The Cabinet and the government have decided that Sri Lanka will no longer obtain foreign loans to implement projects, says Co-Cabinet Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.
He mentioned during the online press conference held to inform Cabinet decisions, earlier today (01).
The Minister said that in the future, the government will use Build–operate–transfer (BOT), Build Own Operate (BOO), and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approaches or foreign investments for projects.
Rambukwella added that if Sri Lanka continues to obtain more loans, it will exceed the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, addressing the Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2020 today (01), said Sri Lanka’s over-reliance on loans must come to an end and insisted on attracting more foreign direct investments while encouraging local investment to drive the country’s economic growth.
Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2020, themed Roadmap for Take-off: Driving a People-Centric Economic Revival”, kicked off this morning with the patronage of President Rajapaksa.
The Inaugural session featured addresses by Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of the Republic of India Shrimathi Nirmala Sitharaman, State Minister of Money, Capital Markets & State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal and Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Hans Wijayasuriya.
Addressing the Summit, the President noted that the focus of the Government is on fostering investments, adding that new laws will be brought in to fully protect investments. We are also committed to enhancing the ease of doing business in Sri Lanka so that returns on investment can be generated faster.”
He further highlighted that leaders in the pandemic-hit tourism industry, together with the medical community, must set out a plan to restart tourism as soon as possible.
The President pointed out that the number of tourist arrivals may need to be limited early on, hence, the country should first reopen to the highest spending tourists. This can also reposition Sri Lanka as a destination for higher-end tourists, resulting in higher revenue generated by the industry in the long term.”
Following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, innovative, technology-driven solutions have been adopted to solve logistical problems, the President said adding that consumers have become more familiar with using online platforms for day-to-day activities, whether in accessing financial services or for shopping.
He, therefore, encouraged the development of new business models, adoption of new technologies and platforms, and improvement of infrastructure needed to support this productivity-enhancing transformation. Investment is also needed in human resource development to enable the workers to make the most of these changes, the President pointed out.
He went on to note that fostering the creation of a Technology-Based Society” that improves services available to citizens whilst enabling our industries to compete globally is a key pillar of the Vision he articulated before his election as President.
Full text of the speech delivered by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is as follows:
– Shrimathi Nirmala Sitharaman, Honourable Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of the Republic of India – Ajith Nivard Cabraal, State Minister of Money, Capital Markets & State Enterprise Reforms – Hans Wijayasuriya, Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce – Distinguished Invitees – Ladies and Gentlemen.
It gives me great pleasure to address you this morning at the inaugural session of the Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2020. I take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to Shrimathi Nirmala Sitharaman, Honourable Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs of the Republic of India for gracing this session as its Keynote Speaker.
This year, with the prevailing global pandemic, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has taken the commendable step of hosting this Summit on a virtual platform.
During the past six weeks, the Government has focused intensively on containing the threat posed by the second wave of the virus. However, unlike in the early stages of the pandemic, a lot more is known about it now. This allows us to better balance the twin imperatives of containing the virus on the one hand and ensuring continued economic activity on the other. We must all adapt to this new normal.
In some ways, this new normal has had beneficial consequences. It has forced the adoption of many new work practices. Working from home has been normalised for most knowledge workers. Offices, where the physical presence of staff remains necessary, are devising means to improve efficiency so that work can be carried out even by a skeletal staff. Innovative technology-driven solutions have been adopted to solve logistical problems. Consumers have become more familiar with using online platforms for day-to-day activities, whether in accessing financial services or for shopping.
Such changes can potentially transform how economies operate even after this pandemic is a thing of the past. If our institutions are agile and adapt quickly, we will see gains in productivity resulting from these changes.
I therefore strongly encourage the development of new business models, adoption of new technologies and platforms, and improvement of infrastructure needed to support this productivity-enhancing transformation. Investment is also needed in human resource development to enable our workers to make the most of these changes.
It must be admitted, however, that some Government institutions may lag behind in this regard at the moment. This is due to legacy problems including lack of infrastructure, process engineering, and training. Changing this is one of my key priorities.
The very recent establishment of a separate Ministry of Technology under my direct purview is an important step in our overall drive towards digitization. Fostering the creation of a Technology-Based Society” that improves services available to citizens whilst enabling our industries to compete globally is a key pillar of the Vision I articulated before my election as President.
By converging four prominent technologies—social, mobile, analytics, and cloud—we have the potential to transform the way governance works. The recent introduction of the Staysafe.gov.lk website to ease COVID19 contact tracing is a case in point.
More broadly, the fostering of citizen-centric digital governance will ensure that services such as obtaining National Identity Cards, Passports, Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, Driving Licenses, Land Deeds etc., is made faster and more convenient to the public.
The digitisation of the National Persons’ Registry, in particular, will enable a more streamlined and secure process for identity verification. This will in turn build the foundation for improved online service delivery in many other areas, including financial services and ecommerce. It will also greatly enhance the Government’s ability to effectively widen the tax base, which will be one of the key factors in improving our fiscal position.
A significant issue in Sri Lanka’s current economic context is the extremely high debt burden we are faced with. The large volume of pending debt repayments is a matter of concern. It is important to stress, however, that Sri Lanka has always met its debt obligations on time and in full, and that we will continue to do so.
Nevertheless, our overreliance on loans must come to an end. That is why the focus of the Government is on fostering investments. We must attract more Foreign Direct Investment and encourage more local investment to drive our economic growth. With this in view, the Government is bringing in new laws to fully protect investments. We are also committed to enhancing the ease of doing business in Sri Lanka so that returns on investment can be generated faster.
In this context, I must also note there have been several instances of projects, including some funded by foreign Governments, that have stalled due to various reasons. Such delays are deeply problematic because they inhibit the benefits of these projects from reaching the people. They also create a negative picture about the way the country operates.
The Government is keen on addressing such problems that discourage investors. I note with interest that our closest friend and partner India is in the process of setting up a digital unified single-window clearance system so that access to regulators, policymakers and facilitators will all be available at one point for investors.
Such mechanisms improve the speed and ease of doing business. They also enhance transparency and reduce corruption. Mechanisms to monitor project implementation and enable intervention when required are also important. Means of introducing these are being assessed.
The theme of this year’s Economic Summit—Roadmap for Take Off: Driving a People-Centric Economic Revival—is very appropriate for our present circumstances. Several key economic areas have been badly affected.
The worst hit has been Tourism, which usually contributes so much to our economy. Leaders in this industry together with the medical community must set out a plan to restart tourism as soon as possible. This plan must adhere to all health protocols and ensure tourists have an enjoyable stay in Sri Lanka while remaining isolated from the wider public. By imposing minimum lengths of stay and attracting high-spending tourists, it should maximise earnings from tourism so that the economy benefits overall.
Especially since the number of tourist arrivals may need to be limited early on, we should first reopen to the highest spending tourists we can attract. This can also reposition Sri Lanka as a destination for higher end tourists, resulting in higher revenue generated by the industry in the long term.
Despite its overall negative impact on the economy, the current situation has nonetheless provided an impetus for improvements in certain sectors including manufacturing. Increased global demand for Personal Protective Equipment has encouraged many of our strong, well-established companies in the apparels sector to pivot to manufacturing these products.
I am in fact glad to note that Sri Lanka’s export revenue in 2020 overall has fared considerably better than the ongoing pandemic would have initially led us to anticipate. This is largely due to such commendable efforts by our private sector.
We must also understand that the disruption of global value chains and supply chains, and constraints on traditional manufacturing hubs, create space for countries like Sri Lanka to innovate, produce new things, and enter new markets.
Our rising entrepreneurs as well as established companies must seek out new opportunities, moving beyond their comfort zones to explore new ways to deploy their talent and capital. Instead of relying on our geostrategic position and traditional industries alone, we must seek new frontiers for our resources.
Many companies in Sri Lanka have proven their ability to tackle complex manufacturing in some industries. Their capital, management expertise, and well-trained, experienced human resources should be deployed in new areas.
With the Government as an enabler, the private sector must expand its role in the economy. It has often been pointed out that the private sector is the engine of growth. However, for the private sector to truly live up to this reputation, it must make bold investments that can potentially realise outstanding returns, instead of continually adopting conservative, low-risk strategies.
The Government will play its part to unleash the full potential of the private sector so that the interests of our people will be best served. The Budget for 2021 contains a range of initiatives designed with this in mind.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Poultry sectors will be exempted from income tax for the next five years. Improving productivity and enhancing earnings from these sectors is critical. The private sector must introduce new technologies that enable farmers to produce more, and to target lucrative new export markets.
Encouraging wider adoption of organic farming and traceability mechanisms will help increase the price of our produce internationally. Finding new markets and investing in better processing, storage, packaging, and transportation is important, together with increasing value addition through agricultural product processing.
Tax concessions will be granted for strategic investments larger than ten million US dollars in value for agricultural product processing, IT, dairy, fabric, tourism and export industries. Exports are being strongly encouraged through the removal of import taxes on required raw materials, machinery, and equipment used by direct and indirect exporters.
New investment into digital infrastructure is being strongly encouraged. Companies in the Information Technology space must make full use of these incentives to expand and seek new markets for Sri Lankan talent. Companies must also invest more in IT education and training.
Given the fast-changing nature of the industry and its high earnings potential, companies can gain enormous returns by training large numbers of young people in this field themselves, without over-relying on Government-funded institutions for new recruits.
Vocational and technical education, in general, can benefit from much greater private sector investment, for which the Budget also provides incentives. The forced migration of education to digital platforms has shown that there are opportunities to be exploited in online education too. This is an area to which more attention can be paid by established companies as well as by Start-Ups and individual entrepreneurs.
Small and Medium Enterprises and Start-Ups are being encouraged through concessionary funding schemes and the establishment of a stronger Development Bank that should lend based on assessments of project viability instead of collateral.
Nascent domestic industries will be supported through cess that will be selectively imposed. Other initiatives including simplifying Customs Duty and related streamlining will facilitate functional economic improvements. A range of capital market incentives are also being introduced to encourage investment.
Setting the platform for a robust economic revival requires both the public sector and the private sector to work in partnership. We must ensure that all our initiatives in various sectors are guided by a shared central vision and driven by clear objectives and actionable plans. All initiatives undertaken by both the public and the private sector must contribute to uplifting our growth trajectory.
In this context, I am aware that the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has prepared an Economic Acceleration Framework with the participation of over 70 industry professionals for the consideration of the Government. I appreciate this initiative and look forward to perusing this document. Value generating proposals will certainly receive the Government’s serious attention.
I trust that over these two days, the speakers, panellists and the leading luminaries from the public and the private sector participating in this Summit will give considered thought to innovative ways and means of fostering a truly people-centric economic revival.
Together, we have the opportunity to make a transformative and beneficial difference to Sri Lanka’s future.
In concluding these remarks, I wish to reassure you of my great and sincere confidence that together, we shall.
The Supreme Court has rejected the petitions filed challenging the gazette notification on the cremation of bodies of COVID-19 victims.
Eleven petitions were filed seeking a court order invalidating the gazette notification declaring cremation of COVID-19 victims compulsory.
The petitions were heard before a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, and Justices Murdu Fernando and Preethi Padman Surasena yesterday (30) and today (01).
Declaring the verdict after considering the petitions, Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya stated that all the petitions are rejected with the majority consensus of the Judge Bench.
When the petitions were considered yesterday, the legal team representing the petitioners, including President’s Counsels M. A. Sumanthiran, Faizer Mustapha, Saliya Peiris, and Nisham Kariyapper, pointed out to the court that there is no scientific evidence has been found that the virus spreads from the bodies of COVID-19 victims.
It
considers the unity among different community groups in a country will be an
essential condition and ingredient for prosperity and strength, either in
economic achievements or political stability. When critically tests the era of
King Parakramabahu the Great, the idea is confirmed with much evidence. The archetype had in mind of people in
history as no challenging forces against the unity of communities, and people
lived consistently maintaining unity. Before convincing Buddhism in Sri Lanka,
had primitive religious beliefs, and they were not a concrete factor for
dividing people, and people associated with primitive beliefs to gain mental
relief when they discomfort with mental stress in day-to-day life. Before
coming to the country Buddhist religious preachers and the organised religions,
it seemed people enjoyed the spirit and purposes of religions and responded to
religious messages as they were beneficial to mentally well-balanced and living
together in a harmonious society.
In
social media, many self-designated experts about the history of Sri Lanka asseverate
a contradictory opinion about historical findings on the civilization or affability
aspects of people who lived in the country.
The idea has less probability or negative probability to acceptance, and
self-designated experts describe and preach, and attempt to make exaggerated
views to populate despite right confirmation for arguments. This situation may
have created as social media allows to express independent views without
authenticity. Who gives the right direction for these experts is a difficult
task to determine, but a point that could agree with them is that people had
lived in the country before arriving Vijaya with a group from India who influenced
and contributed to change the culture of people in history, and have no
evidence to prove that historical community in the country were different
people who had a distinct culture that deviated from the Indian culture. To prove the cultural aspects of ancient
inhabitants of Sri Lanka need clear evidence from archaeological findings, and
the gratifying truth was they were a part of the Indian culture and practiced
the heritage of knowledge and skills gained from Indian society.
Culture
means rules and regulations of society that inflicted to respect and discipline
the behavior of people, and supported to build civilization. I noticed that all
those so-called historians agree with an idea that homo sapiens lived in Sri
Lanka who did not divide on an ethnic or religious basis. The culture of homo
sapiens may have homogeneous nature all over the world or deviated from one
place to another. The vital aspect of the dispute connecting society believed
existed in Sri Lanka might be valued to conclude homo sapiens converted to
modern humans, with deviated culture arrived from other parts of the world, so-called
history teachers or adroit have not specifically disclosed, interpreted, and
viewed on behavioural aspects of homo sapiens and historical people, therefore,
it is logical to express people lived in historical Sri Lankan society had a
unique association with humans who lived in India. This was the reason to
designate humans who lived in Sri Lanka were anthropological Indians.
Buddhist
religion arrived in Sri Lanka with an organised spiritual structure, and its
non-violence policy attracted people, and gradually, it became an organised
religious institution working along with the political administration of the
kings and queens. Buddhism did not want to collide with Hinduism as the origin
of Buddhism was through Hinduism, and many concepts such as God, reincarnation,
worshiping Gods, and many practical aspects of both religions related to each
other. The origin of Hinduism also has evidenced its cradled ancient religious
beliefs such as Greek and other cultures.
Buddhism
strongly supported the unity of people, and the third time visit of Lord Buddha
to Sri Lanka reported it purposed to settle a conflict among two community
leaders of the country, and people accepted the role played Buddha and the
religion, and the political administration of the country did not want to clash
with Buddhism, and people agreed to go forward with Buddhist policies. From the
point of view of many scholars, Buddhism attempted to maintain the unity of
people despite the philosophical differences of a variety of religions.
Christianity
and Islam arrived in Sri Lanka with a unique style of beliefs and
strategies. Both religions were originated
in the middle eastern culture, which had obvious historical conflicts with each
other, and the philosophy and religious beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism
contradicted with Christianity and Islam. The concept of a sovereign God in
both religions, Christianity and Islam is analogous, but practitioners attempt
to show that they were distinct. No religious scholar has shown that both
religions, Christianity and Islam are philosophically not assailed from
specific points, and it seems both religions are philosophically similar, and
historical experience also shows despite attempts to deviate both religions,
philosophically they are identical. The
concept of God in Islam shows the belief either gained from Judaism or
Christianity, and the historical disunity of communities wanted to maintain
separate religions, and why they want to maintain disjoined religions, could
only answer by God.
The
great reformists such as Martin Luther described certain features and worships
in the Catholic Church disinclination to give priority to the concept of God,
and religious leaders in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam failed logically
thinking on the concept and beliefs, and accept the uniqueness of God in three
religions than any other worships such as saints. Most probably the conflicts
or divisions may have incurred as an error of human thinking, and attempt to
interpret the religions making strange additions than to the originators. A
religious belief that is supreme or false could be seen after the death of a
person, and the intractable situation is when a person passed away the ability
of vision of the person destroyed. In
such a situation, how could a person see the supreme truth of religion? Despite
this, many people agree religions contributed massively to human civilization.
Many
Buddhist scholars are of opinion that Christianity arrived in Sri Lanka as an
invader with the political and armed power of a Western country. If Christianity arrived in Sri Lanka in the
way other religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam) arrived, Christianity will
be a religion like other religions and will not subject to divide the united
country. The actions taken to spread Christianity in Sri Lanka by Portuguese
invaders were unacceptable and displayed cruelty, and in modern terms of
international interpretation were war crimes. There are historical findings that
Christianity was in Sri Lanka in the Anuradhapura era, but it was not recognised
by neither Sinhala nor Tamil people.
As
long as Islam became a peaceful religion, Buddhists did not consider Islam was
a threat to the unity of the country and allowed to breathe in the country.
Buddhist scholars were reluctant to make religious hate because of the
fundamental teaching of Buddhism to educate hate is a vicious quality of humans,
however, after the oil crisis in the early 1970s, Buddhist and Christian
scholars suspected the role of Islam and its practical aspect. As Robert Knox
stated, people who lived in Sri Lanka including the King, Rajasinha 2 of Kandy
suspected the role played by Islam. The converting people of Maldives to Islam
further suspected the role.
The
roles have been played by religions in the country since arriving in
Christianity mutated, and the unity of communities challenged, and religious
leaders of the country did not consider that the disunity of the society will
be a problem for a future generation when dealing with various issues. However, religious differences indirectly
promoted disunity, and neither the political administration nor the religious
administration promoted strategies to educate the vicious aspects of the
differences. The behaviour of religions in Sri Lanka should have the religions
worked in society before arrived Buddhism and religious leaders should have
canvassed this matter and get together to maintain the unity among
communities. In this situation,
Christian churches would have contributed to eradicating religious hate with
the Carbrooke Cameron Reforms. As Professor K. M. de Silva interpreted (The
Island Story- A brief history of Sri Lanka Chapter 16), the behavior of the
British rulers and religious leaders of Christianity may have contributed to
the disunity of the country.
The
Catholic church in Sri Lanka attempted to change religious hate as the Second
Vatican Council started by Pope John 23RD directed talk between
religions, and the catholic church had listened to the modernization within the
church, and many policies secretly maintained disrespecting the modernization
of the church. The catholic secretly maintained a political alliance with
capitalist political parties against socialist views and promoted disunity
within the society of Sri Lanka using the provision of education that
indirectly promoted division and reconciliation and association with
Buddhists.
Since
invading the country by Europeans Christian churches began expanding education
that helps the progress of society. After political independence in 1948, local
leaders of Christian churches have used education to make money and abet rich
by vicious practices such as insisting entrance fees for Christian schools (contributions) besides monthly school fees.
Major Christian schools refused to admit poor Christian kids though they are
living very closer to the school, charging a large or accepting a large sum of
fees or donations from Non-Christians admitted to Christian schools. For this
purpose, past pupil associations have been used to cover the cases. The entire
behavior of Christian church leaders was contradictory to the philosophy of
Christianity and promoted the disunity of society. If it happened in the colonial
period the practice of the church would have rejected the colonial rule. This
dirty policy is still intact in Sri Lanka and a Catholic-bishop who designated
himself as the in-charge of Catholic Education in Colombo archdiocese reluctant
to give an answer when I inquired about anti-christ policy in 2019 when he
visited Australia seeking donations from Sri Lankan and avoided talking with
me.
Education is a human
right and Christian churches overseas are never supposed to provide Christian
education based on a wealth of people, in holy scripts, Jesus Christ explained,
but church leaders in Sri Lanka have rejected Christ and loved wealthy people.
This is how Christian churches promoted disunity in Sri Lanka.
For seven
decades from the end of the World War II in 1945, the US Seventh fleet
dominated the Pacific area and provided much of its security said TIME. US was supported in this task, by the ‘Five Eyes’ a
highly secretive intelligence alliance of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States. According to Wikipedia, this expanded to Nine Eyes with
Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway and then Fourteen Eyes with Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Sweden joining in.
Some of these
countries, it appears cannot stand on their own. They need a protector. New Zealand said they like US being in the
region, but if the US is not there the void has to be filled and it will be
filled by China. NATO also said it could not do without the
USA.
However, USA
is not a global superpower anymore said TIME. The US does not carry as much
weight in the world economy as it used to. Earlier it was the US which was the
single largest contributor to world growth. But now the Chinese economy has overtaken it. When the US share of the world economy falls,
its ability to wield influence will become less, said analysts.
When the 21 century
began, US found that it was not as strong as it used to be. USA was no longer able
to fight wars by itself. U.S. Army was ranked
“weak” in the Heritage
Foundation’s 2017 Index of U.S. Military Power.
US Air force
consists of ‘old models’, in stark contrast to its rivals. US Navy maintains a
moderate global presence, but has little ability to meet wartime demands. Naval air power, which since World War II has
been the main weapon in the U.S. arsenal, is no longer effective.USA can no
longer scare away countries, by dispatching carriers or guided missile cruisers
to loiter menacingly offshore.
Analysts observed in October 2019, that the U.S. Navy isn’t
ready to take on even Iran. Iran has a domestically
produced Noor antiship missile (a reverse-engineered copy of a Chinese cruise
missile) which was dangerous at over 100 miles. In 2016, the USS Mason, a
destroyer ship, discovered this when it was targeted by several Noor missiles.
The combination of these missiles and Iran’s fleet of fast and cheap patrol
boats has been enough to keep the USS Lincoln out of the Persian Gulf in 2019.
China’s army, on the other hand was getting stronger. Robert D
Kaplan said in 2009 that in the next
decade, China’s navy will have more warships than the United States’. China is
producing and acquiring submarines five times as fast as is the United States.
In addition to submarines, the Chinese have wisely focused on buying naval
mines, ballistic missiles that can hit moving targets at sea, and technology
that blocks signals from GPS satellites, on which the U.S. Navy depends.
Regardless of this, US is getting ready for war against China, and
plans to fight China, not only in South
China Sea, but also in the Indian Ocean.US wishes to prevent the rise of China
as a superpower.
Head of the US
Indo-Pacific command, Davidson, made a statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee in
February 2019, where he identified
China as the enemy and Indo Pacific as USA’s ‘priority theater’ of war. He called for
‘combat-ready deterrence’ to ‘win before fighting’ and, if necessary, ‘be ready
to fight and win.’ The armed
forces are to be ‘forward-postured in the region.’
But US alone cannot stand up to China, other countries must also
come in, US said. The challenges we face in the Indo-Pacific extend beyond what
any single country can address alone, admitted USA. USA is therefore
seeking alliances and partnerships, with
like-minded countries to fight in the
war.
US has set up
an anti-Chinese axis using India and Japan. This
became the Quadrilateral Security
Dialogue (Quad) a
military alliance between the United States, Japan, Australia and India . This has become
QUAD plus”, with UK and France added said analysts in 2019. The QUAD is
essentially a military strategic alliance to counter emerging threats from
China in the Indo-Pacific region. Warships of the Quad- were to meet in
November 2020 in Malabar naval exercise off the Goa coast.
It appears
that the Quad alone is not enough to contain China. USA needs a further Joint
Force that can act as an effective deterrent and also win in a conflict. In November 2020 Secretary of the US Navy announced
that he wants to set up a new fleet,” ‘in the crossroads’ between Indian &
Pacific Oceans, where it could act as a deterrent. We can’t just rely on the Seventh Fleet.
US has also concocted a new international region, the
‘Indo-Asia-Pacific Region’, which includes the Indian Ocean and the Pacific
Ocean. US president Barrack Obama
identified Indo-Pacific as the Centre of its international security strategy. The Indo –Pacific region has now become
important, said the US Defence Department in 2019. However, there is no such
thing as an ‘Indo-Pacific’, said Tamara Kunanayagam.
USA admits that it is not located in the Indian Ocean. USA is
located in the Pacific Ocean. However, USA says it is linked to its
Indo-Pacific neighbors through unbreakable bonds of shared history, culture,
commerce, and values.” It therefore has
an enduring commitment to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific in which all
nations, regardless of size, are able to exercise their sovereignty free from
coercion by other countries.
USA wishes to promote a rules-based free and open Indo-Pacific. The US
wants to see a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific that respects principles such
as peaceful resolution of disputes, freedom of navigation, open and transparent
investment environments, and strong and responsible governing institutions.
Germany’ also
said it wishes to see rules-based orderinthe Indo-Pacific region. While Germany
is not an Indo-Pacific nation, many European states are joining the
Indo-Pacific axis for the enormous trade potential in Asia, Germany said. The
shape of tomorrow’s international order will be decided in the Indo-Pacific. Germany should play an active role in this.
Kevin Rudd,
former Prime Minister of Australia was very encouraging towards USA. It’s
important for Americans to understand that they are still in an extraordinarily
powerful position in relation to both China and the rest of the world, Rudd
said, in September 2020.
America
remains a powerful country in economic terms, in technological terms and in
military terms, and against all three measures still today more powerful than
China. In the case of the military, significantly more powerful than China,
said Rudd., America’s military remains formidable.
Americans
shouldn’t talk themselves out of global leadership in the future. Of course,
the gap is beginning to narrow, but this will take a long period of time, and
there are a number of potential mishaps for China, concluded Rudd.
Former United
States Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger is not so optimistic. He does not think USA will win and he does
not think it a good idea for US to start a war.
He thinks US warmongering should stop immediately.
America and
China are now drifting increasingly toward confrontation, and they’re
conducting their diplomacy in a confrontational way,” said Kissinger. The
danger is that this could lead to actual military conflict.”
Kissinger said
US should move quickly to restore lines of communication with China or risk a
crisis that could escalate into military conflict. If that happens, the world
will slide into an experience comparable to World War I, and go into a war which would be far worse than World War
II.
US and China
should jointly create a negotiating group where some leader that the US President
trusts and some Chinese leader that President Xi trusts remain in contact with
each other on behalf of their Presidents,” he said. (Continued)
LTTE was banned by UK in 2001 though UK was LTTE’s international headquarters from 1980s.
While Lord Naseby remains the only sane Britisher to realize who a terrorist is, scores of UK Parliamentarians chose to flirt with LTTE lobbies living in UK for votes and other perks coming their way. They regularly shed crocodile tears attending LTTE events and inspite of ban, unashamedly deliver pro-LTTE statements too. All this is nothing the British government is not unaware of. In fact, the woman who trained Tamil children as young as 7 to shoot & kill as well as to commit suicide biting the cyanide capsule is also happily living in UK enjoying the illegal blood money. There is obviously much that LTTE and the UK Government have in common. LTTE’s murderous past is known by all. Colonial Britain has much to be ashamed for its colonial criminal past. Not stopping there, the Iraq war and supplying arms and training to tyrants, despots and dictators makes it natural that UK finds comradery with LTTE easier than with an elected democratic government. Be that as it may, it is absolutely shocking that UK allows its Parliament to be lit for LTTE’s commemoration of its leader’s birthday while even cut outs of the brute murderer is also allowed until complaints are filed forcing removal. If LTTE is banned by UK – shouldn’t UK police be taking action instead of waiting for complaints to be filed?
LTTE took to gun by not attacking Sinhalese but by killing Tamils. The Tamil mayor was killed in 1975 and thereafter Tamil police and public servants were killed to scare them from joining government service. After scaring Tamils from joining state service, the LTTE begin complaining to the world, that Tamils were not employed by the State.
The third victims of LTTE became innocent Sinhala villagers who were attacked and killed including pregnant mothers and babies in the most horrific manner. Today, the same LTTE is complaining about human rights not given to these same killers. Who knows how many innocent Tamils LTTE killed when they didn’t tow their line? How many Tamil children were kidnapped and turned into child soldiers? How many Tamil families have had to weep the loss of their child after learning they had been kidnapped when going to school and turned into LTTE child soldiers. Who is going to cry for these sins of LTTE? Are these not crimes? What does the UK have to say about these criminal acts by LTTE?
It is absolutely shocking that UK Government and MPs apart from a handful like Lord Naseby, are more concerned about how LTTE terrorists got killed than what these terrorists did to society. LTTE even killed an Indian Prime Minister on Indian soil. These UK MPs seem not to care about the suicide bombings, assassinations, bus/train bombs carried out by LTTE. LTTE did not attack only the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, LTTE attacked unarmed civilians traveling to work, to school, visiting the temples etc. What harm did these people do to the LTTE to be killed? How many British MPs have seen fit to even think about these LTTE crimes?
As for the LTTE Diaspora, many who have hardly any intent to return to live in Sri Lanka, speaking in heavy British accents about an Eelam, which is only a campaign slogan are simply organizing grand tamashas as every tamasha affords a commercial means to make money. How much have they made from printing key tags, car stickers – today Prabakaran is nothing but an ornament to sell and make money. This terrorist leader must be turning in his grave at the number of commercial items printed and manufactured with his face with a price tag to sell and enlarge the LTTE kitty. Of course, the recipients of the profits are not the LTTE combatants who are alive or their families in Sri Lanka or the families of the deceased LTTE, but the foreign living LTTE diaspora who must be laughing all the way to the bank after the tamasha is finished and giving each other a thumbs up for their acting performances!
Making money from a banned dead terrorist Leader and his eliminated terrorist outfit is the only means by which the LTTE diaspora can generate a handsome income. Of course the others knowing the lucrative nature of this business must be getting a share for their silence.
Go after the LTTE money trail – GOSL
If LTTE is banned, anything denoting LTTE must also be banned. Declare these insignia as banned and officially inform countries that have banned LTTE to also ban these insignia and emblems. If there is no law in place to do so, write the law and immediately initiate action.
It is obvious that the US has passed the baton to UK to take on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC. If UK can be obnoxious to demand accountability from Sri Lanka, what stops Sri Lanka from slapping UK for colonial crime accountability. At least the world must know the atrocities that the British committed with impunity, is far more horrendous than what they accuse Sri Lanka of by listening to tell tales of their terrorist LTTE friends.
Here are some examples – it is shocking how British can have the audacity to point fingers at any country without atoning for these crimes first:
1817 – Maclaine given authority to kill anyone without trial.Lt. Maclaine is infamously known for having breakfast while watching Sinhalese men being hung!
John Davey British Army surgeon We didn’t manage to kill the enemy. But we killed a lot of villagers. We must have killed at least 10,000 men in the villagers.”
John Davey of British Army declares that by 1821 there were no children of patriotic families in the hill country/Uva-Wellassa. John Davey estimated at least 7% of the population in the entire Central province was killed by the British
Campbells’ memo We were under orders to destroy all coconut trees, all fruit trees and paddy fields. We were also ordered to destroy the bunds of the water reservoirs. This water was essential to them for cultivation. We wondered how long it must have taken for them to build these giant reservoirs and how long it would take them now, without having any engineers or the equipment, to rebuild or repair them.”
1818 diary of Sergeant Calladine Not a single day passed without burning a village and killing the Chingalese men. We didn’t take prisoners.”
The karma or nemesis of UK’s international policy of favoritism to separatists, terrorists and extremists have finally brought the chickens home and Scotland is now asking to separate from UK.
Its not enough that Brexit has isolated UK from EU, now Scotland desiring to leave UK means UK is left with only the extremist & separatist LTTE lobby and the Islamic terrorists as friends. What fine company for the UK Government!
With a crippling economy, imagine the position of the UK if all Commonwealth Nations also decide to say cherio to the Queen!
Sovereign countries do not require to continue honoring the Queen!
What if Scotland does leave UK – how powerful would UK be? Would UK still be pointing fingers aided by LTTE Diaspora?
Just as UK goes splitting up nations and takes sides of separatists, extremists and even terrorists – the world must also help Scotland obtain their separatism from UK. Then only UK will realize what countries go through when nosy-parker nations try to lobby rebels and fund them to split nations for geopolitical gains. This is karma coming to UK. https://youtu.be/ug8hH9UK6Lw
Over in Sri Lanka, the people want to move on. Who wants to commemorate a dead terrorist except those that thrive on commercializing the terrorist. In Sri Lanka, LTTE or Prabakaran has no commercial value!
Over in Sri Lanka, even TNA leaders have to travel to the North with the Sinhala” security to safeguard their safety! It is that hilarious! Of course hypocrisy of Tamil leaders is nothing new – it comes naturally. But, the Tamil people have rejected them by vote and that says much. The Tamil people wish to move on and the rest of the country wish to have them join to not live in the past but to move forward. UK-EU-US-Canada & India may care to continue to hen peck and showcase their double standards, but people are not fools and they can’t be fooled any more.
UK-US-EU-Canada & India are welcome to flog the dead LTTE and hold any amount of tamashas in their countries. We hope that while they are doing so they spare some time to think about all of the credit card scams, social welfare scams, money laundering, human smuggling, illegal immigrants – LTTE diaspora are involved in are fleecing their citizens and not ours. Best of luck in pussy footing the LTTE Diaspora – who are only fooling your citizens and not ours!
From
1948-72, the island of Ceylon (the English phonetic transliteration of our
native name of Sinhale/Sinhaledeepa) was a FULLY SOVEREIGN realm/kingdom.
A realm
was a sovereign state which had Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state.
Each realm functioned (and still function today) as an independent co-equal
kingdom from the other realms. Thus we had:
– full
sovereignty
– a Queen
of Ceylon, above politics
– a
democratically elected government of the People (extremely lean and efficient)
with a Parliament of honest gentlemen
– a
ceremonial Governor General, above politics and non partisan, nominated by the
democratically elected Prime Minister, as the de facto head of state
– a lean
Senate composed of eminent and honourable members of society acting as a
revising chamber/checks and balances
– a fully
independent judiciary with the Privy Council (used by Singapore until the
1990s) acting strictly according to the Ceylon Constitution and laws enacted by
Ceylon’s Parliament
– a fully
independent and lean Civil Service, based on a meritocracy and an Independent
Commission for public appointments and promotions, totally apolitical,
resulting in what was perhaps the best Civil Service in all of Asia.
– a
country whose system Singapore later emulated (and perfected and overtook us)
– the
rule of law applying to all citizens of Ceylon with ONE law prevailing over all
In
addition, Ceylon had a beneficial Anglo Ceylon Defence Agreement with Great
Britain providing a guarantee of defence from foreign attack and
training/equipment for our armed forces. This protected us from the India.
To prove our independent foreign policy and sovereignty, our leaders
subsequently also entered the Rubber Rice Pact with China.
We must
regain the spirit, integrity, efficiency and charm that we had in that early
period. History must not be politicised, nor should revisionist history be
propagated by politicians and India.
What
happened at various points in history, aside from economic stupidity, from 1972
in particular was disastrous. We lost our sovereignty to politicians. We lost
the actual name of the country. We lost a clean system and an apolitical Civil
Service. We lost our defence guarantees in 1957. No government armed the
country, or introduced national service to compensate. The 1972 and 1978 constitutions
were not constitutions for the people, by the people and of the people, but
instead for the politicians, by the politicians and of the politicians! They
were both done ostensibly to give full weight to the nation’s culture, but a
few symbolic clauses that could have been added were instead used as a ruse to
dupe the people and engage in a wholesale corruption of the system at large.
Marxism that would make the Soviets balk, was even argued by some to be part of
our national culture!
The major
flaws of both systems that exist to this day are listed below:
1. Making
a particular ideology a constitutional principle, and thereby depriving the
people of the right to determine economic policies from time to time at
periodic elections (first socialism, and later democratic socialism!)
2.
Including a truncated list of fundamental rights and almost nullifying their
effect by making them subject to excessive restrictions and numerous principles
of so-called state policy
3.
Departing from the practice of all existing republics of directly or indirectly
electing the Head of State, and providing instead for nomination by a political
migratory figure
4.
Introducing control by the Cabinet of Ministers over the subordinate judiciary,
5.
Depriving the judiciary of the power to determine the constitutional propriety
of laws, and
6.
Abandoning the principle of the neutrality of the public service.
7.
Renamed the country after the name of a political party and solidified an
artificial flag instead of the unifying national Lion flag used since ancient
times re-raised in 1948.
8.
Changed the systems of this country WITHOUT a national referendum. The party
that won power to enact the 1972 constitution did not even win over 50% of the
national vote at the General Election of 1970.
9. In
1987, India – which had already created, trained and financed a terrorist group
in the early 1970s to destroy our country and all her people, now inserted
artificial and illegal clauses to effectively give us an even more corrupt
third constitution that bares no relevance to our culture, society, common
sense and only encourages artificial, highly parochial and deeply damaging
governance, promoting only corruption and making us a virtual vassal state of
India. Our sovereignty and independence has been further stripped away by the ILLEGAL Indo
Lanka Accord (which is to this day illegal under international law and makes
the MCC agreement look like a tea party with cake).
10. Uses
inappropriate, confusing and contradictory Indian jargon (like “link
language” and “except in xyz Province” etc) making a pig’s
breakfast of the official language laws, administration and educational systems
of this country and promotes multiple ethnic laws and jurisdictions
11.
Encourages no rule of law, no accountability and no cohesion as a nation
12. Made
us a nation of slaves ruled by local slavemasters – politicians (meant to be
servants of the people) presiding over us with total ineptitude and
incompetence.
The
country has been made such a mess by the corrupt, the Indians and Indian
bootlickers, that a nation that should be more akin to Singapore, South Korea,
and Japan – and which started out far ahead of these economies – is instead
languishing in this sorry, sad and frankly pathetic state today.
Look at a
picture of 1950s Ceylon’s streets, transport, people, business and look at a
picture of us today. The once clean and magnificent countryside and towns have
been flooded with Indian junk and lorry buses. Trincomalee, which Nelson
referred to as “the finest party in all the world” sits idle and
barren. Our people are sent as menial labour to other countries. Corruption is
everywhere. The Rupee has been printed to such an extent to finance auctions of
non existent resources that it is beyond worthless. Compare us to the East
Asian nations.
If we get
the BASICS of this country right – the RULE OF LAW, ZERO TOLERANCE for
corruption, and a MERITOCRACY, then the whole nation may be developed to have
the same world class infrastructure, opportunities and stature of the upcoming
Port City in Colombo (which aspires to be a first world hub benchmarked against
the world). In short, we can become much more like Singapore and South Korea
virtually overnight.
We need a
new constitution and total system reset. The starting point should be the 1948
Constitution. From there we can decide upon whether we wish to have an
executive Prime Minister, President, Chancellor, or even a High Priestess. But
this current mess of a constitution has got to go! The symbols of Buddhist
philosophy, and codifying the official languages are simple things that can be
added (this would have been only two, or three amendments to the original
Soulsbury Constitution of 1948). A great example would be to virtually copy and
paste (adjusting for our situation) Articles 153 and 154 of the Singapore
Constitution. If the PEOPLE wish to be a Republic, that is again one simple
amendment. Such changes should be conducted via a National Referendum so the
People decide upon how they wish to be governed as a nation. We must be a
nation of laws, not of politicians.
We must
rediscover that golden era of policies, leadership integrity and honesty (with
gentleman like Dudley) and robust and clean system that will be the ultimate
fortress for a sovereign, free and successful Ceylon/Sinhaledeepa. There must
be a TOTAL cleanup of the Augean stables.
Let us
expel Indian nonsense, Indian bootlicking, corruption, inefficiency, endless
mediocrity, and the squandering of opportunity from our country once and for
all.
If this
GETS DONE, then this nation will blossom and boom overnight. It is my firm
belief that the kind, intelligent and noble people of this island nation have
extraordinary potential. We have survived through difficult times, survived the
abhorrent creation of our neighbour, we have endured hardship and even after
all that, there is nothing like the warmth, smiles and hospitality of our
people.
May we once
again become a resplendent island nation in which no one is left out, where
there is honour to all and favour to none. And where we the People live in one
nation, with one law, as one people, with one indomitable destiny, where we win
several World Cups, where opportunity is high and where potential is reached
and where brand Ceylon stands proudly up with head held high in the world.
Long live
our beautiful island nation. Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee
oh resplendent Ceylonese!
The billionaire class led by the WEF has a plan for the post-pandemic world order, but the needs of ordinary people are very different .
A sign at sunset in the Davos Congress Center ahead of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on January 19, 2020. Photo: AFP / Fabrice Cofferini
According to the latest International Labor Organization reports, as job losses escalate due to lockdowns aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19, nearly half of the global workforce is at risk of losing livelihoods, access to food and the ability to survive.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has stated, With some 2.6 billion people around the world in some kind of lockdown, we are conducting arguably the largest psychological experiment ever.”
As governments and corporations tighten political authoritarianism and technological surveillance, curtailing privacy and democratic protest, much of humanity is succumbing to anxiety, depression and a sense of powerlessness. Countries with some of the harshest lockdowns, such as India, have seen significant increases in suicides.
Pandemic narrative and dissent
Dominant global political and economic institutions and the media present their pandemic narrative as based on scientific authority. However, there is increasing disagreement on the origin and prevention of the virus within the biomedical profession.
Many physicians and scientists are questioning whether Covid-19 is a natural occurrence or the product of a leak from a lab experimenting with coronaviruses and bioweapons. There is concern over the accuracy of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and false positives, as well as the classification of deaths simply as caused by Covid-19 when an overwhelming number of fatalities are related to pre-existing illnesses or co-morbidities, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Even according to statistics released last Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Covid-19 was mentioned as the sole cause of death in only 6% of the cases. The disproportionately higher rates of Covid deaths among native Americans and Alaska Inuit, for example, are due to their higher rates of obesity, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease than among more privileged US communities.
The Covid pandemic has not been the Great Equalizer” as suggested by the likes of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and members of the World Economic Forum. Rather, it has exacerbated existing inequalities along gender, race and economic class divides across the world.
Just as unemployed and uninsured Americans are pleading for support, the combined wealth of US billionaires surpassed $1 trillion in gains since March 2020 and the beginning of the pandemic,” according to a study by the Institute for Policy Studies. The top five US billionaires – Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett and Larry Ellison – saw their wealth grow by a total of $101.7 billion, or 26%, during this period.
Among the pandemic profiteers are chief executives of companies like Zoom and Skype providing videoconferencing, and Amazon providing online shopping to citizens under lockdown. Yet the success of these companies has not translated into better wages and safety conditions for their employees.
However, the political and ideological power of the billionaire class and their influence over domestic and global policymaking are increasing. Relevant in this regard is billionaire Bill Gates’ central role in the development and marketing of vaccines and interest in use of vaccines as a method of population control.
The pharmaceutical industry, ie Big Pharma (including vaccine manufacturers), are known for inflating prices, avoiding taxes and manipulating the political process to maximize profit. Unfortunately, this corrupt industry is a key player in the race to end the Covid-19 pandemic.
The incoming Joe Biden administration in the US has received extensive funding from the pharmaceutical industry, yet it has not agreed to cut the cost of a possible coronavirus vaccine developed with federal research dollars. Rather, the Biden administration, also heavily funded by the big tech, finance and defense sectors, is poised to facilitate The Great Reset,” a WEF initiative to remake the post-pandemic world order.
The ‘Great Reset’
The WEF, which identifies itself as the international organization for public-private partnership” (that is, like the Council on Foreign Relations, a geopolitical corporate power agency), sees the social and economic devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic as a unique window of opportunity to shape the recovery.”
Speaking at a conference organized by the WEF in June, former US secretary of state John Kerry expressed concern: Forces and pressures that were pushing us into crisis over the social contract are now exacerbated.… The world is coming apart, dangerously, in terms of global institutions and leadership.”
The Great Reset” envisaged by the WEF seeks to address these challenges through radical global restructuring. It seeks to reinvent the priorities of societies, the nature of business models and the management of a global commons … to build a new social contract,” with sustainable development and resilience as its ultimate objectives.
At its next annual gathering of the rich and powerful in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2021, the WEF is expected to adopt the Great Reset and also incorporate youth leaders from around the world into the initiative through a virtual summit.
The stated goals of sustainability and resilience are laudable, but many are questioning the true objectives of both the WEF and the Great Reset.
Many are wondering why these powerful organizations, having apparently already run the exact scenario as a test, failed to prevent or at least prepare the world for the imminent viral outbreak.
The global political economy has been moving in the direction of increasing technological and market integration through social media, artificial intelligence and biotechnology. In the wake of Covid-19, the trends toward digitization and commoditization of economic and social relations have increased.
The Great Reset seeks to accelerate and solidify these trends as well as expand corporate control of natural resources and state surveillance of individuals. In the post-pandemic Great Reset, there would not be much life left outside the technological-corporate nexus dominated by monolithic agribusiness, pharmaceutical, communication, defense and other inter-connected corporations, and the governments and media serving them.
The proponents of the Great Reset envisage a Brave New World where you will own nothing. And you will be happy. Whatever you want, you will rent, and it will be delivered by drones….” But it is more likely that this elite-led revolution will make the vast majority of humanity a powerless appendage of technology with little consciousness and meaning in their lives.
Resistance
The mainstream media establishment tends to cast all critiques of the dominant Covid narrative and solutions as conspiracy theories. Yet more and more people are questioning the narrative on the origin and management of the pandemic and, instead, see the need to shift to a truly democratic, just and ecological civilization.
Many of the anti-lockdown protests around the world have had limited focus on social restrictions and personal freedom, desires usually in tune with the individualism of globalized consumer culture. While these have gained some attention in the mainstream media, the more focused and progressive demands for social and economic rights by civil-society groups have received scant attention.
These include demands by numerous groups, such as Oxfam International, to make Covid-19 medicines and vaccines free and fair for all. There is also a demand for a global public inquiry, to be led by independent scientists, to gather evidence on the origin and evolution of Covid-19. In addition, there is a call for an International Biowarfare Crimes Tribunal, to bring perpetrators of the pandemic to justice, whether they be from the US or China.
The overall objective of these demands is greater transparency, ethics and accountability in the use of technology, especially biotechnology and vaccines against Covid-19 and other viruses. The demand for enforcement of the Biological Weapons Convention calls on the nations of the world, China, Russia, the US, to come together to enforce better verification systems for preventing the production of biological weapons in the future, before the world is put through multiple pandemics to come.”
These are concerns to be included in an alternative ethical, wise and compassionate Great Reset.
The Covid pandemic is a turning point, an opportunity to change. The reset we need now is not the creation of a post-human, post-nature” world defined by unregulated corporate-led growth of artificial intelligence and biotechnology. We need to balance digitization and commoditization with an ecological reset, a way of living that respects the environment, promotes agro-ecology, bioregionalism and local communities.
We need to raise our consciousness and understanding of humanity as a species in nature, our connectedness to one another and the rest of planetary life.
Earlier, a 40-year loan at an interest rate of 0.1% was expected from Japan to fund the project
Colombo, November 30: Now that the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government has finally decided to get India, Japan and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) to jointly develop the Eastern Container Terminal (ECT) in Colombo port, the details are being worked out with the three stakeholders, diplomatic sources said.
As per the new understanding, Japan will not be giving a loan to carry out the project but will be one of the investors, along with India and Sri Lanka. This is in accordance with Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s policy of cutting down on debt and replacing debt with investment.
Earlier, in May 2019, a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed by Sri Lanka, India, Japan to jointly develop and run the ECT. A Terminal Operations Company (TOC) was to be set up for conducting all operations. In the TOC, Sri Lanka would retain a 51% stake, and the joint venture partners purchase a 49% stake with India accounting for 15%. A 40-year loan at an interest rate of 0.1% was expected from Japan to fund the project. But this is now being reviewed and Japan will be an investor and not a creditor.
The Adanis will be the Indian investor. It is hoped that the Adanis will find the funds. Given the profitability of the ECT, getting the required funds will not be difficult, it is said.
There is a huge scope for business as Colombo port is now highly congested and is in desperate need to get the ECT working. The partly finished terminal is working with just three cranes. As on date Colombo port has a backlog of 20,000 TEUs. It will take four to five days to clear this, said SLPA chairman Gen. (Rtd) Daya Ratnayake.
By Saeed Shah and Uditha Jayasinghe/Wall Street Journal Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
The earlier government had delayed construction to decrease Sri Lanka’s dependence on China say Saeed Shah and Uditha Jayasinghe in Wall Street Journal.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, November 28: —China is poised to start building a $13 billion city on Sri Lanka’s seafront, as the island nation located near some of the world’s most important shipping lanes deepens its ties with Beijing despite U.S. efforts to gain influence.
The Port City, which will be built on 660 acres of land reclaimed from the sea close to Colombo’s city center, had been delayed and debated under a previous government, as the country tried to decrease its dependence on China. Now the family of Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had earlier overseen a tightening of ties with China, has returned to power.
Once completed, Port City could become an important symbol of the power of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to spread Chinese influence across Asia and beyond by unleashing its financial and construction firepower.
Sri Lanka is trying to rebuild after a devastating civil war and the more recent combined economic fallout from terrorist attacks and Covid-19. It says that the U.S. is offering little financial support while seeking to dictate its foreign relations, a complaint played out across Asia.
We turned to all our friends, including the World Bank and India,” said Palitha Kohona, Sri Lanka’s ambassador-designate to China. The one entity that came to our assistance hastily was China.”
Sri Lanka is also taking new loans from Beijing, despite a visit from the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month, when he warned the nation of 22 million people against forging closer ties with China, which he called a predator. Washington says it wants to keep the Indian Ocean free and open from Chinese domination.
The Rajapaksas staged a political comeback during the past year. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s younger brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was elected president in November 2019, while the elder brother was elected prime minister in August 2020, taking two-thirds of the seats in parliament. Authority is split between the two positions in Sri Lanka, though the president, who is head of state, is more powerful. Under the previous pro-Western government headed by Rajapaksa opponents, Sri Lanka had cooled toward China.
During the Rajapaksas’ first stint in power, between 2005 and 2015, they signed up for multiple Chinese infrastructure projects, including a Chinese-built port in their home constituency of Hambantota, and started the land reclamation for the Port City development in Colombo.
Washington has held up Sri Lanka as a prime example of what it calls China’s debt trap diplomacy.” Hambantota was subsequently sold to China on lease in order for Sri Lanka to lower its debt burden. China denies its projects are created to entrap borrowers or spread its control of countries.
After meeting Mr. Pompeo in October, President Rajapaksa said that China had helped develop his country since the end of the civil war and reiterated that Sri Lanka wasn’t caught in a debt trap as a result.
The Rajapaksa government has rejected a proposed $480 million U.S. economic aid package and a military agreement because it says they came with too many conditions, such as mapping all state-owned land and providing immunity from prosecution for American military personnel in the country, which critics claimed impinged on Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.
The international community will come to our assistance but with a demand for fiscal discipline and upholding the rule of law,” said Eran Wickramaratne, an opposition member of parliament and former deputy finance minister. China will make no such demands but provide debt at a high cost.”
Last year, 43% of loans for major projects came from China, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Most of the country’s overall foreign debt is from international bonds, with around 10% owed to China.
Fitch Ratings downgraded Sri Lanka’s sovereign debt Friday, saying its debt would rise this fiscal year to 100% of gross domestic product, from 87% last year. The ratings company warned of increased risk created by the coronavirus economic shock, low foreign-exchange reserves and large debt payments due over the next few years. The Sri Lankan government called the downgrade ill-informed,” saying it was made without any evidence-based and objective analysis.”
The Rajapaksas say they are seeking equity investments for this round of projects, including for the Port City. China’s global initiative has up to now been marked by borrowings taken on by the host country. Government officials point out that the investments aren’t restricted to China.
The U.S. has pushed for tough economic overhauls in Sri Lanka to make the country more attractive for American private-sector investment.
We would welcome investment from the United States. But that doesn’t mean we exclude anyone else who is keen to invest,” said Ajith Nivard Cabraal, state minister of money, capital markets and state enterprise reforms.
Sri Lanka is negotiating a $700 million loan from China, as well as a $1.5 billion currency swap facility, Mr. Cabraal said. Earlier this year, China provided a $500 million loan and a $90 million grant.
This month, the first factory for Hambantota was announced, a $300 million tire plant from a Chinese company, Shandong Haohua Tire. The authorities are hoping to attract more manufacturers to a 19-square mile industrial zone next to the port.
Among the other large projects that will be started or finished with Chinese backing is the $1 billion road from Colombo to the central city of Kandy and a $300 million coal-fired power plant in Norochcholai on the west coast.
The government is planning to introduce new legislation in parliament in January to make special laws for Port City. The move, it says, will provide smooth transactions and tax breaks to encourage investment and commerce from the new city.
China will run the Port City, which will have offices, apartment blocks and a marina, on a 99-year lease. It is envisaged as a financial services and technology hub, in contrast to the industrial zones being created by China for its factories in other countries.
Luo Chong, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Colombo, said that after August elections, which put the Rajapaksas solidly back in control of the country, China can now go for megaprojects.”
He said that work on a $1 billion international financial-center complex for the Port City, built by a Chinese company as an investment—not a loan—could begin in early 2021.
India’s advice to Lankan Tamils appears to be: Attend to development issues while demanding devolution of power
Colombo, November 30: In a brief discussion between India’s National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval, and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R Sampanthan here on Sunday, the two sides talked about the economic development of Sri Lanka, including the Tamil-speaking North and East, in the background of the contemporary health-related challenges, the Indian High Commission said in a short statement.
Details of the development programs discussed were not given in the official release, nor was there any indication that the reported bid by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government to repeal the 13 th.,Constitutional Amendment (13A), which gives the provinces a modicum of autonomy, had come up during the talks.
However, political sources told Daily Express that the 13A case was discussed. But both sides had agreed to keep it under wraps given the political sensitivities about the matter in Sri Lanka.
A source in the TNA said that the talks between Sampanthan and Doval were very cordial and very constructive.” In the field of development of the North and East, stress was put on setting up a mechanism by which there could be meaningful” development answering the felt needs of the people, who are suffering from deprivation due to the war. Employment generation and the participation of local people in drafting and delivering development programs would be key components of the projects, the source said.
India’s Concerns
It is obvious that India is more keen on the economic development of the Northern and Eastern Provinces given the obvious difficulties in persuading a sovereign government to yield to foreign pressure on domestic political issues like the constitution and devolution of power.
On a visit to Colombo, the present Indian Foreign Minister, Dr.S.Jaishankar, had told TNA leaders that they should pay attention to development issues while demanding devolution of power and not hold development hostage to political goals.
The need for economic development in the war-affected Northern and Eastern provinces cannot be over-emphasized. The Tamils had a chance to develop the Northern province when the TNA was in power there for a full term. But the Provincial Council headed by TNA Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran, cared little for development saying that a political solution based on maximum autonomy should come first.
Putting development before a political solution is arrived at is like putting the cart before the horse,” Wigneswaran used to say.
The provincial administration under Wigneswaran used to send back, unspent, a good deal of the developmental funds given by the Central government in Colombo. The Chief Minister’s plea was that the developmental plans sought to be funded by the Center, were not chalked out with the consent of the provincial council.
13 th. Amendment
Doval might only have been partially interested in discussing the fate of the 13A because India’s concerns and priorities have changed over time with changes in geopolitics brought about by China’s ingress into Sri Lanka. But Sampanthan would certainly have raised the issue as it is of great concern to the Tamils. The Tamils also insist that having acted as a midwife in the birth of the 13A through the India-Lanka Accord of 1987, India has a moral responsibility to see that it remains in the statute book.
Furthermore, the Tamils are hanging on to a joint statement issued after the last Modi-Gotabaya Rajapaksa talks in New Delhi which said: Prime Minister Modi called on the Government of Sri Lanka to address the aspirations of the Tamil people for equality, justice, peace and respect within a united Sri Lanka, including by carrying forward the process of reconciliation with the implementation of the 13Amendment to the Constitution.”
The Tamil minority genuinely fears that the Sinhala-nationalist Gotabaya Rajapaksa government will repeal the 13A since it is seen as being a divisive system. In the view of the Sinhala majority, with whose overwhelming support the Rajapaksas came to power, provincial autonomy is nothing but a stepping stone to secession. In fact, the present Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had once said that he would not allow the Tamils to get at the negotiating table what they could not get by waging war – namely a separate independent Tamil Eelam” in the North and East.
However, it is noteworthy that during his Presidency, Mahinda Rajapaksa did not abolish the 13A. As he once explained, the Sinhala political class had begun to see the provincial councils as avenues of political mobility and therefore, they could not be wished away. The provincial councils were in-between the local Pradeshiya Sabhas and the national parliament, a political stepping stone as it were. As provincial councillers and ministers, politicians get to enjoy official power, political clout and prestige, which they would loathe to give up.
But the Tamil fear that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a different kettle of fish who will take drastic measures. He is a military man, a former Lt.Colonel, with very definitive views on issues. To add to the Tamils’ anxieties, the President appointed Adm.Rtd Sarath Weersekara, a known opponent of the 13A and provincial councils, as Minister of Provincial Councils. And Adm.Weerssekara has been firing salvos at the provincial council-system describing them as bottlenecks and a drain on the country’s scarce financial resources.
However, many believe that President Gotabaya will not abolish the 13A and that the appointment of Adm.Sarath Weerasekara as Minister of provincial councils and the license given him to denounce the 13A, are meant to keep his Sinhala nationalist constituency happy. According to the Colombo-based leader of the Indian Origin Tamils, Mano Ganeshan, the Sinhalese may not want democracy for the Tamils, but they certainly want it for themselves. Therefore the provincial councils will remain.
If the government was keen on abolishing the provincial councils, it would not have allocated a huge amount of money to the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government in the 2021 budget. The nine provincial councils have been allocated a total of over Rs. 338 billion, of which around Rs. 279 billion will go towards recurrent expenditure and around Rs. 58 billion towards capital expenditure. The provincial councils are among the top recipients of budgeted funds.
India would like the TNA to cooperate with the Sri Lankan government to make the maximum use of the funds allocated to develop the Tamil-speaking Northern and Eastern provinces.
PHI Union Secretary M. Balasuriya said that alarming numbers were continuing to be detected from areas under isolation
Colombo, November 30 (Daily Mirror) – The Public Health Inspectors (PHI) Union yesterday warned that the COVID-19 pandemic had reached an ‘uncontrollable’ level within the Colombo Municipal Council city limits as a high number of patients were being detected on a daily basis.
PHI Union Secretary M. Balasuriya said that alarming numbers were continuing to be detected from areas under isolation while patients were also being detected from areas that were not under travel restrictions within the CMC city limits.
Balasuriya said that following the detection of a COVID-19 patient, measures must be taken to hospitalise the patient, trace close associates, conduct PCR tests and place them in quarantine – all within the course of a day, to prevent a spread.
Further stating that Sri Lanka was currently recording a high death toll from the virus, he said a large number of deaths were reported from the Colombo Port area, Modera and Borella.
The isolation status in Pettah, Foreshore and Mattakkuliya police areas in the Colombo District and Negombo and Ragama police areas in the Gampaha District were lifted from this morning while Modera, Bloemendhal, Kotahena, Grandpass, Dam Street, Wolfendhal Street, Maligawatte, Dematagoda, Keselwatte police areas and Wekanda and Wanathamulla Grama Niladhari Divisions will continue to remain isolated. (Jamila Husain)
Minister of Justice Ali Sabry has appointed a five-member committee to investigate the incident at the Mahara Prison on Sunday and to submit a report with recommendations.
The committee is chaired by retired High Court judge Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena and also includes Chief Legal advisor to the Ministry of Justice U. R. De Silva, Additional Secretary of the Justice Ministry Rohana Hapugaswatte, DIG Ajith Rohana and former Prisons Commissioner Gamini Jayasinghe.
Additional Secretary to the State Ministry of Prison Reforms and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Nishan Danasinghe has been appointed as the secretary of the committee.
The committee has been tasked with preparing a report on the facts underlying the incident, the parties responsible, actions to be taken and recommendations to be taken to prevent such incidents.
The committee is expected to submit an interim report within one week and recommendations on short-term and long-term actions within a month.
Eight inmates died while 71 persons were injured and admitted to the Ragama Hospital for treatment following the unrest at the Mahara Prison.
A tense situation had occurred at the Mahara Prison last evening (29) when a group of inmates had attempted to break out from prison following a conflict with prison officials.
Prison authorities had opened fire to control the situation and a team of Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel were deployed to assist prison authorities.
Subsequently, a massive fire had broken out at the prison when several inmates set fire to the health office, a storage area, and several other places within the prison.
The fire had raged on until 3 am this morning and was later completely extinguished with help of 06 fire trucks.
Two prison officials held hostage by prison inmates were rescued. However, the condition of one of the prison officials who was rescued after being held hostage is critical.
Commissioner-General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya said the situation has now been brought under control.
Pandemic-related unrest has been growing in the country’s prisons. Inmates have staged protests in recent weeks at several prisons as the number of coronavirus cases surges in the facilities.
More than a thousand inmates in five prisons have tested positive for the coronavirus and at least two have died. About 50 prison guards have also tested positive.
02 more COVID- 19, deaths reported increasing COVID- 19, death toll in Sri Lanka to 118. A 72 year old male from Galaha has died in hospital. An 81 year old female has died at home.
The Epidemiology Unit says that there is a decrease in the reporting of coronavirus infections in the society.
Its Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera stated this while participating in a media briefing held in Colombo today.
Meanwhile, with the identification of 178 more infected people today, the total number of coronavirus infections reported in the country has increased to 23,662.
Nearly 80 police personnel attached to the Morontuduwa and Millaniya police stations have been quarantined after three police officers were identified with the coronavirus infection.
Meanwhile, our correspondents stated that large crowds were gathered in the Pettah area in Colombo, after isolation was removed today.
Eastern Province Governor Anuradha Yahampath has also taken steps to declare the Akkaraipattu police area as a high risk health security zone since the number of coronavirus infections reported in the area has increased.
A Sri Lankan legal expert points out that action should be taken in coordination with the Japanese Embassy regarding the alleged abduction of a Japanese minor by a Sri Lankan youth.
Prof. Prathibha Mahanamahewa, Attorney-at-Law, stated that the issue should be resolved in a humane and amicable manner considering how the law is interpreted in Japan.
The Japanese girl who is currently on probation while being pregnant told the Hiru news team that she had voluntarily fled to Sri Lanka with her Sri Lankan boyfriend.
Her mother had lodged a complaint with the Sri Lankan police last March and they were arrested last week.
The Suwaseriya Foundation strongly denies all allegations regarding the quality of its ambulance service.
A statement signed by its chairman Duminda Ratnayake states that only three workers out of thousands of employees have made baseless allegations about the ambulance service.
The Suwaseriya Ambulance Service employs more than 1,500 staff and has taken steps to provide maximum health care to its employees.
The Suwaseriya Foundation said that they are working hand in hand with the health sector to control the current covid -19 epidemic situation in a hygienic and efficient manner, adding that in addition to hygiene suits, safety goggles, gloves and rubber boots for its employees as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Health have been given.
The Foundation further stated that the Suwasariya Ambulance Service has been able to keep pace with the international standards in terms of time taken to reach the area in case of an emergency and further stated that it is ready to further dedicate its service to the people in a more organized manner.
Meanwhile, MP Dr. Harsha de Silva also expressed his views regarding the Suwasariya ambulance service in Parliament today.
Government Information Department stated that the Ministry of Justice has appointed a five-member committee chaired by former High Court Judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena, to probe the unrest at the Mahara Prison.
