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The Global Elites want to keep vaccine patents locked. The US remains non-committal on waivers. Now, Bill Gates has said no to lifting patents to share vaccine formulas with the developing world. WION’s Palki tells you how patents on vaccines are the biggest roadblock towards recovery.
SWRD Bandaranaike was assassinated in 1959. This was followed by two attempts to remove his successor, Sirimavo. First, the failed coup of 1962 and second, the JVP insurgency of 1971. The 1971 rebellion was the first armed uprising against the state.
Mano Ratwatte, son of Mackie Ratwatte, Private Secretary to Prime Minister Sirimavo, recalls that in January 1966, at a political rally the Air Force guard had threatened to open fire on Prime Minister Sirimavo and Dr. Baduiddin Mohammed.
The 1971 JVP insurgency has been described as a romantic, innocent revolution, an unplanned spontaneous attack. It was nothing of the sort. It was pre-planned and well organized. Its purpose was to bring down the SLFP government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike. JVP was planning a putsch, to remove the government by force. Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike would be taken into custody from her Rosmead Place residence, and very likely, killed.
The timing of this April 1971 insurgency is significant. A highly popular government had been elected a year before in May 1970 and like in May 1956, the SLFP won splendidly. The SLFP coalition won 118 seats as against 17 by the UNP, 13 by the Federal Party and two by the Tamil Congress. The SLFP (UF) manifesto featured extensive nationalization, a pro-Soviet foreign policy, expanded social programmes, and replacement of the Soulbury Constitution with a Republican Constitution that ‘would restore Buddhism to its rightful place.’
This election was not to the liking of the west. Therefore, for the third time, the west tried to bring the Government down. It had to be done soon, before the government got going. That was why the insurgency took place so quickly. The public, thinking that this was a home grown insurgency, could not understand why it had taken place at all. The public were surprised.
The JVP had made detailed preparations. JVP recruits had been taught various ways to survive in the jungle. They had been told what to eat apart from fruits and berries and tender leaves creatures such as lizards and snakes and insects, particularly termites and earthworms. They were advised to chew betel to offset thirst. They were given tetanus injections. I had my blue uniform made and waited for my tetanus shot, ready to revolt, said former JVPer, Indrawansa de Silva.
JVP had bases and retreat plans. At Anuradhapura the JVP had established a base camp as well as six sub camps in the surrounding jungle where weapons, explosives and food had been stored. JVP operations in the Rajangana and Tambuttegama areas were controlled from this base camp. Those who evaded capture in Kegalle area withdrew into jungle sanctuaries in the Kegalle, Elpitiya, Deniyaya and Kataragama areas added Jayantha.
It was not easy to dislodge the JVP from these retreats. The army had set up a forward base in Horowupotana in November 1972 and carried combing out operations from there until April 1973. The Kegalle operation closed only in December 1974.
The JVP was not interested in improving the country. That is clear. In 1956, Lakshman Rajapaksa, MP for Hambantota and Deputy Minister for Commerce and Trade set up a cotton processing factory at Mirijjawila near Hambantota to encourage cotton cultivators in Hambantota and Monaragala. During this period cotton was a popular crop in Hambantota and Monaragala. Cotton was cultivated under rain-fed conditions. This factory functioned satisfactorily. It was set on fire by the JVP in 1971 and never revived.
The 1971 insurrection was a violent destructive movement. The JVPers were trained to kill. I arrested many insurgents including Hewabatage Premapala, Narammala Leader Bola Samare’, and Bullet Mahinda” alias Mahinda Jayawardana .They were all armed with pistols and other weapons, recalled Nihal de Alwis .
We believed in violence from the outset said former JVPer, Indrawansa de Silva. Our writings, classes, publications, posters and public speeches were very open about our belief in violence. We didn’t shy away from saying how brutal we could be. Jayantha Somasunderam, another former JVPer said that JVP it was recruiting combatants into a clandestine military organization. Its communism was only a front. Around 9,000, had military training. JVP had also recruited very young lads of 14 and 12 as helpers.
One immediate task of the JVP was to take Sirimavo prisoner. One Piyatilake was responsible for operations in Colombo, said Jayantha Somasunderam. Piyatilake had detailed Raja Nimal an Advanced Level student to storm the Rosmead Place residence of Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike on the night of the 5th along with 50 student cadres, to capture the Prime Minister and transport her to a place where she would be held. However the expected vehicle and Piyatilake failed to arrive at the prearranged rendezvous in Borella and the attack did not take place. Sirimavo, in the meanwhile had been moved to Temple Trees.
My parents home had been marked for attack, recalled Mano Ratwatte, son of Mackie Ratwatte. The markings were faint, a crude X” made with red brick. This was repeated at the homes of some other relatives of the Prime Minister, as well. We were oblivious, never noticing the ominous markings. I have no doubt if the JVP had succeeded they would have executed Mrs. Bandaranaike and several of her family as well, said Mano.
The JVP endeavored to recruit sympathizers in the armed forces, with Wijeweera establishing contact, as early as 1965, with Tilekaratne, a rating in the Royal Ceylon Navy. Later Uyangoda held classes for naval personnel, made contact with Air Force personnel in Wanathamulla and Katunayake, and delivered lectures to them. They also provided classes for soldiers stationed at Diyatalawa.
There is similarity between the JVP insurgency and the 1962 coup. The 1962 coup saw the Panagoda cantonment as the enemy. So did the JVP. At the Urubokka Conference, it was observed that rockets would be effective against the Army’s Panagoda Cantonment, at Homagama, said Jayantha. The army cantonment at Panagoda would be attacked. Navy personnel at Ragama and air force personnel at Katunayake were to be immobilized by introducing a purgative to their food.
Prior to April 5, there was information down south that police stations were to be attacked at night. This was openly conveyed via threatening postcards. The Army camp at Embilipitiya and the Ridiyagama Army agricultural camp being dismantled, too, had received such postcards and the latter requested protection the very first day I arrived at Weerawila.
The Special Branch of the police had filed reports, before the 1970 general election, showing in minute detail plans by the JVP for a Blitzkrieg operation to take over the government. The government of Mrs. Bandaranaike did not take the intelligence reports seriously, said former police officer, Tassie Seneviratne.
When it became clear that the attack would be at night a wireless message was sent to Temple Trees requesting for flares to assist in night fighting operations, recalled Captain Musafer, who had been assigned to Wellawaya and Weerawila. There was no response. An officer later conveyed to me that I was the subject of ridicule by some, who said that I had got the jitters. He said it was no laughing matter when news of the Wellawaya attack at night was received.
If not for the premature attack in Wellawaya which alerted the police and military, the situation would have been very grave. The JVP would have been able to arm itself with modern weapons taken from the police stations they captured.” said Jayantha Somasunderam. The security forces would have been far less prepared and the rebellion may well have succeeded.
JVP came perilously close to overthrowing the lackadaisical government, but by the end of April were completely suppressed by military means. It seemed ‘touch and go’ for a while, but my father said that the Prime Minister never panicked, recalled Mano.
The Sri Lanka armed forces were not equipped to fight such an insurgency. The tiny Armored Corps, equipped with a few Daimler armored cars, (the largest of which had a 2-pounder gun) was used to secure Kegalle and Mawanella, A few vintage Ferret Scout cars armed with WW2 era Bren guns, were deployed at Temple Trees. Later one of the Saladin six-wheeled armored cars, with a bigger 76mm gun was also deployed facing Galle Road, recalled Mano Ratwatte then 11 years old. In 1966 the navy was mostly armed with obsolete WW1 vintage Lee Enfield Rifles, or the small Sterling ‘Sten’ submachine guns, he added.
The government was able to crush the insurgency because of the military aid provided by foreign countries. China, Australia, Pakistan, Yugoslavia, Britain, India gave helicopters, arms, ammunition, grenades. Russia gave jet fighters, helicopters and a MIG fighter. The Soviet aircraft were accompanied by 200 trainers and ground crew. USA sent spare parts for the helicopters. These donations all differed from each other and this caused problems when the military tried to use them.
The western press rushed to Sri Lanka when the insurgency started. They presented the JVP as heroes and the state as the offender. The international media reported that summary executions had taken place. The Police who had killed them let them float downstream to terrorize the population.” The New York Times in its 15th April edition said that many were found to have been shot in the back.”
Officer was quoted alongside him in the International Herald Tribune of 20th April as saying Once we are convinced prisoners are insurgents we take them to a cemetery and dispose of them.” And the Washington Post on 9th May quoted a major who said that we have never had the opportunity to fight a real war in this country. All these years we have been firing at dummies, now we are being put to use.”
Edward Gunawardena who was in charge in Kurunegala had nine captured insurgent brought t him. All those under arrest were boys in their teens dressed in blue shorts and shirts. They had all been badly beaten up. On questioning they confessed that they were retreating from the Warakapola area and their destination was the Ritigala jungles in Anuradhapura. They had received these instructions from their high command. At this time, as if from nowhere appeared two young foreign journalists, a man and a woman. One was from the Washington Post and the other, the young woman from the Christian Science Monitor. Apart from taking photographs they had asked various questions .Christian Science Monitory is not a religious paper, it is a highly respected American weekly.
It is now held that Wijeweera had been recruited by the USA when he was studying in Russia. The link with China was a cover. When the authorities searched Wijeweera’s home they found copies of a magazine titled Red China” Red China is the term used by USA for communist China. There is a doubt whether such a magazine ever existed, if so it was an obscure one. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_Deletion/Red_China_Magazine
No one today believes that the JVP was a home grown movement. Early in the 1971 JVP insurgency, it was rumored that JVP was receiving covert aid from a foreign source. Godahewa stated firmly that JVP had received funds in 1971.
What would Sri Lanka have been if the JVP had captured power in 1971? I am not sure about the JVP establishing a proletariat dictatorship, but I am quite sure about Wijeweera establishing a dictatorship. And because of that, like many of my fellow revolutionaries, I am glad that we did not succeed in 1971, said Indrawansa de Silva.
Had we succeeded it is more than likely that Sri Lanka would have ended up worse than Cambodia under Pol Pot. I am not being just speculative here. The JVP has shown time after time its violent and authoritarian tendencies whenever and wherever it got even a small taste of power. Just take some early signs. If someone with an opposing view tried to sell a newspaper or distribute a pamphlet at our rallies they were promptly beaten up and kicked out. We did not hesitate to use power of the fist when met with opposition even within the organisation. Honest and sincere questioning of ideas and theories we espoused in our classes and camps was seen as a threat to the movement and branded as reactionary, counter-revolutionary, or petit bourgeois tendencies concluded Indrawansa. ( Continued)
The Sri Lankan tea plantation industry is facing serious challenges that call for unbiased analyses of the current status and bold rethinking of the solutions required if it is to continue to hold its place as one of the nation’s leading sources of foreign exchange.
What we are witnessing presently is an industry that cannot be sustained anymore with a colonial-time attendance-based wages system. Tea is a high labour-intensive crop and requires an abundant supply of inexpensive and skilled labour throughout the year. Availability of cheap labour in the colonial period was the most significant contribution to the profits of the tea industry. The labour component of the total cost of production of tea is about 65%. The reality is that Sri Lanka is no more a country with cheap labour.
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The periodical demand for wage hikes, given the rising cost of living, is rational and inevitable from the workers’ side. But even with periodical pay increases, some reports state that these workers will continue to remain under poverty levels. According to one trade union leader that the poverty level of tea plantation workers has increased from 22% to 32%. ( Source: Poverty in the plantations increased )
Wages, however, are only part of the problem.
This report analyses the current situation and proposes several measures that can be implemented to revive the tea industry
Tea is not native to Sri Lanka and was first propagated by using seeds imported from China and India. Due to the genetic variability among plants and other agronomical factors the plant growth and the yield of those century-old seedling tea bushes were not uniform.
A report published by Tea Research Institute (TRI) states that over 95% of old seedling tea in the high country, Uva, and mid-country are over 60-80 years old. The productivity of seedling tea normally started to decline after 50 years. The TRI introduced high-yielding vegetative propagated clone tea in the 1950s to replace low-yielding old seedling tea. As its name implies, VP tea is a plant that propagated vegetatively by a single leaf internode cutting from a mother plant.
TRI reports that in 2002, 46.7% of the area under VP tea produced 61.7% of the total crop, while 53.3% of the area under old seedling tea produced only 38.4% of the total. The average yield per hectare of made tea under seedling tea was 1050 kg while it was 1972 kg under VP tea. VP tea was, thus, seen to have over 80% greater capacity for than old seedling tea”. This report further states that A bulk of old seedling tea (57.9%) falls within the yield slabs of 700 to 1,300 kg made tea/ha/year. About 24.6% yields an average above 1,300 kg /ha/year . ( Source: agricultural profile of the corporate tea sector – 2002 ) It has been reported that several clones (cultivars) developed by the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka had been yielding around 8,000 kg/ha in Southern India under commercial conditions.( Source: Productivity of the Plantation Sector ) It is unfortunate that RPCs still maintaining about 50% of RPCs managed tea lands with old seedling tea. This is an underutilization of national assets which can be developed to obtain greater tea harvest.
The ability to produce higher yields is not the only benefit of VP tea. The plant’s uniform canopy cover acts as a protective soil cover. Exposed topsoil in old seedling tea lands tends to cause higher soil losses due to raindrop splash erosion and also due to runoff erosion. Several research studies have proven that the soil erosion losses in VP tea land are very minimal. ( Source: Assessment of replacement cost of soil erosion in Uva high lands tea plantations of Sri Lanka ) One should imagine how much soil would have eroded for about 2 centuries under old seedling tea.
In 1958, the first government-sponsored tea replanting (replace old seedling tea with VP tea) subsidy scheme targeted about 2% of tea extent (which is about 1,567 Ha) to be replanted annually. However, the 2011 TRI report states To achieve the conventionally accepted norm of 2% annual replanting in the corporate sector, the extent replanted annually should have been an average of 1,567 ha per annum. What is most disturbing is that the net area the 307 RPC estates failed to replant, to achieve the annual norm of 2% from 1991-2005 is a total of 23,500 ha which would have all been in full bearing by 2008, and given an annual incremental crop of about 58 million kg made tea per year, at a modest yield of 2,500 kg per ha”. The TRI reports that in 50 years (1956-2008) the average rate of replanting in the corporate tea sector was about 0.92%. Highest rate of 1.46% of replanting achieved during 1986-1990. Since then the rate has dropped to 0.42% during 2006-2008 period. ( Source: Agronomic Profile of the Corporate Sector Tea Plantations in Sri Lanka )
About 79% of the seedling tea yielded less than 1,300 kg per ha per annum, of which 11.3% (totaling 4,334.9 ha) yielded even less than 700 kg, while 0.3% yielded more than 2,500 kg per ha. In VP tea, 65.4% of the area (24,360 ha) yielded above 1,600 kg per ha per annum, while 17.9% (6,659 ha) yielded below 1,300 kg. About 75.7% of the seedling tea in the Up country, 81.5% in Uva, 82.4% in Mid country and 89.3% in the Low country produced less than 1,300 kg per ha per annum. The overall productivity of VP tea was relatively high in the Up country (at a yield per ha (YPH) of 2,070 kg), while in the Low country, only VP fields in the early ages (up to 20 years) were more productive at a YPH above 1,900 kg. VP fields in the Up country achieved their highest productivity level at 21- 30 years, whereas, in Uva and Mid country it was at 31-40 years. The highest overall average productivity of VP tea fields in the corporate sector was achieved at the age group of 31-40 years. The declining trend of VP tea yields started at the age of 20 years in the Low country, at 40 years in Mid Country and Uva, and at 30 years in Up Country regions.
About 19.7% of VP tea in the Up country, 8.1% in Uva, 10.2% in Mid country and 8.8% in the Low Country yielded more than 2,500 kg per ha per annum. There was a significant extent of VP tea in Low country (19.2%) producing less than 1,000 kg per ha, while in Up country, Uva and Mid country, 1.3%, 5.5%, and 11.1% respectively fell into the same yield slab. Productivity was also analyzed under Agro-ecological Regions and soil series (types).
Replanting is an expensive procedure that requires a high input of manual labour. This procedure takes about 10 years to make a significant income from the newly replanted tea. The current estimated average expenditure to replant a hectare of old seedling tea is about 3.33 million rupees and about 70% of this cost accounts for manual labour.
According to RPC sources, they have been experiencing losses since 2014, and, therefore, cannot be expected to invest in expensive operations such as replanting. ( Source: Sri Lanka’s plantations in crisis; Estates suffer massive losses in 2014 )
Also with the current wage hikes, RPCs may argue the need to take further measures to lower their losses. The impact of such measures will result in gradual negligence of maintaining the plantation such as abandoning low yield tea lands, reduction of labour inputs for maintenance of plantation, etc. This has already confirmed by one of the spoke person attached to RPCs where he stated We will manage and cut the coat according to the cloth, and if we cannot fertilize we won’t, and if we cannot upkeep we cannot,” ( Source: Wage hike to incur Rs.15 billion more losses to RPCs )
As a country, we cannot permit this to happen to one of our national assets because these lands have a greater potential to produce a higher yield than the current rate.
The slow rate of replanting for several decades has resulted in a greater loss to the country and also damage to the environment due to soil erosion. Some say that the required replanting rate was not specified in the 1992 ‘Indenture of Lease’ agreement. This was a grave mistake and one should inquire why the authorities never took any action to force the lessee to implement the replanting operations.
It is now evident that lessees are not in a position to undertake the replanting operation and therefore the government should initiate a well-planned vigorous program to start replacing century-old tea bushes with VP tea. Since it is already late, a proposed program should complete this task within a given time frame. A separate authority with ample powers and funds should undertake this task.
This is a high labor-intensive and expensive task and, therefore, the government should consider obtaining the assistance of personnel from the Sri Lankan Tri Forces and also the help of volunteer groups to complete this task.
One TRI report states that, in the low country, the highest productivity of VP tea reach in the first 20 years. Based on a 2002 TRI report, the productivity has started to decline in 65% of low country lands. This shows that by 2021 more than 90% of VP tea lands in the low country have already started to decline their productivity. This shows how important to increase the current subsidy rates in TSHs sector before it affects the national tea productivity negatively. ( Source: agricultural profile of the corporate tea sector – 2002 )
The current issue on wage hikes is happening in RPCs and the state-managed plantation sector that only contributes about 25% of total national tea production.
To minimize losses from plantations, RPCs came up with several productivity-based wages and revenue-sharing models. ( Source: revenue-sharing model – 1 ) ( Source: revenue-sharing model – 2 ) However, these models have not been accepted by the trade unions. Mr. Ramiah Yogarajan a trade unionist and a former MP says that proposed models fail due to the non-uniformity of the prevailing conditions in the estate field level, conditions vary from estate field to estate field, due to the age of the bushes or trees and other agricultural inputs and practices. Under this circumstance, it is not possible to fix an all-industry productivity norm. It may be feasible in an industry where conditions are controllable”. This observation is true because the workers who get marginal old seedling tea under revenue sharing models will face grave hardships due to low productivity.( Source: Who has brought tea plantations to the brink of collapse? )
RPC models would have developed after studying the current tea smallholdings (TSH) sector. TSH sector can be considered as a very successful model, initiated with little government backing in the early years. The total extent of TSH was 60,000 ha in 1992 became double within 20 years to 121,000 ha. Remarkably, the production of RPCs managed tea lands declines the TSHs production that went up 2.5 times from 1995 to 2012. Currently, TSH contributes more than 75% of national tea production.( Source: Future of Work for Tea Smallholders in Sri Lanka ); ( Source: Looking Back at Tea Production Trends )
The average productivity of TSH in the year 2018 was 2029, 2075, and 1449 kg /ha/Year in up-country, low-country, and mid-country respectively.
It is interesting to observe how the average extent of TSH that was 1.17 acres in 1983 has dropped to 0.69 acres by 2017. This clearly shows that TSHs less than 1 acre which can be managed only with family labour and are becoming popular.
If both groups failed to come to an amicable solution, the government should consider distributing the plantation land as tea smallholdings to workers. Descendants of the villagers whose land was taken by the British to cultivate coffee and tea should also be considered in this exercise.
Distributing plantation land among estate workers who were working in those plantations for 5-6 generations is a humane endeavour. These workers were been subjected to various forms of discrimination from the inception of plantations. Currently, there is a decline in labour force in the plantation sector due to poor living conditions and low wages. Making those workers as TSHs can be an encouragement for them to stay in the plantation. ( Source: Outgoing labour and its impact on the tea plantation sector in Sri Lanka )
This process of distributing estate lands as smallholdings has to be performed in a carefully well-planned manner to assure that the current tea production is not interrupted. Prior to this process, planners should also study how the cooperative tea farming systems function in countries such as Vietnam, Kenya etc.( Source: The contract farming as a determinant promoting tea production and marketing at farm household in Vietnam )
Due to the various conditions of tea estate, some may get unproductive tea lands. Such receivers may need additional assistance during the replanting period.
With the replanting, the authorities have to look into the tea factories. If such a massive replanting operation is implemented the upgrading of tea factories should be undertaken concurrently.
According to Tea Small Holders Association, 187 factories out of 800 have closed down due to the failure to upgrade them. One factory owner said that the main reason for the closure of tea factories was the lack of sufficient tea leaves. He pointed out that each tea factory had a certain capacity to set up, adding that if the tea harvest was not enough to meet that capacity, the cost of production would be more than the revenue earned. Tea factory owners face many difficulties, he said. Most owners including him were heavily indebted and when incomes are low, they were unable to pay off loan installments.” (Source: Tea industry dying a natural death | History of Ceylon Tea). The Tea Brokers’ Association has too highlighted this issue on tea factories in Sri Lanka. ( Source: Tea industry dying a natural death | History of Ceylon Tea )
A meeting presided by the president in September 2020, examined the cause for the severe setback in the nation’s tea plantation sector. There it was decided to hand over loss-making plantations to the tea smallholders. The main cause for the losses from tea plantations is the low productivity due to the presence of century-old seedling tea. Handing over those low productive estates without replanting to tea smallholders is a grave mistake. How can the new smallholder generate an income from old seedling tea bushes? These marginal unproductive seedling tea should be converted into VP tea before handing it over to smallholders.( Source: Holistic approach to develop tea industry: President reviews number of proposals )
Watch – Sri Lanka Ceylon tea plantation in 1958
දිස්ත්රික්ක කිහිපයක වෙනදා සිදු කරන ලද අහඹු PCR පරීක්ෂණ වහාම නවත්වන්නැයි දන්වා ඇතැයි මහජන සෞඛ්ය පරීක්ෂකවරුන්ගේ සංගමය සඳහන් කරයි.
එහි සභාපති උපුල් රෝහණ මහතා සඳහන් කරන්නේ දැනට දිස්ත්රික් මට්ටමින් කරගෙන යමින් තිබූ අහඹු පරීක්ෂණ නවත්වන්නැයි බලධාරීන් විසින් දන්වා ඇති බවත් එය ඉතා කණගාටුදායක තත්ත්වයක් බවත්ය.
මෙහි අරමුණ වන්නේ ආසාදිතයන් වාර්තා වීම අවම ලෙස පෙන්නුම් කිරීම බවද ඔහු පැවසීය.
ඉදිරි දින කිහිපයේදී ආසාදිතයන් තවත් වැඩි වශයෙන් වාර්තා වනු ඇතැයි ද පැවසු ඔහු මෙම අහඹු පරීක්ෂණ නවත්වන්නැයි දැනුම්දී ඇත්තේ එම ඉහල වාර්තා වීම අඩු කිරීමට බවද ඔහු පැවසීය.
නමුත් මෙම තීරණය හමුවේ සිදුවිය හැක්කේ තවත් වසංගතය තීව්ර වීම බව ද පැවසූ ඔහු පරීක්ෂණ කට්ටල වල හිගයක් ඇත්තේ නම් ජනතාව දැනුවත් කළ යුතු බවද පැවසීය.62,368 views
Sri Lanka follows an independent foreign policy, will never bend to outside pressures, Chinese media quoted Mr. Rajapaksa.
Sri Lanka has prioritised developing relations with China and firmly supports” China’s positions on issues concerning its core interests, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa told Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defence Wei Fenghe, according to Chinese state media.
The Sri Lankan President said his country has been pursuing an independent foreign policy and will never bend to pressure from major powers outside the region as well as never forge an alliance with any country,” Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka and China vowed to enhance pragmatic cooperation in all sectors, including the military”. While specifics of the enhanced military ties are yet to emerge, Senior Sri Lankan Defence officials and the visiting Chinese delegation signed a ‘Military Assistance Protocol’, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement issued after the top Chinese official’s departure Thursday morning.
Thanking China for providing long-term and precious” support to Sri Lanka, President Rajapaksa said he hoped to learn from the Communist Party of China’s governance experience on poverty alleviation and rural revitalisation, Xinhua said in its report.
General Wei, in his talks with the Sri Lankan leadership, seems to have reiterated his message in Dhaka on Tuesday slamming powers from outside the region” for forging military alliances in South Asia. Chinese state media quoted General Wei as telling the Sri Lankan leadership: Certain major countries are keen to form cliques and factions and seek regional hegemony, which goes against people’s shared aspiration and severely harms the interests of the regional countries. China appreciates Sri Lanka’s independent and non-aligned policy and will make joint efforts with Sri Lanka to strengthen coordination and safeguard regional peace and tranquility.”
His apparent attack on the India-U.S.-Australia-Japan Quad grouping echoed reservations voiced by Sri Lanka earlier. Speaking in a webinar in October last year, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage had said: We are observing the rise of Quad as an exclusive military alliance. That is the problem. If Quad is aiming at economic revival, there are no issues.”
The Chinese Minister also held talks with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister on Wednesday. PM Mahinda Rajapaksa said in tweet that he thanked China for extending vaccines to Sri Lanka. We also discussed post-pandemic economic recovery and steps to be taken to ensure economic stability,” he said.
Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Gopal Baglay called on PM Rajapaksa on Thursday, the mission said in a tweet. High Commissioner called on Hon’ble PM @PresRajapaksa. He thanked the Sri Lankan leadership for their solidarity with #India,especially at this time of #COVID19 pandemic. He sought guidance of Hon’ble PM in taking bilateral relations in all spheres with even greater momentum,” said the tweet of the meeting, held just after the Chinese official’s visit. It comes a day after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa wrote to PM Narendra Modi, expressing concern about the Covid19 surge in India, while offering special Buddhist prayers for the people of India.
Six Grama Niladhari Divisions in Trincomalee District have been placed under isolation order with immediate effect, says the Commander of Sri Lanka Army General Shavendra Silva.
Thereby, the following Grama Niladhari Divisions will be isolated until further notice:
Uppuveli police area:
• Sumedagampura GN Division
Trincomalee police area:
• Moodovi GN Division
• Koviladi GN Division
• Linga Nagar GN Division
China Bay police area:
• Kavattikuda GN Division
• China Bay GN Division
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa says he will take up the challenge of making Sri Lanka the first country in the world to eliminate the use of chemical fertilizers, without taking a step back on the decision to end the use of chemical fertilizers in the country.
The President said the fact that no country in the world has abandoned the use of chemical fertilizers is not an obstacle to achieve this goal. The President urged everyone to get together to educate the farmers to create a healthy generation by taking it to the field, without limiting it to mere talk.
The President made this observation at a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (29) to raise awareness on the ban on import of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and their use, the Presidents Media Division reported.
The government must ensure the right of the people to a toxic-free diet in order to create a healthy and productive citizen. It is also a pledge made in the National Policy Framework Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour” to accelerate the production of organic fertilizers in the next decade so that only organic fertilizer will be used in the agricultural field of Sri Lanka.”
The 20-member Cabinet Memorandum was presented to the Cabinet of Ministers recently with the aim of creating a green socio-economic model of sustainable solutions to climate change, laying the foundation for making this a reality, he was quoted as saying by the PMD.
Sri Lanka has spent USD 221 million in 2019 on chemical fertilizer imports. With the rise in prices of oil, that cost will be increased by an amount between USD 300-400 million.”
President Rajapaksa pointed out that despite the large expenditures on chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, there has been no qualitative increase in agricultural production.
He added: Reduced yields as a result of infertility of soil and the destruction of biodiversity can be witnessed. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides pollutes rivers and streams and poses a serious challenge to quality drinking water supply. The Government expenditure with regard to a number of non- communicable diseases, including kidney disease and cancer, is rising every year. The loss of livelihoods of the people living in rural areas, deteriorating health conditions and the declining of people’s productivity have become challenges the country is facing today.
Issues and complications may occur at the launch of the programme. But the implementation of a sustainable green socio-economic pattern should not be delayed. We need to identify the perfect solutions to the problems that emerge. Farmers may assume that giving up on chemical fertilizers will reduce the yield.” If it does, the President guaranteed that the Rs. 50 billion spent annually on chemical fertilizers will be used to recover their loss.
Personnel with a proper training and knowledge are required to implement the programme. The warm feeling towards the country and the environment is equally important. The President also said that there is no obstacle for those who are reluctant or have different ideas about the programme to leave it at the very beginning. The President said that he was prepared to personally reach out to the farming community to overcome the challenges.
The President also stated that the government will directly intervene to provide all necessary facilities to encourage the production of organic fertilizer at the district level.
Objections could arise in this regard as it is a sensitive matter for most engaged in agriculture. Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, Head of the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival, noted that the goal could be easily accomplished through the contribution of religious leaders, organizations affiliated to farmers, professionals, researchers, government officials, the media and all other relevant parties.
Mr. Basil Rajapaksa highlighted the need to expand the organic fertilizer market in a manner that would be convenient for the farmer.
MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero, Dr. Ven. Kirinde Assaji Thero, Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, State Ministers D.B. Herath, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, S. Viyalendran, MPs Manjula Dissanayake, Anupa Pasqual, Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera, government officials, researchers, organic fertilizer manufacturers and representatives from organizations affiliated to farming were present at the discussion.
-PMD
he Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has taken measures to seal off a local coconut oil manufacturing company after it was confirmed its products contain the highly carcinogenic substance Aflatoxin.
Further, the coconut oil stocks that the company had released to the market have been removed by the CAA.
Following the recent controversy concerning the presence of Aflatoxin in imported unrefined coconut oil, the authorities have obtained samples of coconut oil products in the markets for testing.
The test results have revealed that the carcinogen Aflatoxin was discovered in the coconut oils samples obtained from the products of a local brand.
Speaking in this regard, State Minister of Co-operative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection Lasantha Alagiyawanna said the company was informed to withdraw its products from the market after receiving the results on 7 samples tested in the labs of Peradeniya University.
The CAA is taking the necessary steps to proceed with legal action against the company, he added.
Meanwhile, Director of CAA Asela Bandara, addressing the media reports on the brand in question, confirmed that the brand in question is a leading coconut oil manufacturer in the country called N-Joy.
The Director General of Health Services announced that all religious congregational activities will be prohibited until further notice due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country.
Meanwhile the maximum number of persons allowed to gather at any place of worship has been reduced to 25. Previously the maximum number of persons allowed at religious places had been 50.
Issuing a media release, the DG of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena states that based on the risks of the current Covid-19 situation, amendments have been made to the restrictions on activities of religious places of worship.
It said that the Ministry of Health has decided to further control the public gatherings due to the increase in the number of daily Covid-19 cases.
Accordingly, congregational activities and meetings are prohibited at all places of religious worship until further notice while the number of devotees allowed enter these premises at any given time should be limited to 50% of the maximum space available and a maximum of 25 persons at a time.
I read an article published in Daily News on 28.04.2021 ‘World Military Spending Rises to the US $ 2 Trillion by Thalif Deen. The article was concluded quoting a statement US Secretary-General, Bank-Ki Moon, ‘the world is over-armed, and peace is underfunded.’ My question is could last a funded peace in the modern world? The best example is since the beginning of the LTTE issue the peace of Sri Lanka had become a funded peace that has not been succeeded, could we still believe in a funded peace?
The book, Mahavamsa, describes a peace effort of Lord Buddha between two groups in Sri Lanka that had been not a funded peace and lasting forever and ever. Do we need a funded peace or genuine peace between ethnic communities is the major question we should ask ourselves and different communities? There are people in the UN that they are desperately looking for brokering a peace deal with intention of making money. This is called a funded peace. After ending the LTTE war people of Sri Lanka that many reconciliations and funded peace deals.
I can remember Mr. Talif Dean also worked in a newspaper in Sri Lanka was he an agent of funded peace in Sri Lanka. In addition, Mr.Iqbal Athas and other journalists manured for funded peace. I don’t know people need to judge it. Geneva Issue against Sri Lanka also seems like a funded peace deal rather than a genuine peace process.
How much money was spent on peace deals in Sri Lanka and the people of the country know that funded peace was not successful and Geneva brokers looking on money than making genuine steps for long-lasting peace as Lord Buddha did in history?
Wonderfull friendship. Let it long last for ever for the benefit of our two Nations. The opponents of our “Maathruboomiya” are crying foul about the Colombo Port City Project and slandering the government with false publicity, backed by a media that is controlled by unscrupulous business magnates who are the “gatekeepers of the media” bombarding “media metaphors” to stall the progress of our nation forward to suit the Western Powers/selfish agendas and stop our people marching forward with development and progress, peace and harmony.
This has to be confronted upfront by the goverment, by any means, within the “Rule of Law”. A suggestion – HE. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa should discuss with the visiting Chinese Defence Minister to arrange all parliamentarians, including the opposition ones to visit the $. 46 billion “KARAKORAM HIGHWAY PROJECT” (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor – CPEC.), named the “Eighth Wonder of the world” by the internationl media, in Pakistan.
All these MP’s should be given a tour of this wonderfull highway project and the allied infrastructure projects that are being developed in accordence with this “CPEC” project. If Sri Lanka journalists and media personnel are included, that will help a lot in bringing forth a concrete “Political Communication” publicity of print, audio and visual, electronically to the masses of our “Maathruboomiya” who are being misled by the “anti-China friendship” propaganda that has been let loose by the Western allied opposition in our country.
This will give an insight of the benefits that Pakistan is gaining economically and socially and the 11 – 14 billion sterling pounds of trade that is happening because of this project annually, even though the project is still to be finally completed. The visitors should travel the full length of the of the “KARAKORAM HIGHWAY PROJECT” from Pakistan to China to gain the best insight and knowledge of what China’s friendship project has contributed to the infrastructure, socio-economic and social welfare development of Pakistan.
The two-way road (known as Karakoram Highway and China-Pakistan Friendship Highway) is 1.300km (810 miles) long running through disputed Kashmir from Hassan Abdal (a small town near Rawalpindi and Islamabad) to Kashgar, in Xinjiang province, Western China – Pakistan: 887 km (551 miles) and China: 413 km (257 miles). It is said to be the highest paved international road in the world running between Western China and Pakistan. It’s the road to paradise if you like exploring the mountains. It’s once in a lifetime road trip for adventure lovers.
It has been built jointly by Pakistani and Chinese engineers, technicians and workers as a joint workforce of brothers. The highway was a joint Pakistani and Chinese project and required the skills of about 24,000 workers together.
The Colombo Port City Project in Sri Lanka will be a similar successfull project once the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill is approved by parliament.
More over, Sri Lanka should also join the CPEC project as invited by the PM of Pakistan Hon. Imran Khan during his recent visit to Sri Lanka.
26 April 2021
Mr. Khalid Usman
Ward 7 Councillor
City of Markham
101 Town Centre Boulevard
Markham, Ontario, L3R 9W3
cc. Mayor Frank Scarpitti
Dear Councillor Khalid Usman:
Re: Tamil Memorial Monument in Markham’s Ward 7.
Permit me to address the members of the City of Markham’s General Committee through this letter on the above subject.
Ladies and Gentlemen, so here we go again – the Canadian Tamil Blarney Lying Gong Show.
The Tamils who arrived in Canada after the1983 July riots in Sri Lanka, saying that they are running away from discrimination and persecution and begging to be given a home as Convention refugees, have concentrated their homes in the Greater Toronto Area and have brilliantly got almost every Mayor, MP, MPP hook-line-and-sinker into their ‘Net of howling Canadian Political Fools’. Sad it may sound, but it is the truth. Facts are there for all of us to see, so I don’t need to be polite or to be very diplomatic. It is for you to accept or reject my words of ‘crystal-ball caution.’
Notwithstanding what you think of this Tamil community who say they have been discriminated against and persecuted back home, I tell you that 90% of them who got onto the planes at Colombo airport with legitimate passports landed their feet on Canadian soil with no valid travel documents to show the Immigration Officers. Hmmmmm…poor things”, one would say.
The legitimate legal travel documents lost in the plane in an amazing A-B-R-A-C-A-D-A-B-R-A Act by these travellers were all economic refugees. And I bet my last dollar that 90% of them wouldn’t have had a Snowball chance in Hell to enter Canada as legitimate-immigrants if they were considered by the Canadian Immigration to accept them as new immigrants, after their evaluation according to the point system. Not a chance!
This may be a crude and a rude remark after my observations, but that is how it is indeed, and that’s the rub.
Almost all of these Convention Refugees will be on a plane to Sri Lanka after they receive their Canadian passports, and that is proof positive that a lot of them were economic refugees. And they lied their way in.
Are there any of you who want to challenge me on it, Councillor Usman? Take me on!
The Manthra they have used to their advantage was We got votes”. You scratch my back and I will scratch yours with our Tamil bloc votes. Simple and effective.
But, here’s your problem Councillor Usman and the rest of the Members of the City of Markham. You’re dealing with an aggressive Tamil community who will not be satisfied living in a Markham, but will only be satisfied when the City of Markham evolves into the City of Eelam-Makkam one day, and you are now been presented with the precursor for such a City with this motion to erect a Memorial for the Tamils who died during their separatist war in the island Sri Lanka, 8518 (Ottawa to Colombo) miles away. Well… let me surprise you Councillor Usman, in the Tamil terrorist War that Canada aided and abetted, innocent Sinhalese and Muslims were killed too, and do you know by whom Councillor Usman… Ha! by the the most ruthless terrorists in the world, who perfected the suicide body-packs.
They were the Tamil Tigers, aka Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who were Made and military-trained in 32 military camps in Indira Gandhi’s India in the mid-80s.
Where as the City of Markham is home to a large community of Tamil Diaspora-Refugees with over 21,000 living in Markham, who are demanding their right to erect a Memorial for the Tamils who died in a 30-year terrorist war for the want of their Mono-ethnic, separatist, racist Tamil state, Eelam. After 30 years of fighting and over 100,000 deaths they failed, when on 19 May 2009, they were kick-arsed and annihilated when their Sun-God leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, was shot dead through his forehead on the beach-sands of the Nandikadal lagoon on the east coast. Well, when you live by the gun you die by the gun, but Prabhakaran certainly did not die by biting into his cyanide capsule around his neck, which he had ordered every other Tamil Tiger to do so in the field when cornered by the Sri Lankan Armed forces.
If the evolution of a new racist City of Eelam-Makkam, becomes a reality, I say so be it. I couldn’t care 4 strings of spicy dhal-masala wades, in the four Eelam Curry Huts in the four corners of Eelam-Makkam, with a fried shrimp stuck curled at the center, for your Councillors to line-up for a Take Out before you go home. You, after all, have recognized this community to have made ‘significant contributions to business.’ Well, here is one such business as the slogan says …. An Eelam-Wade for your Tummy…is good value for your Money.
But, here is your problem, City of Markham General Committee. You give in and erect a TAMIL TIGER Memorial in the City of Markham, what makes you think that will be the end of such a strange request. What nonsense! You wouldn’t see in it what I see, because all of you are blinded by the thousands of Tamil votes, and caught in the Tamil net of Blithering Canadian Parliamentary Fools. It may sound sad and strange, but that is the Truth.
There is a very good chance that if they get their wish of a Tamil Memorial erected within the borders of Ward 7, there would be nothing to stop this Tamil community wanting a Grotto with their Sun God Prabhakaran erected at every street corner to pay their respect to their Warship Sun God Velupillai Prabhakaran at every morning, noon and night. That will be a hoot, won’t it.!
And I don’t see how you all would want to deny this request and antagonize this Tamil community, when you all want their votes ever so badly to get back your seats in Council, which is also your bread and butter really. A sirloin steak on the dinner plate rather than a Hamburger, That’s how the Markham (Eelam-Makkam) demo-crazy works, isn’t it! This is how this ethnic refugee political game of chess is being played. pitting the two Sri Lankan -Canadian communities, Tamils and Sinhalese, with ‘kick-arse’ anger, on both sides, won’t it! For God’s sake stop this foolishness right now.
Councillor Usman, to please these Eelam-Makkam Tamils, I won’t be surprised even if you let your Tamil community spray paint your Ward 7 sky, a Sinhalese Blood Red, the colour that they loved to spill during the 30-year long separatist War, which is also the colour of the Eelam flag. You give in Councillor Usman, and here is what you are walking into by providing space for the Tamil Memorial in your Ward 7, a Memorial Graveyard for all the once refugee ethnic communities that make up Ward 7 of the City of Markham. It is your choice Councillor Usman. It is up to you and your Mayor, and Councillors to make or break this annoying trend because of the ‘Tamil vote hungry’ stupidity.
Once upon a time, long, long time ago the first whitemen came over, I believe it were the Germans, and plundered the land from the Indigenous people who lived in thousands of hectares of land which makes Markham now. They were the Iroquois, People of the Long House of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Huron Wendat, the Petun and the Neutral. And they lost the names of the land like Hiawatha, Shenandoah, Onanwatgo, Tekakwitha, which were changed by the White plunderers, and the Indigenous people resented it.
You bet the indigenous people who are watching the new phenomenon, a group of Brown people trying to take over Markham surreptitiously,
and will change the names of roads and streets once again of Eelam-Makkam into, Logan Avenue,Thamilchelvan Street, Rathika’s Private, Thileepan Lane, Jaffna A9 Highway, Velupillai Close, Soosai Way and Vaddu-kodai cul-de-sac.
Councillor Usman, you and your Mayor better get ready to make peace with the Iroquois and other ethnic communities that have made Markham their home for donkey’s years, and will resent these rooky Tamil Thambies, taking over what was theirs, to make it the new Tamil City of Eelam-Makkam.
I say to you present Councillors who will support erecting the Tamil Memorial
which is based on a lie, go and drown yourself in a bowl of hot curry porridge
– Kanji, rather than flying kites.
And here is the reason why I started this brief with true-to-my-heart’s-words – the Canadian Tamil Blarney Lying Gong Show.
The proposed motion to erect a Tamil Memorial Monument in Markham is on the premise of a GOD DAMN TAMIL LIE.
And here is Asoka Weerasinghe’s TRUTH.
You stated; Whereas the City of Markham condemns the demolition of a memorial site built in Sri Lanka at Jaffna University in 2019 which was dedicated to the Sri Lankan Tamil civilians who lost their lives in the Mullivaikkal at the end of their 26 yer civil war in Sri Lanka ending in May of 2009.”
WRONG! Shish! What baloney! What a bunch of poppycock! What a crock full of codswallop! I’d like to meet the draughtsman of this Markham Fairy Tale. What a LIE.
This Memorial that you are referring to had been declared as an unauthorized construction by the University Grants Commission which is an independent body and thereafter, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Sivakolandu Srisatkunarajah, who is a member of the Tamil community ordered its demolition on the 8th of January 2021. However, on appeal made by the University students, a replica monument was permitted to be built within the university premises soon after., Councillor Khalid Usman, that is the God Damn Truth.
It is time you at the City of Markham Council cut out this foolishness and get back to your Community political sanity, or else you will end up with a huge Graveyard in Ward 7, of Memorials for victims of terrorist war killings around the world whose peoples have found refuge in Markham. And I will certainly support the Iroquois-indigenous people whose land was indeed plundered by the Whiteman which is now your present Markham, and very like will be the City of Eelam-Makkam in the future,
I wish you luck, Councillor Khalid Usman, and I wish Mayor Frank Scarpetti a double-dose of Good Luck on this issue of the proposal of a Tamil Memorial Monument of insanity.
Sincerely
Asoka Weerasinghe (Mr.)
Hon. Minister, I’m am very happy to welcome you to Sri Lanka. We appreciate your deciding to visit despite the pandemic situation. We have had a number of high-level visits from China since the outbreak of the pandemic. I look forward to our discussion today and the opportunity, through this visit, to further strengthen our already strong and friendly bilateral relations.
At the outset, allow me to convey my warm wishes on the 100th year anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party this year and for all its achievements. It is indeed an important milestone.
Furthermore, let me also congratulate you on your achievements in poverty alleviation. China has uplifted nearly 100 million rural residents out of absolute poverty. And you have accomplished this 10 year in advance of the completion of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal in poverty alleviation. This is an impressive achievement.
Hon. Minister, I think we can agree that it has now become very clear to the entire world that vaccines will be the only way to overcome this pandemic. On that front, on behalf of all Sri Lankans, I extend my sincere appreciation for the generous donation of 600,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines and Personal Protective Equipment since the outbreak of the pandemic. We look forward to China’s continued support in dealing with this crisis.
Despite the increase in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, our Government has decided not to pursue country-wide lockdowns due to the impact such lockdowns have on our economy and society. I’m sure you’ll agree that there is still a lot that needs to be done for post-pandemic economic recovery. One of our main priorities in this effort is to attract investments from around the world. I look forward your support in rebuilding investor confidence in Sri Lanka.
Hon. Minister, I thank you once again for your visit and look forward to working closely with you and your Government to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic and further enhance our cooperation.
ගරු ඇමතිතුමනි, ඔබව ශ්රී ලංකාවට පිළිගැනීමට හැකිවීම ගැන මම ඉතා සතුටු වෙමි. වසංගත තත්ත්වය නොතකා ශ්රී ලංකාවේ සංචාරය කිරීමට ඔබ කළ තීරණය අපි අගය කරමු.
වසංගත තත්ත්වය හමුවේ වුවද චීනයේ ඉහළ පෙළේ දූත පිරිස් අවස්ථා ගණනාවක දී ශ්රී ලංකාවට පැමිණියා. ඔබගේ මෙම සංචාරය සහ හමුවීම තුළින් අපගේ ශක්තිමත් හා මිත්රශීලී ද්විපාර්ශ්වික සබඳතා තවදුරටත් ශක්තිමත් කර ගැනීමට අවස්ථාව ලැබෙනු ඇතැයි මම බලාපොරොත්තු වෙමි.
පළමුවෙන්ම මේ වසරට යෙදෙන චීන කොමියුනිස්ට් පක්ෂයේ 100 වැනි සංවත්සරය සහ එහි සියලු ජයග්රහණ සඳහා මගේ උණුසුම් සුබ පැතුම් පළ කරමි.එය සැබවින්ම ඉතා වැදගත් සන්ධිස්ථානයක්.
තවද, දිළිඳුකම තුරන් කිරීමේ දී චීනය ලබා ඇති ජයග්රහණ පිළිබඳව මම ඔබට සුබ පතමි. චීන රජය මිලියන 100 කට ආසන්න ග්රාමීය වැසියන් මේ වනවිට දරිද්රතාවයෙන් මුදා ගෙන තිබේ. අනෙක් අතට දරිද්රතාවය පිටුදැකීමේ එක්සත් ජනපද ගෝලීය තිරසර සංවර්ධන ඉලක්කයන් වසර 10 කට පෙර සම්පූර්ණ කිරීමට චීනයට හැකි වී තිබේ. මෙය විශිෂ්ට ජයග්රහණයකි.
ගරු ඇමතිතුමනි, මෙම වසංගත තත්ත්වය මගහරවා ගත හැකි එකම ක්රමය එන්නත් කිරීම බව මුළු ලෝකයටම දැන් පැහැදිලි වී තිබේ. කොවිඩ් වසංගතය පැතිර ගිය දා සිට සමස්ත ශ්රී ලාංකිකයන් වෙනුවෙන් චීනය සීනෝෆාම් එන්නත් 600000 ක් සහ සෞඛ්ය ආරක්ෂක උපකරණ ඉතා නොමසුරුව පරිත්යාග කිරීම ඉතා අගය කොට සළකමි. මෙම වසංගත තත්ත්වය සමඟ කටයුතු කිරීමේ දී ඉදිරියටත් චීන රජයේ අඛණ්ඩ සහයෝගය අපි බලාපොරොත්තු වෙමු.
පසුගිය සති කිහිපය තුළ කොවිඩ් 19 ආසාධිතයින් පිරිස වැඩිවුව ද රටේ ආර්ථික හා සමාජයීය බලපෑම සළකා මුළු රටම අගුලු නොදැමීමට රජයක් ලෙස අපි තීරණය කළෙමු. පශ්චාත් වසංගත තත්ත්වයට මුහුණ දීම සඳහා තවත් බොහෝ දේ කළ යුතු බවට ඔබත් එකඟ වන බව මට විශ්වාසයි.
මේ වනවිට අපගේ ප්රමුඛතාවය වී ඇත්තේ ලොව පුරා ආයෝජනයන් ශ්රී ලංකාව කෙරෙහි ආකර්ෂණය කර ගැනීමයි. එවැනි ආයෝජකයින්ගේ විශ්වාසය ශ්රී ලංකාව කෙරෙහි ගොඩනැගීම සඳහා ඔබේ සහයෝගය මම බලාපොරොත්තු වෙමි.
ගරු ඇමතිතුමනි, ඔබගේ මෙම සංචාරය ගැන නැවත වරක් මම ඔබට ස්තූතිවන්ත වන අතර වසංගත තත්ත්වය හමුවේ පැනනගින අභියෝග ජය ගැනීම උදෙසා දැනට පවතින සහයෝගිතාවය වැඩි දියුණු කරගැනීමටත් ඔබ සහ ඔබගේ රජය සමඟ ඉතා සමීපව අඛණ්ඩව කටයුතු කිරීමටත් බලාපොරොත්තු වෙමි.
Uttareethara Sanga Consultant Sabawa for Sri Lankan High Commissioner for India has requested the Maha Sangha to recite the ‘Rathana Sutta’ in every temple in the country on Saturday 01st May with minimum participant for the benefit of the most affected Indian citizen, all the human in the world and finally Sri Lankan in the country in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Issuing a press release, the Uttareethara Sanga Consultant Sabawa, including Ven. Dr. Niyangoda Wijithasiri Anunayaka Thero says that not only our neighbor Country but the entire world is facing a severe crisis due to the epidemic. In such a backdrop, the ‘Rathana Sutta’ is being chanted at many temples in the island, wishing all the people of the world protection from the COVID-19.
Members of the Uttareethara Sanga Consultant Sabawa for Sri Lankan High Commissioner for India is Ven. Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero Ven. Thrikunamale Ananda Maha Nayaka Thero, Ven. Prof. Kotapitiye Rahula Anunayake Thero, Ven. Nadagamuwe Wijayamaithree Anunayaka Thero, Ven. Prof. Madagama Nandhawansa Nayaka Thero, Ven. Balangoda Sobitha Thero, Ven. Thubulle Seelakkanda Thero, Ven. Dr. Ittademaliye Indasara Thero,, Ven. Pallegama Hemaratana Nayaka Thero, Ven. Dr. Walpola Piyananda Nayaka Thero Ven. Prof. Kollupitiye Mahinda Sangharakkhita Nayaka Thero, Ven. Kanaththegoda Saddhaarathana Thero, Ven. Dr. Godagama Mangala Thero, Ven. Muruddeneye Dhammarathana Thero, Ven. Prof. Medagampitiye Wijithadhamma Thero, Ven. Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thero, Ven. Vitharandeniya Nanda Thero, Ven. Pannila Ananda Nayaka Thero
Transcript: After reading Tim Newman’s article, in MNT Newsletter, I was inspired to present this video, because Parkinson’s disease seems to be on the increase among the aging Sri Lankan population. Parkinson’s disease is a condition where the nerves of the brain and the other parts of the nervous system are affected. Symptoms about to be discussed are due to loss of nerve cells. What causes this to happen are not noticeably clear. Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. In the United States, approximately 1.6% of the over 65 group is affected with Parkinson’s disease. In Germany, the standard prevalence was 1680 cases per 100,000 of population. In 2016, an estimated 6.1 million people worldwide had Parkinson’s Disease. The number has doubled in the past 25 years. Data is not available for the incidence in Sri Lanka, but Parkinson’s disease is on the rise as more people with PD are getting registered for follow up clinics. What is the cause or causes of this chronic disabling disease? Let us probe further into this condition to find out how it starts. Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder that affects the nervous system. Its symptoms occur because of low dopamine levels in the brain. What is known is that it is caused due to the death of dopamine secreting neurons in the brain. These cells are found in a specific region of the brain called the substantia nigra. Dopamine is a neuro-transmitter- meaning that it helps to send messages between nerve cells. It is also referred to as a chemical messenger. https://youtu.be/A3vDxzzNbhg Click Website: www.Doctorharold.comIt plays a role in how we feel pleasure. It is the opposite of pain, and the experience that makes you feel good. It makes us aspire a good lifestyle and takes part in our ability to think and plan. It is made in the brain, by converting the amino acid tyrosine to a substance called dopa and then into dopamine. The body makes tyrosine from another amino acid called phenylalanine. Tyrosine is found in dairy products, meats, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, oats, legumes, and wheat. Pork chops, salmon, turkey, and chicken are all rich in tyrosine. Loss of dopamine affect movement, both skeletal muscles and smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract. This can result in slow shuffling gait, muscular stiffness or rigidity, resting tremor, slowness of movement, and slowed peristaltic movements of the bowel. Mostly, there is cognitive impairment or dementia, depression and anxiety, sleep dysfunction, pain, apathy, sexual dysfunction, and bowel incontinence. They have a high incidence of bone thinning and fractures. Also, the sense of smell and taste may be diminished in the early stages. They seem to have a high B vitamin deficiency, and especially when medications like levodopa- carbidopa seem to increase vitamin B6, folate and vit B12. Constipation is quite common in PD or may be due to the treatment. Chronic constipation can lead to fecal impaction and colon cancer. Among farmers, there seems to be a high incidence of PD due to the usage of pesticides. It was also revealed that the persons living in the cluster with vineyards had a higher incidence of PD. In France, vineyards rank among the crops that require most intense pesticide use. Regions with greater presence of vineyards are characterized by higher PD risk; non-professional pesticides exposure is a possible explanation. A new study finds that the number of new cases per year of Parkinson’s disease (PD), and related diseases known as parkinsonism, may have increased over a 30-year period. A possible explanation lies in the dramatic decline in cigarette smoking in recent decades. The research appears in the June 20 online edition of JAMA Neurology. A person with Parkinson’s disease may have clumps of protein known as alpha synuclein, or Lewy bodies, in their brains. The accumulation of Lewy bodies can cause a loss of nerve cells, leading to changes in movement, thinking, behavior, and mood. It can also lead to dementia.An earlier study suggested that smokers may have a reduced risk of PD and speculated that the decrease in smoking could lead to a higher incidence of PD decades later. Recent studies conclude that diets high in animal fat or cholesterol are associated with an increase in risk of Parkinson’s disease, in contrast fat of plant origin does not appear to increase risk. Vegan diet may be protective against PD. When your doctor tells you that you have PD, cycling and golf seem to help. A person with PD can cycle quite steadily. Golf could be a good form of exercise therapy for Parkinson’s, and it is a game that you will like, and helps improve balance. Swinging a golf club demands a high level of balance. The drugs that are given to alleviate symptoms are levodopa (Sinemet), which replenishes dopamine levels. Oxidative Stress One cause of cell loss in the substantia nigra is oxidative stress. Sesame seed extract shows promise for Parkinson’s, Sesame seed husks, a waste product from the manufacture of sesame seed oil, are rich in the antioxidant sesaminol. Scientists have found that sesaminol protects nerve cells in laboratory cultures from damage and prevents Parkinson’s symptoms in an animal model of the disease and reduces oxidative stress factor. Clinical trials are necessary to determine whether the antioxidant can prevent Parkinson’s or slow its progression in humans. This led Dr. Kojima-Yuasa and colleagues to investigate whether sesaminol, a powerful antioxidant, could prevent nerve cell death in a model of Parkinson’s. Sesaminol, is found in abundance in sesame seed husks, which are a waste product from the industrial extraction of sesame oil. The protective effect of feeding with small amount of sesaminol, is suitable for use as preventive treatment for Parkinson’s disease. So, the bottom line is that, if you or a loved one shows early signs of Parkinson’s Disease, in addition to taking medication prescribed by your doctor, it is advised to start playing golf, cycle, joining clubs to socialize, dance and be merry. There is much ongoing research for Parkinson’s disease, and I have not gone into that, because they are still in the experimental stages. Hope you like this video talk.Take care Goodbye for now
A huge crowd attended the festival at the Sri Kamakshi Amman Kovil temple in Tamil-dominated Jaffna without maintaining social distance or wearing face masks.PTI |
Top officials of a Hindu temple in Sri Lanka have been arrested for holding a festival despite a ban on large gatherings amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, according to a media report.
A huge crowd attended the festival at the Sri Kamakshi Amman Kovil temple in Tamil-dominated Jaffna without maintaining social distance or wearing face masks, the Colombo Gazette newspaper reported.
Police said that the Chairman and Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the temple have been arrested for holding the event despite a ban.
Such large events have been banned by the Government until May 31.
Last week, the government announced that tuition classes, parties and public gatherings have been banned until May 31st after Sri Lanka was placed on Alert Level 3 following the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
Health officials have warned of a potential surge to follow the traditional new year festivals in mid-April.
According to new health guidelines, casinos, night clubs and beach parties have also been temporarily banned.
The Attorney General has filed indictments in the Puttalam High Court under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Terrorist Financing Act against six accused of collecting explosives and maintaining an explosive manufacturing base in Wanathawilluwa in 2019 January.
He requested the Chief Justice for a Trial at Bar to try Mohammed Mufees, Mohammed Hamas, Ibrahim Mohammed Naufar, Mohammed Sajid, Ibrahim Sadeeq Abdullah, and Gaffoor Mama along with the deceased Zaharan Hasim and Mohammed Hasthun.
Sri Lanka and China agreed to enhance defence cooperation, particularly in terms of high level exchanges and training, informed sources said.
The enhancement of defence ties and other bilateral cooperation were discussed when visiting Chinese National Defence Minister Wei Fenghe held talks with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today.
According to informed sources, Sri Lanka was appreciative of China’s cooperation.
Before his arrival in Sri Lanka, he visited Bangladesh and met with the top political and military leaders there. He is the second top ranked official from China to visit Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the pandemic after foreign policy chief Yang Jiechi visited the island last October.(Kelum Bandara)
Mutations specific to UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.7) have been detected in Sri Lanka, says Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, Director of Allergy, Immunity and Cell Biology Unit of Sri Jayewardenepura University.
Addressing during a special media briefing on Wednesday (April 28), he said the mutations were discovered in the samples obtained from Colombo, Boralesgamuwa and Kurunegala areas.
This confirms that B.1.1.7 is the currently circulating strain in Sri Lanka, responsible for the ongoing massive outbreak, Dr. Jeewandara noted.
Speaking further, he explained that this variant has a 50% increase in transmissibility and 55% increase in death as opposed to other variants.
However, the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine which is currently being rolled out in the country is effective against the B.1.1.7 variant, he stated on a more positive note.
This highly contagious variant, which was first found in Kent of southern England last December, is also dominating the virus transmissions across Europe and North America at present.
With a spike in COVID infections, Sri Lanka’s daily cases count stayed above the grim milestone of 1,000 for the second consecutive day on Wednesday (April 28).
The Health Ministry initially confirmed 988 new coronavirus-positive cases earlier today, and 463 more later in the day.
Following the new development, the island nation has recorded 1,466 fresh cases of coronavirus within the day, marking the highest single-day spike in positive cases.
Government Information Department said 32 of the new infections were from the prison cluster, 15 were arrivals from foreign countries and the remaining 1,419 were associates of the Peliyagoda cluster.
According to official figures, Sri Lanka’s confirmed coronavirus cases count now stands at 104,953 and 9,209 active cases are still under medical care at treatment centres and hospital.
Number of patients who recovered from the virus infection meanwhile sits at 95,083.
Sri Lanka has also witnessed 661 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.
Six new COVID-related deaths were reported in Sri Lanka on Wednesday (April 28), says the Director-General of Health Services.
Following the confirmation of latest coronavirus victims, the country’s death toll now stands at 661.
According to the particulars released by the Government Information Department, the details of the victims are as follows:
01. A 56-year-old man from Pallegama area: He died on April 25 while receiving treatment at the Mawanella Base Hospital. The cause of death was identified as COVID pneumonia.
02. A 45-year-old woman from Weerapokuna area: She was diagnosed with novel coronavirus while receiving medical care at the District General Hospital in Chilaw. She was then moved to the Homagama Base Hospital where she died on April 27. COVID pneumonia and sepsis were cited as the cause of death.
03. A 72-year-old man from Haliela area: He was transferred from Badulla General Hospital to Theldeniya Base Hospital where he died on April 28 due to acute COVID pneumonia.
04. A 65-year-old woman from Mawanella area: After testing positive for novel coronavirus, she was transferred from Mawanella Base Hospital to Sir John Kotelawala Defence University Hospital where she died on April 23. The cause of death was recorded as heart failure aggravated due to COVID infection.
05. A 66-year-old man from Nittambuwa area: He died on April 24 at Wathupitiwala Base Hospital after suffering from COVID lung infection.
06. A 69-year-old man from Wattala area: He passed away on April 27, while undergoing treatment at the National Hospital for Respiratory Diseases in Welisara. The cause of death was recorded as COVID pneumonia.
Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe is currently holding bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, says the Premier’s Media Division.
During the meeting, PM Rajapaksa has appreciated China for donating 600,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Sri Lanka to help the fight against the pandemic situation. We look forward to China’s continued support in dealing with this crisis,” he said further.
Speaking further, the Premier explained that, despite the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, Sri Lankan government has decided not to pursue countrywide lockdowns due to the impact such lockdowns have on the island’s economy and society.
There is still a lot that needs to be done for post-pandemic economic recovery,” PM Rajapaksa said noting that one the government’s main priorities in this effort is to attract investments from around the world. Sri Lanka looks forward to China’s support in rebuilding investor confidence in the island, the Premier told the Chinese Defence Minister.
The prime minister conveyed his warm wishes on the 100th year anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party this year and for all its achievements. China has uplifted nearly 100 million rural residents out of absolute poverty. And you have accomplished these 10 years in advance of the completion of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal in poverty alleviation. This is an impressive achievement.”
The Chinese defence minister also called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa earlier today (April 28). Commenting on the meeting with the President, General Wei Fenghe has stated that the bilateral discussions were extremely fruitful. He also stated that relations between the two nations were further strengthened by this visit.
The Chinese defence minister arrived in Sri Lanka last night (April 27) on a two-day official visit.
Upon arrival, General Wei Fenghe was received by a Sri Lankan Defence delegation led by Defence Ministry Secretary, Gen. (Rtd.) Kamal Gunaratne at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).
The visiting Chinese delegation had arrived in a special aircraft and was welcomed in keeping with Sri Lankan traditions at the BIA.
The visit and the reception had been organised in accordance with the healthcare guidelines and ‘Air Bubble’ concept to prevent the spread of coronavirus, according to the government.
The World Health Organization said Tuesday that a variant of COVID-19 feared to be contributing to a surge in coronavirus cases in India has been found in over a dozen countries.
The UN health agency said the B.1.617 variant of COVID-19 first found in India had as of Tuesday been detected in over 1,200 sequences uploaded to the GISAID open-access database from at least 17 countries”.
Most sequences were uploaded from India, the United Kingdom, USA and Singapore,” the WHO said in its weekly epidemiological update on the pandemic.
The WHO recently listed B.1.617 — which counts several sub-lineages with slightly different mutations and characteristics — as a variant of interest”.
But so far it has stopped short of declaring it a variant of concern”.
That label would indicate that it is more dangerous that the original version of the virus by for instance being more transmissible, deadly or able to dodge vaccine protections.
India is facing surging new cases and deaths in the pandemic, and fears are rising that the variant could be contributing to the unfolding catastrophe.
The explosion in infections in India — 350,000 new cases were recorded there on Tuesday alone — has driven a surge in global cases to 147.7 million.
The virus has now killed more than 3.1 million people worldwide.
The WHO acknowledged that its preliminary modelling based on sequences submitted to GISAID indicates that B.1.617 has a higher growth rate than other circulating variants in India, suggesting potential increased transmissibility”.
It stressed that other variants circulating at the same time were also showing increased transmissibility, and that the combination may be playing a role in the current resurgence in this country.”
Indeed, studies have highlighted that the spread of the second wave has been much faster than the first,” the WHO said.
It highlighted though that other drivers” could be contributing to the surge, including lax adherence to public health measures as well as mass gatherings.
Further investigation is needed to understand the relative contribution of these factors,” it said.
The UN agency also stressed that further robust studies” into the characteristics of B.1.617 and other variants, including impacts on transmissibility, severity and the risk of reinfection, were urgently needed”.
Source: AFP
-Agencies
Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe, today called on Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for a bilateral discussion at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo this morning.
The Chinese Defence Minister was received by the Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera and Foreign Secretary Admiral (Retd.) Prof. Jayanath Colombage, upon arriving at the Presidential Secretariat.
General Wei Fenghe said the bilateral discussions held with the President were extremely fruitful and also said the relations between the two nations were further strengthened by this visit.
Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe placed a note on the Book for Special Guests to mark the meeting with the President.
Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, Deputy Chief of staff of Joint Staff Department under the China’s Central Military Commission Lieutenant General Shao Yuanming, Major General Ci Guowei and Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera participated in the discussion.
The Chinese defence minister had arrived in Sri Lanka last night on a two-day official visit.
The high-ranking Chinese official is also expected to meet Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today (28) for a discussion before leaving the country tomorrow morning (29).
General Wei Fenghe was received by a Sri Lankan Defence delegation led by Defence Ministry Secretary Gen. (Rtd.) Kamal Gunaratne at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), upon arrival in the island last night.
The visiting Chinese delegation had arrived in a special aircraft and was welcomed in keeping with Sri Lankan traditions at the BIA.
The visit and the reception had been organised in accordance with the healthcare guidelines and ‘Air Bubble’ concept to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the government said.
Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander Gen. Shavendra Silva, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, Air Force Chief of Staff Air Vice Marshal Prasanna Payoe, Chinese Embassy Officials and Senior Military Officers were also present to receive General Fenghe.
MUMBAI (AFP) – Airfares soared and demand for private jets boomed Friday (April 23) as Indians who could afford it scrambled to escape a Covid-19 surge before flights to the United Arab Emirates shut down.
All flights from the UAE to India – one of the world’s busiest air corridors – will be suspended from Sunday as coronavirus cases in the South Asian nation reach record levels and overwhelm hospitals.
Price comparison websites showed one-way commercial flights from Mumbai to Dubai on Friday and Saturday costing as much as 80,000 rupees (S$1,400), around 10 times the usual rate.
Tickets for the New Delhi to Dubai route were going for more than 50,000 rupees, five times the normal level.
No tickets were on offer from Sunday, when the 10-day flight suspension comes into force.
For private jets, the amount of interest was “absolutely crazy”, a spokesman for charter company Air Charter Service India told AFP.
“We have 12 flights going to Dubai tomorrow and each flight is completely full,” the spokesman said.
“I’ve fielded almost 80 enquiries for flying to Dubai today alone,” said a spokesman for Enthral Aviation, another provider.
“We have requested more aircraft from abroad to meet the demand… It costs US$38,000 (S$50,000) to hire a 13-seater jet from Mumbai to Dubai, and US$31,000 to hire a six-seater aircraft,” he told AFP.
“People are making groups and arranging to share our jets just to get a seat… We’ve had some queries for Thailand but mostly the demand is for Dubai.”
About 300 commercial flights a week usually operate between the UAE and India, according to local media.
The UAE is home to roughly 3.3 million Indians, who make up a third of the population – most of them in Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the federation.
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority said those coming from India through other countries must stay in that third destination for at least 14 days.
UAE nationals and passengers in private jets are exempt from that requirement. Cargo flights are not affected.
On Friday, a ban on arrivals to Britain from India also came into force, except for British and Irish citizens or third-country nationals with residency rights.
One-way flights from Mumbai or Delhi to London on Friday were priced at between 100,000 and 150,000 rupees, at least double the usual rate when booking at short notice.
Seats on routes to the United States were still available but with prices substantially higher, in some cases almost double the normal fare.
IS HE AN IMAGE OF THE LATE KING BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ OF THAILAND WHO SAID DURING HIS RULE THAT THERE WAS MUCH TO DO AT HOME.
HE. Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the image of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand (ninth king of the Chakkri dynasty (1950–2016), who said during his rule that there was too much to do at home. He was content to trudge through croplands in distant provinces in an open-neck shirt and sport coat, tending to the many development projects he encouraged and oversaw: milk-pasteurizing plants, dams that watered rice fields, factories that recycled sugar-cane stalks and water hyacinths into fuel, and countless others.
Today Sri Lanka, our “MAATHRUBOOMIYA” has got a President and Leader – like King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand who is “TRUDGING” the villages of the the most remote Divisional Secretariat Divisions of our “MAATHRUBOOMIYA” Sri Lanka to implement and monitor the development projects the president had initiated in these villages at the request of the people.
The bigest threat to the “PEOPLES” welbeing and “DEVELOPMENT” of our “MAATHRUBOOMIYA” is not terrorism or extremism as it seems. IT IS THE CORRUPT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS OF PUBLIC SERVICES IN THE COUNTRY.
HE. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, should NOT fear the 1.3 million odd public/government servants because they may retaliate if the president takes action against them or strike and cripple the economy/country, but like how the president eradicate the ruthless LTTE in 2009 during his tenure as Secretary of Defence in the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime, wage war against these corrupt officials and rid the country of this menace once and for all. Those patriotic government officials/servants who love their “MAATHRUBOOMIYA” should come forward to help the president do this. The president has just 31/2 year left of his Presidency. The president should make it a “TOP PRIORITY” to rid corruption in the country during this balance period.
The people will vote the present government and the president again at the next elections, if the president will fulfill this inner “DESIRE” of our NATION. Even the humble voters supporting the opposition, JVP, SJB, TNA, SLMC & ACMC will give their votes to the president to continue this “NOBLE” task for the benefit of our “NEXT GENERATION”.
The people and the government officials and all parliamentarians should extend their fullest support to his development programmes with out putting politics and party affiliations and importance for “SELFISH” reasons. The country should be in their foremost thoughts. The Gama Samaga Pilisandara’ programme of the President should be made a success.
The prat-fallen and shameless Jeppo leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who was mainly responsible from 2015 to 2020 for all the ravages, hardships, and torments suffered by the people of this country due to his utterly disgraceful servitude to protect his Ranil Haamu and his destructive government keeps on holding meetings just in a vain attempt to project that he is a valid politician in this country by making mischievous and scornful allegations against the government.
This member of the gang of robbers who ferociously snatched away the ID cards, gold jewelry, and money from the people during their horrendous rule from 87-90 and still audaciously celebrate these atrocities in the despicable name of Ilviriu Semarumaruma” in the month of November every year has that this government is run by a ‘Ring of Thieves’ that is bleeding the country’s coffers dry and embezzling billions of rupees in kickbacks while thousands of rural schools around the island lack basic toilet facilities and citizens are killing themselves unable to repay predatory loans. One pertinent question to ask him before proceeding further is from where he got funds to buy the alleged house and property in Ireland where property prices are reported to be very high? *
The traditional Red Shirt is no more – perhaps left in Ireland
As he has suddenly fallen from an alien planet and was not in this country from 2015 to 2020, he has said that the People in this country are starving. There are invalids unable to afford their medication, farmers losing their livelihoods and homes because of the human-elephant conflict, people are paying with their lives because of predatory loan schemes. Meanwhile, the people’s wealth is being embezzled, These were the malaise that existed in this country between 2015 toc2020 which were oblivious to this former Gonibilla as he was enjoying the comforts of Temple Trees office and was traveling in chauffer driven SUVs.
This alleged Gonibilla seems to be very angry and ferocious about the report of the Presidential Commission, led by Supreme Court Judge Upali Abeyratne, which has remended that Dissanayake and several leading opposition MPs be stripped of their civic rights for their role in an ‘anti-corruption committee’ established by former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to supervise action on high profile corruption cases in the 2005-2014 period.
Mocking the recommendation by the Abeyratne Commission that his civic rights should be stripped for his participation and leadership” in the Anti-Corruption Committee, Dissanayake said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa could roll up the threat and shove it.”Whether they appoint 8 or 9 commissions, throw me in any number of prisons or even kill me on the streets, he has said that he will never end his battle against this corruption. Speaking in the parliament he has admitted that on the invitation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe he attended the Anti-Corruption Committee meetings to give information.
Continuing venting out his fury on the Abeyratne Commission he has said that based on its mandate, the Commission to investigate political victimisation could only entertain complaints from public officials, armed forces and police personnel and personnel at state institutions.
Who did they eventually entertain complaints from? The Avant-Garde Mudalali, Udyanga Weeratunga, Jaliya Wickremasuriya, Rohitha Bogollagama – how are these people, public officials?” Dissanayake charged.
Dissanayake has further stated that he took the Commission to court for investigating a complaint about a case that was an ongoing trial before the High Court. The JVP leader filed an action in the Court of Appeal against the Commission for summoning him to testify in a complaint lodged by Avant-Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi. He has said that he went to the Court of Appeal against the Commission to complain about its decision to entertain the complaint by Avant-Garde Chairman. The Commission sent an official to the Court who provided an undertaking to the Court of Appeal that until the Avant-Garde trial was concluded the Commission would not summon me for an inquiry-based on the Avant-Garde complaint,” Dissanayake revealed.
But when the Commission issued its report, Dissanayake said his name had been listed as an accused in the Avant-Garde complaint. Upholding Senadhipathi’s complaint, the Commission recommended that Dissanayake and a host of others, including Navy officers that the Avant-Garde chairman has accused of victimizing him, be prosecuted and punished under the Penal Code of Sri Lanka.
After shamefully carrying out scavenger work for almost five years thinking that Rajapaksas will never come back to power m this country the Jeppo leader has never expected that he will have to face a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on political victimization and he will be grilled by this PCoI about the bizarre misdeeds he and his acolytes carried out against JO MPs and their family members and their activists by imprisoning them on feigned and bogus allegations. Some JO members had to languish in prisons for almost three months and the former Minister Johmstomn Fermamdo had to face 12 Court cases against him. The Jeppo leader and his hooligans made much rejoicing over the misery faced by these victimized JO members.
As it says that every action has a reaction the table has been turned on them now and this Jeppo leader seems to be extremely furious about the determinations that have been made by the PCoI. In a fiery speech in Parliament on 23rd April 2021 the Jeppo leader has condemned what he called the highly suspect behavior and conduct of the Presidential Commission on Political Victimization, and the ludicrous manner in which it exonerated crooks and criminals associated with the President and his family
He has said that in 75 days, the Commission had investigated 136 complaints and in 78 such complaints, the Pissu Poosa Commission” (he has borrowed the term from the ultra-racist MP C.V.Wigneswaran) recommended exonerating and acquitting some Rajapaksa family members, military officials and political associates – even those against whom criminal trials are currently underway in the courts of law.
Among those whose trials the Government is seeking to terminate on the basis of the PCoI recommendations he has said were Nalaka Godahewa and Udaya Gammanpila and the two MPs would perform the unprecedented and historic action of raising their hands to vote in support of ending their own judicial proceedings and has alleged that the Commission has gone to many lengths to accommodate complaints from Government affiliated stooges.
The Jeppo leader has further stated that although the Commission was mandated to conclude accepting complaints on March 7, 2020, seven months after this deadline, and mere weeks before the Commission handed over its report to the President, the Commission heard two complaints, submitted on October 25, 2020, by Mr. Nadesan, a Rajapaksa in law, and on October 23, 2020, Yoshitha Rajapaksa lodged a complaint with the Commission. On the 26th, 27th, and 28th of October, the cases were heard.
Dissanayake alleged that the Commission had summoned Senior State Counsel Janaka Bandara for questioning. He said that these are trials that are ongoing in our courts of law and for the first time ever a Commission has begun to investigate those trials.
Dissanayake said that the Commission’s recommendation, brought before the Parliament through the Prime Minister’s Resolution, was to end judicial proceedings in 78 cases, and of these, eight were ongoing trials in the High Court. One of the MPs in Parliament had spent an hour explaining a case in which he had been a lawyer, but all of these facts could be presented in a court of law.
Dissanayake listed the cases set for termination which were just reputation of news items and articles that appeared in the media many times earlier and in conclusion, he said that the JVP’s fight was against corruption. However, he failed to mention or deliberately avoided giving reasons why they not only remained silent but even collaborated in corruption and malpractices during the Sirisena/Ranil rule from January 2015 onwards.
Meanwhile, testifying before the PCoI on political victimization on 28th September 2020, the JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake in an apparent betrayal of his cherished and beloved Ranil Haamu, stated that the statement made by former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe about the Anti-Corruption Committee was completely untrue. Testifying before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Political Victimization when the complaint lodged by the former Divi Neguma Director General Kithsiri Ranawaka was heard on 28th September 2020 Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the evidence given by the former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe before the Commission that the Anti-Corruption Committee was set up with the approval of the National Executive Council was false. He denied seeing the relevant cabinet paper before but added that he had noted a mentioning of a cabinet memorandum in the file of Dr. Nihal Jayatilleke and has added that no such cabinet paper was presented at any of his meetings.
He further stated that nowhere in the testimony of the former Prime Minister does it say who presented it to the National Executive Council.
He has explained that the President is the head of the National Executive Council and if it is approved by the National Executive Council, it should go through the President and no such document was submitted to the National Executive Council.
Responding to a question raised by the Chairman of the Commission, former Supreme Court Judge Upali Abeyratne, Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that he cannot read the mind of the former Prime Minister so well, no one can and he cannot say what the Prime Minister was trying to convey to the Cabinet by applying such a word with the approval of the National Executive Council” to the Cabinet Paper.
Responding to a question asked by his lawyer whether there was a suggestion to grant him membership of a committee such as the Anti-Corruption Committee or to say that he was not reluctant to be appointed to such a committee, Dissanayake said that there could be two interpretations. It could be said that the Anti-Corruption Committee was set up with the approval of the National Executive Council or that it was not me, the National Executive Council set up the Anti-Corruption Committee.”
In further response, Dissanayake said whether there was a suggestion to grant him membership of a committee such as the Anti-Corruption Committee or to say that he was not reluctant to be appointed to such a committee, he was not aware of any facts regarding his appointment as the Coordinator of the Anti-Corruption Committee Quick Response Committee and that he never represented or coordinated it.
As India battles the devastating second wave of COVID-19 pandemic with the nation clocking more than 3 lakh cases every day and making a new high in single day spike of COVID-19 infections, the US government has decided to lift the export ban on the essential raw materials required by the vaccine manufacturer in India for production of COVID-19 vaccine.
This development comes as National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and US counterpart Jake Sullivan had a phone conversation regarding the dangerous spike in COVID-19 infections across the country. Sullivan affirmed America’s solidarity with India, the two countries with the greatest number of COVID-19 cases in the world.
A statement released by the White House read, “Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need.” 00:08 / 00:30
This also seemingly comes after several US lawmakers voiced their concerns over the COVID-19 situation in India. They exerted pressure on the Biden administration to extend assistance, release vaccines and other raw materials critical for India.
“The United States has identified sources of specific raw material urgently required for Indian manufacture of the Covishield vaccine that will immediately be made available for India. To help treat COVID-19 patients and protect front-line health workers in India, the United States has identified supplies of therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that will immediately be made available for India,” the statement read.READ | US lawmakers express concern over India’s COVID situation, press Biden to provide help
“The United States also is pursuing options to provide oxygen generation and related supplies on an urgent basis. The U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is funding a substantial expansion of manufacturing capability for BioE, the vaccine manufacturer in India, enabling BioE to ramp up to produce at least 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2022,” the statement added.READ | UK sends life-saving medical equipment to India to tackle COVID-19
Earlier in April, Serum Institute of India’s (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla had requested United States President Joe Biden to lift the embargo of raw material exports from the US. Taking to Twitter, Poonawalla appealed to Biden Poonawalla to lift the ban by stating that it will “ramp up” the vaccine production amid the COVID-19 pandemic.READ | Registration on CoWIN must for those between 18 and 44 years to get vaccine shot
SII is currently manufacturing AstraZeneca-Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ and it will reportedly soon start producing Novavax vaccine, developed by the US biotech company. Poonawalla had also said in an interview that SII was struggling due to an embargo in the US and India requires those materials sooner. He also said that India has ruled out importing raw materials from China considering the quality issues.READ | US CDC recommends pregnant women to take COVID-19 vaccine jabs
India continues to grapple with the alarming surge of COVID-19 infections, deploying all its resources to battle the pandemic. The country has recorded over a million infections in four days, with 349,961 new cases on Sunday. The Sunday’s record spike has become another highest single-day spike globally. According to the Union Health Ministry, the country has recorded 2,767 new deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.READ | Maharashtra sees worst 1-day COVID fatality with 832 new deaths; state offers free vaccine
Colombo, April 26 (ECONOMYNEXT): Sri Lanka’s ruling party MPs have requested President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to initiate legal action against the entire cabinet of the United National Party (UNP)-led Yahapalana government over the 2019 Easter bombings, a top minister said.
Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage told reporters yesterday that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry that probed the attack has clearly stated in its report that the previous government should be held responsible for failing to prevent the deadly bombings.
The April 21 attack, perpetrated by an Islamist outfit known as the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), killed 269 people and injured over 500. The Yahapalana (Good Governance) administration of then President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe stood accused of failing to prevent the massacre despite having received intelligence of an impending terrorist attack.
When the report says ‘former government’, it means the blame should be put not just on Sirisena and Wickremesinghe but on the entire cabinet which includes [incumbent opposition leader] Sajith Premadasa, [former ministers] Lakshman Kiriella, Kabir Hashim and Champika Ranawaka,” said Aluthgamage.
So we asked the president to take legal action against the entire cabinet of ministers over the Easter bombings,”he added.
Former minister Rishad Bathiudeen was arrested last Saturday (24) for allegedly aiding and abetting the suicide bombers and for doing business with them, said Alutghagame.
The former minister and brother arrested over alleged links to Easter Sunday bombers
As a followup to Bathiudeen’s arrest, the agriculture minister said, authorities must look into how Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim, the businessman father of two of the suicide bombers, became a national list candidate of the opposition Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
Ibrahim, a wealthy spice trader, was reportedly well-acquainted with a number of politicians in both the government and the opposition.
This is not an attempt to suppress the opposition. The presidential commission has recommended that proceedings be initiated against these people. When we do that, we get accused of suppressing the opposition,” said Aluthgamage.
He added that opposition leader Premadasa who spouts much rhetoric about the Easter attack must also be held accountable and produced before the courts with the others.
These revelations about the attack came to light after the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) government came into power, he further said.
If Gotabaya Rajapaksa had not become president, there wouldn’t have been an Easter Sunday commission,” he said.
The presidential commission of inquiry (PCoI) was appointed by former president Sirisena. The commission recommended in its final report that criminal proceedings be initiated against Sirisena and other officials. Notably, the PCoI did not recommend action against ex-PM Wickremesinghe, who Sirisena had politically fallen out with in the months leading up to and after the 2019 bombings.
The security and intelligence lapses that allowed the attack to take place was blamed on the animosity between the two, in particular Sirisena’s alleged refusal to invite Wickremesinghe to meetings of the national security council.
In its report, the PCoI faulted Wickremesinghe for not raising the issue of not being invited to security council meetings in parliament or cabinet and also for an alleged lax approach” to Islamic extremism.
Sirisena is now a member of Parliament representing the SLPP-led government, of which his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is a constituent, though unofficially tensions between the SLPP and SLFP appear to be at an all-time high.
Wickremesinghe’s UNP failed to secure a single seat in parliament at the 2020 general election following the departure of Premadasa and a large chunk of the party membership who went on to form the now main opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB).
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