුට ප්‍රකශකොට ඔහුට සුභ පතා, 1998 සිට ඒ දක්වා සිටි කිසිම ආණ්ඩුකාරයෙකුගෙන් ඔවුන්ට මිස පලාතටනම් කිසිදු සේවයක් සිදුවි නොමතිබව පෙන්වා දෙමින් කෙටි  අමුණා ඒකාධිපති  පහතින් අමුනා ඇති කෙටි සටහන දී මේ පලාතේ ගැටළු පිපිලිබඳ කතා කිරීඉමට පසුව එන බව පවසා එදින සමුගතිමි.

අනතුරුව පහත සඳහන් ඉල්ලීම් ලිපි 11කින් වරින් වර ලිඛිතව භාර දුනිමි.

එම ලිපිවල ලැයිස්තුව මෙහි පහතින් දක්වමි.

පලමු ලිපිය

To      Prof Sarath Abekon Esqr,

From Dr Sudath Gunasekara. former Secretary to Prime Minister Mrs. Sirimavo Bandarnayaka.

 7.10. 2024.

Hon Governor CP. (1st letter)

Dear Sir,

1.

First of all, this is to welcome you and congratulate you on your appointment as the Governor CP, as a senior citizen living in Hanthana, as you are the ONLY person in my opinion, who is qualified to hold this post, out of all the men and women who were there so far, starting from L.B. Hurulla 1987 to Lalith Gamage 2024. Even though previously there were three of my relations, (LB Hurulla, Monty and Tikiri K.) and also two close friends, a former G.A. Anuradahapura Tudor Dasanayaka and Stanley Thilakerathna former Minster and Speaker, none of them had a comprehensive understanding of the province or the burning problems of its people.

Looking at the overall geographical, strategic, political, historical, socio- economic and cultural importance the central province holds in the country in our national context and the international subversive agenda currently being manipulated within the province, with the all-powerful Indian factor behind it, to destroy the 2500-year-old Sinhala Buddhist civilization in the Kandyan territory, the need to take remedial measures immediately is extremely crucial. The fact that all your predecessors have miserably failed to address these problems in the province, in spite of the fact that, that one of them had enjoyed the benefits of this position for 10 long years, clearly evince their incompetence and the unsuitability to hold this important position. They had only enjoyed the privileges and luxuries of this position created by the 13th Amendment imposed by force on this country by India to destabilize its internal administration and destroy the age-old unitary state and the Sinhala nation.

 Secondly, I want to hand over to you a comprehensive development proposal I have drafted in 1991 to address all key problems of the central hill country, when I was the Executive Director of the HADABIMA Authority, of Sri Lanka, covering the entire Kandyan territory of the Central, Uva and Sabaragamuwa Provinces (although Sab is outside the CP) comprising roughly about 1/3 of the country and also nearly 1/3 of its population, to be handed over to the new President. This proposal, if included in the election manifesto, I can assure you a landslide victory in this region at the Nov 14th General Election. Furthermore, if he implements this proposal he will go down in history as the man who saved this country and the Sinhala nation from its virtual disappearance from the surface of this earth resulting from the devastation currently being done to the hill country by the Indian Tamil Estate labour, with the support of our own vote hunting politicians and the Indian Government .His name will also be recorded in golden letters in Mahawansa as the head of the Sri Lankan state  in 2024 who rescued this country and the Sinhala Buddhist civilization  from a fatal trap set up by the British colonial invaders over a period of 200 years, starting from 1815, to destroy this country and its age-old civilization.

The ongoing environmental devastation at present.

 In addition to the unscientific and haphazard and environmentally destructive  housing projects already completed on steep land in places like Bogawanthalaawa with Indian money (> 4500 ft msl), both Ranil and Sajith had promised to establish mono Tamil villages all over the hill country where there are tea plantations and make these immigrant Indian labourers, the owners of the hill country, that was the homeland of the Kandyan Sinhalese from the inception of history. None of these power-hungry politicians understand the far-reaching effects of this short-sighted action on the destiny of the sons of the soil.  They also have no idea on the importance of preserving the physical stability of the hill country, that determine and dictates the destiny of the entire life system and the civilization of the whole country.

 I have prepared this comprehensive development cum rescue plan in 1991, firstly, to protect the physical stability of the Central Hill country and second, to address all current political and socio-economic issues listed below

As the first step in this mission, I got the entire Central, Uva and the Sabaragamuwa Provinces declared as the Sri Lanka HADABIMA Authority Project area gazette in 1991.

In this proposal, I have identified the central Hill country as the Geographical Heartland (HADABIMA), of this Island nation both morphologically as well as functionally, as it resembles the heart in the body Sri Lanka. This concept paper was designed by me in1991, when I was the Director of the HADABIMA Authority of Sri Lanka, to address the following national issues.

Protecting the Physical stability of the central Hill country to guarantee the perennial flow of its 103 Rivers, that determine and dictate the survival of the entire life system of this Island nation, which in turn sustain the civilization of this country. 26.11.2025.

Finding a permanent solution to the landlessness among the Kandyan peasants who were deprived of their ancestral lands and left destitute by the colonial aggressors and also to find solutions to their socio-economic problems like unemployment, abject poverty and social disparity in the fields of education, housing, health etc. and also to rectify the historical injustices inflicted upon the Kandyan peasants both by the colonial aggressors and those who ruled the country ever since 1948.

 Putting an end to their day dream of a Malayanadu at the center of this land of the Sinhala nation, which India was planning to declare as the 29th State of the Indian subcontinent.

Converting all estate labor duly accepted as Sri Lankan citizens, in to a land-owning dignified Sri Lankans among their Sinhala brothers and sisters in mixed farm settlements of 2 ½ acre mixed farm lots living together and renouncing for good the Indian mentality hitherto they worshiped. 

 The Indian Estate labor problem that had been a cancerous socio-political issue for the past 74 years and thereby closing the door for Indian intervention in our domestic issues under the pretext of looking after the interests of people of Indian origin in Sri Lanka thereafter.

This proposal will also build up a wide protective hoop stretching between 1000-3500 ft msl right round the central hill country that will stand as a sentinel (just like the great wall of China) guarding the nation’s HEARTLAND (HADABIMA) that sustain the entire life system of this country and guaranteeing the survival of its civilization to posterity.

I have been struggling from 1991, to get the government to implement this comprehensive program, as the founder of the HADABIMA Authority of Sri Lanka with a view to realizing all these objectives in addition to alleviating the historical injustices done to the Kandyan peasants by the colonial invaders and subsequently by all those who ran the circus ever since 1948, with zero results

Unfortunately, instead of thanking me for this invention and strengthening my hands to go ahead with this wonderful national mission, as a permanent solution to all the critical issues , which most people thought to be intractable problems, the then government transferred me to the pool and replaced me with mediocre and corrupted political henchmen who did not know the head or tail of  this project,  thus ruining a ‘hen that could have laid golden eggs”, thereby depriving the nation of a unique national project that would have opened up a new chapter in the history of development  and the socio -political saga of this country.

Note This was a UNDP funded Agricultural Project started in 1978 under the name NADSA (National Agricultural Diversification and Settlement Development Project) with 3 main objectives namely, 1.  Watershed management on land above 1000 ft msl. 2. Agricultural Diversification and 3. Settlement Development in the mid country of Sri Lanka to address the landlessness among the Kandyan peasants. It was subsequently discarded, blacklisted, US $ 4.5 m withdrawn and decided to close down by end of 1985 due to political bungling and mismanagement, when I took it over in 1985 April. Having studied its national importance, I was able to renegotiate and convince the FAO of its value as a development project and got them to reopen it in early 1987 and was able to get 12.5 million US$ Food aid package for six years and to give a new lease of life to a dead project. At the end of which, I was able to get the Government Approval for my Master Plan to expand its project area to cover the entire Central Province together with the Sabaragamuwa Province with a potential of settling 250,000 farmer families on 2 ½ acre farm lots in a belt right round the Hill country.

 With my removal again they stopped FAO assistance and withdrew from the Project. Subsequently, violating the 1991 gazette, the then government expanded its activities to far away areas like Hambanthota in the South and Vauniya in the North purely for political expediency.

In the event of your getting the Presidents approval for this Master project, I am prepared to implement it without any remuneration as an honorary mission on behalf of my motherland and the Sinhala nation to pay back, the debt owes to free education.

Foot note

 On your part, it will enable you to enter history as the best Governor ever appointed to the Central Province, ever since it was created in1988, who retrieved the Kandyan peasants of all injustices inflicted upon them by the British invaders as well as the local politicians ever since 1948.

 As for the President, first, this will help the President, to win the forthcoming election by winning over the depressed, neglected and hapless poverty stricken Kandyans and also the sizable number of moderate estate Tamils like Digambaran, Mano Ganeshan and their followers, who will definitely prefer to be 2 ½ acre farmstead owners, and get integrated with the native Sinhala community, rather than to continue as slave labour on tea plantations.

Second, with the completion of this Project he will definitely go down in history, as the only politician who understood the plight of the Kandyans ever since 1948, who lost everything they had in the freedom struggles in 1818 and 1848 against the Western colonial invaders, to protect their cherished motherland  for posterity and also, the first politician who rectified the historical injustices inflicted upon the Kandyans by the British invaders and also neglected by their own politicians for 76 years since 1948.

I shall be thankful to you if you could pl give me an early appointment to discuss the project report already hand it over to you

Looking for an early date. Contact Nos 071 8075326 081 2232744

2.A Master Plan to restore the Physical Stability of the Central Hill Country.

3.An outline of a Propose Master Plan to Develop Meemure

4.Hunnasgiriya-Corbets Gap Road 12.9 25

5.Maha Oya-Heen Ganga -Meemure oya Development KPC Report Project 1953

6. Thangappuwa-Corbet’s Gap Meemure road

7. A Master Plan to Develop the Kandyan areas

8. පොද්දල්ගොඩ -ඔයේකඩේ-වටගල පාර (කිලෝමීටර් 2)

9.Proposal to set up a Memorial Museum of Patriotic Wars of Kandyan Sinhalese 91505-1848) and An International Institute of Post Graduate Research on Colonial Crimes in Sri Lanka at the Old Bogambara Prison.

10. ශ්‍රී ලන්කා හදබිම අධිකාරිය වසාදැමීමේ තීරණය වෙනස්කරන මෙන් 2025.12.16. දින ජනාධිපති තුමාට  මවිසින් යව  ශ්‍රී ලංකා හදබිම අධිකාරිය” ඉරහඳ පවතිනාතුරු මේ රටේ නොවැසියයුතු ඉතා වැදගත් ජාතික ව්‍යාපාරයකි. එය වසා දැමීම මේ රටේ සකළවිධ ජීවි පද්ධතියේ සහ ශිෂ්ඨාචාරයේ අවසානයට මුල පිරීමකි” (ලිපියේ පිටපත)

.මා මෙම ලිපි ලිවීමේදී පාදකකොට ගත්තේ භූගෝලවිද්‍යා උපාධිධාරියෙකු වශයෙන් මධ්‍යම කඳුකරය  පිලිබඳ මගේ විෂය දැනීම සහ පරිපාලන සේවයේ  පළපුරුදු නිළධාරියෙකු මෙන්ම, මධ්‍යම පලාතේ මිනිපේ විදුහල්පති වරයෙකු, උඩදුම්බර ප්‍රාදේසීය ආදායම් පාලක නිළධාරියෙකු,මධ්‍යම පළාතේ ,කුඩා කර්මාන්ත සහකාර අධ්‍යක්ෂ වරයෙකු, වික්ටෝරියා ව්‍යාපාරයේ   ඉඩම් අත්පත්කර ගැනීම්,නගර සහ මාර්ග සැළසුම් කිරීම් සහ ශ්‍රී ලන්කා හදබිම අධිකාරියේ නිර්මාතෲ වශයෙන්, වසර 6ක  අත්දැකීම් ඇතුළුව,   1962 මැයි සිට 1997 ජූලි දකවා 35 වසරක් පුරා, සෞක්‍ය, තාක්ෂනික අධ්‍යාපන අමාත්‍යාන්ශය,  සන්ස්කෘතික අමාත්‍යාන්ශය සහ ගරු අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය බණ්ඩාරනායක  මැතිනියගේ ස්තිර ලේකම් මෙන්ම ශ්‍රී ලන්කා පරිපාලන සේවා සන්ගමයේ (1991-94) සභාපති, ආදී තනතුරු දැරීමෙන් පසු රාජ්‍යසේවයෙන් විශ්‍රාම ලැබීමෙන් ලබාගත්  විෂයානුභද්ධ දැනුම, අත්දැකීම් සහ එදා සිට මේ දක්වා මහනුවර  ප්‍රදේශයේ විවිධ සමාජ සේවා තුලින් මා ලබාගත් සමාඅජ, ආර්ථික සහ දේශපාලන ප්‍රස්න පිලිබඳ,දේශීය මෙන්ම විදේශීය අත්දැකීම් සහ ජනතා ගැටළු පිළිබඳ  මා ලබාගත් ප්‍රත්‍යක්ෂ දැනීමය.

තමන් අධිකාරිය දරණ පලාතේ දියුණුවට මවිසින් නොමිලේ ලබා දීමට සූදානම්වූ මගේ දැනුවෙන් ඔහු කිසිදු ප්‍රයෝජනයක් නොගත්තා පමණක්නොව ඔහුට යැවූ ලිපි 12 න් එකකටහෝ පිළිතුරක් වත් එවාද නැත.ඔහු එම ජාතික ගැටළු විසඳීමටද කිසිම පියවරක්ද ගෙන නැත.

මා වැන්නකුගේ ඉල්ලීම් කෙරෙහි ඔහුගේ ආකළ්පය මෙබඳු නම් සාමාන්‍ය දුප්පත් ගැම්යෙකුගේ දුක්ගැනවිල්ලක් හෝ ඉල්ලීමක් පිළිබඳව ඔහු කෙසේනම් ක්‍රියාකොට ඇත්දැයි දැන් ඕනෑම මෝඩයෙකුට සිතාගත හැක. එපමණක්ද නොව මගේ මේ පොදු අත්දැකීම දිවයිනේ අනෙකුත් පලාත්සභා  ප්‍රදේශවල ජනතාවටද මේ අන්දමින්ම අත්විඳීමට වූවාට කිසිදු සැකයක් නැත.මේ රටේ පලාත්සභා ක්‍රමයට මා ආරම්භයේ සිටම එරෙහිවූයේ මන්දැයි දැන් ඔබට වැටහෙනු ඇතැයි මම සිතමි.

සුද්දා රට පාලනය කළ කාලයේ නම් රජය යටහේ තනතුරු අවභවිතා කළ මෙවැබි පුද්ගලයින්ට එරෙහිව විනයානුකූල පියවර ගෙන ඇත.ජනාධිපති වාර්යා නියම රාජ්‍ය නායකයෙකුනම් මෙම ආණ්ඩුකාරවරයාගේ මෙකී ක්රියා කලාපය පිළිබඳ අනිවාර්‍යෙන්ම පරීක්ෂණයක් පවත්වා ඔහුට සුදුසු දඬුවම් ලබා දිය යුතුය.යටත් පිරිසෙයිම් ඔහු තනතුර දරූ කාල සීම වතුල ලබාගත් වැටුප් සහ වරප්‍රශාද වෙනුවෙන්  වැය වූ මහජන මුදලින් ගෙව ඇති මුදල් හෝ ආපසු ගෙවන මෙන් ඔහුට දැන්විය යුතුය.

 1988 සිට මේ දක්වාම මුළු රටේම ආණ්ඩුකාරයින් අතුරෙන් මා දන්නා තරමින් මේ තනතුරෙන් ලබාගත් වැටුපට හෝ කැඹිරීමක් නැති අය වශයෙන් නම් කළ හැක්කේ උතුරුපලාත් සභාවේ ආණ්ඩුකාරයා වශයෙන් 1993 අගෝස්තු 1994 දක්වා සිටි ශ්‍රී ලන්කා පරිපාලන සේවයේ දීප්තිමත් නිළධාරියෙකු වූ මා මිත්‍ර ලයනල් ප්‍රනාන්දු සහ රාජ්‍යසේවයේ පළපුරුද්දක් නොමැති වුවත් නැගෙනහිර පලාතේ ආණ්ඩුකාරවරිය වශයෙන් 2019 දෙසැම්බර් 4. සිට 2023. මැයි 15 දක්වා සිටි අනුරාධා යහම්පත් යන දෙදෙනා පමණි. ආණ්ඩුකාරයින් වශයෙන් පත්වීම් ලැබූවන් අතර වැඩි දෙනෙක් මානම් දකින්නෙ පාණ්ඩුකාරයින් මෙනි.වඩි දෙනෙක් මැතිවරණ පරාජිතයින්ය. සෙස්සෝ මැති ඇමතින්ගේ නෑදෑයෝය. ඒ අතර පුවත් පත්වල නක්ශාස්ත්‍ර පිටුව භාරව සිටි කාන්තාවක්ද සිටි බව්ඒ මතකය.(මද්‍යම පලාතේ) එසේම අන්ගවිකළ වූවන්ද සීට් බව මගේ මතකයට එයි. 1988 සිට මේ දක්වා ආණ්ඩුකාරයින් වශයෙන් රට පුරා පත්කොට සිටි 150 කට ආසන්න ආණ්ඩුකාර හමුදාවකින් මේ රටට සිදුව ඇති සේවාව පිලිබඳ කිසියම් අදහසක් මින් ඔබට ලබාගත හැකි වේයයි මම සිතමි.

සුද්දා රට පාලනය කරණලද ළද කාලයේ මේ මුලු රටටම හිටියේ එක් ආණ්ඩුකාරයෙක් පමණය. ඔහු සිට්යේත් කොලඹය. ඔවුන් මේ රට හූරාකමින්, ජනතාව මර්ධනය කරමින්, මරමින් උන් බොහෝ දෙනෙකු සිදුකළ විනාශයන් අපමනය. නමුත් ඒ අතර මේ රටට කිසිදාක අමතක නොවන සේවයක් කළ කීපදෙක්දනෙක්ද සිට ඇත. උදාහරණයකට හෙන්රි වෝර්ඩ් නම්කළ හැක. (1855-60). ඔහු තම අධිරාජ්‍යට සේවය කරන අතරම මේ රටේ ප්‍රධාන නගර සියල්ල සම්භන්ධ කොට මහා මාර්ග නිර්මාණය කළේය.එසේම,අදටත් මේ රටපුරා පවතින දුම්රිය මාර්ග සියල්ලම මෙන් නිර්මාණය කලේ  ඔහුය.එපමණක් නොව, ඔහුගේ බිරිඳගේ අදහසක් අනුව රටපුරා ප්‍රධාන මාර්ග දෙපස හිටවු යෝධ මාරාගස් අදටත් විරාජමානව වැජබෙණු ඔබට දැකිය හැකිය.1988 සිට මේ දක්වා එවනි සේවයක් මේ රටට කළ එක ආණ්ඪුකාරයෙකු ඔබ නම කළහොත් ඔබට නෝබෙල් ත්‍යාගය හිමිවනු නොඅනුමානය.

ආචාර්ය සරත් ඔබේසේකර

නෝර්වේහි Draugen Power-from-Shore (PfS) ව්‍යාපෘතිය, වයස්ගත වෙමින් පවතින මුහුදුබඩ තෙල් සහ ගෑස් වේදිකාවක් නවීකරණය කර, එහි කාබන් විමෝචනය අඩු කරමින්, එහි නිෂ්පාදන කාලය දිගු කළ හැකි ආකාරය පෙන්නුම් කරන වැදගත් උදාහරණයකි. ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට වඩාත් වැදගත් වන්නේ, නිසි කාර්මික යටිතල පහසුකම් ඇති රටකට ඉතා උසස් මට්ටමේ ඉංජිනේරු, වානේ නිෂ්පාදන සහ මුහුදුබඩ ඉදිකිරීම් කටයුතු සිදු කළ හැකි බව මෙම ව්‍යාපෘතියෙන් පෙන්වා දීමයි.

නෝර්වේ මුහුදේ, නෝර්වේ වෙරළ තීරයෙන් කිලෝමීටර් 150ක් පමණ දුරින් පිහිටි Draugen තෙල් ක්ෂේත්‍රය 1993 වසරේ සිට තෙල් නිෂ්පාදනය කරමින් පවතී. එය විශාල කොන්ක්‍රීට් ගුරුත්වාකර්ෂණ පදනම් වේදිකාවකින්, ඒ මත පිහිටි ඒකාබද්ධ ඉහළ ව්‍යුහයන්ගෙන් සහ මුහුදු පතුලේ පිහිටි තෙල් ළිං කිහිපයකින් සමන්විත වේ.

මෑත වසරවලදී එහි මෙහෙයුම්කරු වන OKEA සමාගම, වේදිකාවේ ගෑස් ටර්බයින මගින් විදුලිය නිපදවීම වෙනුවට, නෝර්වේ ජාතික විදුලි ජාලයෙන් අධි වෝල්ටීයතා මුහුදු යට කේබලයක් හරහා විදුලිය ලබාගැනීමට තීරණය කළේය.

මෙම ව්‍යාපෘතියේ ඉංජිනේරු, ප්‍රසම්පාදන, ඉදිකිරීම් සහ ස්ථාපන කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුව (EPCI) Aker Solutions සමාගමට පිරිනමන ලදී.

ව්‍යාපෘතියට අයත් ප්‍රධාන කාර්යයන් වන්නේ:

• දැනට පවතින මුහුදුබඩ වේදිකාවේ ඉංජිනේරු වෙනස්කම් සිදු කිරීම.
• නව විදුලි පද්ධති සහ ට්‍රාන්ස්ෆෝමර් ස්ථාපනය කිරීම.
• ගොඩබිමෙන් වේදිකාව දක්වා අධි වෝල්ටීයතා මුහුදු යට විදුලි කේබල් ස්ථාපනය කිරීම.
• වේදිකාවේ switchgear සහ පාලන පද්ධති නවීකරණය කිරීම.
• නව විදුලි පද්ධති දැනට පවතින තෙල් සහ ගෑස් සැකසුම් පහසුකම් සමඟ ඒකාබද්ධ කිරීම.
• මුහුදුබඩ ස්ථාපන සහ commissioning කටයුතු සිදු කිරීම.

මෙම ව්‍යාපෘතිය සම්පූර්ණ වූ පසු, සාමාන්‍ය විදුලි නිෂ්පාදනය සඳහා ගෑස් ටර්බයින භාවිතය අවශ්‍ය නොවන බැවින්, වාර්ෂිකව කාබන් ඩයොක්සයිඩ් විමෝචනය ටොන් 200,000කින් පමණ අඩු කිරීමට හැකි වනු ඇතැයි අපේක්ෂා කෙරේ.

නෝර්වේ මේ වන විට මෙම සංකල්පය තවත් බොහෝ මුහුදුබඩ තෙල් සහ ගෑස් ව්‍යාපෘති වෙතද පුළුල් කර ඇත. නෝර්වේ මුහුදුබඩ අධ්‍යක්ෂ මණ්ඩලය අනුව, සම්පූර්ණයෙන් හෝ කොටස් වශයෙන් ගොඩබිම් විදුලිය මගින් ක්‍රියාත්මක වන මුහුදුබඩ ක්ෂේත්‍ර සංඛ්‍යාව සැලකිය යුතු ලෙස වැඩි වී ඇති අතර, Draugen ව්‍යාපෘතිය එවැනි ප්‍රධාන විදුලිකරණ ව්‍යාපෘතියක් බවට පත්ව ඇත.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට ලැබෙන පාඩම්

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව නැව් අලුත්වැඩියා කිරීමේ කටයුතුවලට පමණක් සීමා නොවිය යුතුය. අපගේ අරමුණ විය යුත්තේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාව කලාපීය මුහුදුබඩ ඉංජිනේරු සහ වානේ ව්‍යුහ නිෂ්පාදන මධ්‍යස්ථානයක් බවට පත් කිරීමයි.

ත්‍රිකුණාමලය මුහුදුබඩ කාර්මික මධ්‍යස්ථානයක් ලෙස සංවර්ධනය කළහොත්, Draugen වැනි ජාත්‍යන්තර ව්‍යාපෘති සඳහා ශ්‍රී ලාංකික සමාගම්වලට පහත සඳහන් ව්‍යුහ සහ මොඩියුල නිෂ්පාදනය කළ හැකිය:

• මුහුදුබඩ වේදිකා මොඩියුල
• සේවක නවාතැන් ඒකක
• විදුලි උපකරණ මොඩියුල
• නළ මාර්ග රාමු
• හෙලිකොප්ටර් ගොඩබැස්වීමේ තට්ටු
• ගෑස් දහන කුලුනු
• මුහුදු පතුලේ උපකාරක ව්‍යුහ
• ජැකට් ව්‍යුහ
• මුහුදුබඩ සුළං විදුලි බලාගාර පදනම්
• මුහුදුබඩ විදුලි උපපොළ
• කේබල් ආරක්ෂක ව්‍යුහ

මෙවැනි නිෂ්පාදිත මොඩියුල සහ ව්‍යුහ, බර එසවීමේ හැකියාව ඇති බාර්ජ් නැව් මගින් ප්‍රවාහනය කර, කටාර්, එක්සත් අරාබි එමීර් රාජ්‍යය, ඕමානය, ඉන්දියාව, මැලේසියාව සහ ඔස්ට්‍රේලියාව වැනි රටවල මුහුදුබඩ ව්‍යාපෘතිවල ස්ථාපනය කළ හැකිය.

ත්‍රිකුණාමලය තෝරාගත යුත්තේ ඇයි?

ත්‍රිකුණාමලයට පහත සඳහන් ස්වාභාවික වාසි පවතී:

• ලෝකයේ උසස්ම ගැඹුරු ස්වාභාවික වරායන්ගෙන් එකක් වීම.
• සංවර්ධනය සඳහා විශාල කාර්මික ඉඩම් ප්‍රමාණයක් තිබීම.
• බර භාණ්ඩ ප්‍රවාහන තොටුපළ සඳහා සුදුසු ගැඹුරු ජලය තිබීම.
• මුහුදුබඩ තෙල් වේදිකා සහ ඉදිකිරීම් යාත්‍රා සඳහා ආරක්ෂිත නැංගුරම් ස්ථාන තිබීම.
• විශාල නිෂ්පාදන අංගන සහ එකලස් කිරීමේ ප්‍රදේශ සඳහා ප්‍රමාණවත් ඉඩකඩ තිබීම.
• ජාත්‍යන්තර නාවික මාර්ගවලට පහසු ප්‍රවේශයක් තිබීම.

නිසි ආයෝජන සහ සැලසුම් සමඟ ත්‍රිකුණාමලයේ පහත පහසුකම් ස්ථාපනය කළ හැකිය:

• මුහුදුබඩ ව්‍යුහ නිෂ්පාදන අංගන
• නළ ආලේපන කර්මාන්තශාලා
• බර ඉංජිනේරු වැඩමුළු
• මුහුදුබඩ ලොජිස්ටික් මධ්‍යස්ථාන
• තෙල් වේදිකා අලුත්වැඩියා පහසුකම්
• FPSO නැව් පරිවර්තන අංගන
• මුහුදුබඩ සුළං බලාගාර ව්‍යුහ නිෂ්පාදන පහසුකම්
• අධි වෝල්ටීයතා විදුලි කේබල් එකලස් කිරීමේ සහ පරීක්ෂා කිරීමේ පහසුකම්

ආර්ථික ප්‍රතිලාභ

මෙවැනි කර්මාන්තයක් සංවර්ධනය කිරීමෙන්:

• ඩොලර් බිලියන ගණනක අපනයන ආදායමක් උපයාගත හැකිය.
• දහස් ගණනක උසස් නිපුණතා සහිත රැකියා අවස්ථා නිර්මාණය කළ හැකිය.
• ශ්‍රී ලාංකික ඉංජිනේරුවන්, වෑල්ඩින් ශිල්පීන්, වානේ ව්‍යුහ නිෂ්පාදකයන් සහ කාර්මික ශිල්පීන් රට තුළ රඳවාගත හැකිය.
• ජාත්‍යන්තර EPC සහ EPCI සමාගම්වල කලාපීය කාර්යාල ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ස්ථාපනය කිරීමට දිරිගැන්විය හැකිය.
• වානේ නිෂ්පාදන, විශේෂ ආලේපන, විදුලි පද්ධති සහ නාවික සේවා සඳහා දේශීය සැපයුම් දාමයක් ගොඩනගාගත හැකිය.
• ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ඉන්දියානු සාගර කලාපයේ ප්‍රධාන මුහුදුබඩ ඉංජිනේරු මධ්‍යස්ථානයක් ලෙස ස්ථාපිත කළ හැකිය.

නිගමනය

Draugen Power-from-Shore ව්‍යාපෘතිය පරිසර හිතකාමී විදුලි ව්‍යාපෘතියක් පමණක් නොවේ. එය නෝර්වේ රට දශක ගණනාවක් පුරා මුහුදුබඩ ව්‍යුහ නිෂ්පාදනය, ඉංජිනේරු දැනුම සහ කාර්මික යටිතල පහසුකම් සඳහා කළ දිගුකාලීන ආයෝජනයෙන් ගොඩනගාගත් උසස් තාක්ෂණික හැකියාව පිළිබඳ ප්‍රබල ප්‍රදර්ශනයකි.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව මෙම ආදර්ශයෙන් පාඩම් ගත යුතුය. නැව් අලුත්වැඩියා කටයුතුවලට පමණක් අපගේ අපේක්ෂාවන් සීමා නොකර, ත්‍රිකුණාමලය පූර්ණ ඒකාබද්ධ මුහුදුබඩ කාර්මික මධ්‍යස්ථානයක් ලෙස සංවර්ධනය කළ යුතුය.

එම මධ්‍යස්ථානයට මුහුදුබඩ වේදිකා මොඩියුල, ජැකට් ව්‍යුහ, මුහුදුබඩ විදුලි උපපොළ සහ පුනර්ජනනීය බලශක්ති ව්‍යුහ කලාපීය සහ ජාත්‍යන්තර වෙළෙඳපොළ සඳහා නිෂ්පාදනය කිරීමේ හැකියාව තිබිය යුතුය.

මැදපෙරදිග රටවල් මුහුදුබඩ බලශක්ති ව්‍යාපෘති සඳහා ආයෝජනය පුළුල් කරමින් සිටින අතර, ආසියාව පුරා මුහුදුබඩ සුළං විදුලි ව්‍යාපෘතිද වේගයෙන් වර්ධනය වෙමින් පවතී.

එබැවින්, අවශ්‍ය යටිතල පහසුකම්, පුහුණු මධ්‍යස්ථාන, ප්‍රතිපත්ති සහ ආයෝජක හිතකාමී පරිසරය දැන්ම ගොඩනැගීමට ක්‍රියා කළහොත්, මෙම වර්ධනය වන ජාත්‍යන්තර වෙළෙඳපොළෙන් සැලකිය යුතු කොටසක් ලබාගැනීමට ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට අද්විතීය අවස්ථාවක් පවතී.

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Norway’s Draugen Power-from-Shore (PfS) Project demonstrates how an ageing offshore oil and gas platform can be modernised to reduce emissions while extending its productive life. More importantly for Sri Lanka, it illustrates the type of sophisticated engineering, fabrication and offshore construction work that countries with the right industrial infrastructure can undertake.

The Draugen oil field, located in the Norwegian Sea approximately 150 km from the Norwegian coast, has been producing oil since 1993. It consists of a large concrete gravity-based platform with integrated topsides and several subsea wells. In recent years, the operator, OKEA, decided to replace the platform’s gas turbine power generation with electricity supplied from the Norwegian national grid through a high-voltage subsea cable. 

The Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) contract was awarded to Aker Solutions. The project involves:

• Engineering modifications to the existing offshore platform.
• Installation of new electrical systems and transformers.
• High-voltage subsea power cables from shore.
• Platform switchgear and control system upgrades.
• Integration with existing offshore process facilities.
• Offshore installation and commissioning.

Once completed, the project is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 200,000 tonnes annually, as gas turbines will no longer be required for routine electricity generation. 

Norway has now expanded this concept to many offshore developments. According to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, the number of offshore fields operating wholly or partly on power from shore has increased dramatically, with Draugen becoming one of the major electrification projects. 

Lessons for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka should not merely aspire to repair ships. We should aim to become a regional offshore engineering and fabrication hub.

If Trincomalee is developed as an offshore industrial base, Sri Lankan companies could participate in projects similar to Draugen by constructing:

• Offshore platform modules
• Living quarters
• Electrical equipment modules
• Pipe racks
• Helidecks
• Flare towers
• Subsea support structures
• Jacket structures
• Offshore wind foundations
• Offshore substations
• Cable protection structures

These fabricated modules can then be transported by heavy-lift barges and installed offshore in countries such as Qatar, the UAE, Oman, India, Malaysia and even Australia.

Why Trincomalee?

Trincomalee offers several natural advantages:

• One of the world’s finest deep natural harbours.
• Large areas of undeveloped industrial land.
• Deep water suitable for heavy-load quays.
• Safe anchorage for offshore rigs and construction vessels.
• Space for fabrication yards and assembly areas.
• Excellent access to international shipping routes.

With suitable investment, Trincomalee could accommodate:

• Offshore fabrication yards
• Pipe coating plants
• Heavy engineering workshops
• Offshore logistics bases
• Rig repair facilities
• FPSO conversion yards
• Offshore wind fabrication facilities
• High-voltage cable assembly and testing facilities

Economic Benefits

Such an industry would:

• Generate billions of dollars in export earnings.
• Create thousands of highly skilled engineering jobs.
• Retain Sri Lankan engineers, welders, fabricators and technicians.
• Encourage multinational EPC contractors to establish regional offices.
• Develop a local supply chain for steel fabrication, coatings, electrical systems and marine services.
• Position Sri Lanka as the offshore engineering hub of the Indian Ocean.

Conclusion

The Draugen Power-from-Shore project is much more than an environmental initiative. It is a showcase of the advanced engineering capability that Norway has developed over decades through sustained investment in offshore fabrication, engineering and industrial infrastructure.

Sri Lanka should learn from this model. Rather than limiting our ambitions to ship repair, we should develop Trincomalee as a fully integrated Offshore Industrial Hub capable of constructing modules, jackets, offshore substations, and renewable energy structures for regional and international markets.

With the Middle East expanding offshore energy investments and offshore wind projects accelerating across Asia, Sri Lanka has a unique opportunity to capture part of this growing market—provided we act now to establish the necessary infrastructure, training facilities and investment-friendly policies.

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera