The Director-General of Health Services has sent a letter to the Minister of Justice Ali Sabri regarding the bodies of COVID-19 victims.
This was in response to the proposal to place the bodies of Muslims who died of COVID-19 infection in refrigerated containers until a definite decision is made regarding their burial.
The Director-General, through his letter, has requested for 05 refrigerated containers to be provided to the Chief Judicial Medical Officer’s Offices in Colombo, Kalutara, Kandy, and Negombo and the Ashraf Memorial Hospital in Kalmunai.
Meanwhile, containers that can refrigerate corpses have been provided to the Colombo Chief Judicial Medical Officer’s Office.
Accordingly, the bodies of Muslim COVID-19 victims were placed in these containers today (21).
State Minister for Money, Capital Market & State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal stated that the Government intends to follow a fair and a consistent tax policy without killing the proverbial ‘golden goose.’ Speaking exclusively to Indeewari Amuwatte at the ‘@HydePark’ program on Ada Derana 24, the State Minister expressed the following:
The most important thing about revenue is that it must be possible for people to pay because the government revenue is actually your expenditure. If the government is collecting more and more taxes it means the ordinary people of this country have to pay more and more, businesses will have to pay more and more. So, the government has to be conscious of this balance. If you were to deprive the base of the possibility of it to grow, it would be like this proverbial ‘killing of the golden goose that laid the golden eggs.’ What this government has done is to have reasonable tax rates with reasonable percentages being imposed. So that people can still part with the part of their income and not be significantly deprived of their own capacity to invest further.”
“We want to have a tax regime which is fair and which is consistent. We have a consistent policy where people can take investment decisions. That is very vital that people are able to take long term investment decisions, because through those decisions we can activate the economy very easily. At the same time, we expect the taxes to be paid by the people who are doing business in the country. That is why we want to plug all the leakages as well. If there is a leakage that is occurring, it is the interest of the government to ensure that those leakages are plugged and those are not able to function in the future, so that, whatever is done in Sri Lanka, is a legitimate business which is yielding revenue to the government. With that kind of strategy I think we can ensure that the revenues will be consistent and government coffers will be improving.”
Speaking further, Cabraal emphasized on the importance of addressing the revenue losses from illicit industries.
“What you mean by illicit industry is actually smuggling. If they were to pay taxes on the products that they are manufacturing or distributing and if the proper taxes are being paid then that industry will become legitimate. Overall we do recognize that in the case of liquor, tobacco and other items, where the duty element is there, the government may be losing some revenues and those needs to be addressed.”
When you have income which is not declared there is a great possibility that it can be channeled to other illegal avenues as well. It is in the interest of all to ensure that the proper revenues are collected by the government and that all the avenue of through which revenues are coming into the country are legitimately accounted for. Very often we have seen terrorism financing or money laundering has taken place from monies that have been generated by illegal means. It is fairly a complex problem which needs to be tackled by all parties and at the same time we got to ensure that we come down hard on those who go on these types of activities as well.”
The Galle Additional Magistrate has ordered for the body of a COVID-19 victim to be refrigerated instead of being cremated.
Considering a request made by the relatives of the deceased, the magistrate has ordered the body to be placed in a mortuary refrigerator at the Karapitiya Hospital until the decision of the Committee appointed by the government is out.
The deceased COVID-19 patient is a Muslim father of three residing in Dodugoda, Galle.
While the Coroner of the Karapitiya Hospital Chandrasena Lokuge recommended that the body be cremated as per quarantine laws, the son of the deceased had stated that they will not claim the body if it is cremated.
When the case was taken up today (21), attorneys representing the relatives of the deceased requested the body to be preserved in a freezer until the report of the committee appointed to look into the action to be taken regarding the bodies of Muslim COVID-19 victims.
Considering the submissions of both parties, Galle Additional Magistrate Pavithra Sanjeewani Pathirana instructed the police to take necessary action after informing the Director-General of Health Services in this regard.
The procedure for inbound travellers to Sri Lanka, introduced since March 2020 has been revised, based on the joint decision made by the Foreign Ministry, the Department of Immigration and the Civil Aviation Authority and as agreed by the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation.
The Foreign Ministry said the following procedure will take effect from 26 December 2020:
1. The Government of Sri Lanka (Foreign Ministry and National Operation Center for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) will arrange special repatriation flights for the Government quarantine facilities in coordination with Sri Lanka Missions abroad for migrant workers, students, patients, short term visa holders, government and military officials,
2. (I). However, Sri Lankans or Foreigners of Sri Lankan origin (Holders of Dual Citizenship) will be allowed to travel on any commercial/non-repatriation flights to Sri Lanka without the approval of the Foreign Secretary (or) Civil Aviation Authority subject to the limit of passengers per flight determined by the Civil Aviation Authority, based on concurrence/consultation of NOCPCO subject to compliance with paid quarantining at a designated hotel.
(ii). It is the sole responsibility of the Airline concerned to ensure that the passengers allowed on board under the above arrangement will strictly adhere to the paid quarantine.
The revision of procedure for inbound travellers will be subject to review based on further assessments made on new guidelines, the ministry said in a notice today.
The Ministry of Health says that another 415 patients who were previously tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered and discharged from the hospital within the last 24 hours.
This brings the total number of Covid-19 recoveries in the country to 28,682.
The majority of the recoveries were reported from Bingiriya Treatment Centre (36), Kamburugamuwa Hospital (29), Kopai Treatment Centre (26), Wathupitiwala Treatment Center (24), Divulapitiya District Hospital (22), Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital (21), Panideniya Treatment Centre (21), Theldeniya District Hospital (20), and Samanalawewa Treatment Centre (20).
A total of 37,261 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Sri Lanka so far while 8,403 of them are currently under medical care.
Sri Lanka also witnessed 176 fatalities from the virus.
Minister of Mass Media Keheliya Rambukwella affirms that there will be no registration of social media and digital platform users.
Issuing a statement, the stated that the statement circulating with regards to the social media regulation has been portrayed in a garbled manner where the true meaning is not conveyed.
He clarifies that the government’s intention was not to register social media users but to convey a mounting concern shared by governments across the world, that these digital multinational conglomerates are overwhelming and alienating Sri Lanka’s local businesses by data colonization.
He said: This is directly impacting our medium scale companies. This view is also shared by leading industrialists in Sri Lanka. These predatory techniques lead to huge sums of money leaving the country through these digital platforms.
Therefore the government has been considering registering foreign digital operators and not social media and digital platform users.”
Compared to Sinhala
JVP and Tamil LTTE caused death tolls, Muslims have been the most peaceful
community. I was both amused and appalled when a powerful Muslim MP said Muslim
youth will take up weapons if they are not allowed burial of COVID-19 dead. TNA
as expected echoed this very same sentiment which is also hilarious. TNA is
more aware than anyone else that when Tamil youth took up weapons it killed
over 100,000 Tamils and caused 89,000 Tamil war widows. Is the TNA acting like
the fox that lost its tail and wanted other foxes to lose theirs?
Most Muslims
understand the impact of unknowns surrounding the burial of COVID-19 dead. They
therefore cooperate with the government. Only a fraction of Muslims (most had
nothing good to say ever about Sri Lanka or the Sinhalese) keep demanding the
burial of Muslim COVID-19 dead. No matter what the government does, they will
keep hurling their racist stones at the government and the Sinhalese. In fact,
if the government caves in, that will make them bolder to make worse extortion
demands. Also, the mere fact that they make this demand suggests it must be bad
for Sri Lanka. They do not have a history of doing any good or wishing any good
for Sri Lanka so this too must be bad by definition.
What is most
interesting is not even the small (10% within the Muslim community) Wahabi
sects have demanded the burial of COVID-19 Muslim dead! They claim to follow
Islam to the letter. This clearly shows the demand to bury COVID-19 dead is
simple fantasy and a political football.
The Muslim
community is certainly not interested in war. A war like the LTTE war would
kill over 100,000 Muslims (and they will not be buried) and make somewhere
between 89,000 and 365,000 (assumed the highest number of wives of 4) Muslim
war widows (on average 198,000). No one wants this. Therefore, the fear
mongering by the Muslim MP that Muslim youth will take up weapons over the
burial issue is just nonsense. The government must not cave in and expose its
weakness. Treat everyone equally and do not assume undue risks over a deadly
pandemic that still has many unknowns. What works for Arabian deserts do not
work for Sri Lanka.
Colombo, December 20 (Sunday Times) – The Government has started talks with the World Bank to secure a Rs. 10 billion loan for the purchase of a vaccine against COVID-19, The Sunday Times reported quoting a Senior Government official.
The official said the Government was seeking a soft loan while also looking at the possibility of obtaining funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Union (EU) for the purchase of the vaccine required for a large part of the population.
Sri Lanka has been so far assured of being provided a vaccine for 20 percent of its population under an international initiative in which the United Nations agency, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is also involved.
Prof. Channa Jayasumana, State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulations of Pharmaceuticals, told the Sunday Times the cost for the proposed imports would largely depend on the type of vaccine to be imported according to its cost-effectiveness.
Whilst the year was impacted heavily with COVID-19 restrictions and issues, it achieved some milestones in its growth and formed a solid base on which to work from in 2021 and beyond once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
The company is committed to developing the Mannar Island project in an environmentally sustainable manner
Titanium Sands Ltd (ASX:TSL) remains focused on recommencing drilling to finalise the release of numbers contained in a scoping study and moving the environmentally-friendly Mannar Island Heavy Mineral Sands Project in Sri Lanka into its next phase.
Whilst the year was impacted heavily with COVID-19 restrictions and issues, the company has achieved some milestones in its growth and formed a solid base on which to work from in 2021 and beyond once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
The company is committed to creating opportunities for residents of Mannar Island and Sri Lanka while adhering to the guidelines in place so that the will not have a detrimental impact on the environment.
Describing 2020 as a volatile year mainly due to COVID-19, the company thanked shareholders for their ongoing support and faith in the project and hopes to provide meaningful updates” as COVID restrictions are lifted.
Milestones achieved
Milestones achieved in the year include:
➢ Indicated resource upgrade to 90.03 million tonnes at 6.6% total heavy mineral concentrate (THM) with 66% in the indicated category;
➢ Reverse aircore results show major depth resource potential, identifying heavy mineral concentrations down to 9 metres beneath the entire 8 kilometres domain to mineral resource zone;
➢ Further assay results show extensive depth resource potential, with aircore drill holes demonstrating heavy mineral down to at least 10-11 metres in an area on 18 square kilometres of the existing shallow resource;
➢ TSL resource triples to 264.93 million tonnes at 4.38%;
➢ Positive scoping study results show potential for a robust long-life major dredging project;
➢ Project upgrade with garnet added to the mineral resource estimate;
➢ Placement and share purchase plan which saw firm commitments for $2.2 million received for the placement; and
➢ Share Purchase Plan from existing shareholders raised a further $167,000 via a share placement plan (SPP).
The Mannar Island project is an exploration-stage project on the 26 kilometres by 6 kilometres-wide Mannar Island in northwest Sri Lanka, joined to the mainland by a 3-kilometre-long road causeway.
Titanium Sands Ltd has been exploring and defining areas of heavy mineral sand concentration on the island since December 2018.
Exploration has involved shallow hand auger drilling and light mechanised drilling, both of which have very low to zero environmental impact.
The project is at an early stage and is being progressed under exploration licences granted on the basis that the proposed exploration activities should not have a detrimental impact on the environment.
Any mining or major development project in Sri Lanka must move through numerous regulatory steps, including demonstrating compliance with the Sri Lankan Environment Act and a public consultation process.
Granting of a mining licence, terms of investment, export licences, operational licences and other regulatory compliance can only occur once the project has been sufficiently defined by studies that include comprehensive environmental impact and management assessments.
COVID-19 impact
Since March 2020, Sri Lanka has, like the rest of the world, been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the country has experienced relatively low levels of infection and death, a recent increase in positive cases has prompted the re-imposition of restrictions on domestic travel including to and from Mannar Island.
The situation remains uncertain but it is hoped exploration will be able to recommence before travel restrictions are fully lifted.
Commissioner Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said he was puzzled why the threats were made against him as he was no longer the E8 head.PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
JOHOR BARU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – Johor police will be working closely with its Selangor counterpart after death threats were made against state police chief Commissioner Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.
Datuk Ayob, who was previously head of the Special Branch’s Counter-Terrorism Division (E8) at police headquarters before being promoted to Johor police chief in February this year, said investigations were ongoing to identify the suspect, believed to have links with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
“I received the threats two weeks ago from a man who contacted my personal assistant claiming that three LTTE members from Selangor were coming down here to kill me.
“The person gave detailed information about me and even knew my home address,” he said when met after attending an event on Sunday (Dec 20).
Commissioner Ayob added that he was puzzled why the threats were made against him, as he was no longer the E8 head.
“I am unsure why the threats have been made, as it’s been more than a year since I left Bukit Aman and I do not know why this issue resurfaced again,” he added.
Bernama news agency reported the senior policeman as saying: “We believe these people (suspects) are locals, because the call was made to a personal assistant in my office using Bahasa Malaysia, and we are investigating the case now.
He added: “There are rumours that the LTTE want to be removed from the list of terrorist groups… or maybe there are certain parties that want to take the opportunity to play up the LTTE issue again.”
The LTTE is a defunct terrorist group that was based in Sri Lanka, with symphathisers in Malaysia and other countries.
At present, albeit in a different context, there is another westward strategy from the Eastern Pacific theatre. It is that of the US Pacific Command in Hawaii along with Japan, Australia and other like-minded allies.Sri Lankan navy at Sri Lanka’s 72nd Independence Day — 4 February 2020, Colombo. Photo: Ishara S. Kofikara — AFP via Getty
Sri Lanka was never at war with Japan during World War II. Japan was at war with the allied forces and Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) happened to be a base operation for the British Eastern Command. Four months after the Pearl Harbour surprise attack by the Japanese in the Pacific theatre which altered US Foreign Policy, another similar attack took place in the Indian Ocean. On Easter Sunday morning of 5 April 1942, Sri Lanka came under attack. The geostrategic locations of Hawaii and Sri Lanka were identified and rightly assessed by the Japanese-German strategic officers — such as Vice Admiral Nomura and Admiral Kurt Fricke, Chief of Staff of the German Maritime Warfare Command (Seekriegsleitung) — as the perfect launchpad to springboard their sphere of influences.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill remarked that the Japanese attack, carried out in Sri Lanka by their Fast Aircraft Carrier Strike Force under the command of Vice-Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, was a decisive moment in the Second World War. This was due to the significant threat Allied Forces would face from losing Sri Lanka — a clear geographical advantage will fall to the enemy to expand to India, the Middle East and Africa. This was explained by historian, Sir Arthur Bryant as ‘a Japanese Naval victory in April 1942 would have given Japan total control of the Indian Ocean, isolated the Middle East and brought down the Churchill government.’ Unlike Pearl Harbour, which was a surprise attack, the British Eastern command in Sri Lanka was prepared ahead. The westward Japanese expansion strategy was suppressed and ended in Sri Lanka, marking a decisive moment in the Second World War.
At present, albeit in a different context, there is another westward strategy from the Eastern Pacific theatre. It is that of the US Pacific Command (USPACOM) in Hawaii along with Japan, Australia and other like-minded allies who subscribe to ‘shared values’ of a rules-based order, against a rising China — where Sri Lankan geolocation is revisited with its strategic importance. In view of China’s acts of aggression and to protect these shared values, Admiral Philip S. Davidson, commander of the USPACOM from Hawaii, sends a clear message: Maldives and the US recently agreed to a security cooperation framework to deepen engagement and cooperation in support of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean. India’s support for this new effort is just one example of how like-minded nations can support one another in pursuit of our common vision for the region,” referring to the success of Australia’s participation alongside India, Japan, and the US in MALABAR 2020, a joint naval exercise. With multiple military alliances taking place in the Indo-Pacific theatre, Sri Lanka is also provided with the choice of stepping into the alliance, with a clear warning to abide by the ‘rules-based order’ and not with the aggressor China. Sri Lanka’s closest neighbour, India, ‘has also entered into a series of partnerships with like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific, such as Australia, Japan, and the United States, to offset the growing Chinese influence as well as to enhance India’s own capabilities,’ argues Rajeswari Rajagopalan.
Sri Lanka executes a binary foreign policy and it is important to understand the implications of being part of both — one for economic benefit and another for security.
Indian High Commissioner to Colombo, HE Gopal Baglay, in a recent interview explained, I am happy to note the recent articulation by Sri Lanka of the ‘India-first’ policy, particularly in the realm of security,” further expressing India’s commitment to a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific and appreciating Sri Lanka’s view as a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific [being] as important for Sri Lanka as it is for India. It is a matter of great happiness to hear similar views articulated in the senior echelons of the Government of Sri Lanka, including at plurilateral occasions.” It is also worth understanding that the senior echelons have also proscribed with China’s BRI and recently endorsed the CCP model of development, which is not really a free and open model. Sri Lanka executes a binary foreign policy and it is important to understand the implications of being part of both — one for economic benefit and another for security. A hedging foreign policy could weaken its alliance posture with external powers and gravitate towards an external conflict not by choice but by default. Sri Lanka needs to move beyond the binary choice between the US and China, disaggregating strategic competition, case-by-case. One such way is to establish strategic alliances with ‘middle powers’ to move out of the binary path.
Geo-intelligence alliances in the Indo-Pacific
The US has expanded its intelligence budget according to the Director National Intelligence, and is clear on the Chinese threat as he stated, if I could communicate one thing to the American people from this unique vantage point, it is that the People’s Republic of China poses the greatest threat to America today.” Multiple alliance geo-intelligence pacts will be signed in the coming months and the Five Eyes structure revisited.
From the Pacific theatre, Japan — an important partner — will join the five eyes intelligence-sharing network. The new Japanese Prime Minister Suga has pushed Japan to do so, where for the first time, a nation from the eastern theatre will join the military-intelligence alliance. The Five Eyes, established in 1941 with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, played a key role in signal intelligence gathering and analysis during the Cold War. In the present context, Japan’s entry as the sixth eye would complement the strategic alliance as the other five, including Australia, anticipate increasing security concerns vis-à-vis China. This was further strengthened through the recent military partnership, the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with Japan and Australia.
Multiple alliance geo-intelligence pacts will be signed in the coming months and the Five Eyes structure revisited.
Promoting India’s subregional agenda with its critical island littorals in the Indian Ocean, the 4th National Security Advisor-level trilateral Maritime Security Cooperation meeting trilateral Maritime Security Cooperation meeting between India-Sri Lanka-Maldives was successfully concluded. Its last meeting in 2014 was stalled due to strong bilateral relations of the littorals with China. At the recent trilateral in Colombo, an important intelligence sharing agreement identified the areas of terrorism and cybersecurity as common security threats.” This is a definite improvement since the last high-level Indo-Sri Lanka Defence Dialogue held at the Defence Ministry in Colombo with the two Defence Secretaries, where the subject area of terrorism or extremism was excluded from the agenda. It is significant that this was held on 8 April 2019, weeks before the 21 April Easter Sunday Attacks.
The head of the delegation for the trilateral from India was the country’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. On the sidelines of the trilateral, a meeting between President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Doval took place, where multitudes of security challenges for both nations were discussed. It was Doval back in 2014 who flagged to then-Secretary Defence Rajapaksa, that the Chinese submarine presence would be a threat to India’s interests. Since then, there has been a strong personal level connection between the two. Institutionalising this relationship is an important step for Indo-Lanka security ties. Due to India’s strong security alliance with the US inclusive of multiple security agreements, Sri Lanka will be made a partner in the future similar to the Maldives, with a view to share intelligence not only on counter-terrorism but also to keep (the US threat number one) China deterred.
Civilisational powers
In a great power rivalry where several geographical theatres could be used from Central Asia, the Arctic, the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific, there are factors to show the US-China tension would be more visible in the Indo-Pacific. During the Cold War, the pivotal defending geography from the Soviets was Berlin in Europe and today it is about defending Taiwan in East Asia.
Three ancient civilisational powers in Asia — India, China and Iran — will directly impact the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific. These nations have a civilisational imprint on their geographies where neighbouring nations are overshadowed by their influence. Iran holds a pivotal position in the Middle Eastern frontier whose year began with the assassination of Iranian top military officer Soulamani and ended with the killing of the architect behind Iran’s nuclear program Mohsen Fakhrizadeh-Mahabadi. The coordinated assassination of Fakhrizadeh in Teheran was a direct signal to the incoming US President Biden, to stay away from the Iran Nuclear deal to carry forward the status quo. The assassination was aimed to secure the recent ‘Abraham pact’ with the UAE, Israel and Bahrain backed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The attack came days after the covert Israeli-Saudi-US meeting that reportedly took place in Neom.
Three ancient civilisational powers in Asia — India, China and Iran — will directly impact the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific.
Two geopolitical pressure points will impact two regions in the coming year. First, the Middle East with its Abraham pact to deter Iran. Second, in the Indo Pacific region to deter China. If sanctions are relaxed, Iran would play a much larger economic role in the oil trade and support its proxies in the same manner. If China is not contained by the US and its allies, it will continue to influence through its economic, security and CCP political model. From multiple military intelligence agreements crisscrossing geographies, expanding towards the sixth eye to contain China, with binary choices to nations like Sri Lanka, the year 2021 will begin with an elixir to the global populace suffering from a pandemic and a heated Cold War in the Indo-Pacific theatre.
A Russian tour group has been granted permission to visit Sri Lanka and will be the first batch of tourists to enter country after the reopening of the airport on December 26, Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CASL) Chairman Upul Dharmadasa said.
He said this Russian tour group consists of more than 200 people, will be the first to arrive at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and at the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) respectively.
Mr. Dharmadasa said the airport authorities and the travel agents have been informed of this and instructed to take necessary actions, such as disinfecting the airport premises, organising customs and immigration formalities, hotels reservations by travel agents and arrange buses for the tourists.
Death toll from Covid-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka has climbed to 176 as five more virus-related fatalities were confirmed today (20), the Director-General of Health Services says.
One of the victims is a 71-year-old male from Panagoda area who died of blood poisoning and Covid-19 pneumonia. He was transferred from Pimbura Base Hospital to Mulleriyawa Base Hospital where he died on December 18.
Another man, aged 52, has also fallen victim to Covid-19 pneumonia. He passed away on December 17 while at his home in Colombo 08.
The third victim is a 71-year-old woman from Colombo 12 area. She was transferred from Colombo National Hospital to Pimbura Base Hospital where he died on December 19. The cause of death was recorded as cancer and blood poisoning due to Covid-19 infection.
A 44-year-old man residing in Colombo 02 meanwhile died of lung infection exacerbated by Covid-19 infection. He was transferred from Colombo National Hospital to National Hospital for Respiratory Diseases (NHRD) in Welisara. According to reports, he has passed away on December 19.
The fifth victim was identified as a 49-year-old man from Bandaragama area. He died on admission to Horana Base Hospital on December 19. The cause of death was cited as chest infection caused by Covid-19 virus.
Covid-19 infections registered in Sri Lanka crossed the grim milestone of 37,000 as 330 more persons were tested positive today (20).
The Government Information Department stated that 322 of the newly-identified patients are close contacts of earlier cases linked to the Peliyagoda fish market. In addition, 08 from the prison cluster were also confirmed to be positive for the virus.
With the new development, total positive cases detected within the day stand at 592.
As per statistics, Covid-19 infections confirmed in the country to date have reached 37,261.
Recoveries from the virus meanwhile climbed to 28,267 earlier today, with 715 more patients returning to health.
However, 8,823 active cases are still under medical care at selected hospitals and treatment centres located across the island.
Sri Lanka has also witnessed 171 deaths related to Covid-19
Globally, there is a hurry to grab land & resources and it is a factor that any Third World country/Govt must be aware of. On the guise of development and aid, international agencies try to push their plans via $ carrots. These programs are often binding of countries to allow access to external persons & provisions to even own data. Future interventions will be via ownership of data and conquering by computers than sending foreign armies. This implores governments to not only secure the country’s data systems but also protect the citizens land rights.
Bim Saviya Fraud Deeds & Protecting Our Land
Bim Saviya better known as Act 21 of 1998 was an Australian law enacted in 1858 when British immigrants conquered Australia declaring the land of the people as Res Nullius – no man’s land.
Why has Sri Lanka introduced this law?
Act 21 is a cut & paste of the Australian, without any stake holder involvement simply because World Bank recommended it & international aid agencies gave funds to implement it.
Governments agree to anything for funds
International aid agencies use a country’s need for loans as a carrot to plug programs beneficial to them. World Bank introduces Bim Saviya & Aid Agencies agree to fund its implementation. MCC came to be introduced to Sri Lanka in the same scenario with millions shown as a carrot. MCC selected Bim Saviya as part of its land project as it was part of an overall global land grab plan by international aid agencies. Bim Saviya had nothing advantageous to Sri Lanka and it was to take over 100 years to fully implement. Performance Report of Bim Saviya by the Commissioner General of Land Title Settlement for 2018 clearly establishes this. But international agencies introduced Bim Saviya with a purposeful intent and whether it is MCC or another aid program, bim saviya will play a key role as it is advantageous for external parties & fraudsters & not genuine land owners.
Bim Saviya is a foreign law, given with foreign funding imposed on us demanding that we remove our existing own laws & follow a foreign land law. Bim Saviya allows foreign aid agencies and foreign parties to be given access to all land records with absolute grant of intellectual property rights of the e-register.
Sudden decision by cabinet to remove Caveat
With a nod, the Cabinet removed the caveat provision inspite of numerous committees discussing how to amend existing land laws etc.
The news reported that Last wills can be attested by the Public trustee without lawyers.
Bim Saviya removes the judicial powers and the lawyers work relating to court actions regarding writ applications.
Owners have no remedy to be informed if forged deeds are getting registered Legal profession and lands in the country are facing revolutionary & shocking changes & as a result it is more than possible that condominiums will come up on lands belonging to innocent people forged and taken as Bim Saviya prevents recourse to the law to regain the land rights.
Where is the Land Reform Commission?
The Justice Ministry has commenced numerous committees to propose reforms to land laws in Sri Lanka without turning to the already available Law Reform Commission who are tasked to do just that. While all these discussions are taking place the Attorney General’s Department and the Land Ministry are busy writing new laws and making changes. A communication fallacy certainly prevails. By the time the discussions by Justice Ministry committees conclude the AG’s Dept & Land Ministry would have already implemented their own land reforms which can be contrary to what the Justice Ministry is proposing or completely opposite to what the Land Reform Commission would propose!
While all this is taking place, our learned cabinet without notice to the committees or public are able to completely annul statutory laws as was done with the caveat.
Cabinet must annul Act 21 of 1998/Bim Saviya
MCC declares the project of transferring from deed to bim saviya will cost GoSL millions & MCC was to grant funds to transfer just 10 out of the 45 land registries to bim saviya.
Cabinet needs to annul – Section 33 of Act 21 of 1998 which reduces the power of the judiciary to entertain cases from those affected by land fraud.
As perSection 33 – a Bim Saviya certificate entered into the e-land register by a forged party will make him/her the original owner of the land. The aggrieved original land owner cannot seek court intervention to regain the land and property. He has to be happy with compensation given by the Registrar who maintains a statutory Assurance Fund.
GoSL does not need to borrow millions to please foreign organizations & their program recommendations.
GoSL has no money to create an Assurance Fund to compensate land owners who find their lands fraudulently taken from them.
Cabinet is bound to protect land rights of Citizens
With Cabinet suddenly repealing caveats, the Cabinet is now bound to secure the land rights of owners.
How can Cabinet solve land fraud & protect land rights of citizens?
Revive Deed System & Annul Bim Saviya.The Deed system complies with the Constitution of Sri Lanka & Section 23 of the Electronic Transaction Act of 2006 which prohibits fully automation of Land Transactions. Thus, the owners deed must remain with owner while the owner’s registration number will operate the e-register.
Cabinet nod to protect owners unable to put caveats as GoSL has removed caveat registrations. Just as cabinet has given the nod to do away with the caveats which is a boon to the fraudsters forging deeds, the cabinet must now give the nod to stabilize the rights of owners to prevent land fraud. The cabinet must immediately consider registering the owners identity and photos of owners as required by the Financial legislations of the Central Bank.
GoSL must amend Registration of Documents Ordinance Section 7 & make the registrar responsible to accept only original deeds & reject forged deeds. A new law has been introduced for Trust Deeds so laws to safeguard land owners for Other Deeds has to be immediately implemented.
Implement the Central Bank Financial Transactions Act– Cabinet passed the Central Bank Financial Intelligence Unit proposed Regulations for Land Transactions. The Financial Transaction Act 6 of 2006 statute specifies how to identify land owners to prevent forgery and how to prevent money laundering. In the recent gazette of 21 April 2017 (2015/56) there is biometric or photo identity at the time of signing deeds which should be archived so that CID has better evidence than mere witnesses who say they know the owner. Witnesses to deeds is a poor & outdated identification system as they could also be dead or not in the addresses stated in the deeds.
Continue with existing deed system with improvements– With the COVID crisis engulfing Sri Lanka, the GoSL is in no position to be bearing the cost of Bim Saviya which will take 100 years to implement according to the report of theCommissioner General of Land Title Settlement in 2018. When the deed system already exists there is no requirement for Sri Lanka to adopt a new foreign land law that was developed for Australia by immigrants to replace the laws that existed by Natives.
Amended Trust Ordinance Section 19A / Act 6 of 2018 prevents fraud & money laundering – all land owners must be entitled to this privilege as they cannot depend on the notary. Central Bank monitors all Trust Deeds. A Trustee shall keep records of all such information as may be prescribed, on the identity of the following at the time of creation of an expression of Trust under Section 6 & every3 months these are verified & updated.
Trustee himself
Co-Trustee (if any)
Author of the Trust
Beneficiary
Anyone engaged in the execution of the Trust in the capacity of an agent, a legal representative, a manager, an investment advisor or a tax advisor, an accountant
Amended Trust Ordinance Section 19C holds all responsible for land transaction & if found guilty by a Magistrate, is liable to a fine not exceeding Rs. 200,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or both (fine & imprisonment)
Remove practice of accepting illegible signatures of owners in deed system. Land owners must identify themselves & their signatures must be valid to make a deed valid.
The Central Bank has prepared the necessary laws for Trust Deeds. The same security & safeguard provisions must be applicable to all land transactions by the GoSL. The Cabinet must immediately provide a solution having suddenly removed the caveat without alternative option for genuine land owners wishing to secure their land via a caveat.
It is unfortunate that the legal fraternity of Sri Lanka are not coming forward to point out the discrepancies and the volatile situation arising out of impulsive short-sighted advice given to the Government/Cabinet by advisors” unaware of the problems likely to arise out of annulling statutes via a sudden cabinet proposal.
While the international community is preoccupied demanding to know how & how many LTTE were defeated instead of being happy that LTTE was defeated, Sri Lanka has chosen to concentrate instead on developing Sri Lanka & giving a life to those that had been living in fear of LTTE. Gokulan a former child soldier became a singing sensation and now Sri Lanka is proud that we have another sensation – V Viyaskanth the 18 year old cricket sensation from Jaffna. Had Prabakaran & LTTE prevailed Viyaskanth would be bowling grenades and batting with an AK47 instead of the amazing leg spinner he has become.
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth was born on 5 December 2001. Months before the Norwegian brokered infamous Cease Fire Agreement of February 2002 that officially gave territory to terrorists. The CFA was used to not only regroup but carry out a massive propaganda campaign to collect funds and plan to attack the Sri Lanka Armed Forces with venom. It was also a period that the LTTE increased recruitment of child soldiers as evident in UNICEF figures inspite of claiming to release child soldiers. It was as a result of closing the Mavil Aru anicut and committing a war crime by cutting off water to some 40,000 farmers in the East that the Armed Forces was called in to open the anicut. This eventually led to the liberation of Eastern Province of LTTE. By 2006, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth would have been just 5 years old. LTTE was militarily defeated in May 2009 when Viyaskanth was just 8 years. LTTE recruited children as young as 7years to be child soldiers denying these Tamil children their right to live happily with their parents and their fundamental right to education and freedom of movement.
If LTTE was not defeated in 2009, Viyaskanth would have been turned into a child soldier with no hope of ever becoming a cricket sensation.
It is believed that 30% of LTTE comprised children. Just imagine how many of them faced death as children for no reason, forced to kill and commit suicide biting a cyanide capsule. Aunty Adele that vicious Australian nurse comes to mind. She was the main trainer of children from 1970s to late 1990s when she returned to UK and where she lives happily. The UK that has banned LTTE in UK seems not bothered that the woman who trained children to kill and commit suicide is living in UK and no attempt is made to even question her role in LTTE.
How many LTTE child soldiers had their dreams dashed – how many of these LTTE child soldiers could have become lawyers, engineers, doctors, accountants, teachers, principals, entrepreneurs & sports stars? Instead hundreds and thousands of them ended up holding a gun, biting a cyanide capsule and living in the jungles. What kind of life was this for children? The silly tamashas that LTTE diaspora hold annually are just sham shows just for publicity when in reality not a pound or dollar have gone to the families of these dead child soldiers.
LTTE Diaspora – Indoctrinating hate into the minds of innocent children
Do these Tamil children living overseas singing happy birthday for Prabakaran know what life was like for the Tamil children who were Prabakaran’s child soldiers? These kids are blowing candles – Prabakaran’s child soldiers were blowing people to pieces.
The LTTE Diaspora overseas who carried out the propaganda for LTTE should feel ashamed. While their children went to private/public schools, university and landed themselves top jobs and wore branded clothes and went on holidays – back home fellow Tamil children of poor and low caste homes were kidnapped, taken to bogus LTTE ‘orphanages’ and trained to kill and commit suicide. While LTTE diaspora enjoyed life digging into the LTTE money kitty and educating their children, the low caste and poor Tamil children had to suffer in the jungles of Mullaitivu. The only clothes they wore were the LTTE uniform that was often unwashed for months.
19 May 2009 must be celebrated annually by GoSL & citizens of Sri Lanka as freedom for Tamil children. No longer are they kidnapped and turned into LTTE child soldiers.
Had LTTE prevailed instead of being defeated in 2009, this young cricket sensation would have been no cricket star but a 18 year old child soldier.
For all those in the international community bragging about reconciliation and accountability – a question for them is what have their finger pointing and demarches produced other than giving the opportunity for LTTE Diaspora to light the LTTE Flower over UK Parliament!
Sri Lanka on the other hand has proudly produced plenty of stars like Gokulan and Viyaskanth. Of the 594 child soldiers who surrendered to the Sri Lanka military in 2009, all were given a Presidential Pardon and then put through school and given training in whatever livelihood they wished to enter.
11 years after LTTE defeat, Tamils can be happy to see how North has progressed from what North was under LTTE rule. When LTTE was making $300m annual profits, what comforts did LTTE or the LTTE diaspora give the Tamil people living in the North. Only a handful that supported LTTE enjoyed all the fruits of the LTTE terror reign. At least one family member lives overseas but it was only after LTTE defeat that they could freely help their families back home. Previous times all living overseas, whether they liked it or not had to give tithes to the LTTE kitty on a monthly basis. So whether LTTE diaspora or LTTE supporters like to admit it or not, their lives changed for better after LTTE demise. The only lot disheartened by LTTE defeat are the selfish lot who preferred to enjoy the LTTE kitty only amongst themselves without sharing with the rest of the Tamil community in particular the poor & low caste.
Returning to our young 18 year old cricket star Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, who made his debut for Jaffna Stallions in the recently concluded IPL cricket tournament, all of Sri Lanka wish him for a bright future. We are all fond of and proud of the other cricket sensation Muttiah Muralitharan. These are all national treasures.
While petty minds attempt to divide people, Sri Lanka would rather concentrating on building people rather than building obstacles.
It
was really a marvelous addition to my knowledge that sometimes the dead also
attend conferences and participate in discussions; this horrible reality was revealed
upon me when I was going through a report of the EU DisinfoLab. This Brussels-based
NGO is an organization working to combat disinformation against the European
Union. It claims on its webpage that it is an independent non-profit organization
and it focuses on tackling sophisticated disinformation campaigns targeting the
EU, its member states and core institutions. The recently issued report is on
the Indian Chronicles. Commenting on the report, the Aljazeera said that it has
unearthed a 15-year-old operation run by an Indian entity that used hundreds of
fake media outlets and the identity of a dead professor to target Pakistan.
The
EU DisinfoLab said in its investigation-report, Over the last months, we took
a deeper dive, with a specific focus on the Commission to Study the
Organization of Peace (CSOP). We soon realized that this US-based NGO –
accredited to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) – had
become inactive in the late 1970s before being resurrected in 2005. Shockingly,
we discovered that the organization had not only been revived, its former
Chairman and grandfather of international law in the US”, Louis B. Sohn who
passed away in 2006, seemingly attended a UN Human Rights Council meeting in
2007 and participated in an event organized by Friends of Gilgit-Baltistan” in
Washington D.C. in 2011.” The report pointed out that India has been engaged in
such type of activities for the last fifteen years. For accomplishment of her
heinous plans India has not only got direct control of more than 10 NGOs
accredited to the UN Human Rights Council but also established more than 750
fake media outlets in 119 countries along with getting registration of more than
550 website domain names. And the most criminal action performed is that of
impersonation of EU institutions and of resurrection of the dead people, media
and NGOs. This still ongoing operation started in 2005 and since then is being led
by the Srivastava Group and amplified by an Indian news agency Asian News
International commonly known as the ANI; says the report. From the day one, the
main targets of this operation are Pakistan and China though other nations
having conflicting relations with India have also not been spared. The sole
purpose has ever been to promote anti-Pakistan and anti-Chinese feelings with
the help of disinformation tools and ultimately to get more support from
international institutions such as the UN and the EU.
The
government of India has ever been a staunch follower of the fake-news
tradition. On 10th March 2020, the Aljazeera said commenting on
increasing number of Covid-19 cases, India‘s battle against the corona-virus
has many obstacles – large crowds, a stretched health system and inadequate
infrastructure but beyond these, familiar foes are rearing their heads:
misinformation and fake news. Through its vast social media networks, a wave of
inaccuracy is spreading on corona-virus. From offering unverified home remedies
to tackle the virus, to floating fake advisories asking people to avoid foods
such as ice cream and chicken and sharing conspiracy theories, Indians’ phones
are being flooded with misinformation.” The situation became so pathetic that
Mr.Modi had to make an appeal to the citizens, asking them to not heed to ‘rumours’
surrounding COVID-19. But before the citizens could listen to the appeal of Mr.
Modi the country’s stock exchange had plunged to its lowest level since 2010;
certainly as the result of fear of the disease; the fear born out of fake news and
rumors.
The
same fake-news tradition was followed by the Indian ‘sarkar’ on 29th
September 2019 when it claimed that it had made surgical strikes deep into
Pakistan Administered area of Azad Kashmir. The BBC sent its reporters to visit
the area where all this ‘so-called’ surgical strikes were claimed to have taken
place. The reporters said in their report, Despite the use of the term
‘surgical strikes’ the Indians definitely did not airdrop commandos to hit
‘launching pads of militants’ inside Pakistani-held territory, or conduct
ground assaults deep into the Pakistan-administered side. A similar advance by the Indians in the
Dudhnial area of Neelum valley further north was beaten back by the Pakistanis. Indian troops could not have hit a target
and returned alive as the climb required was too steep.” The reporters said that they could not get
any confirmation of the Indian media reports that Lashkar-e-Taiba camps in the
Khairati Bagh village of Leepa valley and the western end of Dudhnial village
in Neelum valley had been hit on 29 September. But unfortunately, during all
those days, the Indian media and Mr. Modi both had been drumming louder and
louder the song of India’s successful surgical strikes on Pakistan.
The
DisinfoLab says India has been spreading fake-news with the help of different
bogus media outlets for the last fifteen years but the fact of the matter is
that India is playing this childish game for the last 73 years. Moreover its
targets are not only Pakistan, China or EU; almost all it neighboring countries
including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar are its targets. So a
friendly suggestion for the EU is that it must not feel lonely. However, after
the report of the EU DisinfoLab, the world would no doubt look towards the
countries which have since long been dealing, treating, supporting, honoring
and favoring India on the basis of her claim of being the Largest Democracy. Certainly,
the report of the EU DisinfoLab gives us a lot of food for thought.
