The Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry reports that another 749 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, moving the daily total of new cases to 2,169.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the country to 237,588.
As many as 199,393 recoveries and 2,534 deaths have been confirmed in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The Epidemiology Unit’s data showed that 35,709 active cases are currently under medical care.
According to the Genome sequencing results of the lions which tested COVID-19 positive at the Chennai Zoo, four samples have been identified as Delta” variants of the virus.
As per the World Health Organization(WHO), this variant showed higher transmissibility and reduced neutralisation(by antibodies). This variant is first said to have been detected in India in late 2020. Variants of the SARS-CoV-2(infection) have been emerging and circulating around the world throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
In two batches, eleven samples from the Chennai zoo lions were sent for testing. The ICAR-National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal was sent four samples on May 24 and seven samples on May 29 and of the total samples, nine tested positive and it was reported on June 3 and the lions have been under treatment since then.
Genome sequencing of four of the samples was done at NIHSAD, Bhopal. Analysis of the sequences shows that all the four sequences belong to Pangolin lineage B.1.617.2 and are Delta variants as per WHO nomenclature” said the Director ICAR-NIHSAD. It was added that on May 11 2021, the WHO classified B.1.617.2 lineage as a variant of concern (VOC).
The Arignar Anna Zoological Park locally known as Vandalur Zoo housed 15 lions out of which two(lion and lioness) passed away due to COVID-19.
According to the deputy director of the Zoo, eight out of the thirteen lions are COVID-19 positive at present. While four of them are said to be completely safe, two are asymptomatic, and two are showing occasional lack of appetite owing to age.
Temperature checks, eating patterns and food data of 53 different animals are being monitored on a regular basis. Tigers did show appetite issues, but they were fine after we replaced beef with chicken. But even these tigers’ results returned negative. Rest all animals are okay” Naga Sathish Gidijala, IFS, Deputy Director, AAZP told Zee media.
While the mystery over how the captive big cats got infected with the deadly virus remains unsolved, experts and vets advising the Zoo suspect human-animal(man to single lion) transmission followed by animal-animal(lion to multiple lions) transmission.
Based on a discussion between experts, the transmission from man-animal seems to have happened, despite animal keepers and feeders having worn PPE suits and followed precautions.
On the possibility of animal-human transmission, they felt that it could not be ruled out. Citing existing information, they said that only know cases of animal-man transmission are said to be from bats.
Even in the case of pet dogs getting infected, the team feels that dogs got infected from humans and not vice versa. They feel that lion-lion transmission is likely, whereas there are no known cases of dog-dog transmission.
AAZP authorities have been providing treatment to the animals and following protocols in consultation with experts from Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), Veterinarians of Hyderabad Zoo and Bronx Zoo.
A team of technical experts of the European Union (EU) will be assisting the Sri Lankan government to assess the environmental damage caused by the fire-ravaged container ship that sank off Colombo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday (June 18).
According to a statement from the ministry, the EU/ECHO – the emergency arm of EU funding – through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) supports three technical experts to help the government in this regard.
The experts include Stephane Le Floch – an expert on oil and hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) deployed to emergencies, HNS and marine litter expertise Camille La Croix and Luigi Alcaro who specialised in environmental impact assessment following oil and HNS spills also with previous deployment experience.
A meeting was organized by the Foreign Ministry to brief the experts on the current ground situation and the action taken by the relevant stakeholder agencies. The meeting was chaired by Director General, Ocean Affairs, Environment and Climate Change Hasanthi Urugodawatte Dissanayake together with UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer-Hamdy.
The meeting commenced with an introduction to the disaster that occurred, setting the background for further elaboration and updates from the relevant stakeholder agency, with the relevant mandate.
The meeting paved the way to understand the mandates of the agencies in relation to environmental damages connected to the disaster and the role of the agencies and initial discussions on how the 03 experts could contribute to support the process with recommendations on future action to be taken by the key stakeholder agencies.
Participating stakeholder agencies included senior officials from the State Ministry of Urban Development, Coast Conservation, Waste Disposal and Community Cleanliness, Marine Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA), Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Coast Guard, National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), Central Environmental Authority (CEA), Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), Merchant Shipping Secretariat, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Ministry of Environment, Justice Ministry, Attorney General’s Department, as well as UN Office in Colombo and Asian Development Bank, European Union and several experts from the team established by MEPA to assess the ecological damage caused by the disaster.
The experts would be working closely with MEPA and other government agencies such as NARA, Ministry of Environment, CEA and the DWC in coming days.
It was six months ago that American insurrection took place in Washington DC. January 6th 2021, will undoubtedly go down in history as the darkest day of American democracy. The world watched with horror as the most powerful beacon of democracy was coming apart by angry White mobs. They were politically and racially motivated, fuelled by their supreme leader Donald Trump and his Republican enablers. He had been shamelessly and cleverly manipulating his followers for four years with lies and conspiracies, like never seen before.
Many
pundits and commentators on mainstream and social media described how shocking
and horrifying these attacks on Capitol Hill were. It was the temple of the
American democracy, boasted as the epitome of the democracy since the inception
of democracy in Greece centuries ago.
America
had been telling the world how great its democracy, rule of law, and freedom
were. All the while they were turning a
blind eye to their own racism, social injustice, violence, and income inequality,
including lack of basic social services to millions of low-income Americans,
most of whom are Black, Latino, and Indigenous Americans.
Every
American administration in the past, be it Republican or Democrat, had been boasting
and preaching to the world – especially to developing countries like Sri Lanka –
to follow those American values they hold so dear to their hearts. They told us
in the developing world that we should follow the rule of law and democracy,
respect human rights, and treat minorities with respect and dignity. Yet, they
never follow their own rules in treating American minorities with respect and
dignity. Human Rights? America is the biggest violator of human
rights in the world. They have killed, maimed, and caused unprecedented human
miseries around the world, in the name of preserving their version of democracy,
rule of law, and freedom, by invading other nations.
Yet,
despite the rhetoric and hypocrisy, the rest of the world, including us in Sri Lanka,
believed America for decades for its version of democracy, rule of law,
innovations in science, technology, and their so-called exceptionalism – the
theory that they were inherently better than other nations.
Like
many in my generation, I clearly remember the day in July 1969 when the first man
landed on the moon, which was an unprecedented milestone in the history of the
mankind. As a teenager interested in
science and technology, I became a great admirer of America and what it had to
offer to the rest of the world. I was not alone in this respect. Millions of young
baby boomers around the globe admired USA for many reasons. Among them rock and roll music, cowboy
movies, luxury automobiles, open and vast landscape, not to mention the
Hollywood – a portal to the unique American culture and its glamorous lifestyles,
like no other. Like many teens at the time, I was in awe and mesmerized by this
glorified culture that was exposed to the world through its mainstream media.
We did not realize at the time that there was a dark side to its glory.
However,
after living nearly five decades in Canada, America’s friendly neighbour to the
north, I see now how we have been misled and lied to by this self-proclaimed
protector of the world. Not only to the world, but to a generation of its own
citizens, American governments (like many governments around the world) have
not been exactly honest. In my opinion, every US administration (Republican/Democrat
alike), had been misleading the American people for decades.
The
most obvious deception is how America fabricated facts to invade other nations.
There are many examples, such as the Vietnam and Iraq wars. These are some of the
most obvious wars that America got involved in to fulfil its own imperialist agenda.
For
example, in August 1964, the US claimed that one of their naval vessels was
attacked by the North Vietnamese (Communist) forces at Gulf of Tonkin, to
justify the invasion. It was admitted later by US naval officials that such an
incident never happened.
The
result of this lie was the massacre of thousands of innocent Vietnamese by the
American war machine, and loss of over 50,000 US soldiers, who were mislead by
their own government into thinking that they were fighting to save their
country from evil Communism.
There
was no other war that has created such social, cultural, and political upheaval
in America the way Vietnam War did. Yet America has never learned from its past
mistakes, perhaps due to their ongoing perception of American exceptionalism.
The
invasion of Iraq was another debacle that the US fabricated, accusing Sadam
Hussein to have weapons of mass destruction. This turned out to be one of America’s
biggest propaganda lies, causing wide-spread destruction and atrocities for
years to come. This also led to the destabilization of Middle East, giving rise
to Jihadist terrorism.
All
this destruction and mayhem was caused by America and its Western alliance in
the name of preserving democracy, rule of law, and the biggest lie of all is to
protect human rights, while killing thousands of innocent people in the process.
The biggest crime of all is that America has never been held accountable for
the war crimes committed in other countries. The United Nation Human Right
Commission (UNHRC), Human Right Watch (HRW), had failed to raise concerns
against these heinous war crimes. It clearly shows how biased, and who these organizations
are working for. It was obvious as none
of these human right crusaders uttered a word when an innocent Black man –
George Floyd, was murdered (lynched) by White police officers in public. If
that was not blatant violations of human rights, then I do not know what it is?
America
calls itself a moral leader and protector of freedom and rule of law, yet cozies
up to some of the worst dictatorships, such as the one in Saudi Arabia, as well
as other well-documented human right violators like Israel, Brazil, etc. There
is no end to American hypocrisy.
What
we have witnessed on the January 6th, 2021, could well be the
beginning of the end of a superpower, thanks to its own arrogance, ignorance,
and exceptionalism.
Confidence is an asset for any nation. But when a
nation perceives itself as above the law and convinced of invincibility or that
it cannot fail, then reality is likely to deliver a wakeup call – which came
for US on the 6th of January, at the Capitol Hill. Ancient Greece, Napoleonic France, imperial
Japan, and colonial Britain have demonstrated this sort of arrogance, and all with
disastrous results.
The
conspiracy theories (https://www.factcheck.org/2020/10/trumps-long-history-with-conspiracy-theories/),
and pathological lies of Donald Trump and his Republican enablers had managed
to convince almost 70% of the Republican voters that Trump would have won
landslide if the election was not rigged by the Democrats.
For
four years, Donald Trump conditioned his supporters to distrust democratic
institutions such as the government. At
every political rally, he drove his supporters into frenzy with lies and
conspiracy theories. Like those ancient
Viking and Anglo-Saxon warriors, they love to bang their chests chanting USA! USA! USA!” and carry the flag,
including the Confederation flag – a clear symbol of White Supremacy and
systemic racism. His supporters call themselves patriots, willing to die for
their cause. This cause is the preservation of White supremacy and White privilege.
Of
course, Donald Trump did not invent White Supremacy or racism. He just gave oxygen to those under currents that
were always there already. They never
went away. If they did, Black leaders
like Martin Luther King, John Lewis, Malcolm X, and their ancestors would not have
had to fight for civil rights for decades. The Black Lives Matter movement is the
result of ongoing injustice and systemic racism in America and its
institutions, including in the media.
To
understand what happened on the 6th of January, one must understand America’s
violent history, which led to the creation of the US constitution after the
civil war, nearly 245 years ago.
White
entitlement, racism, and slavery were the undeniable factors that shaped the
American political and cultural landscape for centuries. Times may have changed
but the American (White) mentality may have not. The brutal violence and racist
sentiment that led to the first civil war and subsequent insurrections were
clearly on display on the 6th of January, when a White mob attacked
Capitol Hill. In some ways it may be a precursor to what to expect in the future
if the US leaders and law makers ignore this reality. The White Supremacy in America is not a new
phenomenon. It has always been there.
In
1877, the southern Democrats passed the Jim Crow law to maintain White
Supremacy, segregating and denying civil rights to Black people. These policies
continued for generations and were worse in some southern states as late as the
1960s. https://onlinellm.usc.edu/a-brief-history-of-jim-crow-laws/
It
is a prime example of how White lawmakers embedded systemic racism to
marginalise Black people and other minorities to maintain White privilege and
entitlement intact for generations.
Unfortunately, many Black people are still treated like third class
citizens in their own country, especially by the law enforcement agencies and
many other institutions.
White
supremacy is not limited to America. It thrives in many European countries
including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and in regions of Scandinavia,
and Eastern Europe. Even in countries perceived as progressive, like Canada and
Australia, there are some groups who still believe in White supremacy and Nazi ideology.
Despite
generations of injustice, systemic racism, and oppression, the history shows the
American Blacks have never stormed US institutions like Capitol Hill. Yet it was the most privileged, well-protected,
group of White Supremists who done the most damage to their own institution that
protected them for generations.
It
was often the Black community, with leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and
John Lewis, who have upheld peaceful and non-violent principles to demand basic
civil rights. Perhaps it is time for the
White America and its leaders to learn and understand from Black community how
hard it has been in their life-long struggle in America. Perhaps it is also time for the rest of the
world to stop stereotyping Black people as violent, lazy, drug addicts, and
criminals – the ugly picture that America and its White media portrayed to the
world for generations.
We
are living in turbulent times, with a global pandemic like none we have
witnessed almost in a century. Last year (2020) the world’s most powerful
country was out of control in their handling of the pandemic. This is mostly due
to the ignorance and impotence of the former Trump administration, also due to the
American public’s distrust of authorities, and refusal to follow rules like
wearing a mask or follow social distancing. No country in the world has politicized COVID-19
the way America had done under Trump – making them the number one nation of COVID-19
deaths and cases so far. https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-maps-and-cases/ It was truly a tragedy and a shame,
especially for a country that used to lead the world in many areas, including
medical and health field.
The
rest of the world may be having serious doubts if the US can face its
challenges, unless the new administration manages to stop the proverbial bleeding
initiated by Trump four years ago. It will be a monumental task to unite a
country that is deeply divided racially, politically, and economically.
No
matter how painful it is, America must come to terms with the new reality of a
fragmented country. American leaders must stop misleading the people with their
political rhetoric and hollow slogans of American exceptionalism and past
glory. They must look inward to their own problems, rather than lecturing the
other nations and trying to police the world.
America
is not in a position to dictate its terms on democracy, rule of law and human
rights to other countries, especially when its own citizens are refusing to
obey those rules and values. It has lost its credibility and moral values. Then
again, America has a habit of interfering in other nations, ignoring all their
own problems that happen in their own backyard.
President
Biden, recognising the dire state of the Union, gave a passionate and emotional
speech at his inauguration (January 20, 2021), reminding Americans of the
uphill battle that America is facing. Biden’s
speech was a sombre reminder to all Americans that they cannot take democracy,
liberty, or freedom for granted, which White America (majority) had enjoyed for
generations. These values are under attack not from a foreign enemy, but rather
by made-in-America White terrorists. It was a rude awakening for America to see
their symbol of democracy – Capitol Hill- surrounded by heavily armed military,
more like what we have seen in Bagdad or Kabul. Ironically, those were the images the world
saw in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, etc., after the US military invaded and
destabilized these nations. Now, the chickens have come home to roost to remind
Americans that pain and mayhem that they had caused in those countries may
easily come back to haunt them. It remains to be seen how America will overcome
these self-inflicted wounds, which will have ramifications not only for US but
for the entire world.
America is not the dominant power it once was. There
are new and upcoming nations in the world. Once a powerhouse of economic,
military, technological, and industrial strength, the country now has a
formidable challenger. China will surpass US in these areas soon if it has not already.
America
and Europe led the world in the 20th century, as they have benefited
and prospered, especially US. All the
while the developing countries were struggling to survive the brutal European
colonialism, and the mess it had left behind. After the Second World War, the Western
nations led by US – dominated the world’s finances, industry, trade,
manufacturing, etc. They established global institutions like International
Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), and the World Trade Organization (WTO),
which greatly benefited a limited number of countries and is used to control developing
and less developed nations. Thanks to these organizations and their pro-Western
policies, the West has prospered tremendously, especially US becoming the most
powerful nation on earth, economically and militarily. Global wars and conflicts have been extremely
profitable for the US economy, and its war machine.
At
the beginning of the 21st century, the shifting of economic power from
West to East had started, as China and India begun to develop their economies
rapidly. This is especially true of China, which has become an economic powerhouse.
With economic dominance comes the financial and military power. The West cannot afford to ignore or treat
China as an enemy, the way they had treated Soviet Union during the cold war.
The rise of China is a remarkable story itself, and the West did not expect
China will be their biggest rival economically and militarily in such a short
time. Today world’s economy, especially US, depends on China, as majority of
consumer, industrial and medical products are manufactured in China. While the
rest of the world is facing a negative growth in economy due to COVID-19, China
is the only country showing a significant growth of its GDP this year,
surpassing all the other major economies.
America
has a new President, who has made promises to be a healer of the deep divisions
of inequality and systemic racism. Nearly
half of the country https://www.cnn.com/election/2020/results/president
voted for Donald Trump, who literally set fire to American democracy, and its
institutions on his way out. Yet almost seventy percent of Republican voters still
believe in Trumpism, including many Republican law makers. Whether President
Biden can safely navigate the landmines laid by Trump and his supporters and bring
back the country to its normality, remains to be seen.
Part II: Lessons for
Sri Lanka
Like
USA, Sri Lanka has been a divided nation politically and socially for many
decades. Sri Lanka had its share of corrupted
leaders – be they Sinhalese, Tamil or Muslim – who were hypocrites, liars, and conspirators.
They have been misleading Sri Lankans for generations for their own benefits
and gains. We have seen how our
political and community leaders manipulate their own communities with lies and
conspiracies, fuelling racial and social disharmony. Such unscrupulous activities led to 35 years
of terrorism and a war, killing innocent Tamils, Sinhalese, and Muslims, while
sinking the country economically, socially, and politically.
Just
like the US must learn from its ugly past, Sri Lanka must also learn from its
past if the country is to move forward as a unified nation. It is always the politicians (not the
citizens) who exploit and create division and mayhem. There are many lessons Sri Lanka can learn
from America and its mistakes of racial, divisive, and entitlement politics.
Whether
we like it or not, a change of government in America will affect Sri Lanka in
one way or the other. The Biden administration will not be favourable towards Sri
Lanka when it comes to HRs and reconciliation efforts. There is no reason to
believe they will be any different this time around, especially at the UNHRC session
in Geneva. If anything, America will
continue to harass and bully developing nations like Sri Lanka with their
hypocrisy of HRs, democracy, freedom, etc, with the help of their biased
agencies like UNHRC, ICC, HRW, AI, and other NGOs.
The
underlined motive of America (and its Western alliance) towards Sri Lanka is
not necessarily democracy, HRs or rule of law, or the ethnic issues, but the
importance of strategic geo-political location of Sri Lanka in relation to
China – the nation considered to be the single biggest threat to Western
economy and security today. The US dominance of Indian and Pacific oceans is threatened
by the rising navel and military power of China. Whoever controls the Indian
Ocean will greatly benefit from having Sri Lanka on their side, since it is
only 10 nautical miles north of the world’s busiest navel traffic.
The rise of China and its close relationship with Sri Lanka is the main
reason why Sri Lanka has come under scrutiny of America and its allies. India has always been a political conundrum for
Sri Lanka due to its unwelcome political influence and proximity. For majority
of Sri Lankans, especially for Sinhalese, India is like an obnoxious and
annoying relative who is always poking fingers in their family affairs, mainly
due to historical, cultural, and religious bind between two countries.
Sri
Lanka should be careful not to depend on India for its economic, political, and
national problems. India has its own agenda
and own problems when dealing with Sri Lanka due to its domestic politics in
Tamil Nadu, and perceived threat to their security from emerging China, which is
gaining a wide foothold in India’s neighbours. Taking advantage of India’s insecurity,
America is exploiting it heavily to make India their proxy to counter China. America is no different than the defunct
British Empire which used divide and rule” tactics to destabilize and colonize
countries. America is following the same
path in a different manner using democracy, HRs, rule of law, as their weaponry
to control or destabilize countries like Sri Lanka. The shameless manner of the
former US ambassador to Sri Lanka, Alaina B. Teplitz interfered in domestic
issues is a classic example of how Western diplomats meddle in Sri Lanka well
beyond their diplomatic mandate.
The
Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (known as the Quad) is an example of how US is
trying to form a strategic partnership between the United States, Japan, Australia,
and India to counter the emerging economic and military power of China. QUAD is called an Asian NATO led by USA. Why the Quad Alliance Is
Ambiguous and Contradictory | Time
The
West exploits local divisions of ethnic and religious minorities, and internationalizes
those issues through their institutions like UNHRC, HRW, AI, and other Western
based NGOs and think tanks, to show that the West is concerned about the freedom
and human rights of global minorities. This is while turning a blind eye to systemic
racism, and oppression of minorities in America – such as Black people, Latinos,
and Native Americans, Indigenous communities in Canada and Australia, non-white
immigrants and Muslims in UK, and in the European Union. The list goes on, but
they conveniently turn a blind eye to their own biases and prejudices.
Yet
these hypocritical Western nations are eager to point fingers on developing
nations, such as Sri Lanka for eliminating terrorism and bringing peace and
stability, which benefited the war-ravaged North and East the most. Democracy,
freedom, equity, justice, and lasting peace are universal values shared by all of
humanity. The difference is that the West believes (arrogantly) that these values
belong only to them, and they can weaponize such values to crucify other nations
that do not buy into their hypocrisy.
Sri
Lanka should tread cautiously. Certainly,
Sri Lanka needs global markets, investors, and expertise to further develop its
economy, manufacturing, and infrastructure. Due to its strategic geo-political location,
Sri Lanka must be careful in identifying its allies and enemies. The most strategic
way to leverage geo-political importance is to be cautious about aligning with
India, USA, or China. Sri Lanka must not give ownership of its natural resources
or sell off national assets like harbours and airports. However, Sri Lanka desperately needs the
support of reliable partners like China – not only to develop the country but
to defend Sri Lanka at the international stage from hostile and bias
institutions like UNHRC. It might be a high
wire balancing act to stay non-aligned, especially when Sri Lanka is in significant
debt and its economy is perilous. But opportunities
exist if the current leaders are politically and diplomatically savvy to
understand that global politics is a chess game, which needs strategic, and out
of the box thinking. The late Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Quan, understood
it early on. That is why Singapore is one of the countries with highest per/capita
income in the world today, equally admired by the East and the West.
Unfortunately,
we have yet to see such a visionary leadership that can guide Sri Lanka, to
move forward with unity, prosperity, respecting the will of the people. Almost 73 years after independence, Sri Lanka
is still struggling economically, socially, and politically. Many other countries in the region such as
Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, which have been ravaged by wars and other disasters
have moved on becoming economic miracles and social models that many countries
look up to.
Culture
of corruptions, ego-centric politics with entitlement, with little or no respect
for the law and order are the primary reasons why Sri Lanka has been unable to move
forward as a nation; making it dangerously vulnerable for the foreign, and
other undesirable forces to interfere in domestic, and international affairs of
the nation.
The
latest developments in Canada and USA should be a great concern for the present
regime in Sri Lanka. The passing of Ontario Bill-104 (Tamil Genocide and
Education Week Act –Bill
104, Tamil Genocide Education Week Act, 2021 – Legislative Assembly of Ontario
(ola.org))
sent shock waves among Sri Lankan communities around the world. Its
ramification on future generation of Sri-Lankan Canadians will be devastating
as every school in Ontario will have to teach every year (in May), about an
alleged genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
The
other most disturbing development is the passing of a resolution by the US
Congress recognizing North and East of Sri Lanka as the traditional homeland of
Tamils. This is a recipe for disaster if not met head on by the Sri Lankan
government. H.
RES. 413
Both
these events are extremely damaging to Sri Lanka, and it might open a pandora’s
box as many pro-LTTE associations and their supporters in many countries will
be encouraged to bring numerous bills and resolutions against Sri Lanka,
especially after the passing of Ontario Bill-104.
Sri
Lanka may have won the terrorist war, but unfortunately it has failed the
propaganda war miserably after the war. As a result, well-organized,
well-funded, well-connected LTTE organizations in the West are ramping up their
propaganda war against Sri Lanka in the international arena with vengeance.
Ignoring
these critical and dangerous issues is not an option for Sri Lanka any longer.
There will be a domino effect of these in the Western countries where powerful
pro-LTTE Diaspora is lobbying relentlessly with the help of their supporters
(politicians) to make Sri Lanka a global pariah.
What
we are witnessing now is the results of 12 years (since the end of the war) of
negligence and inactions by the successive Sri Lankan governments to counter pro-LTTE
propaganda in the Western nations like Canada, UK, USA, and Australia where
pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora lobbying is powerful and effective.
Sri
Lanka no longer can afford to ignore these highly critical issues, which will
not only affect the reputation of Sri Lanka severely, but more importantly its international
trade, tourism, etc. This will have a devastating effect on economy, which has
suffered badly already due to global pandemic.
Sri Lankan American Action Coalition. (SLAAC) a volunteer group functioning in USA
Bills & Resolutions
Forms of
Congressional Action
The work of Congress is initiated by the
introduction of a proposal in one of four principal forms: the bill, the joint
resolution, the concurrent resolution, and the simple resolution. Bills & Resolutions | house.gov
An H.
Res (or a simple resolution) only concerns “the rules, the operation, or
the opinion” of one chamber of Congress. There is no
“passage” only “adoption.” This means that it does not pass
forward to the senate for a vote as a bill and is not presented to the
President of the United States for signature.
An
extract from the United States House of Representatives is:
Simple Resolutions
A matter concerning the
operation of either the House of Representatives or Senate alone is initiated
by a simple resolution. A resolution affecting the House of Representatives is
designated H.Res.” followed by its number. They are not presented to the
President for action.
If there
is a next step in the process for H. Res 413, it would be
“adoption” by the House. But even so, that will be that the House is merely
expressing their opinion. Stakeholders
will use this adoption to push for action, but a simple resolution alone does
not have the power for further action.
Our
next steps to counter this action should be determined as follows: There are
stakeholders approaching Members of Congress seeking their support for H. Res
413. Members need to be further educated on the issue. In addition to
speaking with Members who already support the resolution, we should approach
other Members of Congress and introduce them to the issue from our perspective
because this involves a recognized terrorist entity.
See the
link below for more details in the Congressional Glossary of the US Library of
Congress.
Simple Resolution – Legislation
that relates to the operations of a single chamber or expresses the collective
opinion of that chamber on public policy issues. A simple resolution
originating in the House of Representatives is designated by the letters H.
Res.” followed by a number and simple resolutions introduced in the Senate as
S. Res.” followed by a number. For Example: H. Res. 10.
Another point to consider is that in counter arguments, it must
be pointed out to all members of the US Congress who can be influenced to
support the H. Res 413 that there is an explicit reference to LTTE” in the
document without expanding the acronym to read Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Elam.
In such expansion, it can be proven that the LTTE is on the list
of Foreign Terror Organizations (FTO) listed by the US State Department dated
October 8, 1997. The proof is available that
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a known Foreign Terrorist
Organization recognized by the
U.S. Department of State at the link provided and the entry for LTTE that
appears in the list. It is also proscribed in the US and 31 other countries
having provided inspiration to Al Qaeda. This link provides other terrorist
organizations considered in the same category where LTTE has been included.
Simple resolutions are considered only by the body in which they
were introduced. Upon adoption, simple resolutions are attested to by the Clerk
of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate and are
published in the Congressional Record.
For
further clarification, please contact the Sri Lankan American Action Coalition.
(SLAAC) a volunteer group functioning in USA.
Email: excomm@srilankanamericans.com.
This is basic information for use by those who
defend Sri Lanka against the Simple Resolution H. Res 413 resolution presented with
misinformation and the need for counter
Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel, former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President Ambassador’s Forum, currently in UK
Pandemic war in the peak
Pandemic war is in the peak and there is no option but to win it sooner
or later depending on the world situation. President and the Government has
taken all possible endeavours using the political and personal goodwill with
the world leaders to find vaccine which is the need of the hour and the
response from the world leaders have been satisfactory in that japan China, and
USA. Japan has sent positive signs of assistance which is the main need of the
hour. Things are changing fast and the countries won are facing difficulties
again and the good news is Sri Lanka is now doing comparatively well. UK has
extend the controls till July 21st again. China has sent3.1 million
doses and 10.9 more to come in addition to pledges from many friendly nations. We won the first wave comfortably but there
are lessons to be learnt from the second and third. Today the death toll
according to media is dwindling gradually with hopes of reducing the number due
to the prevailing circumstances locally and worldwide keeping in mind we are
open to the world out of necessity. World is bound to go through the agony more
than expected when in UK the partial lock down is extended till July with
imposing further restrictions as in Sri
Lanka out of necessity. In Sri Lanka there should be no conflicting reports by
so called experts, with no central institution for figures, facts or authentic
information despite the advanced digitalization in the country with the system
intact according to the book. Good news that steps are being taken to
centralize the system soon and also the number is gradually decreasing from
four figures as USA 11882/412 deaths, India14380/4133 deaths, Brazil 88092/2504
showing a gradual reduction of the infected and death toll, but the situation
in Sri Lanka that won the first wave though not satisfactory and it is our duty
to look towards us carefully to find the solution which is necessary and
imminent. But the fact remains that the solution is within our scope and it is our
duty to go back to basics being careful not to permit the unseen, dangerous,
uncontrollable virus to visit us and live free in the system due to our
carelessness. The second and third waves gathering Information
on covid19 front is day by day getting worse with near 3000 suspected cases and
considerable deaths- the high ever death
toll which is ever increasing with no signs of diminishing. We do not make
vaccines in Sri Lanka and depending on the world for stocks based on good will,
international relations and availability when there appear to be a shortage of
vaccines worldwide. It is noted that it is time for us to initial stages by
making prompt orders with proper procumbent procedures based on expert advice
by scientist’s not administrative officers however senior they are. In order to
combat the enemy we must have a vision and a visionary in overall giving due
credit to the Army commander and the forces on the excellent performances jobs though
outside their ordinary preview. In Sri Lanka vaccine is given free to the
citizens when Pakistan has initiated to sell it to those who could afford is a
good move giving the opportunity for those who could afford to make matters
easier to the government struggling on economic hardships. It is a good idea
for Sri Lanka too to follow suit due to the economic downtowns and other
complications in finding the vaccines on time, due to our own making. It is
told that there is a vaccine shortage in the world due to fast spread of the
pandemic, and it is a good move that we have placed orders and got the
international community and Embassies to work on the task. Entire
world is going through the hardships with no signs of end in the near future
against the un controllable, unseen, virus freely on move worldwide with no
boarder or restrictions causing misery and deaths mostly the vulnerable groups
with 165,000,000 deaths to date which is sad worrying and unbearable to the
mankind. No permanent solution is found yet despite the miraculous advancement
of science extending towards the solar system. Some developed countries have
found a temporary measure inventing a vaccine to be administers in two stages
which is not a permanent cure, without ascertaining the side effects in the
long run. Some countries such as UK, Israel, and Seashells, have administered the
vaccine to a majority of the population that has retarded the fast spread as a
precautionary measure which again is temporary. Sorry state is some countries
vaccine full are worried on the new variants spreading including UK. Giant
neighbour India is in a pathetic way with highest number of cases and death
with shortages of beds and medicine countrywide patients crowded on payments
near hospitals with confirmed deaths of 353528, confirmed deaths 29089069 and
9256 new cases, with 2862 new cases in Sri Lanka with repel effects from Indian
infections by illegal border crossing through sea and exchange of trading
materials. There is news of development of new variants and new developments.
Do not worry – we are winning the battle in the near future and we must learn
to live with it and be ready for a leapfrog success story for a better world to
come. Therefore while finding permanent solutions we should plan out our future
in short and long term developments in the country with full details given
below.
Post Pandemic Situation
This a war to be won at any cost one day having gone through all the
hardships with the rest of the world, and it is the duty of a visionary leader
with a vision to be ready for the future challenges and emerge victorious as a unique nation. Village
students and villagers have proved adoptable by paying bills on what’s app and
village children climbing water tanks for WiFi with minimum facilities yet
compete the urban students and the community with the 110% mobile penetration
and computer centres in junctions many using international platforms to keep
pace with the modern developments. Working online has become handy and village
teachers conduct webinars learning the technical details from their children.
It is unfortunate that we are going through more and more disasters. But we are
a nation that went through a 30 year war the west claimed unwinnable cementing
the different ethnic groups as an exemplary nation. Please admit ship disaster
is manmade and our mistake; environmental destructions are manmade and our
mistakes, wrong food patterns are our own mistakes, Sri Lanka is a country
where a mango seed thrown will emerge as a fruit bearing mangoes and when
Israel started life 73 years ago no water at all and depending now on
desalination of sea water, selling water to neighbours as a leader in
agriculture advising the world powers. We are a nation missed the bus and
misdirected by the foreign hands transformed our agro based society living with
nature with 70% forest cover reduced to 18% or 29% as claimed to clear lands
for commercial crops and changing the food pattern to bread in place of rice
and importing poisoned milk powder
killing 5000 local cattle a day for meat
with no steps taken for self-sufficiency on food, milk, and other agro based
cultivations and products depending on poisons artificial fertilizer converting
the healthy nation sick. We must resolve ourselves to transform ourselves to be
a unique nation with a new vision with a visionary surrounded by a proper
dedicated and vibrant, leadership with genuine group around helping the
transformation of the entire system and compel the leaders to create and
acquire a vision to be self-sufficient an all respects learning form our
mistakes and other successful countries themselves going through the ordeal
together.
Contributions by the Sri Lankan Lawyers in UK (ASLLUK), Ambassadors
Forum in Sri Lanka and UK and international and Local Groups
ASLLUK made an official request to the Prime Minister of United Kingdom
for vaccine and sent substantial funds to be given to the poorest of the poor Sri
Lankans via Bar Association. UK has agreed to donate 100 million surplus jabs
to poor countries according to statement by the Prime Minister and we hope
other countries will follow suit provide our embassies and powerful Sri Lankan
Groups worldwide work hard. Ambassador’s Forum in Sri Lanka and abroad is in
the forefront and it is the duty of the Foreign Ministry and the Sri Lankan
Human Rights commission to follow suit as there are ample remaining unused
vaccines available in many countries. Currently the remedy is vaccine as proved
by UK by bringing down to zero in figures of ten thousand, when Sri Lanka was
zero deaths at the time we won the first wave. We are pleased to note that
Japan, USA, China, Australia, and other friends who themselves are victims have
agree to help Sri Lanka due to friendship and urge the Sri Lankan Embassies and
Sri Lankans worldwide to mobilize
themselves in the campaign as the main target if to find sufficient vaccines.
Ambassador’s Forum has published five books on international relations and
foreign policy as a guideline and directions to the nation, and the two books
on Geneva process and Port City will be inaugurated in UK probable at a
function headed by Lord Nasby who has done a yeoman service to Sri Lanka.
Keep Friendly Relations with the World
We cannot be in isolation in this new world closely interconnected with
a click of a button, and in fact we are not alone if we maintain our friendship
with the rest of the world who themselves are in grave danger. Other countries
are in worst situation does not mean we too should suffer, when we are a smart
educated nation with top Sri Lankans worldwide whose full services are not
utilized through the network of Ambassadors. Because other friends are powerful
strong and foresee matters before they are scientifically in battle when we
follow them not even going back to basics in the combat on Corona 19 which is
the easiest and a shortcut for victory- Keep
distance, be clean by washing hands and surfaces prune to virus, avoid
public places, stay home, no public functions, always conscious on the danger
and virus , follow and adhere to medical and other advice by the health workers
as has been done in China fought it following simple ways. It is the duty of
the Sri Lankans in Sri Lanka and world over to divert all efforts and attention
on the war on Covid 19 before everything as the priority today is the
eradication of the menace.
Foreign Policy and other Developments to continue until we win the war
Sri Lanka had a proud history on foreign policy as a onetime leader of
the non-align movement during the golden regime of Madam Bandaranaike remaining
of the non-alignment and neutral policy to date on the foreign policy based on
the motto ‘’friendly with all and angry with none’’ in addition to the previous
and subsequent conventions and treatises entered into. As the foreign policy is
interconnected and interwoven with economy – less strong countries need lot of
efforts to maintain the independence of foreign policy and conduct on economy
and international affairs as independence entities. It is agreed that economy
should be healthy despite pandemics and states endeavour to maintain economy
without the minimum damages to the economic balance of a nation while
maintaining the day to day life of the citizen. Sri Lankan economy is not in a
good shape even before the pandemic and the impact on economy has been enormous
with almost breakdown of economy. Partial lock downs and assistance to the
common man during the temporary blockades have almost paralysed the ailing
economy and the government is having second thoughts for a full lock downs as
in the UK. Sri Lankan Lanka Investment
forum organized by business leaders for two days, with the key address speech
by the Prime Minister to be a game changer on economic upheaval and as turning
point in the light of Sri Lanka’s
catastrophic growth at a faster momentum. It will be an investment destination
of perfect as an attractable country for investment form all around with no
unnecessary hindrance to the prospective investors. It is targeted to achieve
end disputed covid 19 pandemic fast spreading and brewing leaving the
responsibility to the community to contain it, with a well-disciplined well behaved
society to safeguard themselves while leapfrogging the country to be the best
business destination. In this process foreign policy and relations play a pivot
role, encouraging and gain confidence of word, not appointing High Commissioners
to India and Canada so long periods opening eyebrows of the international
community while disturbing the trends in diplomacy so important and vulnerable
in the diplomatic world. By organizing the Forum with 4000 participant, 1500 investors,
and 100speakers across 120 sessions in the height of the corona pandemic, Sri
Lanka is stepping into the modern virtual platform leapfrogging the modern jump
to the powerful leader exploiting the advantages of the geographical situation
by passing the corona 19 with determination to of over leader to live with. Main players were to be
the BOI Colombo Stock Exchange Colombo /chamber of /commerce Ft and Private Sector
companies who will be competent to know keep pace with the international trends
out of necessity and compulsion to run with. ‘Hambantota’ Port, Colombo Port city
Project with manufacturing plants, Export Processing Zones, will be set up
right round the country giving a life to the citizen mainly youth with 110%
mobile penetration with computer centre every junction with Wi-Fi transferring
young to innovation subjects training for the future which has direct bearing
on foreign policy maintaining the good will with other nations. No country can
live in isolation in the world closely knit and connected penetrating borders
with free access to the virus freely moving with various making difficult for
the countries to control the spread. There are draw backs such as withdrawal of
the GSP but it is our duty to continue undeterred expecting the governance to give
due place to competent dedicate and qualified and avoid family rule, leaving
friends to become billionaires, avoid clamping down on bribery corruption
nepotism and favouritism is all kinds and areas which are rampant today. It is
difficult time and it is time to make sacrifices brining done the extravagance
and wastage to the minimum which are expectations of the masses in return to
the sacrifices they make and hardships they undergo.
WHAT NEXT
‘’ONE IS ONE’S OWN REFUGE, WHAT ORHER REFUGE CAN THERE BE?? WITH SELF
WELL SUBDUED A MAN FINDS REFUGE SUCH A FEW CAN FOUND’’ ‘’Dhammapada’’ this is one of the verses
extracted from Dhdmmapada is a hand book on Buddhism on the way of life and to
be independent and to be self-reliance independent in every respect. Sri Lanka
have been self-sufficient with every village individually being self-sufficient
happy agro based society also self-sufficient in all trades. Sri Lanka is an
Island with fine climatic conditions and historically agro based with network
of rivers and manmade historical water distribution system for agriculture now
depending on every bit on imports indebted to the world is a trend that has to
be changed to be self-sufficient in all respects with a bitter learning process
form the corona pandemic to step toward prosperity and development. We have
a balanced foreign policy on the motto friendly with all and angry with none in
addition to maintain the same non alignment policy continuously, in addition to
the conventions and treatises we are bound to adhere to. It is necessary to
maintain the goodwill and international relations in order to help each other
as a friend in need when every country is in danger on the world crisis brewing
worldwide. As mentioned above it is time for us to be self-sufficient in all aspects
as an answer to the Covid19 crisis increasing rapidly. Moves to transform to
organic fertilizer, is to be implemented with the campaign for self-sufficient
in all respects. Good news is Sri Lankans; especially the young are adoptable
and fearless for changes and challenges and it is the timely challenge to make
use of the opportunity for the leapfrog developments towards the 21st
century in all areas of life with future plans based on introduction of modern
digitalization programs initiating frim schools. It is a war that has to be won
as Winston Churchill remarked ‘’ Never believe the war will be smooth and easy,
or that anyone who embarks strange voyages can measure the tides on hurricanes
he will encounter. In deed a nation that won the unwinnable war of thirty years
will definitely be able to win over the unseen virus spreading across borders
with a proper vision led by a visionary with the help of the nation facing the
challenge.
At the INSIGHT FORUM” organised by Our Hong Kong Foundation, eminent global thinker Professor Kishore Mahbubani called on the US to hit the pause button” on its geopolitical contest against China amidst the raging global pandemic.
Prof Mahbubani, who is a Distinguished Fellow at National University of Singapore’s Asia Research Institute, pointed out that the US trade war against China had hurt the American economy without solving the underlying economic concerns it was meant to resolve. Such policies have not raised America’s standing in the world, neither have they weakened China significantly nor led to the progressive isolation of China from most countries.
He said that the Biden administration should press the pause button” on the contest, especially when billions of people around the world are suffering from the massive economic recession caused by Covid-19. The only way to jumpstart the global economy is for the world’s two leading powers to work together.
The more infectious Delta variant accounts for almost all of the cases, says Public Health England.
There is some regional variation in infection rates, however, and some good news on vaccine efficacy.
North-west England had the highest proportion of people of any region in England likely to test positive for coronavirus in the week to June 12 – around one in 180.
Eastern England had the lowest estimate – around one in 2,480.
The trend is “uncertain” in Scotland and Northern Ireland, says the ONS, while in Wales the latest estimate is one in 1,500 people infected – down from one in 1,300 in the previous week – although first minister Mark Drakeford says a third wave of Covid is under way linked to the Delta variant.
According to latest data from PHE, a single dose of vaccine reduces a person’s chances of catching coronavirus and needing hospital treatment by about 75%, even with Delta circulating in the UK.
And among people who had received the recommended two doses, the chances of catching and being hospitalised by coronavirus was reduced by more than 90%.
Of 806 people infected with the Delta variant who ended up hospital in England between 1 February and 14 June 2021:
527 (65%) people were unvaccinated
135 (17%) were more than 21 days after their first dose of vaccine
84 (10%) were more than 14 days after their second dose
As of 14 June, there have been 73 deaths in England of people who were confirmed as having the Delta variant and who died within 28 days of a positive test, and of these:
34 (47%) were unvaccinated
10 (14%) were more than 21 days after their first dose of vaccine
26 (36%) were more than 14 days after their second dose
Infections highest in younger adults
The ONS data also gives the age ranges for people infected in England, based on household testing.
Rates are low and stable among adults over the age of 35 but are rising among younger adults and older teens.
Meanwhile, the latest R number for the UK is between 1.2 and 1.4. It means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 12 and 14 other people.
Elsewhere in the UK, people aged 30 and over can get their vaccine in Scotland, although in some parts of Glasgow people aged 18 and over can get a first jab.
In Wales, people aged 18 and over can get the vaccine, with the Welsh government announcing that all adults had been offered a vaccine earlier this week.
In Northern Ireland, people aged 18 and over can book online or call 0300 200 7813.
Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency said: “Cases are rising rapidly across the country and the Delta variant is now dominant. The increase is primarily in younger age groups, a large proportion of which were unvaccinated but are now being invited to receive the vaccine.
“It is encouraging to see that hospitalisations and deaths are not rising at the same rate but we will continue to monitor it closely. The vaccination programme and the care that we are all taking to follow the guidance are continuing to save lives.”
Sarah Crofts from the ONS said: “Given the recent announcements to delay the easing of lockdown restrictions, it’s critical that we are tracking infection rates over the next few weeks and analysing the impact of the Delta variant.”
By Patrick Wintour/The Guardian Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
London, May 5: The US faces an uphill task presenting itself as the chief guardian of global democracy, according to a new poll that shows the US is seen around the world as more of a threat to democracy than even Russia and China.
The poll finds support for democracy remains high even though citizens in democratic countries rate their governments’ handling of the Covid crisis less well than people in less democratic countries.
Inequality is seen as the biggest threat to global democracy, but in the US the power of big tech companies is also seen as a challenge.
The findings come in a poll commissioned by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation among 50,000 respondents in 53 countries.
The results will make stark reading for the G7 foreign ministers as they hold a final day of talks in London in which they have collectively assumed the role as bulwarks of democratic values determined to confront autocracy.
The survey was carried out by the Latana polling company between February and April, so a hangover effect of Donald Trump’s America first” foreign policy may linger in the findings. Overall the results show perceptions of the US starting to improve from last year.
Whereas in the spring of 2020 people in both more democratic and less democratic countries were equally satisfied with their government’s pandemic response (70%), a year later the approval ratings have dropped down to 65% in less democratic countries, but in more democratic countries the rating has fallen to 51%. In Europe the figure is 45%. Positive ratings reach 76% in Asia.
In perhaps the most startling finding, nearly half (44%) of respondents in the 53 countries surveyed are concerned that the US threatens democracy in their country; fear of Chinese influence is by contrast 38%, and fear of Russian influence is lowest at 28%. The findings may in part reflect views on US comparative power, but they show neither the US, nor the G7, can simply assume the mantle of defenders of democracy.
‘We no longer fear the tweet’: Biden brings US back to world stage in first 100 days
Since last year, the perception of US influence as a threat to democracy around the world has increased significantly, from a net opinion of +6 to a net opinion of +14. This increase is particularly high in Germany (+20) and China (+16).
The countries still overwhelmingly negative about US influence are Russia and China, followed by European democracies.
The study shows an attachment to democracy globally, with 81% of people around the world saying that it is important to have democracy in their country. Only a little more than half (53%) say their country is actually democratic today – even in democracies.
The single biggest cited threat to democracy is economic inequality (64%).
In almost every country surveyed save Saudi Arabia and Egypt limits to free speech are seen as less of a threat to democracy than inequality.
But half the people surveyed (48%) say the power of big tech companies, as opposed to the simple existence of social media, is a threat to democracy in their country. Among democracies, the US is the most concerned about big tech (62%), but wariness is growing in many countries compared with last year, reflected in broad support for greater regulation of social media.
Voters in Norway, Switzerland and Sweden are most confident their country is democratic, but so are the Chinese, where 71% agree that China has the right amount of democracy. In Russia only 33% think their country is democratic. Global support for Joe Biden’s plans to stage a Democracy Summit is high in every country save China and Russia.
The findings will also make disturbing reading for the eastern European democracies such as Hungary where only 31% of voters think their country is democratic – on a par with findings in Nigeria, Iran, Poland and Venezuela.
This poll shows that democracy is still alive in people’s hearts and minds. We now need to come out of the Covid-19 pandemic by delivering more democracy and freedom to people who want to see their countries become more democratic.
The positive support for an Alliance of Democracies, whether the UK’s D10 initiative or President Biden’s Summit for Democracy, shows that people want more cooperation to push back against the autocrats. Leaders should take note of these perceptions and act upon them.”
UK-based Oil Spill Response experts look for pollutants from the Singapore-registered container ship MV X-Press Pearl, which is sinking after burning for almost two weeks in the sea off Colombo Harbour, at Sarakkuwa beach, north of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo on June 10, 2021. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)
THE UK government will provide marine pollution expertise to help respond to the impact of burnt-out MV X-Press Pearl on the marine life and coastal habitats of Sri Lanka.
360p geselecteerd als afspeelkwaliteit×
At the request of Sri Lanka, the UK’s Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) announced on Friday (18) that it will provide expertise and analytical capacity to support plastic pollution monitoring, as well as environmental and socio-economic impact assessments.
Cefas is working to assist in the laboratory analysis of post-spill monitoring samples, particularly plastic pellets, and potential chemical contamination, according to a statement.
Following the initial response, Cefas will continue to collaborate with the emergency response teams in Sri Lanka to help build their expertise for future incidents and to protect biodiversity and safeguard livelihoods.
International environment minister Lord Goldsmith said, The X-Press Pearl vessel fire and the release of plastic pellets and chemicals along the Sri Lankan coast have already had devastating impacts, and it will likely cause long term harm to the environment, local fisheries and livelihoods.”
We are determined to play our part in supporting developing countries to protect and restore their coastal ecosystems with our £500 million blue planet fund launched at the G7 by the prime minister Boris Johnson.”
Cefas marine litter scientist, Dr Umberto Binetti, said, We are preparing a series of actions to provide support in monitoring the situation”.
The head of the National Zoological Gardens here said that they are in touch with India’s Central Zoo Authority to treat an 11-year-old lion named ‘Thor’ who has tested positive.PTI | , Colombo
Sri Lanka’s zoological gardens authorities have sought assistance from India after a lion tested positive for the coronavirus at a zoo here.
The head of the National Zoological Gardens here said that they are in touch with India’s Central Zoo Authority to treat an 11-year-old lion named ‘Thor’ who has tested positive.
“We are in regular touch with the Central Zoo Authority of India and following their instructions on taking preventive measures to prevent the staff and other animals in the zoo being infected. We continue to treat the lion while keeping him in isolation,” Director General Ishini Wickremesinghe said in a statement.
The lion was sent to the Colombo zoo from the Seoul city zoo in South Korea in 2013.
The lion had been experiencing respiratory difficulties, but an initial antigen test result was negative. After several other PCR tests, the lion was confirmed to be Covid-19 infected, she added.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said today inaccurate figures on Covid death toll reported on June 11 led to the extension of travel restrictions and stressed that it was vital to provide accurate and updated information to make correct decisions.
He said it was revealed through comprehensive investigations that only 15 deaths had occurred on June 11 whereas 101 deaths were reported that day.
He said travel restrictions,which were to be lifted on June 14, were extended till June 21 based on the information of 101 COVID deaths being reported on June 11.
The President said this at the meeting of the Special Committee on Covid Prevention at the Presidential Secretariat.
The President said the health officials and intelligence services conducted a comprehensive investigation into the reporting of 101 deaths in a single day and it was revealed that some deaths had occurred for a period of four months from February 6 to June 11 and some deaths had been reported twice.
A decision has been taken to lift the islandwide travel restrictions currently in effect at 4.00 a.m. on Monday (June 21), Army Commander General Shavendra Silva said.
However, the travel restrictions will be re-imposed at 10.00 p.m. on June 23 (Wednesday) and continue until 4.00 a.m. on June 25 (Friday).
He said that the restrictions on travel between provinces will remain in effect during the period when travel restrictions are eased and until further notice.
Meanwhile public gatherings, meetings and any events will also be prohibited during that period.
The Army Commander said that shops will be allowed to open under strict health guidelines.
The government sector employees are expected to continue to work from home while the private sector institutions are allowed to operate with a limited number of staff as required.
Ministry of Agriculture says the government will offer Rs.10,000 per hectare to each farmer who produces organic fertilizer.
The decision was reached at a meeting held at the Agriculture Ministry regarding the production and supply of organic fertilizer required for the upcoming Maha Season.
During the discussion, it was revealed that 500kg of organic fertilizer, 5kg of ammonium nutrient, 35kg of potassium and 10 litres of biofertilizer have been recommended per hectare.
The agriculture ministry said the government intends to fulfil the national requirement by coordinating all relevant institutions for the production of organic fertilizer in 1.6 million hectares as per the said recommendation.
Further, the quantity of organic fertilizer that can be produced by the beginning of September for the upcoming Maha season was also discussed at length.
The agriculture ministry says necessary measures have been taken to purchase quality organic fertilizer produced by various individuals and institutions, through the state sector fertilizer companies.
The meeting, chaired by Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, was attended by State Minister Mohan de Silva, several ministerial secretaries, chairpersons and directors-general of public institutions and representatives of Sri Lanka Army as well as the Civil Security Force.
Gazette notifications have been published announcing that 59 local government members have vacated their posts as they have ceased to be members of the United National Party (UNP).
The declarations were issued by the returning officers of relevant Pradeshiya Sabha, urban councils and municipal councils.
These local government members who represented the UNP were elected to their posts in the 2018 Provincial Council elections, however, they had later endorsed the current main Opposition, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).
Thereby, the UNP had decided to suspend the party membership of these members. The ousted party members had petitioned against the move, however, the court refused to issue an injunction order against the UNP’s decision.
Among the party members dismissed from the UNP are the chairmen of Nawalapitiya, Tangalle and Weligama urban councils, according to the Gazette Extraordinary.
Over half of people in the EU think their government is run by a few private interests
The Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) – European Union released by Transparency International today reveals that almost two thirds of people in the EU think that government corruption is a problem in their country. The GCB, which surveyed more than 40,000 people in the bloc, asked about people’s views and experiences of corruption. The results highlight some worrying trends across the region.
Almost three in ten EU residents reported directly experiencing corruption, as they paid a bribe or used a personal connection to access public services. This is equivalent to more than 106 million people.
The survey reveals that health care, in particular, has been a corruption hotspot as governments struggled to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Although just six per cent of people paid a bribe for health care, 29 per cent of EU residents relied on personal connections to get medical care. Furthermore, most people don’t think that their government has handled the pandemic in a transparent manner.
The EU is often seen as a bastion of integrity, but these findings show that countries across the region remain vulnerable to the insidious effects of corruption,” said Delia Ferreira Rubio, Chair of Transparency International. During a health crisis, using personal connections to access public services can be as damaging as paying bribes. Lives can be lost when connected people get a COVID-19 vaccine or medical treatment before those with more urgent needs. It’s crucial that governments across the EU redouble their efforts to ensure a fair and equitable recovery from the ongoing pandemic.”
The survey explored other areas related to corruption, such as the ties between business and politics, with over half of respondents thinking their government is run by a few private interests. Bankers and business executives are perceived as more corrupt than any public sector institution in half of the EU. Overall, more than five in 10 people believe that big companies often avoid paying taxes, and that bribes or connections are commonly used by businesses to secure contracts.
Almost a third of people think corruption is getting worse in their country, while almost half of them say their government is doing a bad job at tackling corruption. In addition, only 21 per cent of people think that corrupt officials face appropriate repercussions.
Sentiments that governments are not doing enough to combat corruption and the perception that corrupt officials are able to act with impunity negatively affect trust levels in both national governments and EU institutions. Less than half of people in the EU trust their national government. While the EU institutions fared better (at 56 per cent), the rate of trust remains relatively low.
These results should be a wake-up call for both national governments and the EU institutions. Corruption is undermining public trust and policy makers need to listen to the concerns of the public,” said Michiel van Hulten, Director of Transparency International EU. There are many immediate actions that can be taken to remedy these problems, such as increasing lobbying transparency both at the EU and national levels and tackling tax avoidance. And EU policies to protect whistleblowers and fight money laundering must be effectively and swiftly transposed into national law.”
Countries in the European Union (EU) are known for being wealthy, stable and democratic. However, this clean image is undermined by issues ranging from regional inequality and erosion of the rule of law to corruption problems.
Transparency International’s new Global Corruption Barometer – EU 2021 is one of the largest, most detailed surveys of people’s views and experiences of corruption across the bloc.
Find out what people across the EU think about corruption
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We surveyed over 40,000 people in all 27 EU countries. The results reveal that almost a third of people think corruption is getting worse in their country. A further 44 per cent think it’s not getting any better.
Whether it’s perceptions of government corruption and impunity for wrongdoing, or the use of personal connections when accessing public services, the results challenge the EU’s image as a place of integrity. They also call for immediate and coordinated action against a growing problem.
CORRUPTION ON THE RISE, BY COUNTRY*
*Percentage of people who think corruption increased in the previous 12 months
Business and politics intertwined
People in the EU increasingly scrutinise the cosy relationship between business and government. When it is unclear what ties policymakers have to the business community, there is a risk that policies and regulations are made in favour of narrow private interests, rather than the common good.
We found that less than a third of people (30 per cent) think their government takes their views into account when making decisions.
Around half think that bribes or connections are commonly used by businesses to secure profitable government contracts and that big companies often avoid paying their taxes.
It is not surprising, then, that more than half of people in the EU think their government is run by private interests.
GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED BY PRIVATE INTERESTS, BY COUNTRY*
*Percentage of people who agree that the government is run by a few big interests looking out for themselves
Who’s seen as the most corrupt?
We found that almost two thirds of people in the EU think that government corruption is a problem in their country. This is made worse by widespread perceptions of impunity, with only 21 per cent of people believing that officials often face appropriate penalties for corruption.
Citizens are divided about which institutions have the biggest corruption problems. In half of EU countries, prime ministers and members of parliament are seen as the most corrupt. In the other half, it is business executives and bankers.
Yet trust in the police, local governments and the courts is high across the region. More than 60 per cent of EU residents reported trusting these institutions.
CORRUPTION BY INSTITUTION*
*Percentage of people who think most or all people in the following institutions are corrupt
How equal is access to public services?
While bribery rates remain low at seven per cent, we found that around three in ten people used a personal connection to access health care, education and other public services. This is equivalent to more than 106 million people across the bloc.
PERSONAL CONNECTION RATES BY COUNTRY*
*Percentage of public service users who used personal connections to get a service in the previous 12 months
Health care is a hotspot for corruption. This is of particular concern during the current COVID-19 pandemic, when citizens urgently need medical support and vaccinations. Although just 6 per cent of people paid a bribe for health care, 29 per cent of EU residents have used personal connections to receive medical attention.
During a health crisis, using personal connections to access public services can be as damaging as paying bribes. Lives can be lost when connected people get a COVID-19 vaccine or medical treatment before those with more urgent needs. It’s crucial that governments across the EU redouble their efforts to ensure a fair and equitable recovery from the ongoing pandemic.
Delia Ferreira RubioChair of Transparency InternationalTweet this
The Global Corruption Barometer – EU 2021 highlights data on sextortion, which is the abuse of power to obtain a sexual benefit or advantage. This often occurs in exchange for public services, like health care or education.
While 75 per cent of EU residents think that sextortion occurs at least occasionally, only seven per cent of people report either having experienced it directly or knowing someone who has.
Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania have the highest sextortion rates for people accessing public services.
A new survey by Transparency International has found that 29% of EU residents used well-connected friends or family to receive medical care during the pandemic. At least 6% of people paid bribes to access health care.
The survey said 26.4% of respondents believed that corruption in Germany had increased over the past year
The coronavirus pandemic has worsened corruption across the European Union, Transparency International said on Tuesday.
In its annual Global Corruption Barometer report for the EU, the anti-graft watchdog called health care a “hotspot for corruption,” adding that graft is of “particular concern during the current COVID-19 pandemic, when citizens urgently need medical support and vaccinations.”
Transparency International, headquartered in the German capital of Berlin, surveyed more than 40,000 people in the EU’s 27 member states between October and December 2020.
The survey found that 29% of the bloc’s residents have used personal connections such as well-connected friends or family to receive medical attention and 6% of people paid an outright bribe to receive health care.
Bribery rates in health care were highest in Romania (22%) and Bulgaria (19%), while relying on personal connections occured most often in the Czech Republic (54%) and Portugal (46%).
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Explained: Why German politics isn’t so transparent
Governments using crisis for ‘profit’
Many respondents also believed that their governments weren’t handling the pandemic in a transparent way. In France, Poland and Spain, 60% of respondents or more said their governments acted in a non-transparent manner.
“Lives can be lost when connected people get a COVID-19 vaccine or medical treatment before those with more urgent needs,” the report warned.
“It’s crucial that governments across the EU redouble their efforts to ensure a fair and equitable recovery from the ongoing pandemic,” it added.
The survey singled out Hungary and Poland as countries using the pandemic as “an excuse to undermine democracy” by imposing measures that weaken democratic institutions.
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Critics of Orban government fight to be heard in Hungary
Politicians saw the health crisis “as a chance to make a profit,” the watchdog said, citing lobbying scandals surrounding several German lawmakers.
EU distrust in government
Beyond the coronavirus pandemic, the survey found that a third of EU residents think corruption as a whole is worsening in their country, with almost half saying their government was doing a poor job at handling graft.
Respondents were particularly concerned about “cozy relationships” between governments and the private sector and tax cuts.
Growing perception of corruption in Germany
The survey found that in Germany, one in four people perceive that corruption is worsening.
Over a third consider corruption within the federal German government to be a problem.
The report found 79.1% of respondents have basic trust in the German government. Respondents also had a high level of trust in the police and judiciary.
However, 61.6% have the perception that the German government is largely controlled by a few large interest groups.
More than one in three suspected that all or most business leaders are involved in corruption, while 57.5% suspect that companies use money or connections to land public contracts.
“These are perceptual values,” said chairman of Transparency Germany Hartmut Bäumer. They therefore do not reflect the actual extent of corruption problems in Germany, he added.
Dr. A.K. Karunarathna, President/PUATA Dr. D.M.S.B. Dissanayaka Secretary/PUATA
PRESS RELEASE
The Peradeniya University Agriculture Teachers’
Association (PUATA) hereby express our grave concern and displeasure on the
baseless allegations made by Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya as a participant in the
Urumaya” programme televised live on 14th June 2021 by the Independent
Television Network (ITN). Dr. Padeniya’s comments, as a member representing the
medical profession in Sri Lanka and a trade union, was targeted at the
academics of the Faculty of Agriculture (FOA), University of Peradeniya (UOP),
and we, the members of PUATA, consider it as an effort to tarnish the good name
of the Faculty, which has been the pioneer in University Education in
Agriculture for over seven decades.
The PUATA also considers
Dr. Padeniya’s statements made at the said TV programme, linking the higher
degree obtained by the academia of the FOA at UoP and inferring the links to
Monsanto®, as a deliberate attempt made to gain cheap popularity on a currently
debated policy directive of the Government of Sri Lanka.
We are surprised to see
and listen to the presenter of the said programme stimulating Dr. Padeniya
further on to his whims and fancies. Moreover, Dr. Padeniya made false
representation regarding the agriculture sector in Sri Lanka in the same
programme misleading the viewers. We are puzzled and saddened to learn that
people like Dr. Padeniya, with extremely poor or no knowledge at all of
scientific agriculture, are at the decision making or advisory positions in the
Government of Sri Lanka in the field of agriculture.
We, the membership of
PUATA, representing the academia of the FOA at UOP, strongly object to the
statements made by Dr. Padeniya at the above programme referring to the
academia of the FOA at UOP. We will not tolerate such wilful efforts made by
Dr. Padeniya or any other individual or institutions/organization to bring this
premier higher educational institute to disrepute by making baseless
allegations at any cost.
We, with this, also
strongly urge the responsible media entities of the caliber of ITN not to
televise such programmes highlighting individuals with a significant lack of
intelligence and relevant scientific knowledge of the subject area under
discussion and common sense, providing false information to the policymakers
and the general public. Furthermore, we wish to reiterate that such undue
publicity extended to boost individuals’ image and spread unscientific views
may lead to policy actions resulting in irreversible negative impacts.
Dr. A.K. Karunarathna, President/PUATA Dr. D.M.S.B. Dissanayaka Secretary/PUATA
The Madras High Court, on Thursday, allowed Nalini Sriharan and her husband Murugan, convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, to make video calls to Sri Lanka and London.
Nalini’s mother Padma had filed a petition before the Madras High Court, seeking permission to allow Nalini and Murugan to speak to their relatives living in Sri Lanka and London. Padma had sought permission for her daughter and her husband Sriharan alias Murugan to make video calls to her mother-in-law in Sri Lanka and sister-in-law in London for at least 10 minutes daily. The plea also said Murugan’s father died on April 27 and he was not permitted to join the final rites through a video call.
The Union government had objected saying allowing Nalini and Murugan to speak with their relatives living abroad would affect the investigation of the Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) probing the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The submission made by a senior police official said since the offence committed by life convicts had international ramification and given their overseas contacts with banned outfits, there was no guarantee that convicts would use this facility for personal, family affair only.
The petition was filed in the court as the life convicts or prisoners are not allowed to talk to people living abroad over phone as per the government order issued in 2011. Prisoners are allowed to make calls not exceeding 30 minutes per month, once in 10 days, to their relatives living within the country. The calls can be made only thrice in a month and 30 minutes is the time limit. However, it is not the fundamental right of the prisoners, argued the Tamil Nadu Prisons Department.
Earlier, the judges, who heard arguments from both sides, had adjourned the verdict without specifying a date.
On Thursday, the bench comprising of Justices N. Kirubakaran and V.M. Velumani passed the order allowing Nalini and Murugan to speak with relatives living abroad via WhatsApp video call.
Sri Lanka today confirmed that the highly-contagious Delta variant of Covid-19, first identified in India, has been detected from community samples obtained in Colombo.
This was revealed by the Director of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura Dr. Chandima Jeewandara.
He said the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, also known as lineage B.1.617.2, has been detected from 5 samples which were all obtained from Dematagoda in Colombo.
Dr. Jeewandara said this is the first time that the Indian variant has been detected from community samples in Sri Lanka.
A strain believed to be more transmissible or cause more serious disease, the variant was first identified in India, decimating the nation’s health care system.
The Delta variant had also quickly become the dominant strain in the United Kingdom.
