The UN Human Rights Council has thought it fit to pass a resolution by majority vote against Sri Lanka for what the resolution termed as human rights violation. While reading the resolution, it is necessary to keep in view that it is not a unanimous resolution, but only a resolution by majority votes.
After passing this resolution, one is not sure as to how the UN Human Rights Council would act against Sri Lanka and whether it would go into silence thinking that it has done its job”.
It is well known by past experience that the UN and the UN Human Rights Council would behave like a toothless tiger in the case of dealing with economically rich and militarily strong countries. Only in the case of weak and developing countries, Human Rights Council will act with courage of conviction.”
Sri Lanka government had to face strong separatist and militant groups for several years, who were fighting a bloody war demanding separate state for Tamils. In such a condition, the Sri Lanka government had no alternative other than fighting with back to wall to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Every country in the world would have reacted in the same way and have been reacting in the same way in similar situations, as Sri Lanka government did.
Sri Lanka government suffered enormously due to the bloody war and the separatist militant groups were ruthless and have killed not only several Sri Lankans and Sri Lanka military personnel but also several Tamils in northern Sri Lanka, who refused to toe the line of the militants. There were several factions in the militant groups and one faction fought with another faction and several Tamils were killed in the process.
For several years, the Sri Lanka government could not match its military strength with that of the strongly armed militant groups and it was a losing war for several years. Finally, when Sri Lanka government could make it’s military strong and fought the war and successfully defeated the militants, there were casualties of hundreds of people on both the sides.
It is a fact that several countries who voted for the resolution against Sri Lanka government passed by the UN Human Rights Commission, provided sort of support to the militants on their soil by allowing them to carry on their activities .
These countries behaved in such a way ,clearly knowing that the accommodation that they provided to the militant groups would harm the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.
No doubt, the human rights violation happened during the civil war and it was inevitable in a war like situation and both Sri Lanka government and militants were responsible for this.
It is shocking that UN Human Rights commission has not meaningfully taken note of the human rights violation by the militant groups but has only condemned the Sri Lanka government. Is it not a partisan and prejudiced view, unbecoming of United Nations Organisation?
The countries which voted for the resolution are mostly the so called democracies of western countries, who habitually only take note of the human rights violation in other countries and not in their own.
These days, very frequently, we hear about US police shooting down mercilessly those who indulge in terrorist like activities. In the same way, European countries such as France and others also ask the police to shoot down those indulging in terrorism. This is as it should be. But, why these countries condemn Sri Lanka government for acting in the same way to fight against the terrorists and violent prone separatists?
Several other countries in Africa as well as China and Russia also kill the protestors mercilessly in the name of preserving the peace and public order.
The countries criticizing Sri Lanka for human rights violation” is like the pot calling the kettle black.
Certainly, any discerning and neutral observer would be justified in terming the resolution passed by U N Human Rights Council against Sri Lanka as unwarranted and partisan .
One only hopes that in future, the UN Human Rights Council would gain greater wisdom, so that it can view such human rights violation” in a holistic manner and see the unavoidable reasons for it in proper perspective and without pre-conceived view.
While extending his gratitude for the benevolent decision to make an ex-gratia payment of US$ 5 million to the victims and their families of the Easter Sunday attack, MP Wijedasa Rajapaksa informed Saudi Minister of Justice Dr. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, in a letter that the victims have not been given a single dollar.
The MP said he had inquired this from the former President and the incumbent President and President’s Secretary by his letter dated January 12, 2021 and added that they confirmed that Saudi Arabia had not given a single dollar, despite the wide publicity given about the donation.
There was a wide publicity given in the local and International media – both electronic and print – that you had made a donation of US$ 5 million to the said victims in the presence of the then President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, Former Presidents Chandrika Bandaranayaike Kumaranathunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa at the end of the said conference held at “Nelum Pokuna Theatre,” he said.
I am hopeful that your consciences would be shocked to hear again the said catastrophe, and your humanity would compel you to fulfil the said undertaking with the height of your compassion, love and care towards the said victims,” MP Rajapakshe told Karim Al-Issa.
Sri Lanka says it considers the UNHRC’s latest resolution against the island nation to be unwarranted, unjustified and in violation of the relevant articles of the UN Charter and also rejected the ‘unprecedented’ proposal in the resolution to expand the role of the OHCHR.
This was stated by the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva, C. A. Chandraprema, while delivering remarks before today’s vote on the draft resolution.
As the country concerned, the Sri Lankan representative was afforded time to deliver a statement before the vote on the resolution ‘L1/Rev.1’ titled Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka”.
He said it is deeply regrettable that a group of countries have tabled a country-specific resolution against Sri Lanka in spite of Sri Lanka’s consistent and constructing engagement in the Human Rights Council and with the proponents of the resolution themselves.
Sri Lanka considers the draft resolution to be unwarranted, unjustified and in violation of the relevant articles of the United Nations Charter, in particular article 2 sub section 07, and relevant sections of the United Nations General Assembly resolutions 60/251 that provides for the mandate of the Human Rights Council.”
The Sri Lankan envoy said the resolution is based on the ‘rejected report’ of the OHCHR on Sri Lanka, which was tabled at this session and which violates the principles of sovereign equality of all states and non-interference in internal affairs.
He stated that the resolution is presented without the consent of Sri Lanka as the country concerned and is therefore unhelpful and divisive.
No country has a greater interest in bringing about reconciliation among its peoples than the country concerned, a point that has repeatedly been emphasized during the proceedings of this council.”
The list of co-sponsors of the resolution amply demonstrates the divisive nature of this resolution, he added.
He said Sri Lanka categorically rejects the unprecedented proposal” in this resolution to expand the role of the OHCHR. This is a dangerous precedence and will have wide-ranging implications to all countries”.
He said all members of the council would agree that UNHRC cannot assume tasks not assigned to it by the UN General Assembly in resolution 60/251 or in subsequent resolutions
In addition, I cannot emphasize enough the dangers posed to all nations, particularly those of the global south, by the trajectory taken in this resolution which is urging action on the basis of emerging trends and warning signs that is events that have not yet happened.”
In this context it is highly regrettable that the draft resolution that has been presented today appears to have ignored all these reservations and concerns, he added.
Against this background, I call upon all members of the council to objectively assess whether Sri Lanka represents a situation that warrants the financial and human resources and the urgent attention of this council in this exaggerated and polarized manner at a time of severe financial constraints indicated by the secretariat.”
He stated that over 2.8 million dollars is the estimated cost of this exercise and that over a dozen new staff members are to be recruited according to the programme budget implications (PBI).
Notwithstanding the stated objectives of the proponents of the resolution, Sri Lanka is of the view that this resolution will polarize Sri Lankan society and adversely affect economic development, peace and harmony.”
For all the above reasons, Sri Lanka rejected the draft resolution and requested the members of the council to reject the resolution by a vote.
The draft resolution against Sri Lanka was adopted by the UNHRC with 22 member states voting in favour of the resolution and 11 voting against while 14 member states abstained from voting.
Today is the D day for Sri Lanka at Geneva. The chief sponsor of the
Human rights resolution is UK.UK is the evil number
one in the entire gang of European colonial aggressors. Judging by the
atrocities and brutalities committed against the Sinhala natives in this
country during the 1817-1818 and 1848 freedom struggles by the British,
of all colonial aggressors UK stands out as the most savages and brutal and
inhuman colonial power who has violated human rights all over the world during
the period of Western Colonial Expansion during the 14th to 20th
Century period. That was how UK an isolate small Island in a corner of the
world became the world Empire whose sun never set as the say goes. In this
horrendous, savages and brutal record of mass murder by the guns, swords,
arson, poison and all other crimes inflicted against the defenseless natives of
countries all over the world to rob their lands, wealth and the spirit of
their civilizations, the British always top the list in world history, may be
followed by Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italians and Germans, birds of a
feather flocked together in the European countries unified by the white colour
and religion (variants of Catholicism) with the common objective of capturing
the Asian and African countries and their enormously rich wealth to build
up their respective Colonial Empires. In this list of plunderers and murderers
Britain came on the top defeating all neihgbouring European nations.
To give two classic example of how they have destroyed the Afro Asia continents
I cite two cases. It was in 1884 African continent was parceled out among the
European invaders like a pitza laid on a table, at a meeting of 13 European
nations at a meeting held in Berlin presided over by Sir Edward Mallet
Ambassador to German Empire attended by Henry Morton Stanley, the delegate from
USA. This was how the map of the African continent was redrawn and lands
divided among them, thus scrambling the African Continent, as one writer had
said. Resistance was met with brutal gun power. The second example is India. It
was divided in to two ethnic and religious rival blocks . Hindu India and
Muslim Pakistan (East and West) Fortunately the British could not do that
here. But they planted the poison seeds of ethnicity and religion to promote
division in future. In addition to these shameful crimes they also left behind
a generation of Black white colonial lackeys trained and armed with Westminster
model of Governments with their political, legal, administrative and social,
religious, cultural and ethical traits including their language and soaked with
practically everything European as their proxies to complete the annihilation
which they failed to do Is it not this vision that they could
not achieve before they left our shores, after nearly 500 years of suppression,
oppression and plundering they are desperately trying to fulfill at
Geneva today. And that is how they finally became Great Briton, the greatest
thief, murderer and human rights violator in the annals of human history. In
addition to these horrendous crimes they also destabilized all native
civilization all over the world by planting the seeds of ethnic, communal and
religious hatred and destroyed all these countries by planting their divide and
rule Machiavellian political strategies, converting these countries to eternal
economic dependencies by transforming their native economies in to dependencies
of Great Briton and the so-called British Commonwealth of Nations with the
Queen as the Head. The net of the political, economic, trade and financial
system linked to London was meticulously woven to last for centuries and left
for home only when they found things were getting out of control after the 2nd
World War.
Isn’t it this Great Briton, supported by its own white pack of European
invaders in Canada, USA, South America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand
and the cohorts who have together plundered the whole world and conquered by
murder and arson who are collectively and singularly responsible for
horrendous crimes against humanity, now jointly gunning at this
small Island nation for human rights violation not knowing or pretending not to
know that Sri Lanka, being a country with a refined and unique culture
based on Buddhist teachings was, a country that has never violated even
animal rights, no to talk of human rights.
When these ugly colonial invaders, with their indelible records of
stinking colonial aggression point their finger to us, they little realize that
five fingers are pointing towards them. Isn’t it a case of the pot calling the
kettle black? Is it not Ironical this pack of global thieves and murderers, led
by UK ”The Mother of all things evil” as one writer called it, trying to harass
small nations like us in the so called Third World to retain their global
hegemony, or rather fast waning their power and prestige at the doors of
emerging Indo-Pacific civilization of the 21st century
as people like Samuel Johnson (Crisis of Civilization ) and Martin
Jacques.(20 09) in his When China Rules the World: The End of the Western
World and the Birth of a New Global Order.
I would like to request my readers and those in authority in Government
to read the following write up (attached) published in Lankaweb to cull out
further material in support of this argument.
Also I would like to call upon the government to refer to the horrendous
human rights violations committed by UK against the Sinhalese during the
freedom struggles of 1817-1818 (wellassa)and 1848 (Matale) by murderers
such as Brownwrigg , Torrington and their armies and what they continue to do
up to date by promoting disention and separatism among the different ethnic and
religious groups within this country to fulfill their ulterior objectives.
Finally I would like to ask those sponsors of this resolution to throw
the first stone unto themselves before they try to fix responsibility on us who
had done no wrong and no violation of any conceivable human right in 2009 or
thereafter against any community in this country whereas we have fought only a
battle against a misguided group of terrorist aided, abetted, funded and
trained by these colonial elements and India to destabilize the democratically
elected Government of the country and trying to divide this small Island in to
separate ethnic states, thereby threatening the territorial integrity
sovereignty and the freedom of this Island nation.
The Maha Sangha played a significant role in mobilizing support for the 1956 victory. The Sangha used their traditional leadership role in the villages to influence the public to vote for the MEP. 1956 was the climax of a political awakening that had started long before.
Ananda Meegama traces the beginning of this activism to Anagarika Dharmapala (1864- 1933). Anagarika said that it was the duty of the bhikkhus to participate vigorously in the Buddhist revival which had started. Dharmapala’s views caused only a slight ripple in the Sangha during his own lifetime, said H.L.Seneviratne. Conservative Buddhists avoided the Anagarika, added Meegama.
But from 1930 the Anagarika’s words started to take effect. ”Sinhala Baudhaya” Wesak Kalapaya 1934 published an open letter to the Sangha requesting their active participation in the issues that were shaking the country. The Buddhist revival now had political overtones.
The Maha
Sangha responded. The 1930s produced dynamic bhikkhus who played a major role
in the political struggles of the time. There was Udakandawela Siri
Saranankara, (1902-1966) who became the first President of the Communist Party
of Sri Lanka.
Uda Kandawela Siri Saranankara
There was
also Yakkaduwe Pragnarama (1918-1986). Yakkaduwe
was head of Vidyalankara Pirivena from 1934. He spent
his entire life developing the Vidyalankara Pirivena, said Meegama. It was Yakkaduwe
who developed Vidyalankara, said Walpola Rahula. The idea of converting Vidyalankara Pirivena
to a University was first mooted by Yakkaduwe, said DB Dhanapala.
Ven.
Yakkaduwe Pragnarama
DB Dhanapala
said that Yakkaduwe rarely shaved, chewed betel all day,
was slow in movement and speech and appeared sleepy looking. ‘He would sit cross legged on a couch and write throughout the night and in
the morning would lie down on the same couch and sleep. Meegama said Yakkaduwe was very austere
in his ways. He was
rarely seen in the public. He rarely
participated in functions and he
did not make public speeches.
However,
Yakkaduwe was actually very active and very influential at several levels. Yakkaduwe
had set up a Council to examine and revise the Buddhist texts. He was
also a respected Sinhala scholar. Peradeniya
and Vidyodaya gave him honorary degrees. He had tried to bring the written and
spoken Sinhala closer to each other.
Yakkaduwe wanted
the bhikkhus around him to take an interest in the political goings on of the
time. He was a strong influence on several
bhikkhus, including Walpola Rahula. There was series of strikes in 1942-44. Walpola
Rahula, Nattandiye Pannakara, Kotahene Pannakirthi inspired by Yakkaduwe , spoke to the public. They drew attention to the poor
living conditions of the masses and the huge gap between the rich and the poor.
Yakkaduwe was
also behind the bhikkhu movement which campaigned in support of the Free Education
Act of 1945. Walpola
Rahula and other bhikkhus were seen regularly in the galleries of the State Council
during the free education debate.
DS Senanayake
did not like the stance the bhikkhus were taking regarding the Free Education
Bill. He saw the implications and decided that the political bhikkhus had to be
stopped in their tracks.
On January 13
1943 at prize giving at Dharmaraja Vidyalaya, Matale he criticized the bhikkhus
for their interest in the activities of State Council and their present in the
galleries there. Bhikkhus not dabble in politics, he said, they should stay safely confined to the forest or
temple as persons who had retired from the world.
Walpola
Rahula replied at the speech at Prince College, Kotahena a few days later. Dinamina and Daily News carried full reports of DS Senanayake’s speech. Lake
House called these monks ‘Kahakadayo’.
There was a
public furor but in addition, the public interest was aroused as to what the
actual role of the bhikkhus was. Vidyalankara thought a public reply was
necessary. On February 13 1947 Vidyalankara issued a manifesto under the
signature of Kiriwattuduwe Sri Pragnasara, Principal of Vidyalankara.This document was
to become the manifesto of the Vidyalankara monks. It was written by Yakkaduwe.
It
was Yakkaduwe who , behind the scenes,
encouraged the bhikkhus to be activist , said Meegama,. Yakkaduwe had
told the bhikkhus of Vidyalankara that if they agreed to this document, they
would have to face much danger and worry in the years to come and not to
support it if they were scared.
The
Vidyalankara manifesto prepared by Yakkaduwe said, of course Vinaya rules must
be observed and of course bhikkhus must promote religion. But conditions today
are different from those in the time of Buddha and the life of the monk has
also changed. Bhikkhus are now actively
engaged in anti temperance work, social work etc. They are Presidents of
societies as well. working for the
welfare of society, is not enough, said
the Manifesto. bhikkhus must also take
action to obstruct that which is
detrimental to the country.
The idea that
religion and politics should be kept separate is something introduced by the
British, concluded the Manifesto. They are attempting to create a gulf between bhikkhus
and laity. We should not give into this. In ancient times bhikkhus were in the
foreground of political movements.
DS Senanayake
wanted the Manifesto withdrawn. He also wanted State Council to pass laws
giving the Mahanayake right to disrobe, fine or
imprison political monks. He tried to
prevent these bhikkhus from receiving alms as well .Nothing came of
this.
But it
infuriated the bhikkhus .They held a
meeting at the BTS headquarters,
chaired by Ven. Palannoruwe Wimaladharma and decided that they alone
should determine what they should and should not do. Laymen cannot decide and
they cannot interfere. The bhikkhus formed the Lanka Eksath Bhikshu Mandalaya to
defend themselves, propagate their ideas, and to educate and waken the public. Vidyalankara
started a weekly paper Kalaya’ to propagate their views.
DS Senanayake
had roused a hornets’ nest. Political leaders
did not usually criticize the Maha Sangha.
There was a furor in the country. Speeches, articles, letters were written, for
and against. Opinion in the country was divided. Then in June 1946 came the
definitive Bhikshuvakage Urumaya by Walpola
Rahula. The book sold out in three weeks. A second edition appeared in 1948.
Yakkaduwe Pragnarama therefore has a special place in the 1956 revolution,
said Meegama. It was he who prepared the
text on the duty and role of the Sangha which led to Bhikshuvakage Urumaya” by
Walpola Rahula.
Vidyalankara
monks campaigned for the 1947 election, throughout the country, but mostly in
Mirigama and Kelaniya, the constituencies of DS Senanayake and JR Jayawardene. DS
Senanayake asked Ven. Henpitagedera Gnanasiha,
a formidable monk, to support his
election campaign, promising to fund Gnansiha’s Bhikkhu institute at
Pathakada when he won, but Senanayake he did not keep his word and Henpitagedera
was displeased. The UNP did not get a large majority at the 1947
election.
JR Jayewardene was even more determined than DS
Senanayake to crush the political bhikkhus. In September 1947 when Walpola
Rahula and another monk were traveling they were stopped by mob led by Aspa John,
a strongman supporter of JR . The mob pulled out the two bhikkhus and assaulted
them till they were unconscious. They were saved form death only because the crowds that had
gathered protected them.
The Buddhist
were not crushed by any of this. Buddhist demands intensified in the 1950s. They wanted specific
gains. Bandaranaike speaking in
May 1950 said that Buddhism should be given a special
place. This had been promised in the 1815 Convention. Lanka Eksath Bhikshu
Mandalaya under Polwatte Buddhadatta supported the
idea. GP Malalasekera, President of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress
said that the 1815 provision must be enforced without delay. The 1815 Convention said, The religion of
Boodho, professed by the chiefs and inhabitants of these provinces, is declared
inviolable, and its rites, ministers, and places of worship are to be
maintained and protected.”
The idea of a special place for Buddhism was
ridiculed, by its opponents, with cartoons, and editorials. DS Senanayake said
publicly at meetings, that there should be no state intervention for Buddhism. That
would lead to religious dissension. When a Buddhist delegation went to meet
him, DS Senanayake had said’ Anaduwa saranan gatcchami,’ which angered the
public as well.
The 1950 session
of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress sessions saw Malalasekera and P de S Kularatne responding
to what DS Senanayake had said. 11 resolutions were passed at this Sessions and
a
book titled Buddhism and the state
was published in 1951, giving these 11 resolutions.
Despite these
efforts, the Buddhist lobby failed to get anywhere with the UNP
government of DS Senanayake (1947-1952)
or Dudley Senanayake (1952-1953). Then Sir John became Prime Minister in 1953
. Sir John was even worse. He had threatened to disrobe political
bhikkhus. The
Buddhists were agitated and angry.
The
1953 session of the ACBC was a turbulent one, with
delegates shouting that the ACBC must wake up. This session was
a historical one. At this session a committee, later known
as Buddhist Commission, was appointed to look into
the position of Buddhism in Ceylon.
From June 1954 to May 1955 the Buddhist Commission
went round the country, taking evidence.
They
held sittings in 37 towns. Henpitagedera Gnanasiha had in 1953, formed Buddha
Sasana samithis in Ratnapura district. these had expanded into other districts .
The Buddhist Commission found these samiti very helpful for their work. The
samitis also spread the Commission findings among the Buddhist public.
The
report of the Buddhist Commission was released in February 4, 1956. A week
later the government was dissolved and the country got ready for the General
election of 1956.
The year 1956
also saw the formation of the Eksath Bhikshu Peramuna, this was the successor
to Lanka Eksath Bhikshu Mandalaya formed in 1946. The Peramuna was the most effective body of
political monks of the modern period said PA Saram .
The emergence of an aggressive Buddhist movement which
brought the Maha Sangha to the forefront was another significant development of 1956,
said Wiswa Warnapala. The Sangha became an active social and political
force in modern Sri Lanka, he added.
In ancient
times the Sangha had a legitimate role in the political affairs of the country.
They guided the king. They did not wield power directly. This traditional role was
now resurrected in a modern setting. The
Sangha is now a permanent part of the political culture of Sri Lanka, concluded
Wiswa.
BUDDHA JAYANTI 1956
One
of the first events the new government had to organize was the Buddha Jayanti,
which was celebrated on 23 May, 1956. The Buddha Jayanti of 1956
commemorated the 2500th anniversary of the birth, enlightenment, and
Parinibbana of Gautama Buddha. Buddha Jayanti was celebrated on a massive scale
in Sri Lanka. These
celebrations, which I recall clearly, gave a great fillip to the
Buddhist revival of the time. It evoked much enthusiasm.
During Buddha
Jayanti, each month a foreign leader would preside over the celebrations in
different towns. Those who came were
Mahendra of Nepal, Sihanouk of Cambodia, MIkasa of Japan and Chou en Lai, of
China. Chou was a
media favorite. He was cheerful, friendly, quotable and displayed a zest for
exploration. Ven. Othani
high priest of Japan also came.
The
Buddha Jayanti project was started by the previous UNP government but SWRD was
on the Executive Committee at that time too. SWRD took over the Buddha Jayanti when he won
the 1956 election. He continued to be keenly interest in the Buddha
Jayanti despite his duties as PM, said Ananda Guruge, who administered the Buddha
Jayanti project.
Bandaranaike ‘put his heart and soul into the project and
worked with exemplary devotion and diligence,’ said Guruge. We met frequently
and he never missed a meeting. Often he
would come a few minutes early, and send for me or one of my assistants to get
a clarification on the agenda, or gather facts. Bandaranaike looked carefully at the
composition of the Buddha Jayanti committee and the Cabinet memorandum.
Lanka Bauddha Mandalaya with a Sangha Sabha of 175 and a gihi Sabha
was set up to carry out the event. The Sangha could not agree as
to who should speak at the main celebration and SWRD dealt with the matter
tactfully. He showed flexibility and refreshing sense of humour which led to
satisfactory results, recalled Guruge.
Bandaranaike was interested in three Buddha Jayanti projects,
restoration of Maligawa, encyclopaedia of Buddhism, and the religious awakening
movement. He suggested a Board of
international editors for the Buddhist encyclopaedia and also that they meet in
Colombo to decide on format, coverage and comprehensiveness. He offered many valuable suggestions on the
technical aspects of the project, said Guruge.
Guruge says an elephant stampeded at Buddha Jayanti
celebration at Attanagalla Raja Maha Viharaya. Instead of running away, SWRD
took charge and had the people taken to safety. He had dragged Guruge to a side,
by his collar. (Continued)
By Noor Nizam – Peace and Political Activist, Political Communication Researcher, SLFP/SLPP Stalwart and Convener – The Muslim Voice”. March 22nd., 2021.
The polarization of the vote
strength into two groups, The EU, North America and European countries of the
North hemisphere on one side and the Asian countries, the Islamic and Arab
Nations and those who supported the Non-Aligned Nations cause from the begining
on the otherside will be the out come of the final vote today in Geneva.
Sri Lanka will come out as the
winner DEFEATING this resolution with the support of the Asian countries, the
Islamic and Arab Nations and those who supported the Non-Aligned Nations
without any doubt setting a new precedence in International Relations against
the BULLYING of the Western powers at the UNHRC and the UN of striving
developing Nations who which to create a Social Economic and Political
stability by their own elected leaders democratically, accepted by the majority
of their citizens against the oppression of the West.
Sri Lanka’s VICTORY today at Geneva
will be the begining of the new era of International Politics that will finally
TAME the so-called Western powers to understand that the South is equally
powerfull as the North and will move towards prosperity and peace by the Grace
of God Allmighty, the power the West has forgotten long time ago.
Colombo, March 22 (Daily Mirror) – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have made phone calls to world Muslim leaders, a day before the UN Human Rights Council takes a vote on a resolution against Sri Lanka.
Secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-othaimeen, had received a phone call yesterday (Sunday) from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who discussed with him the existing relations between the OIC and Sri Lanka as well as the situation of the Muslim community in the country, the OIC said in a statement.
Al-Othaimeen praised the Sri Lankan President’s phone call and his willingness to open up and reach out to international organizations and welcomed the decision of the Government of Sri Lanka on the right of Muslims to bury their dead in accordance to Islamic rites.
The Secretary-general reaffirmed the OIC’S keenness to follow up the conditions of Muslim communities and defend their rights in non-oic member states, the OIC said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said he telephoned Deputy King Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain yesterday.
Al-Othaimeen praised the Sri Lankan President’s phone call and his willingness to open up and reach out to international organizations and welcomed the decision of the Government of Sri Lanka on the right of Muslims to bury their dead in accordance to Islamic rites.
The Prime Minister tweeted saying they reviewed bilateral ties and other areas of cooperation that can be further solidified.
Rajapaksa said that the Deputy King had recalled and appreciated his efforts to sustain peace and stability in Sri Lanka from the time of his Presidency.
The OIC is the world’s largest Muslim body consisting of a number of Muslim countries which are part of the UN Human Rights Council.
Bahrain is also a member of the UN Human Rights Council.
Colombo, March 22: When the news spread in January 1972 that Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, who was released from the Pakistani prison would arrive in New Delhi on his way to the newly-born Bangladesh to assume leadership, I was among the large number of politically-conscience students and others who thronged the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi to listen to the newest leader in South Asia who earned the sobriquet Bongo Bondhu (Banga Bandhu).
Though five decades have passed, I still remember vividly the enthusiasm among the crowd which hailed Mujib, who accompanied Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to the dais, erected at the Delhi Gate end of the Ramlila Maidan, the popular venue of annual celebrations of Dhashera, which marks the victory of good over evil.
The rally at Ramlila Maidan on the winter morning of 10 January 1972 was an unforgettable experience. A motor rally went to the meeting place from the airport. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was with Banga Bandhu.
Welcoming the new leader, Indira Gandhi gave a brief speech in Hindi. Sheikh Mujib started his speech in Bengali, the common language of West Bengal in India and Bangladesh, hitherto East Pakistan. The moment he started his speech with the words, Missus Indira Gandhi, ladies and gentlemen…” a deafening applaud started. We all cheered his every sentence in musical Bengali, with intermittent sentences in English, Hindi and Urdu.
The Pakistani military government released Mujibur Rehman from Mianwali Prison located near the Pakistan Army’s GHQ in Rawalpindi in the then West Pakistan and put him on a London-bound PIA flight on 8 January 1972. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi requested the British Premier Edward Heath to arrange a special British flight for him to fly to Delhi, and Sashanka S. Banerjee, the Indian diplomat who accompanied Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the special Royal Air Force aircraft from London to New Delhi, recalled that a revolutionary leader sang the famous Bengali song written by Poet Rabindranath Tagore during the flight.
National anthem
After about an hour of small talk, ‘Bongo Bondhu’ stood up and started singing ‘Aamar Shonaar Bangla, Aami Tomaye Bhalobashi’ (Oh my golden Bengal, I love you dearly’), Banerjee, also a Bengali, said and added, I was seated next to him, and as he started singing, I too stood up as he did. Mujibur Rahman asked me to join him in singing the song with him, which I did. I don’t have a good singer’s voice but I tried.” After completing the song, Mujib told Banerjee that he would choose Aamar Shonaar Bangla as the ‘Jaatiyo shongeet’(national anthem) of his new nation, Bangladesh.
During the last two days (20 and 21 March), Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was among the dignitaries who attended the celebration of the birth centenary of Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation, Banga Bandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh in Dhaka.
In the 1971 Pakistan General Elections, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman’s Awami League won more seats than the Zulfikhar Ai Bhutto’s People’s Party, but Mujib was arrested and Bhutto was made the Prime Minister as the powerful military did not want an East Pakistani Bengali as leader preferring West Pakistan’s Bhutto.
Sheikh Mujib with Indian diplomat Sashank S.Banerjee on the flight from London to Delhi.
When Mujib was taken to West Pakistan and detained in the Mianwali Prison in Rawalpindi, riots broke out in East Pakistan. Mujib’s Awami League activists finally took up arms against the military. The situation took a serious turn when a large number of Bengalis in the Pakistan Army deserted and joined the Mukthi Bahini rebels. More than a million Bengali civilians crossed the border to India’s West Bengal and Bihar as refugees. Finally Indian troops entered East Pakistan to support the Mukthi Bahini fighters in December 1971.
Within two weeks, 96,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered to Indian forces, ending the war and former East Pakistan became a free nation. After the Ramilila Maidan rally, Mujib flew to Dhaka and became the undisputed leader of the new country.
Free Bangladesh had a troubled beginning. In 1975, Mujib was killed in a military coup. After an interim period, Gen Zia-ur-Rahman, who was the Commander of Mukthi Bahini during the liberation fight, became President in 1977. He was assassinated in 1981. Since then the country saw military rule and violent elections, restoration of democracy and alternate power shifts between two women leaders, Sheikh Hasina, Mujib’s daughter, and Khaleda Zia, wife of former President General Zia ur Rahman.
The dream
Indian diplomat Banerjee later revealed that he had told Mujib that PM Indira Gandhi had a dream that on India’s eastern flank she wished to have a friendly power, a prosperous economy, and a secular democracy, with a parliamentary system of government like India’s. That dream has been realized with Bangladesh functioning as a strong democracy today.
During his visit Prime Minister Rajapaksa visited the National Martyrs’ Memorial and placed a wreath to pay his respects to those who died in the Bangladesh War of Independence and plant a sapling. Later, the Prime Minister visited the Banga Bandhu Memorial Museum.
After the end of war, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi promoted Army Commander General Sam Manekshaw to the rank of Field Marshal. When the Indian Parliament met after the war victory, Indira Gandhi got a very pleasant surprise when her political archenemy, Jan Sangh (now BJP) leader Atal Behari Vajpayee, who was the Opposition Leader in Lok Sabha, got up from his seat and proposed that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi be accorded the Bharat Ratna, the highest honor in India. Vajpayee’s statesmanship was a grand gesture worth emulating as it depicted that patriotism was above petty political differences.
(Bloomberg) — China signed a currency swap agreement with Sri Lanka as the South Asian nation looks to reduce reliance on the International Monetary Fund before $3.7 billion of foreign debt matures this year.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka is entitled to a 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) swap facility from the People’s Bank of China, Sri Lanka’s monetary authority said in a statement Monday. The agreement is valid for three years.
Faced with low foreign-exchange reserves and looming debt repayments, Sri Lanka is getting closer to China, it’s biggest import partner. More than 22% of the island nation’s foreign purchases were from China last year.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) have entered into a bilateral currency swap agreement with a view to promoting bilateral trade and direct investment for economic development of the two countries, and to be used for other purposes agreed upon by both parties, CBSL said.
The People’s Republic of China remains Sri Lanka’s largest source of imports. In 2020, imports from China amounted to US$ 3.6 billion (22.3% of Sri Lanka’s imports).
This swap agreement has been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers with the recommendation of the Monetary Board of CBSL. Governors of the two Central Banks, Deshamanya Professor W D Lakshman of CBSL and Dr. Yi Gang, Governor of PBOC, are the signatories to the agreement.
Under this agreement, CBSL is entitled for a swap facility amounting to CNY 10 billion (approximately US$ 1.5 billion). The agreement is valid for a period of three (3) years. (ER)
Sri Lanka has reported 05 more coronavirus-related deaths, the Director-General of Health Services confirmed today (March 22).
As per the Department of Government Information, all 05 victims are male patients.
The new deaths bring the number of COVID-19 related deaths witnessed in Sri Lanka to 551 in total.
01. The deceased is a 78-year-old male resident from Weuda. He died on 21.03.2021 while undergoing treatments at Kurunegala Teaching Hospital. The cause of death is mentioned as Covid-19 infection, heart failure, acute diabetes, and kidney disease.
02. The deceased is a 78-year-old male resident from Nugathalawa. He was transferred from Welimada Base Hospital to Base Hospital Theldeniya where he died on 22.03.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as acute Covid-19 pneumonia.
03. The deceased is a 68-year-old male resident from Kadawaha. He died on 22.03.2021 while undergoing treatments at Minuwangoda Base Hospital. The cause of death is mentioned as a shock due to blood poisoning, heart disease, high blood pressure, and asthma.
04. The deceased is a 51-year-old male resident from Bandaragama. He was transferred from Colombo South Teaching Hospital to Homagama Base Hospital where he died on 22.03.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as liver infection and Covid-19 infection.
05. The deceased is an 80-year-old male resident from Galle. He died on 16.03.2021 while undergoing treatments at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital. The cause of death is mentioned as acute pneumonia and Covid-19 infection.
Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen and Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa have spoken over the phone and discussed existing relations between the OIC and Sri Lanka as well as the situation of the Muslim community in the country.
During the phone call, the OIC Secretary-General had praised the Sri Lankan President’s willingness to open up and reach out to international organizations.
He also welcomed the decision of the Government of Sri Lanka on the right of Muslims to bury their dead in accordance with the Islamic rites, the OIC said in a Tweet.
OIC Secretary-General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, received a phone call from the President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and discussed with him the existing relations between the OIC and Sri Lanka as well as the situation of the Muslim community in the country.”
Al-Othaimeen praised the Sri Lankan President’s phone call and his willingness to open up and reach out to international organizations and welcomed the decision of the Government of Sri Lanka on the right of Muslims to bury their dead in accordance with the Islamic rites.”
Sinharaja Forest
Reserve is a forest
reserve and
a biodiversity
hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been
designated a Biosphere
Reserve and World
Heritage Site by UNESCO. According to International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN), Sinharaja is the country’s last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. More than 60% of the trees are endemic and many of
them are considered rare. 50% of Sri Lankan’s endemics species of animals (especially
butterfly, amphibians, birds, snakes and fish species). It is home to 95%
endemic birds -Wikipedia
The Sinharaja forest is the country’s most priceless jewel
that belongs to the future generations to come. Any person or entity that has destroyed
this jewel has committed a crime where punishment is useless as this forest and
its bio diversity can never be regenerated by punishing anyone after the event.
However, punishment there has to be, very dire punishment,
to deter others from continuing to commit this crime and reducing this jewel to
rubble. It is not only some official or a businessman or woman who has to be
punished, but the politicians and the government who are the temporary
custodians managing the country.
The UNESCO states that, quote Sinha raja encompasses
the last extensive patch of primary lowland rainforest in Sri Lanka, and it is
situated in the south-west lowland wet zone of Sri Lanka. Covering an
area of 8,864 ha and ranging from an altitude of 300 – 1,170 meters, it
consists of 6,092 ha of Forest Reserve and 2,772 ha of Proposed Forest Reserve.
This narrow strip of undulating terrain encompasses a series of ridges and
valleys that are crisscrossed by an intricate network of streams. Draining to
both the south and north, this detailed matrix of waterways flow into the Gin
River on the southern boundary of the property and Kālu River via the Napoli Dole,
Koskulana Ganga and Kudawa Ganga on its northern boundary. Annual rainfall over
the last 60 years has ranged from 3614 – 5006 mm with most of the precipitation
during the south-west monsoon (May-July) and the north-east monsoon (November-
January).
Sri Lanka is home to 830 endemic species, of which 217
trees and woody climbers are found in the low land wet zone. Of these, 139
(64%) have been recorded in the reserve including 16 rare species. Faunal
endemism is particularly high for birds with 19 (95%) of 20 species recorded in
the property being endemic to Sri Lanka. Endemism among mammals and butterflies
is also greater than 50%. A number of threatened, endangered and rare species
occur within the reserve including: leopard (Panthera
pardus), Indian elephant (Elephas
maxiumus), endemic
purple-faced Langur (Presbytis
senex), Sri Lanka wood pigeon (Columba
torringtoni), green-billed Coucal (Centropus chlororrhynchus), Sri Lanka
white-headed starling (Sturnus
senex), Sri Lanka blue magpie (Cissa
ornate), ashy-headed babbler (Garrulax
cinereifrons) and Sri Lanka broad-billed roller (Eurystomus orientalis irisi)”
unquote.
Alarmingly,
there appears to be credible evidence that unauthorised deforestation is
occurring within, on the periphery or just outside the Sinharaja forest
reserve, an elsewhere.
If
this is true, it is a crime against the future generations of Sri Lanka.
If
short term gain, and avarice in some cases, is destroying a priceless treasure
like Sinharaja, the rulers of today need to be taken to task for allowing this
to happen.
If
reports made, photographs published (not the fake photos doing the rounds on
social media, but credible ones published in the Daily Mirror), and the
impassioned plea of a young women, Bhagya Abeyratne and that of a respected
Buddhist Monk like Omalpe Sobitha Thero, are untrue or they are misinformed, it
is the responsibility of the President himself to assure them and the public
that the reports are untrue or the voices of a rising tide of protests are
misinformed, and that all is well.
If
no action is taken by the President, people may justly or unjustly form their
views that this is due to possible complicity or due to indebtedness to
political supporters and financiers who worked to ensure his election as
President.
The
President cannot do this by listening to the very parties who might be involved
in this alleged destruction. He needs to get an independent, credible and
impartial investigator to investigate and report back to him, and do so soon.
That report needs to be made public, and if it reports that the allegations are
true, then action should be taken against anyone responsible for this
degradation and a vile crime.
The
President is urged, in the strongest possible terms that he should appoint such
an investigator without delay, to investigate and submit his or her report,
with photographs, to prove or disprove the allegations, and to do so within a
period of a month.
If
this potentially very damaging crime is indeed occurring, and the future of
Sinharaja is threatened, it is the future of the country that is at stake, as
there will not be a country that could sustain itself without forests, and
without bio diversity in those forests. Such a crime, if it’s happening, is
something that can, and should be referred to the UNHRC as it is a very genuine
crime against humanity and a violation of human rights of the people of Sri
Lanka.
On
the other hand, if these allegations are a storm in a tea cup, and orchestrated
by political opponents of the President and the government, that needs to be
exposed as well. If this were the case, it would be in the Presidents interest
and the interest of the government, and indeed in the interest of the country,
to expose such a fraudulent campaign and take those responsible to task
according to the law of the land.
It
appears that at the centre of the alleged forest destruction is the government
gazette notification 05/2021 which permits Provincial and District Secretaries
to allow residual land”, land lying in between protected lands like wild life
reserves, protected forests, which by themselves are not protected, to be used
for agriculture or for cattle grazing etc.
While the intent of the gazette notification may have been honourable,
it does leave room for dishonourable acts.
This writer highlighted this in an article titled Sri Lanka desperately needs a strategic, transparent
and comprehensive State land management policy” that appeared in the Daily FT, the Sri Lanka
Guardian and Lankweb in November 2020.
It
is the gazette notification 1/2020, which revokes previous notifications ‘05/2001,’
‘02/2006,’ ‘5/98’ issued for the protection of the remaining remnant forests
for the acquisition of lands required for the National Physical Plan, that is
at the centre of this controversy as the enabling tool that opens the doors for
misuse of protected land. In all likelihood the provisions of this
gazette notification have been and are being misused.
If
not, it is the duty of the President and the government to demonstrate it is
not being misused.
Cutting
down forests in one area and planting trees in another area is not a solution
to protect the environment. It is the bio diversity in a forest, along with the
forest, that protects the environment of the country. An existing bio
diversity, once destroyed by cutting down forests, will be destroyed forever,
and planting trees elsewhere will not give rise to bio diversity in such an
area perhaps for thousands of years.
If
the allegations relating to deforestation and environmental damage is proven to
be true, the government seems to be moving towards a self-destructing
trajectory. The alleged sugar scam, where the reduction of import duty from Rs
50 per KG to 25 cts per KG, resulting in a revenue loss for the government to the
tune of some Rs 15 Billion, and a windfall for some importers, appears as the
beginning of this journey.
The
President needs to act, if he wishes to save himself and the government, and
the country, before the torrent becomes a damaging and devastating flood
EU. That’s the European Union. EA stands for East Asia. It’s a crude categorization in terms of what’s happening right now in Geneva with regard to Sri Lanka. Russia, after all, is ‘East’ according to some, West according to others. Pakistan is not East enough so to speak. Both countries are backing Sri Lanka with respect to the resolution tabled by the original Mother of all things Evil, Britain. The geography has to be discussed in detail but that’s for later.
Here’s a lovely headline: ‘40 countries join resolution on SL as co-sponsors and additional co-sponsors.’ Forty countries. Forty. That’s a lot. It’s as though the entire world and part of some other planetary system with intelligent life have ganged up against Sri Lanka. That’s until you examine the deets. So here are the details, as offered in the body of the news story: ‘a bulk of them [are] from the European region. Bulk might mean a little more than 50% or even two thirds. More deets: ‘only TWO (emphasize mine) are ‘non European or Western countries.’ Minor detail: twelve [of the 40] have voting rights at the UNHRC this time. So, take out Malawi and the Marshall Islands and it’s essentially a European move. The headline looks a tad exaggerated now, doesn’t it?
Anyway, it’s not something that should surprise anyone. There’s a thing called history and there’s a thing called the present. We know of gangs. We know that nations gang up. We know that rogues nations gang up. We know that rogue nations that also have bucks and weapons of mass destruction are willing and able to crown themselves as benefactors of all humankind and of course blackball other nations that for whatever reason don’t see eye-to-eye or rather are reluctant to submit to someone else’s definition of their reality.
That’s an EU story. Here’s another which we’ve referred to at times. In 1884, 13 European nations shamelessly gathered in Berlin to parcel out the African continent like famished school children (on a school trip) haphazardly dividing up a pizza. Great Britain was represented by Sir Edward Malet (Ambassador to the German Empire). The US, the emerging but [at the time] reluctant superpower, had a delegate – the explorer Henry Morton Stanley.
‘In utter disregard and with not a single iota of conscience or concern for the culture or the families of the continent, the map was redrawn and lands claimed. What followed was the systematic scramble and undoing of Africa. Resistance was met with the brutal force of gunpowder. The Herero Massacre was the first genocide of the 20th century: tens of thousands of men, women and children were shot, starved, and tortured to death by German troops as they put down rebellious” tribes in what is now Namibia. Tens of thousands of defenseless women and children were forced into the Kalahari desert, their wells poisoned and food supplies cut.’
They still do the guns-in-booty-out number but are more sophisticated. It’s white-man’s burden clothed as black/brown people’s preference. Sometimes it works. Sometimes guns are sent in and booty taken out. Raw stuff.
Let’s revisit the political geography. China and Japan are in the East. China is backing Sri Lanka and Japan hasn’t exactly applauded the moves by the rogue states of Europe. China and Japan own North American and European debt. The balance of global power is shifting but hasn’t shifted yet. Europe and North America (essentially the USA and its 52nd State of Amnesia, Canada) still have sway on account of rules set in their favor in happier times. That and a persisting political economy that ensures dependency do not place Sri Lanka in a situation where she can smile and say ‘ta-ta.’ Not yet, anyway.
On the other hand, this business of pernicious persecution could push Sri Lanka to a point where ‘ta-ta’ is inevitable. Sri Lanka could just grin and bear. Sri Lanka could say ‘ta-ta’ without enthusiasm. Sri Lanka might have to say ‘hello and hello again,’ to China and Japan. Maybe one day North America and Europe would be forced to say ‘bye-bye’ to their arrogance and say ‘hello’ to reason, civilization and the notions of community and solidarity, but not in the foreseeable future. They had to say ‘hello and hello again to China,’ after all, albeit in all probability muttering ‘damn it/you!’ under their breaths. Cheerio EU, hello EA. That’s the title. Better if we could say ‘Hello Asia’. Better yet to say ‘Hello and hello again the Tricontinental’ in the Guevarist expansion of the Bolivarian formulation. Indeed it would be best to say ‘bye-bye EU, EI, A, TC….hello people, hello community and solidarity, hello earth’ but we are not anywhere close to such Utopias. India, after all, is confused about her geographical location or rather location in politics of vexatious persecution.
For now, then, it’s an Outside-Europe universe that Sri Lanka is being forced to look at. Perhaps it’s a good thing. Let’s see. malindasenevi@gmail.com[Malinda Seneviratne is the Director/CEO of the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute. These are his personal views]
omorrow (that is Monday the 22nd of March, 2021) a vote will be taken in Geneva on a resolution against Sri Lanka to be tabled the same day. The outcome will decide the fate of Sri Lanka or so some believe.
Let’s be sober here. First of all, given the power wielded by the architects of the resolution and its principal marketers, it is likely that the resolution will pass with a majority of the 47 member voting for it.
Let’s be sober here. This is not the first resolution (to be taken up and — in all likelihood — passed) to see the light of day in Geneva. It’s not the first on/against Sri Lanka. It is non-binding anyway and can, at best, lead to (further) harassment of Sri Lanka.
Let’s be sober here. This is not about human rights. If that were the case, the UK, most of the countries in the EU and the silent, behind-the-scenes string-puller, the USA, would be in the dock and not Sri Lanka. Indeed, if sobriety and reason had any value then they would have been dragged over the coals decades ago.
The earth however is not flat. There’s a thing called political economy. There are guns, bombs, drones, chemical weapons and such. There are dollars and euros. There’s arm-twisting. All these factors make one-nation-one-vote a silly notion; lovely on paper but for all practical purposes irrelevant. Arm-twisting is the order of the day. Threat, often, suffices. Execution, when necessary, is opted for.
But let’s be sober here. We are told that around 40 countries have signed the resolution as co-sponsors or additional co-sponsors. Twelve of them have voting rights at this point. Just two of the 40 are from outside the EU and North America. A gang, then.
East vs West, then? A white man’s affair, in the main? Well, that’s one way of putting it. Except that these are easy dichotomies. What’s abundantly clear is that it is whether or not the Government of Sri Lanka is willing to play ball. In other words, a play-ball government will not be harassed because, well, they will play ball. An unwilling government needs to be harassed. Harassed to the point of capitulation, i.e. submission to the proposals of the bully. If not, well, harassment can lead to the creation of domestic discontent or the exacerbation of existing discontent. Then they hit you with ‘failed state’ rhetoric. States don’t have to fail. They can be failed. It’s all in the hands of the examiner. They will say, as they are saying of Myanmar, ‘in order to save this country, we must first destroy her economy!’ Yes, fighting for peace is like copulating to protect virginity.
How can Sri Lanka respond? Let’s be sober. There’s not much Sri Lanka can do. Sri Lanka can claim a moral victory if the vote is close, but that won’t alter anything. The victors will crow. They will want more victories. They will follow the script.
So, again, what should Sri Lanka do? ‘Sri Lanka’ is not a territorial entity. It is also a people. It is resources. It is heritage. It is past, present and future. It is also a government and therefore it is made of politicians, those in and out of power. The script for those out of power (and they are as bereft of principle as anyone in power) is simple. It’s a two word script: play along. It’s harder for those in power. They have to defend truths that are called lies. They could ‘play along’ but this particular government would suffer if that choice were to be picked.
So it comes down to, as so often happens, whether they people are with the government or not. ‘The people’ are not a monolithic entity. Their loyalty is not assured. They have multiple expectations. That’s why it is tough. You renege on a single promise or you say or do something that rubs your constituency the wrong way and the support you so need (to fight the bullies and/or to maintain control of the political equation) can be irrevocably compromised.
The answer is not about being populistic. Sometimes you have to do what’s not popular. However, one has to be clear about it. They ‘why’ of it has to be communicated effectively. With clarity. With solid logic. And it should be done in such a way that the picture of the end game is clear.
It is not easy at all. All governments are trumped by institutional arrangements, processual cultures and corrupt politicians and officials who just don’t want things changed. You listen to too many people and it’s like you’ve listened to no one. You listen to no one and it’s called dictatorial. This is why clarity helps. And, in the interest of clarity, you are required to cultivate prudence, to err on the side of caution. March 22 is a Monday. It will be followed by a Tuesday. The 23rd day of the month
The 46th session of the UNHRC will be followed by a 47th. Time will pass. Governments will change. Old orders will yield to new ones. Nations prosper and go into decline, only to rebuild civilizations that have been torn apart.
A resilient nation survives. Sri Lanka has a resilient citizenry. They will prevail. And if governments stand with these resilient people, governments too will survive. Not necessarily the other way about.
To: Expert committee to draft a new constitution (RC) C. Wijeyawickrema, LL.B., Ph.D.
What
we are doing now is dodging the issue of 13A, and criticising the 13A, which is
very clearly part of their bottom-line. Instead, we are offering them
strategic parts of our infrastructure like the East Container Terminal or the
West Container Terminal, instead of dealing with the main issue, which
is the 13A. It would seem like India would abstain yet again,”
Who could have
expected that a set of lawyers (aka PBC) commissioned to explore who were
behind the Easter Sunday bombing,
exploding instead, their own <religious> bomb, against the Sinhala
Buddhists? The Cardinal says the report is incomplete. The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS)
leader Ven. Gnanasara says he will write a book to demonstrate how PBC report
is a copy, almost verbatim, of the
evidence given by him. Sarath Fonseka, who should have been the minister
handling security in the yahapalana cabal, says his separate report attached to the parliamentary
select committee report on the Pasku massacre, which was a cover-up to white
wash the suspected Muslim ministers in the government from blame, had already
done the job that the PBC report has reinvented! Someone said that the
parliamentary sectoral oversight committee on national security, chaired by
Malith Jayathilake, with JVP, TNA (Sumanthiran) and two Muslim members on it,
recommended remedial actions which PBC has replicated.
PBC and BBS
I plan to write
a separate essay on why PBC lawyers < hooked> BBS to its report in such damaging tone,
going to the extreme of recommending punitive action against the BBS monk. PBC
lawyers thus gave the local and foreign anti-Buddhist lobby enough fodder to
blame the Sri Lankan Buddhists as culprits of the Easter Sunday attack,
diverting attention away from Islam-ISIS-Wahabi-Arabic connections behind it.
One reason for this grave mistake, intentionally or unknowingly committed, is
that PBC lawyers’ lack knowledge about Buddhism and about the Koran and
different interpretations given to numerous sentences printed in it, with regard
to promoting and propagating Islam. Therefore, there is a real danger in
entrusting lawyers who have nothing but court experience, within an adversarial
system of litigation, who do not know the history or geography of the country,
to write reports affecting the destiny of Sinhale, which has 2,600 years of
continuous recorded heritage. Logical or legal does not always mean just
and fair.
Committee to
draft a new constitution (2021)
This PBC
debacle makes me worry about what is in store for the country with regard to
the death-trap called the 13th Amendment. According to Ven. Elle
Gunawansa, a constitution is a collection of individual letters (akuru godak)!
One can write the holiest constitution in the world, but in the hands of unholy
men (in Buddhism panchaskandas inflicted with Loba-Dvesa-Moha),
it becomes like a bundle of papers used by fish vendors to wrap fish.
Considering how the black-white political establishment abused laws, law-making
process, executing and adjudicating it, I am not interested in knowing what
comes out as another draft constitutional document, unless it proposes an
overhaul of the entire Euro-centric
governance system, operated by black-white politician class since 1948.
The rule of
law, freedom of speech, democracy, separation of powers, an independent
judiciary and an impartial public service are all romantic fairy tales in books
not just in ex-colonies but in most capitalist representative democracies in
the world. In this context, the life and death issue for the Sinhala nation is
how the Romesh Committee is going handle the 13-A hot political potato. This is
not a complex issue anyway, if one takes a historical-geographical approach
(history is past geography). There are two population divisions in the country. Those who support 13-A and those who oppose
it. The supporters can be identified as black-whites. The black-white
phenomenon started from 1551, when the Sinhale got its first and last Catholic
king. Those who oppose it in 1987 and
now in 2021 are Sinhala Buddhists. If there is even a remote possibility for a
Tamil country with a UN seat and a Tamil flag, one cannot expect the existence of Tamil saints, even if they have Sinhala married
partners, to oppose 13-A. Few people know that Lakshman Kadiragamar and Jeyaraj
Fernandopulle supported the federal idea.
The
Christian-Buddhist conflict began with the building of a church on the premises
the Kotte Raja Maha Vihara, sponsored by the Catholic king. Since then the
Sinhala Christians always stood with the foreigner on many conflicts that took
place between the white rulers and the temple (the Sinhala Buddhists). Now in
March 2021 there is a conflict between USA, India and some ex-colonial masters
determined to balkanize the country on one hand and the temple (the Sinhala
Buddhists) on the other.
Balkanization
of Sinhale
The Romesh de
Silva committee is a team of lawyers, except one, who is a geographer with
repute. There is one lawyer known for his patriotic stand to protect the
country from disintegrating. The other seven members are lawyers, and their
views on social, political issues are
unknown by the people for whom they are preparing a constitutional draft. Who
really selected them for this task, why there are no others with other academic
qualifications, instead of the same old method why not at least one erudite
monk on the committee, are some questions asked.
Were they
political robots or have they expressed their views on socio-economic problems
or on any other burning issue in Sri Lanka by way of research essays or
newspaper articles? How many of them had exposure to history, geography, global
geopolitics and civics and especially
the black-white politics in the country. For example, if PBC knew that after
the pasku bombing, even Hisbulla and Asath Sally, among other Muslim leaders,
publicly requested president Sirisena to release Ven. Gnanasara from prison,
its report would not have treated the monk so cruelly.
MCC Trojan
horse and the Geneva route
Tissa Vitharana
APRC majority report in the past had as
signatories a Christians husband-wife
team, and nobody knows who selected them for that onerous task, on what
grounds. My dilemma is whether the seven
lawyers on the Romesh Committee are in a position to see the trees as well as
the forest. For example, could they see that the entire UNHRC drama against Sri
Lanka is nothing but a determined effort to get the 13th Amendment
implemented in full. This is what Dayan Jayatilleka, the foreign affairs
consultant to Sajith Premadasa, tells the world, as quoted above.
But Dayan hides
many more as the father of 13-A plus project in Sri Lanka since the days that
he had to escape to India with Vartharaja Perumal, the IPKF puppet. USA and UK
are not interested in human rights or war crimes. They want to use UNHRC to get
what they lost by way of an MCC trick/bait. If 13-A plus is snatched by hook or by crook, then US and India could
use Trinco severally or jointly to try to control China, with a future Colombo
government struck in the mud. Trinco is not just a large natural harbor, it has
under sea troughs (geologic faults) so deep that nuclear submarines can hide in
them safe from enemy detection. Thinking of air warfare and land military
bases, Sri Lanka is the location with the lowest gravity on earth.
Romesh
Committee (RC) and Geography
History is past
geography of a country. We need to know history to understand the present and
plan for the future. Learning from history means the ability to take a holistic
approach, not tunnel vision. In the past I have written so many essays against
the 13-A path which was rejected by Prabhakaran, SLFP and the Sinhala
Buddhists. It had the backing of Christians, Marxists, Tamil politicians and
some Sinhala black-white politicians. In this essay, with my limited understanding of the topic, I am taking a short
geographical analysis especially for the benefit of the 8 lawyers of the RC.
Point of no
return
The section of
the population supporting 13-A has had different aims.
There are three
categories.
*(1) Of course
JRJ had to swallow it because of his unwise behavior as a senile old politician
(fox). He put all his eggs in the American basket and got severely burnt. As a
dictator-president he ruined everything he touched, whether it was a new
Jayawardena parliament city in a marshy land
or a Victoria dam on top of a limestone bedrock. With his un-Buddhist
approach to the Tamil separatist issue started in 1923/4, he got cornered with
no escape other than a total surrender to Dixit and Rajiv. It was the
Government of India Act of 1935 copied as 13-A.
Nilakantha
Sasthri, the Tamil historian once wrote that, the King Vijayabahu-I, saved
Sinhale from becoming part of Tamilnad. Similarly, JRJ saved N-E and Malayanadu
becoming an Indian colony, by surrendering to Dixit, because otherwise the
Indian army with the blessings of USA would have occupied N-E, opening the door
for a future Eelam. By kneeling down, he could ‘fool’ the Indian strategists,
and plant a few loopholes to negate the disastrous impact of 13-A to balkanize
the island. Unfortunately, presidents after him messed up and mismanaged it,
even after a miraculous victory on May 18/19, 2009. Instead of Prabhakaran’s
tiger tail for 30 years, Sinhala Buddhists are now holding
Sumanthiran-Vigneswaran-Ponnambalam tails under the pressure from Indian,
American and white politicians
manipulating UN agencies against them. Under these circumstances, whether a
Gotabhaya presidency could deliver its one country-one law promise depends on
what RC does with regard to 13-A. We know what the Orumitthanadu draft
proposed, copying what Mrs. Chandrika’s 2000 draft or Tissa Vitharana’s APRC
majority thing.
*(2) Apart from
JRJ and his blind followers/prisoners, there exists a category who believe that
by giving TNA what it asks, peace and honey will flow all over the country.
Perhaps this was what SWRD thought when he signed the B-C pact with
Chelvanayagam (1957) or later the Dudley-C pact (1965). Giving complete land
powers to a set of politicians who wanted a Kosovo plan in 1949 or joined with
the Dravidasthan plan in Madras that began in 1917, was nothing but pure and
simple insanity. However, due to lack of all the information, the country has
old and young generations (with no history or geography learning in schools)
who think like Siri Sangabos and Vessantaras. They are like the proverbial
crab in the slowly warming water pot on
fire. So many SLPP and SLFP members fall into this category, Vasudeva and Tissa
Vitharana included.
In this
category there are people who found 13-A as a gold mine to become rich and
powerful, a lower tier of the Evil triangle (politician-officer-NGO) destroying
the island, a classic example of the tragedy of the commons (rob anything for
private enrichment). National level somebodies use this local nobodies for
selfish political power games. For these PC monkeys democracy is only a razor
blade.
*(3) But the
likes of Wickramabahu and Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri are different. They want
Tamils to have their own country. Sumanthiran and Sambandhan takes a more
careful, reasonable-looking approach. They want a united, not a unitary state.
They want power devolved in such a way that once given it cannot be taken back!
Under the 13-A Sri Lanka is already a federal state. On this matter, the
supreme court first said no and later said yes! UNP, JVP, Peratugamis, SJB of
Sajith are all in this game, knowing very well that an Eelam path is beginning
of the end of the Sinhala Buddhist heritage in the island. Dayan Jayatillake
leads this dishonest pack of Rosy
Senanayake, Jehan Perera, Pakiyasoothy, Kumar David, Mrs. Chandrika etc., who know clearly that
balkanization is inevitable.
When
Vigneswaran was given an opportunity, after Vartharaja Perumal, to run NP what
did he do? He passed genocide resolutions and opposed Buddha statutes as well
as coconut toddy coming to Jaffna, while the non-vellala people continue to
live in abject poverty as shown by Arul Siddharthan, a Tamil Che Guerra on the
rise, with his many videos. Even in the Diyawanna hotel, Ponnamabalam and Vigneswaran
talk about Tamil genocide, forgetting that TNA got Tamils to vote en masse for
Sarath Fonseka in 2010, who led the <genocidal> army to finish
Prabakaran’s war in less than 3 years. With rapidly losing grip on innocent
Tamils in Jaffna, TNA is more delusional now than ever before. Otherwise how could they send a letter to the
Expert Committee (RC) with the following contradictory sentence printed in the
island newspaper on March 21, 2021: As already
intimated to you orally and in writing, we are willing to evolve a settlement
within the framework of a united, undivided and indivisible country: yet based
on the principle of internal self-determination resulting in maximum possible
devolution.”
In Geneva, essentially, it will be a West vs East battle, considering the key players. It is no secret that moves against Sri Lanka are orchestrated principally by Britain and EU countries, operating as proxies more or less of the USA, which opted out of the UNHRC’s annual drama on account of the infamous descriptive ‘cesspool of bias.
The endgame has been clearly visualized and what we now see are strategic moves that envisage a movement towards that particular Promised Land. To this end, eight Human Rights Ambassadors of Europe including the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden have in a joint statement called on the Sri Lankan government to “respect human rights defenders such as Hizbullah.”
Obviously it’s not just that. The recent case of a lawyer being assaulted by the Police has also been talked of. They’ve made a lot of noise about the issue of disposing the bodies of Covid-19 victims. That prompt action was taken in the first case and delayed action (for not altogether indefensible reasons) taken in the latter are ignored. A fact-starved project must squeeze as much juice as possible from even a puny, half-rotten orange, after all. Marketing will do the rest, especially after appropriate flavor enhancers, coloring and additives are spooned in.
The example of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s foot-in-the-mouth claims some time ago regarding mass graves in Mannar should cure the consciously or unconsciously blind of their myopia. Bachelet insisted on scripting in that mass graves ‘issue’ even though forensic tests revealed that they told a story that was several centuries old!
So we have the case of Hizbullah being reinvented as poster boy. The wording is telling.
Hejaaz Hizbullah is described as ‘a prominent Attorney-at-Law.’ According to the EU’s Human Rights Ambassadors, he is ‘a leading advocate of the rights of people from minority communities, including Muslims in Sri Lanka.’ He is, in their eyes, ‘a vocal critic of discriminatory policies.’
Never mind ‘leading,’ he certainly has credentials in terms of being a rights advocate. Is that all, though? People wear all kinds of hats. We have seen members or open supporters of terrorist organizations offering that they were human rights advocates, media personnel and such. Hejaaz stands accused. That does not mean that he is guilty; the jury is out on the matter. The fact remains that a country that suffered through thirty years of attacks executed by the world’s worst terrorist outfit and saw the carnage left behind multiple suicide attacks by Islamic fundamentalists CANNOT be faulted for erring on the side of caution.
The relevant authorities, to be fair by Hizbullah, have erred in this case, but he’s by no means out of the woods. Yet. The EU (or for that matter the UK or USA) would not take chances on terrorist suspects. Sri Lanka cannot either. The Ambassadors have called on Sri Lanka to ‘respect human rights defenders such as Hizbullah.’ All well and good if such people did nothing other than advocate human rights. What if they have not. In this case Hizbullah is considered a suspect. Prison is not a happy place, but they are not illegal entities. ‘Respect’ does not amount to mandatory pardons and release of all suspects. Systems don’t work that way.
Systems. Interesting word. They are not perfect and there are degrees of imperfection. Indeed those degrees are not independent of political will. Take the case of Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, better known as Pilleyan. He was held without trial for five years. Five years! That went unnoticed and uncommented on by the human rights saints in the UK, USA and the EU. Neither Michelle Bachelet nor her predecessors uttered a word of objection/concern.
Why not?
Ends. It is always about ends. What serves ends will be pursued. What trips ends will be ignored or pushed aside. Footnoted at best. Poor Hizbullah is in an unhappy position. If he is innocent, and let’s be clear that he could be very well be innocent, he’s being played as a pawn in the endgame studies of multiple parties.
He’s just one. Every single citizen of Sri Lanka is a pawn of such games Any narrative that leaves out context is a game. Any narrative that inflates/deflates as per preferred endgame is a game. It is never about what it is supposed to be, let’s not kid ourselves. When an entire edifice (like every statement and resolution related to Sri Lanka emanating from the EU, UK, USA and the UN) is built on a monumental lie called ‘The Darusman Report’ and when relevant missives and/or reports from the British High Commission, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the International Red Cross are ignored, it amounts to a slur on every tenet held sacred by the community of nations. It amounts to an insult to every Sri Lankan. Most of all, it is an insult to every single individual who suffered directly or indirectly on account of an unwanted conflagration. Even cases that have legitimacy (for no war is clinical and not all soldiers are exemplary adherents to the Geneva Convention) get shortchanged.
Hizbullah, if indeed he’s innocent, could get shortchanged too and he would have to thank the overzealous end-justifies-means bullies in the international community. One hopes it doesn’t come to that.
In any case, he’s not the only pawn. The UNHRC is the Mother of all Pawns.
In the year 1977, the Tamli United Liberation Front (TULF) contested the General Election on a separatist ticket. The TULF swept the Tamil vote. That result was and is interpreted as an unofficial referendum on the Tamil people’s views on separation.
And so the argument can be made as follows: if in any geographical territory the vast majority of people believe it is in their best interest to be independent of any directives however insignificant originating from any structure of authority outside that territory, then there shouldn’t be any objection whatsoever from anyone.
Easy isn’t it? Yes, easy. Now let’s consider the complexities which, among other things, punch holes in the above formulation.
The TULF came up with racist rhetoric. The TULF was the strongest ‘Tamil’ party contesting the particular electorates. The TULF could have promised the moon or promised nothing at all and may very well have secured the same number of seats. But then again, one could argue that this is mere speculation. The TULF contested on a separatist ticket and therefore the victory needs to be seen as an affirmation of a need; a separatist need.
On the other hand, the TULF’s promise was one that was hard to resist. After all the ‘separate state’ was not just those electorates that the TULF won, but roughly one third the landmass of the island. Land beyond belief is mouthwatering for any community or individual in a world where no one is making land any more.
Now consider a people whose claims with respect to traditional homelands are at best tendentious. Consider a people who, simply on account of identity, have to live their lives out as a community that doesn’t have a nation to go with that identity. Consider a people who, like other people, have economic difficulties but have discovered that ‘identity’ is a convenient protest-dress. Consider a people who have been dished communal rhetoric for decades laced with theses such as Chelvanayakam’s ‘A little now more later’ and formulae such as G G Ponnambalam’s 50-50 representation for less than 10% of the total population. Now consider a politician or political party that spews rhetoric regarding a promised land. It would be hard to resist, would it not?
Let’s forget all that. Let us assume that there is a territory where historical claims are undisputed. Let us assume that in this territory there is a community with a shared identity based on language (never mind that they are differentiated along lines of religion, caste, political affiliation etc.). Let us assume that they as opposed to any other community have been discriminated against at every turn. What if such a community desires to name the territory in which they live ‘a nation’? I would say ‘legitimate.’
Now here’s the rub. We don’t have such a ‘pure’ community in Sri Lanka and certainly not in the territory ‘mapped’ by artful Tamil Eelamist cartographers who merely superimposed land-gram aspirations on lines drawn by colonial rulers for their convenience. We do have the Jaffna Peninsula, post-ethnic cleansing by the LTTE, spawn of Tamil nationalists who came before and after the Vadukkoddai Resolution of 1976 and of course the 1977 General Election. Even then the claim of the area being part of ‘exclusive traditional homelands’ is iffy. If history (that can be substantiated) presides over such a discussion, the claim would wobble.
For argument’s sake, though, let’s say the Jaffna Peninsula is ‘All Tamil’ and has been so from a million years ago (or some such time unit preferred by creative historiographers). Someone says ‘this is our home, our native land, we should have our own nation within such and such demarcations with our own flag, anthem and currency.’ Compelling, what?
Here’s what’s not been said.
The overwhelming majority of Tamils do not live in such a Tamil-only territory. There’s a more-or-less-Tamil-only state in India just a few kilometers away where there are 100 million people who call themselves Tamil. Just south of the intended border there is a community that already feels besieged, a community whose ancestor fought invaders and died in proportions much higher than the national count at that time if you broke down resistance along ethnic lines. Lines are easily drawn on paper. Their maintenance on the ground is costly and has been marked by bloodletting. Indeed, we saw what the rhetoric of 1977 (and before) produced. Not all of it can be laid at the door of ‘Sinhala Buddhist Racists.’ Much of it, indeed, was the work of the ‘Boys of 1977’ if you will. No border. No separate state. Much violence. Much destruction. There has to be a lesson there for those who want to learn.
These are some of the factors that the rhetoricians are silent on simply because they stain the idyllic picture of the promised land. They won’t say ‘All Tamils in Sri Lanka will in future live in Tamil Eelam’ because not all Tamils would want to. They won’t say ‘let’s ask all Tamils to vote on whether or not they want a separate stated, provided that if the majority says yes” then all of them will move to the promised land.’ They won’t ask anyone to wonder how Tamils living in a country that would be, by default, a ‘Sinhala Nation,’ would feel. Would they feel besieged by a besieged people? What can they expect from a majority community that for various reasons legitimately feel short-changed by brethren belonging to their community? Would they say, ‘We are a Tamil-only nation, but south of the border it’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious?’
So, there’s a lot of blanks in the story. There are probable outcomes that are left out. Here’s another blank: many who talk separatism, arrogantly or politely, are fond of saying ‘there are no pure races in the world,’ but they leave ‘Tamils’ out of that narrative. They can’t afford to because the bottom falls out of the exclusive traditional homelands story if they did.
However, let’s cut to the chase. Let the separatists tell the entire story without leaving the unsavory parts out. That alone would sober aspirations and diminish grievances to true dimensions, i.e. unfrilled. Plain and simple. And let’s not entertain the nonsense formulation couched in that silly phrase ‘within a united Sri Lanka,’ because unity just cannot be legislated and has no political meaning in any state-formulation.
So there it is. A challenge for Tamil Eelamists and their various apologists. Come clean.
The
currency devaluation by developed countries (Especially France) had been an
epidemic since the early 1900s until the establishment of the International
Monetary Fund, and many western economies looked at this issue with a bias
toward hard currencies of America and European counterparts. Fifty Economics
classics edited by Tom Butler-Bowdon (2017) has noted the following point about
John Maynard Keynes After world war two, Keynes played an important role in
establishing the Bretton woods system, a flexible regime that would stop the
epidemic of currency devaluations which had caused so much animosity before the
war. Keynes also helped establish
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank” (Page 137).
The
epidemic of currency depreciation than devaluation in many countries has been
converted to a vicious pandemic since the Covid 19, and this situation is not a
devaluation-related issue, but it is an automated process by an autonomous mode
of the market economic system. The American dollar appears to be gone out of
its superiority during the COVID-19 pandemic period which experiences a
negative impact on international trade and financial movements. The unseen
aspect of this problem is America determines the price of products against the
wishes of producing countries, it seems that lower prices for imports from
developing countries. Whether America
consumes such products and services or not it is not an issue, but it can
control the prices of developing countries, and such authority always would not
work in connection with friendly countries of America in Europe. America and
European countries advise developing countries not to restrict imports, e.g.,
Germany advised Sri Lanka not to stop the import of vehicles.
The
epidemic of foreign value depreciation of currency units of developing
countries resulted from the depreciation of the American dollar, many times in
history, abundant monetary units of developing countries had a direct link to
the American dollar, however, when the value of the American dollar increases,
the product and service prices of developing countries would not increase in
line with the change of the American dollar, and developing countries have
bloated the crisis and relegated poor people of such countries to obscurities.
The nature of the comportment of the American dollar seems to be identical to
the situation had in the early 1970s by gold prices, the oil crisis, and the
Vietnam war. Now, no one talks about Euro Dollars and Peto Dollars.
The
view of Keynes, a flexible regime of International Finance Management or the
Briton Wood system has a disproportionate impact on the currency values of
Asian developing countries, especially, in the Indian region and the Southeast
countries of Asia. The situation displays that it requires a quick regime
change in international financial management to protect developing countries in
the Indian region. The Chinese region also needs to associate with the Indian
region and the animosity between China and India should be consigned to
oblivion with effective negotiations between two countries on account of people
in the region, who are suffering lots from the pandemic of currency
depreciation, no doubt that the current regime of the IMF pushes poor people to
never-ending economic and social difficulties.
It
is difficult to observe that Indian people and Chinese people except foreign
policymakers have animosity or radical differences either in economic
activities and cultural countenance, and religious practices. Attitudes of Indians and Chinese are analogs
concerning many aspects of life, but the animosity has been created by politics
against the common wishes of people, and international media is setting fires
and putting strows to the small fire creating a massive fire. Indian and China
political and economic policymakers have never introduced symbolic policy
measures to display the unity of people in both countries.
Recently,
Mr. Ajith Nivard Cabral, the State Minister of Finance in Sri Lanka talked
about Geo-Economics instead of Geo-Politics as he wanted to strengthen economic
cooperation in the Indian region, and South and South-East Asian countries need
to take firm policy actions to get out of the issue of currency depreciation
pandemic. This issue is less debated by people and economic experts in both
regions as the understanding of international finance-related issues of people
are little, and many economists and politicians in the region have an interest
in political, social, cultural, and ethnic issues that quickly attract people
despite finance management regime related issues, and many people in both
regions, Indian and Southeast Asian have no clear understanding of how currency
depreciation harms on the day-to-day life. It is a complicated macroeconomic
issue that feels people when they go to the marketplace.
The
manner of people in this region is highly concerned with social, cultural, and
ethnic issues, and economic difficulties of people in Indian and the South East
Asian region (Total population in the region is more than half of the world)
are willing to stripe as a result of metempsychosis. Mr. Ajith Nivard Cabral
pointed to Geo-Economics focusing on trade and economic relations and no doubt
that trade and economic relationships are concerned with the depreciation of
currency value. It can make statistical analysis and could find the positive
co-relationship with the pandemic of currency depreciation, and regression
analysis may find the factors related to the slope of regression with
quantitative values, however, direct negotiation, action planning, and
developing a voice urging politicians in the region would be a successful
effort that will open the eyes of the Breton Woods regime relating secular
depreciation of foreign and local values of currency units Originally, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka had
these objectives, later these objectives reflected a failure or it changed,
people have no idea.
Generally,
the foreign value of a currency subject to variation of the volume of foreign
reserves and the export power or the volume of the positive trade balance. It
seems that Sri Lanka’s policy action is to find a solution for these two areas
by borrowing than productive actions to enhance foreign reserves and export
revenue than import costs. Mr. Ajith
Nivard Cabral was appointed to the position by the president to make effective
policies, however, he has gone beyond the role to make political talks.
When
Sri Lanka’s monetary unit commenced quick depreciation with the COVID 19
pandemic I published an article in Lankaweb on 11.04.2020 expressing that the
SARC region needs to take collective policy action to prevent currency unit
depreciation. The International Monetary
Fund and other international financial institutions such as the World Bank,
Asian Development Bank, and others, focused policy actions mainly based on
providing small financial supports and the policy action them was no other than
relegating to the indebtedness of developing countries, and it needed more than
supporting for them to get away from the issue.
The regime change of international financial management was not the
IMF’s action plan, and it needs to continue its regime showing that it has been
taken action to help those countries. The regime of the IMF needs to look at
the issue with a more humanistic approach considering people in developed and
developing countries are humans with similar values.
Think
about the Euro Zone that commenced in the early in the late 1960s as the
European Economic Commission, and originally, the UK was not interested in the
union, but in 1972, the UK entered the EURO union disregarding the Interest of
Australia and New Zealand on the economic relationships with the UK. The UK
fully Brexited in 2020 from the EU. The Geo-politics of EU built a strong union
and a common currency called EURO that issued in the year 2000 and secured the
local and foreign value of the currency unit, and the Geopolitics of the European
region was able to create its currency unit with dignity despite the
expectations and objectives of the Briton Wood regime, in the year 2000, stabilize the foreign value of the countries
of the European region. The wonderful aspect of the European region was they
have positively responded at currency value of EURO, even after the Brexit, the
currency value of the Euro region maintains as expected by the union, and they
have no firmed idea to regime change of within currency management in the
region.
The
regime change in international financial management cannot be done overnight by
South and Southeast Asia, the attitudes of people in the region are rigid and
overnight changes impossible, it needs a broader discussion and debate among
countries, and the political leadership of China and India must be agreed to a
plan for achieving the aim. Sri Lanka
associated with EU style SARC, but it was unsuccessful in a short period as
self-centered attitudes of certain members of the organization and foreign
influences mainly caused to unsuccess. SARC leaders contributed to disunity,
and a severe conflict identifying standard aims and was impossible and abortive. SARC had a weakness of thinking we are
different in ethnicity, religion, and culture, but have one face with an endeavor
to achieving the prime objectives. This situation forced the SARC union to get
away from creating an international financial management regime for the region,
despite massive expectations at the beginning SARC failed to build a regional
financial management regime.
I
observed that SARC was working against the aggregation, ethnic and natural
conditions. The behavior of SARC leaders was reflected traditional animosity
between nations and reflected the ability to enter foreign forces against the objectives
of the prime objectives. The change of the leadership of India attempted to
change to the prime objectives and this situation was brought about destructive
forces against the unity of countries.
However,
some leaders of the Asian region such as Mr. Takshin Sinevatra was able to
initiate the Asian Bond market to invest in Asian savings in Asia, and reduce
the pressure on the trading bank system financing for the government and
private firms. The regime change in international financial management in the
South and South Asian region could be efficacious if political leaders in China
and India begin the concept into practicality. They need to forget animosity
and come to a round table and broadly discuss the issue. As long as the
political regimes of India and China are maintained the animosity it would help
the current regime of IMF to maintain the superiority of American and European
currency units and other countries to be treated as slaves.
Leaders
in the South and Southeast Asian region should formally inform the current
suppression to the leadership of the international financial management regime
of the International Monetary Fund, which has been not implemented an effective
role in responding to the currency depreciation pandemic after the COVID 19
except offering few credit facilities by the current Briton Wood approach. The
regime changes of the IMF and setting new policies for the operations of the
IMF are essential in the current situation. Developing countries cannot expect
from the US, UK, and European countries justice for the currency depreciation. They
will implement essential reforms as they are depending on cheap trade with
developing countries. When they have cheap prices for importing raw materials
and other products such as garments, fish products, depreciated currency values
in producing countries would be profitable to them. developed countries can buy
goods at cheaper prices and maintain the leadership of international trade.
The
reforms requirement has not been convinced to the IMF by developing countries
and Sri Lanka should take leadership to convince developing countries in the
South and Southeast Asian region where has a large volume of the population in
the world and such action will force the IMF to make regime change. The reality
in the last century was developed countries eliminated leaders of developing
countries when work together to force various policies disadvantaging developed
countries.
After
more than 50 years of the establishment of the Briton Wood System, no
significant changes that supporting developing countries were not carried out
by the authority, and as a small country, Sri Lanka can motivate countries in
the region to convince the requirement to the IMF. The Unity among China and
India is key to change the IMF policies. If this not happens with India and
China the IMF would not take any action to protect Asia and continue to hit the
third world.
I
am of opinion that the world needs five regional regimes for international
financial management as Asian Region including all countries in Asia, African
region, Latin American region, America, British and Canadian region, and Euro
Region. Australia and New Zealand could
be joined with any region that they are willing to associate with. Each region should introduce a common
currency for the region and the foreign value of each common currency of the
five regions should be equal and the new regime will prevent currency
depreciation. The countries could further discuss recognizing BANCOR as
originally planned by countries before initiate the Briton Wood system.
The
other advantage of the new regime is promoting trade within the region and
supporting the development and growth of countries within the region. Annually, the leaders of the region could
have a currency conference and determine the progress and changes requirements.
Sri
Lanka can get the leadership for this regime change. Previous leaders of Sri Lanka had taken the
pre-eminence for various international matters. Mr. J.R. Jayewardene for
Japanese peace, establish Colombo Plan, Mrs. Sirimao Bandaranaike to make the
Indian Ocean Peace Zone and Non-align movement could be given as examples.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa could get superintendency on reforming the
international financial management regime and contribute to the international
policymaking thrust.
Originally,
China and India will associate and play a leading role, and Japan, South Korea
will enter the Asian region as they want to maintain trade and growth. If
Russia is willing to join with the Asian region it could accept, otherwise,
Russia could join with the European region.
Foreign
policymakers in Sri Lanka adhere to the problems of Sri Lankans who engage in
foreign employment and they have not developed this type of creative proposals.
The personnel in overseas service in the past contributed many creative policy
developments and now it has become to play a limited clerical role. Many
officers of the Foreign Office are interested only in going overseas and
getting allowance than developing policies, which are beneficial to the
country.
UNHRC Resolutions are legally non-binding. Its mandate covers only human rights not international humanitarian laws. Whether all 47 members vote against Sri Lanka, or whether all 47 Members vote for Sri Lanka, UNHRC cannot force Sri Lanka to do anything. Its only an annual circus for political pressures via resolutions. When UNHRC Resolutions are legally non-binding it implies that he Main Sponsors/Core Group can demand the Sun or the Moon from Sri Lanka, but Sri Lanka is bound in no way to accommodate their demands. However, if Sri Lanka goes and does something stupid like co-sponsoring a resolution inimical to Sri Lanka or accepts a consensual resolution, then we are more or less agreeing to comply with the provisions demanded by the Core Group/Main Sponsors. This was what happened with the co-sponsorship by Sri Lanka in 2015 which led to the OMP, Reparations to Tigers, Truth & Reconciliation Commission and all that was left to do was to create a Special Prosecutors office/Special Court with international lawyers & judges. The 2021 UNHRC Resolution is aiming to put the lid of Sri Lanka’s coffin with this last objective.
If UNHRC Resolutions are legally non-binding – do we need to go begging to hostile nations to ‘please refrain from drafting resolutions against us’ – NO
If UNHRC Resolutions are legally non-binding – do we need to go begging to India promising them this port terminal or that port terminal or whatever shopping-list India demands from Sri Lanka? – NO
If UNHRC Resolutions are legally non-binding – should Sri Lanka go & co-sponsor the Resolution? – NO
If UNHRC Resolutions are legally non-binding – should Sri Lanka agree to a consensual resolution? – NO
Note: why are the Main Sponsors leaking their draft resolutions? This ploy was used when the Ban Ki Moon personally commissioned report was leaked as was the Petrie Report.
Is it to provoke the weak officials representing Sri Lanka to follow the usual appeasement line and agree to something, simply to dilute the resolution, so they can return home claiming to have ‘fought’ and surrendered!
What should be very clear is that Sri Lanka should not go for a co-sponsorship or a consensual resolution.
By agreeing to either Sri Lanka is voluntarily committing itself to what the Main Sponsors want. This is the worst hara kiri or treachery any officials can commit against a sovereign state & the armed forces that eliminated terror.
Therefore, Sri Lanka must
Stop begging to hostile countriesbut engage countries that have been consistently voting for Sri Lanka
Request a Sri Lanka-friendly country to seek a vote by show of hands (we will then know who are true friends are) This will prevent a consensual resolution as Sri Lanka has no vote being an observer nation.
Sri Lanka friendly nations will not take the floor on behalf of Sri Lanka unless Sri Lanka requests them.This is part of diplomatic protocol in respecting Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. If Sri Lanka wants to commit suicide – Sri Lanka-friendly nations will not ask ‘why’. So Sri Lanka must seek assistance from its traditional friends (not traditional enemies)
12 years of UNHRC Circus is now enough.We want a closure to this nonsense. Legally non-binding wasting everyone’s time resolution texts full of lies should end. The resolutions have nothing related to violations of international humanitarian laws which is the yardstick that Non-International Armed Conflicts are measured. The recommendations and demands are violating the UN Charter, intruding the sovereignty of Sri Lanka demanding implementation of 13a, abolition of terrorist laws, penal codes and even re-structuring the armed forces & police. Clearly, these resolutions are not about the last phase of Sri Lanka’s conflict or any concern for Tamils or victims of terror.
Sri Lanka must table a powerful speech highlighting all of the gross irregularities, procedural errors, biases of the UNHRC & its head as well as the factually incorrect reports issued by Special Rapporteurs sent.
Sri Lanka must declare that it will appoint a task force to answer every allegation made with facts and figures for next Geneva Sessionand based on this rally the Non-Aligned Movement countries for a Joint Declaration of Closure on Sri Lanka which eliminated 30 years of terrorism in 3 years, saved 300,000 lives at the collateral damage of 7721 lives but has had 12 years of no LTTE suicide terrorism and Tamil children, Tamil men and Tamil women have been saved from being turned into LTTE child soldiers and LTTE combatants. Sri Lanka can show the development that has taken place since 2009 in the North & East of Sri Lanka as against how life was under LTTE. These are the success stories that the UNHRC choose to ignore for geopolitical reasons.
Instead of witch-hunting Sri Lanka for ending terror, the Main Sponsors must look at how LTTE fronts are swindling their citizens operating from foreign shores. The GoSL and Foreign Ministry must demand action on LTTE’s illegal financial network that swindles foreign citizens and pockets swindled money into the accounts of foreign politicians and international heads who are the one’s parroting pro-LTTE statements. Investigate them all. GoSL must go on the offensive. Compile a list of all foreign MPs and request they be investigated for links to LTTE & the international illegal monetary network. The only claim of war crimes is based on the allegation of 40,000 dead, the GoSL/Foreign Ministry must go on the offensive using this too by demanding they present names of the supposed dead! There are plenty of ways Sri Lanka can turn the bogus allegations to Sri Lanka’s advantage, why are we not using them?
At some time or the other this question will have to be answered. At present it remains a big question just as the role of the UNP in both events. Ironically, UNP ruled when both of these horrendous attacks took place. Providing a clue however, is the arrest of an Indian attempting to destroy a Buddha statue in Kuliyapitiya. We know that the spate of attacks on Buddhist sites became a precursor to the Easter Sunday attack. Until the identity of the Kuliyapitiya attacker was identified in all probability the blame would have fallen on the minorities. This was the obvious modus operandi in 1983, 2019 and now 2020. We must all now be alert to what other surprises are in store. Citizens are required to read between the lines at all times during any forthcoming incidents. Let’s hope the arrested Indian doesn’t turn up declared ‘insane’, released and allowed to return to India! Ironically an Indian arrested in connection with an assassination attempt prior to 21/4 was released citing him to be a madman!
Who gained by July1983? Who gained by Easter Sunday attacks?
When JR Jayawardena became the 1stExecutive President of Sri Lanka in 1978, he thought himself the Yankees choice for Asia. India was titled towards Russia following a closed economy. Whether JRJ’s rants against India’s PM was the raison d’etre for deciding to destabilize Sri Lanka is just one angle to the story. Obviously, terrorism was to become a key game changer in Asia. Let us not forget that Osama bin Laden was heavily involved in Afghanistan on behalf of the US round about this same period and Pakistan was also drawn in. The LTTE links to Palestine groups has to be also be noted. The numerous trips to the Middle East and arms deals as well. How far the UNP politicians also played a role can only be guessed as they are all now dead except one!
Sri Lanka’s military and intel was not as strong or efficient as it is today. N Q Dias foreign minister to Mrs B wished to secure Sri Lanka’s territory from illegal Indian invasions by setting up military camps which were all removed by JRJ once coming to power. It became a piece of cake to lure unemployed Tamil youth to India with the dream of becoming freedom fighters and carving out a separate Tamil Eelam state. The British ensured they had dropped the first poison into the heads of Tamil politicians by allowing 50-50 demand but rejecting it, the formation of ITAK in 1949, the opposition to SRI” on car plates leading to the 1976 Vaddukoddai Resolution but not before sounding the first casualty by gun in 1975 with the assassination of Alfred Duraiappah. It was nothing but a warning to all Tamils – ‘either you toe the line or find yourself dead’.
Whether the JRJ Govt & intel knew or not, but subsequent interim Jain Commission report following the assassination of PM Rajiv Gandhi, revealed the training camps in India, the number of Tamil males & females trained, around 35 Sri Lankan Tamil groups under various names that underwent training by Indian RAW and former army officers. Had this happened in today’s context India would be declared a state sponsor of terrorism! The affidavits revealed much too.
That these were happening in secret and away from Sri Lanka required a reason for these militants to come into the open and a reason to justify militancy and a theme on which they could galvanize international support and create a funding source to support them. July 1983 was that incident.How far UNP were aware of the bigger plot or were coerced into playing a role remains unknown. But definitely, the plan was to attack only selected Tamil areas while protecting the Tamil rich friends and executed in such a way to create the international attention required to bring out the secretly trained armed Tamil groups in India to the open.
LTTE became the leader of these groups and killed off most of the leaders to eventually hijack the separatist cause which India used to its advantage until India planned phase 2 which required the elimination of LTTE. Note how without any reason Sornam goes & closes the Mavil Aru anicut and Indian agents in the then Govt demanded military intervention by going on a march, triggering action by President Mahinda Rajapakse. The rest is now history. LTTE and India created Tamil militancy birthed by India was aborted covertly by India. India has made headway, opened offices all over Sri Lanka, is demanding larger stakes & now wants to even have a political party Sri Lanka Bhaarathiya Janatha Party’ contesting in Sri Lanka. This is like the return of the IPKF in political suits. Modi is already calling Sri Lankan Tamil citizens as ‘our brothers & sisters’.
In July 2017 Ranil Wickremasinghe did the unthinkable. He signed Hambantota Port to China. This was akin to Rajapakse allowing Chinese submarines into Sri Lanka in 2014. US Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Delhi in August 2014 & Modi visited India in September 2014. Both then masterminded 2015 regime change in Sri Lanka.
In January 2004, the US and India launched the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership” (NSSP) US & India signed a 10 year defense framework agreement in 2005 (lapsed in 2015) as well as the Open Skies Agreement. In 2010 that US-India re-engaged the US-India Strategic Dialogue declaring India as an ‘indispensable partner and a trusted friend’
By 2017, most of what regime change operators wanted out of Sri Lanka was complete. Sri Lanka had co-sponsored the Geneva Resolution agreeing to scores of internal intrusions by sponsor states. Western officials were virtually inside Temple Trees ordering how the country was to be ruled. MCC was being rolled out with land registries being opened to these officials and changes happening bringing shockwaves to patriotic people of Sri Lanka.
With India partnering QUAD and becoming America’s key ally in the Indian Asian Ocean, the dirty work to destabilize India’s neighbors was again outsourced to India. Recall how India trained Sri Lankan Tamil youth in late 1970s and early 1980s – this time Kerala became the opted venue. Notice the rise in Muslim population in Kerala and the growing radicalism. India would be the best to give the number of times Zaharan Hashim the head suicide bomber traveled to India for mentoring. Interestingly enough, there is more about Zaharan Hashim in Indian media than the Sri Lankan media reports! https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-48619974what happened to him?
Note too that ‘Sara’ or Pulastini (Tamil) the wife of the Katuwapitiya church suicide bomber fled to India and even India was never bothered to search & extradite her.
It was on 4thApril 2019, that Indian intel sounded the first warning of a suicide attack, thereafter 97 such warnings had been issued. Surely, they could have easily published the warning on social media if they really wanted to stop it knowing that Sri Lanka’s govt or intel agencies were not taking action!
Clearly Zaharan was no mastermind – what mastermind goes and commits suicide. So the question remains who are the real masterminds of Easter Sunday aiming to create another ‘ethnic’ friction. The fact that 5000 swords were also imported and stored in mosques and homes was another clue to what was expected to ensue. The media reports completely turning the victims from the Church/Hotels to Muslims being unfairly targeted looks to be also part of the plot! The fact that Sinhalese Buddhists were quoted as victimizing Muslims was also plugged in to provide additional flavor!
Surely India knew about Zaharan’s interactions with Muslim extremist groups in Malappuram (Kerala), Coimbatore, Trichy, Thirunelvely, Vellore, Nagapattam, Kannyakumari, Ramanathapuram (Tamil Nadu). It was in India that Zaharan was turned into an Islamic fundamentalist, just like Tamil youth from Sri Lanka were turned into militants by India.
It is now clear that July 1983 by India was to nurture hatred among Tamils against Sinhalese & vice versa while the encouragement of new Islamic fundamentalist cultures & habits were also to create ill-will between Sinhalese & Muslims while also encouraging Muslims to provoke the Sinhalese. Thus all the anti-Tamil / anti-Muslim / anti-Sinhalese events have all been choreographed by India/Quad.
While India infused Sri Lankan Tamils to demand a separate state advantageous to India (and now to Quad), we are still guessing as to the real objective of the jihadi terror by India/Quad across Sri Lanka?Or is it because Jihadi Terror automatically enables R2P War on Terror and to invade Sri Lanka on the ruse of ‘eliminating Islamic terror’? Is this the bigger plan? The immediate linking to ISIS was a dead giveaway! Note also papers written about a pan-Islamic project! One thing is for sure – whatever commissions appointed, we will never know the truth. We continue to guess about July83 & the same will apply to Easter Sunday!
Sri Lanka is not connecting the dots – India given Palaly airport, India developing Kankasanthurai Harbor, India is pushing to recommence ferry service from Dhanushkodi, India to Sri Lanka, India is also mooting a road from Mannar to Trinco, India also wants to start an undersea power supply to Sri Lanka, while India is eternally have electricity breakdowns. Other than the Indian High Commission, India has consulates in Jaffna, Kandy, Galle, Matara, Hambantoa and India has been demanding Mattala Airport. Culturally imposing on Sri Lanka is the promotion of the Ramayana Trail while annually effigy of Ravana is still burnt in India! From bajaj to tea plantations, to wholesale, retail even to easy transport of illegally smuggled items into Sri Lanka, India exerts much pressure over Sri Lanka through many soft power methods.
India may think it can continue to destabilize Sri Lanka at will, without realizing what’s in store for India.
While we are complaining about BJP forming a party in Sri Lanka, the UK is busy making inroads into India not to mention the foreign-government funded evangelical movements converting even Sikhs in Punjab. Entire villages have been successfully converted. Bob Blackman is the Chairman of the All-Party-Parliamentary Group for Sri Lankan Muslim Organizations UK and he is also chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Hindus. Bob is also head of the All Party Britain-Israel Parliamentary Group too.
Bob is a busy man – advocating for Hindus, Muslims & Jews!
— Sikh Council UK | ਸਿੱਖ ਕੌਂਸਲ ਯੂ.ਕੇ | सिख कौंसिल यू (@SCUKofficial) February 7, 2021
Now look at how Sikhs are cozying up to the Tamil Eelam cause and the Sikh mouthpieces supporting pro-LTTE fronts even in Canada. The Khalistan dream remains alive even in 2021 & all that realization needs is some foreign backing!
These are all likely to be nemesis for the sorrows brought upon other nations that have done no harm. Only time will tell. Inpite of the harm done to Sri Lanka, we have warned India to be prepared that balkanizing of India is very much on the cards!
