The Holy City of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka is a place unlikely to be the setting for a fascinating tale of flying objects and other mundane events. Anuradhapura, named after a King’s chieftain called Anuradha, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world. It thus means Anuradha’s City.
Also known locally as Rajarata (Land of the Kings), this UNESCO World Heritage Site is the first kingdom founded on the island (in 377 BC) and is located at the heart of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist culture.
H.C.P Bell
Today, it is one of the most visited places nationwide, attracting devoted pilgrims from all over the country and even from other Buddhist countries to ancient Buddhist temples and giant dome-shaped towers (monuments). It is home to some of the most venerated sites in Sri Lanka, known locally as Atamasthana (eight sacred places).
But this holy city is also home to something even more curious. Here, in Ranmasu Uyana (Golden Fish Park), an ancient urban park of 16 hectares surrounded by three Buddhist temples, there is an inscription supposed to be a map to reveal the secrets of the universe or a gateway to the universe.
The Sakwala Chakraya scaffold (which roughly translates to the cycle of the universe”) is about 1.8 metres in diameter, and is hewn into the surface of a boulder among the protected park ruins. The front facade can only be seen from ground level.
In fact, four seats have been carved into the flat rocky surface in front of the dashboard, providing an ideal viewing area.
Both the inscription and the benches, which are also of obscure origin, have intrigued local and foreign historians, archaeologists and academics for more than a century, although interest has peaked only now.
Ranmasu Uyana has been in use for a long time in history,” says Raj Somadeva, Professor of Archeology at the Kelaniya University in Sri Lanka. Although little is known about the painting and its purpose, the iconography does not correspond to other reliefs from the Anuradhapura period (3-10 centuries CE). It does not seem to have any religious significance per se.
The centre of the graph consists of seven concentric circles divided by parallel horizontal and vertical lines. Rectangular chambers contain small intersecting circles. For the novice eye, there are shapes resembling umbrellas or a bow and arrow, a kite, wavy lines and cylindrical shapes. The outer ring represents marine animals: fish, turtles and seahorses.
Sigiriya
When compared to other sculptures from the same period, such as Sandakada Pahana (moonstone), which depicts vines, swans, and lotus flowers, all typical elements of Buddhist iconography, the painting does not have a religious context – that is, it does not have a clear explanation of why.
This left the site completely open to online speculation. Before the advent of the Internet, it drew little interest in Sri Lanka itself or elsewhere.
It is believed that the Sakwala Chakraya survived here, hiding on the edge of a rock, after the fall of the kingdom of Anuradhapura; Nothing remarkable compared to its picturesque surroundings, such as the so-called double lakes and bathing pavilions which could have been used by kings of yore.
In fact, if the aliens got to Earth here, they could not have chosen a better location – the sacred temple area, surrounded by a dense tropical forest, uninhabited and protected by the authorities.
The first researcher to note the archaeological significance of the inscription was H.C.P. Bell, a British Government official appointed as Commissioner for Antiquities from Ceylon (later known as Sri Lanka).
La Puerta de Hayu Marca in Peru
Bell included a description of the plate in his 1911 report to the Governor of Ceylon, in which he concluded: This ancient world map, perhaps the oldest in existence, is of extraordinary importance. Its existence … bears witness to antiquity. Astronomical knowledge is still required in some Buddhist monasteries in Ceylon”.
Although the diagram does not resemble a map in the modern sense of the word, Bell writes that it represents an ancient cosmic map that illustrates the most simple Buddhist conceptions of the universe.” This was a reference to interpreting the circles, symbols, and marine life in the chart, based on his knowledge of island Buddhism, such as Earth, seas, outer space, and the universe.
While discussions about the map for many years were confined primarily to academia due to its historically significant position, the proliferation of image sharing on social media in recent years has put the mystery in the global spotlight.
Eagle-eyed tourists have noticed similarities between the painting at Anuradhapura and similar historical sites in other countries that some consider stargates” – ancient portals through which humans could enter the universe and travel around.
Their theory is that the inscription contains a secret code to open the gate and thus enter the universe.
Opposite the chart, four seats sculpted into rock provide an ideal viewing area
Conspiracy theorists have noted that the stargate” in Anuradhapura had almost identical shapes and symbols to those at Abu Ghurab, Egypt, and the Hyu Marca Gate, Peru. The most striking similarity, they said, when speculation about the stargate in Sri Lanka was at its height, was its proximity to water.
The nearby Tissa Wewa (Tissa Tank) reservoir, built in 300 BC, was released as conclusive evidence, as the Abu Ghurab and the Hyu Marca gate were also built near the water, which, according to the stargate theory, allowed aliens to process gold from the Earth’s waters.
This theory is reinforced by the painting’s proximity to Mount Danigala, also known as Alien Mountain, in the nearby holy city of Polonnaruwa.
Danigala, located deep in the jungle and popular with trail enthusiasts, has a uniquely rounded shape and a completely flat top.
This led online investigators to conclude that the mountain must have been used, in the past, for landing UFOs.
Interestingly, according to Sri Abeywickrama, a local tour guide, Locals believe that the Mount Alien attracts more meteors, thunder and lightning above it than anywhere else.”
However, according to Somadeva, there are few archaeological traces that indicate that it is a stargate.”
Ranmasu Uyana
Instead, he thinks the most reasonable conclusion is that the painting is an ancient map of the world, as Bell suggested, because this interpretation has a logical cosmological and religious context, given the period and place in time. According to Somadeva, Since at least 250 BC, the Sinhalese had a clear idea of the objects in the sky and outer space.”
In the oldest Brahmi inscriptions, found in Sri Lanka, there are many names referring to stars and specific concepts related to astronomy.”
However, Shireen Almendra, Professor of Landscapes at the Moratuwa University in Sri Lanka, offers a different, more grounded perspective.
I think Sakwala Chakraya is the blueprint for a complex project that is similar to the huge towers that were being built at that time,” she says. I tend to think it was a factory of Sigiriya.”
Sigiriya is one of Sri Lanka’s most famous ancient attractions, a 5th century BC rock fortress filled with running water, landscaped gardens, and various rooms.
It is located just half an hour away from Anuradhapura, in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka, which consists of three important ancient cities: Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy.
Considering that the sculpted seats in the front of the dashboard look a little towards each other, it makes me think it was a place for discussion—an old architectural office, if you will,” she says.
If the benches had been built for religious purposes, such as meditation, they would have been upright.”
According to Somadeva, the biggest challenge in determining the function of the graph was the lack of evidence to date it properly.
Although Ranmasu Uyana and other parks and towers of Anuradhapura are mentioned in records and inscriptions dating back to 250 BC, Sakwala Chakraya is not described in any historical record.
There was certainly a practical use for this diagram,” he says, but it is hard to tell what it could have been when we cannot date it properly.”
As such, Sri Lanka’s mysterious stargate” appears to remain shrouded in mystery – its purpose and meaning still lost in the mists of time.
However, the newly acquired cult status among science fiction buffs finally gave the artefact the audience’s well-deserved attention.
With their enthusiasm and the power of social media, Sakwala Chakraya has finally emerged from the shadows of the mighty Anuradhapura to shine on her own.
The resolution calls on the EU Commission to carefully assess whether there is sufficient reason, as a last resort, to initiate a procedure for the temporary withdrawal of Sri Lanka’s GSP+ status and to report to Parliament on this matter as soon as possible”.
The resolution recalled that the GSP+ scheme offers the incentive of better access to the EU market for the country’s exporters, in return for further progress in fully implementing those conventions.
EDB feels the apparel industry, which contributes close to half of the total exports of Sri Lanka and generates over $5 billion in foreign exchange, will be affected the most if the EU decides to withdraw Sri Lanka’s GSP+ status and the accompanying benefits, according to a top financial newspaper in the country.
The EU remains Sri Lanka’s largest export market, accounting for 30 per cent of the total, while the United States is the largest single export market, accounting for 27 per cent of the total merchandise exports last year. Nearly 60 per cent of Sri Lankan exports benefit from some form of preferential access due to EU GSP+ and US GSP schemes.
In January 2020, the EU delegation in Sri Lanka reassured that it will continue the GSP+ concessions to Sri Lanka till 2023 while noting that there will be ‘no changes’ in the rigorous monitoring of the country’s progress in implementing the conventions.
Sri Lanka regained the EU GSP+ privileges in May 2017.
The Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese State always treasure the traditional friendship and fruitful cooperation with Sri Lanka, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has said.
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong holds phone talks with President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese State always treasure the traditional friendship and fruitful cooperation with Sri Lanka, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has said.
The Party chief made the affirmation during his phone talks with President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa on June 14.
He recalled President Ho Chi Minh’s stop-over in Sri Lanka 110 years ago as part of the late leader’s journey to seek ways for national salvation.
The Party General Secretary expressed his hope that under the leadership of President Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka will reap more achievements in development, and soon contain the COVID-19 pandemic and restore the national economy.
Vietnam stands ready to share experience with Sri Lanka in the pandemic combat, he said.
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VNA)The Party leader suggested the two countries work to enhance their mutual understanding and trust, and step up all-level meetings and exchanges, adding that Vietnamese and Sri Lankan agencies should utilise existing mechanisms to promote collaboration in politics, economy, investment, trade, agriculture, national defence and security, science-technology, culture and education.
At the same time, the two nations should continue with mutual consultations and support at regional and international organisations, he added.
For his part, President Rajapaksa congratulated Trong on his election as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and lauded achievements the Vietnamese people and Party have attained over the past years under his leadership.
Sri Lanka wants to continue close coordination with and is willing to back Vietnam at international forums, the President said, noting his hope that the two sides will forge their cooperation to overcome the present challenges such as diseases and climate change, while expanding cooperative areas to serve economic recovery after the pandemic./.
The Galle Chief Magistrate Harshana Kekunawela today ordered health authorities to hand over the list of persons who were given the second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine at the Galle Health Services Director’s Office on June 5 and 7, to the police.
The orders were issued after considering the facts provided by the Police over the investigation that a large number of people from the Western Province had arrived in Galle on the Southern Expressway in vehicles on the 5th and 7th June to receive the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The Magistrate also ordered the Director of Health Services of the Southern Province and the Controller of the Unawatuna Drug Store to hand over the details of the number of Covishield does received at the Unawatuna drug store, the number of doses administered and the remaining number of doses to the Galle Divisional Crime Investigation Division.
The Magistrate also directed to hand over CCTV footage at the scene and the telephone companies to provide telephone records of a person who has given a statements in this regard.
Police recorded a statement from a person suspected to have acted as a third party in the incident.(D.G. Sugathapala)
The Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry reports that another 479 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, moving the daily total of new cases to 2,259.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the country to 225,922.
As many as 190,464 recoveries and 2,203 deaths have been confirmed in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The Epidemiology Unit’s data showed that 33,255 active cases are currently under medical care.
We,
hereby, vehemently condemn the derogatory and misleading remarks made by Dr.
Anuruddha Padeniya – who seems to be a consummate politician and is a medical
trade union leader – during a recent media release, in which he challenged the
Agricultural officers’ knowledge on organic agriculture. Furthermore, we
believe that his conduct is highly unethical, unprofessional, and amounts to
crossing someone else’s border to a field in which he is not at all an expert.
Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya, not only shows and challenges his own understanding on
agriculture at this vital point, but also dishonours his own professionalism.
However, his baseless remarks don’t appear to have had any impact on men and
women who are attentively serving in the agricultural sector in the country
with a view to making Sri Lanka self-sufficient in food.
We
wish to question and challenge Dr. Padeniya’s knowledge as to how he can
comment on the knowledge of agricultural specialists on organic agriculture as
his immature and irresponsible behaviour may establish a bad precedent for
other professionals as well in the country. Therefore, we take this opportunity
to categorically condemn the unfounded claims made by a trade union leader
against other reputed professionals in order to obtain cheap popular political
mileage.
It
appears that Dr. Padeniya is unaware of the Green Revolution which occurred in
1950/1960 in the world. During the green revolution, the crop/food production
was increased significantly by introducing high-yielding crop varieties (HYVs)
which replaced the low yielding traditional varieties. These HYVs, which is
grown today across the globe, need chemical fertilizers and pesticides and,
otherwise, they do not give the expected yields no matter what measures we
take. If we want to stop the use of chemical fertilizers/agrochemicals, we need
to have a holistic approach and design an operational model. This cannot be
accomplished in a few months/years. We are not surprised to observe that Dr.
Padeniya cannot understand simple facts like these as they have no
qualification/training what-so-ever in Agriculture. The unscientific and sudden
ban of chemical fertilizers/pesticides in the country will undoubtedly push the
country to a chaotic situation soon where the prices of food will skyrocket and
the poor and vulnerable communities would even starve.
We,
hereby, dispute Dr. Padeniya’s baseless allegations inferring that the
recommendations made by the agricultural specialists in state
agencies/departments are made with a strong bias towards such companies,
because the agricultural specialists get direct benefit from chemical
fertilizer and pesticide companies. As we clearly described earlier, the
present crop varieties cannot simply grow and give anticipated high yields
without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In this backdrop, the remarks of
Dr. Padeniya are highly deceiving and can mislead the general public, thereby
jeopardizing the dignity and integrity of agricultural specialists. Their
apparent motive of gaining cheap fame and personal benefits amounts to
low-quality and unprofessional ethical wrongdoing. Further, it is pitiful that
Dr. Padeniya is deliberately ignoring and tarnishing the good name of
agriculture professionals who have guided the Sri Lankan farming community to
nourish this proud nation for centuries in the past. According to his
misleading statement at a media briefing, all agricultural teaching and
training institutes, agriculture faculties, and research institutes in Sri
Lanka are no longer necessary. Dr. Padeniya should better understand the
difference between “ගොවිතැන”
and the science behind agriculture before making false
statements about reputable professionals in the country.
We
wish to remind him that, at this critical point, the country’s most vulnerable
and pressing worry is not the knowledge of agricultural officers on organic
agriculture, but the rising COVID-19 pandemic, in which Dr. Padeniya is also
deliberately misleading the wider public and concealing the dire situation in
his sector. Therefore, we respectfully suggest that he focuses more on COVID-19
pandemic, smoking, drug addiction and the non-communicable disease incidences
occurring throughout the country, without making false and unconfirmed
references and links to agricultural inputs in relation cancer, CKDu, etc. We
believe that he can act more confidently in his designated profession rather
than making derogatory remarks on other reputed professions. Further, we would
like to ask and invite Dr. Padeniya to accept full responsibility for the country’s
possible future food crisis, which may occur in the near future as a result of
assertions of this nature, rather than blaming the agricultural professionals
who have helped feed the nation for millennia. Finally, we respectfully suggest
that Dr. Padeniya devotes more time on his own profession rather than
commenting on skills and talents of other professions, thereby, causing
problems to the society and destroying his own credibility.
The main
charge against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC is that they deliberately killed
thousands of civilians in the last phase of Eelam War IV. Rajiva Wijesinha was
Secretary-General of the Sri Lankan Government Secretariat
for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) from
2007–2009. In that capacity Rajiva had access to war data.
Rajiva found that
very few allegations of civilian deaths were made to the Peace Secretariat until
the end of January 2009, when for the first time there was allegations of
hundreds killed. In 2008 when forces took Kilinochchi, the total civilian deaths
according to Tamilnet was only 78. It
was only on Jan 26th 2009 that a massive number of civilian deaths
were announced, just after the first No Fire Zone was declared. UN Resident Coordinator Neil Buhne said he
thought most of the firing in the NFZ came from LTTE, said Rajiva.
Analysts
observed that the government’s offensive in the Eastern Province had succeeded without civilian
casualties. The army would have followed
a similar policy in the North. Analysts noted that the international community has been closely watching the
conduct of the war. Had there been any loss of civilian lives the international community would have definitely tried to
stop the offensive.
The intelligentsia
in Sri Lanka took a similar position. If the army had targeted civilians
outside the conflict area, then we would have known, said Lalith de Mel, former
head of Reckitt and Colman. There would have been some information. But there was none. There can be no truth in
this story. (Lalith” p 151-2)
Rajiva
commented on the paucity of civilian casualties in the war. The reports of the
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission indicated
that there were hardly any civilian casualties. This is almost unique in the
history of this type of military operation. Western nations are much less cautious,
Rajiva observed. In Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, the US army completely destroyed homes,
schools, hospitals and killed civilians in droves, said analysts.
I have been
able to establish that the armed forces have been concerned only with military
targets. There certainly had not been wanton attacks on civilians, said
Rajiva. Air Force gave me full accounts
of whatever they had targeted, and their record was impressive. In the period
preceding the last phase there has been allegations of just 76 civilian deaths arising
from over air force 500 sorties Air force had refused to take certain targets
saying it would lead to civilian casualties.
We took our
targets in the air force when we were 100 percent certain that they were solely LTTE targets, Air Force
said. We abandoned over 150 targets where we could inflict massive destruction
on LTTE as they were close to civilians. LTTE lasted two years and ten months
only because the Air Force had gone out of their way to avoid civilian
casualties.
IDAG-S [1]
in its book The Numbers Game” , stated that
high resolution satellite imagery of the
second and third No Fire Zones, showed that shells fired by the army, during
the months of February to May, 2009
avoided civilian settlements.
IDAG-S found that the aerial photographs of the zone confirmed this. The Tamil civilian camp,
their ‘tent city’, was vast and stretched for several hundreds of miles. The
tents were so densely packed together that if the area had been attacked by army
mortars, the resulting fires would have destroyed vast swathes of tents. But the photographs show the tents
practically untouched. The majority
of the permanent structures in this zone were also intact.
[1] Independent Diaspora Analyst
Group, Sri Lanka . IDAG-S is a think tank of academics,
professionals and analysts from the Sri Lankan diaspora in Europe, North
America and Australia. The lead author is an aerospace engineer who was able to
bring a wide range of multidisciplinary skills to the task. https://groundviews.org/2013/05/28/sri-lankas-numbers-game/
By Dr.Nirmala Chandrahasan/The Island Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Colombo, June 9: The recent discovery of name- boards in public institutions which have omitted one of the national languages, namely Tamil, only to replace it with Mandarin Chinese has caused a furor with Tamil members of Parliament and other politicians voicing their protests.
Certainly, this is most unfortunate but rather than blame the Chinese it is the Government Authorities in charge of the implementation of the Official languages policy who should be blamed. They have been remiss in this instance which is only a small part of the general malaise in respect of the implementation of the official languages policy.
This however is not within the remit of this article. In this article, I would like to focus on another trilingual inscription on a stone tablet stele, left by the Chinese Admiral Zheng He, and dated 15th February 1409, in Sri Lanka.
It was originally inscribed in Nanjing in China itself and discovered in 1911 in Galle, and now preserved in the Museum in Colombo. This stone tablet with inscriptions in Chinese, Persian and Tamil signals the arrival of the Chinese fleet and invokes the blessings of Buddha and the Hindu God Vishnu whom the inscription mentions as Thenavaran Nayanar” and refers to an endowment that Zheng He, had presented to the Vishnu Devale at Devinuwara and to a Mosque.
Prof. Sasanka Perera in a very interesting and historically researched article titled Veera Alakeshvaras Phlight signals from the past,” published in The Island of 28th April 2021, to which I am indebted, refers to this inscription as a subtle but obvious way of appealing to the socio political sensibilities of large and important communities in The Island at the time”.
So it would appear that the Tamils were an important community in the island at the time. Sinhala does not feature in the inscription.
Veera Alakeshwarar’s clash with the Chinese which I refer to in my article is part of the historical perspective which I wish to draw attention to. It has many lessons for the present , and brings to light the Chinese presence in this country many centuries ago.
To continue with the purpose of Admiral Zheng He’s naval journey, it was part of what was known as the Ming Treasure voyages”. To quote Prof. Perera, the seven voyages under this naval scheme took place between 1405 -1433 AD and was the brainchild of the Ming Emperor Yongle. These voyages were undertaken to expand China’s military, political and commercial Authority across the oceans and to find local allies and establish Chinese spheres of influence in different parts of Asia, parts of the Middle East and places like Mogadishu and Mombasa in Africa.
Before arriving in Sri Lanka Zheng He’s fleet had visited other south east Asian countries where also steles were left behind. All these interventions were made to ensure the stability of maritime routes for Chinese vessels. This is very much in line with what is happening today, with the Chinese Belt and Road initiative”.
The Chinese of that era were aware of the Tamil language and culture both because of the maritime traditions of the Tamils during the era of the great Chola empire but also because Tamil Buddhist monks from Kancheepuram had brought Buddhism to China. The Chola empire in South India which held sway over Sri Lanka also included parts of south east Asia, and had a large maritime fleet and merchant navy. Furthermore, Tamil traders and merchant guilds were active in the Indian ocean and in south east Asia. With the decline of the Chola empire the seas were open for a new naval power and we find the Ming emperor making a strategic move.
To turn to Sri Lanka and Veera Alekeshvara’s encounter with the Chinese, I will have to go back in time to the Alagakkonara/Allagakone family, of which he was a member. This feudal family originally from Madurai or Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu, settled down in Lanka and became very powerful in the Gampola Kingdom. The father of Veera Alakeshvara also known as Alakeshvara became a Minister in the Kingdom. He fortified a marshy region around the present city of Colombo and called the fortress he built there Jayawardenepura, and the area around became known as Kotte, (which means ‘fort’ in Tamil).
From his fortifications he drove out the northern army of the Arya Chakraverti, who ruled the kingdom of Jaffna, and the tax collectors from this kingdom who were raiding the south western region. Thus, he came to overshadow King Vikramabahu I11rd of Gampola. Subsequently after some infighting with family members Veera Alakeshvara, his son, became king of the Gampola kingdom as Vijayabahu VI , and ruled from 1397- 1411 AD.
However, Veera Alakeshvara like some of our present China critics, was hostile to Chinese intentions in Sri Lanka and launched piracy attacks on the Chinese fleet in Sri Lankan waters with the help of some Muslim chieftains. As a consequence, Zheng He, left Sri Lankan waters as he had other ports of call, but returned to take revenge on Alakesvara.
In 1410/11 Zheng He and his troops attacked Kotte and captured Veera Alakeshvara and his family together with other key political figures allied with him. He was taken as a prisoner to China. In the collected works of Yong Rong 1515, his capture is described as well as his subsequent pardon by the Emperor as follows: thus the August Emperor spared their lives and they humbly kowtowed making crude sounds ( a reference to their language) and praising the sage like virtue of the Imperial Ming ruler.”
But this was not the end of the matter. As Prof. Sasanka points out regime change was the object, and Parakramabahu the Sixth ascended the throne. Chinese records reveal that the new king was chosen by Sinhalese emissaries present at the Ming Court, nominated by the Emperor and installed by Zheng He, using the Chinese military and naval power at his disposal, as a ruler more amenable to Chinas intentions. Parakramabahu VI created a political alliance with the Chinese that allowed expansive political projects such as the Ming Treasure fleet easy access to local waters as well as local political support.”
It is also of interest to note that Sembagha Perumal alias Sapumal Kumaraya, an ethnic Tamil and adopted son of Parakramabahu the Sixth, subsequently conquered the northern Jaffna Kingdom and built the Nallur Kandasamy kovil in Jaffna. His exploits are commemorated by the poet Sri Rahula thera in the Kokila Sandesaya and the Selahini Sandesaya.
Aside from the sense of ‘deja vu’, which Prof. Perera remarks upon, Alakeshvarar’s story has many lessons for us today. We learn that the Tamil community in Sri Lanka was a powerful and respected one, hence the inscriptions in Mandarin along with Tamil and Persian. In the north the Kingdom of Jaffna under the Arya Chakravarti dynasty was as powerful as the other kingdoms and at that time was threatening Kotte and even extracting taxes from regions in the South.
Here too it was ethnic Tamils such as Alakeshvara senior who led the defense of the Kotte and Gampola kingdoms, and built Jayawardenapura, and it was Sembagha Perumal who later defeated the Arya Chacraverti and brought the Jaffna kingdom under the rule of Parakramabahu VI.
Ethnic differences were subsumed, and Sinhalese and Tamils worked together as one people. The wars were for territory, with kings fighting kings and not between ethnic groups. It was only with the arrival of the Western colonial powers starting with the Portuguese that ethnic differences surfaced, perhaps as a consequence of a divide and rule policy.
Another lesson we learn is that the Chinese political presence in the island is not something new. Furthermore Chinese trade was a key factor in the Sri Lankan economy as vindicated by the large collection of Chinese coins in Yapahuwe, which fact is adverted to in Prof. Perera’s article citing Prof. Sudarshan Senviratne. So, the resumption of Chinese political and economic activity in the island is not suprising.
Chinese history records that after the great naval expeditions of Zheng He, there was a change in China’s policy and internal constraints made the country turn inwards. It is now clear that China is resuming its old policy as evidenced by Admiral Zheng He’s naval expeditions, and is once again engaging in expanding its military, political and commercial authority across the globe vide the Belt and Road Initiative.
The Port City project in Sri Lanka is part of this grand design. The Port City project can bring benefits to Sri Lanka too, but it is the responsibility of the Sri Lankan Government and people to see that Sri Lanka’s interests are adequately protected and they cannot fault China for any short fall as every country looks after its own interests.
In the context of the lessons we learn from the Veera Alakeshvara episode, Tamil politicians would be well advised to be more mindful when making protests at what they perceive to be Mandarin taking precedence over Tamil. We do not have to kowtow to the new Emperor in Beijing, and protests must surely be made when called for, but made courteously, recognizing that our cultures Tamil and Chinese, have co -existed enriching each other over many centuries as in the spreading of Buddhism by monks from the Tamil country, and the extensive trade as in the exchange of cotton goods for silk between the two civilizations.
We have seen from the Galle Inscription that China gave the Tamil language pride of place in Sri Lanka at a certain point of time, and I may mention similar inscriptions have also been left by them in other south Asian countries. At that time Tamil was a language of commerce and trade in the Indian Ocean region and the Tamil Kingdoms of South India were powerful entities.
Similarly, the Persian language held sway for these reasons. Interestingly we learn from the Moroccan Traveller of the 14th Century, Ibn Batuta, who visited the kingdom of Jaffna, that the king Arya Chackraverti held control of the trade in pearls, had contact with foreign merchants and could speak Persian.
It remains to be seen whether the Tamil language once again regains its lost position and the respect that entails. The Trilingual stele in Galle invokes the blessings of the Hindu deity the Thenavaran Nayanar” Vishnu, for a peaceful world built on trade.
For the present. we have to recognize that China has come to stay as a power in the region, in a world built on trade. We can be proud that two Asian nations India and China are emerging as the super powers of the 21st century and go with the trend giving due consideration to both countries in our political and economic policies.
The Federation of Sri Lankan Muslim Associations Qatar (FSMA-Q), under the guidance of the Sri Lankan embassy in Qatar, has provided 60 medical oxygen cylinders to help in the fight against Covid-19 back in Sri Lanka.
The Federation of Sri Lankan Muslim Associations Qatar (FSMA-Q), under the guidance of the Sri Lankan embassy in Qatar, has provided 60 medical oxygen cylinders to help in the fight against Covid-19 back in Sri Lanka.The support from FSMA-Q came in response to the call of the Sri Lankan government to expatriate Sri Lankans across the world in the fight against the pandemic by way of assisting in the provision of emergency medical supplies. In a statement yesterday, FSMA-Q, the apex body of all Sri Lankan Muslim organisations in Qatar affiliated to the embassy, said it rallied all its member organisations to “support this noble cause by answering the government’s call to help their motherland during this hour of need”. With the generous assistance of its member organisations, FSMA-Q was able to donate 60 medical oxygen cylinders through the embassy, to be airfreighted to Sri Lanka as urgent medical relief supplies. This will be a significant addition to the medical supplies that have already been provided as donations by other community organisations and well-wishers in Qatar, the statement notes. A ceremony was held observing Covid-19 precautionary protocols to hand over the oxygen cylinders to the Sri Lankan ambassador to Qatar, Mohamed Mafaz Mohideen, on June 11. Besides the ambassador, present on the occasion were FSMA-Q president Mohamed Rinoz, vice-president and project co-ordinator Mohamed Lafir and Executive Committee members. Mohideen thanked FSMA-Q and its member associations for giving their support and co-operation to help their motherland during this time of need by providing 60 medical oxygen cylinders, which will go a long way in saving the lives of fellow Sri Lankan citizens back home. The FSMA-Q president thanked all the members for giving their full support to this initiative in addition to focusing on the projects of their respective associations. He added FSMA-Q has always been at the forefront of supporting the Sri Lankan community back home during any calamity or disaster in the past, and thanked the ambassador as well as the embassy for the encouragement and guidance provided in making this project a success.
The Tamil Nadu state police and Central intelligence agencies have been on their feet and high vigilance after threats of an armed group trying to infiltrate from Sri Lanka were received.
The Tamil Nadu state police and Central intelligence agencies have been on their feet and high vigilance after threats of an armed group trying to infiltrate from Sri Lanka were received. Security has been tightened along TN coastal areas after receiving news of infiltrators attempting to enter with rifles.
https://youtu.be/vLGjdH8PPkM
According to sources, an alert was issued by a Central intelligence agency on Saturday evening and the police have stepped up vigil in the towns of Kanyakumari, Toothukudi, Rameswaram, as well as in Chennai.
According to informed intelligence sources, a boat carrying armed operatives was seen heading towards Rameswaram coast. However, the sources revealed to one media houses that the exact identity of these people are not known and no details also of the organization that they belong to.
According to inputs received, security has been beefed up and an intense vigil is being maintained in the border areas with Karnataka as well. On other hand, recently Tamilian leaders called upon the state government to urge the Centre to pursue legal action over Chinese domination and not to allow a Galwan like situation to develop in the state.
Citizens from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are affected
Bahrain has indefinitely suspended giving work permits to people from coronavirus red list countries who are outside the kingdom, a representative of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority told The National on Sunday.
For the time being, individuals who are in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal are not able to gain work permits in Bahrain,” he said.
“The decision was put in place on May 24, and we are still unsure of when it will be lifted.”
Near the end of May, Bahrain suspended the entry of travellers from countries on its red list in response to the rising number of Covid-19 infections and deaths.
If individuals holding citizenships from countries that are on the red list are inside of Bahrain then they can apply or renew their work permits,” the representative said.
Bahrain’s national medical committee, established to address the pandemic, will assess which countries will be added to or removed from the list according to certain criteria, he said.
Bahraini citizens and residency visa holders arriving from red list countries are allowed in but must present a negative PCR test taken no more than 48 hours before flying.
The kingdom also reintroduced mandatory quarantine for all non-vaccinated travellers arriving in Bahrain.
Travellers now have to take a PCR test before flying and on arrival, and then complete a 10-day home or hotel quarantine.
Last week, the government announced an extension of its measures put in place to curb the spread of the pandemic.
Shopping malls, stores, restaurants, coffee shops, swimming pools, beauty salons and barber shops will be closed for another two weeks.
“In order to achieve the goals set and based on positive results, we have decided to extend the national lockdown for a period of two weeks starting from Friday, June 11, to Friday, June 25,” the medical committee said.
Authorities first announced the closures on May 27.
Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila, addressing the criticisms over the recent price hike of fuel, says that all he did was informing the public of a collective decision made by the government including the President and the Prime Minister.
Holding a press conference today (June 13), the Minister of Energy responded to the heavy criticisms and calls to step down from his position over the fuel price hike.
On Friday (June 11) the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CEYPETCO) and Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC) announced an increase in fuel prices.
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary MP Sagara Kariyawasam, yesterday (June 12) issued a statement that the subject minister must take complete responsibility for pushing the people into more difficulties with a fuel price hike amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement called the subject minister to step down from his position.
Explaining the process behind the increase in fuel prices, Minister Udaya Gammanpila stated that the decision was taken on June 09 by the Cabinet Sub Committee on Cost of Living following lengthy discussions.
The Minister further pointed out that the Sub-Committee consisted of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardena, Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Namal Rajapaksa, State Minister of Finance Ajith Nivard Cabraal, and State Minister of Consumer Affairs Lasantha Alagiyawanna in addition to himself, as the Minister of Energy.
He further said that he received written consent from the Prime Minister on June 10 regarding the price hike.
All I did was inform the public of a collective decision made by the government including the President and the Prime Minister,” he said.
Gammanpila pointed out that, while a fuel price hike is usually announced by the Ministry of Finance, volunteered for this task in order to ‘protect the President and the Prime Minister’.
Sagara Kariyawasam did not attack me; he attacked the only President made from his party, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and his party leader Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa,” he said.
The Energy Minister says that the SLPP General Secretary inconvenienced the Prime Minister by inflicting a blow on the Prime Minister using a statement issued with the letterhead containing the Prime Minister’s photograph.
Kariyawasam has committed a grave mistake by inflicting a heavy blow on their decision, Gammanpila said.
Minister Udaya Gammanpila further said, The intelligent people of this country will decide whether it is I or Sagara Kariyawasama who should resign from their post”.
The Energy Minister also revealed that many senior members of SLPP had informed him that there had been no internal party decision to issue such a statement against him. Further, neither party leader Mahinda Rajapaksa nor party chairman Prof. G. L. Peiris had been aware of such a statement, he added.
Thereby, Gammanpila says that he challenges Kariyawasam to reveal the names of the senior members of SLPP who took part in making a decision to issue the relevant statement.
Further, Gammanpila also publicly challenged Kariyawasam to a public debate if he is able to prove that Gammanpila is behind the country’s energy crisis.
The construction work on the Central Expressway in the Gampaha District will be temporarily suspended, said Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga.
The work will be suspended until a final decision is reached after reviewing the construction plan, he said.
A number of areas in the Gampaha District have been inundated due to the recent heavy rains and there have been allegations from various parties that such a situation has arisen due to the construction of the Central Expressway.
The latest fuel price hike is a step taken to stabilize the national economy, bank interest rates, and foreign reserves as well as to secure and improve the health and welfare of the public, President’s Media Division said.
Issuing a statement, the PMD stated that the Cabinet Sub Committee on Cost of Living chaired by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, with the participation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Ministers in charge of the subject, focused on a number of key reasons for the increase in fuel prices.
These price increases are just one key factor in a common plan to strengthen the local economy, the PMD said.
It is a decision to strengthen the country’s banking system, maintain low interest rates, reduce foreign exchange spending, strengthen the exchange rate, secure the health and well-being of the people, and transform the import-dependent consumer economy into an investment and consumption economy based on domestic production, PMD further said.
World leaders meeting in Cornwall are to adopt strict measures on coal-fired power stations as part of the battle against climate change.
The G7 group will promise to move away from coal plants, unless they have technology to capture carbon emissions.
It comes as Sir David Attenborough warned that humans could be on the verge of destabilising the entire planet”.
He said G7 leaders face the most important decisions in human history.
The coal announcement came from the White House, which says it is the first time the leaders of wealthy nations have committed to keeping the projected global temperature rise to 1.5C.
That requires a range of urgent policies, chief among them being phasing out coal burning unless it includes carbon capture technology.
Coal is the world’s dirtiest major fuel and ending its use is seen as a major step by environmentalists, but they also want guarantees rich countries will deliver on previous promises to help poorer countries cope with climate change.
The G7 will end the funding of new coal generation in developing countries and offer up to £2billion for poorer nations to stop using the fuel.
Climate change has been one of the key themes at the three-day summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall.
Leaders of the seven major industrialised nations – the UK, US, Canada, Japan, France, Germany and Italy – are expected to set out global plans to reduce emissions from farming, transport, and the making of steel and cement.
And they will commit to protecting 30 percent of global land and marine areas for nature by 2030.
They are also expected to pledge to almost halve their emissions by 2030, relative to 2010 levels.
The UK has already surpassed that commitment, previously promising to cut emissions by the equivalent of 58% on 2010 levels.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold a press conference on Sunday afternoon, the final day of a summit where he has clashed with EU leaders over the Brexit deal’s requirements for checks on goods from Britain to Northern Ireland.
And after the summit, US President Joe Biden will be met by a Guard of Honour at Windsor Castle, where he will have tea with the Queen.
‘Plain to see’ A video message from Sir David Attenborough will be played to world leaders in Cornwall at the summit on Sunday as they set out their plans for meeting emissions targets.
Speaking beforehand, Sir David said: The natural world today is greatly diminished. That is undeniable.
Our climate is warming fast. That is beyond doubt. Our societies and nations are unequal and that is sadly plain to see.
But the question science forces us to address specifically in 2021 is whether as a result of these intertwined facts we are on the verge of destabilising the entire planet.
If that is so, then the decisions we make this decade – in particular the decisions made by the most economically advanced nations – are the most important in human history.”
As well as the measures on coal and ending almost all direct government support for the fossil fuel sector overseas, the G7 are expected to phase out petrol and diesel cars.
BBC environment analyst Roger Harrabin said there had been a crucial lack of detail on two questions so far: the proposed green masterplan to help developing countries get clean technology and the amount of cash richer [countries] will hand to the poorer to tackle the climate crisis.”
China, which according to one report was responsible for 27% of the world’s greenhouse gases in 2019 – the most of any country – is not part of the G7.
The G7 leaders will endorse a plan aimed at reversing the loss of biodiversity – a measure of how many different species live in ecosystems – by the end of the decade.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is hosting the summit, is also launching a £500m fund to protect the world’s oceans and marine life.
The blue planet fund” will help countries including Ghana, Indonesia and Pacific island states, tackle unsustainable fishing, protect and restore coastal ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs, and reduce marine pollution.
Hundreds of protesters brought streets to a standstill in Cornwall on Saturday, with many campaigning for cleaner seas and action on climate change.
A major UN report from 2019 said that global emissions of carbon dioxide must peak by 2020 to keep the planet from warming more than 1.5C – the so-called safe limit.
Mr Johnson said protecting the planet was the most important thing we as leaders can do for our people”.
There is a direct relationship between reducing emissions, restoring nature, creating jobs and ensuring long-term economic growth,” he said on Saturday.
As per the main news item that appeared in The Island dated 9/06/2021 under the title ‘Covid time bonanza: Luxury SUVs for MPs coming, after all!’, the government was not in a position to cancel the order placed for the import of luxury vehicles for the 225 MPs as the opening of Letters of Credit meant guaranteed payment and Letters of Credit had been opened through a State Banks, Sri Lanka faced the prospect of being blacklisted if a unilateral decision was taken on the matter.
The above reveals expressed by the Media Minister and co-Cabinet spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella is in contrary to what we learned earlier after reading a statement issued from The Prime Minister’s Office in the last week of May which stated that the previous cabinet paper for the import of 399 vehicles at a cost of Rs 3.7bn had been withdrawn as the financial situation was not conducive to import vehicles. It is also in contrary to the SLPP’s 2019 presidential election manifesto which assured that vehicles wouldn’t be imported for members of parliament for a period of three years.
It is interesting to note how the current opposition politicians who were barking at every and each move made by the government, since its inception, have gone dumb and deaf when the government move on vehicles made at a time the country was struggling to cope with Covid-19 fallout.
It is hard to believe
that a single MP, including new MPs, in the current Parliament does not possess
his/her own vehicles. Unlike during 1950s,
it is also hard to believe that any one of the current MPs uses public
transport or hire vehicles to attend parliamentary sessions or any of their
activities. We remember how the government Ministers like D.S. Gunasekera , W.
Dahanayake etc who were MPs in the 1956-1960 Parliament used public transport
when attending Parliamentary sessions. We also remember, around 1959, how
Minister Gunasekera was fined by the railway ticket checkers for his failure to
show his railway pass issued for MPs.
On the other hand, as
per media reports, the
Government, including the Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, has requested
affluent locals, INGOs, local NGOs and Sri Lankan living in foreign countries
to donate their allocated funds for the remaining quarters of the year for the
battle against the COVID-19 pandemic which has surged to critical proportions
in recent weeks.
While our politicians are attempting to import
luxury vehicles costing billions of Rupees at this crucial stage, New Zealand’s
Parliamentarians, including PM, ministers and public service chief executives made
an example to the entire world by making a commitment to take a 20% pay cut
lasting six months to show solidarity with those affected by the corona virus
outbreak.
What the government should do at this stage,
if the withdrawal of the said cabinet paper is not preventing the import of
luxury vehicle for MPS and the Prime Minister’s office is really keen in
avoiding the waste of money, is to auction the vehicles soon after arrival (or
if already arrived) and use proceeds to counter the epidemic, as the death toll continues to rise.
The Darusman Report (2011) which was commissioned by the UN Secretary-General pointed out that that there was a need for the UN to review its actions in the Eelam War IV. Clearly, it was felt that the UN had failed in its task of manipulating the Eelam war. Sri Lanka had won the Eelam war.
UN Secretary-General then established an Internal Review Panel under Charles Petrie, to review UN actions in Sri Lanka during the final stages of the war in Sri Lanka and after. The Petrie report stated that from 2003 to 2007, the UN had wanted to establish a human rights operation in Sri Lanka, but failed.
In 2007 and 2008, the UN Department of
Political Affairs (DPA) in New York, considered various tactics in Sri Lanka, which
included a political solution to the conflict, a special envoy, establishing a
human rights field presence and ensuring accountability for past human rights
abuses and violations of international humanitarian law.
Out of these, UN decided in 2007, to focus on high-level visits by
senior UNHQ officials who could present UN concerns and suggestions to the
government .In 2007 alone Sri Lanka was visited by * USG-Humanitarian Affairs , *Head of the
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs *the Under Secretary-General
(USG)-Humanitarian Affairs, *Head of the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights and *the Representative of
the Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons
(RSG-IDPs).
USG-Humanitarian Affairs, conducted more
visits to Sri Lanka than any other official, the Petrie Report said. However, the Government rejected most of the
proposed initiatives, including the appeal by the UN for a field operation, which meant
a sort of peacekeeping mission.
The UN’s relationships with the Government
were difficult, said Petrie Report, due to the Government stratagem of UN
intimidation.” Government of Sri Lanka had
used visas to control UN staff critical of the government. The Government
declared several Resident Coordinators persona non grata, or made them
understand that their visas were at risk of being withdrawn, while also
rejecting proposed replacements with previous experience in crisis
situations. The Government refused to
give them visas when UN tried to send in more staff to deal with the
humanitarian aspect of the War, continued Petrie Report.
In 2007 the Government formally launched its
military campaign in the Wanni against the last remaining area under LTTE
control. Over the following 18 months, the fighting gradually intensified and
in September 2008, as the conflict entered its final stages, the Government
officially informed the UN it could no longer guarantee the safety of staff in
the Wanni.
Within
three weeks, the UN withdrew all international staff, effectively ending UN
assistance operations from within the Wanni. The UN also tried to withdraw its
entire national staff, but the LTTE prevented staff dependents from leaving,
and many national staff consequently chose to remain behind.
The Petrie report also looked at developments
at the apex of the UN system. By 2007, UN was discussing Sri Lanka at its
Headquarters in New York. At UNHQ Sri Lanka was on the agenda not just of the
Policy Committee but also of the Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs
(ECHA), and an Inter-Agency Working Group on Sri Lanka (IAWG-SL), said Petrie
Report.
But Sri Lanka was never formally considered by
Member States at the UN, whether at the Security Council, the Human Rights
Council, or the General Assembly, the report said. From late 2008, a small
group of non-permanent members of the Security Council had become deeply
concerned by events and by early February 2009 wished the Security Council to
formally consider the situation in Sri Lanka. However, they did not have sufficient
support within the Security Council for this.
Sri Lanka was discussed in ‘informal
interactive dialogue’ at the Security Council, but this had no formal status,
led to no outcomes and left no formal minutes of its deliberations. The Sri
Lankan ambassador to the UN participated in the meetings, providing the
Government’s version of events and potentially influencing discussions.
Foreign Ministers from two member countries of
the Security Council went to Sri Lanka in late April 2009. On 12th May, 2009 they called for
Sri Lanka to be placed on the Security Council’s agenda. But this came too late
to change the course of events, said Petrie Report.
Above all, UN action in Sri Lanka was not
supported by Member states, said Petrie Report. In the absence of clear Security Council
backing, the UN’s actions lacked adequate purpose and direction. Member States
failed to provide the Secretariat and UN Country Team in Colombo with the
necessary support.
Petrie report said that the UN office in
Colombo had insufficient political expertise and experience in armed conflicts,
human rights and humanitarian law issues to deal with the extraordinary
challenge” that Sri Lanka presented.
A UN staffer had told Rajiva
Wijesinha that
the UN had ‘got this wrong.’ Most of the UN staff had worked in countries with
no established government and no regular provision of basic social services. They did not know how to negotiate with a
strong government.
The UN representation in Sri Lanka was too
weak to be effective, said Petrie Report. The UN office in Sri Lanka was headed
by Resident Coordinator who reported to the Secretary-General through the UN
Development Programme (UNDP).
The Resident Coordinator was
supported by a Human Rights Adviser who provided a link to OHCHR, a
Reconciliation and Development Adviser who provided a link to DPA, a
communications adviser who was also a spokesperson, and a gender adviser.
As the
Eelam issue escalated a Crisis Management Group was established with Resident
Coordinator, the country heads of
UNICEF, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme
(WFP), and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and UN office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian affairs, (OCHA). The group’s initial focus was on
the logistical and operational aspects of UN action in the war area.
The events in Sri Lanka highlight the urgent
need for the UN to update its strategy for engagement with Member States in
situations where civilian populations caught up in the midst of armed conflicts
are not protected in accordance with international human rights and
humanitarian law, said Petrie Report. The International Resource Panel of the
UN found a systemic failure” in the UN response during the final months of Sri
Lanka’s conflict, evoking comparisons to UN failures in Rwanda in 1996 and
Srebrenica in 1995, said Petrie Report.
The report was presented to the
Secretary General in November 2012, and led to a new policy within the UN
called Rights-up-Front. In
2013, in direct response to the Petrie Report, the Secretary-General launched
the Human Rights Up Front initiative. He issued a Human Rights Up Front
Detailed Action Plan (updated March 2014). This called on the UN system to play
a strong role to prevent human rights crises.
There has been a new development in the role
of the UN Resident Coordinator, observed Leelananda de Silva writing in October
2019. For the past 50 years or so, the UNDP Resident Representative has also
been the UN Resident Coordinator. It was an office involved with development”.
The UNDP funded the post of UN Resident Coordinator in all developing countries
where they were present.
A few months ago, the UN Secretary General
delinked the role of the UN Resident Coordinators from the UNDP and brought it
under Secretary General. The office of Secretary General of the UN is a
political one. By
changing the role of the RC, the Secretary General has now a largely political
representative in Colombo.
Sri
Lanka needs to be more aware of this changed role of the UN Resident
Coordinator. What does this official do? And what kinds of reports does this
official send to the Secretary General?
I
understand that recently there was a request from the UN Human Rights office in
Geneva, to appoint a representative in Colombo, and that was turned down by the
Government. Now with this appointment, the UN has got a political office on the
ground here. The government should be aware of his precise role in this country.
Leelananda
also looked at protocol. UN personnel in Colombo are expected to meet
government officials at an appropriate level. In the 1970s,
when I was Director of Economic Affairs in the Planning Ministry, I met the UN
Resident Coordinator and the UN Resident Representative in my office from time
to time. The RC hardly met the Permanent Secretary or a Minister. The
Prime Minister they never met unless on some ceremonial occasion. In New York
or Geneva, High level UN officers meet our
Ambassador. They do not meet first or second secretaries of our Embassy.
Now,
the practice has changed. Recently I saw some photographs of the UNDP Resident
Representative (not the UN Resident Coordinator) meeting the President and the
Prime Minister. This UNDP representative is a mid-level official of the UN. He
does not have official access to President and the Prime Minister. This means
that High level UN officers do not need
to seek an appointment with Head of state, the junior
officials can attend to the matter for them.
There
is another problem when protocol is discarded, said Leelananda. When UN
officials in Colombo can conduct their business at the ministerial level, why
should they bother with officials? They can go above their heads.
Leelananda also looked at UN aid. Initially, there was a certain amount of
development aid, especially in the form of technical assistance from UN bodies.
Now that has ceased, as Sri Lanka is no longer eligible for concessional
assistance.
UNDP
offices are now channeling aid from various bilateral donors. The aid funds
come from bilateral donors to UN bodies and these UN bodies fund projects in
Sri Lanka. These UN bodies have to report to these bilateral donors. In fact,
their very existence in a country now depends on bilateral funding of projects.
These UN bodies are no longer independent aid donors, as they used to be,
warned Leelananda. (Continued)
Covid-19 has mutated significantly, and the virus is now much harder to treat than it used to be. That’s according to the head of Moscow’s Kommunarka Hospital, which last year became the city’s main coronavirus treatment facility.
Speaking to Moscow radio station Ekho Moskvy on Thursday, the hospital’s chief physician, Denis Protsenko, who became a household name in 2020 due to his role at the forefront of the country’s battle against Covid-19, explained that it has become much harder to treat ill patients.
This makes us think that the virus has also changed and has mutated in this year and a half,” he said, before encouraging people to get vaccinated against the disease.
According to Protsenko, the Kommunarka hospital is now filled with a large number of elderly patients, as well as people who are overweight or diabetic. Furthermore, collective immunity in the capital is still under 50%, he said.
On Wednesday, Deputy Moscow Mayor Anastasia Rakova revealed that the city would open up additional hospital beds in the upcoming days, boosting its capacity by 1,500. That announcement came after Mayor Sergey Sobyanin ordered local authorities to ramp up enforcement of sanitary measures, such as the wearing of masks on public transport. However, he also noted that he had no plans to introduce any new lockdowns.
According to the official numbers, Russia recorded 12,505 new cases nationwide on Friday – the highest figure since February 22. The capital is bearing the brunt of the latest wave, with 5,853 new infections detected in just 24 hours – 47% of all cases recorded. Moscow is home to just 10% of the country’s population.
However, perhaps most worryingly, Moscow’s coronavirus spread, measured by the so-called R rate, soared to 1.6 in the past 24 hours – the highest seen since September 30 last year.
According to recent US research, Covid-19 may lead to the type of brain changes common in Alzheimer’s disease, and a team of scientists has identified the mechanisms by which it may be causing such impairments.
Cognitive disorders, including dementia, are increasingly being reported as a complication of the highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19, researchers behind the recent study at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio have revealed.
Reports of neurological complications in Covid-19 patients and ‘long-hauler’ patients whose symptoms persist after the infection clears are becoming more common, suggesting that [the virus] may have lasting effects on brain function,” said the authors of the study, which was published this week in the journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy.
The researchers’ aim was to uncover the mechanisms responsible for brain-associated complications such as delirium and the loss of taste or smell that are often found in novel coronavirus patients. In order to do so, they compared on a molecular level the host genes of Covid-19 and those responsible for some neurological disorders.
Having collected the data of both Covid-19 patients and people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, they used artificial intelligence to measure the proximity between them. They also analyzed any genetic factors that might allow the new virus to infect brain tissues and cells, identifying significant network-based relationships” between Covid and Alzheimer’s. They also concluded that Alzheimer’s patients may be more defenseless against the deadly virus, as they have a decreased number of certain protective antiviral genes.
While the researchers found little evidence that the virus targets the brain directly, they discovered close network relationships between the virus and genes/proteins associated with several neurological diseases, most notably Alzheimer’s, pointing to pathways by which Covid-19 could lead to Alzheimer’s disease-like dementia,” the Cleveland Clinic stated.
Having proved the overlap between Covid-19 and brain changes common in Alzheimer’s, the researchers will now study the processes by which the novel coronavirus may lead to cognitive disorders and how it might be prevented from doing so. Identifying how Covid-19 and neurological problems are linked will be critical for developing effective preventive and therapeutic strategies to address the surge in neurocognitive impairments that we expect to see in the near future,” the study’s lead author, Feixiong Cheng, said.
Brain-affecting complications in Covid-19 patients and those ill with other coronaviruses have been confirmed by previous studies, the Cleveland researchers point out. One in five patients who have recovered from the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) or the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) have reported memory impairments, while people suffering from the novel coronavirus have also experienced symptoms such as disorientation, inattention, and confusion. Covid-19 survivors who required intensive care unit admissions might be at an even greater risk of neurological and psychiatric disorders, another study of more than 230,000 patients has shown.
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is seeking an interim claim of US$40 million from the operator of a fire-ravaged cargo ship to cover part of the cost of fighting the blaze, officials said on Saturday (Jun 12).
Sri Lanka’s attorney general has sent the claim to lawyers representing X-Press Feeders, the ship’s operating company, said Darshani Lahandapura, head of the state-run Marine Pollution Protection Authority.
She said authorities were still assessing the total damages, and the interim claim seeks compensation for expenses from May 20, when the ship caught fire, through Jun 1.
The fire broke out while the Singapore-flagged MV X-Press Pearl was anchored about 9.5 nautical miles (18km) northwest of the capital, Colombo, and waiting to enter the country’s main port.
The Sri Lankan navy believes the blaze was caused by the vessel’s chemical cargo, which included 25 tonnes of nitric acid and other chemicals, most of which was destroyed in the fire. But debris including burned fiberglass and tons of plastic pellets have already polluted nearby beaches. There are concerns that a spill of remaining chemicals and oil on the ship could devastate marine life.Advertisement
However, Sri Lankan authorities and the ship’s operator say there’s still no large oil spill.
The fire burned for 12 days before being extinguished last week. The ship then began sinking, and attempts to tow it into deeper waters failed when the vessel’s stern sank to the seabed.
The ship remains partly submerged in waters about 21m deep.
On Friday, the government said it was testing water samples to determine whether the ship is leaking oil. The tests were prompted by satellite images from Planet Labs. that showed a substance that could be oil in the water near the ship.
A Colombo court has banned the ship’s captain, chief engineer and assistant engineer from leaving the country.Source: AP/jt
62 more COVID-19 deaths confirmed by the Director General of Health Services increasing the total COVID 19 deaths in Sri Lanka to 2,073.
Death toll due to COVID 19 from 08 to 31 May 2021 as confirmed yesterday (11) by the Director General of Health Services – 07 Death toll due to COVID 19 from 01st June to 10th June as confirmed yesterday (11) by the Director General of Health Services – 55 No COVID death was reported so far yesterday, June 11.
May 08 – 01 death May 15 – 01 death May 23 – 02 deaths May 26 – 01 death May 31 – 02 deaths June 01 – 07 deaths June 03 – 02 deaths June 05 – 04 deaths June 06 – 07 deaths June 07 – 08 deaths June 08 – 08 deaths June 09 – 14 deaths June 10 – 05 deaths Total number of COVID 19 deaths as confirmed so far yesterday (June 11) – 2073
Details of the deceased Gender Female – 27 Male – 35 Area of Residence Panadura, Moratuwa, Alubomulla, Gonawila, Govinna, Kandy, Galle, Thimbirigaskatuwa, Kochchikade, Negombo, Santhiveli, Balangoda, Ninthavur 10, Sammanthurai, Pathana, Baduraliya, Walallawita, Bombuwala, Waskaduwa, Mahagama, Kalutara, Dodangoda, Melsiripura, Ambakote, Kurunegala, Panagamuwa, Maduragoda, Merahawatta, Kinniya, Kattankudy 04, Eravur 01, Kattankudy 03, Raththota, Monaragala, Anuradhapura, Mathugama, Kotikawaththa, Nagollagama, Colombo 12, Kadugannawa, Gampola, Seeduwa, Hemmathagama, Pitigala, Niyagama, Karandeniya and Kahaduwa. Age Group 30-39 years – 02 40-49 years – 03 50-59 years – 04 60 -69 years – 13< 70-79 years – 21 80-89 years – 17 90-99 years – 02 Over 99 years – 00
Place of Death At home – 13 On admission to hospital – 05 While being treated in hospital – 44
Causes of Death COVID 19 infection associated with diseases such as COVID Pneumonia, Severe COVID 19 pneumonia, Hypertension, Ischaemic heart disease, Chronic renal disease, Diabetes, Dyslipidaemia, Cerebro vascular disease, Acute kidney injury, Multi organ failure, Acute<br />respiratory distress syndrome, Occlusive coronary artery disease, Sepsis, Chronic kidney disease, Chronic renal failure, Chronic lung disease, Large pulmonary embolism, Cecal adenocarcinoma, Acute respiratory failure, Stroke, Bronchial asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the complications of Respiratory diseases
